《A Returner's Magic Should Be Special》


 Chapter 1 - Prologue

    <h4>Chapter 1 - Prologue</h4>


    It had once been a lively city. Yet, its ruins were now strewn before him, shattered to the point of no return. Prehenople, which had once been known as ¡°the most beautiful city¡± for three generations, was now nothing more than a dismal shell of its former self.


    Desir took a deep breath and shifted his gaze towards the gargantuan figure in front of him.


    Meteor Rank, the Dragon of Destruction - Boromir Napolitan.


    The massive Hellfire magic above Desir zed like the sun. The dragon, Boromir Napolitan, red menacingly at the 100 humans gathered before him.


    "Mere humans would DARE to stand against ME¡± The dragon¡¯s deep voice bellowed toward them, capable of overwhelming others through its sheer power.


    Even then, not a single one of the people present lost their resolve.


    Desir spoke, his voice determined, ¡°This is the end, Napolitan.¡±


    This ce was the end of Hell, the end of his suffering within the Shadow Labyrinth. The Shadow World had presented humanity with this finalbyrinth. Inside thebyrinth, Desir Arman had witnessed countless deaths, losing friends and loved ones, all in the hope of reaching this point.


    Friends with whom he had spent his school days, a ssmate he¡¯d had a crush on, and juniors who had tried their very best to follow him.


    While Desir was not familiar with every person in the Shadow Labyrinth, he was at the very least acquainted with them.


    The battlefield had imed each and every one of their lives. Night after night, the Shadow Army poured forth endlessly. Day after day, untold scores of people died.


    Amidst the neverending ughter, those lucky enough to survive would recite the names of the dead, and continue their struggle for survival. After 10 years of repeating this cycle of carnage, there were only 100 survivors remaining.


    A single cry echoed from the group, renewing the fighting spirit of these few survivors. ¡°We will y you, here and now!¡± the lone voice roared. ¡°Finally, we will put an end to this Hell!¡±


    Boromir Napolitan¡¯s [Fire Breath], which had once annihted an entire civilization, marked the beginning of their final tribtion.


    It was a battle of epic proportions; truly an event which rivaled any previous legends of old. Hundreds of Draconic spells rained down upon them as the survivors fought back desperately. Prehenople was once the jewel of this desert. Now, its remnants were ravaged further by the dragon¡¯s ceaseless barrage, returning the city to the sands from whence it came.


    The Earth was split asunder as the Heavens were torn apart. Defensive spells which had been boasted of as imprable, shattered like ss, and precious one-of-a-kind artifacts were destroyed as if they were no more than a child¡¯s toy. Even those who had ovee innumerable life-or-death situations sumbed to the dragon¡¯s overwhelming strength.


    As their battle dragged on, the survivors found themselves at an even greater disadvantage. Despite this bleak reality, no one wavered, no one gave up. They remained steadfast through sheer determination. They all knew that this was it, there was nowhere to fall back to if they failed here. If they could not y the dragon before them, the world woulde to an end.


    Therefore, they readily gave everything they had to defeat this powerful foe. Fueled by their sense of duty, they would fight to thest man. Perhaps it was this unyielding spirit which called forth a miracle.


    In the heat of battle, Desir yelled out to his allies, ¡°The analysis of the first spell, [Absolute Zero], isplete. Attempting to block it using the Ilone System.¡± Desir shifted his weight to his left leg and dashed towards safety. ¡°I''ll be able to seal it in 8 minutes!¡±


    One of the frontliners let out a hope-filled cry, ¡°The bone armor ispletely destroyed! Focus on attacking its back!¡±


    ¡°You maggots!¡± The dragon used its strongest spell, a spell powerful enough to be considered its final trump card.


    With the release of its spell, an enormous explosion sted the surroundings. The burst of magic crashed down upon the ground, waves of energy billowing out like a tsunami. However, the force of the attack was significantly weaker than before.


    Finally, the once impregnable dragon had slowly been weakened. It was time¡ª Desir knew it was now or never.


    ¡°The analysis of the thirteenth spell isplete,¡± Desir¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°[Sr Storm] ispletely sealed!¡±


    ¡°Iing breath attack from the front! Mages!¡± Zodmanded, ¡°Try your best to disperse it! Frontliners, retreat to a blind spot or to the side!¡±


    Like that, the dragon¡¯s attacks were effectively blocked. At the same time, Desir analyzed the Dragonic magic patterns by the tens of thousands.


    One by one, all of the dragon¡¯s powerful spells were sealed as the mages devised a defensive form to stop any remaining attacks.


    Slowly but surely, the dragon¡¯s offensive abilities declined. Horrified, the dragon gave an anguished wail, ¡°H-How could I lose to mere humans!¡±


    ¡°The analysis of the final magic pattern isplete!¡± Desir yelled hastily. ¡°All of the Draconic spells are now sealed!¡±


    With a triumphant shout, Raphaello gave themand they¡¯d all been yearning for. ¡°Attackers to the front, y the dragon!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Napolitan cried. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening!¡± He had looked down on the humans. Compared to him, they were dust to be blown away by a mere p of his wings. Yet, against all odds, their spells had brought him to this helpless state.


    Finally¡ª after so much sacrifice and loss, after a world¡¯s worth of blood had been spilled¡ª humanity stood on the cusp of victory.


    It took but a few moments longer.


    And then there it was: miserably, the Dragon of Destruction copsed to the ground, defeated atst.


    With that, everything was over.


    Or so they thought¡­


    ***


    As they realized they had won, relief washed over the survivors. Though they had emerged victorious, only six of them had survived the battle. With glee- filled expressions, they gawked at the dragon¡¯s corpse sprawled out in front of them. They could barely believe it.


    Memories of the past decade shed through their minds. They had lived, day to day, with one foot in the grave at all times. They had ovee thousands of life-or-death situations and watched their close friends die one by one.


    Yet, through it all, they had managed to stay alive.


    Indeed, disbelief and shock tainted them all. ¡°Are we finally able to leave this godforsaken ce¡± one of them asked in a daze.


    Around them, thendscapey decimated with debris strewn about. Everyone copsed (like puppets whose strings had been cut), their bodiesnding on the wreckage at their feet. Exhaustion overwhelmed them.


    ¡°Good work, everyone,¡± The Knight of Light, Raphaello, praised. ¡°We actually did it; we¡¯ve saved the world.¡±


    Donaif, a warrior of the northern savages, was covered from head to toe in gold jewelry. With halting speech, as he wasn¡¯t familiar with the officialnguage, he spoke, ¡°But why isn¡¯t there a pop-up.... The clear message¡­. Was it not....


    This Shadow World¡¯s objective¡­.. to y the dragon.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I''m not sure either,¡± Raphaello said. ¡°It¡¯s usually the case that once the mission is cleared, we¡¯re able to return to our own world immediately. But this ce doesn¡¯t seem to follow the normal rules of the Shadow World, so it¡¯s difficult to say what could happen.¡± He considered for a moment. ¡° I think it¡¯s best that we wait a bit.¡±


    The Great Sage Zod, wearing a blue hood and holding a staff, contemted drearily. ¡°Only six out of 150 million people survived. That¡¯s a survival rate of about 0.000004 percent. What terrible odds.¡±


    Hearing that, anger surged in the Pure White Saint Prisci¡¯s chest. ¡°Stop doing useless calctions. They won¡¯t bring back the dead.¡±


    Zod began to justify his previous statement, ¡°After any incident, especially one like this,¡± his voice droned condescendingly. ¡°It¡¯s always important to organize things. Particrly, if over 99% of all mages on the entire continent are dead.¡±


    Desir Arman, who had been watching the Sage and the Saint bicker, decided to make it end. Interrupting the two, he said, ¡°In any case, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that we saved the world.¡±


    Just then, the reality of the situation slowly dawned on them. The survivors felt the muscles in their bodies loosen, their hearts rx. With that, they started to discuss the battle with each other.


    Amongst the discussion, the Spellsword of the Dawn, Ajest, sat away from the rest. She didn¡¯t say a word but simply listened to their stories.


    ¡°It would have been really hard if you weren¡¯t here for us, Raphaello,¡± Prisci said.


    Raphaello waved his hands in modesty. ¡°No, no. As a Pdin, I just fulfilled my duty to protect everyone. Sir Desir yed a bigger role than me.¡±


    Desir, who had been staring at the ground this entire time, looked up. As their eyes met, Raphaello smiled.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Donaif said. ¡°This would have been impossible to clear¡­ Without you, Desir.¡±


    Naturally, Donaif agreed; he had received help from Desir twice during their time in the Shadow World.


    Zod, ever gloomy, spoke. ¡°To be honest, I thought you would have been long dead by now.¡± He cast his gaze onto Desir, ¡°Even if you had received help from artifacts, it¡¯s difficult for me to believe that a 3rd circle mage could analyze Draconic magic and seal it. Even I, as a 7th circle mage, cannot seed in the reverse analysis of Draconic magic like that. Howe you¡¯re only a 3rd circle


    mage with so much talent¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡° Is there any special reason¡±


    Everyone stared at Desir, silence expanded between them.


    Finally, Desir spoke. ¡°As amoner, I never received a proper education. The Academy drew a line between nobles andmoners. Because of that, it became impossible for any of us to be stronger. We could have saved countless. Without such in bigotry, we could have won long ago. With a lot less sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°¡­That''s too bad,¡± Zod said. ¡°If only we¡¯d had more people like you in the Tower of Magic, then your talent wouldn¡¯t have been wasted for so long.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about the boring past,¡± Raphaello said. With one hand, he covered his face from the sunlight and surveyed the survivors. ¡°We¡¯re the heroes who saved the world. When we return, we¡¯ll certainly receive a grand wee home. But after all of that, what will everyone do after we get back¡±


    Donaif, who was now sitting across from Raphaello, spoke first. ¡°I¡¯m going to stop by¡­ The homes of my fallenrades¡­ And return¡­ Their belongings¡­ To remember their honorable deaths¡­ Forever.¡±


    The barbarian had hundreds of pieces of jewelry. Each piece had a different initial engraved on it, in remembrance of his fallen brethren from the North.


    While Desir was lost in thought, Prisci spoke up. "I''ll be returning to the Western Kingdom tofort the families of the deceased soldiers. I must take responsibility for their livelihood. For everyone that lost their lives here, I''ll build a memorial tower or a shrine in their honor. I''m sure it''ll make them happy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just continue my research, but I¡¯ll shift my field of study to the Shadow World,¡± Zod said. ¡°If another Shadow Labyrinth of this scale were to appear again, it would definitely be the end of the world. We don¡¯t have the troops, the resources, nor the time to prepare again, so I¡¯ll do my best to prevent recurrence of a Shadow Labyrinth.¡±


    As soon as Zod finished speaking, Raphaello looked at Ajest, who still hadn¡¯t said a single word.


    ¡°What will you be doing Lady Ajest¡± He asked.


    Silence followed Raphaello¡¯s question.


    With a nk expression, Ajest stared at Raphaello for some time and turned away.


    With an awkward smile, Raphaello¡¯s gazended on Desir. ¡°What about you, Sir Desir I¡¯m certain that you¡¯ll be weed anywhere you go! You can go to the Western Kingdom, or our Kingdom, or even Sir Zod¡¯s Tower of Magic. Or maybe you¡¯re nning to return to Hebrion Academy¡±


    Taking a moment to mull over the question, Desir began to speak. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Without warning, a powerful surge of mana roared forth, setting the previously carefree survivors on edge.


    ¡°Did we miss something!¡± Zod eximed.


    ¡°W-Wait a minute!¡± Prisci screamed. ¡°Didn¡¯t we clear this Shadow Labyrinth I thought the objective was to y the dragon!¡±


    Shocked, Donaif said, ¡°Did we not¡­ Completely kill¡­ The dragon¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible!¡± Zod yelled. ¡°I definitely confirmed its death!¡±


    Their cries of disbelief melded together into a swirling storm of confusion.


    While everyone continued to panic, Zod spoke up again in an unexpectedly low voice.

 Chapter 2 - The Returner’s Entrance Exam (1)

    <h4>Chapter 2 - The Returner¡¯s Entrance Exam (1)</h4>


    ¡°The heart..?¡± Zod mumbled to himself.


    Confused by his ramblings, someone asked, ¡°What do you mean by the heart?¡±


    ¡°I read about it in a book many many years ago,¡± Zod said. ¡°A dragon¡¯s heart acts like an engine for magic¡ªjust like our mana circles. It¡¯s an enormous magic engine that sucks in the surrounding mana.¡±


    Mana circles. Mana was absorbed into mana circles so that it could be controlled and used. This was elementary knowledge for a mage.


    Zod continued, ¡°The dragon¡¯s dead, which means there¡¯s nothing controlling the mana umted inside its heart now. Since mana is very fluid, it¡¯s continued to flow around, which has resulted in this ¡®engine¡¯ overheating. If this continues¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying!¡± Prisci interrupted. ¡°Say it in simpler terms!¡±


    Desir spoke up, reaching the conclusion quickly. ¡°The overheating engine is about to explode.¡±


    ¡°WHAAAT?!?!?¡± Prisci shrieked in a shrill voice.


    A terrible rumbling arose from the body, punctuating Desir¡¯s words. The uncontroble mana overflowed, overwhelming everyone present, and causing their faces to turn deathly pale.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t we know about this before we killed it?¡±


    Zod¡¯s usual empty eyes gleamed with despair. He spoke in a dead and


    monotonous voice, ¡°...Because...this is the first time humanity has ever defeated a dragon.


    ¡°An explosion caused by the pressure of the mana contained within the mana circle¡­ This kind of phenomenon would be equivalent to 7th circle magic¡­


    ¡°No, even that¡¯s too low of an estimate. This amount of mana is beyond the reckoning of mortals. Also, if it¡¯s pure mana rather than magic, it¡¯s not something we can ¡®hijack.¡¯


    ¡°...I think it¡¯s time we prepared...¡±


    The looming inevitability cast a pall over the survivors, like a bitter, ck cloud. It was as Zod said. A mana explosion of this scale was impossible to dodge, impossible to block.


    ¡°I...I can¡¯t believe it. The world is really...right now¡­¡± Raphaello turned to face the gathering mana-storm with a thousand-yard stare.


    ¡°Our Father who art in heaven...¡± Prisci¡¯s quiet prayer was drowned out by theing storm.


    Desir stood at the center of the group, his face strained with pain and despair. The disaster unfolded before him, and a hundred thoughts raced through his mind. The magic surged outward, but only one thought stood out.


    ¡®Is this the end?¡¯


    He closed his eyes, as he felt the wicked wind sh across his face.


    That was his final memory.


    Desir Arman opened his eyes, staring at his outstretched hand.


    ¡®Wait.¡¯


    Something was amiss.


    ¡®Where am I?¡¯


    Voices, chattering in excitement, filled the air. He lowered his hand and surveyed his surroundings. A massive chandelier, gilded with tens of sapphires, lit the room. Hundreds of students dressed in ck uniforms sat at dozens of oak tables surrounding an antique stone shrine.


    As Desir nced around in confusion, he realized, ¡®...this looks familiar...¡¯ Looking down, there was a ss cup in front of him. A young boy, eerily familiar, stared back in confusion. He had deep ck eyes and bright red lips. His face wasn¡¯t quite handsome, but he had a bit of a childish charm to him.


    ¡®Wait, this is...¡¯ Gone were the scar-covered cheeks and rugged skin. A fair, somewhat effeminate school-aged child greeted him. He was his adolescent self again.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on...? I definitely died back there...¡¯


    He sat, confusion and doubt racing through his mind, until a sudden ringing disrupted his thoughts.


    The ringing of a bell attracted everyone¡¯s attention back to the front. A beautiful young woman dressed in a professor¡¯s ck uniform smiled as she ascended the stage. As the music ceased and chatter died down, the woman began speaking.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, applicants of Hebrion Academy. I am Professor Brigitte.¡±


    Desir stared at the woman intensely. It should have been the first time Desir was seeing her face, but instead, she seemed strangely familiar.


    ¡°I know that many of you havee to Hebrion Academy from many different countries. I sincerely thank every one of you for having made this long journey to attend our school.¡±


    She paused and drew a deep breath before continuing.


    ¡°However, I regretfully inform you all that not everyone who hase here will be admitted to our academy. As is tradition, everyone will be required to take our entrance examination, the results of which will determine who is admitted. Only 600 of you will be admitted to Hebrion. We will be testing you, of course¡ª¡±


    ¡°By asking you to clear a Shadow World,¡± Desir muttered under his breath as Professor Brigitte spoke.


    ¡°--by asking you to clear a Shadow World,¡± she said. ¡°Do not be nervous; while this examination is simr to a real Shadow World, this one is not real. This Shadow World has been specially constructed for the purposes of this exam. For more details, I ask that you ask your mentors when you meet them.¡±


    Brigitte looked at the students with a serious expression.


    ¡°Year 3613, the 172nd entrance examination will begin in 2 hours in the main hall of the Academy. In the meantime, please enjoy the banquet we have prepared for you. I will see everyone again soon.¡± Brigitte walked down from the tform as she finished her speech.


    The students collectively broke out in apuse¡ªall except for Desir who looked down in disbelief.


    ¡®Hebrion Academy entrance examination?¡¯


    Hebrion Academy was the top magic academy in the entire continent. Desir was an alumnus. He had graduated from Hebrion 10 years ago.


    Yet, now, somehow, he was again at the precipice of entering Hebrion Academy. His mind swirled with confusion. ¡®If it¡¯s 3613...¡¯


    Then he had been flung 13 years into the past. The Shadow Labyrinth had appeared in the year Lowellius 3616, and he had lived in the hellish nightmare for 10 years, from 3616 to 3626.


    Desir closed his eyes as felt the enormity of it all. Conflicting emotions raced through his heart: pangs of guilt pierced through the happiness he felt foring back to this point.


    An eternity of suffering and torture. The blood of his friends who died and the tears he shed. All of it was for nothing. They failed to save the world.


    10 years of suffering and 150 million dead¡ª all for nothing. It was unavoidable, undeniably a disaster.


    And yet, somehow...


    Desir Arman had returned 13 years into the past from that doomed future. It was like a joke¡ªa cruel, twisted joke.


    At first, Desir had simply thought that, perhaps, it had all been a dream; a particrly horrid nightmare that he had just awoken from. But the vivid memories were all too real. He couldn¡¯t have called it a dream, with all the desperate fights and the vast array of magic knowledge he had gained buried in his mind. All these memories flowing through his head were far too realistic for a dream.


    "You''re Desir Arman, aren''t you?"


    A young girl appeared in front of Desir, snapping him from his contemtion. She wore her red hair in a short bob, and, despite her short stature, her steely eyes gave off an aura of great confidence and will.


    ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°I¡¯m Radoria Von Dorich, but you can call me Radoria. I¡¯m a second-year student of Hebrion Academy, and I¡¯ll be your mentor for the entrance examination today. I look forward to working with you!¡±


    ¡°Ah, please look after me.¡± Even though his voice came out naturally, Desir felt an unnatural difort as he stared at Radoria.


    This was the same Radoria Von Dorich he had met in his past life. Radoria Von Dorich was a genius, a fire mage capable of 6th circle magic. She held the number 1 rank of her year for her entire time at Hebrion.


    ¡°What are you thinking so much about?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m feeling pretty nervous,¡± he answered.


    Radoria giggled. ¡°There¡¯s no need to get scared over the entrance exam. The Shadow World they use is specially made; it¡¯s iparable to a real Shadow World in difficulty.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still an exam, though. Like, ¡®can you really go fight against the Shadow Worlds?¡¯ kinda thing.¡±


    Introductions more or lessplete, Radoria started her preparations for the entrance exam. She flicked through her documents on Desir, and then paused and looked up. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re amoner?¡±


    Desir replied in ackadaisical manner as if the question was irrelevant. ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re amoner, you¡¯re probably going to experience some hardship, I guess? Even if you pass, they¡¯ll put you into the Beta ss. They don¡¯t really care formoner half of Hebrion; they won¡¯t give you a proper


    education there.¡±


    This unexpected return to the past made a crucial fact slip his mind. Despite being the foremost magic academy on the continent, Hebrion was harshly segregated into two halves: the nobles of Alpha ss, and themoners of Beta ss.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll only matter if you pass your exam.¡± Radoria then lead Desir down a long corridor.


    After 10 minutes, as if the long silence had bothered her, Radoria spoke again. ¡°Oh, I forgot to ask before. Do you know what a Shadow World is?¡±


    ¡°More or less¡±


    Radoria furrowed her brows in suspicion. ¡°Do you really know though? To join the effort against the Shadow Worlds, you need to have perfect knowledge of what they are. Even if this is just an examination-specific Shadow World, Shadow Worlds are still inherently dangerous you know.¡±


    Desir simply nodded at Radoria¡¯s exnation.


    She let out a small huff. ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re so confident then, why don¡¯t I test you with a few questions?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°First question,¡± Radoria¡¯s voice held a clear note of mockery. ¡°What is a Shadow World?¡±


    Desir cleared his throat and began speaking:


    ¡°Shadow Worlds.


    ¡°They ur each year, and they are the most dangerous phenomenon mankind has ever seen. Like an infinitely long corridor with countless rooms on each side; there are countless worlds, each with their own bizarre set of rules.


    ¡°These worlds are a glimpse into the past, and each world has its own risks. While some Shadow Worlds are weak, others can be extremely dangerous. The Magic Society determines the power (and implicitly, the danger) of a Shadow World, and assigns it one of 10 sses. It¡¯s usually possible to estimate the number of deaths likely to ur by knowing the ss of a Shadow World.


    ¡°Without a doubt, however, the most dangerous characteristic of a Shadow World is its potential for an ¡®Encroachment¡¯ event to ur. Encroachednd is smothered in a thick, ck fog, and it bes impossible to know what¡¯s happening inside. Only one thing is certain: no living being has ever entered encroachednd and returned alive. It is simply a ce where life cannot exist.


    ¡°This is why humanity must fight against the Shadow Worlds.¡±

 Chapter 3 - The Returner’s Entrance Exam (2)

    <h4>Chapter 3 - The Returner¡¯s Entrance Exam (2)</h4>


    Desir had given a wless exnation¡ªhis description sounded like it was straight from a textbook.


    Not to be outdone, Radoria held up two fingers. ¡°There are two organizations that manage the Shadow World. The first is the Western Kingdom, and the second is our Hebrion Academy. The two are at odds¡ªafter all, both parties want the magic cores thate from the Shadow World. And, as students of Hebrion Academy, we naturally participate in the two-party race for magic cores... well, there are other factions, like the ¡°outsiders,¡± but you don¡¯t need to know about that.¡±


    Radoria continued, ¡°And you know about ¡®clearing¡¯ the Shadow World, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡ªthat¡¯smon knowledge.¡± To Desir, describing the Shadow World was second nature, and so he went on to exin:


    ¡°In a sense, the Shadow World was a universe that ran parallel to our own¡ªthe events that ured in the real world¡¯s past would also eventually ur in the Shadow World. And during that process, the Shadow World would continually threaten to erode our world. There is only one way to stop that from happening:


    ¡°The ¡®Clearing.¡¯


    ¡°To put it simply, ¡®clearing¡¯ the Shadow World prevents it from encroaching upon our reality. If the event of a given Shadow World is based off of a past war in our world¡ªthe ¡®background¡¯¡ªand the victory of that war consisted in demoralizing the enemy, then the ¡®clearing¡¯ would involve defeating the enemy in the exact same manner¡ªthis would be the Shadow World¡¯s ¡®objective.¡¯ Every Shadow World has its own background and objective, andpleting that objective ¡®clears¡¯ the Shadow World.


    ¡°The goal, then, is to clear all the Shadow Worlds that appear. And the two rival organizations, Western Kingdoms and Hebrion Academy, stand at the forefront of this movement.¡±


    Radoria wore an amused expression, ¡°Not bad. I guess I don¡¯t have to worry about exining things to you.¡±


    As the pair talked, they arrived at their destination: an extravagant, awe- inducing structure shining under the sunlight, the main building of Hebrion Academy. Radoria shed her ID at the entrance.


    | Student Identity Pass Confirmed. Wee, 4th Circle Mage, Radoria Von Dorich.


    With an electronic voice, the door opened, and the pair stepped into the main building. They were greeted by a grand hall¡ªthe building¡¯s enormous interior was just as splendid as its exterior. Countless students and faculty walked in and out of the innumerable corridors in the main hall, electrifying the atmosphere. Desir looked around the area, nostalgia gripping him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look that surprised.¡± Radoria had expected more of a reaction out of Desir, so his nonchnt attitude sparked her curiosity.


    With a somewhat dismissive tone, Desir said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve seen something simr in the past.¡±


    More urately, he had seen this exact building.


    The pair began making their way up a winding staircase. Though theplicatedyout of the corridors almost resembled a maze, Radoria confidently led the two through the various hallways. While following hispanion, Desir passed by a number of people, most of whom he recognized. Their familiar faces warmed Desir¡¯s heart, but he concealed his emotions and quietly walked behind Radoria.


    Suddenly, a tall, handsome man and a girl who looked about the same age as Desir approached the pair. When Radoria saw them, she halted in her tracks.


    ¡°Do you know them?¡± Desir asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Elheim. He¡¯s a real scumbag.¡±


    Desir remembered that name. Elheim. He was the pr opposite of Radoria. Elheim was a water-attribute mage, and Radoria was a fire-attribute mage. And like their magical elements, their personalities shed violently. Obviously, they did not get along.


    Feigning ignorance, Desirmented, ¡°You must really dislike that man.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. He¡¯s one of those water-attribute mages,¡± Radoria said. ¡°He¡¯s real arrogant, too. And I hate the way he speaks. He¡¯s like a damn cockroach.¡±


    After Desir and Radoria¡¯s brief exchange, Elheim¡ªa young man with blue, bobbed hair, with arrogant eyes and a stuck-up nose¡ªwalked up to Radoria. His voiceced with derision, Elheimmented, ¡°Oi, Radoria. You just got here? I guess having short legs makes you walk slower, huh?¡±


    Without losing herposure, the young fire-attribute mage retorted, ¡°Grow up, Elheim. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?¡±


    Elheim scoffed in response, ¡°Such crude speech. As expected of a crude fire- attribute mage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you have the balls to mouth off less than a month after getting trounced by this ¡®crude fire-attribute mage.¡¯¡± Radoria jeered.


    Elheim rolled his eyes. ¡°You still can¡¯t tell the difference between defeating someone, and them going easy on you? No wonder you have such a long way to go.¡±


    Radoria sneered. ¡°I sure hope you weren¡¯t trying¡ªif that was all you got, then you really should consider dropping out.¡±


    The tension in the air was potent. Desir could almost feel the sparks flying between the two bantering mages¡ªhe unconsciously took a step back. As Radoria and Elheim got more and more in each other¡¯s faces, the mood gradually turned heavier and more strained.


    Finally, realizing that he wouldn¡¯t win just through a contest of words, Elheim shifted his attention to Desir. ¡°Are you this vulgar girl¡¯s mentee?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡± Desir answered respectfully.


    Surprised, Elheim said, ¡°Well, you certainly have better manners than Radoria. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Desir Arman.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, Desir Arman. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Elheim took out his tablet and entered Desir¡¯s name.


    In just a few seconds, all of Desir¡¯s information appeared on the screen. As Elheim read the data, the corners of his mouth rising ever so slightly.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? He¡¯s just amoner?¡± Elheim smirked. ¡°Well, I guess it fits that you¡¯re mentoring a patheticmoner.¡±


    Radoria scrunched her face.


    Elheim looked up to the ceiling with amusement. ¡°Honestly. This contest won¡¯t even be close.¡±


    ¡°...Contest? What do you mean, ¡®contest?¡¯¡± Radoria asked.


    As if he had waited for the question, Elheim responded, ¡°What? Did you not even check the group lists?¡±


    He indifferently flipped his tablet toward Radoria. ¡°We¡¯re in the same group.¡±


    Desir and Radoria quickly read through the list of names:


    [D Group Members]


    Treveurie Tigus


    Romantica Eru


    Ajest Kingscrown


    Desir Arman


    Elheim stared at Desir with a condescending gaze¡ªit was like he was looking at a rotten fish. ¡°There¡¯s no way your mentee will survive with this lineup.¡±


    Radoria spoke up, seemingly unperturbed. ¡°I wonder about that. Even if you¡¯re in our group, that doesn¡¯t mean that we¡¯ll fail. In fact, we just might win.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. You don¡¯t even have a chance.¡± Then Elheim raised his voice, and dered with confidence: ¡°MY mentee is a spellsword.¡±


    Radoria¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°S-spellsword? You¡¯re lying.¡±


    Spellsword.


    Those who were innately talented in both magic and swordsmanship. This title was reserved for geniuses blessed by the heavens. They were on a whole different level than the mages who simply used magic¡ªit didn¡¯t matter ifbat ured at close or long-range. These specialists could fight on all fronts. And as to be expected, these exceptional talents only numbered in the single digits worldwide.


    And Elheim just said that his mentee was one of those single digits¡ªan unrivalled genius. Radoria could not believe it.


    With a conceited facial expression, Elheim taunted his stunned rival. ¡°You can check it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    After a brief moment of hesitation, Radoria took out her tablet. She addressed Elheim¡¯s mentee who had remained silent the entire time, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Ajest Kingscrown.¡± The girl spoke with a dour and ice-cold voice.


    Radoria entered the name into the tablet. When the information popped up, Radoria quickly scanned the results.


    </ajest>


    | Twin-attribute spellsword. Shows excellent talent with both ice¡ªand lightning¡ªattribute magic. 3rd circle mage. Swordsmanship exceeds the level of a pawn-rank swordsman.


    ¡°My god¡­¡±


    Radoria¡¯s jaw dropped. She thought Elheim had been bluffing¡ªbut here was the truth right in front of her eyes.


    With smug assurance, Elheim piped up, ¡°Where did that fire from earlier go, Radoria?¡±


    Radoria, for once, was at a loss for words.


    The victorious water-attribute mage strolled past the dumbfounded woman. When he reached Desir, Elheim stopped for a brief moment.


    ¡°Oh, and you. This is a warning.¡± He leaned in close to Desir¡¯s face, ring at the young man with an attitude of pompous superiority. It was a perfect example of a noble looking down upon amoner. ¡°Even if you¡¯re lucky, you¡¯ll just end up in Beta. Just give up on the entrance exams¡ªthat¡¯s your best bet.¡±


    | The D Group¡¯s Entrance Exam will soon begin! D Group¡¯s Shadow World is currently being selected. Please wait.


    An electronic voice rang out. Desir stood in the middle of the waiting room¡ªa Shadow Gate, boasting one of the most advanced designs, loomed in front of him. The steel outline of the gate was inscribed with hundreds of runes. With a magic core in its center, thousands of synthesized magic circles decorated the face of the gate. It could almost pass as a work of art.


    ¡®Is this what it looked like?¡¯ Desir leaned left and right while inspecting the gate.


    An annoyed voice spoke to him, ¡°Could you just stand still? You¡¯re embarrassing us.¡±


    Desir turned towards the voice. There were three other students with him, all of whom would also be taking the test. Two of them were giving off an unmistakable air of hostility toward Desir¡ªAjest, on the other hand, was silently cleaning her sword.


    The girl who had lectured Desir was named Romantica. She didn¡¯t know Desir at all¡ªbut Desir knew all about her.


    Romantica Eru.


    She had been a 4th circle wind-attribute mage, known for defeating her enemies with her specialty: chantless magic. Hers was one of the more brilliant minds among all wind-attribute mages. With her talent, she could have risen much higher¡ªhad she not died an untimely death.


    ¡®But as of right now, she¡¯s a 2nd circle, right?¡¯ Not wanting to antagonize thepetitors so early on, Desir decided to just apologize graciously, ¡°Sorry, guys. It¡¯s my first time seeing something amazing like this.¡±


    Romantica had hoped to get a rise out of Desir, but when he didn¡¯t react the way she had hoped, she just sighed and said, ¡°Now that I think about it, they did say there was amoner hick in our group.¡±


    ¡°What? We¡¯re going to test with someone like that?¡± The swordsman, Treveurie Tigus, stared at Desir with disgust.


    But Desir had already stopped paying attention to them.

 Chapter 4 - The Returner’s Entrance Exam (3)

    <h4>Chapter 4 - The Returner¡¯s Entrance Exam (3)</h4>


    Romantica and Treveurie were relieved by Desir¡¯s presence; amoner couldn¡¯t even be consideredpetition.


    ¡°Since he¡¯s amoner, I doubt he¡¯s even received a proper education.¡± Romantica remarked. ¡°I won¡¯tin though, it just means one less opponent for me. I was a bit worried about the spellsword in our group, but him being here makes everything easier.¡±


    Treveurie chuckled in response, ¡°Seeing what we¡¯re up against, I think the real struggle will be between you and me. What do you think Romantica?¡±


    Romantica nodded. ¡°You¡¯re probably right; let¡¯s have a goodpetition.¡±


    Both of them enthusiastically shook hands, treating the test as if it was a game between two friends. While Romantica and Treveurie continued to talk with one another, Desir and Ajest silently observed their surroundings.


    Besides their group, the loud waiting room was filled with the chattering of fellow students, all anticipating the start of their own exams. After some time, an announcement resounded.


    | The group entrance examination event has been decided. The following information present the event¡¯s details.


    | ss 10 Shadow World: Ernste ins Race


    | The condition for clearing this Shadow World is to be the first person to cross the finish line. The position of the finish line is 8 kilometers away from the starting point. The use of magic is permitted; therefore, attacks between participants are also permitted. The Student Safety System has been activated for this exam, and pain will be suppressed by 80%. If a student wishes to forfeit at any time during the exam, they must simply verbally announce their resignation. Upon said verbal resignation, they will be expelled from the Shadow World. In the event of a fatal injury or attack, the receiving student will likewise be expelled from the Shadow World. Rankings from first to fourth ce will be assessed at the end of the exam.


    Romantica and Treveurie perused the information regarding the Shadow World they would soon enter.


    ¡°Man, I¡¯m d it¡¯s just running,¡± Treveurie said. ¡°I heard that Group 8 has to deal with trolls.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s basically just a race isn¡¯t it? Do we even have to fight each other?¡± Romantica asked.


    Desir and Ajest still waited in silence as they had been before the announcement, a bubble of empty space around them. Ajest sat down and swept down the length of her scabbard with her finger while Desir stood a away from the boisterous crowd, leisurely leaning against the wall. Soon, the dull mechanical voice of the announcement returned:


    | The gate will soon open. Participants, please line up in front of the gate in an orderly fashion, and be prepared to register yourselves.


    The participants in Group 0 lined up in front of the gate. Soon after, the gate opened, and a bright light shone through. As the students walked through the


    gate, they werepletely engulfed within the light, and their figures disappeared without a trace.


    | Entering the Shadow World Ernste ins Race.


    Soon after entering the gate, Desir was transported into the artificial Shadow World. Checking his surroundings, he and the other three students stood in the middle of arge in. The green grass and vibrant blue sky stretched before him. The flowers bloomed all around him, and an an enormous river ran through the middle of the field, giving this Shadow World the feeling of an idealistic Spring day. The warm air blew at his hair, and the sun kissed his skin with warmth. This ce was the embodiment of serenity.


    | The race will start in three minutes. Participants, please stand behind the starting line.


    Hearing the announcement, Desir looked down at his feet, and sure enough, there was a starting line on the ground. The four of them got into their positions behind the starting line in the order of Group 0¡¯s participant list.


    By pure chance, Desir and Ajest stood beside each other. Compared to his previously cool attitude, Desir felt extremely awkward standing so close to her. He was staring at Ajest with an inquisitive look, when her head suddenly snapped towards him, her eyes meeting his gaze.


    He greeted her with an awkward expression, unsure of what to say. ¡°H-hi?¡± He mumbled nervously.


    Ajest didn¡¯t react in the slightest. Her face remained expressionless, as if she was wearing a mask. Her gaze quickly swept over Desir with a dull look, and she turned away just as quickly as she¡¯d turned towards him.


    As Desir lowered his eyes in embarrassment, he noticed an unusual, yet all too familiar, weapon at Ajest¡¯s waist. It was a one-handed sword that seemed to be a mix between a broadsword and a two-handed longsword. As his gaze moved back up, a hundred shimmering golden hairs waved in the breeze before his eyes. Seeing her face was as cold as it had been before, Desir thought that rather thaning off as bashful, she was more like the personification of a frigid de.


    ¡®Come to think of it, was she like this back then, too?¡¯


    6th circle ice attribute spellsword and holder of one of the strongest spellswords, the Queen-rank swordwoman¡ª Ajest Zedga F. Kingscrown. She led the front line ahead of everyone. The Goddess of the Battlefield. And part of The Shadow Labyrinth expedition team and one of thest six people to die. Undoubtedly, she was a callous woman at that time.


    ¡°You,¡± Ajest proimed.


    Desir¡¯s heart jolted, and he needlessly cowered. Judging from the way participants continued to talk on the other side, it seemed that they couldn¡¯t hear this conversation.


    ¡°You¡¯re weak,¡± she said.


    Although it was a very sudden personal attack, Desir answered casually. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t know.¡± She said in a way only Ajest could. ¡°You¡¯re weak. The lowest-rank spell level. Physical ability is below average. No matter how high you take it, ss 6 Shadow Worlds are the limit.¡±


    He already knew all of this. So, of course, she¡¯d have to point it all out.


    Their eyes met.


    An odd current ran between Desir and Ajest, making the air around them extremely tense. Desir knew this atmosphere very well. It was a situation he had experienced several times in his previous life. It was like the calm before the storm. The twitching of gunpowder just before it burst.


    Desir tensed. ¡®You want to fight me here right now?¡¯


    ¡°You can rx,¡± Ajest said. ¡°I¡¯m not thinking of attacking you like what the mentor said.¡±


    Desir raised his eyebrows, taken aback. ¡°Why is that?¡± he asked.


    Ajest¡¯s long eyshes fluttered slightly in the wind. She shifted her attention and looked straight ahead, clearly stating that her business with him was over.


    Imperiously, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a hobby of attacking people as weak as you.¡±


    Desir smiled bitterly. That, too, was also very much like her.


    The sound of an rm rang out.


    | The race starts in ten seconds. Participants, please prepare.


    Desir took a deep, steadying breath and then let it out slowly.


    | Race, start!


    The participants listed during the announcement surged forward at once. In this race, physical ability was paramount. So, it came as no surprise when Ajest Kingscrown and Treveurie Tigus immediately took the lead.


    Of course, mages didn¡¯t excel at such physical pursuits. As such, it also came as no surprise that Desir and Romantica were eating the dust from Ajest and Treveurie¡¯s feet.


    With their physical prowess and swiftness, it didn¡¯t even take five minutes for the difference between the two courses to emerge. Desir and Romanticagged far behind. So far behind, the dust had already settled in front of them.


    Coincidentally, when it came to speed, there was hardly any difference between Desir and Romantica.


    ¡°With all that pretending to be good,¡± Desir panted for breath. ¡°This is what you are in the end.¡±


    Romantica scowled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you focus on the event?¡± She refused to let it be known that her pride was even a little bit wounded.


    ¡°Even if I focus on the event,¡± Desir gasped. ¡°At this rate. We both. Are going to be. Eliminated.¡± He took another big heave of air. ¡°Is what I¡¯m saying.¡±


    Romantica had nothing left to say. Because it was an urate point. What was worse, she was already beginning to breathe roughly. At this rate, catching up was out of the question.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t look any better than I do,¡± she said.


    ¡°Please,¡± he wheezed. ¡°Just¡­ shut up. Please.¡±


    Romantica red at Desir like he was some sort of bad-luck charm, hoping he¡¯d somehow magically disappear. But every time she looked back at him, he was still staring at her¡ªand it made her more and more anxious.


    She couldn¡¯t take it. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡®This whole thing is annoying¡¯ she thought. So she yelled at Desir. ¡°Why the hell are you making that kind of annoying face?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Desir quipped. ¡°I just thought this wouldn¡¯t be a big deal for a 2nd circle mage.¡±


    Romantica¡¯s eyebrow twitched. He had just dismissed her skills¡­ thismoner had just insulted her!


    ¡®THIS bastard has the nerve!?!?¡¯ Romantica¡¯s chest burst with fury.


    ¡°FINE,¡± she eximed. ¡°You asked for it. I was waiting for just the right moment.¡± Romantica thrust her arms in front of her, and the wind¡¯s current began to subtly shift. ¡°Open your eyes and take a good look. Amoner like you will never reach the level of a 2nd circle mage.¡±


    Romantica released her magic power, and concentrated on the forest far ahead of them.


    Ahigh-speed incantation rushed from her mouth:


    [Sweep the Air!]


    Her spell manifested itself and shot in the direction of the forest¡ªtowards where Treveurie Tigus and Ajest Kingscrownpeted against each other.


    ***


    ¡®At this rate, isn¡¯t this an easy victory?¡¯ The Pawn-rank swordsman, Treveurie Tigus, had already convinced himself that he had won. After all, the figures of Romantica and Desir had long since disappeared behind them, and the gap wouldn¡¯t diminish unless he decided to take a nap.


    The corners of his mouth curled upwards. ¡®Those guys back there are mages. We¡¯re clearly superior when ites to physical ability. This exam favored us, swordsmen, from the start.¡¯


    Treveurie looked towards Ajest, who was keeping pace with him. Her ability surprised him¡ªhe had risen to join the elite group of Pawn-rank swordsmen, who his peers called ¡°geniuses.¡± He was confident that, among those of his age, there were only a few other people faster than him.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t think I would find someone on my level.¡¯ Treveurie chastised himself for slightly underestimating his opponent.


    Treveurie looked back, wondering where the rest of the participants were located.


    Right at that moment, the wind¡¯s direction changed and whooshed passed his face, the sound roaring in his ears.


    An extremely powerful gale tore through the azure sky. The trees in the forest buckled and shrieked under the force of the wind.


    ¡°Wa-wait!¡± Treveurie yelled.


    The wind¡¯s overwhelming force pressured him back. He quickly drew his sword and stabbed it into the ground before he could be blown away¡ªthe sheer force of the wind felt like it would tear Treveurie¡¯s limbs from his body.


    ¡®It can¡¯t be¡­ magic? But with this power¡ªit has to be Romantica!¡¯ It took all of Treveurie¡¯s strength to hang on for dear life.


    ¡®My armor weighs nearly 100 kilograms. You can¡¯t send me flying. If I just keep a firm grip on my sword, I¡¯m not going anywhere!¡¯


    But he still had to use all of his strength to struggle against the wind. He used every trick he knew in order to endure for even a bit longer. And then, finally, while straining against the never-ending wind, the swordsman found his footing. He shook off the initial embarrassment and started to think through the current predicament.


    Treveurie had been correct. It would be impossible to send him flying. If Romantica had intended on sending him flying with wind pressure alone, she would definitely have failed.


    ¡®What were you hoping to do to me with this pathetic level of magic?¡¯ Treveurie smirked. ¡®This lousy spell is unbing of a 2nd circle mage.¡¯ He lifted his head and looked ahead with renewed determination.


    But what he saw made his eyes widen.


    ¡°Wha¡ªwhat is that!¡±


    Ajest, the lead runner, had advanced even further. She had drawn her sword from its scabbard and pressed on, shing the gale in front of her as she moved. Her movements¡ªswift but almost desperate¡ªmade it seem like she was trying to st through that area as quickly as possible.


    The sight of Ajest piercing through the typhoon-like wind amazed Treveurie. The swordswoman sliced through the wind as if it was cloth. She certainly deserved his respect.


    But the swordsman couldn¡¯t figure out why Ajest was trying so hard. ¡°Why? You¡¯re just gonna get tired... it would be much better to go after the wind¡ª¡±


    His attention was forced towards the massive trees in front of him, swaying precariously in the wind¡ªthe roots of the trees didn¡¯t seem particrly deep, and as the fierce wind blew, they quivered ominously.


    ¡°Wa-wait!¡±


    With a deafening roar, a tree was ripped out at its roots.

 Chapter 5 - The Returner’s Entrance Exam (4)

    <h4>Chapter 5 - The Returner¡¯s Entrance Exam (4)</h4>


    ¡°They were aiming for this from the start...!¡± Treveurie looked around, desperately searching, to no avail, for a solution. Ajest was already long gone.


    A terrible sound of wood twisting and tearing filled his ears as the trees in the forest were ripped out by their roots. Clumps of dirt flew about in every direction as the massive trees began swirling about in the wind. To his rage and horror, Treveurie was right in their path.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    A terrifying, flying forest filled Treveurie¡¯s eyes. Worse, he had no doubt that the moment he let go of his sword to dodge them, he would get swept up by the magic currents as well.


    He cursed at the top of his lungs. ¡°Damn you! ROMANTICAAAA-!¡±


    His voice was abruptly cut off and a heavy m echoed through the forest.


    | Treveurie Tigus has been struck with lethal force and has been eliminated from the Shadow World. There are three participants remaining.


    The announcement rang out across the once-forested wastnd. Romantica looked across the space with a smug expression. ¡°Hmm, seems like the spellsword survived. How unfortunate.¡±


    She turned to Desir, her every word bursting with pride. ¡°Now, this is the power of a 2nd circle mage. Feeling honored yet?¡±


    Desir smiled back at Romantica, and said, ¡°It was definitely quite creative, that the true attack wasn¡¯t the wind itself, but the flying trees. The uracy left something to be desired, but the power was quite high.¡±


    Romantica smiled, seemingly pleased with thepliment. She spoke with pride in her voice. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡°My turn?¡± Desir asked, his voice tinged with confusion.


    Hands on her hips, Romantica exined, ¡°Your turn to be eliminated. It is apetition after all. It¡¯s always better to take out the otherpetitors. But since I¡¯m so nice, I¡¯ll bestow some mercy upon you, Mr. Commoner... I¡¯ll give you the chance to resign. There¡¯s no need for you to suffer, is there?¡±


    As she spoke, Romantica snuck a gleeful nce at Desir¡¯s face. Any normal human would¡¯ve shown a response; but, strangely, it appeared as if Desir wasn¡¯t at all intimidated by the overwhelming difference in power.


    ¡°Sorry, but I refuse.¡± he said calmly. His voice was strangely rxed.


    Romantica¡¯s mood soured. There was no mistaking it: he was looking down on her.


    ¡°Hmpf. Have it your way.¡± She responded, her tone filled with contempt. ¡°Don¡¯t me me if this hurts: remember, I gave you a chance.¡±


    Romantica held out her hands towards Desir as her magic filled the air. Dozens of magic circles filled with different shapes and dizzying magic forms erupted around her. The wind in front of her began spinning into a circr shape as the flow of mana seized control of the very atmosphere. A violent gale whipped towards Desir. Romantica had put just as much power as her previous spell into this new one. She shouted over the noise, ¡°They just said you can¡¯t die in this entrance exam Shadow World, right? Well, I¡¯m casting my magic for real now, so just try your best to endure it.¡±


    [Wind Strike!]


    2nd circle attack spell: Wind Strike. Itpressed the wind into a bullet and shot it towards the target area, where it would explode and devastate the target. The bullet was strong enough to easily pulverize a boulder. Romantica pointed it straight at Desir.


    Dirt flew into the air, clouding his vision as the bullet raced towards him. Romantica¡¯s hair billowed behind her as the shockwave reached back to her. Romantica felt a smile tugging at her lips. She¡¯d won, clearly. ¡°This is a 2nd circle spell at point nk range. Even if you were an entire level higher than me, you wouldn¡¯t be able to block this.¡±


    Her satisfaction quickly turned to shock as she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps behind her. She whipped around and her jaw fell in astonishment. Desir had somehow emerged, nearly unscathed, out of that thick cloud of dust, and was running straight at her. ¡°Wa, wait..!¡±


    She could hardly find the words to speak in her shock. Meanwhile, as if totally oblivious, Desir was calmly speaking under his breath, to nobody in particr, ¡°Shooting straight after thepression...seems like you sacrificed finer control over the magic bullet for more overall power. Well, this, and the one from before both aren¡¯t too shabby for a 2nd circle mage.¡±


    ¡®For a 2nd circle? Did I mishear this guy? What in the world is he muttering about?¡¯ Confusion coursed through Romantica¡¯s mind.


    Desir continued, ¡°But because you prioritized speed so much, you lost too much control over the air currents. The uracy falls far too much if you do that. I only altered the trajectory a tiny bit, and it missed mepletely.¡±


    As Desir continued mumbling, Romantica finally came to her senses. She asked, with a deted expression on her face, ¡°You, you, what did you just do?¡±


    Her head waspletely nk. She couldn¡¯t, for the life of her,prehend what had just happened.


    ¡°Magic Hijack.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I hijacked your spell.¡±


    ¡®My spell was hijacked? By amoner, at that?¡¯ Romantica narrowed her eyes in fury and screamed, ¡°Don¡¯t screw with me!¡±


    As Romantica ground her pace down to a halt, she spun around, arranging bright, shining magic forms in front of herself. ¡°I can¡¯t lose to the likes of you! You can¡¯t be anything more than a 1st circle!¡± she screamed.


    Magic forms formed again. That terrifyingly powerful magic was beginning to assemble itself once more. The wind proceeded to pick up and soon enough it was raging around all of them. As the spell formed, the noise that was brought forth resembled a swirling wind.


    [Wind Venom!]


    Wind Venom, a 2nd circle attack spell. It was the strongest single-target attack spell Romantica could cast. A long and chain-shaped wind which was recognizably sharper than an edge of a de had shot out of her hands.


    Almostnguidly, Desir spoke. ¡°Watch and learn closely this time.¡± He waved his hands aroundzily as he saw the spell flying towards him.


    At that moment, Romantica felt the air currents slipping out of her control. She was surprised, but that was it. The few currents she¡¯d lost control over were nothingpared to the whole. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, it¡¯s incredible that you can disrupt my mana considering you¡¯re nothing but a 1st circle mage. But isn¡¯t that still pointless?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Watch closely. If I take these points in these air currents you¡¯ve formed and give them a slight push¡­¡­¡±


    The currents had only slightly twisted yet it had created devastating after effects.


    A terrible shockwave was discharged in the wind.


    The air twisted and the winds¡¯ trajectory was torn apart. Her magic wasn¡¯t even able to touch Desir instead plunging into the ground harmlessly.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Romantica paled as she saw her magic get canceled out right in front of her eyes. Her magic had contained several hundred times more mana than the small amount he had to pay to analyze it.


    This was the difference in skill. Desir had outssed Romantica purely in magic skill. She¡¯d pretty much lost already.


    Desir spoke again. ¡°I¡¯d like to end things here and now. I have someone I absolutely want to defeat even more than you.¡± Desir started picking up speed as he ran towards Romantica.


    Romantica came to her senses as she saw him rapidly approaching. ¡°You...you still can¡¯t win against me!¡± she desperately shouted as she shuddered. ¡°You can¡¯t use magic after all, can you? But I can! I can still bring you down as long as I keep attacking you!¡± This was herst hope. It wasn¡¯t over just yet.


    Desir smiled as she uttered that sentence. ¡°Romantica, there¡¯s three things you missed.¡± Desir raised three fingers. He continued as he lowered one finger, ¡°First, I may be helplessly weak, but I can still use magic.¡±


    Magic forms appeared in front of him one by one. His magic may be dreary and impure just like his unstable mana circle but it was definitely still magic.


    Desir lowered a second finger. ¡°Second, your target wasn¡¯t even me from the start.¡±


    As soon as the magic activated, thepleted magic forms appeared right in front of their eyes. Desir began chanting.


    [Sled on ice.][The power to slide forward endlessly.]


    [Grease.]


    1st circle physical type spell, Grease.


    It simply removed friction and was one of the simplest, most basic spells. The mana cost implicated with activating such a spell was so insignificant that even a 1st circle mage like Desir could easily use it without worrying about his mana count.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Romantica cursed. This was his n all along! If she fell down here, she would definitely fall behind. Romantica instantly lowered her center of gravity in a desperate attempt to avoid slipping.


    ¡®It¡¯s¡­¡­ not slippery?¡¯ To her surprise, nothing happened.


    Desir lowered the third finger. ¡°Third, it seems you forgot, but this Shadow World isn¡¯t a magicpetition, but a race.¡±


    At that moment, he cast another spell.


    [Fireball.]


    1st circle attack spell.


    A simple, basic spell that created a ball of me in front of the caster.


    ¡®No way! He¡¯s capable of multi-casting?¡± Romantica was in shock. Multi-casting was only supposed to be possible for top-ss mages. Casting two spells at the same time required acute concentration and calction ability. ¡°Incredible. But that¡¯s all there is to it. You won¡¯t be able to take me down with the likes of a Fireball, you do know that right?¡±


    As Romantica looked at him with a bewildered expression, Desir asked her, ¡°Here¡¯s a question, Romantica. Where did I use my first spell, ¡®Grease¡¯?¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    Desir answered rhetorically, ¡°The answer is: myself and as a result, my body ispletely frictionless now.¡±


    Romantica didn¡¯t get it. She asked, dumbfounded, ¡°So what?¡±


    Desir shook his head. ¡°Romantica, you learned about thew of action and reaction, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Romantica eximed. It was a very simplew, at that. If you push something, you get pushed back. A simple concept.


    ¡°If someone pushed me from behind, what would happen to me?¡± Desir asked.


    ¡°You¡¯d get pushed forward, of course.¡±


    ¡°Then what if someone shoves me with significant force from behind? For example, an impact as strong as a bomb?¡±


    Romantica turned her gaze towards Desir. She noticed a Fireball as big as a basketball ming next to him. ¡°You, you gotta be kidding me¡­¡­¡±


    As she stammered in disbelief, Desir nodded and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m going to use the force generated by the Fireball.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± Romantica swore despite herself. What sort of idiotic and unreasonable idea was this!


    ¡°Calcting my bodily reaction to the Fireball¡¯s explosive force, my maximum speed will reach a peak of about 327 kilometers per hour. It''ll be a piece of cake to catch up to Ajest all the way at the front, considering the likeliness of maintaining this speed until the end.¡±


    Romantica¡¯s face was visibly paling as she stammered out, ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll be safe like that! No, if you hit something at that speed, you¡¯ll die long before you can react to it!¡±


    Desir answered with the same overwhelming calm he had shown the whole time. ¡°But Romantica, you said yourself just a moment ago.¡± Heughed softly,


    as he continued, ¡°We can¡¯t die in this Shadow World, so we are free to use all our power. That goes for me as well.¡±


    Romantica¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    Suddenly, Desir¡¯s Fireball exploded.


    Apanying the loud sound of the explosion was Desir who got instantly propelled forward. He was so fast that getting a glimpse of him was tough.


    Romantica was the only one left now.


    As Desir disappeared from view, she stopped running. She had realized running was utterly meaningless at this point. ¡°What¡­¡­¡± Romantica looked in the


    direction Desir had beenunched to and muttered to herself in the deste calm, ¡°Where in the world did that lunatic pop out from?¡±

 Chapter 6 - The Returner’s Entrance Exam (5)

    <h4>Chapter 6 - The Returner¡¯s Entrance Exam (5)</h4>


    elerating.


    Moving at an extreme speed. The wind whipping past his skin.


    Desir was zing forward at incredible speed. He rocketed through the course, deftly avoiding all the obstacles in his way.


    As the various environments of the Shadow World shed in and out of view, Desir approached the finish line at breakneck speed. Ajest, who¡¯d looked as small as a dot before, slowly came into view.


    Even with her tremendous lead, Ajest had kept her wits about her. With her sharp instincts, she had already sensed Desir¡¯s location, estimated his speed, and quickly evaluated the state of affairs. ¡®The fact that the 1st circle mage came this far means that he must have already defeated the 2nd circle mage. It should have been impossible for him to win with magic power, so that leaves two possibilities: either the 2nd circle mage is worthless, or the 1st circle mage is more powerful than the average for his circle.¡¯


    Thetter seemed much more likely¡ªno one could generate that amount of momentum with mere 1st circle magic. This level of eleration required 3rd circle magic at the very least.


    This situationpletely defiedmon sense.


    While looking back at Desir¡ªthe source of Ajest¡¯s vexation¡ªher chest started burning with curiosity and apetitive fire. In an instant, she calcted andpared Desir¡¯s speed against her own. ¡®At this rate, he¡¯ll surpass me in less than a minute.¡¯


    She weighed two potential solutions: ¡®First, use eleration magic on myself as well.¡¯


    But she immediately discarded that idea. Even though eleration magic was a 2nd circle physical-type magic, she would need too much time to reach Desir¡¯s velocity. After all, the gap between their current speed was insurmountable¡ª even with the help of magic, Desir would definitely overtake her before she could elerate enough.


    ¡®That means I have to eliminate him right here.¡¯


    That was the better n, and Ajest didn¡¯t hesitate for even a moment before executing it. Magic power emanated from the spellsword, and several magic forms arranged themselves in front of her in the blink of an eye¡ªand she hadn¡¯t even held her hands out. ¡®If a 1st circle defeated a 2nd circle in skill, he most likely did it through analysis.¡¯


    Normally, a mage¡¯s ability to analyze an opponent¡¯s spells rose with his or her circle, so that scenario wouldn¡¯t normally happen. But the only possible way for a lower-circle mage to defeat an enemy of a higher circle was through analysis. Of course, though she didn¡¯t know it, her conclusion was spot-on. ¡®If that¡¯s the case...¡¯


    [I release a cry of sorrow toward my enemies.]


    [I am the spirit of water. The strongest shield, and the strongest sword.]


    Hundreds of magic forms¡ªher magic was on an entirely different level from Romantica¡¯s spell. A beautiful melody rang out in the vast flow of magic power, and six hundred magic circles took shape in the air.


    [This body is an ocean. Unshaking before countless trespassers. A shower of raindrops.]


    [I am a wall of me. The greatest wave, rains of falling me.]


    It only took Ajest Kingscrown eight seconds to cast her array of magic. ¡®If your analysis ability is great, then I¡¯ll make my spells even greater.¡¯


    [Prey of Magic Arrow.]


    Magic Arrow. It was a spell almost anyone could use¡ªafter all, it was only 1st circle-level magic. But the magic that Ajest wielded was another story: she had manifested at least 600 arrows, and they filled the sky above the spellsword.


    ¡®I used about 15 seconds. But this should be enough.¡¯ This attack would end it: that was Ajest¡¯s conclusion.


    Desir gaped at the number of magic arrows poised to strike him down. ¡®Amazing. As expected of you, Ajest. Casting so many spells in this short period, you truly possess an incredible talent.¡¯ That was his honest opinion; no one could question Ajest¡¯s skill. Her sheer number of arrows could match the power of a 4th circle mage.


    ¡®It¡¯s impossible to hijack so many spells in this short time.¡¯ But Desir knew that there was no need to hijack them all. A yful smirk danced on his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re still looking down on me, Ajest.¡±


    [Commence analysis.]


    Desir closed his eyes and felt the flow of the mana surrounding him. Desir¡¯s thoughts elerated dozens of times over as he categorized and analyzed Ajest¡¯s magic forms. ¡°Albatross¡¯s Embrace, analyzing 180 linked lower magic runes. Complete. Tranting Dnerva¡¯s power dampening form interconnected with the Flidneria system. Hijacking 180 linked lower magic runes. Complete.¡±


    A significant amount of the Magic Arrows floating in the air changed color. With the time he had, the maximum number of Magic Arrows Desir could hijack from Ajest was around 200¡ªbut even though that was only a third of the sum total, that number was more than enough.


    Ajest frowned, realizing she¡¯d lost control over some of her magic. ¡®His analysis speed is abnormally high¡­ at the level of a 6th circle mage, at least. It¡¯s highly probable that he¡¯ll hijack the rest if given enough time.¡¯


    Ajest had no more time to spare. She raised her arms upward, then pointed forward¡ªand at her signal, hundreds of Magic Arrows showered towards Desir.


    The terrifying sound of hundreds of shrieking arrows echoed through the Shadow World. Ajest¡¯s magical formation created what looked like a tidal wave, threatening to drown its adversary. But Desir stood resolutely in the wave¡¯s center, and yelled, ¡°Trajectory adjustment!¡±


    It was impossible to nullify every single arrow, so Desir decided to knock away only the most dangerous ones instead. Magic Arrow was still only a 1st circle spell, so one or two of them didn¡¯t pose much of a threat. ¡®At the very least, I¡¯ll deflect the most dangerous arrows.¡¯


    Desir read the velocity of the arrows, the wind, and Ajest¡¯s intentions¡ªand taking all that data, he deduced where each hostile arrow wouldnd. Then he used the arrows he¡¯d taken control over to knock away the lethal ones.


    Their flight subtly diverted, a number of arrows simply flew past Desir. In this way, he created a path for himself through the gigantic hail of arrows.


    *Kwak!* ¡°Ugh¡­¡± But his n wasn¡¯t wless.


    Sharp pain pulsed through Desir¡¯s arms, shoulders, and legs, as stray arrows managed tond a hit on the mage. Even with his best effort, a few arrows still made it past his defense¡ªand the pain slowed Desir down significantly.


    Ajest was dumbfounded¡ªshe had failed to eliminate this measly 1st circle mage. She expected her attack to swiftly eliminate Desir, but¡­ how was he still alive?


    ¡®I can¡¯t afford to panic.¡¯ Ajest calmed her breath and gathered her thoughts, returning herself to a state cool-headedness. Once she had gotten rid of her panicked emotions, she calmly read the situation in front of her¡ªand the whole process took her less than a second. ¡®He¡¯s making a path by altering the trajectories of the most dangerous arrows.¡¯


    Just like Desir had read her magic forms, Ajest read through his n. ¡®The reason? The arrows were destroyed. The solution?...¡¯


    Ajest¡¯s eyes shot back and forth. 21 Magic Arrows remained in the air. Desir had four, she had 17. And there were less than 200 meters left between them¡ª he would overtake her within five seconds.


    Ajest manipted her mana. ¡®Change calction. Lower the number of arrows, prioritize power and uracy.¡¯


    The arrows resonated with her overwhelming magic power. Seven of her remaining 17 arrows lost their form and fused with the rest. Now strengthened, a searing light beamed from the remaining 10 arrows. Each arrow¡¯s individual power wasparable to a 2nd circle spell.


    Then she adapted her pattern of attack: ¡°Changing operation method.¡±


    The arrows repositioned in the air as if waiting for theirmander¡¯s signal. They lined up, head to tail, and arced towards Desir in a single file¡ªmuch like machine gun fire concentrating on a single point. This time, the arrows hit with much more force than before.


    With the new arrow formation, Desir knew that if he failed to knock even one of them away, it would be the end. Their power far exceeded the Magic Arrows Desir controlled. ¡®She¡¯s using her head.¡¯


    Desir shot all of his arrows forward to intercept Ajest¡¯s attack. Using four arrows, he was able to nullify two of hers. But Ajest still had eight Magic Arrows left.


    However, Desir still had no intention of losing. ¡®You used your head¡­ but you came up with the wrong answer.¡¯


    Desir gazed at the iing arrows, as he began running through more mental calctions. ¡°Hijack. Acquired control of four Magic Arrows.¡±


    Desir had the capacity to hijack up to 200 arrows before¡ªhe¡¯d intentionally left some leeway at the start, not using up all 200. This was his buffer room, so he could negate anything Ajest threw at him.


    ¡®Deciding to concentrate every arrow onto the same point was too reckless. You should have doubled down on your strategy and increased the number of arrows, even if the power took a hit.¡¯ If she had done so, Desir would have been skewered, judged dead, and disqualified. But thanks to Ajest gathering all the arrows into one spot, Desir could wipe them all out in one fell swoop.


    ¡®If this was a few yearster, you would have found the right answer.¡¯ Judging from Ajest¡¯s tactic, Desir confirmed once more that he was the only one who had returned from the future.

 Chapter 7 - The Returner’s Entrance Exam (6)

    <h4>Chapter 7 - The Returner¡¯s Entrance Exam (6)</h4>


    The possibility that Ajest had also returned to the past¡ªthat the spellsword was facing a simr situation to his¡ªhad crossed Desir¡¯s mind.


    If that had happened, hypothetically, the Ajest he knew would have shrewdly hidden that fact from others and yed along as the ''present'' her. Desir sought to find out the truth through their battle.


    And now, he had confirmed that this Ajest had note from the future.


    This Ajest was very young. Her prowess in magical warfare, her ability to form counterattacks¡ªshe was strong, but her abilities and experience were iparable to the Ajest he knew.


    Desir hijacked the Magic Arrow in front of Ajest¡¯s massive assault. ¡°Trajectory adjustment!¡±


    Desir turned his arrow around to collide with the next one in line¡ªand each one of Ajest¡¯s lethal arrows rammed into each other, exploding on impact.


    ''Tsk.¡¯ Ajest went to draw her sword when she realized what was happening¡­ but she reacted too slowly.


    By the time she unsheathed her sword halfway, Desir had already passed her¡ª and now he stood, looking at her with amusement, from the finish line.


    | The clear-objectives of the Shadow World have been met.


    | The Shadow World will be terminated.


    | Please wait while the entrance exam results are calcted.


    ***


    "As expected, the same thing happened again."


    An icy aura rose from below the stone-paved floor of Hebrion Academy. Somewhere deep within the recesses of the school, a group of people had gathered. Most were professors of Hebrion Academy¡ªsome hailed from the Western Kingdom.


    Hebrion''s Dean, Justin, stood at the head of the table¡ªhe grasped a gavel in his hand and started at the parchment in front of him.


    "So far, nomoners have been selected to enter the Alpha ss." The Swordsmanship professor, Kellivan, briefly summarised the oue of the entrance exam up until that point.


    A decent number of the present individuals demonstrated their enthusiastic approval¡ªin particr, Head Professor Pugman vigorously nodded his head.


    "Of course that¡¯s the case. The Alpha ss only has ces for the glorious nobility. It is not for the likes ofmoners that are incapable of receiving a proper education."


    Professor Pugman, intoxicated by the pleasure of his own words, was unaware of Professor Brigette¡¯s face stiffening across from him. "Thosemoners should thank us for even being admitted to Hebrion Academy in the first ce."


    Justin pounded his gavel. "All quiet. This is the final student for consideration."


    The dean read aloud the document before him. "1st circle mage, Desir Arman"


    The members of the audience murmured between themselves. "Ah, this is that


    student...."


    "The one that bested the Spellsword..."


    Justin interrupted their musings with a question. "From what I hear, this student is a ''rmendedmoner.'' Who rmended this student¡¯s entry into Hebrion?"


    A hand rose from among the professors: Magical Science Professor Brigitte. "I gave the rmendation for that child."


    "On what grounds?"


    "He has studied magic theory for a long time and his willingness to study has remained strong. As such, I wholeheartedly rmend him. I very nearly took him in as my personal assistant instead of admitting him as a normal student."


    "How did youe to know this child?"


    "I met him by ident in an orphanage from the ruined country of Eolleta."


    "Eolleta.. that is..."


    "Yes, Dean, it is indeed the ce that you are thinking of."


    "Ahem." Justin cleared his throat.


    He turned to the supervisor. "What were the results of his pre-test?"


    "Magic aptitude, D-rank. Though we gave him the rank of 1st circle mage, it seems that was only a tentative rank, to meet the bare minimum requirements. His mana is very unstable and impure. By all ounts, he seems like apletely talentless student."


    "Is that how you see it? Please take a look at this. Assistant, if you could y the video." At Justin''s request, his attending assistant ced a crystal ball on the center table.


    As the attendant injected the crystal ball with magic energy, the ball emitted a short fizzle, and a video began ying in the air.


    It was a recording of Group D¡¯s entrance exam¡ªeveryone concentrated on the video as it yed from start to finish.


    ¡­¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­


    | The clear-objectives of the Shadow World have been met.


    | The Shadow World will be terminated.


    When the video ended, everyone in the room wore expressions of surprise. Even some of the Magical Science Professors stood with their mouths agape, while others were cleaning their sses multiple times as if they had seen something wrong.


    Even professors who didn¡¯t specialize in magic could tell that Desir¡¯s disy was exceptional.


    Justin broke the silence. "Now. What are your thoughts?"


    A professor in the crowd raised his hand and queried. "This is amazing and all...


    but is something like this even possible?"


    A 2nd-year Magical Sciences Professor answered: "No. That should have been impossible for even a 3rd circle mage. That grease magic can only be utilized across a t ne, so you can¡¯t apply it to a three-dimensional object. Perhaps he is modifying the magic algorithm.... but if he did that, then that child must


    possess incredible analytical skills."


    The Tacticians Professor spoke with his hands on his head. "His battle sense and use of psychological warfare were excellent. He conserved his own strength to surprise his opponent at the end¡ªhis strategic prowess was exceptional."


    "I agree, it¡¯s as if he were a veteran who had spent his whole life on the battlefield. I¡¯m no expert on magicalbat, but his tactics were impable. It¡¯s like he hadplete control of the flow of battle."


    "To think that there was someone among themoners with this level of training... I don¡¯t know what to say."


    "Of course he¡¯ll be admitted to Hebrion. But why did you ask us to discuss it, instead of just dering the decision, Dean-nim?"


    "That is because after seeing the video, Professor Brigitte advocated for this student to be ced into the Alpha ss."


    "......!" It was like someone had just thrown cold water had been thrown on the


    group. The electric atmosphere had been reced by a chilly silence.


    After what seemed like hours, one professor raised their hand to speak. "Esteemed Dean-nim."


    It was Head Professor Pugman.


    "As you know, there are regtions in ce for this sort of thing. Rules dictate that ss cement is based on skill. Here, we ce the best students in the Alpha ss, and the less experienced in the Beta ss. By differentiating these students, we allow them to receive an education best suited to their skill."


    Justin leered at Professor Pugman. "What are you trying to say."


    "To enter the Alpha ss, a student must demonstrate exceptional skill. Objectively, only 2nd circle mages and above have a shot at it. As a 1st circle mage, Desir does not possess the requisite magical repertoire. I think it is still


    too early for him to be admitted to the Alpha ss."


    "Hmm....."


    "That¡¯s a good point."


    Here and there, different voices spoke up in agreement.


    But none of those affirming voices belonged to Brigitte. "How funny, Professor Pugman."


    All eyes in the room zeroed in on Brigitte. "Even after defeating the 3rd circle spellsword, Ajest Kingscrown, you assert this child is inferior just because he¡¯s a 1st circle mage. That stinks of a repulsive personal bias."


    "A 1st circle mage has their limits! No matter how much good their calctive skills are there is a limit to their development in magic!" Pugman protested.


    "Quit looking for excuses. You have a different motivation."


    A different motivation.


    Brigette knew that different motivation all too well.


    "You''re only against this because he is amoner. Isn''t that right? Professor Pugman Pasehl Napoleka."


    Pugman shook his head. "You¡¯re mistaken. I solemnly swear that when considering this case, unrted factors such as identity did not unduly influence my opinion."


    "My oh my, is that so? Just a moment ago, you were bragging that the Alpha ss has no ce for the likes ofmoners¡ªand now you im to make a fair and unbiased decision without consideration to identity?"


    Pugman and Brigette¡¯s confrontation had presented a quandary before themittee.


    Professor Brigitte was one of less than 10 people on the continent to have¡ªas amoner¡ªrisen to the level of a 5th circle mage.


    Pugman Pasehl Napoleka was the heir to the title Duke of Napoleka, a family second only to the Royal family itself.


    Their arguments represented a fundamental sh of values.


    The sound of Justin''s gavel brought the argument to pause.


    The Dean spoke with a grave tone. "There will be silence. Time is wasted on arguments. Let us decide on the matter. We will now judge whether student Desir is to be admitted to the Alpha ss or not."


    It was the final judgement¡ªeverything was to be decided here.


    Brigette cast her vote in support while Pugman casually cast his for the opposition, as though there was nothing more to see.


    Justin tallied and announced the results. 18 votes in support, 22 against.


    "1st circle mage, Desir Arman. By rights, he should be admitted to the Alpha ss. However, because Professor Pugman believes his circle is too low, he is to be admitted to the Beta ss."


    Justin inserted Desir''s application into the boxbeled ''epted''.


    "Of course, for amoner....."


    "No matter how impressive his skills are, being admitted to the Alpha ss straight out of the entrance exam is.... absurd.¡±


    Brigitte protested the oue. "Dean-nim! If you were aware of what goes on in the Beta ss, you would never make that decision!"


    "The decision was made by a majority vote. I cannot overturn it." Justin rose from his seat, indicating that he would entertain no more arguments.


    "If he is as exceptional as you have said he is, he will prove himself during the Promotion Exam. If he really possesses those skills¡ªas you im he does¡ªthat should be a simple matter, no?"


    "H-however..." Brigitte stuttered.


    "Enough, let''s see ourselves out."


    At a wave of the Dean''s hand, the room¡¯s torchlights extinguished themselves.


    As though the darkness itself had closed her mouth, Brigitte fell silent.


    And like that, the meeting adjourned.


    March had arrived, heralding the spring season. The willow trees had turned green, and the blooming forsythias gave off a warm glow.


    The results of Hebrion¡¯s entrance exams were to be released today.


    In the middle of a corridor in the academy stood a bulletin board. Upon that bulletin board were the names of all the prospects who were admitted to the academy, as well as the sses to which they had been assigned.


    The first half listed the students admitted to the Alpha ss, the second half listed those in the Beta ss. Desir found his own name exactly where he had expected to find it. "Just as I thought."


    The academy had assigned him to the Beta ss, despite the fact that he had beaten Ajest and secured 1st ce. Though he knew it was bound to happen, confirming it with his own eyes left him with a bit of a heavy heart.


    "As expected¡ªthey didn¡¯t disappoint me."


    Beta and Alpha.


    Hebrion''s split its students into these two halves. The system was intended to allow students to receive the education best suited to their skill level.


    With each student being assigned to the ss most appropriate for them, this individualized method of admission resulted in the best-possible learning oues for all the students.


    No... ¡®should have¡¯ resulted...


    Desir grit his teeth. ¡®But now, that honorable intention is nowhere to be seen.¡¯


    In the beginning, Hebrion had sessfully implemented that system. But now, so long after its inception, things were different.


    Technically, Hebrion Academy still ced the most skilled students in the Alpha ss. But most of those students were nobles who had been systematically trained from the beginning of their education.


    That¡¯s why the Alpha ss had an aristocratic, superiority-obsessed air to it. And in that sort of atmosphere, amoner with the appropriate skills would sometimes rightly qualify for the Alpha ss¡ªbut they would always be pushed back into the Beta ss.


    Just like they had done to Desir.

 Chapter 8 — School Life! (1)

    <h4>Chapter 8 ¡ª School Life! (1)</h4>


    ¡®And thus, this is why students who were sent to the Beta ss are unable to properly grow,¡¯ Desir thought.


    Alpha ss students received excellent lessons from the faculty¡¯s most brilliant professors. As such, the faculty, carefully and with great passion, nurtured the Alpha ss and ensured they received the best attention the professors could offer. With this, their talents would surely awaken. They would inevitably be excellentbatants that would conquer the Shadow Worlds.


    Yet Beta ss was theplete opposite.


    It was mostlyposed ofmoners whocked any kind of support. Care and passion was not pointed towards the students of the Beta ss as almost none of the lectures had proper professors assigned to them. Because of this, it was extremely difficult for these students to reach their full potential.


    Desir smiled bitterly. ¡®Even in my past life, I was a Beta ss student.¡¯


    Desir had been born as amoner. So, of course, due to his social status, he had been assigned to the Beta ss. And without proper education, it had been impossible for him to improve. So, when he¡¯d first entered the Shadow Labyrinth, he had only been a 1st circle mage.


    ¡®In an environment like this, many talented people were buried. The system was at fault. If it weren¡¯t for a system like this, Beta ss students would have been able to be stronger. They wouldn¡¯t all have been massacred so easily, nor so quickly.¡¯


    Yet, the only person who had survived to the end as a Beta ss student was Desir. Being reminded of such end results, Desir decided on one goal in his heart. ¡®I will make sure the most talented students in the Beta ss will be promoted to Alpha ss.¡¯


    In the past, Desir had failed to clear the Shadow Labyrinth. But there were many hidden gems in the Hebrion Academy. And he knew that if he was able to properly nurture them and guide them to their best potential, then it wouldn¡¯t be impossible to clear the Shadow Labyrinth. ¡®To do that,¡¯ he thought. ¡®I must move together with them. In other words, I¡¯ll create a party.¡¯


    He would find the ones with the most potential based on his past life experience and knowledge. He would find these hidden gems, convince them to join his party, and then he would ensure their promotion into the Alpha ss. And he knew who the first gem would be: Romantica Eru, the Wind Mage who had taken the entrance exam with him. She was the esteemed daughter of Baron Eru and was called the Tempest Sage. Her specialty was chant-less magic. In the past, she¡¯d also been a veteran mage who¡¯d survived in the Shadow Labyrinth for 8 years.


    And Desir was determined to win her over and make her his first party member¡ªto ensure she advanced from Beta to Alpha ss, thus increasing her power for the future.


    ***


    A girl with clean, lustrous hair cascading down her shoulders sat at a desk in a lecture room.. Her snow-white skin shed with her red cheeks. And her usually bright coral green eyes exuded a gloomy darkness.


    ¡°To think I would end up in Beta ss,¡± she sighed.


    The ancient clock on the wall screeched with every movement the minute hand made. The lecture room¡¯s damp atmosphere, creaking chairs that gave off a rotting cucumber smell, and marked up desks with gashes carved into them only proved to make the girl¡¯s shoulders slump even more.


    It was truly a horrifying scene.


    Romantica could not believe this was a ssroom. At that moment, a shadow loomed over her open book.


    ¡°Hello. Are you Romantica Eru of the Eru Barony?¡±


    Romantica raised her head. Three people stood before her, wearing the shiny blue badge on their right chests, which represented the Alpha ss.


    The person who¡¯d spoken was the tallest person amongst the three. With thick eyebrows and thick lips, he exuded a heroic aura.


    ¡°You know my name, but you haven¡¯t introduced yourself yet,¡± she said.


    ¡°Pardon me.¡± He sat down across from her. ¡°My name is Da Hadun. I¡¯m a new student just like you¡­and I¡¯m currently looking for a new party member.¡± He spoke very politely, the dulcet tone of his voice flowing between them, so different from the atmosphere of the room.


    ¡°I hope you find a good party member who suits you,¡± Romantica said.


    ¡°I hope so, too. That¡¯s why I came here,¡± Da said.


    ¡°Do you have some business with me?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I wanted to meet you, but it was difficult to do so. As you know, the lecture rooms for Beta ss and Alpha ss are quite far apart.¡±


    ¡®In more ways than one.¡¯ ¡°Well, yeah,¡± she said.


    ¡°I heard you are an exceptional Wind Mage. Furthermore, I heard your family has the title of Baron. For an exceptional Mage with noble status to end up as a Beta ss student, the academy must have made a mistake.¡±


    A stiff smile stretched across Romatica¡¯s face. The awkward moment spread out before her, as she tried to maintain her poker face. ¡°Well, even the academy professors are people, too. They¡¯re bound to make mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. However, it¡¯s still uneptable for the academy to assign you into this group of garbagemoners. They must apologize to you. How dare they assign a noble like us to this foul smelling lecture room¡­¡± With a look of disdain, Da surveyed the moist and dank lecture room. There were a few people who red at Da for insultingmoners; however, upon eye contact, they quickly turned their heads away.


    The Hadun family was well known. There were almost nomoners willing to fight against such arge noble family.


    ¡°These insects.¡± Da¡¯s chilling voice gave the other students goosebumps. The sincere and respectful attitude he¡¯d had towards Romantica was nowhere to be seen, as if it had been merely a dream or a passing breeze. He continued to look around the Beta ss, scrunching his face in pure disgust.


    ¡°So what do you want to talk about?¡± Romantica¡¯s smile trembled ever so slightly.


    Da turned back to look at Romantica. Without noticing her, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll get to the point. I recently joined the Blue Moon party where Senior Elheim is the leader. And I decided that you, who are exceptionally skilled, should join our party.¡± Da¡¯s voice was firm.


    ¡°The Blue Moon party?¡± Romantica tried to remember. She had a gut feeling. ¡°It¡¯s the school¡¯s greatest party.¡± Da said. Romantica now realized that she had just received an offer to join one of thergest Alpha ss parties. It wasn¡¯t an easy opportunity to get and rarely would anyone see this kind of gift fall into theirps like this. Romantica opened her mouth to say something, but Da grabbed her hand.


    ¡°For rmending you into this party, I hope that we could start dating.¡±


    After a brief moment of silence, Romantica looked at Da in disbelief.


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°I said I wish we could start dating.¡±


    So, she hadn¡¯t heard him wrong. ¡°Have we met before?¡± Romantica asked.


    ¡°At the entrance exam¡¯s banquet hall. It was love at first sight, Romantica.¡±


    She forced Da to let go of her hand.


    ¡°There are no reasons for you to decline, Romantica.¡±


    ¡°I just need some time to think about it.¡±


    Da¡¯s face wore a dumbfounded expression. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I need some time to think.¡±


    ¡°Of course, but¡­this is¡ª¡±


    Romantica¡¯s green eyes, which looked like the wind itself, glittered sweetly at Da. ¡°You should give thisdy some time to think. If you truly are a polite gentleman.¡±


    A polite gentleman.


    Hearing those words, Da leaned back. ¡°Ah, of course. Also¡­¡± Da stood from his seat.


    As Romantica was about to stand up, too, Da took something from his pocket and spread his palm towards Romantica. It was a wooden dagger. ¡°I hope you would ept this from me.¡±


    A finely detailed and colorful pattern was etched into it. For a dagger, it was too thick. It looked almost like a box that was shaped as a dagger.


    Romantica thought she could open the lid and her thoughts were correct.


    ¡°It¡¯s a tradition followed in my Kingdom¡¯s military where we gift this Kemubin to the person we love.¡± Pushing the groove of the handle with his fingers, the knife and the handle separated with a click. At the same time, a smooth golden chain ne trickled down from inside the dagger.


    Da gave the ne to Romantica.


    But, she shook her hands to politely decline. ¡°This is too much.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel pressured.¡± After lightly bidding his farewell, Da headed towards the exit.


    As soon as Romantica saw him leave, she went limp. She felt like a tempest had passed by. But without even a moment¡¯s reprieve, another person approached her from behind and stopped at her side.


    ¡°You surely are popr, Romantica.¡±


    ¡°Kya!¡± She yelped. With a crash, Romantica¡¯s chair fell back. She had been lost in thought, so she did not notice another person¡¯s presence from behind her. It was her bad habit to yell when she was taken by surprise.


    As if untouched by this scene, Desir Arman nonchntly sat next to her. ¡°I greeted you five times, but you wouldn¡¯t respond. So, I decided to personallye to you.¡±


    Embarrassed, Romantica quickly pulled her chair back to its original spot and settled back into her seat.


    ¡°We first met at the entrance exam. So, I guess it¡¯s been two days since we¡¯ve met?¡± Desir said.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Romantica cleared her throat, her face pinched with annoyance.


    Naturally, Desir was unfazed by it. ¡°I came here to invite you into my party.¡±


    Party invitation.


    She responded back, uninterested. ¡°I have nothing to talk to you about any party.¡±


    ¡°Are you declining my invitation because you don¡¯t want to date me? Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t ask you to date me.¡±


    Romantica scoffed. ¡°Enough with theme jokes. I¡¯m not in the mood.¡±


    ¡°If I ask for a reason, would you answer me?¡± Desir asked.


    Romantica sighed. Opening her palm, she showed him the golden chain. ¡°You see?¡±


    For the first time, Desir lost his usual calmposure as one of his eyes slightly widened. The lights of the dim, magicalmp flickered, dyeing Romantica¡¯s hair a bright red.


    She blew out a breath. ¡°If you were me, which party would you choose? One of thergest Alpha ss parties where I¡¯m guaranteed sess, or a no-name Beta ss party?¡±


    Desir knew how sweet Da¡¯s offer sounded to her. The Blue Moon party was one of the few powerful guilds in the academy. Party activities were the main focus of Hebrion Academy, making the offer even more charming.


    She couldn¡¯t decline. There was no reason to decline.


    But Desir knew one more thing: choosing The Blue Moon party would be the worst life decision she could possibly make.


    ¡°But you still haven¡¯t decided yet, Romantica.¡± Desir¡¯s voice was certain.


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­I needed some time to think. But thinking about it now, I made a bad call. Da was right. From the beginning, my answer was already determined. I can¡¯t think of a reason to decline his offer.¡±


    ¡°Even if you have to date him?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually more beneficial for me to go out with the Hadun family¡¯s child as a condition to join the best party.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite cold and calcting.¡± Desir said.


    Despite Desir¡¯s sarcasm, Romantica¡¯s decision did not change. Rather than being shaken, it seemed like her conviction became stronger. ¡°Since we¡¯re done talking, can you leave?¡±


    ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Desir reached into his pocket, feeling as if he was pulling out a knife, but his hand only held a slip of paper. A letter. Calmly, Desir passed the letter to Romantica.


    However, Romantica tried to get rid of the letter without reading it.


    But then Desir spoke. ¡°Best to dispose of that quickly. Though, you should be more careful with it since it contains all of your secrets.¡±


    Startled by his sudden deration, Romantica looked back and forth between the letter and Desir, now unsure of what to do. Her previous haughty attitude had vanished, and Romantica sat frozen in ce.


    Raising his eyebrows, Desir simply urged her on.

 Chapter 9 - School Life! (2)

    <h4>Chapter 9 - School Life! (2)</h4>


    Slowly opening the letter, her eyes began scanning the lines of text filling the page. As she digested the words before her, Romantica¡¯s eyes widened. She whipped her gaze to meet Desir¡¯s. Confronted with the seemingly impossible, she read the letter again in its entirety. And then her gaze darted back to Desir, her eyes opened even further. In denial, she scrutinized the letter once more, as if she was willing the contents contained within to change through the act of rereading. But the words on the page simply stared back at her, defiant.


    The details were all there. Written out with intimate precision. The naked truth of why Romantica Eru had actually been assigned to the Beta ss.


    As she read down the contents for the third time, she shuddered. As she reached the final sentence of the letter, she found herself frantically ripping the entire letter into shreds.


    Her trembling eyes met Desir¡¯s carefree gaze for a final time, and the two stared at each other in silence. The air was thick with tension, and with each breath Romantica felt like she was slowly suffocating.


    Suddenly, Desir leaned towards her, causing Romantica to jump in fright. ¡°Do you want to talk to me now?¡± His calm voice matched hisckadaisical expression.


    Romantica could not say no. Afraid that someone might hear, she whispered, ¡°How¡­ how did you¡­ how do you know about this?¡± Her shaky voiced had been drained of all the vigour it previously possessed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m obligated to tell you,¡± Desir answered.


    Hearing that, Romantica¡¯s mouth went dry. She knew that, in this moment, Desir held all the cards. ¡°Have you told anyone else?¡± she quickly asked; her question sounding more like a single word than an entire sentence.


    Desir shook his head. ¡°No, but most of the professors are already aware. How else could you have been assigned here?¡±


    ¡°B-but, this ce is hundreds of kilometers away from the Prilecha Kingdom!¡± Romantica eximed in disbelief.


    Desir chuckled at her naivety. ¡°You¡¯ve sorely underestimated the intelligence gatheringwork of Hebrion Academy.¡±


    Self-assured as he was, Da had been mistaken about the reason why Romantica was assigned to the Beta ss. The entrance exams and its participants were subject to much closer scrutiny than most students were aware of. Even the most closely guarded secrets of one¡¯s past was bound toe to light eventually. And at this current moment Romantica¡¯s own secret past was streaming forth from the lips of a man who she barely knew.


    ¡°Years ago, a humble merchant family amassed a substantial fortune through conducting business in the Prilecha Kingdom. Thatmoner family then bribed a struggling baron in the south for his title and thus came to inhabit the Von Eru Castle. This happened when you were 4, right? Your family bought their way into nobility. Even if you im that you¡¯re a noble, there¡¯s no denying that you were born amoner,¡± Desir finished summarizing the contents of the letter with a satisfied smile.


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Romantica desperately fumbled to find the words that matched her tumultuous emotions.


    Desir leaned forward conspiratorially. ¡°We were both bornmoners. Even if you¡¯re a high-and-mighty noble now, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s awfully pompous to not want to be in the same party as amoner?¡±


    ¡°That''s¡­!¡± Righteous indignation turned to ashes in her mouth as Romantica realized he was right.


    Desir¡¯s knowledge of Romantica¡¯s most intimate secret was only natural. Romantica Eru was a Beta ss member who had weathered eight long years in the Shadow Labyrinth. One of Desir¡¯s closestpanions. As his teammate, Romantica often told him about her past. After all, with the spectre of death lurking behind every blind corner, what is there left to hide? Knowing this, each of them treasured the opportunity to live on in the memories of their allies. And in return, they all listened carefully to one another¡¯s tales. Desir was no exception. He remembered all their names, their faces, and their stories. As such, it was easy for Desir to recall his memories of Romantica Eru.


    Romantica Eru.


    The daughter of Baron Eru who had paid his way into nobility.


    The little girl who paid for her father¡¯s decision with a lonely childhood.


    Desir continued, ¡°You know, the Blue Moon Party¡¯s assigned professor is Professor Nifleka. One of the few professors who knows about your little secret. The man loathesmoners. If you end up in his party, he¡¯s not going to just roll over and do nothing.¡±


    ¡°¡­Da will protect me,¡± Romantica weakly protested, gaze lowered to the floor.


    Desir raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did you see the way he looked atmoners? Are you sure about that?¡±


    To Desir, Romantica¡¯s current thoughts were as transparent as ss. Romantica, born amoner, was keenly aware of how Da viewedmoners. The way he stared as if looking over lowly livestock. She was ovee with fear at the thought of him looking at her the same way should she ever be found out. She had tried to convince herself that her fear was unfounded. But now, it was threatening to be reality.


    Desir began picking up the scattered pieces of paper from the floor. ¡°So what will you do?¡±


    ¡°You really think a party created out of ckmail is going to be any good?¡± Romantica sputtered, knowing full well she wasn¡¯t in any position to negotiate.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said Desir. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll add a condition. One month. Party up with me for just one month. If you still feel the same way after, then you can leave.¡±


    One month.


    ¡®I guess it could be worse,¡¯ Romantica thought. After holding out for a month, if she didn¡¯t like it, she could leave. Romantica started to hold out a hand when something crossed her mind, ¡®Hold on. I was just thinking that it wasn¡¯t a bad dealpared to the alternative of joining the party indefinitely, but I¡¯m still being coerced into an arrangement I don¡¯t want, aren¡¯t I?¡¯


    Perhaps this man¡¯s tactical prowess extended beyond the confines of a battlefield.


    Desir held out a hand. Romantica crossed her arms and returned the gesture with a hard stare, but despite her best efforts, she couldn¡¯t find anything other than innocence in his expression. She let out a deep sigh. ¡°You know, you came off as a real scumbag during the entrance exams.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Desir responded, somehow sounding even more cheerful than usual.


    The bastard.


    Romantica grabbed Desir¡¯s hand and shook it.


    Breakfast tasted terrible. There had been only two options. Bread stale enough to dig a grave with and a watery soup sprinkled with tiny scraps of boiledmb. Romantica was almost dumbfounded. That was when it truly dawned on her: this was the Beta ss.


    She did not enter the academy to be treated like this. This was going too far. She was well aware that the two sses were treated differently, but to think it was to this extent! From what she¡¯d gathered, the Alpha ss enjoyed luxurious buffet-style dining for all their meals. Just thinking about it made her be angry, but not angry enough to starve.


    With strenuous effort, Romantica broke a piece of bread in half with her hands. It came apart with the dull sound of a b of granite splitting in two. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they really were actually being fed rocks. But a look across the table at Desir quickly dispelled such notions. His tes were already empty. Romantica asked in disbelief, ¡°How can you eat this?¡±


    Desir paused to finish chewing before he responded, ¡°Why not? It¡¯s better than orc meat.¡±


    Romantica furrowed her brows. ¡°That¡¯s a figure of speech, right? Orcs have been extinct for a long time.¡±


    Desir shrugged. He pointed to the bread and soup in front of Romantica. ¡°If it¡¯s too hard to eat, dip the bread in the soup.¡±


    Romantica did as he said. The bread became softer, and with some effort, she was able to get it down. As she ate the bread and looked at Desir sitting in front of her, it finally hit her that they were in the same party. ¡®Right¡­¡¯


    Technically, ¡®will¡¯ be in the same party. After all, they weren¡¯t ¡®official¡¯ yet. The minimum requirement for a party was three people. But right now, the members only included this bastard and her¡­


    ording to him, they hadn¡¯t even found a professor who was willing to be assigned to the party. Nothing about this sh*tty party was in any way proper. And she was in it. ¡°I think I¡¯m done eating.¡±


    Having lost her appetite, Romantica put down her spoon. When they came out of the cafeteria, Romantica''s face was darkened with dismay. She made sure to keep a steady distance behind Desir as they walked.


    Desir broke the silence, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t have any problems setting up the party.¡±


    But the look of concern did not leave Romantica¡¯s face. ¡°You¡­ you do know how hard it is to create a party, right?¡±


    There were two conditions to creating a party. A roster of at least three people and an assigned professor. Setting aside the problem of the professor for now, they still needed another member to meet the headcount requirement.


    ¡°There are already a few prominent parties in the Beta ss. All the new students will want to go to those, you know? Nobody¡¯s going to bat an eye at a newbie party like this one,¡± Romantica spat into the cold night air. ¡°Say something! You-¡±


    Desir cut her off with a grin, ¡°At first, you were going on and on about how bad this party was. Now, you¡¯re concerned we won¡¯t be able to get it off the ground. I knew you¡¯de around.¡±


    Romantica reeled. ¡°W-w-w-what?! I just thought about what an annoying month it¡¯s going to be if this party fails¡­ So I¡¯m just looking out for number one, got it?!¡±


    It was hard not to find Romantica¡¯s child-like embarrassment at something so trivial to be anything but endearing.


    Desir exined as he continued walking, ¡°I told you, there won¡¯t be any problems. I already know a professor that¡¯ll take care of the party


    authorization. And for the third member, I already have someone in mind who hasn¡¯t joined a party yet. We just have to convince them.¡±


    At those words, Romantica puffed up her cheeks in muted frustration, ¡°You should¡¯ve told me all of that from the beginning!¡±


    Reying Desir¡¯s nonchnt revtion in her mind, Romantica couldn¡¯t help but feel as if she was being teased. Everytime she spoke with him, it felt like conversing with a snake.


    The pair branched off of the path leading away from the cafeteria and started heading toward the training hall. The path became much wider. Romantica caught up to Desir and asked, ¡°So, who¡¯s this kid you have in mind?¡±


    Desir replied, ¡°Pram Schneizer.¡±


    The sun was shining brightly in the sky. The first thing they noticed when they entered the ss-roofed Beta ss training hall was the state of disrepair it was in. Signs indicatingck of care or proper maintenance were everywhere they looked. The wooden bleachers had several holesrge enough for careless students to fall right through them, and one of the load-bearing pirs had deteriorated to the point of needing some hastily applied magic support to prop it up. Everything about the training hall was worn down.


    Today, it was the location where the Alpha and Beta ss were holding a joint sparring session. Once the ss began, the students split off to find opponents to spar with. The observing crowd was split in exactly two groups. The first was the students of the Beta ss. Ordinary in appearance and in in attire, they were the students that would normally be using this training hall. To them, the state of the room was nothing out of the ordinary.


    To the other group, the inadequacies of the facility were apparent enough to be jarring. These were the students of the Alpha ss, easily identified by their


    fine clothing and imperious air. They made no attempt to hide their disdain for the ss¡¯s choice of location.


    ¡°This really is a disgusting ce.¡±


    ¡°The facilities are pathetic.¡±


    They looked around in disgust, wrinkling their noses as if encountering some foul stench, and continued to pile on the insults.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really a fan either,¡± said Romantica, as she took a seat next to Desir on the benches in front of the bleachers.


    They were waiting for their turn. Because there were more students than avable room, they had to wait until the others were finished to use the training hall.


    ¡°There¡¯s no grass. No protective magic walls. It doesn¡¯t look like anyone¡¯s been taking care of the ce at all. There¡¯s mud everywhere. Not to mention, it¡¯s so small that we have to take turns to even use it. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to advance to the Alpha ss.¡±


    Even though sheined, she knew that there was no point. The midday sun was hot on her skin. She held a hand above her eyes and looked over the crowd on the floor of the training hall.


    ¡°So that person is here? Pram something-or-whatever?¡±


    The one called Pram Schneizer. Desir remembered that name clearly. He was a Beta ss member who hadsted nine years in the Shadow Labyrinth.


    Pram¡¯s specialty was leveraging the keen point and agility of a rapier to produce flurries of potent thrusting stabs. Combining his prodigious knack for swordsmanship and incredible effort, his skills with a rapier were truly mighty. Just on the basis of his piercing stabs, he was a top-tier, formidable swordsman.


    Desir continued to scan the pairs of students in the training hall. ¡°He¡¯s a swordsman of incredible ability. Likely the strongest in the Beta ss.¡±


    Romantica tried to downy her growing curiosity. ¡°Hmm, I want to see that.¡±


    Desir pointed towards somewhere close to the center of the hall. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s right there.¡±

 Chapter 10 - School Life! (3)

    <h4>Chapter 10 - School Life! (3)</h4>


    Pram Schneizer was lightly stretching his body in the gymnasium. He gave the impression of being very young, his face gave off a slender look. His rather feminine eyebrows and long eyshes only ented his beauty.


    ¡°What is that adorable little thing?!¡± Romantica eximed.


    Desir agreed with her, ¡°Pram sure has a cute side to him.¡±


    Romantica violently shook her head left and right. ¡°A cute side? That''s wrong! It''s not a side, he''s adorableness incarnate! Howe I didn''t know there was a kid like that here?¡± Romantica spouted nonsense. ¡°He¡¯s so cute! Super cute! I want one. Where can I get myself one? I¡¯ll use my entire fortune if I have to!¡±


    Her attitude resembled that of a spoiled brat who had caught a glimpse of something she desperately wanted. Desir shook his head in disappointment.


    In a spar, lethal weapons weren''t allowed. Instead, the sparring hall would provide dozens of various wooden weapons ranging from rapiers, broadswords, ymores and others. Anybody wanting to spar was obliged to choose from those provided weapons upon entering the sparring stage.


    There existed six sparring stages. Pram was assigned to the fourth stage. Before he entered the stage, he stopped right in front of the collection of wooden weapons. Going from left to right, the size and weight of the weapons increased. Pram hesitated for a moment before reaching out to his right. He grabbed the weapon and held it up. It was a wide ded greatsword.


    Desir¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°A greatsword¡­?¡± Desir spoke anxiously.


    Romantica pped and leaned forward. ¡°The best swordsman of Beta ss. I¡¯m looking forward to this.¡±


    Pram¡¯s opponent was a knight from the Alpha ss.


    Percival Ahsegunits.


    Having learned swordsmanship from an official knight, he was a strong opponent to say the least. He had pulled his sword out, which was attached to his waist by a scabbard. The sword looked to be a wooden broadsword, a mix between a longsword and a shortsword. Percival stared at Pram with a menacing and savage look. Pram put his right hand on his chest and lowered his head as to greet his opponent in a respectful bow.


    ¡°Beta ss. I¡¯m Pram Schneizer.¡±


    ¡°I have no need to introduce myself to some filthy Beta ss.¡±


    While both were fixated on each other, the referee lowered his g announcing the start of the battle.


    ¡°Hiyat!¡±


    The first one to move was Pram. He charged at his opponent, keeping his intimidating greatsword close. As he got near his opponent, he rapidly unleashed a strong and horizontal sh upon Percival. Percival was forced to block this attack with his sword.


    As both of the wooden swords shed, the noise brought about by such a collision emphasized the strength of both warriors.


    Percival seeded in blocking Pram''s attack yet the shock that was caused by their sh left Percival''s face briefly stiffened. Pram noticed and took full advantage of such a brief opening. He continued to press into his opponent, unleashing a barrage of heavy swings. Even as Percival matched each of Pram''s attacks, he desperately tried to create some distance between them to counterattack, yet to no avail. Pram was dead set on giving him no room to


    breathe. He had seeded in pushing Percival all the way to the edge of the stage.


    Desir observed the fight with a darkened expression. This wasn''t the Pram he had expected. Pram''s strength didn''t lie in his usage of the greatsword. All his movements were simple and blunt. As a matter of fact, Pram should''ve been using a rapier, a weapon which perfectly matched his style of fast and urate swordsmanship, not something as dull as a greatsword. At this point, Desir wondered,


    ¡®Why isn¡¯t he using a rapier?¡¯ Desir¡¯s worries soon became reality.


    The spar was straightforward. Pram swung his sword around without giving it much thought while Percival simply blocked all his iing attacks. Even though it all looked simple, swinging such arge sword was draining Pram''s stamina.


    Percival opportunistically leapt forward and began to furiously attack Pram. In an instant, the flow of the battle had flipped in Percival''s favor. Pram fell back and almost copsed, distraught by the sudden change in Percival''s stance.


    Percival''s attacks were overwhelmingly strong and urate, giving Pram no room to readjust his defense. As expected, Pram''sck of expertise in greatswords would be the end of him. After blocking multiple attacks, Pram''s stamina waspletely depleted. As he brought up his greatsword to block an iing attack, he twisted his right wrist.


    ¡°Kuaaap!¡±


    In a battle between swordsmen, a brief opening was of utmost importance. This held true especially if one was being barraged by attacks. Percival gave of a fierce roar as he leapt in, striking the side of the awkwardly held greatsword. Pram''s wrist couldn''t withstand the impact and was forced to let go of the heavy weapon. ¡°Kuok!¡±


    The wooden greatsword flew into the air. It spun around a few times andnded back on the ground pathetically.


    The victor was decided.


    Pram had lost.


    As Pram stared down his weapon, he let out a sigh and bowed his head. ¡°I lost.¡±


    Contrary to Desir¡¯s expectations, the battle ended rather inly. Romantica put on an incredulous expression, ¡°I''m pretty sure you mentioned that that kid called Pram was a strong swordsman, didn''t you? What kind of swordsman gets tired while swinging a sword? Not even a beginner makes such a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Desir unknowingly responded.


    Romantica ced a hand on her chin. The excitement in her green eyes was all but gone.


    ¡°He''s cute and all, but that has nothing to do with hisbat abilities. If he stays like that, it''ll be useless to recruit him to our party. Why don''t we find another student?¡± Romantica¡¯s words reflected the reality of the situation.


    A party was better off without having any weak members. They would only serve as deadweight, dragging the party down instead of lifting it up.


    If Desir didn''t already know Pram''s future, he would''ve surely followed Romantica''s advice. Staring at Pram, Desir suddenly got up from his seat and shouted toward Percival. ¡°Enough!¡±


    A fight between both of them had broken out. Pram was on the ground while Percival was stood up in front of him, holding up a fist. Percival had instigated this fight by throwing the first punch. He turned his head over to where the noise came from and noticed Desir approaching him.


    Percival chuckled. ¡°Ha.¡± His chuckle was filled with ridicule.


    He pointed his wooden sword at Pram and spoke ¡°If you don¡¯t want to end up like him, you better scram.¡±


    Desir sighed. The world has its fair share of people who solve everything with violence.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    Percival did not reply. In that moment, Pram got up from the ground. His tattered robe was stained with dirt. He rubbed his reddened cheek and spoke, ¡°Damn, Alpha ss sure are something. Did it anger you that you got pushed around by a Beta ss, even for just a moment?"


    The boy was right on the mark.


    He was a bit too right.


    Percival''s eyes lit up in anger as he swung his wooden sword.


    The wooden sword rapidly flew towards Pram¡¯s head with the full intent of annihting it. Pram, unable to do anything, reflexively closed his eyes.


    He heard the striking sound, but when he realized he didn''t feel a sliver of pain, he slowly opened his eyes. At first, he only noticed fragments of wood scattered in the air and drops of blood falling to the ground. Yet it only took him less than a second to notice a broken wooden sword and Desir''s arms, which had blocked the attack directed at Pram¡¯s head.


    Desir spoke with an unexpectedly calm voice. ¡°You were ¡®really¡¯ going to hit him.¡±


    Desir¡¯s right hand was clenched in a fist. Percival could not believe his eyes. ¡®He blocked that?¡¯


    It was an incredibly fast strike. It was done in the heat of the moment and purely out of anger. But having swung the weapon with all his mustered up strength, the thought that it could have been blocked hadn''t even crossed Percival''s mind. A single droplet of cold sweat ran down Percival''s spine. ¡°So what?¡±


    Desir inhaled a deep breath then proceeded to stare down Percival. Percival felt like Desir''s prating gaze were a dark abyss that could swallow him whole. ¡°The battle is over. You won. What else do you want?¡±


    Desir¡¯s eyes werepletely devoid of any emotion. No anger, no fear, no irritation was shown. He was just inly staring at Percival. Without Percival having realized it, Desir emanated an iprehensible and strange atmosphere that left him dumbfounded and without breath. Percival had felt something like this before. He recalled a time when he was very young. The knowledgeable veteran general who had taught him everything would stare at Percival with the same eyes each time he made a mistake.


    ¡°Be thankful that a professor isn¡¯t here right now. If a professor saw your conduct just now-¡± Desir eximed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you lecture me.¡± Percival snapped back.


    Percival rapidly turned around and left to go somewhere else. As though he did not want to stay in that ce a second longer, Percival left Desir''s sight with a half run.


    ***


    Desir''s arm had taken a serious beating. The spot where he had blocked the wooden sword was swollen, and the area around the wound had turned ck and red with bruising. It was a silver lining that his bone hadn''t been broken. The wood splinters were removed, and his wound was carefully disinfected and bandaged.


    ¡°Your wound hurts a lot, right?¡± Pram asked, concerned.


    After moving to the infirmary, Pram had begun providing first-aid to Desir. He carefully wrapped bandages around the wound, making sure they would not unravel. For some odd reason, the ends of the bandages were tied into a ribbon. Desir had to hold backughter at that fact. It truly was a meticulous handiwork.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Pram was on the verge of tears.


    He nkly stared at Desir¡¯s arm wrapped in bandages. Even now, blood was seeping through the wrappings.


    ¡°I am truly sorry. Life is going to be a lot tougher with a wounded right arm like yours.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I was the one who decided to intervene.¡±


    ¡°No, no. This was all my fault. If I don¡¯t take responsibility-¡±


    ¡°I told you, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you say so¡­¡±


    Even as he said that, Pram remained restless.


    ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± said Desir, trying to appease Pram¡¯s worries.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Pram took a seat next to Desir and cast a downtrodden nce.


    ¡°You''ve made yourself an enemy in Alpha ss just to help someone you didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I was well aware of that as soon as I decided to step in.¡±


    When Desir said that, Pram raised his head. His eyes were filled with surprise and awe. ¡°Anyways, thank you. I¡¯ll never forget this.¡±


    ¡°It was nothing.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Pram suddenly realized something.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, we¡¯ve just been calling each other ¡®you¡¯.¡±


    A light heartedughter was exchanged between the pair. Pram pointed to himself and spoke, ¡°I¡¯m Pram Schneizer.¡±


    ¡°Desir Arman. Nice to meet you, Mr. Schneizer.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to address me with such formality.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, if that¡¯s the case¡­Schneizer?¡±


    Pram shook his head. ¡°No, no. Just call me Pram. You can just speak casually with me.¡±


    Desir spoke defeatedly, ¡°Alright, Pram. Does that work?¡±


    Pram''s face lit up as soon as he heard Desir concede. He truly was happy.

 Chapter 11 - School Life! (4)

    <h4>Chapter 11 - School Life! (4)</h4>


    As long as Pram approved, Desir was happy with it. At the same time, Desir noticed that Pram¡¯s face had be unnaturally red. Unable to understand why, Desir decided to ignore it and continued speaking, his tone belying his embarrassment. ¡°You don¡¯t have to speak to me so politely, you know?¡±


    Pram¡¯s own face showed a steely determination as he responded, ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine, Mr. Desir. This is morefortable to me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the same age; ¡®mister¡¯ is a bit much, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°No, really it¡¯s fine. I want to call you Mr. Desir,¡± Pram insisted. He appeared bizarrely resolute. Desir sighed a little inside, but, ultimately, decided to drop the topic. He could let Pram speak how he wished.


    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s thiste already?¡± blurted Desir in surprise. He had been so caught up in the conversation that he hadn¡¯t realized that the clock was already pointing at 1. It was lunch time.


    Having finished the first aid, Desir got up to move, but as he opened the door to leave, Pram suddenly moved in front of Desir and lowered his head. ¡°Thank you for today, truly. I¡¯ll never forget this debt.¡±


    ¡°I only did what anyone would do in that situation,¡± Desir responded.


    They left the infirmary together, and Pram spoke up again. ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do to help, please tell me. You can ask me any time you¡¯d like.¡±


    Desir¡¯s brows suddenly furrowed. ¡°Anything you can do to help¡­¡±


    Noticing Desir¡¯s suddenly serious expression, Pram pressed, ¡°Anything at all!¡±


    ¡®Anything?¡¯ Desir¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°Then, Pram, if you haven¡¯t applied to a party yet, would you join mine?¡±


    Pram¡¯s eyes jumped in surprise, before his face broke into a wide smile of pure delight. ¡°Of course, Mr. Desir!¡±


    And with that, Desirpleted his party.


    Desir, Romantica, and Pram walked across the long, empty corridor, beforeing to a stop in front of an elegant wooden door. An engraved que on the door read, ¡®Brigitte de Fahellibos.¡¯


    The door swung open, into a spacious and well-organized room, elegantly decorated. Atop a small table near the center, four tea cups were neatly sat, as if the professor had been expecting them.


    As the three entered the room, Professor Brigitte spoke. "I''m afraid you''ve called to meet at a busy time."


    Desir, Romantica, and Pram sat opposite Brigitte. Desir bowed his head as he spoke. ¡°Thank you for giving us the time, when you¡¯re so busy.¡±


    Brigitte positively beamed at Desir¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s alright. There¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± she responded. She took a sip from her cup.


    Desir looked up, examining the familiar figure closely. She was a ssic model of beauty and grace, with beautiful, pure eyes, and wless white skin. Today, she wore a simple but elegant dress, perfectlyplemented with a number of ssy essories. Clearly, her fashion sense was excellent. Desir knew Professor Brigitte well; when he was still an orphan, she had rmended him to Hebrion Academy. If it hadn¡¯t been for her, Desir would have spent his entire life at the orphanage, destitute. Ever since that day, he had remained deeply, sincerely grateful for her.


    Brigitte ced her teacup back down. ¡°You were truly amazing at the entrance exam, Desir.¡± She continued, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you do that before, you know?¡±


    Desir blushed as he responded, ¡°Haha, is that so?¡±


    ¡°Certainly. That day was the first time I¡¯ve ever seen such skillful application of magic from you.¡±


    ¡°¡­It really wasn¡¯t that much.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re humbling yourself too much,¡± Brigitte insisted. ¡°You won against the much favored Ajest, after all.¡± Brigitte shed a wide smile at Desir as she continued, ¡°Remembering how hopeless you were when I was first teaching you, I do feel quite betrayed at seeing how brilliant your magic is, huhuhu.¡±


    Desir froze, speechless, as a chill ran down his spine.


    Seeing this, Brigitte spoke up again. ¡°It was a joke. Drink, before the tea cools. It took quite a bit of effort to get these leaves imported from Heidna.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Desir raised his cup. His hands were still shaking violently.


    Romantica looked at him while snickering quietly. She hadn¡¯t expected there was someone who could win against Desir with words.


    Her teacup now half empty, Brigitte gazed intently at the group. A mysterious light flickering across her eyes as she asked, ¡°So these are the party members you¡¯ve found?¡±


    Without another word, Brigitte examined Romantica, Pram, and Desir one by one, only speaking again once she was satisfied. ¡°What¡¯s your reason for creating a party, Desir?¡±


    Of course, she was asking for the party¡¯s objective. Their goal was something that Desir saw clearly in his mind. In fact, he had created this very party for that single reason.


    With fire in his eyes, Desir said, ¡°My goal is to move up to the Alpha ss through the promotion battle.¡±


    Brigitte raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. ¡°That¡¯s going to be difficult you know?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know.¡± Desir replied, his voice carrying an air of confidence.


    Pram, who had simply been listening in a daze, shakily raised his hand. When Brigitte finally looked at him, he spoke, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®moving up to the Alpha ss¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it seems you haven¡¯t been officially informed yet,¡± said Brigitte, ¡°Our academy employs a system of advancement known as the ¡®promotion battles¡¯.¡±


    Promotion battles were what decided the Hebrion students¡¯ rankings each year. Not only were these battles a tradition of Hebrion Academy, they also acted as the students¡¯ midterm exams.


    The promotion battles started with a tournament phase, from which the top 30 participants were selected. These 30 students would enter an artificial ss 5 Shadow World and take part in a battle royale between one another, which would decide their final ranks. The main goal of everyone in this stage was to be one of thest people remaining, as the top 9 survivors received the title of ¡®Single Ranker¡¯.


    Brigitte continued her exnation, ¡°What Desir means by ¡®promotion¡¯ isn¡¯t only entering the Alpha ss, but also receiving the Single Ranker title through the tournament.¡± She turned back towards Desir, and asked, ¡°Am I correct, Desir?¡±


    Desir nodded in affirmation. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°What!? What are you talking about!¡± Romantica, who had been listening silently, shot up from her seat. ¡°Forget being in the top 9. There¡¯s no way we could even ce in the top 30 of the tournament. And even if we did, any Beta ss parties would be targeted by everyone else immediately!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right you know.¡± Brigitte agreed, nodding. ¡°It¡¯s obvious who will be in the top 30. The majority of them will be elites, all inrge parties. Last year, there was the Blue Moon party with 15 members, the Red Dragon party with 9, and the remaining 6 were all from other Alpha ss parties. Not a single student from the Beta ss has ever ced in the top 30 in this academy¡¯s history.¡±


    Now with a better understanding of what Desir¡¯s n entailed, Pram spoke warily, ¡°So obviously, there¡¯s no way the Alpha ss will go easy on anyone from Beta ss, and they¡¯ll likely even target us.¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡± Desir said.


    The weak would always be targeted first. Furthermore, everyone in Desir¡¯s party was from the Beta ss. Even if they all somehow managed to make it into the top 30, they would be a huge disadvantage number-wise.


    But despite these overwhelmingly terrible odds, Desir looked confident. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s all the more important that we aim for bing Single Rankers.¡±


    Currently, the Beta ss was nothing more than a collection of trash in the academy¡¯s eyes. Beta ss students were allmoners, meaning that the professors and Alpha ss students held them in contempt. Their future was apparent. The Beta ss students would lose any and all motivation sooner orter, and would eventually give up on graduating. The students who were seen only as trash would be exactly that. But what if it didn¡¯t have to be that way.


    Desir spoke with a smile. ¡°Think about it, professor. If the Beta ss who are thought of as trash wins Single Ranker titles for everyone in a 3-man party, how would people react?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­¡± Brigitte¡¯s was unable to answer Desir, falling silent as the


    implications of his ns dawned on her.


    Desir continued, ¡°¡®The Beta ss is talentless, so I refuse to teach them.¡¯ Opinions such as these would be mere excuses, and the truth would be apparent. The Beta ss will finally be able to remove their shackles of inferiority.¡±


    Steam rose from their cups, the tea within still warm, and its fragrance filled the room.


    Desir gulped nervously. Other than the asional blink, Professor Brigitte sat as still as a statue, contemting Desir¡¯s words quietly.


    As the three students held their breath in silence, Brigitte finally spoke, ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll authorize the creation of your party.¡±


    A sigh of relief escaped Desir. ¡°Thank you, professor.¡±


    However, before Desir could fully rx, Brigitte continued. ¡°But before that, there¡¯s something I must be sure of.¡± Brigitte looked at Pram and Romantica. ¡°I need to hear Pram and Romantica¡¯s consent.¡±


    Pram and Romantica each took a deep breath; they both understood the weight their decision would carry.


    Brigitte looked at the two of them sternly. ¡°You must be absolutely certain before giving me an answer. Joining Desir¡¯s party also means agreeing with Desir¡¯s ideals. In other words, you¡¯re throwing in your lot with him. You must obey your party leader¡¯smands, and follow his instructions at all times. To join this party under these constraints, what matters most of all is your own determination.¡±


    Pram showed no hesitation in reaching his decision. ¡°I will apply to join Mr. Desir¡¯s party.¡±


    Brigitte passed a paper over to Pram. ¡°Then please sign this contract.¡±


    The pen moved without reserve, and Brigitte picked up thepleted contract.


    While quickly checking the contract in her hands, Brigitte said, ¡°Now there¡¯s only one person left.¡±


    With that, everyone¡¯s gaze fell on a single person in the room.


    Romantica was holding her chin, lost in thought. She was currently holding a heated internal debate. Was it really possible to enter the Alpha ss this way? To reach the top 9 in the academy that gathered the greatest talents from around world. She was only a 2nd circle mage. The spellsword Ajest included, there were surely much more than 9 people who were easily stronger than her. To be honest, Romantica thought that even the notion of entering the Alpha ss was little more than a pipe dream. ¡®That is¡­ if I were alone.¡¯


    Romantica looked at Desir. What she saw was a man with overflowing confidence. His look was one that said ¡®there¡¯s no way I could possibly lose¡¯. It was as if defeat had never even crossed his mind. Looking at him, she recalled the time when he¡¯d taken control of her magic. It was truly a creative, even ingenious, way to use magic. It was the first time Romantica felt like she¡¯d caught a glimpse of an unreachable level. Her horizons were expanded that day, and she had decided to never allow herself to be conceited again. Romantica thought for certain that if it were Desir¡­ if it were him, she felt he could create something incredible.


    ¡°¡­Whew.¡± Romantica sighed deeply and turned to Brigitte. ¡°Where do I sign?¡±


    The main building, located in the center of the academy¡¯s campus, was split into six unique sectors, and the distance between each sector was so great that magic-powered buses were necessary for transportation between them. Each sector was named after the purpose it served. The area containing the dormitories was called the Residential Sector, and the area that conducted magical research or research on Shadow Worlds was called the Research Sector; the other four sectors were named in a simr fashion.


    | This stop is the Training Sector.


    Desir, Romantica, and Pram got off the bus. In front of the station stood an ivory-colored marble statue of a swordsman. Behind it stoodrge buildings boasting an incredible height, rising far up into the sky. Walking side by side, Desir¡¯s group entered the training center.

 Chapter 12 - Little Bird (1)

    <h4>Chapter 12 - Little Bird (1)</h4>


    Just like its exterior, the interior of Hebrion Academy showed off the school¡¯s opulence. This was especially evident in its training center: the grandiose recreational area was home to both a track-and-field section and an aquatic- training section.


    The track-and-field section featured an enormous running track as its centerpiece. Other specialty facilities surrounded the circuit, such as practice arenas, simtion training areas and fitness gyms staffed by personal trainers.


    The academy had also spared no expense on its aquatic area, which showcased an olympic pool with over 30nes and many other arenas to prepare students for underwater battles.


    And between the two training centers, a grand tower stood imposingly¡ªa training facility for student mages, ording to Desir¡¯s guidebook.


    The tower had a total of five floors, each one dedicated to training a specific attribute. And, like the training centers below, each floor housed a number of different training areas.


    Hebrion Academy¡¯s massive training section could easily amodate the entire student poption at the same time. The sheer grandeur of the facility took Romantica¡¯s breath away.


    Anyone would feel honored to train with such amazing amenities. No other ce in the world boasted such a collection of top-tier facilities.


    "If I could just ess these training areas, I would swear loyalty to Hebrion Academy forever. I mean it.¡± Of course, Romantica meant unrestricted ess of those facilities. After all¡­


    For Alpha ss use only.


    That sign, posted above the entrance to those luxurious training facilities, spoke to the reality of the situation: tant discrimination in treatment between the Alpha ss and the Beta ss.


    The trio moved on, leaving the Alpha ss training area behind them.


    After climbing a winding staircase, they reached the shabby and dingy Beta ss training facility, at the very top of the training area. By size and convenience of ess, the Beta ss facility couldn¡¯tpare to the Alpha ss¡¯s¡ªit looked like an old attic.


    The rusty door, left unoiled for an untold amount of time, creaked unpleasantly as it opened. The sight was enough to destroy all their motivation.


    ¡°¡­Unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t evenparable.¡±


    Layers of dust swirled up as the trio entered the room, and their noses met a rotten smell.


    "Ahhhhh!" Pram¡¯s outburst rang through the room.


    Romantica was already on-edge, and almost yelled, "What''s wrong?"


    "S-something just ran across my foot and skittered away!"


    As soon as Romantica heard Pram¡¯s answer, she hurriedly turned the lights on¡­ but whatever Pram felt had already disappeared. Relying on the dull, flickering light Romantica peered around nervously. Then, she noticed a small mouse hole in the wall. She screamed as though the grim reaper himself hade. "Desir, we need to get out of here right now."


    "There aren¡¯t any other training facilities we can use, Romantica."


    "I absolutely cannot ever train here! I hate mice!"


    "Let''s look on the bright side." Desir rubbed his hands together. "No one everes here, except for us. Again, this is the best training area for us."


    Romantica uneasily began to inch away towards the exit, but Desir was one step faster. Desir blocked the door¡ªRomantica¡¯s only way out.


    "Lets clean this ce up and use it as our office." Desir grinned at Romantica.


    "Y-you''re joking? Please tell me you''re joking? Please?"


    "We''re going to be an amazing party here."


    "Look at this ce! Look at this absolute mess of a ce! It¡¯s a rat¡¯s nest!"


    *click* At that moment, the light that had struggled to stay on went out.


    Romantica inched towards the light switch to try to turn the light back on¡­ but before she could, a flood of red eyes appeared in the darkness.


    "Oh¡­" It took a full three seconds for the dire situation to register in Romantica¡¯s head.


    ¡°Squeak.¡± Rodent and human squared off against each other in an interspecies stare-off. And as expected, the rodents achieved the victory! ¡°Squeeeeek!¡± A swarm of angry rats charged at the humans.


    "KYAAAAAAAAAA!" An ear-splitting scream rang out, and Romantica flew into the air andtched onto Desir. The girl had gone hysterical, and her whole body was shaking like a leaf.


    As the light blinked back on and the darkness retreated, the army of mice skittered away.


    Desir blinked. ¡°Lots of rats, huh?¡±


    ¡°Squeeeeaaaak¡­¡±


    Though the rodents had disappeared, Romantica had no intention of letting go of Desir. She channeled even more strength into her arms and legs and mbered even further up Desir¡¯s body, as if touching the ground would kill her.


    Desir sighed as he looked at Romantica¡¯s face, milliseconds away from bursting into tears. "Fine."


    "We''re leaving? From here? Right now?" Romantica''s face lit up in an instant¡ªa small sliver of hope had pierced the heavy clouds of despair. Romantica gripped that small hope with everything she had and looked at Desir with puppy-dog eyes, hoping beyond hope that he would fulfill her wish.


    But that desperate hope would be short lived. "I''ll block the mouse holes, and I''ll leave the sweeping to you."


    "Then we¡­"


    "Then we''re going to clean this ce and use it."


    Romantica¡¯s eyes darkened in despair.


    ***


    Six hourster, the Beta ss training room looked totally different. The fully recharged magic light cast a bright gleam across the room, reflecting off the spotless, almost mirror-like floor.


    Desir, with a satisfied face, looked around the room, then at his cleaning crew¡ª everyone wore a simr expression. "Well done, you all worked hard."


    "Wow!"


    "Whoaa¡­"


    Without any further words, they all copsed in exhaustion and relief on the floor. Just the cleaning process alone would have sufficed for their first physical training session. But unfortunately, Desir had other ns.


    "Ok, we''ll rest for 30 minutes, and then we begin training."


    "Whaaaaat!?!" Romantica eximed in exasperation. "We cleaned everything today, let''s just call it here!"


    Desir shook his head. "Romantica, you haven''t forgotten what Professor Brigitte said when you joined this party, have you?"


    "That¡¯s¡­¡­" Romantica grimaced, recalling Professor Brigitte¡¯s warning.


    ¡°You must be absolutely certain before giving me an answer. Joining Desir¡¯s party also means agreeing with Desir¡¯s ideals. In other words, you¡¯re throwing in your lot with him. You must obey your party leader¡¯smands, and follow his instructions at all times. To join this party under these constraints, what matters most of all is your own determination.¡±


    The professor¡¯s words had contained no ambiguity. Desir continued, "And I also have the contract that you signed¡­"


    "I get it! Alright! Fine! I¡¯ll just do it." Nothing but a series of hardships. Little by little, Romantica began to secretly regret her decision to join this party.


    ***


    Thirty minutester, Desir kicked off Romantica¡¯s training by bringing out a blue ball. "First of all, we¡¯ll have you work on your casting speed."


    "My casting speed is already plenty fast! You saw it during the entrance exam." Romantica took pride in her renowned casting speed¡ªa remarkable talent for a wind-attribute mage.


    Desir agreed with her¡­ to an extent. "Truth be told, your level of speed is pretty good¡ªif you were just a regr mage off the street. But within the Alpha ss, your skills are just so-so."


    The top-tier students from around the world gathered in the Alpha ss, so its members would naturally progress leaps and bounds faster than themoners in the Beta ss.


    Nobles received the best training and tutoring from a young age, so their power levels couldn¡¯t even bepared to that of themoners. Thankfully, Romantica had received some of that education herself, so she had some skill to show for it. But still¡­


    "We¡¯ll be fighting them with a disadvantage. Even if we were on their level, we would still have difficultypeting against them¡ªwe¡¯ll have to get your skills up to par."


    Romantica raised her eyebrow. "But how are you going to raise our skills in such a short time?"


    "It''s simple. You develop a new ability."


    "A new ability?"


    "You¡¯ll be learning chantless casting."


    Instead of processing mana through a spoken form, ¡°chantless casting¡± utilised one''s senses to manipte and shape the mana, thus manifesting the spell.


    Desire knew the Romantica from his previous life very well. She had already specialized in speed-chanting, and the danger of the Shadow World pushed her to constantly hone her skills and discover new talents.


    Her efforts had given rise to chantless casting, an ingenious new method of releasing magic without ever having to speak.


    But the Romantica of his previous life had spent an unimaginable amount of time and effort developing that method¡ªDesir would help the present Romantica develop those skills in a much shorter span of time.


    "That impossible!" But as for right now, that was Romantica¡¯s immediate reaction.


    Desir had expected as much. "No, it''s possible. You just feel like it¡¯s impossible."


    "I told you I can''t!"


    "If you can''t, then you can just stay in the Beta ss, eating stale bread."


    The thought of the stale bread broke the stubborn stalemate.


    ¡°¡­you''re not lying, right?" She knew as long as she was part of this party, she would have to follow Desir¡¯s directives. Romantica sighed.


    "¡­Alright. Let''s give it a try."


    Desir smiled. "Great. Here, watch this ball."


    Desir ced the ball at Romantica''s feet, then proceeded to draw two circles on the ground using a pen: one around the ball, and another five meters away from her. "Try moving the ball from that circle to this circle over here."


    Romantica ced the ball down and tried to push the ball across, but Desir interrupted her. "No physical contact. You are not to move from where you are


    now. And, of course, you can¡¯t speak. Use nothing but air currents to push the ball."


    Air current maniption.


    Trying to control the air¡¯s current was like a human trying to p a pair of wings. It wasn''t just exercising one of the body''s five senses¡ªrather, it was an entirely new, unfamiliar limb.


    It was obviously difficult. However, if a mage could master air current maniption, they were well on their way to learning chantless casting for 1st circle spells.


    Romantica focused her mind and stared down at the ball. But how was she supposed to create a current without chanting a spell? "Hnnngggggg¡­¡­"


    As he observed Romantica¡¯s efforts, Desir spoke up. "Romantica, do you remember what you felt when we were cleaning?"


    ''Remember what!?'' Romantica grew frustrated, both by her current inability to move the ball, and by the memory of their ve-likebor. There had been so much to clean up, they could only barely finish the task with the help of magic.


    "You may have utilized spells at the time, but you definitely should have felt something else¡ªlike you were moving with the wind. Remember that feeling. That feeling of sweeping away the dust. Think of the ball as the dust."


    Romantica blinked, red down at the ball, and refocused. ¡®Think of the ball as the dust¡­¡¯


    Romantica applied Desir¡¯s advice, and the ball budged from its spot for the first time. Though it had inched in the wrong direction, the fact that it had moved at all was worthy of praise.


    Desir patted Romantica''s shoulder. "Your first steps are good. Keep at it."


    Her first praise.


    Romantica forcibly choked down the cheer forming in her throat and continued to practice.


    "Right, next is Pram''s training." Desir turned towards Pram, who had moved some distance away so as to not interrupt Romantica.


    Pram looked up at the approaching Desir, eyes brimming with expectation. However, that expectation was to be betrayed¡ªDesir had no intention of training Pram.


    The reason was simple.


    "Truth be told, I have nothing to teach you."

 Chapter 13 - Little Bird (2)

    <h4>Chapter 13 - Little Bird (2)</h4>


    ¡°Really? Howe?¡±, asked Pram.


    ¡°You¡¯re already a fully-fledged swordsman¡ªyou know all the basics, have great senses, and your flow isn¡¯t bad,¡± noted Desir. ¡°You are apt at finding a w in your opponent¡¯s stance, and would not have any problems going to the promotion battle right now. Even the Alpha ss has few people matching your skills.¡±


    Desir recalled Pram from his memories. His gant figure charged into the heart of the enemy, holding only a silver rapier. The sliver of a sword raced across the battlefield, striking at the speed of lightning. A true King-rank swordsman and living legend amongst the survivors.


    But that was in the future.


    Desir remarked, ¡°Of course, that would require you to relinquish the greatsword in exchange for a rapier.¡±


    Pram failed to meet Desir¡¯s eyes as he gripped the greatsword tightly. He became silent and discovered a newfound interest in the floorboards.


    Desir noticed his reluctance and simply asked, ¡°Why won¡¯t you use the rapier, Pram?¡±


    ¡°Must you ask?¡± whined Pram.


    ¡°This concerns the overall strength of the party, so yes,¡± said Desir.


    Pram lowered his greatsword. Their eyes met. Desir saw a touch of vulnerability in Pram¡¯s eyes. ¡°Then¡­ could youe with me?¡±


    The overcast sky gave hints of dusk approaching. Rain was sure toe in the next few hours, but none of thatpared to Pram¡¯s appearance. His face darkened with each word:


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know my father.


    ¡°It¡¯s not because he died when I was young. He was a noble, and my mother was amoner. I was a bastard, simple as that. Even so, we used to be pretty well-off.


    ¡°Thinking back, I think he provided for us. My mother didn¡¯t even know how to stitch.¡±


    Pram unlocked the door to his dormitory, and let Desir in.


    ¡°Every night before we slept, she would always tell me about what a wonderful person he was. She was so proud of him,¡± exined Pram. With each word, loneliness crept onto Pram¡¯s face. Soon, there was none of the bright-eyed boy who stood in front of him just a few hours earlier. Desir waited patiently in the living room as Pram went to retrieve a leather sheath. As Desir received the guard, he inspected the weapon¡ªinside was a rapier.


    The grip was made of a high quality oak. There was some unintelligible scribbling on the handle, but most shocking was the weight. It was incredibly light for a sword, to the point where it would be impossible to use the weight of the sword in his attacks.


    ¡°When I was 6, my mother told me that my father left this rapier for us,¡± said Pram. ¡°That was why I learned the sword¡ªto be proficient enough that my father would have nothing but pride for me when we finally met,¡± Pram imed with sparkling eyes. ¡°My mother was always worried about it. I think she never wanted me to meet my father.¡±


    Pram gave Desir a bittersweet smile as he reminisced. ¡°My mother never told me his name¡ªnot even once. Instead, she always told me that I should never go looking for my father. I get it¡ªI really do. There¡¯s no way that a highborn noble family would ept a bastard. She never told me his name, even on her deathbed.¡±


    A bastard was a disgrace; in the case of Pram, he wasn¡¯t even the son of a concubine. If amoner appeared at a noble¡¯s doorstep and said he was a bastard, the result was obvious. She kept her silence to protect her son.


    Regardless, Pram wanted to know his father¡¯s name. Despite his mother¡¯s concerns, he always wanted to meet his father.


    ¡°Call it curiosity. Isn¡¯t it just human to want to meet your father?¡± asked Pram. ¡°That¡¯s why I came here - with so many nobles gathered, I would definitely be able to find a clue to my father¡¯s whereabouts.¡±


    Desir nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I had the rapier inspected as soon as I got here¡ªmy only lead. With weapons from all around the world gathered here, there had to be somebody who could give me a clue based on this rapier.¡± Pram¡¯s eyes hardened.


    Desir inspected the de. Although the handle was extremely high quality, the de itself was worthless. The silver ting had worn off, and revealed a rusted iron within. It resembled a toy more than a weapon.


    ¡°The result is in your hands. It¡¯s made of a cheap iron that could be from anywhere. The only thing that my father left my mother was a worthless iron sword,¡± said Pram softly. He looked close to tears as he spoke. Desir could tell those weren¡¯t tears of anguish, but of betrayal.


    ¡°I can¡¯t bear it. I can¡¯t bear that after all these years I wishing to meet my father, all he left for us was this worthless thing. That¡¯s my reason. I will never use the rapier again,¡± croaked Pram.


    Pram retrieved the rapier from Desir, and threw it to the side in frustration.


    The greatsword cut through the air with a powerful sh. Pram was practicing his swings. The most fundamental move¡ªan important step to understanding the sword.


    Desir watched his disy with apprehension. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that Pram has no talent for the greatsword¡­ it would be pointless to even teach him.¡¯


    The greatsword was not designed for uracy, but for its crushing weight. Utilizing the slow and destructive strength of the broad weapon required training to handle its hefty weight. Pram¡¯s physique did not meet any of the conditions in training with the greatsword, but were rather optimized for a rapier.


    Much of this was due to habit¡ªbased on Pram¡¯s story, he trained with the rapier for at least 10 years. If he had switched to the greatsword recently after he had the rapier appraised, he had been using the greatsword for less than two weeks. It would take many times more than that to break his ingrained habits.


    Desir sighed at the thought. Everything would be resolved if Pram simply picked up the rapier, but he was taciturn in his answer. Desir was frustrated, but did understand Pram¡¯s feelings. If he were Pram, he would likely do the same thing.


    ¡®It¡¯s still too early to give up.¡¯


    Desir hung on to one major w in Pram¡¯s story¡ªsomething that didn¡¯t add up that even Pram couldn¡¯t know about. His future.


    ¡®In my past life, he used the rapier.¡¯


    Pram Schneizer and his rapier were inseparable. That was a fact. Through his honed skills, he gained des and found himself at the apex of the de, even being named Sword Master. His future waspletely different, and in that was where Desir found his clue.


    ¡®There must be a clue. Something that shook his heart and made him take up the rapier again.¡¯ Desir walked up to Pram and cleared his throat to get his attention. ¡®With that, there¡¯s only one thing it could be¡ªhis father¡¯s heirloom.¡¯


    Pram stopped his swinging and turned to face his party member.


    ¡°Sorry for getting in the way of your training,¡± said Desir sheepishly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± responded Pram.


    ¡°That sword you showed me yesterday¡ªcould you let me see it one more time?¡± asked Desir.


    Pram¡¯s ever gentle expression froze at the mention of the weapon. His face was marked with anxiety.


    Desir tried to appeal to Pram. ¡°I know it is rude of me to ask this, but could you please do me a favour and show it to me one more time?¡±


    ¡°Even if you say that, it¡¯s impossible,¡± replied Pram bluntly.


    Pram raised his head. The next four words that came out of his mouth werepletely out of Desir¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sold it.¡±


    | This stop is the Business Sector.


    Stepping off the bus, they were enamoured by the sight of a wide avenue lined with thousands of street lights. The hustle and bustle of the street vendors as they bartered with the city folk was lively. The crossroads, za, and even the alleys were filled to the brim with shops as far as the eye can see. This sector was the only area in Hebrion Academy open to the public. People from across the world woulde to inspect their wares, and the crowded streets left barely any space to move, save for a few small gaps.


    ¡°Can I ask you one thing? Why did you sell your sword?¡± questioned Desir.


    Passing by a smith¡¯s stall with swords on disy, Pram examined the swords avable. ¡°It became clear to me during our talk, Mr. Desir. That sword was of no help to me,¡± said Pram politely.


    Desir realized that he had changed the future¡ªPram may never use the rapier ever again in his life. He shook his head to get rid of the thought.


    ¡®It¡¯s not toote. The most important thing now is to find a reason for Pram to use the rapier.¡¯


    The two students entered an alley, covered in a shadow cast by the nearby roofs. As they travelled deeper into the alleyway, fewer and fewer stalls propped themselves out for disy. Eventually, the two made their way to arge, imposing building in the distance.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see why there¡¯s a store all the way out here,¡± said Desir with a tinge of doubt.


    Pram responded, ¡°They said they also purchase illegal goods. That¡¯s probably why.¡±


    The building was adorned with marble, with a simple sign written in Common in front of the door.


    Ujukun¡¯s Antique Shop. The most trusted shop in Hebrion Academy for antique appraisals and purchases. Do not touch unsold items. No refunds even if you change your mind. No refunds for damaged items. No refunds under any circumstances.


    Desir frowned. There was another line obscured when Desir originally read the sign.


    Top-ss security always present. Cannot guarantee the lives of thieves.


    ¡°Looks hard-fisted,¡± said Desir. He fanned himself with his hands as he read over the sign again, ensuring that he didn¡¯t miss any additional information.


    ¡°Are you nning on going in?¡± Pram asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Desir.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it as many times as you want¡ªI will not use that rapier,¡± said Pram crassly.


    As Desir entered the shop, Pram followed in resignation. After they passed through a narrow hallway, they came to a stop in a beautiful passageway with a glittering chandelier descending from the center of the ceiling. At the end of the hall, an imposing steel doorid shut. Pram rapped against the door using the steel knocker fashioned in the shape of a wolf.


    Momentster, a man emerged from inside. His stature was much taller than the average man, looking to be one of the northern barbarians¡ªa giant. As Pram and Desir entered, the door was mmed shut behind them. A roar echoed across the hall as the steel door was closed yet again. Silence filled the hall.

 Chapter 14 - Little Bird (3)

    <h4>Chapter 14 - Little Bird (3)</h4>


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bit cramped,¡± mumbled Desir. Past the iron doors, the walkway was extremely narrow. Where they were standing, there was barely enough space for one person to squeeze through. More urately speaking, the room itself was spacious, but they had little room avable to them. The disy shelves around the room were all blocked off by wire screens. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, security-wise,¡± Desir said.


    Beyond the barbed wire, a wooden disy stood in front of a keen-eyed merchant, who introduced himself as Ujukun. His eyes were very thin and slender, and ented by a few strands of greying hair. Wrinkles covered his bespectacled face, giving him the appearance of an old man. The merchant¡¯s hands rested on the counter, and his fingers rapped in anticipation of his new customers.


    ¡°Judging by the entrance, you seem quite concerned about security,¡± remarked Desir.


    ¡°You can never be too careful,¡± Ujukun responded. ¡°Naturally, plenty of thieves tend toe by.¡± Ujukun pushed his sses up and stopped tapping on the counter. A silence filled the air as Ujukun sized up the young man sitting in front of him. ¡®He¡¯s going to be a difficult one,¡¯ the merchant thought. His eyeszily moved over to the other boy and he quickly recognized the face. ¡°Weren¡¯t you here about two days ago? Do you have something else to sell to me?¡±


    ¡°On the contrary, he¡¯s here to see what he¡¯s sold,¡± exined Desir. The merchant¡¯s expression turned sour, before Desir added ¡°Of course, this isn¡¯t for a refund. We will be purchasing it back.¡±


    At those words, Ujukun¡¯s face lit back up and he was ready for business. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you should have told me earlier.¡± He entered the storeroom behind him. It felt like an eternity until the merchant returned with the sword.


    The silver paint on the sword ked off, revealing years of rust underneath. Ujukun ced the sword on the counter.


    ¡°It¡¯s a heavily rusted useless sword,¡± exined Ujukun.


    ¡°The price is 90 bronze pieces?¡± asked Desir.


    ¡°If it were a sword, you would be correct. However, this is not a sword¡ªfor a rapier, it is a bitrge and light,¡± said Ujukun with a delighted grin on his face. At this point, Desir recalled something¡ªthe gift Romantica received from Da appeared in his mind.


    ¡°¡­Kemubin?¡± guessed Desir.


    Ujukin calmly exined, ¡°That¡¯s right. Not a sword, but a kind of Kemubin. In the empty space within this sword, a swordsman from a warrior¡¯s lineage would ce something inside as a gift to their lover.¡± As Ujukun confirmed Desir¡¯s assumptions, Pram began to shudder. He hadn¡¯t realized this when he¡¯d sold the sword. He broke out in a cold sweat as Ujukun continued.


    ¡°The price will be 40 silver pieces,¡± said the merchant confidently. This was the cost of living for a month for a Hebrion Academy student.


    Pram was unable to stay silent any longer. He yelled, ¡°You never told me any of this when I sold it to you!¡±


    Ujukun smiled at the boisterous youth, before responding. ¡°I never lied to you. You came to sell me a sword, so I appraised your sale as a sword. Of course, when you look at this rusted scrap of iron, it¡¯spletely worthless as a sword.¡±


    Pram clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He was furious, and started spewing insults at the old man.


    ¡°Enough,¡± said Desir as he grabbed Pram by the shoulder and cut him off.


    ¡°The price has gone up a lot since it was sold,¡± said Desir.


    Ujukun furrowed his brow and responded with his own justification. ¡°40 silvers is cheap. If I knew how to open this Kemubin, I would have charged you 80 silvers.¡±


    Even high-grade Kemubin would rarely cost more 10 silvers, unless they were specificallyced in pure gold. No matter how they looked at it, there was no way this item should be worth 40 silvers.


    ¡®This sword is definitely the reason Pram wields a rapier.¡¯ Desir thought about it hard but quickly made a decision. If Pram once again picked up the rapier, 40 silvers was a price more than worth paying. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Desir!¡± Pram was reluctant to have Desir pay the cost of his mistake. Desir ignored Pram¡¯s cry and took out his wallet. He counted out the silver pieces and pushed them towards Ujukun.


    The merchant gazed greedily at the coins in front of him. ¡°38, 39, 40. It¡¯s all there. Take it.¡±


    Simultaneously, the steel door opened and the Kemubin wasid in front of Desir¡¯s eyes. He raised the Kemubin and swung it around lightly. As expected, this is far lighter than you¡¯d think. Desir paused and gave it another thought. Is it possible that the Kemubin is empty? Why is the handle in such good quality but the rest of the sword worthless?


    The young man could¡¯ve wrap his head around the Kemubin. The sword Pram wields in the future had the exact same handle as this. Desir shifted his attention to the handle. He nced at it from different angles, felt the contours and looked at it intently. The handle was extremely high quality. The rusted iron de didn¡¯t match the intricate handle whatsoever.


    As Desir ran his hands down the spine of the de, he continued searching for any sort of switch. As he felt around the edges of the handle, a smile appeared on his face. ¡®Found it.¡¯


    There was a small indentation on the sword handle¡ªit was carefully hidden by the design of the de. Looking at it, it appeared to be a simple ck line blended in with the wood grain. If Desir hadn¡¯t seen Da¡¯s Kemubin, he would have never been able to find it. Desir offered the Kemubin to his fellow student. ¡°Take hold of the sword, Pram.¡±


    Pram was speechless. ¡°Wha¡­But¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you see the indentation on the handle? Insert your fingernail and lower it like so,¡± Desir insisted.


    ¡°Mr. Desir. I won¡¯t use this sword,¡± replied Pram. shbacks of betrayal welled up from inside Pram. He couldn¡¯t¡ªno. He wouldn¡¯t let his father¡¯s legacy hurt him again.


    ¡°Pram, this isn¡¯t the sword as you knew it. It was simply a Kemubin,¡± said Desir, encouraging Pram to take a closer look.


    ¡°Even so, it¡¯s useless. It¡¯s just an empty Kemubin,¡± retorted Pram. Taking the Kemubin from Desir, Pram raised the sword up. He had this sword for years, and he knew. It was simply iron and nothing more. Pram looked at Desir apologetically. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that you spent 40 silvers for nothing, Mr. Desir.¡±


    ¡°If that Kemubin was empty, you would be correct. However, the situation is a little different from that,¡± smirked Desir.


    ¡°This sword, Kemubin or not, has nothing else in it. It only weighs so much as the iron sword and the wooden handle.¡± Pram frowned. Desir wasn¡¯t making any sense.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that you can¡¯t feel it. The item inside has no weight,¡± exined Desir.


    Pram looked at Desir with doubt, as if he was going crazy. His expression was earnest, but his words sounded like a joke. ¡°There is no such thing,¡± answered Pram. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was answering Desir or trying to convince himself.


    ¡°If you¡¯re having doubts, why not open it for yourself?¡± questioned Desir. Pram bit his lip. A pregnant pause filled the air. Desir did his best to reassure him. ¡°Listen to me, Pram. Trust me.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Pram inserted his fingernail into the indentation. The sound of metal fixtures clicking into ce rang in the storeroom. At the same time, the handle loosed itself from the previous iron de. Now freed from its rusted prison, a sword emerged from the Kemubin, giving a luminescent glow.


    ¡°nchume,¡± muttered Desir.


    ¡°nchume?! That¡¯s impossible!¡± eximed Ujukun.


    nchume was precious. Swordsmen from all over the world heard legends of the mystical metal and coveted its existence. Weapons and armor forged from this metal were unbreakable. In addition to that, nchume was nearly weightless. It was because of that Pram thought that the Kemubin was simply empty.


    Pram didn¡¯t dare take his eyes from the luminescent glow of the rapier. He never would¡¯ve thought that the tattered, rusted sword would metamorphose into a brint sword that veterans with dozens of years¡¯ experience on him would covet. He didn¡¯t dare say a word at the fear of it all being a dream.


    In that Shadow Labyrinth, this is the exact sword that Pram used. At the same time Desir was satisfied with his decision, an eerie silence set off inside the shop. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife. ¡°Open the door¡ªwe¡¯re leaving,¡±manded Desir. Their business with Ujukun has finished.


    At that moment, the giant¡¯s sword crashed upon Desir¡¯s head. The cold steel was inches away from taking his life. ¡°That¡¯s dirty of you,¡± chuckled Desir.


    ¡°Hand over that sword,¡± demanded Ujukun.


    Desir wanted tough at the merchant¡¯s avarice. ¡°Don¡¯t make excuses now that we¡¯re done. What you sold was a Kemubin. I paid the price. Our transaction has finished,¡± said Desir curtly.


    Ujukun¡¯s face grimaced at the thought of losing such a priceless item. ¡°If I knew it was nchume, I never would have sold it,¡± exined Ujukun.


    ¡°If my friend knew it was a Kemubin, he never would have sold it either,¡± retorted Desir. Based on the tone in Ujukun¡¯s voice, the time of pleasantries was over. ¡°It¡¯s exactly as you did,¡± continued Desir. He red right at the merchant, who couldn¡¯t meet his eyes. Ujukun couldn¡¯t respond to that. He was outwitted by his own logic.


    As Desir took another step towards the door, the giant raised his ive to Desir¡¯ neck. The giant opened his mouth for the first time. ¡°Owner¡­said¡­stop. You. Will stop.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re really going to push it this far?¡± asked Desir.


    ¡°You should do this while I ask nicely,¡± said Ujukun. All of his mercantile charisma drained out of him as he slowly unlocked a set of iron bars directly behind him. As he moved behind the bars separating him from the two youths, he set his gaze on the boy who sold him the Kemubin. Although he was capable of thinking rationally, Ujukun turned a blind eye to the events unfolding soon in lieu of his avarice. He would go to these lengths for an item made of nchume.


    Desir scratched his head. ¡®¡­Well, I did reveal that it was made of nchume in front of him, but I didn¡¯t expect this to happen.¡¯


    Ujukun¡¯s eyes turned cold as he made a motion of slitting his throat with his hand. The loyal barbarian did not hesitate. He tookrge strides towards Desir and it didn¡¯t take long before he enveloped his entire field of view. However, after 5 steps the giant had to stop. Pram stood stoically in his path.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight, but if youe any closer¡­¡± said Pram. He raised his rapier in perfect form, prepared to lunge at a moment¡¯s notice. His hips were low, and every muscle in his body was poised, ready to respond. Pram¡¯s small frame was in distinct contrast to his explosive aura. His lips were pursed, analyzing the giant¡¯s movements. ¡°¡­Then not even I will forgive you.¡±


    At the sound of the threat from the little boy, the giant roared in displeasure. The giant¡¯s muscles bulged as he swung his weapon. The ive and rapier shed head on. ¡°Oraaaaa!¡± screamed the giant. As he feinted a swing of the sword, he let loose a fist at Pram from the other side. He fought like a true swordsman of the North, blending together true swordsmanship and brawling.


    Pram found himself backed up against the wall. Without hesitation, Pram rolled to the side and evaded the attack.


    The wooden wall crumbled under the weight of the giant¡¯s fist. The barbarian spat in annoyance as he shook off the splinters embedded in his left arm. If Pram hadn¡¯t moved immediately, his head would have shattered like a watermelon. The behemoth let out a guttural cry. He unleashed a frenzy of strikes at Pram. The student, now equipped with his legendary rapier, was on his back foot in lieu of the reckless barrage.


    Swords shed in the storeroom, one side with unbridled fury and the other with confident vigor. The hulking figure showed no signs of stopping his assault, and the rapier could only just parry the attacks. Pram dodged the ive by the skin of his teeth. A split second of indecision was all it would take to signal his end. As the battle ensued, Pram began to dodge, roll, and parry all of the iing attacks.


    The giant became tense. With the current pace, he would undoubtedly lose the duel. His attacks became more vicious and frightening. When Pram tried to side step the next attack, the enemy narrowed the distance with a single stride¡ªthe distance was too short.


    The ive swung down like a guillotine. A vertical strike with nowhere to go.


    ¡°Kuarrrgh!¡± The hulking figure roared in triumph.


    The ferocious blownded on Pram¡¯s body.

 Chapter 15 - The Returner’s Promotion Battle (1)

    <h4>Chapter 15 - The Returner¡¯s Promotion Battle (1)</h4>


    Rewriter Note(s): ¡°Omae wa mou shindeiru.¡±


    But nothing happened. The barbarian felt no resistance as the ivepleted its sweeping downwards arc. The only thing he had struck was air.


    ¡°Gruuh¡­?¡± The barbarian stared quizzically at Pram. He hadn¡¯t cut so much as a single hair on his head. A glint of silver was now jutting out from the wooden wall behind Pram. Something sharp with the silhouette of a crescent curve. The barbarian snapped his neck down to look at the ive in his hands. Except, it wasn¡¯t a ive anymore¡ªthe de was cut clean off. He was left with a wooden rod.


    Pram raised his rapier. ¡°Shall we go again?¡±


    The barbarian flung the wooden handle aside and closed the distance with a swing of his fist. In an instant, his knuckles were close enough to obscure Pram¡¯s entire head from view. Pram wove to the side, letting the punch rocket past him like a battering ram, and seamlessly vaulted into the air with a backflip. With all the grace of a seasoned acrobat, hended behind the bewildered giant, and followed up with a swing of his rapier.


    The giant spun around and raised an arm to block the blow with his gauntlet, but Pram¡¯s rapier drew a perfect arc around his guard, and thrust into the pit of his stomach. The now hapless giant tried to retreat, but Pram was faster. The rapier plunged into the barbarian¡¯s sr plexus. Tough as his body may have been, it was a decisive blow to a vulnerable weak point. The giant¡¯s body quavered, his legs gave out from under him, and he copsed into a crumpled heap.


    Desir nodded silently, as if confirming something he¡¯d already known. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± screeched Ujukun. ¡°That door is made of Kichlean steel. There¡¯s only one person here who can open it, and I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s in no condition to do so.¡± Kichlean steel was famed for its unyielding tensile strength. It was also proportionately heavy. A door of this size would likely require the strained


    efforts of half a dozen men to even budge. ¡°Which means you¡¯re stuck here until my guards arrive,¡± cackled Ujukun.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know about that.¡± The nchume rapier streaked through the air, making short work of the door¡¯s hinges. The door ttened with a thunderous crash. Apparently, even Kichlean steel was no match for nchume. As the pair made their exit, Desir turned to the dazed Ujukun. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s definitely over now, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    They¡¯d only been running for a few minutes but Desir was already out of breath.


    ¡°Alright, I think we¡¯ve lost them. I really need to exercise some more. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m this weak¡­¡± Desir muttered between stilted breaths. Though, hisck of breath did little to damper is cheerful voice. ¡°Good thing we got the sword back, right?¡±


    While nodding, Pram moved his hand to the rapier at his waist without even realizing it. The pale rapier glittered like starlight, or even moonlight. He pulled out the sword, and couldn¡¯t feel the slightest weight. A truly incredible feeling.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve decided to use the rapier?¡± Desir said, recalling how Pram had fought with the rapier a few minutes before.


    He¡¯d held the rapier, and subdued the barbarian giant with overwhelming skill. The fact that Pram had took up the rapier again was especially meaningful to Desir.


    ¡°The situation was too urgent so I had no choice, but¡­¡± Pram was still hesitating. He eventually let out a sigh. ¡°Why would my father hide something like this in that old, worn-down Kemubin?¡±


    That was the cause of this entire ridiculous incident. If he¡¯d made it obvious from the start that it was in fact a Kemubin, Pram would never have had any reason to resent his father.


    ¡°Your father made a wise choice, Pram.¡±


    Pram raised his head at Desir¡¯s words.


    ¡°A nchume sword is an incredible thing. Imagine if word got out that you owned it. Over a hundred people just like Ujukun would havee to hound you,¡± exined Desir.


    ¡°But there was still a chance I would never have found out,¡± said Pram.


    ¡°He left it behind because he thought you¡¯d figure it out eventually,¡± said Desir assuredly. Pram¡¯s father always believed that Pram would realize, as long as he kept carrying the rapier around.


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± asked Pram.


    Desir grabbed the rapier, and pointed at the grip. Pram looked at it. On the Kemubin that had the shape of an old, worn sword, there were written some unreadable words. The reason they were unreadable was because they were iplete. When the nchume was revealed and the rapier showed its true form, the words on the grip took shape. It looked like there was a hidden mechanism on the grip as well as the de.


    Pram read the words slowly.


    Do not lose your way, my little bird.


    The Alpha ss¡¯s private restaurant was on a high floor, the view overlooking Hebrion Academy. A cold breeze blew in from the open window. A colorless night viewy outside. The stars shone solemnly in the deep dark.


    Romantica shuddered in the cold.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your order, madam,¡± said the waiter.


    The lights glittered yellow and the waiters moved between the tables like birds flying in and out of their nests. The menu was seafood¡ªa salt-grilled fish and a crab gratin wereid in front of Romantica, and she thanked the waiter with a smile.


    ¡°The Alpha ss meals are so much better, right?¡± said Da Hadun, seated across from her.


    She hadn¡¯t known that he¡¯d arrived. She guessed he¡¯de while she was looking out the window. There was nothing strange about the fact that he was there. In fact, what was strange was the fact that she was here. Without the man sitting across from her, she could never have even set foot in this ce.


    ¡°At longst. I¡¯ve wanted to see you all this time,¡± said Da warmly.


    ¡°I see,¡± responded Romantica curtly. Romantica waited for Da¡¯s food toe out. A momentter, Da¡¯s food wasid in front of him, and they both raised their forks. The grilled fish tasted good, and the gratin was slightly greasy, but its vor was exquisite. The two of them didn¡¯t say anything for a while, savoring the food.


    ¡°So, what did you want to talk about?¡± asked Da.


    There was no reason to hesitate. Romantica ced a wooden dagger on the table. It was decorated with all sorts of ornaments. Romantica exined herself, ¡°I came to return this.¡±


    Da pushed up his sses and looked at the Kemubin as if it were his first time seeing it. Romantica pushed the Kemubin toward him. Da showed no reaction for a moment. No rage, no annoyance. He merely collected his breath, and pondered why he had gotten rejected. Only a third-rate noble would show his emotions on his face. ¡°I thought there was no reason for you to refuse-¡±


    ¡°You thought.¡± Romantica looked at Da with her wind-touched green eyes.


    Da¡¯s heart started racing as he looked back at her gaze. ¡°If you¡¯re perhaps ufortable with dating me, you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°I did hesitate for that reason at the beginning. But it¡¯s not because of that,¡± said Romantica.


    ¡°You mean there¡¯s another reason?¡± asked Da.


    Romantica nodded. ¡°I joined a nameless party in the Beta ss.¡±


    ¡°Beta ss¡­¡± Da looked at her with disbelief. He mumbled to himself, as though he couldn¡¯t even understand what he had just heard. ¡°Beta ss, you say¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. Amoner¡¯s party. The people you regard as trash,¡± said Romantica.


    Da mmed his fork on the table. Everything had grown cold. The air blowing in from the window, the soup on the table, the atmosphere between them. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Did you get ckmailed?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Romantica shook her head. ¡°No, this was my decision.¡±


    ¡°Then you weren¡¯t thinking rationally,¡± said Da. He opened the Kemubin. A golden ne slid out into Da¡¯s palm like a snake.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any regrets,¡± said Romantica. She stared at Da with renewed vigor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty. There¡¯s still time,¡± smiled Da.


    Romantica took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m not taking back my decision.¡± Da¡¯s lips were upturned, but he wasn¡¯t smiling. Romantica did the same. ¡°I honestly think I made the right choice. I didn¡¯t want to join that party at first, but I changed my mind as time went on. This party is fun. The leader trains us diligently. My skills are improving quickly thanks to him.¡± With each word, Romantica became more sure that she made the correct choice.


    ¡°If it¡¯s improving your skills, our party can do that as well,¡± refuted Da.


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s only one of the reasons. Da, do you remember how you told me the Beta ss were all worthlessmoners, nothing but trash?¡± asked Romantica.


    Da paused. ¡°I don¡¯t see why you¡¯re bringing that up.¡±


    ¡°The reason,¡± exined Romantica. She breathed in deeply filled up her lungs. Glittering red snake eyes stared back at her. She breathed out, and said the words that sealed her fate. ¡°¡­is that I¡¯m amoner.¡±


    Da mmed his fork down into the table. A sharp ng mmed into Da¡¯s eardrums. All of the concern and affection washed off of his face. A slight look of scorn could be seen on his face. Romantica could no longer find the slightest affection in his eyes.


    ¡°Hm.¡± He let out a slight cough. In a split second, he regained his poker face after realizing his mistake, but it was toote. His feelings towardmoners was close to physical repulsion, and he couldn¡¯t contain it immediately. Just as somebody wouldn¡¯t need a reason to hate cockroaches, he didn¡¯t need a reason to hatemoners. A look of panic showed on his face¡ªhe looked desperate. ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡±


    ¡°Your reason for thinking that?¡± asked Romantica.


    ¡°If you were truly amoner, you would have kept your mouth shut and joined my party. That would be the only way amoner like you could have entered the Alpha ss,¡± exined Da.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Romantica admitted it. ¡°But when they found out I was amoner, at least they didn¡¯t look at me like you.¡± Da was right¡ªif she joined the Blue Moon Party, she would have an easy time entering the Alpha ss. In contrast, Desir instead invited her to his party even though he knew she was amoner. There was no discrimination. She didn¡¯t have to lie, or fear that she would be outed for being amoner.


    ¡°I see.¡± Da opened his mouth. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re all the same trash, after all.¡± His bitter tone was reflected in his demeanor.


    ¡°Trash¡­ you¡¯ve got that right,¡± said Romantica. Her voice carried the same bitterness as Da¡¯s, as she answered him, her voice filled with remorse. ¡°Nobles will always hatemoners. They hate and despise them as if they¡¯re biological enemies. I know very well why you nobles can¡¯t standmoners.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same reason Hebrion Academy is an aristocracy instead of a meritocracy¡ªthe same reason why Alpha and Beta aren¡¯t divided based on rank, but status. The reason is that you nobles are afraid of the birth of a new Republic.¡±


    ¡°¡­Watch your mouth.¡± Da whispered back immediately. His eyes shifted side to side and he looked around to make sure nobody was paying attention.


    Romantica ignored him andid the final nail in the coffin. ¡°Times have changed. The Shadow Worlds have toppled the bnce. Anyone strong enough can acquire magic crystals. You¡¯re all living in a castle of sand and it¡¯s crumbling.¡±


    Her voice now reinvigorated, Romantica said, ¡°You live in constant fear, not knowing when everything will copse.¡±

 Chapter 16 - The Returner’s Promotion Battle (2)

    <h4>Chapter 16 - The Returner¡¯s Promotion Battle (2)</h4>


    In the past there had a group who had revolted against the Kingdom, under the name of ¡®Republic¡¯. They had rallied support through amon ideology: ¡®The Kingdom is a crumbling sandcastle and the nobles are its inhabitants¡¯.


    Da closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them slowly. ¡°So you¡¯ll create another Republic. That¡¯s what you¡¯re trying to say?¡±


    ¡°If I wanted to lose my head, then maybe I¡¯d try that.¡± Romantica shrugged. ¡°I was only talking about you people who scorn themoners. You nobles who still fear them, even after more than 10 years since the Republic¡¯s destruction.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend like you actually understand. If you knew what really happened back then, on that day, you would never say that.¡± Da gazed at Romantica. No, he was looking through her, as if she were a window to the past. ¡°12 years ago, amoner student of Hebrion Academy struck the spark that lit the fire of revolution among themoners, and raised up an army of rebels to destroy the Kingdom. They called themselves the Republic.¡±


    Yes, the rebel leader had been a graduate of the greatest academy on the continent, Hebrion.


    The Republic grew rapidly, and their advance was merciless; they ravaged every ce they passed through.


    ¡°As the Republic and the Kingdom fought, the country became divided, and countless people were driven to ruin.¡± As he continued to speak, Da¡¯s tone became more aggravated. ¡°Even the nobles were no exception; many families fell during that time.¡±


    In the end, they were almost able to take the capital, where the great royal pce stood. But they defeated by the King¡¯s forces, putting an end to themoner uprising.


    Da clenched his fist, his voice now seething with rage. ¡°Most of the Hadun family, my parents included, died that day the Republic attacked the capital. Beheaded by the guillotine to the cheers of thousands. I still can¡¯t forget the look they gave me, their gazes remained locked to mine the entire time, until their heads were lopped off.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just me, you know.¡± Da¡¯s voice became calmer, and he looked Romantica in the eye. ¡°There are so many among the nobles will never forget. To this day, the dregs of the Republic still remain, which means we cannot trust themoners.¡±


    Romantica grimaced, as she finally glimpsed the depths of Da¡¯s hatred. ¡°You can¡¯t judge the whole based on the actions of a few. That''s just irrational.¡±


    Da narrowed his eyes at Romantica¡¯s words. ¡°Of course not all of themoners were part of the revolutionary army. But the revolutionary army wasprised solely ofmoners.¡±


    Romantica sighed, she realized there was no point in talking anymore. They were enemies now, and nothing she said was going to change that. ¡°Good, plenty of reason for us to be enemies. The nobles hate themoners, and themoners don¡¯t want to be discriminated against, that¡¯s all there is to it. We¡¯re trying to enter the Alpha ss, and you¡¯re trying to stop us.¡±


    The Alpha ss, nomoner had joined their ranks for thest 12 years. It had be a symbol of the nobility.


    Romantica rose from her seat. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for the day we meet in the Shadow World.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t make it.¡± Da¡¯s eyes shed menacingly. ¡°How couldmoners like you make it through the tournament? None of you will.¡±


    Romantica smirked. ¡°Really now? I wonder?¡±


    Shards of ss exploded across the room. Ajest watched indifferently as ck ink slowly spread over the floor. Professor Nifleka didn¡¯t bother hiding his anger. He crumpled the newspaper in his hands and threw it at the students in a rage; Ajest caught it as she was the closest.


    For the first time in 17 years, Beta ss students are in the top 30! On May 1st, these students will enter a ss 5 Shadow World to decide who amongst them is the strongest.


    As critics question the fairness of the Alpha and Beta division standards, the


    academy¡¯s board of directors refute¡­


    Public opinion in the Kingdom sways towards the Republic¡¯s ideals that the monarchy is a relic of the past. The academy entrancemittee in charge of the ss of the 46th year states that hasty judgments should not¡­


    ¡°These Beta ss trash dare to¡­!¡± The atmosphere in the Blue Moon party office felt heavy. The students standing in front of Professor Nifleka all stood frozen. Getting on his nerves would have dire consequences on their future in the academy. His anger towards the Beta ss students gave them all the more reason to be careful.


    There were nine students in total in the office, with Ajest at their head. Twelve students should have been present, as there were exactly twelve students among the 1st years who had joined the Blue Moon party. If it weren¡¯t for that nameless party from the Beta ss, they would have all made it through the tournament


    Professor Nifleka¡¯s rage would not subside. ¡°They would dare to mock the sanctity of the Alpha ss!¡±


    Nifleka mmed his fist down with all his might, and his desk shook as if it were about to break. Pugman Nifleka was the director of the Blue Moon party, the greatest and most famous party in Hebrion Academy. He expected nothing but perfection from the members of such a prestigious party, and this unexpected failure had focused his rage entirely onto one person.


    The student who had stolen a prospective Blue Moon party member from them. The same student who was in the Beta ss, but was aiming for the Alpha ss. The student who had stood out so much in the entrance exam.


    Professor Nifleka said the student¡¯s name, his voice oozing with bloodlust. ¡°Desir Arman!¡±


    Desir¡¯s name echoed throughout the room. Pugman was in a rage, his eyes were bloodshot, and veins pulsed on his neck. ¡°To think we have to take this humiliation from that b*tch because of him.¡±


    There was only one person in the entire academy who Pugman would call ¡®b*tch¡¯. Professor Brigitte Redwen, the target of his long-standing hatred.


    ¡°¡­¡± Ajest stared at Professor Nifleka indifferently. Even the director¡¯s rage was of no concern to her. In fact, this situation was to her benefit.


    Ajest focused on a single thing Nifleka had said. She whispered it to herself after tuning out the raging professor. ¡°Desir Arman¡­¡±


    A wave of heat swept across her body. Her heart began beating strongly, as if it were trying to break out of her chest. Ajest forcibly held still her shaking hands.


    She hadn¡¯t forgotten it even once. How could she? She still couldn¡¯t let go of the bitter taste of her first defeat. Desir Arman had won against her, and that fact had been engraved into her mind. The memory of her loss had at some point morphed into a burning desire to win. But Desir had been assigned to the Beta ss, and her hopes of a rematch had only grown further away. She¡¯d started to think she¡¯d never meet him again.


    ¡®Desir ising.¡¯ A light shed across her previously ice-cold eyes. He had returned to her. He had ovee all the odds and woulde fight her once more. ¡®I can finally fight against him again.¡¯


    While Ajest was lost in thought, Nifleka continued on. ¡°It¡¯s still fine. All that¡¯s left for us to do is to stop those insects from bing Single Rankers. Our Blue Moon party will henceforth use any method at our disposal to eliminate Desir Arman¡¯s party. Your final ranks don¡¯t matter, as long as they fail.¡±


    Nifleka wouldn¡¯t stop at mere threats. ¡°So, with that out of the way, let''s move on. Now that I think about it, we haven¡¯t chosen a leader yet.¡± Nifleka looked


    over the party for a moment. His eyes stopped on Ajest. ¡±You¡¯ve fought Desir before, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Ajest finally spoke, ¡°Yes.¡± The professor¡¯s question had dragged her back to reality.


    Nifleka¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Then you should more or less know how to deal with him already.¡±


    Ajest nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve thought of a few methods.¡±


    Ajest was someone who excelled in every field. When someone as skilled as her said she had a method to deal with Desir Arman, Nifleka¡¯s eyes shone with glee. ¡°Good, that¡¯s more than enough. Ajest Kingscrown, I appoint you as the leader of the Blue Moon party¡¯s 1st year group.¡±


    Selecting the group leader so hastily was shocking to the students present, but not a single one of them objected.


    Ajest Kingscrown: a Spellsword, a Pawn-rank knight, and a 3rd circle mage on top of that. Peerless in politics, history, and every other field; she was the subject of awe and admiration. It was only natural that nobody would doubt her abilities.


    Professor Nifleka looked upon Ajest with a smile. ¡°Do your utmost to eliminate Desir Arman¡¯s party.¡±


    His words clearly had a more insidious undertone, but Ajest Kingscrown was happy nheless. She would absolutely beat Desir this time around. The situation was simr to when she was with Elheim, but now Ajest Kingscrown¡¯s mindset waspletely different. She no longer thought of Desir as a weakling; instead, he had be someone she had to unquestionably defeat.


    He had be her rival.


    Desir spoke, smiling from ear to ear. ¡°First, I want to congratte both of you for a job well done. At this rate, we¡¯ll pass the final stage of the tournament with flying colors.¡±


    Still smiling, Desir dropped a small stack of books on the table, causing dust to fly everywhere. There were three books. An incident timeline, the structure of the Privius Clock Tower, and finally an analysis of the creation of the Republic in 1218. Each book wasrge and thick with pages.


    ¡°What is all this?¡± Romantica asked.


    Even though it was the lounge, it was still disrespectful to make such loud noises in a library. Pram raised a finger to his lips to shush her. Romantica flinched, but her stubborn nature wouldn¡¯t let her admit she was in the wrong, so she snorted in reply.


    Desir spoke, wearing his usual enigmatic smile. ¡°Starting today, we won¡¯t be training anymore.¡±


    Romantica and Pram went wide-eyed at Desir¡¯s words. This was the first time they¡¯d ever skipped training since the formation of their party. But of course, Desir had no intention of letting them rest. ¡°We¡¯re going to study history today.¡±


    ¡°Huuh? History?¡± Romantica frowned. She wasn¡¯t pleased. Not pleased at all. Suddenly studying history? ¡®What kind of stupid idea is this¡¯, she wondered.


    Desir chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s actually very important. It¡¯s because we need to learn the original history of the ss 5 Shadow World we¡¯re entering.¡±


    ss 5 Shadow Worlds always required proper nning.


    ss 7s had simple objectives, such as travelling from point A to point B or gathering objects.


    From ss 6 and onwards, the Shadow Worlds became fashioned after historical events and settings. For example, traveling with a knight, or guarding a caravan in a time period before the invention of modern vehicles, when trade relied upon such archaic methods of transportation. Understanding and preparing for the time period was one of the most crucial elements in clearing a Shadow World. ss 5 Shadow Worlds were all copies of certain historical events, most of them important enough to be recorded in the history books.


    Desir stroked his hand across the cover of the history book. ¡°By clearing a Shadow World, we can obtain magic crystals. This magic crystal contains all the information about the Shadow World ites from. The Shadow World being used in this promotion battle will be one such reproduction of an already cleared Shadow World.¡±


    Desir continued, ¡°That means the conditions can be controlled. Safeguards are an example of this.¡±


    Pram nodded his head in understanding. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the Shadow World we went through during the entrance exam.¡±

 Chapter 17 - The Returner’s Promotion Battle (3)

    <h4>Chapter 17 - The Returner¡¯s Promotion Battle (3)</h4>


    Desir continued. ¡°Even though we can manipte it in various ways, we can¡¯t change the fundamental properties of the Shadow World, such as its historical events or the clear objective. That¡¯s why we have to study history.¡± This was why the study of history in this world was so abnormally advanced, to the extent where there were specialized teams of historians dedicated only to studying the Shadow Worlds.


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is¡­¡± said Romantica, ¡°these books are references for the Shadow World of the promotion battle?¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± answered Desir.


    Romantica red at the disgustinglyrge pile of paper before her. She didn¡¯t know if she would be able to get through it all even if she pulled three back-to- back all-nighters. ¡°You¡¯re certain that this is relevant to our promotion battle?¡± Romantica¡¯s question was blunt, to the point.


    Desir responded calmly. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    Desir spoke sternly. ¡°No objections, Romantica.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Romantica threw her hands in the air in protest, but there was no way Desir would change his mind.


    ¡°These are the historical events that I feel are most likely to appear in the exam. If you don¡¯t agree with my methods, you can instead try reading every history book in this library.¡± It was a joke, but for Romantica it was no different than a threat. Desir watched sympathetically as Romantica cringed and shuddered.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t want to be this harsh, but¡­¡¯ Desir sighed. He had no other choice. After all, he couldn¡¯t exactly tell them that he came from the future and knew exactly which Shadow World would appear. Desir ordered them to get started. ¡°Read all the history books I picked out and write a short essay summarizing their events.¡±


    ¡°Aaaaargh!¡± Romantica slumped back on her chair, unable to prevent the cry of agony from escaping her lips.


    Romantica closed her eyes and whimpered. Then she focused, gathering unpleasant memories together and releasing it all with a breath. Desir was truly exceptional at tormenting people. This was no different than torture.


    ¡°That guy is definitely a sadist,¡± she muttered.


    Pram turned a page. He looked up from his book, which was already read halfway. ¡°He¡¯s doing this to help us.¡±


    ¡°Well, duh,¡± retorted Romantica. It was the fact that Desir was doing this for them that was annoying her. It made her not want to defy him. When she was with him, Romantica forgot that she was a noble, even though that was was the reason she had decided to stay with the team originally.


    Romantica leafed through a book, but couldn¡¯t process anything she read. It was impossible for her to study in this situation. She closed the book and looked around. Desir was focusing intensely on his book.


    Romantica leaned over and whispered softly so that Desir couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Pram.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±, he whispered back.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice that you¡¯ve been a bit more attached to Desir recently.¡± Her voice sounded slightly usatory.


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± Pram looked at her quizzically.


    Romantica narrowed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s weird, that¡¯s all. You two look so friendly now. Did you go and hang out without me?¡±


    Pram tried to avoid the subject. ¡°Ah, who knows? It wasn¡¯t really hanging out¡­¡±


    ¡°Where did you go without me? Wait, are you wearing different clothes? Did you two go out on a date or something?¡± teased Romantica.


    Pram flinched and turned to focus on his book. ¡°Hmm, so this happened in 1417. I should remember this.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t ignore me. I¡¯m on to you.¡± Romantica¡¯s tone was light as she yfully reached over to tickle Pram.


    Pram desperately tried not to make a sound, covering his mouth with hand while trying to wriggle out of the way. As they messed around, Pram¡¯s elbow identally bumped the desk and a precariously ced book fell on the floor loudly.


    ¡°Stop ying around and start studying.¡± Desir was stern as he spoke to his party members.


    ¡°Sorry, Mr. Desir.¡±


    ¡°Sorry~¡±


    Romantica bent down to pick up the book, but an elegant looking hand got to it first. As her eyes looked up, she traced the hand back to its owner. Once she saw who it was, she gasped in shock. Standing before her was a goddess of beauty with eyes cold enough to shatter ice. Her tinum blonde hair swayed gracefully by her waist.


    ¡°Ajest¡­ Kingscrown.¡± Romantica¡¯s eyes immediately fell upon the Blue Moon crest on Ajest¡¯s chest. The Blue Moon party. Their enemies.


    As Ajest looked around the room, Romantica spoke coldly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Ajest did not react to her at all. As if to say ¡®I have no interest in you,¡¯ she walked brusquely past Romantica and sat across the table from Desir. It was as if the only thing she was interested in was Desir Arman.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± She said, emotionless as always.


    Desir answered her with his usualckadaisical tone. ¡°So it has.¡±


    This was true-as the two had not met again since the entrance exam, this was their first encounter in two months. Two months. For some, this was a long time, whilst for others it was short. Regardless, it was long enough to decide one¡¯s affiliation.


    ¡°The Blue Moon party. You chose well. It¡¯s very fitting for you.¡±plimented Desir.


    ¡°What¡¯s fitting?¡± Ajest responded with doubt.


    ¡°That you and the party both stand at the top.¡± Desir had nothing but praise for Ajest.


    ¡°Not anymore, unfortunately.¡± Ajest paused for a moment before borating, ¡°After all, you¡¯re here, Desir Arman.¡± Desir put his book down and rested his chin on his hand. Ajest¡¯s implication was clear: You brought me down.


    ¡°I heard you passed the tournament.¡± Her voice contained a tinge of excitement, something unusual for Ajest.


    ¡°We did. We were lucky,¡± said Desir.


    Ajest was dissatisfied with his answer. ¡°You can hardly say that you were lucky when your specialty is analysis. Well, no matter.¡±


    By passing the tournament, Desir¡¯s party moved into the top 30 of Hebrion Academy, which meant that they had earned the right to participate in the promotion battle.


    ¡°So when we next meet¡­¡± Desir¡¯s question was abruptly cut short by Ajest. ¡°It will be on the battlefield. In the Shadow World.¡±


    Desir followed Ajest¡¯s train of thought. He was certain what wasing next. There was only one reason for Ajest to visit them. ¡°Have youe to dere war?¡±


    Ajest was silent, as if she was at a loss for words after having her intent clearly read. ¡°That¡¯s your personality right? Paying respects to your opponents and dering war before the battle?¡±


    Ajest met Desir¡¯s eyes. The two stared at each other intensely, trying to fathom each other¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°You¡¯ve recognized me as your rival,¡± Desir stated. He was confident this was the case.


    Desir got her, but Ajest couldn¡¯t read anything from Desir¡¯s eyes. It had been like that from the start. His smiling face was so strangely serene, without a hint of uncertainty. Reading his thoughts was impossible. It was the expression of an experienced politician.


    ¡°You know me too well, Desir Arman,¡± Ajest relented. ¡°It is as you say. I think of you as my rival.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡±


    ¡°To disregard you before was my error. A misjudgment. I apologize for that,¡± Ajest bowed her head, her voice steeled with resolve. As she looked back up, her bright tinum blonde hair swayed. She was truly beautiful enough to make one speechless. Her elegant, delicate appearance was more bing of a charming princess than a battleworn knight.


    But she was indeed a knight, and a wless one at that. From her perpetually restrained attitude and speech to her abnormally incredible talent.


    ¡°Still, I have no intention of losing to you. I¡¯ll use all my strength to defeat you. That is all.¡± A slight tremor in her voice betrayed herpetitive spirit. Her drive to win against others, to rise up while breaking her enemies apart. That was the driving force behind her growth, her strength.


    Acknowledging her feelings, Desir secretly felt happy. ¡®Things are going ording to n.¡¯


    He had been nning it from the start. In the entrance exam, he¡¯d revealed much more of his strength than necessary. He had defeated Ajest Kingscrown, the clear favorite, in an overwhelming fashion. He could say that he¡¯d done it in


    an attempt to enter the Alpha ss, but Desir had already known that, as amoner, he would be assigned to the Beta ss.


    No-the main reason was Ajest Kingscrown. By defeating her, his n was to make himself her target. The mighty spellsword. The woman standing at the top in the Shadow Labyrinth. Desir would dly be her rival if it meant that she would be stronger. No, she absolutely had to. ¡®Because you¡¯re the key to clearing the Shadow Labyrinth.¡¯


    Desir¡¯s eyes were looking far into the future, as always. Looking at the big picture. This woman was the shining ray of hope in Desir¡¯s ns. ¡°I look forward to an honorable duel, Ajest Kingscrown.¡±


    The cheers were so loud that they could have blown apart the main building of Hebrion Academy. There was a magic-strengthened metal frame supporting a gigantic panel that covered the ceiling. The panel shone down on the main building, over 10,000 spectators, around 200 professors and supervisors, and the 30 participants of the promotion battle.


    Spectator seating wrapped around the Shadow Gate like a coliseum. The interior of the building was no different than an arena. This was intentional, as the interior was recently remodelled to resemble an arena for this special day.


    Many kinds of people gathered in the audience. Aside from the expected students and professors, there were many visitors from all over the world. Ticket prices were expensive, but just the name of Hebrion Academy¡¯s promotion battle was enough to sell out the seats.


    It was a highly entertaining spectacle after all. In the safety of the modified Shadow World, boys and girls would kill and be killed in order to move up in the ranks. Additionally, these were the top students of Hebrion Academy. They would surely disy skills worthy of the greatest school in the world. Spectators were looking forward to a high-level battle. The promotion battle was one of the biggest money makers for Hebrion Academy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over our roles,¡± Desir turned to Romantica first, ¡°Romantica, you¡¯re our sniper. Use detection magic from long range and take out enemies one by one.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure if sniping will work on Alpha ss students,¡± she answered nervously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That¡¯s why we practiced, right?¡± Desir gave her clear instructions and helped her calm down. ¡°Take as long as you need when using detection magic, but as soon as you locate an enemy, immediately cast your sniping magic. Even if they¡¯re Alpha ss, they¡¯ll go down if they can¡¯t react fast enough.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but I still have a problem.¡± Romantica said. ¡°This is my first time using long-range sniping magic. I don¡¯t know how much power to use.¡±


    Desir smiled, he had already expected her to get cold feet. ¡°Remember the ball you practiced with? It was about as tough as a person¡¯s head.¡±


    Romantica¡¯s eyes widened. She had spent countless hours getting ustomed to the level of power required to destroy those balls with her ranged attacks. ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why¡­¡±


    Desir already had this in mind. He¡¯d been set on her role from the beginning.

 Chapter 18 - The Returner’s Promotion Battle (4)

    <h4>Chapter 18 - The Returner¡¯s Promotion Battle (4)</h4>


    Desir walked past Romantica and headed towards Pram.


    ¡°What¡¯s my role, Mr. Desir?¡± asked Pram, with an oddly expectant light in his eyes.


    Desir paused as he said, ¡°Pram, the role I¡¯d like you to take is¡­¡®damage dealer.¡¯ But to better fit our partyposition, let¡¯s call your role ¡®half-damage¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Half-damage¡­¡± Pram repeated, as if trying to engrave the words into his memory.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to protect us. We¡¯re mages, so we¡¯re very vulnerable to melee attacks. Your role as our sole melee attacker is very important.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Pram eximed, as he saluted yfully.


    Desir couldn¡¯t help but smile, seeing how insanely cute he was, and Pram smiled back at him.


    Romantica piped up as she observed the exchange. ¡°Desir, what will your role be?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. My role is¡­¡®anti-mage.¡¯ Well, to put it simply¡­¡± He paused, as he pondered his choice of words, before finally speaking, ¡°A ymaker, I guess?¡±


    It was time. An announcement red out.


    | The Shadow Gate is opening. Students, please proceed into the Shadow Gate.


    Desir took a step forward. The Shadow Gate bulged outward, enveloping him in a blinding light. He closed his eyes reflexively.


    When they opened again, the scenery had changedpletely. Birds chirped noisily around him, and a gentle, soothing fall scent drifted up from the fallen leaves crumpled underfoot. The location was a forest, and the time was 11 AM. Desir took a deep breath as another announcement sounded out.


    [Objective: Locate the enemy¡¯s base.]


    [Failure condition (an unknown input has been entered): Participants in this world cannot die. Upon taking lethal damage, the failure condition will be met, and you will be ejected from the Shadow World.]


    | You are a soldier. You have received information on the location of the hostile forces¡¯ base. As a soldier of the allied forces, you must find the hostile forces¡¯ base. Pain limit is reduced to 20%.


    He looked around, but couldn¡¯t see either Pram or Romantica. As expected, the 30 participants had all started in different, randomized locations.


    ¡°Lucky for me.¡±


    Desir sensed the flow of magic power behind him simultaneous to the sneering voice. He ducked, as an Ice Bolt flew over his head and stabbed deep into a tree with a thunderous crack, chilling the air around him. He turned to see a girl, around the same age as himself, smiling maliciously.


    ¡°Lucky I found you so quickly, that is.¡±


    Desir arched an eyebrow in response. ¡°Was I that famous?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not in a good way.¡± A pulse of magical energy radiated from her as forms appeared in front of her. In response, Desir began casting his own spell.


    ¡°I¡¯m Desir Arman, party nameless,¡± he said, almost casually.


    ¡°Lapras. Blue Moon party.¡±


    Their spells shot forward simultaneously.


    [The throne of ice sinks into a freezing cold.] [Ice st!]


    Lapras¡¯s spell was Ice st, a higher tiered version of Ice Bolt. It was a spell produced by encasing an Ice Bolt in an orb of ice, before shattering the orb and releasing the bolt again.


    The orb shot towards Desir, leaving forsty air in its wake.


    [The road of me burns stronger than any other.] [Fire Road.]


    Fire Road. A 1st circle me spell that shot a ray of condensed heat. Desir had expertly predicted the trajectory of the Ice st, and released the Fire Road directly into its path.


    But Lapras wasn''t done yet.


    [Aqua Wave!]


    A stream of water shot up, rising nearly 2 meters into the air before washing over the Ice st. With a dull sputtering and a burst of steam, the Fire Road disappeared as it struck the water. At the same time, what remained of the water froze from the bitter cold of the Ice st, forming a pir of gleaming ice that held the orb in ce.


    Desir looked at Lapras, who smirked as she looked back.


    With a horrible crinkling, the ice pir shattered like a sheet of ss as the Ice Bolt encased within the Ice st exploded outward. Shards of ice sprayed wildly in all directions, shredding everything they touched.


    Several shards tore into Desir, and he staggered under the weight of the impact.


    Without hesitation, Lapras continued her assault. Countless ice fragments slicing through the air froze in ce, as if time itself had been suspended. Then, in synchrony, they gathered around Desir, surrounding him in a whirlwind of ice knives.


    A terrifying rending roared through the air as magnificent, ancient trees were reduced to sawdust in an instant. Around him, birds flew into the sky in panic.


    Dust kicked into the air, before being blown away by the intense force. From outside this trap of ice, Lapras looked on triumphantly. Her voice carried confidence in every word. ¡°Anyst words?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, not a bad idea,¡± replied Desirckadaisically, as if he were a professor lecturing a student.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Lapras snorted at his response. She raised one hand slowly into the air and squeezed it into a fist.


    The whirlwind of ice began closing in on Desir. For an instant, he felt a slight tugging as the shards of ice reached his coat, before being freed again as the edges of his coat were instantly disintegrated, disappearing without a trace.


    ¡°You just had a bad matchup,¡± continued Desir, seemingly undeterred. He spread his hands. The ice shards that were inches from tearing him into pieces stopped and began gathering in front of Desir.


    Lapras¡¯ eyes widened in shock as she watched each of those thousands of tiny fragments fall out of her control, and gather in front of Desir, like iron dust pulled by a ma, until a single, perfect ball of ice floated in front of him. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± she sputtered.


    ¡°Watch and learn.¡± Calmly, Desir raised his right hand, letting the fist sized orb hover inches above his palm. Without hesitation, he grabbed it and threw it at Lapras.


    The orb flew across the air before it split apart into an incredible number of Ice Bolts flinging in every direction. It was the most powerful ice projectile spell in existence: Ice Orb.


    Before Lapras could react, dozens of Ice Bolts burst into existence and impaled her all over her body.


    ¡°KUUAAAA-!¡± She shrieked in pain as her body was struck again and again -


    And then, as the fifth Ice Bolt struck, the screaming stopped as she disappeared and her body fell to a pile of ash.


    | A contestant has been eliminated. 29 contestants remain.


    Romantica felt her mana surge as she created the form.


    [The wind lies in my embrace, bes the eyes and ears of the hawk as it hunts its prey on the ground.]


    A detection spell form formed in front of her. It was a 2nd circle spell, but, depending on how much she wanted to boost the range, the mana consumption could rise to that of a 3rd circle spell. Since the moment Romantica had entered the Shadow World, she had been casting this detection spell without regard for her mana.


    [Detect.]


    A heavy wind radiated from Romantica¡¯s position, and everything the wind felt was transmitted to Romantica; trees, rocks, and, most importantly, living creatures. She could sense five people within 1 kilometer so far.


    The spell hadn¡¯t even beenpleted, but Romantica didn¡¯t hesitate in the slightest as she instantly shot a Wind Bullet at the nearest target.


    Chantless, ultra long-range sniping. There was almost no dy between the detection and the shot. She hadn¡¯t liked it at first, but the chantless magic Desir had taught her to use was definitely bearing fruit.


    The bullet tore through the air. She had little problem controlling the power; after all, the ball she¡¯d been training with this whole time had been around the same strength as a human head, so all she had to do was match that same level of power.


    She heard the slightest thump, before an announcement sounded.


    | A contestant has been eliminated. 26 contestants remain.


    ¡°Okay, that wasn''t him,¡± she vocalized, before preparing to cast her detection magic again.


    ¡°Is the search for Mr. Desir going well?¡± interrupted Pram, who stuck tightly to Romantica. Fortunately for the two of them, Romantica and Pram had ended up with fairly close starting locations. Romantica had found Pram the first time she¡¯d cast her detection magic, and now, there was only one member of their party left to find.


    ¡°Not yet. But we¡¯ll find him soon,¡± assured Romantica. Once again, the heavy wind spread from Romantica, transmitting what it felt back. There were four living creatures, in total, within range. She raised her hand and a bullet formed in front of her. Once again, she fired and began counting down the seconds until the inevitable. ¡°3¡­2¡­1.¡±


    She waited for a moment, but the expected announcement never came. Instead, she felt the bullet slip out of her control before dissipating into a light breeze that blew back past her cheek. Romantica grinned as she spoke. ¡°Found him.¡±


    ¡°Found what?¡± called an unexpected voice from behind the pair. They whipped around to see a two man group,prised of a swordsman and a mage. ¡°You¡¯re broadcasting your own location by flinging around detection magic like that, you know,¡± said the mage, haughtily.


    Romantica smirked at the mage¡¯s mocking attitude. ¡°Even if you know¡­¡±


    ¡°I wonder why you¡¯re so sure you can take us down,¡± finished Pram, as he drew his rapier.


    ¡°Stop spouting bull¡­¡± the swordsman started. He had just grabbed the handle of his de as he spoke, but before he could finish his word, Pram had already closed the distance. In an instant, the rapier pierced through the swordsman¡¯s heart. ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    Simultaneously, Romantica fired a bullet at the totally unprepared mage standing behind him. It was perfect coordination. Both bodies vanished into a pile of white dust.


    | 2 contestants have been eliminated. 24 contestants remain.


    ¡°Now then, should we go find our stupid party leader?¡± Romantica asked rhetorically as she stretched her shoulders.


    Dark clouds rolled across the sky as an ominous rumbling rang out through the air. The light breeze from before had quickly grown into a powerful gale, and the temperature had begun plummeting rapidly. Rain was all but inevitable.


    ¡°I took out two people by myself,¡± Romantica preened as she looked at Desir with a smug expression on her face, her arms folded across her chest.


    Desir smiled and patted her head. ¡°Looks like you haven¡¯t been cking off on your practice.¡±


    Romantica looked up at Desir, annoyed. ¡°Wa-wait! Don¡¯t touch someone¡¯s head without getting permission!¡±


    Desir hurriedly retracted his hand. He had pet her head without thinking because of how cute she looked, but wisely withdrew.


    ¡°Mr. Desir!¡± Out of nowhere, Pram slipped in between Romantica and Desir like a ghost. ¡°I took out someone too!¡± He quickly moved Desir¡¯s hand on top of his own head, and stood quietly, patiently waiting.


    Romantica looked at them as if she were annoyed, and turned away.


    ¡°Stupid Desir.¡±

 Chapter 19 - The Returner’s Promotion Battle (5)

    <h4>Chapter 19 - The Returner¡¯s Promotion Battle (5)</h4>


    In any case, they managed to aplish their first goal¡ªget the party together. Unfortunately, they had been fighting the entire time, and were exhausted. After casting detection magic constantly, Romantica was looking much worse for wear. Desir motioned towards a tree stump and spoke. ¡°For now, let¡¯s rest.¡± The party cleared out the fallen leaves and sat down.


    After sitting down, each of them opened up the packets supplied by the academy¡ªinside were two energy bars and a bottle of water. Desir took out an energy bar and started eating. He grimaced in response to the taste, but it was no time to be picky.


    His eyes wandered over to Romantica. She went through her energy bar slowly, melting it in her mouth. The girl who always grumbled about hard food was nowhere to be found. Pram also noticed this sudden change and stopped eating.


    Romantica, noticing their stares, stopped eating in embarrassment. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Are you alright, Miss Romantica?¡± questioned Pram.


    ¡°Mm? What are you talking about?¡±


    Desir had a knowing smile on his face. ¡°Looks like you¡¯repletely used to it now. There shouldn¡¯t be any problems even if we leave you in the Beta ss now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± eximed Romantica. She threw her food packet at Desir.


    Desir deftly caught the packet, and buried the remainder of the party¡¯s packets to hide their tracks. After they finished eating, they enjoyed their momentary


    break before returning back to reality. Desir grabbed a stick and took this opportunity to exin his ns:


    ¡°There are two ways for us to enter the Alpha ss. First, we are among thest 9 survivors. Second, we clear the Shadow World¡¯s quest and take 1st ce.¡±


    As Desir exined their goals, the wind bit into their skin and the drizzle coated the ins. Romantica, intently listening, offered her own rebuttal. ¡°But you said the second way was impossible.¡±


    Desir quietly drew 30 lines on the ground, before crossing out 4 of them. ¡°Correct. With our power, it would be difficult to do so whilst taking attacks from the other parties at the same time. It really is impossible,¡± exined Desir. Pram and Romantica nodded in response. ¡°But¡­ think of what our objectives are. Our objective isn¡¯t 1st ce, but 9th ce or higher. So our most important objective is to eliminate thepetition.¡± Desir crossed out more lines on the ground, one by one. ¡°24 people remain. As each party is working on the quest, they will undoubtedly get into fights with each other. If we take that opportunity to eliminate 15 people, it won¡¯t be that difficult to enter the top 9.¡±


    The stick stopped drawing, and 9 lines remained on the ground. Desir circled 3 of them. ¡°If we think about it like this, our goal isn¡¯t as hard as it seems.¡±


    Pram nodded in agreement. ¡°I see¡ªso that¡¯s the n.¡±


    A torrent of rain washed over thend. The sound of raindrops pattered against the leaves and resounded across the entire forest. Their party was truly lucky¡ª they¡¯d found a ce to rest where they could avoid most of the rain.


    Unfortunately, that was where their luck ended.


    A clear bell rang out and the party all turned towards the northeast simultaneously. The peals could be heard over the rain. ¡°Romantica, what time is it?¡± asked Desir.


    ¡°1 o¡¯clock,¡± responded Romantica.


    It was starting. An announcement yed in Desir¡¯s ears.


    | The time hase to test your knowledge. The Privius Clock Tower has been


    activated¡ªit creates a demon once every hour.


    | The clock strikes 1, and the sin of cunning crawls out from the depths of hell.


    The Killdra Mouse has been summoned.


    | The quest has begun.


    [Survival: Demons live in the forest. Survive and defeat the demons.]


    ¡°Kiaaaaaaaak-!¡± A sharp cry rang out, followed by dozens of simr screams in response. The first cry alone would make anybody¡¯s heart palpitate and shoot right out of their chest, but the chorus of monsters would make a person¡¯s heart stop.


    ¡°Everyone, get back.¡± Desir ordered the team and hesitantly rose up. The leaf- covered dirt shifted, thumping up from the ground. It looked like the spirits in the dirt were dancing with the raindrops.


    ¡°Eugh, the smell!¡± Romanticained as she pinched her nose. She¡¯d smelled this before¡ªthe smell of rotten meat and blood, pungent enough to paralyze a person¡¯s sense of smell. She tried to recall the smell. It was definitely when they were cleaning the training ground¡­ A shiver ran down her spine. ¡°By the first demon, they can¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Squeak-!¡± A red blur burst out of the rumbling dirt.


    Romantica held her shaking hands together and screamed. ¡°Rats!¡±


    It was a rat with jagged teeth, covered with red flesh. It looked as if a child had molded it out of y. The slow contractions of its stomach matched its


    heartbeat. An exoskeleton covered its entire body, starting from the two horns sprouting on its forehead. ¡®Demon¡¯ was the only word Romantica could muster to describe the creature.


    | Your prior knowledge has revealed the identity of this monster. Killdra Mouse. 2-star demon. This monstermands countless rats, consuming human flesh.


    After determining a target, it never gives up on its prey.


    ¡°Squeaaaaak-!¡± The Killdra Mouse cried out, and its ear-splitting scream reverberated across the forest. Tremors broke out yet again, the ground bursting at the seams trying to contain the pressure. The bulging ground exploded, and ck creatures emerged from the dark crevasse.


    Rats. Thousands of rats swarmed out from the hole, and they squirmed and scurried like one massive organism.


    Romantica¡¯s face was pale, and she was frozen in ce. Her breathing became heavy, and she had no idea what to do. Desir pulled sharply on Romantica¡¯s arm, and turned around to run away. The tidal wave of rats crashed in the direction of their party.


    The squealing rats¡¯ cries pounded against Romantica¡¯s eardrums. She trembled in terror. ¡°I¡¯m going crazy. I¡¯m going crazy. I¡¯m going to go crazy!¡± If she got swept up by these rats, she might really go insane.


    They kept running, but the gue of rats were incredibly fast. If they slowed down for even a second, the slew of rats would consume them.


    ¡°Huk¡­huk!¡± The wind bit at their skin, and the crunch of the leaves rang with each step. Trees flew in and out of their peripheral vision as they desperately tried to get away. With each tree that they passed, a booming sound rang out behind them. If they looked back, they could see the tree ground into dust by the ck swarm.


    [Blow Wind!]


    Romantica flung a spell at the mess of rats, but it had very little effect. For every rat blown away by the spell, a dozen rats came to take their ce. The current situation was extremely bad for the three of them. The ground was slippery, and the densely packed trees made getting away several times more difficult. The group was losing their breath, and growing more exhausted with each passing second. On the other hand, the rats continued barrelling down on them, with no sign of stopping.


    ¡°We¡¯re blocked off!¡± said Pram. An enormous tree appeared their path, fallen on its side. Fragments of ice glittered on its stump. Desir immediately recognized this tree.


    ¡®The tree that fell during my fight with Lapras. Of all times, why now!¡¯ Desir estimated it to be 1 meter tall. Pram didn¡¯t hesitate, vaulting over the tree andnding lightly on the other side. The problem was Desir and Romantica, who were mages. Desir let go of Romantica¡¯s hand¡ªit would only impede their movement. They had to run as fast as possible to make it past.


    ¡°3¡­ 2¡­¡± Each second was precious. They sprinted to the foot of the tree and Desir contracted his leg muscles with all of his strength.


    ¡°1¡­now!¡± Desir kicked off the ground, and flew in the air until hended on the other side. Looking to his side, Romanticanded face-first in a puddle. She¡¯d caught her leg on the tree as she jumped. Thest hint of reason fell away as Romantica felt an imminent sense of foreboding looming over her. With a thunderous m, the giant tree exploded into pieces, as the wave of rats rushed forward. The party was barely three steps ahead of the rats.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get caught!¡± Romantica shrieked.


    Desir had to quicklye up with a solution. ¡°It¡¯ll be over if we kill the Killdra Mouse!¡±


    ¡°And where¡¯s that!¡± shouted Romantica.


    ¡°In the swarm of rats!¡± said Desir.


    ¡°You idiot! How are you going to kill a rat in THAT?¡± retorted Romantica.


    The monster¡¯s main body¡ªit was definitely possible to find it in the swarm. It had an unusual form, so they would be able to tell the Killdra Mouse apart from the other rats. Unfortunately, because it was buried in the wave, it was impossible to aim an attack at the main body alone.


    ¡®But what if we can draw the Killdra Mouse out?¡¯


    The squirming rodents were nipping at their heels, and there was no time left to run. There were even rats scrambling over the backs of the swarm to make headway for fresh meat. Some of the rats climbed onto the party¡¯s shoulders and began gnawing into their skin.


    They was no time. Desir breathed out deeply. ¡®I have to draw the Killdra Mouse out from the swarm.¡¯ He¡¯d use it. The reason the monster was chasing them. Just before the rat wave reached them, Desir bit down on his thumb, and blood spurted out of his finger. Immediately, he thrust out his finger and a stream of blood flew across the air.


    A figure rocketed out of the wave, careening at the glistening red liquid¡ªa red rat, covered in a ck exoskeleton.

 Chapter 20 - The Returner’s Promotion Battle (6)

    <h4>Chapter 20 - The Returner¡¯s Promotion Battle (6)</h4>


    The Killdra Mouse leaped into the air with its mouth wide open, trying not to miss even a drop of Desir¡¯s blood.


    [Wind Bullet.]


    Romantica seized the opportunity. Wordlessly, she quickly formed a Wind Bullet and shot it straight into the mouse¡¯s belly. Arge crack sounded¡ªbut there was something off about the sound.


    The exoskeleton covering the rat¡¯s body had definitely broken, but the mouse hadn¡¯t died. Either the exoskeleton was stronger than she¡¯d thought, or her nerves had broken her concentration. Either way, the n had failed. The Killdra Mouse fell back down and retreated into the torrent of rats. It was impossible to get to it now.


    Suddenly, Pram sped past Romantica.


    ¡°Pram!?¡±


    Faster than Romantica or Desir could react, Pram dove into the rolling mass of rats, and thousands of rodents immediately began ravaging Pram¡¯s skin. But it wasn''t enough to break Pram¡¯s concentration.


    The Killdra Mouse couldn¡¯t pass up the smell of blood. It moved quickly through the swarm. With his keen eyesight, Pram spotted the demon as it made its way towards him. ¡°Haap!¡± He stabbed at it, his sword splitting the wave of rats like a beam.


    ¡°Squeeee¡­ eeeeak.¡± A silver light pierced through the dark mass of rodents. The grotesque sound of skewered flesh echoed out. The Killdra Mouse, pierced by Pram¡¯s rapier, shivered and went limp. The rodent swarm, which had


    previously operated like a well-oiled machine, suddenly devolved into an incoherent mess. ¡°Squeak? Squeeeak?¡±


    As if they¡¯d just woken from a dream, the rats looked around for a moment, dazed. But when their eyesnded on the gigantic humans next to them, they scattered back into the forest like a retreating tide.


    | Survival questplete. You have defeated the Killdra Mouse. Survival


    sess.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Pram breathed out and copsed on the spot.


    Desir flicked away the remaining rats mbering on Pram¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Good job, Pram.¡±


    ¡°This much¡­ is nothing.¡±


    Everything had returned to normal, as if nothing had even happened. The ear- splitting sound of rats was nowhere to be heard. The rain, indifferent to the fierce battle that had just taken ce, poured relentlessly on their faces and bodies.


    ¡°Cold.¡± Romantica muttered, her entire body soaked to the bone. She looked like a soggy rat.


    Desir smiled, and pointed northwest. ¡°It should be a bit better over there.¡± The thunder rumbled, and the clock tower, far to the northwest, cast a long shadow on the ground.


    | The quest objective has been revealed. You already possess knowledge of this


    ce. The quest description has been altered to ount for this.


    | The Privius Clock Tower is arge-scale magic device containing the highest level of dark magic. Each hour, it will summon a demon that can summon other demons. The summoned demons will each have unique characteristics depending on when they are summoned.


    | The final quest has been revealed.


    [Quest objective: Stop the clock tower.]


    | At the top of the clock tower lies the clock¡¯s power source. Destroy the power


    source, and the clock tower will stop.


    The sharp ring of a sword sh rang out, and the frozen Killdra Mouse shattered into pieces. Blood and meat danced together in a macabre waltz as its corpse fell to the ground. Ajest, cold and indifferent, flicked the blood off her sword.


    | You have defeated the Killdra Mouse. Survival sess.


    The rats had been surrounding the Blue Moon party, pushing in from all sides. But after the boss rodent perished, they stopped in their tracks, and soon scattered; their cowardly natures restored themselves after being freed from the control of the Killdra Mouse.


    ¡°We¡¯re alive!¡± ¡°We won!¡± Excited cheers rang out from the group.


    Ajest looked around. There had been ten party members, including herself. That number had been reduced to eight. ¡®Two eliminated.¡¯


    Overall, out of the 30 participants in this quest, over 10 had been eliminated¡ª more than a third. The Blue Moon party had put up a decent fight¡­ but Ajest¡¯s mood had soured, though nobody noticed the change in her emotions because of her indifferent expression.


    Percival walked toward Ajest. ¡°We have the lead now. Almost half of the 18 survivors are in our party.¡± Mathematically, the remaining survivors could only be small parties of three to five people. ¡°Once we take care of the other parties, we¡¯re guaranteed to rank first.¡±


    The rain was still falling. The water soaked their bodies, washing away the sweat. It was a refreshing feeling after their long fight against the rats. Ajest¡¯s silver hair blew in the wind. It was a weak north wind, blowing in with the rain. One couldn¡¯t even feel it without paying attention.


    At that moment, Ajest¡¯s eyes shed open.


    [Telbricsa¡¯s shield of ice protect us.]


    Magic forms formed in front of Ajest at an incredible speed. Within a matter of seconds, a transparent pir of ice emerged in front of Percival. As soon as it reached full height, the ice pir shattered and fell over.


    ¡°Wha, what was that just now?¡± Percival¡¯s voice shook.


    ¡°Sniper.¡± There was no trace of any emotion in her voice, but Ajest also felt some shock. It was because there was barely any gap between the detection magic¡ªthe wind¡ªand the snipe. If she hadn¡¯t noticed the detection magic, Percival would have been eliminated right there.


    ¡®There shouldn¡¯t be any mages here capable of casting this quickly¡­¡¯ More urately, there was nobody with that level of skill among the freshmen, herself excluded. Regardless of her expectations, the important thing was that a high-level wind mage was targeting them. And no matter how skilled her Alpha ss teammates were, a sniper of this level was incredibly dangerous. Ajest


    manded the party members standing behind her. ¡°Enemy. Tankers in front. Wind mages, disrupt the air currents.¡±


    Her team moved into the defensive formation, following Ajest¡¯s orders. The tankers stood in front, shields out. The mages stood behind them, disrupting the air and preparing to counterattack.


    ¡­But no more attacks came. The enemy had likely realized that sniping was pointless without the element of surprise. So Ajest¡¯s party kept waiting, but to no avail.


    ¡°Leader? They¡¯re not sniping us¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold formation.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t release the formation just because the enemy had stopped sniping. The sniper would blow away their heads if the Blue Moon party lowered their guard for even a second.


    ¡°Do not rx. Advance north.¡± Ajest pointed in the direction the bullet hade from.


    ¡°Mages capable of casting detection spells, cast them every 100 meters.¡±


    The Blue Moon party advanced, their nerves stretched tight. The rain fell, the wind howled. For the vulnerable party, the weather conditions couldn¡¯t be any worse.


    Ajest bit her lip. ¡®I¡¯ve failed.¡¯


    From the third floor of the clock tower, Romantica looked out the window at the forest below, eyes furrowed in frustration. Desir stood next to her. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t expect the snipe to work as long as Ajest was there.¡±


    ¡°What? You told me to snipe them knowing it wouldn¡¯t work?¡± Romantica scowled and puffed up her cheeks.


    ¡°Yes. To tell them that we have a sniper on our side. They¡¯ll have to spend every moment looking out for a snipe as they move, and they¡¯ll have to constantly use detection magic to prepare for it. That alone should be a huge mental burden for them.¡±


    Romantica released the air from her cheeks, but she still wasn''t convinced. ¡°Since the snipe failed, they¡¯ve found our location.¡±


    ¡°And that is the core of the n.¡±


    Romantica raised an eyebrow. ¡°What?¡±


    Desir spoke again. ¡°Snipe every party, not just the Blue Moon party. Let them know our location.¡±


    Romantica¡¯s shrill voice berated him. ¡°Did you hit your head?¡± Desir smiled in response.


    Their objective was to lower the number of survivors below ten, whatever it took. Of course, since the Blue Moon party held the majority, it was impossible to avoid an eventual conflict with them. There was no way his group could win against the Blue Moon party in a direct confrontation. ¡°But a melee¡¯s a different story.¡±


    ¡°A melee?¡±


    ¡°We make every party fight at the same time, right here, in this clock tower.¡±


    That was the best option for their party, considering their small number. ¡°Right now, the Blue Moon party has an absolute advantage. But what would happen if every party gathers here? There¡¯s no way the other survivors will fight each other when there¡¯s such a powerful group sitting right there. They¡¯ll team up against the overwhelming enemy.¡±


    Desir paused to breathe, then continued. ¡°When that melee happens, we¡¯ll bnce them out. We¡¯ll take out any enemies if we have the chance. If we see one side winning, we¡¯ll tip the scales toward the other side. We¡¯ll slowly reduce the number of survivors down to nine.¡±


    ¡°In other words, we make them work for us,¡± Pram concluded.


    ¡°How scummy of you, Desir.¡±


    Desir raised an eyebrow at Romantica¡¯s insult, and spoke with a smirk. ¡°What matters is that we win, right?¡±


    Pram folded his arms. ¡°But if we use that strategy, it¡¯ll be so unfair for the other parties. Aftering all the way here while defending themselves at the same time, they¡¯ll be stuck in a huge melee. It¡¯ll truly be hell for them.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be heaven for us?¡± A peculiar twinkle shed in Desir¡¯s eyes.


    Romantica shivered. He was a master at tormenting others. A demon in human form.


    Desir pped his hands. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just the way it is. Our job right now is simple: keep sniping every party to tell them our location. Tell them their enemies are right here, in this clock tower.¡±


    Romantica moved to the window. She spoke as she cast her detection magic silently. ¡°I don¡¯t know if they¡¯lle even if I keep shooting them like this.¡±


    ¡°What other choice do they have? This ce is the quest objective.¡±


    After all, everyone had toe to Privius Clock Tower to clear the quest. Desir¡¯s party was simply reminding them of that fact, with bullets instead of words.


    ¡°Now, let the mud fight begin.¡± Desir pped.


    The sound of a bullet was lost in the wind.

 Chapter 21 - Showdown (1)

    <h4>Chapter 21 - Showdown (1)</h4>


    | The final quest has been revealed.


    [Quest objective: Stop the clock tower.]


    | At the top of the clock tower lies the power source of the clock. Destroy the


    power source, and the clock tower will stop.


    The door creaked behind them as the Blue Moon party entered the clock tower. To their surprise, what greeted them was no sound of ticking gears, or multitude of traps set for intruders.


    Instead, six survivors stood in a loose semi-circle, chattering furiously amongst themselves. But as they saw Ajest cross into the tower, the tense conversation rapidly ceased. A silence fell over the tower as all eyes were turned towards her.


    Ajest looked around carefully. ¡°2 eliminated,¡± she said softly, to nobody in particr. There were 16 remaining survivors; of them 13 were standing here. However, it was also clear that the wind mage wasn¡¯t among the 13. Ajest was now certain that the sniper belonged to Desir¡¯s party.


    A soft breeze blew through the room, momentarily interrupting the mounting tension. Before the Blue Moon party had entered, the other two, more medium sized parties, had been sizing each other up. They had simr strength and simr numbers; consequently, it would hardly have been strange if a fight broke out right then and there.


    However, the appearance of the Blue Moon party considerably changed the situation. The Blue Moon party had the most survivors; the other parties¡¯


    leaders weren¡¯t idiots, and it was bluntly obvious that, as smaller parties, infighting amongst themselves would only be detrimental.


    The two parties exchanged nervous nces. Then, without a word, they moved in unison to block the Blue Moon party¡¯s path.


    ¡°All members, form ranks.¡± Ajest¡¯s dispassionate voice rang out, and the party moved in unison. 3 tankers moved to the front immediately; behind them stood 2 knights with their swords drawn and ready. A lone mage stood at the back, and magic forms quickly filled the air in front of them. Their matching uniforms and neat, crisp movements gave them a near-overwhelming presence.


    But the other survivors had, after all, also made it all the way to the end, and now they too quickly moved into their own formation. 2 members with shields moved to the front, with a knight just behind them. Then, behind that, stood 2 archers, with bowstrings drawn, and 1 mage of their own.


    Both parties eyed each other cautiously, each waiting for the other to move. The tension was so thick one could almost cut it with a knife.


    Ajest pulled out her sword. A blue light shined from its de.


    A voice rang out from the impromptu party alliance. ¡°The sniper was in the Blue Moon party, as expected.¡± The man who spoke began walking towards the Blue Moon party. 1st year, rank 2. Gabriel Ijente. 3rd circle fire mage.


    Ajest raised an eyebrow in response, and asked, ¡°¡­you were also getting sniped at?¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap. Only the Blue Moon party could possibly have a sniper of that caliber.¡±


    Ajest narrowed her eyes. It wasn¡¯t because of anything Gabriel had just said, but rather, she now realized. ¡®We weren¡¯t the only ones Desir Arman was sniping.¡¯ He had clearly found the clock tower first. But instead of continuing the quest,


    he had instead elected to gather every other party. ¡®Does he think he can snipe us all down? But that doesn¡¯t make sense. He wouldn¡¯t give up his enormous lead on the quest progression for such a reckless n.¡¯


    Ajest blinked slowly asprehension dawned on her. ¡°Clearing the quest wasn¡¯t his objective,¡± she thought aloud.


    Ijente frowned. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Without a word in response, Ajest took a step forward. Her eyes were already behind him.


    He blinked. She disappeared. A cloud of dust exploded from where she had stood. In an instant, Ajest¡¯s sword was past him.


    There was no warning. Ijente turned to look down at his body. As he did, he faded into tiny motes of light.


    | A contestant has been eliminated. 15 contestants remain.


    ¡°Aahhh! The party leader died!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, charge!¡± The screams ran out from panicked students.


    Ajest calmly surveyed her charging opponents, and flicked her sword in her hand. ¡®5 people¡­and spectators.¡¯ She looked up. She couldn¡¯t see deep into the dark tower, but it didn¡¯t matter. She knew they had to be there. ¡°All members, stop Desir¡¯s party¡¯s sniper,¡± she ordered as she pointed at the stairs.


    ¡°All members!? What about these guys right here?¡± Percival replied, incredulous at the absurd order.


    She looked back over the other survivors. Without hesitation, she cooly responded, ¡°I¡¯ll take out the five of them myself.¡±


    ¡°All¡ªall five!? By yourself?¡± he spit out in disbelief.


    Ajest never answered him. She had already entered the fight.


    A low, whining creak came from the rusted hinges of the door as it swung open.


    A silhouette illuminated against the open doorway. As the figure silently drew closer, it came into view. It was a girl, wearing a strange leather coat embedded with metal ting. Blood ran down the side of body, leaving a trail of droplets as she walked. She held a de in her hand. Blue light glowed along its edge. Her long, tinum hair was unmarked by blood, striking a sharp contrast as it flowed behind her.


    She examined the three of them as she approached, like a lion stalking its quarry. Instinctively, his party members shifted back behind him.


    ¡°A pointless scheme.¡± Her voice was ice cold.


    Desir¡¯s face froze at the criticism. ¡°It would have worked if not for you.¡±


    He meant it, truly. After all, his opponent was Ajest Kingscrown. She was the strongest spellsword in all of Hebrion, and one of the six who had survived to the very end. When they¡¯d all united under the Expedition¡¯s banner, she had been themander, so gifted was she in battle.


    Desir had expected her to figure out his ns, to some extent, anyways¡ªit wasn¡¯t as if his ns had been suddenly, unexpectedly seen through. Rather, he had made quite the serious miscalction. ¡°To think that you would take out every remaining survivor by yourself,¡± he said softly, in admiring tones.


    The fight that Desir had wanted had happened. But Ajest had given him no room to interfere. The entirety of the Blue Moon party, minus Ajest, had masterfully obstructed Desir¡¯s party while Ajest single-handedly humiliated the


    other survivors. They could do nothing but watch as she subdued them, took them hostage, and dragged them to a safe area.


    ¡°While we kept your party from doing anything, our party captured the remaining survivors. There¡¯s still over 10 alive,¡± Ajest stated coldly. Clearly, there would be no way to even touch the 10 downstairs without going through Ajest first. Their n had been utterly ruined. They had one choice left.


    ¡°The only thing left is a head-to-head fight.¡±


    Romantica and Pram stood by Desir¡¯s side. Percival and Da stood behind Ajest. Light fell in from a single, tiny window at the far end of the corridor, illuminating the two groups in a pale, weak light. Each faced the other wordlessly, straining to read their thoughts from movements of their silhouettes. The sound of titanic gears grinding as they moved past each other echoed through the narrow corridor.


    ¡°Your party and mine. Defeat me and prove that you¡¯re worthy of the title of Single Ranker, Desir Arman!¡±


    The gears stopped. Ajest began moving. Magic power swirled around her as her mana gathered and condensed, taking shape.


    Desir immediately began his analysis. He had the ability to deduce what spell would be cast just by looking at the casting process, before the spell was evenplete.


    [Frozen Jail.]


    Pirs of ice, borately engraved, rose out of the ground, emanating a deep chill through the air. But Desir¡¯s party felt nothing.


    ¡°Hijackplete,¡± he announced triumphantly. Under Desir¡¯s control, the magic couldn¡¯t affect his party¡¯s surroundings.


    With a hiss, the pirs disappeared into a thick vapor, as Ajest immediately ended the spell in response. The dense fog filled the corridor, blocking everyone¡¯s view.


    ¡°They¡¯reing!¡± Pram shouted as he stepped forward and swung his rapier. He felt itnd. At the same time, he twisted his head to the right. A sword sliced neatly through the space where his head had just been. The fog scattered in the wind, revealing Da. Without missing a step, Pram saw Da¡¯s improper stance and thrust the rapier at his stomach.


    ¡°Oof!¡± Da grunted in pain as he twisted back. Romantica immediately followed up, sending her spell screaming towards him.


    [Wind Strike!]


    The bullet ofpressed air exploded, but there was no announcement. Instead, a gigantic shield appeared out of the dispersing fog. Percival¡¯s sneering face appeared behind the lowered shield. ¡°Weak as sheet for a 2nd circle spell,¡± he spit at Romantica contemptuously.


    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted after sniping so much, you moron!¡± Romantica shouted back in a fit.


    The fog returned, filling the space between them again and erasing them from each others¡¯ vision. Da whispered to Percival, ¡°that swordsman¡­looks strong. Be careful.¡±


    Percival scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re just weak, you idiot.¡± He¡¯d faced Pram once before. ording to his memory, Pram wasn¡¯t a particrly skilled swordsman. His sword was a bit fast for Beta ss, but that was it. Pram was hopeless; he¡¯d exhaust himself soon after the fight began.


    He charged. ¡°Eat this!¡± He swung his sword at Pram, but, surprisingly, sliced only thin air. ¡°What?¡± Percival stopped, bewildered, as he realized he couldn¡¯t see anything in the fog. He looked back, just in case, and was nearly hit as he


    barely managed to parry Pram¡¯s surprise attack. He ground his teeth. ¡°You cheap bastard.¡±


    ¡°You did it first.¡±


    The echo of steel on steel rang out through the tower.


    Born and raised in the north, Percival¡¯s sword style was wild and savage. He preferred to use his strength to simply beat into his opponent, without giving them a moment¡¯s rest and wear them down over time. The Pawn-rank swordsman¡¯s talent was just starting to bloom and his sword was already fierce. He attacked at an oppressive speed. At the same time, he protected himself with his shield as he advanced, like a towering mountain.


    Pram was a speed-focused swordsman, much like Percival. Unfortunately, he had neither the strength nor the force Percival did, which meant, in theory, that he would be hard pressed to gain an advantage in this fight.


    Indeed, to everyone else, it appeared like Pram was getting pushed back. But, to Percival¡¯s growing difort, it soon became clear it was quite the opposite. Each of Pram¡¯s movements were calcted. At every moment, he would dodge or parry Percival¡¯s de with the smallest movement possible, keeping his positioning tight and constantly looking for openings.


    He kept his distance, and warded his opponent off with only the tip of his sword as he danced gracefully around the room. At this rate, the longer the fight drew out, the more Pram would be at an advantage.


    Pram was well aware of his limits. He avoided letting the duel turn into a contest of strength, and attacked Percival¡¯s openings whenever he could. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, Percival felt his sword getting pushed back. It was clear that he would lose if this kept up.


    Backed against a wall, Percival made a desperate gamble. He threw his shield at Pram.

 Chapter 22 - Showdown (2)

    <h4>Chapter 22: Showdown (2)</h4>


    At that range, even Pram couldn¡¯t avoid it. He copsed as the shield mmed into his body.


    He shook his head in an attempt to reorient himself, and searched around frantically for Percival¡¯s location.


    It was toote. Percival covered the distance rapidly. Pram¡¯s entire body reverberated as the two swords met. The duel had turned suddenly against Pram; it was no longer a contest of skill, but now of strength, one where Percival dictated the flow.


    Pram¡¯s hands trembled as he held off Percival¡¯s de. Sensing the opportunity, Percival pushed forward, forcing strength into his de. Pram felt his arms giving way.


    But Pram still had a few tricks up his sleeve. Suddenly, he shifted the angle of his rapier, subtly manipting the point of contact to let Percival¡¯s sword glide down the de. Percival¡¯s strength worked against him as he suddenly found the resistance lighten. He stumbled as momentum carried his body forward.


    It was too much of an opportunity to present someone of Pram¡¯s skill. Like a lightning bolt, his rapier thrust forward into Percival¡¯s shoulder, and the nchume tore through the steel chestte like a hot knife through butter, sttering blood through the air.


    Staggered by the pain, Percival instinctively rolled back several times, rapidly making distance between himself and Pram, before barely standing back on his feet.


    ¡®I was injured?¡¯ He blinked repeatedly as he stared at his shoulder in shock and confusion. The attack was hardly enough to incapacitate him; it was impressive, but some shoulder pain was the extent of its damage. No, it wasn¡¯t merely the attack that had him reeling. Mere weeks ago, he had been clearly superior to Pram in skill. But just from that one exchange, one thing was obvious: Pram totally outssed Percival. ¡°You! The hell happened to you?¡± he shouted at Pram, incredulously.


    ¡°To what might you be referring?¡±


    ¡°How did you change so much in just a few weeks?¡±


    ¡°Is there a reason I should tell you such a thing?¡± replied Pram, with a mischievous smile across his face.


    Percival scowled at Pram¡¯s non-answer, and he cursed under his breath. It was clear that he could no longer take Pram so lightly. Rushing in would almost certainly result in his defeat. Unable to hide his intense frustration, he shouted, ¡°Dammit! What the foock is Hadun doing right now!? FOOCK!¡±


    ***


    Da drew his sword and held it out in front of him. It was meaningless. The whole area around him was covered in a thick fog that made it impossible for him to find Romantica. ¡°Are fogs normally this thick?¡± he asked aloud, before shaking his head. ¡®Of course not.¡¯ No, ording to Da¡¯s memory, the fog should simply have lifted after the first strike, but, instead, it had seemed to only be getting thicker and thicker over time. ¡°Hmph. You¡¯re quite clever utilizing the fog like this,¡± he said, seemingly to nobody.


    It was clear what was happening. The fog was being held in ce¡ªindeed, more than that, magically enhanced, entirely intentionally. Unfortunately, even if that was the case, there was little Da could do about it, which meant¡­


    He staggered as yet another wind bullet mmed into him, but endured the throbbing pain on his hand and kept a firm grasp on his sword.


    It was a truly bizarre situation. He had no idea where Romantica was hiding¡ª in contrast, she clearly knew exactly where he was all the time, and was wasting no time using the information disparity to rain magic upon him with impunity. To top it all off, whenever he chased down where the attack came from, it was clear that Romantica had already disappeared to another spot to continue her merciless barrage.


    ¡®Is she detecting my movement through the wind? ¡­Damn mages.¡¯ Da felt that it was almost certain that a mage would be able to, which would exin his current predicament. It was quite the exhausting situation, having to simply sit and take the enemy¡¯s attacks.


    ¡°Well, it seems like they¡¯re using their heads, but that won¡¯t be enough.¡± Da stood up straight, and tapped the golden ne he was wearing with a slight smirk. In an instant, the fog cleared.


    "That ne¡­ it was an artifact?" Romantica asked in shock.


    Artifacts. Items imbued with magic power. Compared to a regr item, it would be many times more expensive.


    "I told you that you''d regret it didn''t I?" Da asked smugly. He raised his hand and aimed the ring on his thumb towards Romantica. She quickly realized that the ne wasn¡¯t the only artifact he possessed.


    [Fire Ring.]


    2nd circle fire magic.


    A ring of fire formed beneath Romantica¡¯s feet for a moment, before a wave of heat shot upwards, pinning her within the circle. She was trapped.


    Da raised his de and held it inches from her face. She simply shrugged her shoulders in response. ¡°Well, I guess I do regret it a little,¡± she said calmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote to regret it now,¡± replied Da harshly.


    Romantica nced to his left for a moment, ¡°Well, it¡¯s also toote to dodge too.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Da quickly turned to look where Romantica¡¯s eyes were looking. A giant boulder, rapidly growing in size, filled his field of view.


    ¡°Keuuk-!¡± He grunted in pain as the massive rock mmed into his body and lifted him into the air, sending him flying.


    Slowly, as the dust settled, he rose to his feet, brushing off the rubble. He looked down at himself and felt a surge of rage. His appearance had beenpletely ruined. The immacte clothes he wore were torn and covered in dust. They belonged more on a homeless person than a noble. His coat was shredded so badly it wasn¡¯t even worth wearing. ¡°You foocking Beta ss b*tch!!¡± he shrieked in impotent rage.


    ¡°You did well buying time,¡± said Desir as he stood in front of Romantica.


    She hesitated before she replied. ¡°¡­If I had enough mana I would have won.¡±


    ¡°Please go support Pram from his side.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± She nodded in affirmation and ran to Pram¡¯s side.


    Da felt his anger surging as he watched Romantica. ¡°You dare!¡± At that moment, a grey-brown ring on his finger glowed with a bright light.


    [Breath of Earth!]


    A 2nd circle earth spell, which could both bind and attack the enemy.


    The floor broke apart and shot up in Romantica¡¯s direction. Desir quickly interjected his body between them. The rocks fell upon him, entombing him within. Da approached the pile and swung his sword into it.


    He winced, unexpectedly, as he felt his hands go numb for a moment. ¡°What?¡± he asked in total confusion. Somehow, he wasn¡¯t able to cut through. The simple earth that surrounded Desir had be as hard as steel.


    ¡°Don¡¯t use magic against him!¡± The voice came from behind the bewildered Da. A silhouette flew past him in a blur.


    In an instant, Ajest swooped down upon Desir. For a moment, it almost appeared as if she had disappeared into the rock. But then the rocks parted, and Ajest flew past.


    She turned back, just as Desir rose from the rock and rubble. As their eyes met, Desir opened his mouth.


    [Stone Break.]


    The earth exploded outward. The explosion rocked the tower and sent Ajest flying with its shockwave. From where Desir stood, fragments of dirt flew towards Ajest like shrapnel.


    She dodged the shots and executed a perfect backflip tond gracefully. Then she nearly jumped in shock as the earth beneath her fingers melted and encased her wrist. She felt near bone-crushing pressure on her wrist.


    [Winter Fist.]


    Ice spread rapidly from her hand to the surrounding earth. She smashed the now brittle dirt against a wall, and the frozen pieces fell to the floor.


    She bit her lip in frustration. At the same time, she began deploying her magic. Desir did the same.


    A massive spear of ice formed in front of Ajest, looming ominously with its tip pointed at Desir¡¯s throat. Then, in an instant, it melted into a puddle. Sparks of fire raced across the ground, licking at thebatants¡¯ feet, and were extinguished as the stone floor turned in on itself. Water rushed forward, threatening to drown everyone in the tower, before suddenly turning into nothing but a fine vapour. Back and forth, magic exploded into existence and dissipated into nothingness.


    Ajest was being pushed back. She felt a slight twinge of surprise¡ªnot at the result, but at how readily she seemed to ept it.


    It made sense to her now. It was never a matter of power; Ajest¡¯s mana far exceeded Desir¡¯s own. She possessed skills seen only once every hundred years; she held a power none could keep up with. If they both cast the same Fireball, Ajest¡¯s would have had twice the power. If it was an ice attribute spell, it would¡¯ve been three times the power.


    But in magicbat, the winner was not merely the one who possessed greater mana and wielded stronger magic. Tactical awareness, understanding battle conditions, speed, suitability¡ªindeed, at the simplest level, magicbat was perhaps best understood as a high level psychological fight. Being able to read the opponent¡¯s intentions, develop a countermeasure, and quickly execute it¡ª all these were more important than simple magic power output.


    And, as much as Ajest hated it, as much as she wanted to beat Desir straight up in a magic duel, she had no option now but to admit the sorry truth: in this psychological fight, Ajest waspletely outmatched. There was absolutely no way she could beat Desir in a magic duel.


    Her magic had been repeatedly totally countered by far weaker magic. Her simpler spells were constantly hijacked, and her moreplex spells were


    were rendered irrelevant. Desir was reading her like a book, and effortlessly dragging her into his pace.


    That overwhelming difference in experience became his spear and shield itself. It loomed over Ajest like an insurmountable wall.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡¯ Ajest¡¯s mind swirled in confusion. No matter how she broke it down, there was no way Desir wasn¡¯t of simr age to herself. The gap in experience was iprehensible. ¡®Just who is he? What is his identity?¡¯


    She paused and stepped back to gather her wits and refocus.


    Da, who had been watching the duel unfold from the sidelines, suddenly interjected, ¡°Party leader! Let me help you!¡±


    Ajest shook her head in response. ¡°No. This is my fight, do not interfere.¡±


    ¡°But¡­!¡±


    ¡°Just go and help Percival.¡±


    ¡°Percival? That fight should¡¯ve ended¡­¡± Da¡¯s voice trailed off as he realized, shockingly, that it somehow hadn¡¯t. Contrary to expectation, the duel between Percival and Pram was still dragging out. Indeed, Da realized in horrified shock, Percival was somehow losing. Pram¡¯s sword was repeatedly viting Percival¡¯s being.


    ¡°Romantica¡¯s mana is nearly drained. For all intents and purposes, she¡¯s out of power. Join Percival and eliminate both of them, quickly,¡± Ajestmanded in an icy tone that left no room for argument.


    Without hesitation, Da immediately headed towards Percival and joined the fray. Pram, who had been closing in on victory, saw the opportunity slip away before him with the rtively healthy Da joining the melee. It was now Pram and Romantica dueling Percival and Da in pairs.


    ¡°Upset?¡± asked Desir.


    Ajest paused before she answered. ¡°To speak the truth¡­yes.¡± She nodded, and continued, ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s not a very pleasant feeling to lose to someone without even a thousandth of my magic power. Would it make sense to you if you lost to an ant in arm wrestling?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think I can grasp your feelings.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided I cannot defeat you in a contest of magic. There¡¯s nothing else I can do now.¡± As she spoke, she shook the red glow off her right arm, letting her mana subside. Her grip fell upon the sword at her waist.


    A shrill whistling cut through the air as Ajest lunged towards Desir with the point of her sword aimed at his chest.


    ¡°Seems like you really want to win against me.¡± Magic forms filled the air in front of Desir as he readied himself.


    [Bnce.]


    [Strength.]


    [Vision.]


    [Magic Bestowment: Hardening.]


    4 spells cast in an instant. Desir followed up by drawing the short sword at his waist.


    The echo of steel on steel reverberated through the air as Desir parried Ajest¡¯s blow. The ground beneath Desir cracked and shook from the force, as if an earthquake had struck the tower.


    Ajest¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You blocked¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why? Did you think that just because I¡¯m a mage, I would be weak in close quartersbat?¡± replied Desir calmly.


    Her lips twisted in distaste, and she shoved Desir back forcefully. A loud thump apanied a cloud of dust where he hit the far wall.


    He rose, slowly, and dusted himself off, seemingly uninjured.

 Chapter 23 - Showdown (3)

    <h4>Chapter 23 - Showdown (3)</h4>


    Ajest¡¯s eyes narrowed and she bit her lip. ¡°So you¡¯re prepared for closebat as well.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but with my magic power, 5 minutes is my limit,¡± Desir admitted with a smile.


    Ajest wasn¡¯t naive enough to trust somebody revealing their weakness, but she didn¡¯t doubt his honesty. Desir¡¯s mana was being expended at a visible rate. Hearing those words, Ajest approached without pause.


    Outside of expectations, Desir faced the prodigy¡¯s sword head-on. Ajest had the lead in the head-to-head melee, but Desir was holding on. He read the trajectories of her swings, and led his sword in advance to parry. Even with his body strengthened with magic, he straddled the line between life and death, each blow heavier than the next.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­ having fun, Ajest?¡± said Desir, as he received the third strike.


    A look of confusion appeared on Ajest¡¯s face as they dueled. ¡°Fun?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯ve always reigned from the top. You¡¯ve probably never met anyone who could be your equal.¡± Desir parried another blow and pushed Ajest back. ¡°With all of your being, you hate losing. Isn¡¯t that right, Ajest Kingscrown?¡±


    Desir knew this woman very well. The futuremander Ajest Kingscrown hated losing. Beneath her icy surface, she honed her talents and refused to let anybody surpass her. The entire time, she led a lonely life on her throne, without a single person able to match her inbat. ¡®This time, things will be different.¡¯


    Desir pointed at himself. ¡°You want to defeat me, right? To use everything at your disposal and beat me down. That¡¯s why you came to me to dere war and led me into this duel¡ªso I wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid this fight. Ultimately, that¡¯s what you¡¯re aiming for. Now that you¡¯ve aplished that, you¡¯re having fun. Am I right?¡±


    Ajest was speechless¡ªshe was seen throughpletely, even though she wasn¡¯t wholly aware of it herself. She gathered her thoughts and replied. ¡°I admit it. I want to win against you with all of my strength. You are correct¡ª you could say I¡¯m enjoying this, but what¡¯s the point of all this talk? What is the point in making me admit this? How does this have anything to do with our fight?¡±


    ¡°Because I n to respond to your spirit in kind.¡± Desir Arman spoke to his ally from his past life¡ªthe apex of humanity. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back.¡±


    At the top of the clock tower, they stood in a in white room, ornamented with a singr pir that bisected the room. Ajest and Desir stood apart on top of the space, 80 meters in a standoff. Magic began to surround the ice queen as she channeled her trump card.


    [Frozen Throne.]


    A throne of ice emerged in the center of the room. Hexagonal pirs of ice burst out from the ground and shot up to the ceiling of the clock tower. A frigid air exuded from the pirs of ice, covering the room with ayer of frost. The frost grew at a visible pace, eventually forming a grand hall, with an intricate chandelier and windows adorning thevish room.


    [Frozen Pce.]


    The magic continued to grow, transporting the top of the clock tower back to the Ice Age. Desir looked around to find that the ice formed into architecture befitting the northerners, with sculptures lining the interior. The beautiful room would have been gorgeous to explore if they weren¡¯t in the middle of a fight.


    ¡°In this space, a mage is able to use an unlimited number of spells without calction. My ice magic has no limits in this space,¡± said Ajest. Hundreds of magic circles formed in the air, clustered so tightly that Desir could barely see through them. All of them were directly right at him.


    ¡®An area with ess to magic without limits¡­¡¯ The Frozen Pce formed with a single throne of ice at its core. This was her pce, and the throne from which she ruled. ¡®The signature spell of Queen Ajest.¡¯ Frozen Throne was one of her signature spells even in the future¡ªshe was using everything she had against Desir in this fight. ¡®But she still hasn¡¯t caught on.¡¯


    Desir raised his hand. This wasn¡¯t a fight Ajest could win with pure numbers alone. The countless spells trained on his person broke. Each of the magic forms shattered into pieces and the residual magic fell away like snow. Desir looked smug as he awaited Ajest¡¯s next move. It didn¡¯t take long. The prodigy readied another set of spells at Desir.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s you, you won¡¯t be able to keep pouring out these spells,¡± casually reminded Desir.


    The infinite calction space. As long as she seeded in creating her Frozen Pce, she could use as many spells as she would like without casting. This was far past the level of double or triple casting¡ªas Desir could see in front of his eyes, hundreds of spells were being casted all at once. It sounded impressive, but it had one fatal w¡ªthe mana expenditure was colossal. Sustaining the field itself would run an average mage dry within 3 seconds. Even Ajest Kingscrown had a limit¡ªDesir was aiming for exactly that window.


    ***


    In the meantime, Ajest was preparing her third round of spells. Her magic didn¡¯t have any effect on Desir, but she didn¡¯t falter. She had known from the start that it was impossible to fight Desir using magic. All of her spells would be


    hijacked. No matter how carefully crafted they were, it wouldn¡¯t take much more than a wave of his hand for them to dissipate. He was on a different level.


    Even in her Frozen Throne, she was unable tond a single hit on Desir. Her abundant stores of mana, which were near full at the beginning of the battle, had dropped to below 10 percent. Anybody else would think that it was a waste to cast any more spells. Ajest felt differently.


    She was stalling for time. Each spell projected and flying through the air created time for Ajest to think. As she constructed her spells, she analyzed her probability of winning,bing through each minute detail. Her thoughts kepting back to one thing: ¡®Why am I losing in magic?¡¯


    The problem was the forms. Desir had seen through every single one, leaving her no way tond a hit. If they were casting the same spells, there was no way she would lose. Her magic power was far superior, but that meant nothing in the face of his hijacking. She took a good look at her opponent. If she could cast a spell he couldn¡¯t hijack, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fight back. That would be turning point in this battle. The main question¡ªhow could she solve this problem?


    Ajest looked at the hundreds of ice spells being dismantled in front of her eyes, and took a deep breath. She had no time left to hesitate. ¡®What if it¡¯s not in the form of a spell?¡¯ she thought. She drew her sword. Initially, she nned on taking him on with only her sword, but that was pointless¡ªDesir could counter that.


    Swordsmanship and magic power was her forte, and the one thing she had over Desir in spades. She would have to use these together in tandem to take down the man in front of her. In that moment, Ajest had an idea. ¡®Combine the sword and magic simultaneously.¡¯


    This was past the level of enchanting the sword with magic. She would have to infuse the magic into the sword itself. The second she used a magic form, it would be hijacked. She needed raw magic power.


    Magic Sword. Intertwining swordsmanship and magic, this was Ajest¡¯s answer to her opponent.


    Her sword became enveloped in a blue light.


    ***


    Magic pulsed in ripples from the sword. The magic resonated with the chambers of the Frozen Pce. Desir heard this sound many times before. ¡®It can¡¯t be¡­ she managed to manifest Magic Sword all by herself!?¡¯ Desir¡¯s eyes widened at the discovery.


    Magic Sword was the ultimate magic for a spellsword. The meshing and perfect bnce of magic and swordsmanship. Ajest had thought of it and made it a reality. Her desire to defeat the man in front of her, spurred on by her talent, allowed her to understand this new magic. In his past life, it had taken her another 10 years to grasp the concept. ¡®Truly incredible.¡¯


    Desir was in awe. During his moment of contemtion, Ajest Kingscrown dashed forward. The frigid pce crumbled as Ajest poured the rest of her magic into Magic Sword. She would bet everything on this final move.


    [Magic Sword: Ice Wave.]


    The gleaming silver sword drew closer, and a storm of freezing air whipped across the room. Each movement of the sword froze the air. The current Desir had no way of blocking her attack with his magic. He could tell just by looking at it. A Magic Sword, formed with raw magic power, could not be hijacked. Even if he strengthened his body to the limit to block the sword itself, the magic stored within would wreak havoc on his body.


    Ajest¡¯s eyes asked the same question: ¡®Can you counter this?¡¯


    Desir raised his hands without a reply. The shortsword he was holding spun away as it dropped to the floor. The chandelier on the ceiling began falling as well. Time slowed for the two as they reached the penultimate stages of their duel. Ajest¡¯s sword moved extremely slowly, and finally reached Desir¡¯s neck.


    A drop of blood fell from his neck, like a single drop of wine tainting a pure whitece. The blood trickled as it fell, freezing ck.


    As it happened, Ajest could see Desir¡¯s expression. His face showed none of the emotions she expected. No sorrow of defeat. No fear of overwhelming strength. No disappointment of loss. It was a smile of victory. The sword slowed further, and as if time stopped, the sword froze in ce.


    Everything faded away.


    | Shadow World clear! The demon summoning formation at the top of the clock


    tower has been hijacked, taking irreparable damage. Questplete.


    | The ranks from 1st ce to 30th ce have been decided based on contribution


    to the quest and number of eliminations.


    [1st ce: Desir Arman]


    [2nd ce: Ajest Kingscrown]


    [3rd ce: Pram Schneizer]

 Chapter 24: Showdown (4)

    <h4>Chapter 24: Showdown (4)</h4>


    It was May, and the sun-kissed showers of Spring were fading. It was almost time for the songs of love.


    Small flowers kissed the entrance of Hebrion Academy, branching out from trees that contained limitless vitality inside. This was an annual tradition of Hebrion Academy. Romantica¡¯s eyes sparkled at the sight of the breathtaking greenery lining their school. She had a spring in her step as she danced through the corridor. ¡°Buckthorn trees.¡±


    ¡°The flowers of the buckthorn tree symbolize progress,¡± added Pram. It was unusual of him toment.


    This was a historical tradition originating from the school¡¯s founding principal, Eiricquel Hebrion. It was a prayer for the growth of Hebrion Academy and its students. Today, the students rarely cared about the founding principal¡¯s wishes¡ªthey were just here to enjoy the scenery. As the pair strolled under the trees, they lost track of time, awed by the gorgeousndscape around them. Eventually, the sound of falling raindrops rang across the leaves. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s about to rain,¡± said Pram.


    ***


    Rain began to pour down from the overcast sky. It rained all across Hebrion Academy and the skies became murky. Romantica paused and pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get my clothes wet,¡±ined Romantica as the rain rode down the hem of her string-spun clothes. The rain flowed between the grooves in the strings like a river. The downpour quickly drenched the uniforms of Romantica and Pram. Despite that, they didn¡¯t mind one bit.


    ¡°It rained like this back in the Shadow World, right?¡± reminisced Romantica.


    ¡°It was colder and more unpleasant back then.¡±


    The two of them knowingly smiled at each other and covered up with their jackets. ¡°The rain hasn¡¯t changed¡ªit¡¯s just that our situation¡¯s different.¡± Romantica took the lead as the two of them travelled to Starling dormitory, home of their fearless leader.


    As they walked into the lobby, Romantica took the initiative to dry herself with magic. The Starling dormitory lobby was almost empty, likely due to the rain. Desir Arman sat in the center of the lobby, waiting for them to arrive. He wasn¡¯t alone.


    Sitting across from him was a beautiful girl with tinum blonde hair. Strands of gold woven with silver¡ªthe color of the southern lions. The mere sight of it made her peers sing praises of her name. The silver-haired spellsword, Ajest Zedga F. Kingscrown. There were in middle of a heated conversation.


    ¡°It was already past 2 o¡¯clock by then. It was past the time for the 2 o¡¯clock demon to appear. The gears of the clock tower should have stopped by then,¡± exined Desir. ¡°My hijacking only works on spells cast through a form. The demon summoning device in Privius Clock Tower appears to have been built on an advanced magic form. It was only because of this that it was possible to hijack it.¡±


    ¡°I see. I do recall the sound of the gears stopping at some point. I hadn¡¯t realized that.¡± The hint was there¡ªshe merely didn¡¯t put it to good use. She was deep in thought as she collected her thoughts.


    ¡°Drawing me into closebat wasn¡¯t a bad choice, but you should always keep the battlefield in mind. We were in a Shadow World¡ªnot taking the objectives into ount was your downfall.¡±


    Ajest¡¯s shoulders slumped as she took it all in. She had been goaded into her every move. ¡°So you always had your eyes set on the big picture, instead of only focusing on our fight,¡± said Ajest bluntly.


    ¡°Well, maybe you¡¯re right.¡±


    Ajest grew quiet, and reflected over the course of events that took ce in the Shadow World. She closed her eyes, and organized her thoughts and said three simple words to Desir. ¡°I lost. Decisively.¡±


    Desir waved his hand and dismissed Ajest¡¯s thoughts. ¡°You¡¯re going too far. I can brag, but there was luck involved. If my analysis was a bit slower, or your de a bit faster¡­¡±


    ¡°Then we would have avenged Mr. Desir,¡± said Pram. The pair interrupted the conversation and separated the two of them. ¡°By that point, we¡¯d essentially won our part of the battle,¡± added Romantica.


    Desir grinned at the arrival of his party members. ¡°You guys came.¡±


    The group of four crowded around a table and sat down. Romantica looked moody as she nced at Ajest and spoke directly to Desir. ¡°Weren¡¯t we the only ones meeting you here?¡±


    ¡°Ajest¡¯s only here for a moment. She had a few questions about our fight.¡±


    ¡°Even so, she¡¯s an enemy¡ªright? We almost lost because of her. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re be a little too calm?¡± Romantica¡¯s eyes darted from Desir to Ajest.


    ¡°If that was all it took for you to lose, then you weren¡¯t even worthy of entering Alpha ss,¡± said Ajest.


    Romantica¡¯s eyed red. ¡°What?!¡± The regal Ajest gave Romantica a casual nce and said no more. Catching a whiff of the arising conflict, Desir hurriedly added some choice words to the conversation. ¡°Ajest is just trying to say that we deserved it, seeing as how we passed the exam and have been promoted to the Alpha ss.¡± He scratched his head and gave Romantica a slight smile.


    ¡°What¡ªthat¡¯s what that meant?¡± Romantica crossed her arms, putting on airs. ¡°Well¡­ I supposed if you¡¯re going so far to say something like that, then so be it.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to win without Romantica¡¯s sniping. Thanks, Romantica.¡±


    ¡°Wha? Thanks? Mm¡­ well, you didn¡¯t need to thank me or anything¡­¡± Romantica turned beet red and started twiddling her fingers in embarrassment at Desir¡¯s thanks.


    ¡°And me? Mr. Desir, what about me?¡± Pram¡¯s eyes gleamed in anticipation. ¡°You did well too, Pram.¡± Desir patted Pram¡¯s head as thetter hugged Desir¡¯s waist. Pram clung to Desir like a puppy and pushed his head into Desir¡¯s palm.


    Ajest watched the scene unfold from behind them. ¡°This means we¡¯re taking a break from training now¡­right?¡± Romantica looked apprehensive as she looked over to see Desir¡¯s response.


    ¡°On whose authority? Training happens every day,¡± said Desir with a stern appearance.


    ¡°What? No! We barely got out of the promotion battle yesterday! This is too much!¡±


    ¡°Did you forget exactly what won us the promotion battle yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Even so¡­ tch!¡±


    The conversation turned into a noisy ruckus as Romantica and Desir bantered back and forth. Seeing the break in conversation, Ajest stood up from the table and announced her leave. Pram tried to cover up hisughter at the scene of his fellow party members, before seeing Ajest. ¡°Hm? You¡¯re leaving already?¡±


    Ajest took a good look at the rest of the group, before wordlessly holding up her Identity Pass. Blue Moon Party¡¯s insignia disyed on the disy. A party summons. They couldn¡¯t make her stay any longer. As she started walking to the door, she paused before turning around and looked at Desir. She seemed hesitant, a far cry from the ice queen they normally associated with her. ¡°Desir, I have a¡­ a request.¡± Her eyes looked intently at Desir, as if searching for the answer without need to ask her question. ¡°I know this is shameless, but may I join your training sessions?¡±


    Romantica and Pram stood stunned at the request. Desir nodded cheerfully at Ajest. ¡°Every morning at 6 o¡¯clock sharp, and after ss. We meet at the Training Sector¡¯s entrance.¡± The door creaked open and the sound of rain poured into the lobby. Ajest opened her mouth slightly, then closed it again. A whisper of a smile showed up on her face as she turned back around, and stepped out of Starling dormitory. The door closed, and the sound of rain died down.


    Thank you.


    ***


    ¡°So what are we going to do now, Mr. Desir?¡± Pram asked. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve been promoted to Alpha ss, are we done with the pa¡ª¡°


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Desir was resolute. ¡°The discrimination against the Beta ss still exists. We¡¯re going to create a path for all of the talent in Beta ss.¡±


    ¡°What a wonderful n!¡±


    ¡°What a pain in the neck¡­¡±


    The responses from his fellow party members were very different. Desir teased ¡°Then, Miss Romantica, are you leaving the party?¡±


    ¡°Wh-wha? Who¡¯s leaving? I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s a hassle! Obviously I¡¯m going to help!¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s ever too much, you can always quit. Hehe,¡± said Pram.


    Desir sat back down and leaned into his chair, watching the two of them argue.


    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t forget my real objective.¡¯


    He needed to handle the looming threat of the Shadow Labyrinth. Entering the Alpha ss was the first step. After gathering more party members and helping them grow, they would methodically clear away the Shadow Worlds, reducing casualties as much as possible. When the true threat known as the Shadow Labyrinth appeared, the party he trained would be the key to clearing it. As Desir became embroiled in his thoughts, he heard a familiar voice chime in.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re all here.¡±


    Professor Brigitte stepped into the lobby and sat down in front of the three students. She surveyed the members with a mild expression.


    ¡°I have some very important news for everyone here.¡± Brigitte raised her finger, and waves of mana exuded from her body. A chocte cake appeared from thin air andnded on the table. It was a huge cakerge enough to cover the whole table. The decorations adorning the cake were exquisite. Romantica did her best not to drool all over the table. She recognized the cake immediately.


    ¡°Beswald Bakery¡¯s specialty cake!?¡±


    Beswald Bakery is a famous bakery whose prices made your eyes pop out of their sockets. Only then did Desir and Pram catch on. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit much?¡± asked Desir.


    The professorughed joyfully at Desir¡¯s question. ¡°Not at all. Seeing that pig-headed noble so humiliated is well worth it.¡±


    ¡°Pig-headed?¡± Desir inquired about exactly who Brigitte was referring to, when she pulled him into a tight hug. Her arms were trembling and her cheeks flush with excitement. Desir was shocked by the current state of events and he tried to reel back in confusion. ¡°Professor?!¡±


    ¡°Wh-what are you doing!¡± Romantica blurted out.


    In quick session, Pram also whined. ¡°Wait your turn!¡±


    Despite the protest of Pram and Romantica, Brigitte hugged Desir even more tightly. ¡°Well done. You¡¯ve done it.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    She held up three Alpha ss badges, and the three youths were ecstatic. They jumped in the air and were wild with joy.


    ¡°Congrattions. You have been formalized as Single Rankers of the 217th ss.¡±

 Chapter 25: Outers (1)

    <h4>Chapter 25: Outers (1)</h4>


    ¡°Humanity is currently at war with the Shadow World,¡± the guest lecturer exined.


    Desir nodded along as the memories of his past life raced through his mind. Shadow World. A cmity that urred every year. The greatest threat humanity had evere in direct contact with.


    The lecturer continued, ¡°it is the characteristic of the Shadow World to continuously encroach on the real world. Encroachednd will be surrounded by a dark fog. To date, no human has survived stepping foot into thosends.


    ¡°A devourednd bes unable to sustain human civilization. The Tower of Magic hase to refer to this phenomenon as ¡®Shadowfication.¡¯ We fight against the Shadow World to stop this process.


    ¡°We have been fighting the Shadow World for a long time, but the majority of our efforts have been marred with failure. Humanity has experienced defeat again and again, and much of ournd has be Shadowfied. Less than half our continent¡¯s original mass remains in our control.¡±


    Desir grimaced as he remembered the future yet toe. ¡®Humanity will continue to experience defeat.¡¯ He looked around, noticing that students around the lecture hall were beginning to fall asleep. He chuckled silently. It meant, after all¡­


    The lecturer continued, unaware or unfazed. ¡°Of course, this story must seem unbelievable to all of you. Currently, 99.9% of all Shadow World instances are handled sessfully, so all of this talk of how dangerous Shadow World instances were in the past must seem quite boring to all of you.¡±


    The guest lecturer from the Tower of Magic stopped momentarily and caught his breath. He looked around the room, gauging the students¡¯ reactions, before resuming. ¡°However, we must all keep in mind that not even a half-century has passed since we gained this overwhelming advantage against the Shadow World.¡±


    48 years. That¡¯s how long it had been since humanity finally managed to improve their sess rate above 60%. In other words, humanity was able to steal the momentum against the Shadow World.


    ¡°An ongoing debate exists within academia regarding what truly lead to this change. Some academics may identify 3 key reasons, while another might point to 5. However, all academics are in agreement on one particr factor.


    ¡°We became capable of using magic crystals. All academics agree that this discovery represented a turning point that ultimately lead to our current sess against the Shadow Worlds.¡±


    Magic crystal. Mana condensed into a crystallized form. Magic crystals could be earned by clearing the Shadow World instances. Prior to 48 years ago, magic crystals had been disregarded as worthless, but that had been the strange consequence of theirposition, which was based on their creation.


    ¡°Magic crystals arergely divided into two parts; the ¡®exterior mana¡¯ and the ¡®interior mana.¡¯ The ¡®exterior mana¡¯ is, as the name implies, an exterior covering, of solid, crystallized mana. Underneath the hard exterior is a flowing liquid interior: the ¡®interior mana.¡¯¡±


    The exterior mana¡¯s crystallized state rendered it unusable. Humans could only make use of the interior mana¡ªif they could ess it.


    ¡°A peculiar characteristic of the exterior mana is that it blocks all ess to the interior mana underneath. Under normal conditions, the interior mana, no matter how vast and powerful it might be, ispletely inessible. At the same time, we also couldn¡¯t simply break the magic crystal to release the interior mana.¡±


    Desir nodded in understanding. If the exterior mana broke, nothing held back the interior mana. As a result, it would rapidly dissipate into the air, like steam from an open kettle.


    ¡°However, this problem, and simr such problems, were resolved 50 years ago, when the Tower of Magic developed the ¡®Enchant¡¯ technique.¡±


    This topic evoked a bit of pride amongst those from the Tower of Magic, for good reason.


    ¡°In simple terms, a miniscule hole is formed in the exterior mana, by a technique developed by the Tower of Magic. The interior mana is directed to flow in a single direction, through this hole, and a form isid on top of the hole, to permit the crystal to be activated.¡±


    Indeed, once a method of utilizing the interior mana of the magic crystal had been established, magic crystals were no longer useless rocks, but critical resources. They enabled the development of a countless variety of magic equipment, leading to an explosive growth in magitek and magic industry: a Magical Revolution. It would not be far-fetched to im that the Enchant technique was the discovery that defined that century.


    ¡°¡­and if we summarized the changes that followed this development¡­¡±


    The lecturer began disying his prepared material, in order to refresh the room¡¯s mood. Panels activated by magic crystals disyed various images one by one. Communication devices, powered by magic, that would enable people to talk across vast distances. An automatic lift that traveled up and down tall buildings in seconds. The intercontinental train with its magic engine.


    ¡°We are living in the height of the Magical Revolution, an era of grand magic. An era where everyone can experience the benefits of magic.¡±


    Desir nodded. Indeed, for now, life was prosperous and the poption was growing. Shadow World instances were hundreds of times easier to clear,pared to before.


    ¡°Of course, at the same time, we must recognize that the Magical Revolution has created some unfavorable changes as well. The increased value of magic crystals has led to the creation of an ouw group who attempt to illegally acquire magic crystals. This group, which calls themselves the ¡®Outers,¡¯ are a sinister organization of serious criminals. They have broken the Treaty of Bern and attempted several attacks on the Tower of Magic and the Western Kingdoms.¡±


    Pros and cons. The Enchant technique had made all of this possible.


    ¡°Now, how about a question? What is the name of the person who developed the Enchant technique? Hmm¡­The girl dozing off, over there. Romantica, was it?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    Romantica, whose head had been bobbing up and down as she slipped in and out of sleep, jumped out of her seat in a panic as she heard her name.


    With an ungraceful clunk, the chair fell backwards behind her. Snickers echoed around the room. Desir, who had been sitting beside her, carefully fixed her chair before whispering quietly into her ears, ¡°The answer is ¡®Zod Exarion, Romantica.¡¯¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Zod Exarion!¡± She fumbled for the words.


    ¡°Correct,¡± replied the lecturer as he nodded in approval. ¡°The one who upies the position of Head of the Tower of Magic, Zod Exarion. You may sit.


    ¡°This story has taken a detour like rabbit lost in the mountains. In any case, the conclusion I want you all to keep in mind as I wrap up today, is that the Shadow World is like a double-edged sword. It continuously wants to eat away at humanity¡¯s territories, but, at the same time, provides us with the magic crystals we need to advance our progress.¡±


    The dozing students began to rouse themselves one by one as everything appeared to wrap up.


    ¡°We¡¯ll end the ss here. Students that have questions cane forward, but otherwise, ss dismissed.¡±


    The students stood up, and began streaming out the back door in a remarkably orderly fashion. Only a single student seemed to be moving against the crowd towards the lecturer¡ªbut, on closer inspection, there were in fact two students beside him; a student whose gender was difficult to discern, and the female student who had been dozing off earlier. The lecturer smiled inwardly at this sight.


    The male student in the lead spoke. ¡°I am Desir Arman. On this side is Romantica Eru, and on this side is Pram Schneizer. We¡¯re all Single Rankers and in the same party.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Single Rankers? This is quite the honor.¡±


    ¡°No, no, it is an honor for us to be graced with your great lecture, Mr. Prelude.¡±


    ¡°So, what is your question?¡±


    ¡°Not really a question, per se, but a request.¡±


    Prelude felt an ominous foreboding as he realized where this conversation was headed. He paused briefly, before speaking very delicately. ¡°Are you perhaps requesting a sponsorship from the Tower of Magic?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a simr request,¡± replied Desir nonchntly.


    Prelude¡¯s face grew stiff. There were always students like this, who were willing to cross any line in order to get a sponsorship from the Tower of Magic. It was hardly surprising; the sponsorship was a great help to any burgeoning party. He replied, in a very even voice, ¡°the request for sponsorship from the Tower of Magic is always reviewed fairly. I believe the window for applications for this year¡¯s sponsorship hase to an end.¡±


    ¡°Haha, well, that¡¯s regrettable, but, truthfully, I wasn¡¯t able to process one due to interference from another party.¡±


    ¡°Interference from another party?¡± asked Prelude, puzzled.


    ¡°Yes; it¡¯s because there¡¯s too much pushback against my party. A three person party, mostly made up ofmoners. We¡¯re not viewed in a great light by others.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh, so you were that party. The rumored party from the Beta ss that became Single Rankers.¡± Prelude nodded in understanding. News of Desir¡¯s party had spread far and wide. Their individual names, clearly, weren¡¯t well known yet, but many rumors had begun to circte about how great Hebrion¡¯s ¡®Super Rookies¡¯ were. They had be quite the hot topic, and for them to beposed of students from the Beta ss¡­well, opposition was only natural. Still, rules were rules. Prelude continued, ¡°unfortunately, the window for requests has already closed, and we¡¯re currently in the process of deliberation. I¡¯m sorry, but it might be best to hope for next year.¡±


    Desir, rather than give up as Prelude expected, tilted his head quizzically at the reply. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± he paused, and then spoke again. ¡°I must have misspoke.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking for a sponsorship, per se. To borrow your idiom, we¡¯ve be lost like rabbits in a field, and this story has taken an unexpected turn. Is this saying correct?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rabbits in a mountain,¡± corrected Prelude. ¡°In that case,¡± he continued, ¡°what are you asking of me?¡±


    In response, Desir wordlessly revealed the document he had been carrying, and handed it to Prelude. It was a written request.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s permissible for anyone to make a request for a party from Hebrion Academy with a reward.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking the question because I¡¯m unaware. I am fully aware of this, as the Tower of Magic has made a request for a party from Hebrion Academy before. I am asking why you are handing me this.¡±


    Desir smiled as he opened the lid of a pen and handed it to Prelude.


    ¡°Make the request.¡±


    ¡°Please make this request.¡±


    ¡°I hope that you will make this request of us.¡±


    The three members of Desir¡¯s party all spoke in unison.


    Prelude shook his head, and closed the pen. ¡°No, the problem wasn¡¯t with how you¡¯ve phrased it.¡± He handed the pen and the paper back to Desir.


    Desir refused to take them. ¡°You must make this request.¡±


    ¡°You are beingpletely unreasonable.¡±


    ¡°Unreasonable?¡± Desir smiled innocently at Prelude. ¡°Their objective is the 2nd tier magic crystal held within Aeurelli. It will happen July 7th at 3 a.m.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Prelude asked, confused yet again.


    ¡°I have information that the Outers will attack the Aeurelli Branch of the Tower of Magic exactly 10 hours from now,¡± Desir stated matter-of-factly.


    They were called the ¡®Outers¡¯ because they stood outside the lines ofw, and they revelled in the name. They were a sinister group, one that had already attacked the Tower of Magic and the Western Kingdoms several times.


    ¡°They¡¯re after Ruigenell¡¯s Tear.¡±


    Prelude nched. ¡°Wait, how could you know that¡ª¡±


    Desir cut him off very suddenly. ¡°The important part is that I also know how to stop them. Please put in a request to the Tower of Magic to hire us.¡±


    The root of the incident urred 3 days prior, on July 4th. Desir¡¯s entire party had been promoted to Single Rankers during the promotion event. As part of the promotion, they also gained ess to a new (substantially nicer) office. The interior walls were a calming white, and the space was filled with plush chairs and gleaming desks in aforting brown, with a view of the beautiful emeraldke through the windows.


    As usual, Desir¡¯s party was spending their afternoon at this office, once their training had concluded, and it was here that Desir made a very important decision.


    ¡®I should definitely marry a woman like Pram.¡¯ Of course, this decision certainly wouldn¡¯t affect who he was actually going to marry in the future.


    As usual, there was a mountainous pile of documents stacked on top of the desk. As Desir worked, he grabbed at the cookiesid out before him. They were flour cookies baked in butter, and although they didn¡¯t look particrly appealing, they were surprisingly delicious. Pram had made them all by hand. Desir nodded in his mind in approval. ¡®He¡¯s pretty, with a good personality, and capable in the kitchen. He really isn¡¯tcking anything.¡¯


    Pram had taken on all the housekeeping tasks for the party. Nobody had asked him to¡ªit was something he had taken on of his own initiative. He was impressively good at them too; he did a fantastic job of cleaning, but his cooking skills were even better. And not just cookies¡ªhe brewed an excellent tea.


    ¡®Really,¡¯ Desir thought, ¡®would a professional maid be able outperform him?¡¯ His mind continued to wander. ¡®How amazing would it be if Pram were a girl? No, wait, is he actually a girl? If that were the case¡­¡¯


    A voice suddenly interrupted Desir¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Mr. Desir.¡±

 Chapter 26: Outers (2)

    <h4>Chapter 26: Outers (2)</h4>


    Pram wore a light blue apron on top of his clothes, staring intently at Desir. Hot steam billowed out of the teacup he just ced on the table. Pram¡¯s rosy cheeks ented his flushplexion as he exined. ¡°It¡¯s a new type of tea I brewed.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Pram,¡± Desir said absentmindedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Anyways, what were you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Hm¡ªwhat do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been staring off into space for a while now, without even a nce of your papers.¡±


    ¡°Oh, was I?¡± Desir was tempted to say ¡®I was thinking about you¡¯, but he held his tongue.


    As he prepared to give Pram a sloppy excuse, Romantica prattled ¡°It¡¯s obvious if you look at him. He was definitely thinking of something stupid.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Desir doesn¡¯t think of stupid things! He¡¯s obviously thinking of something important! Really important! It¡¯s probably something about our party, or incredibly serious!¡± Pram jumped up in defense of Desir.


    ¡®Wait! Don¡¯t defend me, Pram!¡¯ He really was thinking of something stupid¡ªand he could never, ever let anybody find out about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡± Pram¡¯s eyes, filled with expectation, stroke down at Desir¡¯s heart as he wanted to avert his eyes. He couldn¡¯t betray Pram¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°I uh¡ªthat¡¯s right. Something like that.¡±


    ¡°See, Miss Romantica?¡± In Pram¡¯s eyes, Desir was infallible. He could do no wrong.


    Romantica was swayed by Pram¡¯s response. ¡°Mm. I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± She quietly affirmed his opinion and nced elsewhere.


    Desir, feeling guilty, sipped his tea and changed the topic. ¡°This is delicious, Pram.¡±


    ¡°Of course! I spent a lot of time brewing it¡ªit¡¯s my secret recipe!¡±


    ¡°Impressive. You should write it down for meter.¡± Pram nodded in agreement and went looking for a sheet of paper to write down the tea recipe. In the meantime, Desir returned to the pile of documents piled in front of him. The vast majority of it was paperwork that came with his position of party leader. As he trudged through the papers, he recalled that it was about time for the Tower of Magic to announce their sponsorships.


    Desir nced at his fellow party members out of the corner of his eyes. After confirming they weren¡¯t looking in his direction, he shifted the documents off to the side and peered onto a sheet of paper on the bottom. This sheet of paper was the reason for his carefully crafted stack of papers. It detailed a timeline of events so that he could better organize his future ns. A few of them were crossed out.


    5 Points. Entrance Exam - March 1st


    5 Points. Single Ranker Promotion Battle - May 1st


    2 Points. Exchange Battle - May 10th-21st Check This


    4 Points. Tower of Magic Sponsorship Announcement - July 5th


    3 Points. Attack on Tower of Magic¡¯s Aeurelli Branch - July 7th


    1 Point. Explosion at Hebrion Academy¡¯s Pharmacy Faculty. 0 Casualties. - Approx July 9th-14th


    6 Points. Emergence of the Shadow World - July 20th


    Points were assigned based on importance. The more impactful, the more vivid the memory was for Desir. This in turn made the dates clearer for him. On the flip side, there were a few events that had less of an impact, and it was difficult for Desir to recall those dates.


    ¡®July 5th¡ªthe application date for the Tower of Magic sponsorship is due tomorrow.¡¯


    Hebrion Academy, being famous as one of the greatest magic academies on the continent, became a breeding ground for countless corporations to advertise their names. Parties would get stronger through sponsorship, and use their newfound power to clear Shadow Worlds. As the party grew, their fame would bolster the reputation of the corporation, so they spared no expense to help foster these parties. The most illustrious of these corporations was the Tower of Magic.


    The Tower of Magic.


    An international conglomerate that pioneered magical engineering, spanning across multitudes of industries. From military equipment to household products, finances, and education, the Tower of Magic¡¯s influence had no limits. The parties sponsored by the Tower of Magic had ess to the most cutting-edge equipment on the market, giving them a significant advantage in clearing Shadow Worlds.


    Countless applicants would be willing to pledge themselves to the Tower of Magic, but they were only looking for the best. The Tower of Magic was very peculiar with their sponsorship: they only sponsored one party each year. Any party selected by the Tower of Magic was publicly acknowledged to be filled with potential. With diligent growth, they would be the foundation for humanity¡¯s war against the Shadow World.


    ¡®The Tower of Magic¡­¡¯


    Desir¡¯s thoughts brought him back to his previous life. He had deep ties with the Tower of Magic¡ªthe Head of the tower was hisrade in arms, Zod Exarion. Age 91, he was a mage who conquered the 6th circle and surpassed the limits of humanity.


    Head of the Tower of Magic.


    7th Circle Mage.


    Great Sage.


    Prodigium Magnum.


    Leaden with dozens of titles, he stood at the forefront of all magic. And together with Desir, they fought in the Shadow Labyrinth together¡ªthe worst Shadow World of them all. The Expedition, a group of over 150 million people were sent in to clear it, with only 6 survivors making it to the end. The two of them both made it to the end, before the incident that sent him spiraling back into the past.


    The 7th circle mage was crucial to the Expedition¡¯s quest to defeat the Shadow Labyrinth. His spells swept thendscape and tore down wave after wave of enemies. Their bodies wiped out of existence, without a trace to be found. That in itself was a monumental achievement, but Zod¡¯s true skills lied in his mechanical prowess.


    During their travels in the Shadow Labyrinth, Zod¡¯s talents manifested and developed themselves out of necessity. His equipment had bolstered the ability of the Expedition by several fold. ¡®If he weren¡¯t there, we likely wouldn¡¯t have even made it to the end.¡¯


    Desir was deep in thought. ¡®This is a chance. I was nning on contacting him anyways about ¡°that¡±. Getting the Tower of Magic sponsorship is the best case scenario.¡¯ He would put the application in first before contacting Exarion. With that, Desir rose from his seat. He needed to collect the documentation to apply for the Tower of Magic sponsorship. ¡®It is strange that the official documents and application forms still haven¡¯t been sent when there is only a day left¡­¡¯


    Desir felt something tugging at him, but couldn¡¯t ce it. ording to his memories, Professor Brigitte was the one who took the applications for the Tower of Magic sponsorship. With that in mind, he collected himself and proceeded to head to the Professor¡¯s office.


    ***


    As Desir arrived at the professor¡¯s office, she appeared to be about to leave. ¡°Ah, Desir,¡± said Brigitte with a smile on her face. Seeing him approach, she put her coat back on the hanger and weed her student. ¡°Good to see you. I was just on my way to find you myself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I didn¡¯t want to waste your time.¡±


    ¡°Waste my time?¡± said Brigitte. She looked puzzled at Desir¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for the documentation to apply for the Tower of Magic sponsorship,¡± exined Desir.


    Brigitte cocked her head in confusion. She frowned as she responded to Desir. ¡°I think you¡¯ve misunderstood something. I am not the one in charge of the Tower of Magic sponsorship applications. That would be Professor Nifleka.¡±


    She fixed her sses. ¡°In all honesty, I was nning on taking care of it all myself, but with him being a stubborn old fart, the headmaster passed on the responsibility to him.


    Desir¡¯s eyes opened wide at the news. ¡°Haha¡ªI see. I made a mistake.¡± Desirughed awkwardly. ¡®The future has changed.¡¯ Desir always knew that his actions would cause ripples that would change the course of the future as well. ¡®But why Nifleka¡­¡¯ He started bing anxious at the news, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. ¡°That just means I have to get the papers from Professor Nifleka, correct?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the reason I wanted to talk to you, Desir.¡± Brigitte had a concerned look on her face. ¡°The application period for the Tower of Magic sponsorship ended yesterday.¡±


    Desir coughed abruptly at the information. He felt like he had been hit on the back of the head.


    Based on the shock in Desir¡¯s face, Brigitte figured that something was wrong. ¡°Desir, why didn¡¯t you apply?¡±


    ¡°Hold on, professor. Wasn¡¯t the application deadline July 5th?¡±


    Brigitte raised her voice slightly. ¡°It was July 3rd. Normally, it is the 5th, but we decided during the meeting to move it a few days forward due to the fact that Professor Nifleka had to go overseas. Whatever the case, we did announce that the deadline was July 3rd. I suppose you didn¡¯t check the official announcements.¡±


    ¡®Wait¡ªofficial announcements?¡¯ Desir didn¡¯t receive anything of the sort. ¡°I may have a tower of papers, but I still read everything, professor. There wasn¡¯t any announcement. That¡¯s the reason I came looking for you. I thought it was strange we weren¡¯t getting anything.¡±


    Professor Brigitte was speechless. ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­¡± She closed her eyes, her face flush. She rubbed her forehead, as if nursing a headache. ¡°You¡¯re saying that only our party didn¡¯t get the announcement that was supposed to go out to everybody.¡±


    ¡°I searched through everything, I swear on it. I didn¡¯t throw anything away, so you can see for yourself.¡±


    Brigitte trusted her student. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t lie about this. That means the problem was on the staff side¡­¡± Professor Nifleka was in charge. If Desir was telling the truth, he had deliberately skipped sending the announcement to their party. ¡°That can¡¯t be it. No matter how much you dislike each other, he wouldn¡¯t take such drastic steps.¡±


    ¡°I believe the same, professor.¡±


    Brigitte paused and pursed her lips. ¡°Wait a moment. I have to check on something.¡± She opened the door and left, pulling out her Pad to call somebody. In the office, there was an eerie silence setting in, like the calm before a storm.


    ¡°Excuse me!¡± Brigitte shouted. ¡°Contact¡­not even¡­ can¡¯t¡­ responsible¡­ error? I¡­ good¡­ person¡­ so¡­ hurt¡­ don¡¯t hang up¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡®Bad news.¡¯ He could tell from the tone of her voice. Brigitte mbered back in a momentter, breathing heavily. Her cheeks were flush.


    ¡°They said they weren¡¯t able to deliver the announcement. An ¡®administrative error¡¯, he says.¡±

 Chapter 27: Outers (3)

    <h4>Chapter 27: Outers (3)</h4>


    Brigitte pulled her chair forward and clenched her fist. ¡°If this wasn¡¯t intentional¡­ there¡¯s no way.¡± The calm and collected Professor was nowhere to be found. Her voice was trembling with anger. ¡°Of course. The reason why he insisted on taking charge of the Tower of Magic sponsorship. I thought something was fishy, but this is just despicable! To think he¡¯d be this cheap!¡±


    In truth, Desir hadn¡¯t expected Professor Nifleka to go to such means. For a professor to tantly show such bias was unthinkable. ¡®Was it because I defeated his Blue Moon Party?¡¯ Desir couldn¡¯t determine why the professor would go to such lengths. In any case, the buffoon¡¯s motives didn¡¯t matter. What did was the current situation¡ªthe deadline had passed. There was no point inining.


    Seeing the look of loss on Desir¡¯s face, Brigitte immediately reassured him. ¡°I¡¯ll look for anything I can do to fix this. For now, go and rest.¡±


    Desir nodded at his teacher, and returned to his office. He didn¡¯t have much hope that her intervention would solve the situation.


    ¡®On top of all that, the Tower of Magic has a very rigid schedule.¡¯


    As Desir traipsed back to his papers, he came to the conclusion why Nifleka acted so brashly. At the realization, Desir felt an uncharacteristic anger boiling up inside of him. Heughed bitterly. ¡®So you¡¯ve decided to act first.¡¯ His eyes gleamed as he hatched a n. ¡®Two can y that game.¡¯


    Now seated in front of his mountain of paper again, he flipped open the piece of paper in his pocket. It was the timeline of events he had written down prior. Skimming down the list, he traced his finger until he got to what he was looking for. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. ¡®I can be just as cheap.¡¯


    ¡­


    3 Points. Attack on Tower of Magic¡¯s Aeurelli Branch - July 7th


    ¡­


    It was ate summer night, and the air was brisk. A man with a handsome mustache dressed in neat clothes took long strides along the street engulfed by the night fog. His name was Criken. Criken was extremely tall, with a well-built frame. His eyes peered up into the night sky, before falling on a boy running toward him with a bag full of rye bread. His shabby appearance gave Criken more than enough information about this child. The hard rye bread in his arms was precious food for his family.


    Criken moved aside as the boy continued to run, but they still bumped shoulders. The bread bag flew into the air, and a look of panic showed on the boy¡¯s face. Suddenly, something strange happened¡ªthe bag stopped in mid air, as if somebody were holding it. Criken grabbed the bag out of the air, and peered at the fallen boy.


    ¡°Sorry, sir.¡± The boy¡¯s eyes were downtrodden at his mistake.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Are you hurt?¡± Criken offered his outstretched hand to the boy and helped him up. After he stood back up, Criken wiped away the soot on the child¡¯s face. ¡°Where are you headed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m heading home to my family, sir.¡± The boy gave a quiet smile to the man who helped him up.


    ¡°With this bread?¡± Criken asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s for my little sister, sir. She isn¡¯t able toe out of the house,¡± said the boy. His eyes looked earnestly up at the towering man in front of him.


    Criken¡¯s intuition was correct, and he nodded in understanding. ¡°Don¡¯t walk around outside sote. Your sister will worry.¡±


    The boy nodded his head fiercely. ¡°Yes. Thank you, sir.¡± He stared at the bag of bread in Criken¡¯s hands.


    As Criken moved the bag to and fro, the boy¡¯s eyes were mesmerized by it. He smirked. ¡°Right. I should give this back.¡± Criken held out the bag to the boy.


    ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± the boy eximed. Just as the boy¡¯s hands touched the bag, Criken suddenly turned it upside down and emptied its contents onto the floor.


    In shock, the boy asked what he was doing. Criken responded by crushing the bread underneath his feet. They broke apart into crumbs and mixed into the dirt,pletely inedible. A faint look of amusement appeared in Criken¡¯s eyes as he wandered past the bewildered boy. He was feeling quite cheerful¡ªwhenever he was about to do something important, he would have a bit of fun with things like this.


    As the moonlight faded away and the darkness grew deeper, the street lights flickered and the shadows disappeared. He rounded a third corner until he could no longer see any lit street lights. Surrounded by pitch ck darkness, he stopped in his tracks. In front of himid a giant metal door embossed with the words Tower of Magic, Aeurelli Branch in an elegant cursive. At this point, he tossed his fedora aside, revealing a mask shaped like a shark with horns. In the dead of night, he said a single word.


    ¡°Assemble.¡±


    Restless shadows stirred from the seedy underbelly of the city, and 80 silhouettes stood behind him. Each of them wore masks adorned with skulls and dark ck cloaks, merging with the darkness. The masquerade began channeling all manners of spells. Waves of mana rippled through the air as a menagerie of spells shed with the gate. A powerful magic barrier activated, nullifying the slew of magic that struck the metal gate.


    ¡®As expected of the Tower of Magic.¡¯


    Criken gestured forward with his chin, and a number of heavy-set men stepped forward to pound and grind down the gate. The door began to yield in reaction to the overwhelming force. ¡°Keep going,¡± said Criken. ¡°We can¡¯t let it adapt.¡±


    Additional ngs rang out from the door, as the enchantment weakened. As the mana could only flow in one direction, it could only activate one spell at a time. The enchantment could only augment its physical or magical durability¡ªeven with the greatest source of mana in the world, it wouldn¡¯t matter. Criken smirked as the door opened with a boom.


    An ear-splitting rm rang out¡ªthe intruders entered the Tower of Magic. Security guards and mages poured out from the Tower of Magic and formed ranks, with the defensive towers manned and sights readied on the iing masked foes. Criken was taken aback at their quick response time, but that didn¡¯t deter him. He signaled his subordinates to charge.


    The masked marauders let out a war cry as they engaged the iing forces. Sounds of steel shing, roars of triumph, and explosions echoed throughout the battlefield. In the chaos, Criken quietly left the battlefield, with 6 of his subordinates in tow.


    [Invisibility.]


    The high-level spell refracted light to make one disappear from sight. They tore away from the fight as the security guards continued to flood onto the war zone. ¡°They really came!¡±


    Criken and his men skirted off to one side. He nced at the guards as they went down the stairs, and then smiled to himself. Everything was perfect. With the Tower of Magic¡¯s forces gathered on the lower floors, they wouldn¡¯t be able to prevent him from aplishing his goal. The only thing which bothered him was how quickly they reacted. ¡®No matter. Everything is ording to n.¡¯


    The 80 men were merely a distraction. The main forces had dispersed from the upper floors, and he leisurely walked up the stairs.


    Tower of Magic¡ª20th Floor.


    Compared to the floors below, the 20th floor was rather small. As he entered the top floor, his eyes were drawn toward a safe. Criken, wary of additional traps, conjured a magic form in front of him as he took careful steps toward his prize.


    [Earth Rage.]


    3rd circle attack spell. The barriersyered on top of the safe were expelled by the tide of mana exerted by Criken. The safe wasid waste to and inside, a strange object illuminated the surrounding area. 2nd tier magic crystal¡ªRuigenell¡¯s Tear. The brilliant blue light danced across Criken¡¯s palm, and the crystalline object pulsed like a beating heart. His eyes shined with greed and he reached out to grab the magic crystal¡ª


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± A young boy¡¯s voice rang out.


    Startled, Criken turned around. It was an incredibly beautiful boy¡ªno. He was so beautiful that it was difficult to tell if it was a boy or a girl. His voice was firm. ¡°Please surrender, Outer.¡±


    This was outside of expectations. ¡°You were hiding forces in reserve? Interesting.¡± Criken¡¯s voice wavered as he tried to determine how they figured his n out. ¡°This means that you had to have known our ns, our identity, and even our objective¡­¡± His voice trailed off. ¡°Who are you?¡± His eyes narrowed as he tried to read his opponent.


    Pram Schneizer raised his sword with his eyes trained on his target, and said ¡°With the authority of Hebrion¡¯s Single Ranker, I ce you under arrest. You would do best to surrender.¡±


    ¡°I refuse.¡± With that, Criken snapped his fingers and hispanions lined up in front of him.


    [n¡¯s strength resides in me.]


    [Wave of me.]


    The mages created their constructs and aimed their sights at Pram. In response, Pram likewise used the time spent casting to analyze the enemy¡¯s strength.


    ¡®4 mages, 2 swordsmen. Based on the spells being cast and the reactions of the swordsmen, these guys can¡¯t be much stronger than 2nd Circle and Pawn-rank.¡¯


    [Fireball.]


    [Ice Spear.]


    With the first two spellspleted, the mages sent them careening toward the lone swordsman. A glint in Pram¡¯s eye shined as he swung his sword toward the iing sts of elemental energy. His nchume rapier bisected the Fireball and the Ice Spear left nary a scratch on Pram¡¯s head as they shattered into fragments of mana.


    ¡°He cut the magic?¡±


    ¡°Anti-magic sword!¡±


    Seeing the change in atmosphere, Pram leaped forward to subdue the mages. In response, the knights stood in an irond formation preventing Pram from making it to his quarry. The mages began casting a new salvo of spells with everybody back in position. The morale was high for the intruders, getting ready for Pram¡¯s execution, but¡ª


    ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡±


    Pram disappeared in an instant. The swordsmen quickly frantically looked around, trying to find the blue-haired boy, only to discover he was already on top of their mages. This was the difference of rank: these Pawn-rank soldiers had no hope of matching up with the Knight-rank prodigy. A dull smack sounded and the first mage crumpled to the ground. Their expressions turned grave as Pram moved onto his next target. As he neared, a pulse rose from the ground and caught his foot.


    [Entangle]


    2nd circle snaring spell. Pram¡¯s battle senses were hardy, but he was in disbelief. ¡®No way. There weren¡¯t any mages casting spells¡­¡¯


    He had missed it. There was a mage just outside of his vision, and now he would pay the price.

 Chapter 28: Outers (4)

    <h4>Chapter 28: Outers (4)</h4>


    Pram had the wind knocked out of his sails by the covert mage. Getting a better look, he realized that the mage was Criken. He had used his subordinates to shield himself and now, his second spellnded square on Pram¡¯s back.


    [Doom Fist.]


    Soil coagted into the shape of a fist and struck Pram¡¯s exposed back. ¡°Augh!¡± Pram screamed from the searing pain. Fresh blood dripped out of his lips, and he stumbled from the stock. Clenching his teeth, he calmed his rough breathing and fixed his posture. With the entrance of the Criken, he had to be more careful with his approach against the veteran mage.


    Thetter, however, was at ease. ¡°Your skills are impressive, but¡­¡±


    [Bind.]


    ¡°Your experience iscking.¡± 1st circle snaring spell. Shackles of mana shot towards Pram. They were sluggish in their pursuit of Pram allowing him to dodge, but they led him straight into Criken¡¯s trap.


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    [Raise Wall.]


    The Bind spell was a feint to lure Pram into the trap. A barrier on 3 sides rose from the ground to surround the boy and wall off his attempts to avoid the flurry of spells being pelted at him. Dozens of spells rained down relentlessly at him, and with nowhere to go, he was forced to parry.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Pram swung his nchume rapier without pause at the torrent of magic being sted at his location. Burning mes, sharpened icicles, and biting gales were torn to shreds by the silvery de, and the slightest moment of hesitation would take him down. Even with his highest speed, he could only deflect and disperse magic¡ªthe mages would never leave him to opportunity to make an escape.


    Criken¡¯s eyes narrowed at the sight of this unknown boy holding out against his contingent of mages. ¡®I¡¯ll get rid of that kid myself in one shot.¡¯ He gathered his mana and formed a 3rd circle spell around him. The magic would eviscerate the swordsman and turn him into ash. He only needed a few more seconds¡ª


    Wham! Criken¡¯s attention was distracted as one of his mages fell toward him and knocked him over. His casting form dissipated as he took a good look at the man who fell down. There was a small hole in his subordinate¡¯s chest te. He immediately checked his surroundings in a panic. Traces of magic could be found¡ªit was sniping magic.


    A swordsman in front of him was downed.


    Another two were downed behind him.


    Criken bit his lip. If he didn¡¯t fight back now, he would lose the chance. His men were dropping like flies. The tireless barrage of magic on Pram was loosening up and he was gaining momentum. The victory was slipping from his grasp right in front of his eyes. ¡®Sheet.¡¯


    ¡°Lose? Me?¡± He silently cursed. ¡°I won¡¯t let it end here!¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± One of the swordsman took a hit¡ªCriken saw a chance. The fallen subordinate was wailing, but when he looked carefully, the attack didn¡¯t pierce the armor. ¡®The spell couldn¡¯t even pierce the armor¡ªis it a 2nd circle mage?¡¯


    ¡°All of you! Protect me!¡±manded Criken.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    He immediately began to prepare a spell. The magic form manifested rapidly around him and drained an enormous amount of mana from his body. Without the spare mana avable, his previous constructs were deteriorating. With the walls out of Pram¡¯s way, the swordsmen sent to suppress him felt a shiver down their spine. Without the wall, it wasn¡¯t even a fight. It was a ughter.


    ¡°He¡¯sing!¡± They trembled in preparation for their fight with the Knight-rank swordsman. But nothing came.


    Pram dashed past the swordsmen and instead, wreaked havoc on the mages, now at theplete mercy of a silver sh. The swordsmen found themselves dispatched by formless bolts of sniping magic from outside of their vision. Soon, all that remained was Criken and a lone swordsman.


    ¡°Commander?¡± The swordsman¡¯s face paled as his sword met the weightless de. It didn¡¯t evenst a second before his sword was shed through. ¡°Help me, sir!¡±


    Criken did not pay him any mind. His magic swirled around him, andpleted the spell. A tform of stone fractured and rose into the air with Criken at the epicenter. A wide smile and show of relief appeared on the swordsman¡¯s face, with the utmost faith that hismander would turn the fight on its head. ¡°As expected,mander! You always have something up your sleeve!¡±


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s not that. This is¡­¡± Pram grew anxious as he watched Criken weave together this magic. The stone fragments circling Criken began to condense around him and cover him with a sturdy shell. The entire floor had been uprooted, and Pram backed away to safety.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The soldier was different. He couldn¡¯t escape from the spell and was raised alongside the floor. ¡°Wait,mand¡ª¡± Suddenly, the groundpressed together with him in tow. A bloody crunch echoed out.


    A bone-chilling shiver ran down Pram¡¯s spine. He was shocked that thismander would sacrifice his men without batting an eye. Even so, he couldn¡¯t approach due to the magical field else he would suffer the same fate. Once the rock¡¯s reconstruction finished itself, a hexahedron appeared, smooth and refined.


    [Bindell of Earth.]


    Defensive magic of the highest tier. This was a 4th circle escape spell. The floor that had been used for the spell could no longer hold its own weight and crumbled. Pram managed to barely avoid falling by grabbing onto the rails, but unlike him, the hexahedron began free falling and disappeared into the abyss. He looked helplessly at the location where the hexahedron was just seconds ago.


    A location not so far away from the Tower of Magic, the stone floor began to move as if it were breathing. The ce reeked of musty and dank smells, and rats skittered away from the tremors. A hexahedron shot out of the ground and found itself in a ce away from prying eyes. The hexahedron fell back into dirt as the tall figure emerged from within, holding a magic crystal that shimmered in the darkness of the sewers. Criken sighed. ¡°Phew.¡±


    His forehead was lined with sweat. ¡°Really, I don¡¯t get it. Even if it was the Tower of Magic, there is no way that they have such an expansive informationwork¡­¡± He wiped his brow and once again put on his shark faced mask. ¡°In any case, our current objective isplete.¡±


    2nd tier magic crystal, Ruigenell¡¯s Tear.


    His eyes got lost in the luminescent blue light and he smiled.


    ¡°That would be correct if you can make it out of here.¡±


    Criken jumped and stared down the corridor towards the source of the noise. ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    ¡°I marked you with my mana. It lets me find you in real-time.¡± Footsteps rang in the hall as a young boy emerged from the shadows. Criken recognized the face¡ªit was the boy who had left with the bread.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡± Criken sighed. Relief washed over his face. ¡°You yed me. The situation took so many turns and it nearly flew out of my control. But only for a moment.¡± He could clearly feel that the boy in front of him only had enough mana to be a 1st circle mage. He extended his hand to construct the magic form to murder this pesky boy and then¡ª


    The form fell apart. ¡°What is going on?¡±


    He tried again, but the results were the same. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that his sequence had been hijacked.


    ¡°Do you really n onpleting a spell with such a simple form?¡± The boy standing in front of him was hijacking his spell. The spell of a 4th circle mage! If Pram or Romantica were here, they would recognize him: Hebrion¡¯s Single Ranker, Desir Arman.


    ¡®Just how is he overpowering me?¡¯ He could feel that the boy in front of him only had the capacity for 1st circle magic. It was impossible for him to overpower his magic with sheer force¡ªthat was reality. If he didn¡¯t see it right before his eyes, he wouldn¡¯t believe it either. His defeat was looming before him.


    ¡°We have a bit of debt to settle, don¡¯t we? Do you remember that bread that you stomped on?¡± Desir casually strode towards him, but Criken maintained his distance. He was backed into a corner despite his pride as a 4th circle mage. He was at his wit¡¯s end.


    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Criken held out the shining treasure in his palm and threatened Desir. ¡°I¡¯ll shatter it! I¡¯ll shatter it into pieces!¡± He shouted as if he was on hisst legs.


    ¡°Try it.¡± Desir sighed with a pitiful gaze, and shook his head as he spoke.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I said ¡®Try it¡¯.¡± Desir reiterated the words again.


    ¡°¡­You bastard.¡± Criken felt heat blow across his face.


    Desir inched closer. ¡°You won¡¯t do it. In the end, you¡¯ve lost so many of your men to get it.¡± With each sentence, he drew towards Criken. ¡°What will you have left after you¡¯ve lost even this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get any closer!¡±


    Desir paid no heed to his threats and stood with him face to face. He treated him like a scarecrow.


    ¡®This idiot!¡¯ The look of helplessness on Criken¡¯s face transformed into cunning. A faint smile formed on his lips. Despite the overconfidence of the boy in front of him, he didn¡¯t expect him toe so close. If they fought through magic, he believed that Desir would be able to disarm his spells, but in a battle of pure strength, he could defeat him in a physical altercation. Without another word, he swung his fist at the boy.


    [Gravity Control.]


    4th circle control spell.


    Unfortunately for him, Desir¡¯s casting was much faster than the speed of Criken¡¯s fist. His magic form unfolded rapidly and activated in point-nk range of Criken. Before the man could blink, a massive weight pressed down on him and left him prone on his knees.


    ¡°Argh¡­argh!¡± Criken struggled with as much as he could under the growing gravitational forces sandwiching him to the floor.


    Not long after, the gravity forced him onto the ground. He waspletely suppressed. Gravity Control had ced him under 8 times the normal pressure. A hard thud sounded out as Criken was adhered to the ground. Criken¡¯s eyes watered as the stench of the inky sewage water stung his nose.

 Chapter 29: Time, Chess, and the Tower of Magic (1)

    <h4>Chapter 29: Time, Chess, and the Tower of Magic (1)</h4>


    Rewriter: Aster0x


    ¡°ARGGH!¡± Criken screamed in impotent rage as he struggled against the crushing force. It was useless. Sharp cracks apanied blinding pain as the intolerable gravity began rending its terrible toll on his body. He howled in pain as he felt his bones crack.


    He let his body slump to the ground in defeat. His magic had been rendered powerless and his body was now incapacitated. Criken looked up at Desir with blurry eyes. It still made no sense. How could a boy who was barely even a 1st circle mage cast a 4th circle spell? It should¡¯ve been impossible!


    ¡°Alright, let me take this back now.¡± Desir¡¯s voice was incredibly rxed in contrast. On the edge of passing out from exhaustion, Criken could offer little resistance as Desir pried the crystal from his fingers.


    Shock ran through Criken as he saw the magic crystal in Desir¡¯s hand. The stone glowed with a fierce blue light. Beneath the translucent exterior, the crystal¡¯s interior mana swirled violently. Criken felt numb. ¡®He¡¯s using the crystal¡¯s mana? How? This should be impossible!¡¯ No known technology existed to utilize the interior mana of a magic crystal before it was enchanted. What Criken was seeing went against everything he knew.


    The crystal wasn¡¯t enchanted. This much was obvious. But, as if he wasughing in the face ofmon sense, the boy was using the crystal¡¯s mana like it was nothing.


    As if Desir could read Criken¡¯s thoughts, he shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a fascinating technique, don¡¯t you think? I felt the same way when I saw it for the first time.¡± Desir lowered himself to his knees, and took Criken¡¯s mask off. Their eyes met. ¡°Are you curious? I could tell you, if you¡¯d like.¡±


    Criken shivered weakly. Of course he was curious. How could he not me? It was an achievement that defied everything everyone knew about magic crystals! A technique decades ahead of its time! If he had this technique, he could take all the riches of the Tower of Magic for himself! And the boy was offering to tell him this secret?


    Desir calmly asked again. ¡°Do you want to know?¡±


    Criken nodded quickly. The oue of this fight was irrelevant. His pride was irrelevant. This ¡®technique¡¯ was worth that much.


    Desir smiled brightly. ¡°Then, you should pay up for that bread first.¡± The gravitational pressure increased again, to 12 times.


    Criken howled for a moment as pain wracked his body, before he fell unconscious.


    Just like that, the Outers¡¯ attack on the Tower of Magic on July 7th ended.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to thank you,¡± Dr. Prelude gushed to Desir¡¯s party as they sat around the Tower of Magic¡¯s reception hall. ¡°Truly,¡± he continued, ¡°we would have suffered a serious, no, perhaps even catastrophic loss had it not been for your party, Mr. Desir. I don¡¯t even want to imagine what would have happened had the Outers seeded in taking that magic crystal.¡± Prelude bowed his head in gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Desir. Your party as well.¡±


    Pram barely kept a giggle down as he watched Dr. Prelude speak to Desir from across the table. Not even a half day prior, this person had been treating Desir like he was insane. He¡¯d agreed to listen to Desir because Desir had known about Ruigenell¡¯s Tear, and only on the provision that had the Outers not shown, Desir would¡¯ve had to shoulder all the cost of the defensive preparation. Even then, he hadn¡¯tpletely trusted Desir. The looks Desir¡¯s party had caught nces of, right up until the Outers appeared, were truly terrible.


    ¡®Although, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand his perspective¡­¡¯ Pram silently decided. In honesty, even he had doubts. The Outers would attack the Tower of Magic out of nowhere? That was considered nothing short of insanity. What kind of crazy idiot would attack the Tower of Magic, the greatest, most powerful corporation in the world? And yet¡­Pram gulped. ¡®Mr. Desir¡¯s words turned out to be true¡­¡¯ Just as Desir had said, the Outers hade. And, just as he¡¯d nned, they had been tidily, cleanly swept up. Their leader, Criken, had been arrested, and the 2nd tier magic crystal, Ruigenell¡¯s Tear, had been recovered and ced back under security. In short, Desir¡¯s party had made a miracle happen.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry for ever doubting you, Mr. Desir.¡¯ Silently, Pram resolved to himself to always trust Desir from now on. Pram would never again doubt any of Desir¡¯s decisions, no matter how absurd, how baseless they might seem. He turned to Desir, staring in admiration, boundless faith in his eyes.


    Desir, of course, remained oblivious, and continued to talk to Dr. Prelude. ¡°I¡¯m d we could be of help. Moving on, I¡¯d like to talk about thepensation.¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course, thepensation.¡± Cause and effect. Work andpensation. Perfectly natural, perfectly understandable. Prelude continued. ¡°Our Tower of Magic will offer you 120 gold inpensation.¡±


    Romantica nearly jumped out of her seat, startled. ¡°1¡ª120 gold? Are you serious?¡± Her tone was incredulous.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Miss Romantica,¡± Prelude responded smoothly. ¡°Considering what you¡¯ve done for us, at least this much is fair.¡±


    Romantica poked Desir¡¯s side impatiently. ¡°Hey, hey, what are you doing! You wereining about our party¡¯s budget not being sufficient right? If we have this amount of money, we could easily run the party for a year - no, 6 years!¡±


    Pram eagerly nodded in agreement. ¡°Right. And we won¡¯t need the Tower of Magic¡¯s sponsorship anymore. We¡¯ll have more than enough money.¡±


    Prelude nodded very slightly. Desir had wanted the Tower of Magic¡¯s sponsorship - Prelude had remembered that very well. ¡°We¡¯d originally been nning to offer 100 gold,¡± he began exining, ¡°but, unfortunately, it seems that your party hadn¡¯t been able to apply for the sponsorship. So I pulled some strings and got the extra 20 gold. It¡¯s not muchpared to the Tower of Magic¡¯s sponsorship, but it¡¯s still a good sum.¡± The coins inside clinked as Prelude set the leather pouch on the table.


    Desir didn¡¯t even nce at it as he spoke. ¡°Dr. Prelude.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what I said at the beginning of our conversation?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I do remember.¡± Prelude nodded, recalling the conversation they¡¯d had earlier this morning.


    ¡°Are you perhaps requesting a sponsorship from the Tower of Magic?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a simr request.¡±


    Desir¡¯s voice interrupted Prelude¡¯s memory. ¡°Thank you for the offer, but I¡¯ll have to refuse.¡±


    ¡°Wha~!¡± Beside him, two voices erupted in protest, and angry interjections filled the room. Pram and Romantica, naturally.


    Desir ignored their voices, seemingly unfazed. ¡°I don¡¯t want money. Instead, I have a request.¡±


    Dr. Prelude pushed his crooked sses up. ¡°Bu - but Mr. Desir, the sponsorship application deadline was July 4th. I know how sincerely you want the Tower of Magic¡¯s support, and I know how much you regret not being able to apply. However, this is a rule that not even Zod himself could change.¡± Indeed, that had been the practical motivation behind raising thepensation to 120 gold. It had been constion, of a sort, but, more importantly, it ensured that their party would not be discontent.


    Desir sighed in disappointment. ¡°You misunderstand me again, Dr. Prelude. I have no intention of asking you to pull any strings for the sponsorship. I know very well how much important the Tower of Magic ces on timeliness, and how troublesome this would be for you.¡±


    Now Prelude was utterly confused. ¡°Then¡­then what is your request?¡± he asked incredulously. His expectations had been shattered, and his offers all refused.


    When Desir responded, Prelude was surprised at how simple the request was. It was concise, and of course, easily satisfied. It was just that, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t understand why.


    ¡°Please let me y chess with the Master of the Tower of Magic.¡±


    [Altaea, the heart of magic engineering.]


    Roads spread across the city like spider webs, and magic-powered cars zipped across them. Around them, titanic buildings soared into the air. It was here that the Tower of Magic, famed as the greatest corporation in the world, had its headquarters.


    Across its spacious, elegant hallway strode two figures. Some smiled and greeted as they passed the two, others did a quick double-take in confusion. The two seemed not to mind, and quickly entered an elevator on the far side of the lobby.


    ¡°Is this really alright, Mr. Desir?¡± Prelude ventured. With experienced motions, he sent the cylindrical elevator soaring upwards. He turned to the enigmatic child, puzzled. Pram and Romantica had gone sightseeing, so it was simply Desir and Prelude in the elevator.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± replied Desir.


    ¡°Chess. I¡¯m talking about chess. You did, truthfully, something incredible, and yet, you¡¯re only asking to y chess¡­¡±


    Desir shrugged. ¡°Everyone wants something different.¡±


    ¡°Even so, it¡¯s 120 gold, you know?¡± Prelude sighed in resignation. ¡°And to top it off, what was the Tower Master thinking when he epted such a bizarre request¡­¡±


    Desir answered, nonchntly, as the elevator doors opened. ¡°He was probably interested just by how out of the ordinary the request was.¡±


    They stepped into a room, with enormous bookshelves lining each of its long walls. Neat lines of textbooks ran, unbroken, across each row, top to bottom, and further countless stacks of books wereid out all over the floor. At the front stood a ckboard with forms crammed into every corner and nk space, enough to give even a casual reader a headache. Around them, the windows¡¯ curtains had all been drawn, andmps, containing magic crystals enchanted with light magic, were ced around the room, filling the room with bright light.


    ¡®They even use magic crystals for theirmps.¡¯ Desir noted. In the middle of this room sat a man with longshes and a high nose. Pink lips contrasted his pure white skin, unmarked by blemishes. He had a strong charm with his distinct features. Even by the most pessimistic estimate, he couldn¡¯t have been older than 30.


    As he saw Desir enter the room, he smiled, and pushed his sses up nonchntly. Desir chuckled to himself. ¡®He still looks the same, huh?¡¯


    He was Zod Exarion. In past, present, and Desir¡¯s future, he was the greatest mage in the world, the man who had singled-handedly revived interest in magic. Listing all of his aplishments was an unenviable feat. They could¡¯ve filled an entire book - in fact, there was actually a book that detailed all of his aplishments. It hade out earlier this year. It was thicker than most encyclopedias.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought the student,¡± said Prelude.


    ¡°Good work. You may take your leave,¡± replied Zod. There was an archaic feeling to his words. He gestured in front of him, to an ivory-colored chess boardid atop a ck, circr table. ¡°Sit.¡±


    Desir sat across from Zod, who peered at the boy through his sses. ¡°If I had the time, I would have at least offered you tea, so that we could y a leisurely game together. But, s, I have a meeting in exactly 27 minutes, and I cannot afford the time.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m thankful enough that you listened to my impudent request,¡± replied Desir smoothly.


    ¡°Thank you for understanding. Now, let us begin the game.¡± Zod¡¯s tone almost betrayed the slightest impatience.


    There were no other pleasantries to be exined. Chess was the purpose of the meeting, so it was all they talked about.


    Zod ced the pieces on the board, and gestured to Desir. ¡°Which rules would you like to y by? Imperial, or Western Kingdoms?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll choose North Sea style.¡±


    Zod¡¯s eyes twinkled for a moment.

 Chapter 30: Time, Chess, and the Tower of Magic (2)

    <h4>Chapter 30: Time, Chess, and the Tower of Magic (2)</h4>


    ¡°Are you from the North Sea region?¡± asked Zod.


    ¡°No,¡± Desir replied, ¡°but I used to have an acquaintance from that region. It¡¯s thanks to them that I mastered the North Sea rules.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you had no choice but to learn it.¡±


    ¡°That was indeed the case.¡±


    ¡°It must have been rough. The North Sea rules are difficult.¡±


    ¡°It certainly was.¡±


    Zod¡¯s bodynguage seemed to rx. And it wasn¡¯t just wishful thinking on Desir¡¯s part. Compared to just moments prior, Zod¡¯s sense of urgency had eased off significantly. This was no doubt due to Desir mentioning the ruleset that originated from Zod¡¯s homnd.


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Zod, ¡°we shall y with the North Sea rules.¡±


    Zod flipped the chessboard over, then widened the board on both sides. The usual square board was now lengthened horizontally.


    The North Sea rules differed from regr chess in several ways. There were five more rows and columns, which came with additional pieces for each added column. As a result, there are four bishops and knights on each side. Furthermore, there were two warship pieces instead of the queen, referencing the naval background of the North Sea region. In fact, the ruleset included many characteristics meant to emte actual warfare.


    For example, if a pawn does not move for a turn, it may establish a supply line. Supply lines allow pieces within it to move twice in one turn. It was a different take on chess, to the extent that one could say that it was apletely different game that just happened to use chess pieces.


    ¡°Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Same, let¡¯s have a good game.¡±


    The clock struck four o¡¯clock as the chess match between Tower Master Zod and Desir began.


    Both contenders were evenly matched through the opening. Zod carefully surveyed the chessboard, his eyes calmly analyzing the position. Zod¡¯s pieces were perfectly synchronized. The bishops was on the offensive, supported by the knights, making room for a pawn push. Meanwhile, the rooks anchored the formation, defending the sides of the warships. It was a sophisticated defensive position with no gaps in sight.


    In stark contrast, Desir¡¯s pieces had no organization at all. The warships were in the back, the pawns interfered with the knight¡¯s movements, and the arrangement of the rooks were in disarray. Dysfunctionality was the theme that permeated on Desir¡¯s side of the board.


    Despite this disparity, the match was in a deadlock. However, Desir would be the one to contest that deadlock. Pushing a pawn forward, he challenged Zod¡¯s own pawn.


    ¡®!?¡¯


    Without hesitation, Desir¡¯s pawn cut down its opponent, threatening Zod¡¯s defensive position and earning some praise from Zod.


    ¡°I mustpliment you on your bold strategy,¡±mented Zod as he used a knight to knock off Desir¡¯s pawn from the board. Unfazed, Desir continued the exchange using his rook to retake the knight.


    ¡°However,¡± continued Zod, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you are too hasty.¡± Following his calcted moves, Zod took a bishop from the opposite side of the board and knocked off Desir¡¯s rook, ending the first major exchange of the game.


    In this war of attrition, Desir¡¯s side was considerably more battered. Early on, he had lost a knight and was now even further down on the exchange. However, the piece sacrifices were not in vain. The western side of the board, where Zod¡¯s bishop originated, was no longer imprable.


    Desir advanced his pawn, taking advantage of the defensive gap. Zod attempted a response, but Desir had already positioned his warship early on to take advantage of that gap. Thus, Desir¡¯s mighty warship broke through Zod¡¯s defenses. In an instant, the defense was overrun and the western side of the board was in shambles.


    Zod looked at Desir in surprise.


    ¡®He¡¯s pretty good. He¡¯s skilled for sure, but he¡¯s still just a student.¡¯


    From the ruined defensive formation, Zod had positioned a knight near some pawns for a special tactic. Desir had positioned his pieces to quickly prate through Zod¡¯s defenses, but left himself open to a counterattack as a consequence. With a decisive move, Zod tore apart Desir¡¯s supply lines, preventing him from moving quickly and allowing Zod to calmly and efficiently capture isted pieces.


    Try as he might, Desir was unable to stop the counterattack. His warship was surrounded by pawns and ultimately fell to Zod¡¯s bishop.


    It was a sessful counter-offensive. Desir had lost many pieces and would need to regroup before he could make another y. It was the perfect time for Zod to go on full offense.


    In North Sea rules, when a yer sinks a warship, they are granted another turn. Zod utilized this extra move to advance his front line, taking advantage of the supply lines created by his pawns. Desir tried to disrupt the supply lines with his own pieces, but were blocked by the opposing knight.


    Zod advanced his pieces methodically. With his supply line securely defended, his army was able to move forward in a tight formation. In just five short turns, there was a huge supply line that was stretched diagonally across the ying field.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Desir paused to think. He was definitely at a disadvantage. Zod¡¯s supply line was particrly bothersome. Through this supply line, Zod¡¯s pieces were able to maneuver nimbly through Desir¡¯s front line. It was a fierce match.


    Without missing a beat, Desir repelled Zod¡¯s invasion with his own pieces. Sparks flew as the front lines shed and held their ground. Desir¡¯s positioning neither focused on offense or defense. It was almost nonsensical.


    Zod, on the other hand, was focused on his attack. He concentrated his pieces on a single square and broke past Desir¡¯s defenses, sessfully prating the formation. The casualty of this attack was a bishop and disruption of Desir¡¯s pawn formation. Zod then followed up by capturing two of Desir¡¯s remaining three knights. Victory did not seem far away.


    Desir made an attempt to halt the advance, but it was not sufficient. Zod¡¯s pieces moved in sync, preventing any counter y. His rook supported his pawns as they invaded and established a new supply line, further increasing his advantage. Zod¡¯s y was methodical, calmly creating a siege line while simultaneously pressuring with an attack.


    Ignoring the danger posed to his other pieces, Desir chose to retreat his warship first. Even then, it was horribly outnumbered.


    ¡®It¡¯s over,¡® thought Zod. Desir¡¯s initial attack was strong, but that was all he offered this game. As the Tower Master expected, the young student was no match for him. Though the game was enjoyable, it was time to finish the match.


    As Zod was about to reach for a piece, Desir, who had not said a word throughout the entire game, finally spoke.


    ¡°Would you like to make a wager?¡±


    ¡°A wager?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. If something was at stake, we would try our hardest, right?¡±


    Zod immediately understood Desir¡¯s intent. A normal person would not refuse a reward of 120 gold pieces and ask for a chess game instead. There were definitely ulterior motives at work.


    Zod¡¯s lip curled into a smile. Building up expectations for Desir¡¯s request, Zod asked, ¡°What sort of wager did you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep it simple. How about if the loser has to fulfill one request from the winner?¡±


    It was a simple wager. However, the stakes were outrageous.


    ¡°What exactly could I request from you?¡± bemused Zod, ¡°what could a student like yourself offer to me, the Tower Master?¡±


    ¡°You could have me work in the Tower of Magic? Despite appearances, I am first among the Single Rankers, even though I am a first year student. When ites to magic, I am confident that I am second to none.¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s fair. In that case, my request to you will be that youe work for the Magic Engineering Department immediately after graduation.¡± Zod, knowing Desir¡¯s background, decided his request without hesitation.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t a guaranteed job more beneficial to me?¡± asked Desir.


    ¡°You¡¯re still a first year student and you¡¯re already talented enough to be a Single Ranker. For the Tower of Magic to acquire such a talent without needing to invest in scouting is beneficial enough for us, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°I see. I guess it¡¯s my turn to state my request.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. Before I hear your request, I must say one thing.¡± Zod held up a hand, anticipating Desir¡¯s request, ¡°I refuse to provide sponsorship.¡±


    ¡°You are being very thorough, I see.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Rules are rules, there will be no exceptions. The application period has already passed and I can¡¯t give you an exception. Rules are important.¡±


    ¡°I agree wholeheartedly that rules are important. So there is no need for you to be concerned with such matters. I¡¯ve said this many times already, but I have no intention of seeking sponsorship.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then I am very curious as to what your request is.¡± Zod could not hide the fact that his interest was piqued. ¡°You somehow obtained information on an Outers raid and were instrumental in stopping them. Then, you refused the reward of 120 gold and asked for a chess game with me instead. Finally, you elected to y with the North Sea rules, which you must have known somehow was from my homnd. What kind of request is worth all that effort? Aside from sponsorship, I have no idea.¡±


    It was more of a statement than a question. A deration that Zod was fully aware of Desir¡¯s every action thus far. Unfazed, Desir continued.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you would be that curious about my request. Since that is the case, how about I keep it to myself for now so that you can savor the moment? After all, the most anticipated gift is the one you unwrapst.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good analogy. I like it. I¡¯ll entertain your offer then.¡±


    Confident in his victory, Zod didn¡¯t see the need to continue questioning Desir. Zod wasn¡¯t being conceited. Anyone looking at the state of the chessboard would say that the game was clearly in Zod¡¯s favor. Desir only had six pawns, two rooks, one bishop, and one king remaining. All of his knights were eliminated. It would not have been unusual for a yer to resign at this point.


    Desir himself knew this, but he was not ready to throw in the towel.


    ¡®As expected, a genius is a genius,¡¯ admired Desir. ¡®This position is no joke. What¡¯s scary is that, even though he¡¯s ahead, he¡¯s not letting up one bit.¡¯


    In terms of skill, Zod was definitely the better yer. This was true in the current moment as well as in Desir¡¯s past. In his past life, Desir had already yed chess against Zod many times.


    The survivors of the Shadow Labyrinth all had their own hobbies. It was something required to help them hold onto their sanity on that brutal battlefield. For Pram, it was cooking, though the choice of ingredients was slim. For Romantica, it was singing. For Saintess Prisci, prayer.


    And for Desir and Zod, it was chess.


    The two of them carved out chess pieces from rocks and a chessboard from a boulder. When it came to the ruleset, Desir wanted to use the Hebrion rules, but Zod insisted on the North Sea rules. In the end, Zod had his way and Desir bitterly learnt the North Sea ruleset.


    ¡®It truly was rough.¡¯


    He had to learn and adapt to the extra pieces, the new warship piece, and a slew of special rules. How many days did it take before the unfamiliar rules felt natural? Desir could not recall. Eventually, however, Desir did master the ruleset and was able to y against Zod in earnest.


    And was defeated.


    Absolutely crushed.


    Like a toddler, who just learned to walk, having a race against a professional sprinter, the difference in skill and ability wasrge. It was a scenario where a more sympathetic yer may let the newer yer win a game now and then in order to encourage them. However, despite the disparity in skill and experience, not once did Zod allow Desir to win. Not a single game in six years.


    Naturally, ying against the same opponent repeatedly for six years would result in familiar positions and patterns emerging. Over time, Desir saw every strategy Zod had to offer and eventually got to the point where he was no longer being crushed and could barely hold on against him.

 Chapter 31: Time, Chess, and the Tower of Magic (3)

    <h4>Chapter 31: Time, Chess, and the Tower of Magic (3)</h4>


    The sound of Zod making his move brought Desir¡¯s attention back to the present.


    While he was reminiscing about his previous life that happened in the future, he was driven into a corner in less than 100 moves by the Zod in front of him who existed 13 years in the past.


    This was to be expected, as Zod¡¯s skill did not change much between the two timeframes. However, for Desir, the bigger reason he was struggling was Zod¡¯s mentality. As the future Zod had lived through a harsh battlefield, his moves tended to be more aggressive and domineering as a result. The current Zod, on the other hand, was more reserved and focused on countery.


    Desir, who was expecting the future Zod¡¯s style of y, found himself unable to read the opponent in front of him. So instead, Desir offered one piece after another in order to analyze the current Zod. As a result, he was close to losing.


    The pieces were not thrown away wastefully, however. He had sacrificed pieces to test Zod¡¯s reactions while making sure to keep enough pieces on the board to mount aeback. This had been Desir¡¯s n all along. It was a ystyle that was unique to him.


    The current Zod must have some habits that were shared with his future counterpart. Desir dly sacrificed his pieces in order to find these habits. Discovering them meant that he would be able to predict Zod¡¯s next moves.


    ¡®I did manage to figure him out, but¡­¡¯ with hisst knight captured, Desir was barely able to stay half a step ahead of Zod, ¡®if I¡¯m at this much of a disadvantage, I won¡¯t be able to make aeback even if I could predict his moves.¡¯


    That would definitely have been the case if the situation was normal. However, there was a variable in this match that was out of the ordinary.


    ¡°It¡¯s your turn,¡± Zod prompted him and Desir made a move in reply, using his warship to block off the only path to his king. Zod finally understood why Desir pulled his warship all the way back and sacrificed his other pieces. The warship¡¯s defense was the best out of all the pieces. If it was a frontal attack, the warship could thwart itpletely simply by existing.


    ¡°How persistent. The match is already decided.¡±


    ¡°Even so, I¡¯d like to y it out and hold on with all I have.¡±


    ¡°¡­But I don¡¯t think anything you do can affect the oue.¡±


    ¡°You never know what will happen until the end.¡±


    ¡°So you say.¡±


    ***


    It was Zod¡¯s turn. His fingers idly yed with the pile of pieces that he¡¯d captured from Desir.


    ¡®First move the knights back, then regroup to slowly corner him,¡¯ thought Zod. ¡®That should break his defense, even if he has a warship. Take out the warship and the game is over.¡¯


    The only issue was, he would need at least 30 turns to execute this n. 30 turns was an issue.


    ¡®There is no time,¡¯ Zod nced at his watch and fiddled with his pieces anxiously. The time was 4:22. The meeting was starting at 4:27, meaning he had less than five minutes left. Not enough time for 30 turns. ¡®In that case, I need to end this quickly.¡¯


    Desir¡¯s king was right in front of the knight, less than three spaces away. If Zod was able to advance and take down the king, the game would be over.


    ¡®I could go for the win with just my knights,¡¯ Zod was confident that he didn¡¯t need 30 turns to win. ¡®First, attack the warship with my knight and then use the other knights to mate the king.¡¯


    ***


    Desir smiled with satisfaction as Zod advanced his knight.


    ¡®He got greedy, as expected.¡¯


    Zod was feeling the pressure of the time constraints and had made the worst move possible. It was exactly what Desir was waiting for.


    ¡®The winner was decided the moment you told me that you only had 27 minutes to y.¡¯


    Desir¡¯s following moves would have seemed confusing to spectators, as he repositioned his pieces without concern for the danger posed to his king. However, Zod was able to figure out Desir¡¯s intent unbelievably quickly.


    ***


    ¡®He¡¯s changing formations,¡¯ Zod thought.


    Up until now, Desir had not fullymitted to either offense or defense. His pieces were scattered across the board, almost randomly. It was the main reason why Zod had been able to break Desir¡¯s defenses.


    ¡®Changing formation is definitely the correct y, but¡­¡¯ Having already pinned Desir as a weaker yer, Zod was unperturbed. Shaking his head, he thought, ¡®It¡¯s toote now to try changing formations.¡¯


    ***


    At the same time, Desir was thinking, ¡®He¡¯s thinking that it¡¯s toote. That¡¯s a big mistake.¡¯


    With a few quick moves, Desir regrouped his knights and rooks in the center of the board, blocking in Zod¡¯s knights from three sides. The scattered formation had transformed into an encirclement and a tight defensive line was created in an instant.


    Desir¡¯s aimless-looking positioning was in fact deliberate and calcted, ready to switch to offense or defense in response to Zod¡¯s y.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Zod watched as Desir created a concentrated attack using a pawn and a rook, with the warship as their lead. Despite being cornered, Desir poured all his avable resources into attacking the knight. There was no way Zod could stop all these pieces with only a knight.


    ¡°This¡­what!?¡±


    Theeback had begun. Desir¡¯s pawns easily thwarted the knight¡¯s attack and pushed toward Zod¡¯s warship. His rook joined the fight and crushed the supply lines. In a blink of an eye, every one of Zod¡¯s knights were destroyed.


    ¡®It¡¯s toote now even if he¡¯s realized his mistake.¡¯ Desir reorganized his pieces again. Within three turns, his formation flipped from defense to offense. All of Desir¡¯s pieces rushed to invade Zod¡¯s territory.


    Zod maneuvered his pieces to the center to defend, intending to sh head on with Desir¡¯s forces.


    ¡®He should be reeling from losing his knights, but he still has enough pieces remaining to push me back.¡¯


    As if he was mocking Zod¡¯s efforts, Desir turned his pieces west just before the two sides collided. Their new target was¡­Zod¡¯s isted warship.


    ¡®Zod doesn¡¯t like using his warships to attack. The fact that he never used them, even when he had the lead, proves this.¡¯


    Zod¡¯s warship sunk under the concentrated attack. As noted before, a yer gains an extra turn after destroying a warship. Desir used this extra turn to seize Zod¡¯s supply line. The supply line that Zod had so carefully built up was now in Desir¡¯s hands.


    ¡®I¡¯ll focus my attacks on the weakened western front.¡¯ Following the destruction of the warship, Desir¡¯s pieces nked Zod from the west. Zod attempted to turn his pieces around, but without his knights, he was too slow to respond. As a result, Zod¡¯s left side was routed.


    Zod pulled pieces away from his eastern front to strike at Desir¡¯s supply line. However, Desir¡¯s warship, which was no longer needed to defend his king, was already in position to repel the attack. Desir was already familiar with Zod¡¯s habit of targeting supply lines.


    ***


    ¡®He¡¯s got me.¡¯ A chill ran down Zod¡¯s spine. He tried to pull back his soldiers from the supply line attack, but it was toote. He had alreadymitted too many moves to the attack. In the meanwhile, Desir had taken all of Zod¡¯s pawns, which were vital for maneuvering his troops.


    There were too many fires to put out. In ast ditch move, Zod pushed in all of his pieces, not just the center ones, toward Desir¡¯s king.


    ***


    Seeing Zod¡¯s tactic, Desir was now certain of his win.


    ¡®Too hasty. Such a quick push leaves many of your pieces hanging.¡¯ It was rare to see Zod, who had always strived for perfection, panic and lose hisposure.


    Desir could see the path to victory. One by one, he picked off Zod¡¯s scattered pieces. The material advantage that Zod held throughout the game was lost in the blink of an eye. Finally, Zod¡¯s other warship fell.


    ¡°Check.¡±


    It was 4:25.


    The Master of the Tower of Magic tipped over his king.


    ¡°It¡¯s my loss.¡±


    Zod¡¯s Pad vibrated. He nced at the screen and told Desir, ¡°My secretary.¡±


    ¡°Ah, please take the call then. Don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zod pushed a button and a gentle female voice spoke.


    ¡ª ¡°Sir, the meeting begins in three minutes. You shoulde out soon.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I will be there shortly. Please wait a moment.¡±


    Zod ended his conversation with the push of another button on the Pad. He tapped the chessboard with his bejeweled fingers.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would lose,¡± Zod said, with a hint of satisfaction in his voice.


    ¡°You would have won if there was no time limit, sir.¡±


    ¡°Spare me your sympathy.¡± Zod pushed the chessboard aside. ¡°Now let¡¯s hear it. What is your request?¡±


    ¡°My request is a deal. An equal exchange.¡±


    ¡°A deal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a deal.¡±


    ¡°A deal¡­and what would be the specifics of this deal?¡±


    ¡°I have an idea that I can give you in exchange for support on the level of the Tower of Magic¡¯s sponsorship.¡±


    Zod arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°So not an unconditional support. I suppose it doesn¡¯t vite our agreement if it¡¯s an equal exchange¡­¡± Zod thought for a moment before shaking his head, ¡°How troublesome. I find this request disagreeable.¡±


    ¡°You lost the wager, sir.¡±


    ¡°That I did. So I must honor a request from you. But what you¡¯re requesting here is a deal. An equal exchange. How is this equal?¡± Zod spoke calmly, ¡°Think about it, Desir. It¡¯s equal if both parties gauge the things being exchanged to have the same value. An idea from a single student versus the backing of the greatest corporation? This is not a deal.¡±


    ¡°Even if there is a bit of difference in value, you¡¯re obligated to honor my request.¡±


    ¡°The difference in value here is not trivial. You¡¯re asking to exchange a bar of gold for a peanut. You cannot call that a deal. Though we would be using a loophole, it is basically the same as an unconditional sponsorship, which we agreed is off the table.


    ¡°You can say that I¡¯m being cheap. I know you want the Tower of Magic¡¯s sponsorship, but this is too unreasonable. I¡¯d ask you to make a different request.¡± The Tower Master continued after a moment of silence, ¡°If you can¡¯t think of anything, I¡¯ll make a suggestion. Request for a bigger reward for fending off the Outers¡¯ raid. I can ept that. If you make that request, I¡¯ll offer you funds equal in value to the 2nd tier magic crystal you recovered. From now until your graduation, I¡¯ll donate 120 gold to your party every month.¡±


    Editor¡¯s Rant: Can I just say how disappointed I am? As a chess enthusiast, I was happy to tackle chapter 30 and 31. I was hoping for a description of a game that I could imagine and follow along in my head, even with its nonsensical ruleset (apparently it matters which way your pieces are facing in North Sea chess? That¡¯s not going to be problematic :p). Instead, author-nim denied me of this pleasure by putting in zero effort to create an actual coherent series of events.


    How is it that Desir is reduced to ¡°six pawns, two rooks, one bishop, and one king¡± and then suddenly has a warship avable to defend? How can you say that all of Desir¡¯s knights were destroyed and then give at least two back to him for his counterattack? Is Desir cheating? Did he decide to promote a pawn into a knight? Desir can¡¯t be *that* big of an idiot¡­

 Chapter 32: Time, Chess, and the Tower of Magic (4)

    <h4>Chapter 32: Time, Chess, and the Tower of Magic (4)</h4>


    It was an incredible offer. With the 28 months to Desir¡¯s graduation, the total amount of money he would receive was¡­


    ¡°3360 gold, by my calctions¡ªthat should be sufficient to show that your efforts haven¡¯t been in vain. By winning a chess game, you have increased your reward 28 times over. With that, I wouldn¡¯t be going against my word, and you would more or less have a sponsorship.¡± Zod stared firmly at Desir, awaiting his approval.


    ¡°Those are very favorable terms. I almost want to ept immediately,¡± said Desir, shaking his head. ¡°But that won¡¯t change my request. I want to make a deal.¡±


    Zod expressed disdain at the boy¡¯s choice. ¡°I expected you to choose more wisely. You¡¯ve rejected my offer, and I can¡¯t ept your deal. With that, the negotiations are over.¡± The man rose to get up from his seat.


    ¡°No, Tower Master. Let¡¯s clear this up first. It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t ept the deal¡ªit¡¯s that you can¡¯t ept the deal at a loss.¡± At face value, this was evidently the case. ¡°However, this means you would ept the deal if it is equivalent exchange.¡±


    ¡°So you think this is a fair deal.¡± The Tower Master was audibly upset by Desir¡¯s words.


    Desir saw the ws. There¡¯s no way that anybody from the outside looking in would see this as fair. It was preposterous. He immediately went to appease his old colleague.


    ¡°I understandpletely where you¡¯reing from, Mister Exarion. A mere student¡¯s idea versus the Tower of Magic¡¯s sponsorship. Logically speaking, there is no way that anybody would see this as fair.¡±


    Desir rose from his seat and toyed with the warship piece from the chess board. ¡°But you of all people should know better than anybody else that there are plenty of things outside the realm of logic. For instance, a 20-year-old man bing the Tower Master after developing the Enchant technique. Or maybe even less likely, a student of Hebrion Academy defeating the Tower Master in a game of chess.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say, then?¡± Zod was not impressed, and waited for Desir to quickly get to the point.


    ¡°Regardless of how illogical it may seem, this deal is quite fair. If I must, I can prove it right now. Would you like to stay awhile and listen?¡± Desir ced the warship directly in front of Zod as he waited for an answer.


    ¡°¡­Prove it.¡± Zod crossed his arms, and gave him one chance to exin himself.


    Desir took in his surroundings. Bookshelves lined the walls of the entire room. The chess board they just yed with lied on top of the desk, illuminated by amp as well as various magic crystals strewn about. He walked toward the desk and picked up one of the magic crystals. None of the crystals were enchanted, which left them unusable. Desir surrounded the magic crystal in a cocoon of his mana, and it began pulsating.


    A sound rang out from the crystal, like a musical chord. Desir began vibrating his mana particles one by one, and disyed his unique control over mana. ¡®Slowly, lock on to the frequency.¡¯ Second by second, Desir slowly raised the mana¡¯s frequency bit by bit until the whirring sound from the magic crystal began to vibrate more fiercely than before, and it reverberated back and forth.


    A look of shock appeared on Zod¡¯s face. ¡®He influenced the crystal¡¯s internal mana without using the Enchant method?¡¯ Based on his theory, this was impossible. If he didn¡¯t see if in front of his eyes, he wouldn¡¯t believe it himself.


    Desir paid him no heed. The internal mana continued whirling around violently, growing exponentially stronger. It spun vigorously, forming a perfect circle. As soon as Desir felt it reach its peak, he said two simple words. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    The Tower Master¡¯s mouth was still agape. ¡°It¡¯s over?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s all.¡± Desir threw the magic crystal at Zod.


    Zod caught the magic crystal, still having difficulty wrapping his head around what just ensued. The magic crystal looked exactly the same, aside from the internal mana perpetually looping. Bewildered, he looked at Desir and asked, ¡°What did you do?¡±


    The answer he was looking for didn¡¯te from Desir, but from the magic crystal.


    ¡ª ¡°Sir? Is there an issue?¡±


    Zod nearly dropped the crystal upon hearing his secretary¡¯s voice.


    ¡ª ¡°More importantly, there is less than one minute until your meeting.¡±


    The voice continued speaking.


    ¡°It can also be used as a transmitter,¡± exined Desir nonchntly.


    Zod stood in a daze at the news. The 7th circle magician chose his next words very carefully. His voice trembled as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll call you back in a moment.¡± Gently cing the magic crystal on the table, he turned back to Desir. ¡°I¡¯m going to need an exnation.¡±


    ¡°As you can see, I ced amunication spell on the magic crystal. When you took her call earlier, I confirmed your secretary¡¯s number¡ª¡°


    ¡°I can tell that much. I¡¯m asking how you ced the spell on the crystal without enchanting it.¡± Zod¡¯s eyes were intent, searching for any clues he could find from this student who just blew his theory wide open.


    ¡°Each and every mana particle has something called a unique frequency. If you can tune these frequencies with that of other mana particles, you can make them harmonize with each other, creating a mana resonance.¡±


    And it was that unique phenomenon that hadn¡¯t been discovered yet in this age.


    ¡°This mana resonance can be applied to a myriad of objects¡ªa magic crystal is no exception. If you vibrate its surroundings at the same frequency as the mana, the vibration allows it to travel out through the exterior mana shell, creating this kind of mana resonance.¡± Desir took the crystal back from Zod, and once again disyed how it worked. ¡°If you spin the surrounding mana, the stored mana spins with it. Once the rotations reach a critical point, the interior mana settles into a circr form. This form is often referred to as ¡®Circles¡¯, and with this¡ª¡°


    ¡°You can activate as many spells as you want, even without the enchanting process.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Desir clenched the activated magic crystal in his hand. ¡°The applications are endless. As long as the mana allows, you can activate dozens of spells at once. This means that we don¡¯t have to pointlessly deplete our magic crystals, and does away with the Enchant method¡¯s greatest w.


    ¡°With this technology, the Outers would have had no chance of breaking through your front gates. The Enchant method leaves you with the vulnerability of needing to choose between a physical and magical barrier, but this opens up a range of possibilities. Even if your circle is low, this method allows you to ess the full breadth of magic as long as you have a magic crystal powerful enough.¡±


    This was only the beginning. Using this method, countless techniques could be developed.


    Zod spoke, his voice shaking. ¡°Did you discover this?¡±


    ¡°I know of it.¡± Desir didn¡¯t give a straight answer; in reality, Zod was the one who created this technique in the future, not him.


    3 years into the Shadow Labyrinth, Zod Exarion discovered mana resonance and it overturned his fundamental understanding of magic engineering. From there, he kept expanding on his theory, eventually allowing somebody to use a magic crystal without the Enchant method. This discovery led to humanity acquiring techniques to survive in the Shadow Labyrinth. Driven into a corner, humanity had no choice but to innovate and bring these discoveries to light.


    After returning to the past, Desir thought about bringing the techniques from the future to this age. If all of the knowledge gained from their desperate struggle could be brought back to the past, maybe it would increase the chances of clearing the Shadow Labyrinth. ¡®With the Tower of Magic¡¯s ability, they would be able to bring these techniques to life.¡¯


    That was it.


    Desir wasn¡¯t here to receive support; he was here supporting them. When the Tower Masterpared the deal to exchanging a gold bar for a peanut, he was correct. However, he didn¡¯t realize where he stood.


    ¡°This is extremely surprising¡ªit will rewrite the history of magic engineering as we know it.¡± Zod¡¯s mind was hundreds of miles away, thinking about all of the possibilities that this could produce.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear it, Tower Master. But I just want you to know¡ªthis is only a small portion of the ideas that I have. I am willing to offer you every technique that I know of, and the Tower of Magic can use them in their products. All I ask in return is that you sponsor my party with items made using these techniques. This is my offer.¡±


    Zod¡¯s snapped back into focus as he heard Desir¡¯s words.


    ¡°A small portion¡­¡± Zod turned on his Pad without the slightest hesitation. ¡°Secretary, cancel the meeting.¡±


    ¡ª ¡°Sir? But¡ª¡°


    The secretary was shocked.


    ¡°No¡ªnot the meeting. Cancel everything until I say otherwise.¡±


    ¡ª ¡°Sir! What are you talking about? You have over twenty appointments to attend to!¡±


    ¡°Tell Hephatus to take care of it. I¡¯m going to hang up now. You likely won¡¯t be able to contact me for the next two or so hours.¡±


    Beep.


    ¡°Now that the tiresome time limit is gone, we have the opportunity to discuss at length.¡± Zod looked lively and ravenous for more information.


    ¡°I take it that you¡¯re epting the deal?¡± asked Desir.


    ¡°I should hope so, lest I¡¯ve gone mad.¡± The Tower Masterughed mockingly at himself and held his outstretched hand to Desir.


    ¡°This way, Mr. Desir!¡± Pram called out to the party leader and waved enthusiastically.


    Desir joined them at the table and looked around. This was a rare sight even in the capital. ¡°So you managed to find a ce like this. An ice cream store, huh.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Country bumpkin.¡± said Romantica with a haughty expression. ¡°Baskin-Rise 79 is a must-see if you ever visit Altaea! You can¡¯t leave the city without trying Very Berry Strawberry and Cotton Candy! They¡¯re to die for!¡±


    Desir had a little chuckle at Romantica¡¯s words. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me to order those, right?¡± He waved down the waiter and made his order as Pram asked him about his meeting.


    ¡°Did it go well, Mr. Desir?¡±


    ¡°Of course, It¡¯s all sorted out.¡± Desir chuckled and thought to himself how cute Pram was.


    ¡°Phew. That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    ¡°A relief to be sure, but¡­¡± Romantica took a big breath. ¡°Could you exin?¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to exin?¡±


    ¡°The reason you refused the 120 gold reward. In all honesty, I can¡¯t possibly imagine why you gave up 120 gold to y chess.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that. The main objective wasn¡¯t to y chess with the Tower Master, but an excuse to meet him. My real objective was to ask for support, and as I said before, everything is sorted out. For now, we have support on the level of a sponsorship.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± Pram jumped up in the air in celebration. To think that the lofty Tower Master had given them his support!


    Romantica looked at Desir, suspicious. There was no way that he did this legitimately. ¡°Did you figure out his weakness or something? Is he corrupt, or experimenting with living creatures? Knowing you, you must have ckmailed him¡­¡± She shivered, thinking of what the Tower Master might have gone through.


    ¡°Just what kind of person do you think I am!?¡± eximed Desir.


    Romantica grimaced at Desir. ¡°Aplete sadist. I¡¯m definitely not the only one who thinks so. Pram, tell him.¡±


    ¡°Mister Desir, you sh-shouldn¡¯t bl-ckmail people. It¡¯s not good¡­¡±


    ¡°Et tu, Pram?¡± Desir fell to his knees.


    ¡°Heheh. It¡¯s a joke, Mister Desir. I believe in you.¡± Pram stuck his tongue out, smiling yfully. He looked so cute that the other two couldn¡¯t help but smile.

 Chapter 33: Time, Chess and the Tower of Magic (5)

    <h4>Chapter 33: Time, Chess and the Tower of Magic (5)</h4>


    The mood to interrogate Desir evaporated away. Romantica finally came to realize what Pram had said. ¡°Hey Pram¡ªthat¡¯s a betrayal!¡±


    ¡°But Mr. Desir isn¡¯t like that.¡± His gaze shifted from to his party leader, and Desir nodded in response.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Pram ispletely correct. I didn¡¯t get this for free¡ªI made a deal with the Tower Master.¡± Desir then began to exin the sequence of events that had urred. In order to hide the fact that he had returned, he mixed truth and lies to fabricate a story.


    As Desir finished telling his anecdote, Romantica still seemed to be deep in thought. It looked like she still had some reservations. Right at that moment, the ice cream they had ordered arrived. Desir grabbed a spoon of ice cream, and offered it to Romantica. ¡°How about we eat the ice cream before it melts?¡±


    ¡°I guess it could be worse.¡± Realizing that nothing could be done, Romantica took the ice cream from Desir, and it softly melted away in her mouth. ¡°Sweet.¡±


    Pram nodded enthusiastically in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s tasty!¡±


    ¡°While I was in the Tower of Magic, I guess you two have been exploring the city?¡±


    ¡°Yup. It¡¯s been good. As you¡¯d expect from a tourist city, the shopping is great but in the rush to get here, I forgot to bring my money with me.¡± Romantica clenched her fists in frustration.


    ¡®Is it that upsetting? She didn¡¯t make any sense to him.


    ¡°How about you, Pram?¡±


    ¡°There are so many fun looking rides! The gond ride that follows the river! The pendulum ride! Mm¡­ and there was this ce¡­ it was called a themepork?¡±


    ¡°Theme park.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes! The theme park ce! That ce was amazing, and I definitely want to go see it! It¡¯s too bad that we didn¡¯t have any money for the entry fee.¡± Pram slumped at the thought.


    Desir lowered his spoon and spoke to his party members. ¡°Well, after we finish eating, let¡¯s head out to do some shopping and go to the theme park.¡±


    ¡°What about the money?¡± asked Romantica.


    Desir smiled as he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a ck card rimmed with gold. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. The Tower Master gave me his credit card. It looks since we came all the way here, he wanted us to have a good time.¡±


    Pram and Romantica hugged each other in joy. At times like these, they acted like the closest of friends.


    ¡°The clothing store first!¡± demanded Romantica.


    ¡°No! The theme park!¡± rebutted Pram.


    Pram and Romantica fought over where the party was going to go first, and their voices kept moring as Desir tried to pacify them. ¡°Firstly, let¡¯s finish eating the ice cream be¡ª¡°


    Before he could finish his sentence, the two of them immediately jumped on the ice cream like a swarm of locusts. As soon as they finished, they got ready to go in an instant, and threw open the doors on their way out. The two of them were waiting by the door expectantly for Desir. Romantica was tapping her foot impatiently and Pram was bouncing off the walls.


    ¡°Come on! What are you doing, Desir? Let¡¯s go!¡±ined Romantica.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay for the ice cream and meet you guys outside.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Pram and Romantica stepped outside with theirst words trailing behind them. Seeing their smiling faces made Desir smile. It was the greatest reward he could ask for.


    At that moment, the store clerk tapped Desir on the shoulder. ¡°Sir, how will you be paying today?¡±


    Desir handed the clerk the credit card and the transaction was handled quickly. Before he left, he asked the store clerk to borrow a pen. With it, he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and crossed two lines out: the Tower of Magic incident and the sponsorship.


    4 Points. Tower of Magic Sponsorship Announcement - July 5th


    3 Points. Attack on Tower of Magic¡¯s Aeurelli Branch - July 7th


    ¡°And the most important event¡­¡± Desir¡¯s eyes were fixed, and underlined the event to emphasize it.


    6 Points. Emergence of the Shadow World - July 20th


    Today was July 7th¡ªexactly two weeks left until the Emergence of the Shadow World.


    ¡°Based on how much time we have left, we need to start training¡­¡± His voice trailed off as he looked outside. Romantica and Pram were chatting andughing with each other. ¡°Well, I suppose we can take one day off.¡±


    For today, he would show them mercy¡ªfor the next two weeks, they better be ready to go through hell.


    While Desir¡¯s party enjoyed their time off, a ball was being held in the main hall of Hebrion Academy. The corridors were beautifully illuminated, and an endless stream of exotic dishes were ushered out into the ballroom.


    ¡°Today is a joyous day,¡± said Professor Nifleka.


    About a hundred people were gathered in the hall, ranging from officials from the Tower of Magic, professors close to Nifleka, and the higher ups of the Blue Moon party. The ball was in celebration of the Blue Moon party¡¯s third consecutive sponsorship from the Tower of Magic. Nifleka gestured towards the Tower of Magic as he spoke to the group.


    ¡°Our party has once again acquired the support of the Tower. I can confidently say that our party is the strongest party in all of history. Despite the recent unfortunate events, the Blue Moon party has always stood on top.¡±


    Nifleka raised his golden goblet. ¡°But this is only the beginning. In Hebrion¡¯s history, we stand at the top. The finest party consisting of only nobles. A party that nomoner would dare even look up to!¡±


    Fanatical cheers and roaring apuse filled the room in response to his words. Nifleka was one of the most influential professors at Hebrion Academy. He stepped away from values such as equality like Professor Brigitte. Instead, he prioritized lineage and ostracizedmoners, almost violently. As a result, he was heavily disliked by the Beta ss students, but a vast majority of the Alpha ss students supported him. Hebrion Academy did not advocate against equality and education, but Nifleka had a lot of sway¡ªnot even the academy could do as they wished when he was in the mix.


    Ajest Kingscrown¡¯s eyes turned cold as she observed the infamous Professor Pugman Nifleka.


    ¡°Now rejoice! Drink to your heart¡¯s content! For the nobles!¡± eximed Professor Nifleka.


    Enthusiastic cheers erupted from the crowd. The sound of sses clinking toasting the Blue Moon party and their advisor rang across the hall. Ajest closed her eyes and did her best to ignore the ruckus. Her head throbbed¡ªfrankly, falling asleep right now wouldn¡¯t be too bad. At the very least, it would mean she didn¡¯t have to listen to his spiel.


    ¡°My, my. If it isn¡¯t Miss Ajest.¡±


    Of course that didn¡¯t happen. A young man recognized her and politely greeted her. Like moths to a me, soon arge gathering of people assembled around the prodigal spellsword.


    ¡°By the grace of God above, what an opportunity it is to meet you!¡±


    ¡°The future of the Blue Moon party lies within your hands.¡±


    At first, there were just one or two, but soon enough, nearly a dozen people crowded around her moring for her attention. Their words were a typhoon, their words rising like a tidal wave and threatening to submerge herpletely. Ajest, irritated and aloof, offered no response.


    ¡°I wish to go out for a second. Please excuse me.¡± Her words were drowned out by the wealth of praise she was being showered with. With every moment, she was getting more and more fed up with the group of people besieging her. As she was about to burst, a man attracted the crowd¡¯s attention with a few simple words.


    ¡°A lonedy surrounded by so many people. How terribly rude of you.¡±


    In response to the new stranger¡¯s jab, somebody from the crowd demanded to know who they were.


    ¡°Elheim Triquincy, at your service. I had a previous engagement with Miss Kingscrown, and was wondering where she was.¡±


    Elheim Triquincy¡ª4th Circle ice mage, mentor of Ajest Kingscrown.


    Ajest raised her head, and their eyes met.


    ¡°Remember? We were supposed to meet on the terrace as mentor and student,¡± asked Elheim. He certainly had tact, in nning the escape path for his student without causing any misunderstandings. Ajest nodded her head in agreement.


    ¡°The terrace is this way,¡± said Elheim as he led Ajest away from the party, to her relief.


    The atmosphere here was much more rxed, with the music fading to the background and in lieu of the fervor and hubbub of the party, a breeze indicating azy summer night was blowing. Finally away from the party, Ajest rxed.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t enjoy the party?¡± asked Elheim.


    Ajest shook her head in response, and Elheim agreed. ¡°Truthfully, I am the same. I do enjoy parties, but this kind of party is a bit unpleasant.¡± The powerful ice mage downed his drink.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised. I know that you don¡¯t likemoners very much,¡± admitted Ajest.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. As it is, my family is in support of the Crown. However, I keep these thoughts to myself¡ªI don¡¯t express it in such a public manner.¡± exined Elheim. The Triquincy family supports the Crown, and were not fond ofmoners, but even so, Nifleka was too radical. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, I have no idea what Professor Nifleka is thinking.¡±


    ¡°He has his own agenda and ns for giving that speech.¡± said Ajest.


    ¡°What do you mean by his own agenda?¡±


    ¡°That overwhelming sense of superiority as a noble, and the fear that you may one day be overthrown. The slightest bit of stimtion, and they immediately go crazy. That¡¯s what Nifleka¡¯s making use of.¡± Ajest nced back in the direction of the party. For instance, there was Da Hadun, who saw Nifleka through rose-tinted sses. He was one of the fanatics that hung onto the professor¡¯s every word.


    Elheim just couldn¡¯t understand one thing. ¡°What does he have to gain from all of this?¡±


    ¡°If you think about who he has gathered here, it¡¯s easy to determine. Nearly all of the students here are Alpha ss, who vehemently support him. By setting their hearts ame, he¡¯s assimted them all into his fold. And if you think about the Alpha ss having the right to vote in the headmaster election, it all bes abundantly clear.¡±


    Elheim¡¯s eyes grew wide at the sudden realization. ¡°He¡¯s wants to be the headmaster¡­¡± To control everything at Hebrion Academy¡ª in addition to the alumni, it was a position that manages nearly a million mages and knights, with power equal to the prime minister.


    That was why the heir to the Nifleka family came to Hebrion Academy.

 Chapter 34: Time, Chess, and the Tower of Magic (6)

    <h4>Chapter 34: Time, Chess, and the Tower of Magic (6)</h4>


    Ajest borated further. ¡°He¡¯s almost reached his goal already. He leads Hebrion¡¯s strongest party and is a candidate for the headmaster¡¯s position. The majority of the Alpha ss students support him. All he¡¯s waiting for is for the current dean to step down.¡±


    ¡°You speak as if you know him very well.¡±


    Ajest bit her lip. ¡°That is¡­¡±


    Elheim didn¡¯t pry any further, and sighed. ¡°In any case, Professor Nifleka bing headmaster will result in a slew of potential problems. He might even repeat the actions of Duke Nifleka from over a decade ago.¡±


    12 years ago, the Nifleka family was a mere count¡¯s family, but during the conflict between the Republic and the monarchy, they rapidly rose in status to be a duchy.


    Count Nifleka personally led a troupe of knights into the Republic-controlled capital and ughtered all of the rebels before reiming the city in the name of the Crown. Afterward, he was hailed as a savior of the country and granted the title of Duke. During his crusade, 80,000 people had died under his tyranny. He would massacre anymoner suspected of aiding the Republic¡ªman, woman, or child. Even today, the name Duke Nifleka was the subject of great fear.


    Suddenly, a gruff voice called out to the pair from the direction of the party. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you two.¡± Professor Nifleka showed himself from behind the door.


    ¡°I just wanted some fresh air,¡± said Elheim.


    Nifleka smiled at Elheim¡¯s words. ¡°I see, but you shouldn¡¯t vacate the party, Elheim. There are so many youngdies who havee specifically to meet you. Ah¡ªthedy of the Redwen family was anxiously looking for you. With that in mind, I suggest you make your way back to the party.¡±


    ¡°I see I have made ady wait. It would be my pleasure to keep herpany.¡± agreed Elheim.


    Just as he was about to pass Nifleka and return to the party, the professor grabbed his shoulder and pulled him close. ¡°Ah¡ªthere¡¯s one other thing I must tell you. As a professor¡­¡± Nifleka¡¯s eyes narrowed and voice dropped to the sound of a whisper. ¡°You should know when to keep your mouth shut, Triquincy.¡±


    He spoke not to Elheim, the 4th Circle Magician, but to Triquincy, a representative of his house of nobility. A warning.


    ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Elheim nodded in response and left the terrace, leaving only Ajest and Nifleka in the brisk weather.


    ¡°It is disrespectful to speak so carelessly. You would do best to watch your words,¡± said Nifleka, visibly upset.


    ¡°I only spoke the truth,¡± responded Ajest.


    ¡°Truth or not, you should first consider our rtionship. Acting like this would do no good for either of us. Our families are quite close¡ªthe savior¡¯s family, Nifleka¡­ the royal family, Roguepce.¡±


    Ajest Kingscrown¡ªno. Ajest Roguepce¡¯s eyes shook.


    ¡°Try as you might, it is impossible to separate an individual from their family, Ajest. Family is key. One¡¯s family determines one¡¯s life¡ªwhether it be position, status, orwork. Ah, yes. Another example would be marri¡ª¡±


    Nifleka didn¡¯t continue. It was because a frigid storm had filled the terrace, threatening to freeze the sweat off of his skin. Seeing her expression, he quickly switched the topic. ¡°In any case, please watch what you say about other families. Would you be taking responsibility if the party is ruined?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be better if this meaningless party was.¡± Ajest spoke crudely.


    ¡°Meaningless? I told you. This party is¡ª¡±


    ¡°This party is just a gathering meant to showcase how the Tower of Magic acknowledged your party as the strongest. But the truth is that Desir¡¯s party, who you tried so hard to defeat, hadn¡¯t even applied for the sponsorship.¡±


    As soon as he heard that, Nifleka¡¯s raised his voice. ¡°Hm? I hadn¡¯t heard. But why would I have to know everything that¡¯s going on with thatmoner?¡±


    ¡°Are you feigning ignorance? You changed the application period at your own whim, and neglected to inform Desir¡¯s party about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡°


    ¡°You were afraid.¡± She continued, not even blinking at his half-hearted retorts. ¡°You¡¯ve always been outspoken againstmoners, and you didn¡¯t want to seem ipetent losing to those very people that you love to hate.¡±


    ¡°First off!¡± Nifleka¡¯s voice shook as he addressed Ajest. ¡°First off, this would have never happened if you had won against Desir¡¯s party!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that this is because of me?¡± asked Ajest.


    Nifleka nodded fiercely. ¡°Yes! This is all because of you! You lost to Desir¡¯s party! How dare you have the gall to speak up against me after losing in such an unsightly fashion!¡± Nifleka built up his own momentum in response. ¡°Unfair? Afraid? Ajest Roguepce! Do you think you of all people have the right to say that to me? You¡¯re nothing but a failure.¡± His face was beet red. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to me me, I want you out of this party immediately! At least I won! You lost! The Blue Moon party doesn¡¯t need losers!¡±


    Ajest took a good look at Nifleka as he panted heavily. ¡®So all along, I¡¯ve been in a party led by this kind of man.¡¯ She felt thest bit of hesitation fade away¡ªafter all, it hadn¡¯t been her decision to join this party in the first ce.


    ¡°You can¡¯t, can you? You can¡¯t leave, right? Quit the bullsheet and return to the party, right now!¡±


    Ajest suddenly recalled what Nifleka had said about how family decided everything. She agreed with most of it¡ªit was true that she had originally joined the Blue Moon party to bolster the rtionship between Nifleka and Roguepce. It wasn¡¯t strange for nobles to use their children to form bonds. But was this really a party? As Ajest asked herself this question, her fingers were already reaching for the Blue Moon badge and relinquishing it from her chest.


    After Ajest left the terrace, Nifleka was still fuming over the conversation. A call came from his Pad, and he wasn¡¯t in the mood to answer it. He had a grimace over his face at the thought of Ajest, but he straightened up immediately after seeing that the call was from the Tower of Magic.


    ¡°Ah. You¡¯re from the Tower of Magic. How can I help you?¡±


    ¡ª ¡°Something urgent hase up, so we will have to take our leave.¡±


    ¡°Leaving so soon? A pity, but if it is urgent, I won¡¯t keep you. Have a good night.¡± Nifleka¡¯s voice was tinged with disappointment.


    ¡ª ¡°We shall definitelye to your next party.¡±


    ¡°Thank you kindly.¡± A faint smile tugged at the man¡¯s lips.


    ¡ª ¡°Have a good night.¡±


    As the conversation ended and Professor Nifleka was about to end the call, he heard some faint whispers before the man spoke again.


    ¡ª¡°Ah. Professor Nifleka. The Tower of Magic has recently appointed a new technical advisor. I was just wondering if you knew anything about the matter.¡±


    The Tower of Magic¡¯s magic engineering was top ss. To be a technical advisor, they would have to be one of the greatest minds in the world. Nifleka made some casual remarks about the matter. ¡°How could I possibly know about the inner workings of an illustrious ce like the Tower of Magic? Surely, you would know more than I.¡±


    ¡ª ¡°Ah¡ªit¡¯s because the new technical advisor is apparently from Hebrion Academy.¡±


    Professor Nifleka was delighted. ¡°Is that so? Technical advisor for the Tower of Magic. Surely incredible. Are they an alumni of Hebrion Academy? What year did they graduate?¡±


    ¡ª ¡°Based on my sources, they say he¡¯s still attending Hebrion Academy.¡±


    ¡°Attending? That¡¯s astonishing! To think that a student could be a technical advisor for the Tower of Magic. Who could he be?¡± Nifleka pressed on, unable to control himself. He needed to recruit this child into his party as soon as possible.


    ¡ª ¡°This is¡­ His name is¡­ Give me a second.¡±


    ¡°Stop beating around the bush!¡±


    ¡ª ¡°¡­There we go. His name is written here. Desir Arman. 1st year at Hebrion Academy, Desir Arman.¡±


    July 8th. 13 days until the Emergence of the Shadow World.


    Desir spoke to his two party members in the training room. ¡°Both of you should have grasped your weaknesses while fighting against the Outers at the Tower of Magic.¡±


    ¡°Weaknesses?¡± asked Pram.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Weaknesses. First, Pram. Your experience iscking.¡± Experience¡ªtime spent inbat, and their ability to fluidly adapt to a situation. Pram had the fundamentals, but he was caught off guard by veterans on the battlefield.


    ¡°During our defense, there was a high-circle mage in the fight, but you were so distracted by the enemies in front of you that you failed to pinpoint both his location and his magic. Thus, you failed. Without Romantica watching your back, you would have definitely been in danger.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. I had no idea what to do.¡± Pram understood his weaknesses, which was a good sign. This meant that he just needed to fix them.


    From there, Desir turned to face his second party member. ¡°And now, Romantica.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Romantica hunched herself over, bracing herself for a slew of criticism.


    ¡°You did everything that you possibly could,¡± said Desir.


    This caught Romantica off guard, as she was expecting a lot of harsh critique. She immediately straightened herself, and haughtily looked at Desir. ¡°Haha! Of course! How hard do you think I was working?¡±


    Desir continued. ¡°It¡¯s not apliment. What I¡¯m saying is that you did well for your level. Your circle. To be specific, the level of a 2nd circle mage. As a sniper, you must aim for the enemy¡¯s weakness, but 2nd circle is too low. As a Single Ranker now, you have to climb higher.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just reach 3rd circle that easily¡­¡±ined Romantica. A 3rd circle mage was officially called a ¡®battle mage¡¯¡ª recognized as a true mage at the level of Hebrion Academy¡¯s graduates.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve pointed out our weaknesses, it¡¯s time for some questions.¡± Desir smiled yfully. ¡°If you have a weakness, you should remedy it: yes or no?¡±


    ¡°Of course you¡­ should.¡± A chill ran down Romantica¡¯s spine as she answered Desir. Was it deja vu? She could swear that this had happened before¡­


    ¡°So, in order to remedy that weakness, you should train: yes or no?¡±


    ¡°You¡ªyou should,¡± Pram gulped. The way Desir was asking questions was unnerving.


    And of course, their greatest fears came to life. ¡°Perfect! I¡¯m d to see that you agree! From now on, we¡¯ll be starting our Hell training. Assemble at the office every day before and after sses!¡±


    ¡°You monster! Exams are right around the corner!¡± shrieked Romantica. Herints fell on deaf ears, and her screams echoed out into the halls.

 Chapter 35: It’s Training! (1)

    <h4>Chapter 35: It¡¯s Training! (1)</h4>


    And with that, their train-every-day schedule began.


    Each morning, at 6 o¡¯clock, they would wake up to train. Once they finished their morning training, they¡¯d immediately head off to ss; they wouldn¡¯t forego sses just because of their training (in fact, from Desir¡¯s perspective, acquiring knowledge was training in and of itself). This carried on for a number of weeks, until -


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna die! Please, let us skip the evening training, I¡¯m begging you!¡± Romantica protested. She felt exhausted from the workload, but Desir was relentless.


    ¡°No, sorry.¡±


    It was futile.


    Evening training began after their sses ended. Unlike the morning sessions, which were a form of basic training, the evening sessions were a more personalized training, specifically tailored to Pram and Romantica. They trained separately, and Desir would teach both of them individually.


    Romantica¡¯s personal training sessions began in the Alpha ss¡¯s wind mage training grounds. The roof had been left open that evening, leaving the clouds in full view.


    Desir opened the session with a simple question, one that any mage could answer. ¡°What would you say are the characteristics of a wind mage?¡±


    ¡°Their casting speed is extremely quick, and their magic has good range,¡± Romantica answered.


    ¡°Correct,¡± said Desir, nodding. ¡°This is why wind mages make better snipers than any other type of mage. Their sniping ability is irreceable.


    ¡°But, like I said, there¡¯s a limit to your impact as a 2nd circle mage. You should have realized this yourself, correct?¡±


    Reluctantly, Romantica nodded in agreement. As she had quickly discovered, she was, truthfully, excruciatingly weak. Her sniping spells, paired with chantless casting, were indeed remarkable, but no amount of speed and surprise could make up for herck of power. Her sniping had been rendered totally useless as soon as that 4th circle mage had appeared, leaving her unable to do anything but watch.


    ¡°You need to be a 3rd circle mage,¡± stated Desir simply. ¡°Moreover, you need to strengthen the power of your attack to the point that you can prate 4th circle defensive magic at the very least.¡±


    ¡°Wha-? 4th circle?¡± Romantica nearly fell backwards in shock. A 4th circle mage was a high mage: they numbered only in the hundreds, across the entire continent. She quickly began arguing back. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m telling you, achieving 3rd circle isn¡¯t that easy! You have to cast countless spells and slowly perfect your fine control over your mana, until you can perfect your 2nd circle techniques, and then -¡±


    Desir cut her off before she could finish. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s the normal way to reach 3rd circle. I¡¯m gonna teach you a different method.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a shortcut to reach 3rd circle in a very short amount of time.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m surprised you know of such a method. You¡¯re only a 1st circle mage.¡± By now, Romantica had moved past bewilderment and was solidly annoyed. Everything he said was utterly absurd.


    ¡°So you¡¯re not going to do it?¡± asked Desir innocently.


    She almost sighed before she answered. ¡°No, I will.¡± At the end of the day, Romantica believed in Desir with all her heart. If he said it was possible, it was possible.


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s start with this.¡± He smiled as he pulled an empty coke can out of his bag, and ced it on his palm.


    ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Romantica had returned to being puzzled.


    Instead of responding, Desir simply drew a deep breath, and began exerting his mana. The can wobbled, then, with a series of slow crunches, the can began crumpling in around itself.


    It wasn¡¯t quick, or haphazard, like crushing a can between your bare hands. It felt almost methodical, deliberate. The corners of the can caved in bit by bit, and the center bent in on itself like a bow, slowly, tensely. The edges folded in neatly, and then - with onest loud crunch - the can neatly copsed into a small marble, which fell into Desir¡¯s palm.


    He handed the marble to Romantica nonchntly, and exined, ¡°it¡¯s simr to the ball movement training we did before; an upgraded version, perhaps. The difference is, instead of simply knocking the ball away, you have to carefully control the atmospheric pressure topress the can into a sphere. Simple, right?¡±


    Romantica looked at him, dazed. ¡®What is this crazy bastard asking?¡¯ In the basic sense, controlling atmospheric pressure wasn¡¯t difficult at all. She simply had to control the density of the air locally. But that was really limited to creating pressure differentials; utilizing those pressure differentials to form a perfect sphere was an entirely different question. She couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom how he precisely he had to have controlled the air density around the can to do such a thing.


    ¡°Alright, why don¡¯t you give it a shot.¡±


    Romantica looked at Desir¡¯s smiling face and sighed. ¡®What an absolute bastard¡­¡¯ It was going to incredibly difficult, but what could she do? Desir told her to do it as a teacher, so she had to listen as a student.


    She stared at the can intensely, and began releasing her mana, concentrating on maintaining perfect control. ¡®Adjust the atmospheric pressure. Adjust the air density. Lower inside, high around the corners to bend them. Compress into a sphere¡­¡¯


    The can began crumpling noisily, as the corners bent in on themselves and the center copsed. Slowly but surely, as she carefully worked the air density around the can, she saw it take on the circr shape Desir had produced.


    ¡®It¡¯s working!¡¯ She was almost giddy, and, perhaps because she allowed herself this momentary celebration, the concentration she had worked so hard to hold copsed, and the air began flowing violently in one direction. In an instant, the can ttened under the pressure, copsing into the shape of a saucer.


    ¡°Oooh¡­¡± Romantica felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, as she stared at the ruined can.


    Smiling, Desir came over and took the can out of her hands. ¡°I¡¯m asking just in case but -¡± he had a slightly mischevious smile as he waved the can in front of her. ¡°You know the difference between a circle and a sphere right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be doingbat training.¡±


    The sweltering evening heat bore down upon Desir and Pram. For Pram, his personal training would be in the drill hall, where students dueled each other to measure their own abilities.


    ¡°Pram, your strength is your overwhelming speed, and the terrifying power thates with that speed,¡± Desir exined. ¡°But, at the moment, you¡¯re still weak in handling a lot of different kinds of situations; you¡¯re inexperienced. The best way to gain experience is by fighting.¡±


    ¡°Fighting? If it¡¯s another Knight-rank¡­is it Percival?¡± Pram had fought Percival before, in the ranking tournament. They had been quite evenly matched as fellow Knight-ranks. Pram felt that he would make a good opponent.


    But Desir shook his head. ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly gain experience from a Knight-rank. Instead, we have someone even better.¡±


    Pram followed Desir¡¯s eyes and turned around. He saw a man, in his mid-thirties, with graying hair. He wore a longsword at his hip.


    ¡°This is Mr. Kayrach,¡± Desir introduced. ¡°2nd circle mage and Knight-rank. A high-level spellsword. He¡¯s the head of security at the Tower of Magic¡¯s Aeurelli branch.¡±


    ¡°The Tower of Magic¡­is this also part of their support? Like the credit card?¡± asked Pram.


    ¡°Correct. I invited him over to train you.¡± As the head of security, he was a difficult man to get a hold of. Kayrach stroked his beard in amusement at his opponent.


    ¡°Hm¡ª this little girl is to be my opponent? It isn¡¯t going to be much of a fight,¡± said Kayrach.


    Pram¡¯s smile creased at his words. ¡°Are you judging your opponent based on appearance alone?¡±


    At the sound of Pram¡¯s outburst, Kayrach¡¯s look of bemusement fell from his face. ¡°Oh. You¡¯re a guy? Your arms and legs were so thin I couldn¡¯t tell. My deepest apologies.¡±


    Pram trembled at Kayrach¡¯s words. He clenched his training sword and looked ready to shatter it in his hands. Turning towards Desir, he asked for permission to begin. ¡°Can we start immediately?¡±


    On cue, Desir nodded, but not before offering a small object to the twopetitors. ¡°Before that, please put this on.¡± It was apel to be worn on their shoulder. ¡°Thispel has been embedded with rm magic. The moment the training sword makes contact with your body, the rm will go off. The rules are simple enough: the person whosepel goes off, loses.¡± Desir paused before adding on, ¡°Ah. And don¡¯t worry about ties. After one has gone off, the other won¡¯t activate.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡± asked Pram.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. If you can get it to go off even once, the training is over.¡±


    Kayrach broke into a smile as he sized up his opponent. ¡°It¡¯s too bad that¡¯s never going to happen.¡± He then tapped his sword against the ground, daring the boy to try his best.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± He glowered his eyes at his opponent.


    Pram closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The atmosphere surrounding him changed, and he was no longer as carefree as he was before. This was Pram, ready for battle.


    ¡®He¡¯s good at provoking his opponent,¡¯ thought Desir. He looked at the two swordsmen, stepped back, and opened his mouth. ¡°Begin!¡±


    With that, the duelistsunched at each other, swords shing head on. The deafening ngs resonated across the drill hall. The training swords were bing ragged from their intense fight.


    ¡°Huh, you¡¯re not as bad as I thought. Figured you would¡¯ve dropped in the first sh.¡± Kayrach sent a thrust at Pram¡¯s thigh. The boy deftly avoided the attack and responded with a horizontal sh at Kayrach¡¯s shoulder. In terms of speed, Pram was unmatched. The torrent of attacks battered Kayrach from every angle. However, Kayrach¡¯s skill left Pram in the dust. He wasn¡¯t the captain of the guard for nothing. With minimal effort, he parried Pram¡¯s attacks, and retaliated with his own moves.


    ¡°Watch yourself! You¡¯ve left openings all over because you¡¯re too excited.¡± Kayrach tore into Pram, exposing numerous openings with his swordy. With just one move, Pram lost the initiative and was at the mercy of Kayrach¡¯s de. In an instant, Pram turned his body off to the side. By a paper thin margin, Kayrach¡¯s sword missed its target.


    ¡®Let¡¯s create some distance.¡¯ Pram backed about five paces away from the captain for a breather. ¡°Oh?¡± He expected Kayrach to chase after him, but he stood in ce with a frown on his face.


    ¡°As expected, you are still inexperienced.¡± Kayrach raised his hand towards Pram. ¡°Creating distance from a magician.¡±


    [Ice st]


    A frigid bolt homed in on Pram. The slender boy ducked to evade, but the missile exploded in mid air as it came close. A white mist engulfed Pram and a chill encroached on his body. ¡°You still have a long way to go.¡±


    The weight of a training sword rested on his shoulder, but to Pram, it was heavier than the weight of the world.

 Chapter 36: It’s Training! (2)

    <h4>Chapter 36: It¡¯s Training! (2)</h4>


    July 11th. 10 days before the Shadow World event.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead tired!¡±


    Romantica¡¯s outburst could be heard from outside of the Hebrion Academy cafeteria, where they had just finished dinner. The food they just enjoyed was one which the Beta ss meals couldn¡¯t even begin topare. Yet, Romantica was still upset.


    ¡°Training. Training. Training! Are you trying to kill us?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a bit overdramatic? I¡¯m giving you plenty of rest,¡± replied Desir, ¡°10 minute run, then 1 minute break, then run for another 15 minutes, then rest for 5 more minutes. The regiment is perfectly tuned.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about rest,¡± moaned Romantica, ¡°I¡¯m talking about recreation! I want to go shopping, eat desserts, or go somewhere interesting!¡±


    Romantica had a valid point. The group hadn¡¯t had a moment¡¯s respite since they started training three days ago. Every day, immediately after ss, they would go into training or endure whatever exercise Desir had concocted that day. For a young girl of 16 years, it was unbearable.


    Desir truly felt bad about it, but he wasn¡¯t going to change anything.


    ¡®There isn¡¯t much time until we go into the Shadow World.¡¯ Of course Desir couldn¡¯t say that, so he offered apromise, ¡°Just endure it for a little longer. Once we address our weaknesses, I¡¯ll definitely make sure we get a proper break.¡±


    ¡°You promise?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    For the next few minutes, Romantica pressed for more reassurances, making Desir double and triple swear.


    ¡°Miss Ajest!¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to sit with those people?¡±


    Different outbursts were heard around the cafeteria, trailing after someone who was heading in their direction. It was Ajest Kingscrown. With her tinum gold hair contrasting morously against her all-ck uniform, she ced her food tray next to Desir¡¯s.


    ¡°Strange, there is no one sitting near your party,¡± said Ajest.


    ¡°We¡¯remoners,¡± replied Desir, ¡°that stigma didn¡¯t seem to disappear just because we became Rankers.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still trying though, as you can see.¡±


    The fact that amoner like Desir managed to be a Single Ranker had gained him quite a bit of reverence among the Beta ss, but the behavior of the Alpha ss wasrgely unchanged. As if to acknowledge this fact, Ajest nodded.


    ¡°In any case, what brings you here?¡± said Romantica with a cautious, hushed voice.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s not like I have a problem with you sitting beside Desir, it¡¯s all the attention you¡¯re attracting! Everyone is staring, good luck eating under the spotlight!¡±


    ¡°I am sorry about that, but what can I do about it?¡±


    ¡°Easy. Go to another table.¡±


    ¡°Romantica!¡± Despite Desir¡¯s scolding, Romantica did not rescind herment.


    ¡°Desir! Did you forget what she did to our party?¡± Romantica could not forget that Professor Nifleka had intentionally withheld information about the Magic Tower sponsorship from them.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go elsewhere,¡± conceded Ajest, ¡°However, I do have something to say to you Desir¡­¡±


    Ajest let her words linger while ncing over to see Romantica¡¯s reaction. Romantica was ring back at her openly, already hostile towards whatever she might say. In this powderkeg situation, Ajest¡¯s next words were like striking an entire box of matches simultaneously.


    ¡°Desir, can I visit your room after you finish eating? That way, we can speak alone without attracting undesirable attention from people who dislike me.¡±


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit shabby, bute in.¡±


    Desir¡¯s room was well organized, unlike the rooms of simr boys his age. Ajest entered and sat on a wooden chair in the guest room. The wooden backrest felt stiff, but not enough to be ufortable.


    Desir opened the windows to let fresh air in before heading into the kitchen. After a brief moment, he re-emerged from the kitchen with two cups of tea. Faint lines of steam rose from the reddish liquid in the cups.


    ¡°This is tea made from something called plums.¡±


    ¡°What a pleasant aroma.¡±


    It was Pram¡¯s recipe. As the pair enjoyed the fragrant tea, light from the setting sun pierced through the open window. The room was filled with a color simr to the tea that they were drinking. The midsummer breeze swept into the room, providing a pleasant cooling sensation.


    ¡°Why did you have to phrase your request in a way that is easily misunderstood?¡±


    ¡°What about it? It wasn¡¯t aplete lie.¡±


    ¡°If you put it that way, I guess there¡¯s nothing more I can say¡­¡± Desir relented and switched topics.


    ¡°So, what did you want to speak to me about?¡±


    ¡°I have a question. Could you answer it for me?¡±


    ¡°I can answer to the best of my ability.¡±


    Ajest lowered her teacup. ¡°How did you apply the Grease spell to a three-dimensional surface?¡±


    ¡°So you were curious about that.¡±


    Ajest was referring back to the Entrance Exam, when Desir applied Grease onto his body. It appeared simple, but that wasn¡¯t the case in reality. Grease was a type of field magic that couldn¡¯t be manipted. Rather, the spell enveloped whatever surface it was casted upon. It was simple to cast Grease onto a t surface, but it was almost impossible to cast it perfectly onto an irregr shape. This is why Grease is mostmonly used on the floor.


    ¡°Can you teach me?¡±


    ¡°There is nothing stopping me.¡±


    Desir stood up and produced two sheets of paper from a nearby shelf andid one t on the table.


    [Grease]


    After casting the spell onto the paper, Desir flicked it with his finger, causing the paper to slide smoothly off the table. The paper continued on, beyond the door and into the living room.


    ¡°This is how Grease is normally used.¡±


    Ajest nodded, having known this already. Desir continued, cing the second sheet of paper onto the table. This time, after casting Grease onto the paper, he lifted it into the air. Ajest observed with curiosity in her eyes. She watched as Desir held the two top corners of the paper and began slowly ripping them apart. He continued to tear the paper apart until he was left with pieces no bigger than her fingernail. With the paper fully shredded, Desir dipped his thumb in his tea and used the moisture to adhere the pieces of ripped paper to his teacup. Once he was satisfied, he tapped the cup, causing it to slide smoothly across the table before stopping in front of Ajest.


    ¡°This is the answer you are looking for.¡±


    ¡°You break down the three-dimensional surface into polygons and calcte each polygon separately?¡±


    Ajest understood the theory almost immediately.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Just so you know, the hexagon is the most convenient shape to use. What you have to be cautious of is¡­¡±


    Ajest suddenly rose from her seat and casted a spell.


    [Grease]


    Just as Desir had shown her, Ajest calcted polygons to cover her body. Doing so required several times more effort than casting the basic form of the spell. Grease enveloped her like a piece of clothing. Ajest tested moving her foot. It moved as though it faced no air resistance. It also felt awkward. Her body¡¯s movement and sensations had changed. Ajest felt like she wasn¡¯t quite in her own body. It was because movement had be too easy and, despite being an outstanding fighter, she could not maintain her bnce. She tried to use her other foot to counterbnce, but it was a mistake to move at all. Her entire body tilted, causing her center of bnce to shift¡­


    Ajestnded with a loud thud. She thought briefly that the floor was strangely soft but, when she opened her eyes, she saw that Desir had acted swiftly to catch her after noticing that she was falling.


    His eyes met hers as he gently chided, ¡°What you have to be cautious of is the change in sensation as friction will no longer apply as normal.¡±


    ¡°Apparently. It means that training is needed.¡± Ajest nodded understandingly. She then noticed that Desir¡¯s cheeks were flushed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Desir, are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that¡­,¡± Ajest tilted her head quizzically as Desir found his words, ¡°can you stand now?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    The pair were in a strange position. Ajest was on top of Desir, who had his arms securely wrapped around her waist in order to prevent her fall. Ajest gave a sly smile. Instead of moving off, she pressed down on Desir¡¯s body with her thumb.


    ¡°Ajest?¡±


    While in thispromising position, Ajest announced something with a voice of indifference, as if what she was saying had nothing to do with her.


    ¡°I left the Blue Moon Party.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    ¡°No, wait!¡± Desir immediately stood up.


    What did I just hear?¡¯ There was an uneasy feeling in his heart. Desir closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts. He then calmly repeated what Ajest said.


    ¡°Are you telling me that you¡¯re not in the Blue Moon Party anymore?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I can¡¯t stand being with that kind of a Professor¡±


    The sun had long since set and the room was filled with darkness, but Desir didn¡¯t even noticed. Ajest¡¯s words half-confirmed the uneasy feeling, causing it weigh heavily on his chest like a lead weight.


    ¡°You¡­discovered what happened. Is that why you left the party?¡±


    ¡°There is no need for you to get worked up Desir. It was a personal¡­¡±


    ¡°Answer me, Ajest.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s say that¡¯s the case for now.¡±


    Desir bit his lip, drawing some blood. ¡®Did the timeline change this much?¡¯


    By walking a different path than he did in the past, Desir was expecting to see differences in the timeline, but this was unprecedented.


    ¡®I changed someone¡¯s life.¡¯


    In Desir¡¯s original timeline, Ajest was the ace of the Blue Moon Party. Even in the Shadow Labyrinth, she participated as their member. Desir¡¯s actions had caused that ace to leave the party!


    ¡®It¡¯s my fault¡­¡¯


    A lot of things had changed since Desir had be a Single Ranker. While Ajest leaving her party could not be traced back to him, Desir knew that his actions directly resulted in Ajest¡¯s withdrawal.


    ¡®How did i not foresee this?¡¯


    Desir re-analyzed his actions several times in his head and knew that he had caused this change in the timeline.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ajest.¡±


    ¡°Why are you sorry?¡±


    Ajest did not understand. She couldn¡¯t understand, but Desir felt a great remorse. He felt responsible for the situation and a desire to make things right.


    There was an audible click as Ajest found antern. Instantly, the dark room was illuminated.


    ¡°Look at me Desir,¡± Ajest pointed to her eyes, her face clearly visible, ¡°do I look sad? Do you see any resentment towards you? If not, then you don¡¯t have a reason to feel sorry for me. It¡¯s that simple. You are a victim here. I was only able to see the Professor¡¯s true personality because of you. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    Ajest guided Desir to a chair.


    ¡°I didn¡¯te to you to make you feel ufortable around me,¡± Ajest followed Desir¡¯s gaze to the paper on the floor and gave an uncharacteristic chuckle, ¡°of course, one of the reasons was to ask you about something that I couldn¡¯t figure out.¡±


    Ajest leaned forward, the light of thentern reflected in her eyes.


    ¡°I believe a party must be righteous. When in apetition, a party must ovee their opponent, not with underhanded schemes, but through skill. And after doing so, they must remain humble. When I think about the parties that meet this criteria, there was only one that came to mind.¡±


    ¡°Ajest, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Desir, will you ept me into your party?¡±

 Chapter 37: It’s Training! (3)

    <h4>Chapter 37: It¡¯s Training! (3)</h4>


    By the time Romantica¡¯s efforts began to bear fruit, a full week had passed. ¡®This time, I¡¯ll do it!¡¯ Romantica focused on the can in front of her eyes. Atmospheric pressure wasn¡¯t easy to control with magic, let alone using it topress a can into a smooth sphere.


    ¡®I think I know why Desir told me to do this.¡¯


    Romantica had been training for an entire week, and she had failed countless times because she wascking in fundamentals¡ª controlling her mana intensity and minute maniption. As she became more familiar with the process of making the sphere, she gained a clearer understanding of how important it was to master these skills.


    With a crunch, the can in her hand crumpled and started to condense into a single point. ¡®This is enough. I just have to keep this up!¡¯ Romantica focused with renewed vigor, and the can continued its rate ofpression. There was a bit of variance in its speed¡ª sometimes a hint faster or slower, but it wasrgely steady.


    After about 10 seconds, the can went from its original cylindrical shape into a perfect sphere. Romantica broke out into a smile. ¡°Look! I did it!¡±


    Desir apuded at Romantica¡¯s achievements. ¡°Amazing.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Something like this is just the basics for somebody like me.¡± Romantica crossed her arms and sneered at Desir. Her overconfidence was justified¡ª the mana maniption that she disyed was incredible progress. ¡°So¡­ training is over, right?¡± Her eyes shined in anticipation as she waited for permission to leave from Desir.


    ¡°Nope. The goal of training is for you to build the third circle. We¡¯ll take a short break and then go for it.¡± Desir turned around and motioned towards the exit.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too sudden? It¡¯s not so easy to get to the third circle.¡± Romantica looked unconvinced.


    Desir smiled. ¡°I can help you with the finer details. There won¡¯t be any issues.¡±


    ¡°How is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°I have confidence in mana maniption. So long as you¡¯re okay with it, I can use your mana to build the third circle¡ªwith your permission, of course.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose there is no reason for me to refuse.¡± Romantica nodded in approval at Desir.


    ¡°¡­Ah. We may not be on the same page. Reaching the third circle requires very fine tuning, and in order to aplish that level of precision, we¡¯ll need direct contact. For that to happen, I¡¯ll need to touch¡ª¡°


    ¡°Touch where?!¡± She flinched back, covering her chest. She immediately recalled that the circle was located at the centre of the body¡¯s cardiovascr system¡ªthe heart. Romantica¡¯s face immedately grew hot as she pointed her finger usatorily at Desir. ¡°Shameless!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking for consent beforehand! It¡¯s something that has to be done in order to build the third circle.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ªyou think this is the sort of thing you can fix with consent? That¡¯s just an excuse, you creep!¡± Romantica bore her teeth at Desir¡¯s approaching hand. He pulled his hand back to show that he had no intention of doing what she was insinuating.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, but in order to build the third circle¡­¡± Desir gestured towards a certain part of Romantica¡¯s body.


    Romantica stared dumbly at him. ¡°The back?¡± The other end of a person¡¯s heart and stomach. Whilst unpleasant to show a bare back to others, the alternative was far worse. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case¡­ The back, huh¡­ I guess that wouldn¡¯t really be an issue.¡± Her face was downcast, with her face still blushing.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you adamantly against it just a second ago? Why the sudden change of heart? Did you misunderstand that I was talking about, and you thought I was referring to th¡ª¡°


    ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t know! Stupid!¡±


    He paused for a moment before giving her a nod. ¡°It sounds like you did, but that¡¯s perfectly understandable.¡± Desir snidely chuckled. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s notpletely impossible to go from the front. If you really want to¡ªshould we do it from the front?


    ¡°Don¡¯t make such a perverted request! You did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± Her eyes red reproachfully at Desir.


    In any case, they eventually reached an agreement on the construction of Romantica¡¯s third circle. Once Romantica had a moment to recover, they would begin preparations to start.


    All of the entrances were locked, curtains were closed, and all of the lights were extinguished. Romantica slowly loosened her dress and uncovered her torso, before covering her front and putting her back toward Desir. She could feel the warmth from Desir as heid her hands on her back.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get started, Romantica.¡±


    Romantica trembled at his touch, and frowned before looking back at Desir. ¡°Do you think I can do it?¡±


    ¡°You have plenty of mana to reach the third circle. You just don¡¯t know how to do it yet. Just close your eyes and focus. Take a deep breath¡ªgood. Now start circting your mana.¡± Romantica was calm, and as she let all of her tension fall away, her mana began to circte through her circles one by one.


    ¡°Good. Now slowly draw out your mana.¡± Romantica obediently followed his orders, and pure mana began to exude from her second circle.


    ¡°It feels like it¡¯s going to dissipate!¡± Romantica¡¯s face was fraught with worry at the thought.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯ll keep it steady. Don¡¯t be scared, and bring out all of the mana that you need.¡± Desir caught a hold of her mana and held it together. In the meantime, Romantica brought out all of the mana needed for Desir to form the third circle. ¡°Now slowly circte it into the form of a circle.¡±


    A soft sound emanated from the mana as it rotated and formed the circle. ¡°Just like making the can into a sphere,¡± said Desir as he coaxed the mana out of Romantica.


    ¡°I know,¡± said Romantica. As evidence that her training didn¡¯t go to waste, Romantica brilliantly morphed her mana to wrap around the circle in a sphere. Romantica grit her teeth¡ªthe mana control she was exhibiting was taking its toll on her, and she was sweating profusely. ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°Now, we¡¯re going to start on the smaller details. Maintain the sphere and I will focus on the task.¡± Desir began to move the mana from within her body. He refined the mana condensed into the sphere by separating them into section and carving them, then rotating the sculpted mana. As the thousands of small spheres of mana began to rotate, the circle overheated.


    ¡°Argh! It hurts!¡± yelped Romantica.


    ¡°You have to endure!¡± responded Desir. It was a very fine process¡ª mana had to be sculpted a precise form and then rotated one-by-one. As the rotating mana began to gain momentum, it would pull the surrounding mana towards itself.


    ¡®The source mana.¡¯


    This resource, so long as it wasn¡¯t consumed past a certain point, would recover by itself. This mana needed to reach an optimum size. If it was too small, the magic produced would be weaker. If it was toorge, the source mana needed to maintain the container of mana would crumble. ¡®I can¡¯t get this wrong¡ª there is no margin for error.¡¯ Desir had to calcte the outer limits of her source mana, and use that to create the foundation of her third circle.


    As the engine was formed, the pain would drastically increase. Romantica did her best to endure, but cries of pain leaked from her lips. Despite all of this, Romantica did not falter. She endured purely with her force of will. Desir, however, became hurried as he continued work amidst her screams. As they worked, Romantica¡¯s breathing becamebored. Desir bit his lip and he endeavored to work faster. He had to stack each ring of mana perfectly.


    ¡°Any more is too much¡­¡± Romantica practically coughed out the words to Desir. Her focus was hazy, and the binding force of the mana became weaker. She was on the cusp of ckout.


    ¡°Endure.¡± Desir knew there was nothing else he could tell her. As time passed on, Desir¡¯s responsibility grew weightier as he had to maintain the mana¡¯s form, but had to pick up speed once more. He materialized the entirety of her mana and began to form the circle. With out any other options in front of him, he had to toplete the task before Romantica reached her limits.


    The third circle expanded at a furious pace, and¡ª


    Thud.


    Romantica copsed like a rock, and her limbs quivered in time with her ragged breath. She wanted to cover herself up, as her back was in full view of Desir, but she couldn¡¯t muster the energy. All Romantica could do was close her eyes, as she focused on her breathing. Desir, likewise, fell back onto the floor.


    ¡°We did it.¡±

 Chapter 38: It’s Training! (4)

    <h4>?Chapter 38: It¡¯s Training! (4)</h4>


    Trantor: Billy Stevens


    Rewriter: Wynn


    The two swords shed at a breakneck pace as the two swordsmen stormed across the battlefield. Kayrach and Pram were almost evenly matched. Countless exchanges happened in an instant; it was a meticulous sword dance, equal parts elegant and deadly.


    Kayrach pulled his sword back and lunged towards his foe. It was a perfect disy of his refined and unrelenting nature of his swordsmanship; his sword had been honed to the utmost limit. Pram was aware that attempting to block his strike would be reckless. After parrying the blow, Pram closed the gap and began his counterattack. sh, thrust, sh. Pram used his overwhelming speed to force Kayrach back. Without any time to retaliate, the captain could only parry and interrupt the surging tidal wave of attacks.


    ¡°You¡¯ve certainly improved, boy¡ª however¡­¡± Kayrach crossed swords with his opponent and shoved him off bnce. As a result of Pram¡¯s unsteady footing, there was no way for him to follow the snaking sword; with its path changing like a willow tree in the wind. Any time Pram tried to trace its trajectory, its direction would change.


    ¡®Free-form Sword!¡¯ Pram had never faced this kind of swordsmanship before.


    ¡°A strong sword is weak against a fast sword; a fast sword is weak against an ever-changing sword.¡±Over the course of the fight, Pram maintained his trademark speed, but it had be repetitive and easy to read. In contrast, Kayrach adapted his style over the course of the fight, surmounting the difference in speed and taking control of the fight once more. No matter what Pram did, Kayrach held the upper hand. It would be impossible to persist at this rate, let alone win the duel. Pram retreated two steps. Without missing a beat, magic began to manifest around Kayrach.


    [Ground Hole]


    The ground underneath Pram began to sink, wrapping around his ankles and dragging him into the earth. ¡°Your speed is quite annoying¡ª I suppose most of the people you¡¯ve faced have been focused on restricting your movements.¡± Simultaneously, Kayrach leaped towards Pram. ¡°It¡¯s over, boy.¡±


    In that moment, the ground beneath Pram shattered. The sh of the two swords rang out, and Pram disappeared from his gaze. ¡°What?¡±


    Kayrach was a step too slow. As he looked over his shoulder, he found Pram directly behind him with a grin on his face. A split secondter, hispel fell off. In that brief moment, he had been unable to track Pram¡¯s movement. This was Pram¡¯s peak performance.


    ¡°You allowed yourself to get caught to create a diversion.¡± Kayrach reflected on the fight anduded Pram for his decision making.


    Pram scratched the back of his head bashfully. ¡°I got lucky.¡± As always, Pram was humble to a fault.


    ¡°No. That was no ident. Thatst attack¡­ it was a good strike. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen such a technique.¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking about whether it was possible to attack and evade at the same time and had to give it a try. I haven¡¯t even decided on a name for it yet.¡±


    Off to the side of the battlefield, a voice called out to the victorious student. ¡°You won.¡± Pram turned his head over in the direction of the voice. There, Desir was seated on a bench. Pram¡¯s face glowed and he called out to his party leader. ¡°I finally did it! I managed to win against Mr. Kayrach!¡± As he bragged about his exploits, he stuck out his head in anticipation.


    Desir smiled. ¡°I know. I was watching.¡± He reached out and patted Pram¡¯s head, who closed his eyes as he snuggled up to his touch. Desir truly thought that Pram did an amazing job. ¡®I thought if he was lucky, he¡¯d be able to fight Kayrach to a draw, but I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d actually pull through with a win.¡¯ Under Desir¡¯s guidance, Pram was developing rapidly. To win against a 2nd Circle spellsword, Pram will soon be sitting at the top of the Knight-rank swordsmen. This level of growth was several times faster than his previous life.


    Kayrach spoke up. ¡°Well, does this mean that training is over?¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much for all of your hard work, Sir Kayrach.¡± Desir bowed to the captain.


    ¡°Haha¡ª it was nothing. I, too, learned something from the experience. I have a long ways to go.¡± Kayrach turned to Pram and lowered his head in apology. ¡°You¡¯ve done well, boy. I want to apologize for my harshnguage when we initially met. Can you forgive me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir! Provocation during battle is natural,¡± said Pram.


    ¡°Thank you. Before I leave, I have onest thing to ask you. Boy, are you¡­ are you really a guy?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    July 17th¡ª 3 days until the Shadow World urrence.


    A message was broadcast to the entire academy.


    | Ahem. To all students: Please pay attention and listen to this broadcast. The current time is July 16th, 6:20am. A Shadow World has been detected, expected urrence: 3 days.


    | Hebrion Academy will be deploying onto the battlefield. A call order will be issued to parties in ordance with Section 21 of the school¡¯s rules and regtions. Please follow the instructions of your party leader.


    | All sses will be postponed for a week. During this time, you will be trained to participate in the Shadow World. Runegear will be issued to your party leader. If you are a 1st year who has not been given a uniform, please ensure that you receive one.


    Desir entered the office carrying three sets of clothes. Runegear¡ª magical equipment embedded with shielding magic to protect the students from harm. The use of Runegear was a staple for everybody who entered the Shadow World. The Runegear itself looked like a tailored coat. A single blue jeweled badge adorned thepel.


    As he distributed the Runegear to the rest of his party, he exined to them the usage of their new uniform. ¡°Forck of a better word, this is Runegear for Single Rankers. Speaking in terms of defensive capabilities, it¡¯s about on par with what other students wear. However, this specific Runegear that we¡¯ve received have been tailored to address some of our weaknesses.


    Desir went to the kitchen and grabbed an egg that he ced within his Runegear. ¡°Previous models of Runegear could only be tuned to protect from either physical or magical attacks due to the nature of Magic Crystals. However, with recent technological breakthroughs, the Tower of Magic has synthesized a new material that protects from both types of attacks simultaneously.¡± To demonstrate this, Desir smashed the egg and deployed a fireball at the same time. The Runegear shimmered in response to the iing threats. ¡°With these new developments, the defensive magic will only fail when the attacks exceed the maximum output of the Magic Crystal.¡± He unfolded the Runegear and took out the egg in perfect condition.


    Pram apuded enthusiastically and spoke excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Mr. Desir!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡ª you¡¯re impressed much too quickly, Pram. If you think this is impressive, you¡¯re going to faint when you see this. Can you put your Runegear on?¡± As Pram grabbed the bracelet from the table, he donned his uniform and stood at attention in front of Desir. ¡°Now draw your sword and imagine putting it away.¡±


    As Pram imagined putting his sword away, his sword instantly disappeared in a sh of light. ¡°Mr. Desir?!¡± His rapier had disappeared and he was getting anxious at the thought of losing it for a second time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ve stored your sword in a subspace pocket. In order to bring it back, you just have to do the same thing you did before: imagine unsheathing your sword.¡± Following Desir¡¯s instructions, a flock of lights gathered around Pram before his beloved sword appeared in his hands once again. ¡°The weight of a nksum sword is nigh zero, but one cannot say the same for the scabbard. In order to maximize your speed, you should try to reduce your overall weight as much as possible.¡±


    Next up was Romantica. Desir offered her a long stick in the shape of a t iron rod. Romantica was puzzled at what she was being offered, but she took a hold of it anyway. As she put her hands on the rod, her badge gave off a blue glow and the shape of the rod started to change. The interlocking ironponents clicked into ce, and a peculiar shape began to emerge in her hands.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called a sniper rifle.¡±


    In the Shadow Labyrinth, this was Romantica¡¯s weapon of choice. Using his knowhow from working with Zod in the past, he had taught the engineer the idea behind the sniper rifle and ended upmissioning Zod to make it. ¡®It¡¯s weaker than her previous weapon, but she¡¯ll have to get used to using this one first.¡¯ Her previous weapon used a 2nd ss Magic Crystal that offered significantly higher firepower.


    Desir went into broad exnations as to how to use the rifle: which end to point at the enemy, how to steady herself when preparing to fire, and the best positions from which to use the rifle. ¡°The rifle will integrate with the Runegear in order to operate. Its uses are primarily to amplify your magic and extend the radius of your detection magic. With the use of the rifle, you¡¯ll be as powerful as a 4th Circle magician.


    ¡°4th Circle Magician?¡± questioned Romantica. She stared at the weapon in her hands in disbelief.


    ¡°With your casting speed and ample cover, you¡¯ll be the rock that supports the rest of our party.¡±


    Romantica blushed at Desir¡¯s words and promised to do her best.


    ¡°I¡¯m just doing whatever I can for my party. I¡¯m sure you guys would do the same for me.¡±


    The performance of the magical equipment developed by Zod was beyond Desir¡¯s imagination. The quality of the items were far higher than he had expected. ¡®That¡¯s a genius for you.¡¯ He silently thanked Zod, and then turned his gaze back towards his two party members. Fully equipped in their Runegear, the two stood at attention in front of Desir. He felt a thrum of pride looking at his two party members, and vowed to help them exceed their past selves.


    ¡°Now all that¡¯s left is suppressing the Shadow World.¡±

 Chapter 39: Dinner Service (1)

    <h4>Chapter 39: Dinner Service (1)</h4>


    Rewriter: Wynn


    July 20th. Day.


    In the auditorium, nobles from the Empire and the Western Kingdom Union were present. Freshmen and seniors students alike filled the auditorium to capacity. All of the students wore their Runegears; their profession was denoted by the color of their attire: blue for the magicians and red for the swordsmen. Their uniform appearance and orderly fashion gave the nobles the impression of a veteran military corps.


    In front of the sizable audience, the Dean started speaking:


    ¡°Everyone¡ª it has been many years since the Shadow World began threatening humanity. During that time, God¡¯s Shield - the Empire of Artemis - has fallen and other nearby countries have met their end in simr fashions. We have lost substantial territory to the Shadow World, and loved ones who will nevere back.¡±


    ¡°As they fade away to our memories, humanity has remained divided even in our dire straits! There are knights who fight only in service of the King; nobility who wage war amongst themselves instead of protecting society against the Shadow Worlds; mages who stood to the side and became bystanders to the conflict. With the way things were looking, the end was inevitable.¡±


    ¡°In the past, the Shadow World represented the inevitable end of days: an irreversible cmity.


    With the world in such desperate times, we needed a beacon of hope to shine down on humanity. The Empire¡¯s solution was the Hebrion Academy; the continent¡¯s most prestigious school intended to raise a generation of students who could fight back against the Shadow Worlds. Since its foundation, Hebrion Academy has produced countless knights and mages: people who fought for humanity. And after years and years of hard work¡­¡±


    The Dean clenched his fist and raised it above his head in pride.


    ¡°The Shadow World was conquered in its entirety. Subjugated into submission. The ones that appear this year will be no different.¡± As if on cue, an announcement echoed through the auditorium.


    - Detecting Dimensional Crack. Based on its magical sequence, the requisite Shadow Gates will be opening.


    ¡°A long time ago, Shadow Worlds could only be essed via Teleportation Gate exactly where the Shadow World spawned. With the technological advancements over the past 30 years, we are now able to enter the Shadow World from anywhere using 5th Circle Space Maniption magic. In order to participate, all you have to do is select your preferred Shadow World and enter the gate.¡± Something mechanical clicked behind the Dean and a quiet hum whirred as the mana in the atmosphere began to move. The Shadow Gate had activated.


    - Currently, there are 4,728 Shadow Worlds essible.


    Shadow Worlds didn¡¯t disappear until they were cleared. As time went on, the existing Shadow Worlds would continue to pollute and encroach on their territory. With the thousands of Shadow Worlds avable, they were split between Hebrion Academy and the Western Kingdom Union. The most difficult instances were given to Hebrion Academy graduate students, whilst the actively enrolled students would often find themselves in low ss Shadow Worlds to build experience.


    Now that humanity had stabilized the Shadow Worlds, the tasks that the students had to take were rtively minor. The time that the students spent in the Shadow World was a rite of passage, and also the first steps they took towards bing fully fledged heroes.


    ¡°From now on, your devices will be made aware of all Shadow Worlds that appear. Please work in teams at all times, and remember that points will be distributed based on the difficulty of the Shadow World. More important than anything else, please ensure that you know your limits and enter Shadow Worlds appropriate for your level. Your safety is paramount. Once you have selected a Shadow World, consult our historians for more information. If you need anything else, speak with the Support Team. Our Hebrion Academy offers its full support.¡± Finally, students started to move around with their teams. The Alpha students leisurely browsed their options in groups of two or three. In contrast, the Beta ss students were restricted in their options; they were not allowed to enter Shadow Worlds above ss 5.


    In a different location, 27 students stood at attention and received a briefing from the academy¡¯smander-in-chief, Tashid. ¡°For the rest of you, you are Hebrion¡¯s finest. The Shadow Worlds you will be sent to are vastly different from that of other people. In terms of difficulty, Shadow Worlds ss 6 and below are fairly easy¡ª just about anybody can clear them. The best corory would be¡­ Professor Nefan¡¯s exam, I suppose.¡± The studentsughed.


    ¡°However, as Hebrion¡¯s elite, the Shadow Worlds that you will be entering are vastly different. Above ss 5, you will be exposed to war and murder. Death is a very real possibility.¡± Theughter stopped. Regardless, nobody shrunk away in fear¡ª they were Single Rankers. They were prepared to die.


    Seeing their reaction, Tashid had a satisfied grin on his face. This was what Hebrion had to offer. ¡°Alright. While it¡¯s true that you¡¯ll be exposed to Shadow Worlds many times more difficult than your peers, the rewards are likewise that much greater.¡± The rewards for clearing Shadow Worlds were magic crystals based on the difficulty. ¡°As always, remember that the people in the Shadow World are not real. They are imaginary and only exist in the confines of the Shadow World. Do not feel guilty about killing them.¡±


    All students were reminded of this year after year, but there were always those who couldn¡¯t make the distinction. For them, therapy and psychological treatment were avable at the academy. ¡°The introductions have been a little too long. Let¡¯s dive right into the Shadow Worlds you will all enter.¡± As soon as Tashid finished speaking, a prompt showed up on hismunications device. On the disy, it showcased the Shadow Worlds exclusive to Single Rankers:


    Expected Difficulty: ss 4


    Location: Keyhole Desert


    There are 1 rted case[s] to this Shadow World.


    Consult the historians for more details.


    Expected Difficulty: ss 4


    Location: Bitlugu Town


    There are 3 rted case[s] to this Shadow World.


    Consult the historians for more details.


    Expected Difficulty: ss 3 ~ ss 5 (unknown)


    Location: North Sea


    There are 48 rted case[s] to this Shadow world.


    Consult the historians for more details.


    ¡°Select a Shadow World and notify the Central Committee. They will evaluate your skills and determine if you are fit to enter the Shadow World. Without approval, entrance into the Shadow World is strictly prohibited.¡± Tashid paused and took a deep breath. ¡°As for the Magic Crystal received from the Shadow World, it will be distributed based on your contribution points after taking into ount shipping and taxes. Anything that you receive will be free for your use. However, other objects that are found must be reported to the Academic Department. Failure to report will result in severe punishments as per the 13th Tax Amendment. With that, I wish you the best of luck in your travels.¡±


    As soon as Tashid left the room, a noisy murmur from the students began to thrum in the room. Everybody was discussing the Shadow World selection and their ns moving forward.


    ¡°I heard that for a 1st year Single Ranker, it¡¯s normal to enter a ss 5 Shadow World.¡± Pram overheard another party¡¯s conversation and looked over to Desir to gauge his reaction.


    ¡°No need to guess, Pram. I think I know which one Desir will choose¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Which one is it?¡± Pram asked Romantica.


    ¡°Knowing him, he¡¯s obviously going to pick the most difficult one: The ss 3.¡±


    ¡°Romantica, I would love to do that one if we could, but we currentlyck the strength,¡± exined Desir. Up until now, there were no reported incidents of ss 2 or higher Shadow Worlds. ss 3, for all intents and purposes, was the highest difficulty. ¡°If we were looking to do a ss 3 Shadow World, we would have to be like them to even get approval.¡± Desir pointed over at two famous parties: the Red Dragon Party led by Radoria, and the Blue Moon Party led by Elheim. In the vicinity, there were three 4th Circle mages, two Bishop-Rank knights, and five Rook-rank knights. Not a single 1st year could be found, and each of the members was a veteran.


    Don¡¯t overdo it. That was Desir¡¯s rule on tackling Shadow Worlds.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already decided which Shadow World we will be entering. It¡¯ll be perfect for us.¡± He showed his device to his party members.


    Expected Difficulty: ss 4


    Location: Orrane Province


    [¡­]


    Reading over the information disyed, Romantica¡¯s face paled. ¡°Uh¡ª I don¡¯t think we can do this one. Read thest part. It says we need at least four people. Between you, me, and Pram, we only have three.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Romantica. Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡±


    Seeing Desir¡¯s carefree expression, Romantica felt uneasy.


    ¡°Ajest joined our party,¡± said Desir candidly.


    ¡°What?¡±


    A ding from Desir¡¯s pad interrupted Romanica¡¯s thoughts.


    Request Confirmed. Entry approved.


    Party Members: Desir Arman. Pram Schneizer. Romantica Eru. Ajest Kingscrown.


    Please head towards Shadow Gate #2.

 Chapter 40: Dinner Service (2)

    <h4>Chapter 40: Dinner Service (2)</h4>


    As Desir made his way towards the Shadow Gate, Ajest fell in step with the party as though it was the most natural thing in the world.


    There was an ufortable amount of tension between Ajest and Romantica. Romantica was still displeased with the fact that Ajest had joined their party. It was hard for her to ept Ajest as their recent confrontation was still fresh in her mind.


    ¡°So youpletely left the Blue Moon Party?¡± Pram asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Romantica pouted as the conversation went on. Desir sighed, it seemed that great effort would be required before Ajest could be fully integrated into their party. Unlike Romantica, Desir greatly weed Ajest¡¯s inclusion. They needed one more member in order to participate in the Shadow World that he had set as their next goal and there was no one more capable than Ajest.


    ¡®She came at a good time.¡¯


    They were able to attempt the Orrane province¡¯s Shadow World. This was a Shadow World that Desir had been nning on tackling for a long time due to the rewards that could be acquired by clearing it.


    ¡®They say that Toa¡¯s Armaments can be acquired in this Shadow World.¡¯


    Toa¡¯s Armaments. It was an artifact that increased a magician¡¯s mana pool, allowing them to reach a much higher proficiency. In the future Shadow Labyrinth that Desir came from, he was soul-linked to this artifact. It was the reason he was able to reach the Third Circle. However, Desir was not the first possessor of Toa¡¯s Armaments. It was originally owned by some magician from Hebrion Academy and that magician was able to reach the Fifth Circle. Despite this, that magician had died in the Shadow Labyrinth and, due to his expedition group¡¯s policy, it was given to the most appropriate sessor, who turned out to be Desir.


    There were two reasons why Desir was deemed the most appropriate to inherit the artifact. Firstly, Toa¡¯s Armaments¡¯ ability to increase one¡¯s mana pool was greater for magicians of the lower Circles and, secondly, Desir¡¯s analysis ability had gain notoriety within the expedition group. With therger mana pool backing up his analysis ability, Desir¡¯s contribution to the expedition was deemed irreceable to the extent that the n executed nine yearster would be impossible without him.


    ¡®In order to be as strong as I was before, I need to get my hands on that Artifact.¡¯


    Knowing that his biggest weakness was his mana pool, Desir sought out information about the Artifact. Even though he would naturallye to acquire the Artifact due to his predecessor¡¯s death, he performed extensive research and nning in order to reach the Artifact first. Thankfully, he had already knew a bit about the Artifact even before he was bound to it, which is how he knew about this Shadow World.


    Deep in thought, Desir arrived in front of the Shadow Gate before he knew it.


    ¡°Desir Arman, Romantica Eru, Pram Schneizer, Ajest Kingscrown. These are the members attempting to take on the Shadow World of the Northern Province, Orrane?¡± asked the Gatekeeper in a professional sounding tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± replied Desir who, as the Party Leader, acted as their representative.


    ¡°Do you agree with all the terms and conditions apanying the participation in a Shadow World?¡±


    ¡°We agree.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll open the Shadow Gate. The connected area will be the Orrane Province. There may be some disorientation following the spatial transfer, so please be careful.¡±


    Once the preliminary checks werepleted, the Gatekeeper opened the Shadow Gate and a blinding light enveloped the party.


    [You have entered the Shadow World]


    As Desir opened his eyes and looked around him, all he could see were walls made of stone. The room was spacious and hot. There was a massive pot of soup boiling above a crackling, zing fire. Cooking utensils, such as kitchen knives anddles, were strewn about here and there. There were vegetables, freshly prepared sauce, and wheat bread, glistening with oil.


    ¡®This must be a kitchen.¡¯


    Desir took a second nce around the room, but found nothing else of note. Ajest, Pram, Romantica, the rest of his party, were nowhere to be found.


    ¡®This must be what they meant when they said we¡¯d be assigned different roles.¡¯


    The sound of a door opening drew Desir¡¯s attention. An overtly plump man walked in. He appeared to be very angry, Desir was surprised that a man of such stature could appear so hostile.


    [You have met Jefran Eastwood, Veteran Chef. A stubborn professional with a lot of pride and confidence.]


    ¡°What are you doing, you stupid oaf!?¡± Before Desir could react, the chef pointed at the ingredients in front of Desir and smacked him.


    Desir was caught off-guard by the blow but, drawing from his experience as a veteran who had cleared multiple Shadow Worlds already, he remained calm as he lowered his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Scram! You¡¯re just in the way, you useless idiot!¡±


    Desir¡¯s response had the intended effect of not provoking the chef further. Jefran simply pushed past Desir and moved to the cutting board to prepare the vegetables. His knife angrily mmed into the cutting board, loud enough to startle people outside.


    Desir watched idly as he tried toprehend the scenario around him. The chef shot him a wrathful look.


    ¡°What are you standing around like an idiot? Did you be a statue? I told you we don¡¯t have any time! Damnit! Help me with the cooking, moron!¡±


    ¡®Cooking?¡¯


    Just as Desir was beginning to understand his role, the chef smacked Desir on the back of the head in frustration.


    ¡°Are you an idiot sandwich? I told you we need to serve a distinguished guest today! Don¡¯t tell me you forgot the menu too?¡±


    [Dinner Service Quest has begun. You are the chef¡¯s assistant and must prepare a meal for all 13 honored guests visiting the castle. The food that the kitchen must prepare are as follows:


    Appetizer: 2 ck Olive Sd, 4 Herb Marinated Scallops and Shrimps, and 7 Cream of Lamb Soup


    Entr¨¦e: 13 Beef Tenderloins with Mashed Potatoes and Carrots on the side, the steak must be cooked as follows: 3 well done, 5 medium, 3 medium-rare, and 2 rare


    Dessert: Chocte Cake (cut evenly into 13 pieces)


    Help the Chef sessfully prepare the Dinner Service. Oue of this quest will affect the overall quest.]


    ¡°I did not forget Chef,¡± responded Desir in a calm voice.


    ¡°Repeat it back to me.¡±


    ¡°2 ck Olive Sd, 4 Herb Marinated Scallops and Shrimps, and 7 Cream of Lamb Soup. These are the appetizers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Did you wake up a little? Go prepare the vegetables!¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    [Jefran has noticed your determined expression and elevated his affection towards you to ¡®Good¡¯. His affection will affect the progression of the quest henceforth.]


    ¡°How many times do I have to repeat this? Always address me as ¡®Chef¡¯ at the end of your sentences!¡±


    ¡°Yes, chef!¡±


    The carrots were caked with dirt, the onions were unpeeled, and the lettuce had snails crawling over them at the bottom of the barrel. Desir shook off some dirt and began washing the vegetables.


    ¡®Was his name Jefran?¡¯


    The sound of Jefran¡¯s knife resumed and continued on without rest. From the corner of his eye, Desir nced at the chef.


    ¡®That man¡­¡¯


    Desir watched as Jefran opened the tightly sealed scallops with the edge of his knife and perfectly peel away the mollusk, leaving nothing behind.In a disy of blinding speed, all four scallops were soon removed from their shells in simr fashion.


    ¡®He talks like a sailor, but he is really skilled!¡¯


    Preparation of the shrimp had already beenpleted. Jefran oiled his frying pan and ced the scallop and shrimp on it.


    ¡®This quest is not that difficult. I just have to match his rhythm as an assistant.¡¯


    Desir prepared the olives and brought over the vegetables for the sd. He had shook off the water and made sure everything was ready before bringing them over to Jefran.


    ¡°Stir the soup so it doesn¡¯t stick to the pot!¡± Jefran pointed towards the hearth.


    ¡°Yes, chef!¡±


    The soup was boiling in the pot over the hearth. Desir grabbed the woodendle and got to work. Unwittingly, Desir let out a groan as he began to stir. The soup was so stick that it was exceedingly difficult to stir. Desir grasped thedle with both hands and stirred with all his might.


    ¡®Hot!¡¯


    The heat of the stove made it feel as though all of his body was burning up. It was hot and difficult, but Desir endured without stopping his stirring motion.


    [Jefran rates your determination highly]


    The chef must have been watching Desir stubbornly stir the soup in the hot environment. While Desir stirred, Jefranpleted the sd and the seafood appetizers.


    ¡°Pour the soup into their bowls. You remember how many, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, chef!¡±


    The food was finally ready. Jefran rang a bell in the kitchen and several people entered to carry out the appetizers. Now it was time to prepare the main dish. All 13 guests were having Beef Tenderloin with sides of mashed potatoes, carrots, eggnts, and other things.


    ¡°Hurry and cook the potatoes. It takes a while to cook them,¡± said Jefran, who had already started preparing the carrots and eggnts.


    ¡°I am already cooking them chef.¡±


    ¡°¡­What? Since when?¡± Jefran¡¯s eyes widened has the crisp aroma of cooked potatoes filled the kitchen.


    ¡°I noticed the speed of your cooking and thought we might need them soon so I prepared them ahead of time. I¡¯m a proficient assistant.¡±


    Desir had adjusted quickly to his role in the kitchen.


    ¡°Damn kid getting all smart on me.¡±


    [Master Chef Jefran acknowledges your foresight.]


    In spite the actual words he used, Jefran¡¯s tone sounded affectionate.


    Notes:


    ¡®This must be a kitchen¡¯ ¡ª Nichs Cage rage face


    ¡°Idiot sandwich¡± ¡ª original text was ¡°Foock-ing donkey¡±

 Chapter 41: Dinner Service (3)

    <h4>Chapter 41: Dinner Service (3)</h4>


    As the potatoes simmered in the oven, Jefran swapped over to the steaks. He grabbed a b of beef from the pantry and tossed it onto the table. ¡°What¡¯s the order?¡±


    ¡°Three well done, five medium, three medium rare, and two rare, chef!¡±


    Acknowledging Desir with a curt nod, he turned his attention to the tenderloin. Jefran sliced the beef into generous portions, disying his culinary mastery. In the middle of his cutting, he nced back at the potatoes. ¡°They should be cooked by now. Take them out of the oven, then peel the skin and crush them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, chef!¡±


    While Desir went to te the dishes, Jefran ced his tenderloin steaks onto a skillet, mentoring his protegee with his expertise at the same time. ¡°When cooking steaks, focus on the well done and medium steaks first. That way, we can match the cooking time for all of the dishes while they are still hot.¡± Unlike before, the head chef was amiably passing on his cooking knowledge instead of berating him. Desir listened attentively, looking for any clues and details that might help him clear the Shadow World.


    As soon as all of the steaks finished, Jefran put the finishing touches to the ting. Everything had to be served before it got cold.


    ¡°Now, with the worcestershire sauce and the onions!¡±


    A brilliant rhythmic knocking rapped on the counter; it was Jefran lightly cooking the vegetables and chopping them up into a garnish to ent the dish. He then ted the mashed potatoes and garnished them elegantly, then rang a bell, calling the servers to take the exquisite meal out to his guests. As they were arriving, Jefran started to exin each dish and give them pinpoint instructions. While they took their dishes out, Desir asked the head chef what to do next.


    After the main course, it was time for dessert.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to prepare dessert,¡± said Jefran tly.


    Desir was bbergasted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°It takes quite a bit of time to make a cake, so I made it in advance. You know- I¡¯m a prepared chef. All that¡¯s left to do is slice the cake. Go sit down and take a break. Chef¡¯s orders.¡± He gave Desir a smile and went back to his work.


    Desir sat down in a chair at the corner of the room. After looking around and taking in the room, he started to notice a few smaller details that he had overlooked in the rush. Specifically, one thing in particr caught his eye.


    A couple of plump, oval-shaped green fruits sat in a basket on the table. Not a single one was used within the entire meal. Desir turned to ask Jefran a question. ¡°Chef, do you like plums?¡±


    ¡°Hm- you mean these? Yeah, that¡¯s what they¡¯re called, aren¡¯t they. You sure know your stuff, boy. The higher ups sent them over saying I should try to use ¡®em, but they taste bitter. It¡¯s such a shame, what with their nice fragrance. I was about to throw ¡®em away.¡±


    ¡®I see¡­ so that¡¯s what it is.¡¯ Jefran inadvertently answered his question; Desir checked the plums to ensure that they were still fresh and fragrant. ¡®This fruit must be rted to the quest.¡¯


    If there was an object rted to the Shadow World, quests would promptly pop up. Desir thought carefully about the plum. It was just a leftover ingredient in the kitchen, something left there because the chef didn¡¯t know what to do with it. ¡®He even gave me a hint.¡¯


    Jefranmented about how it had a nice fragrance, but a bitter taste- meaning, the hint was to utilize its fragrance. Casual remarks like these would be hints that led to clearing the Shadow World. ¡®Now that humanity can clear Shadow Worlds consistently, it¡¯s offering an opportunity to exceed expectations and finish side quests.¡¯ As soon as he finished his thought, an announcement rung:


    | Hidden Quest: ¡®Dinner Service-EX¡¯ found.


    | Head Chef Jefran does not know anything about plums and they do not grow locally. You must lead him with your culinary expertise. Find a way to use the plums.


    | If the Earl likes your cooking, additional rewards will be offered.


    | If the Earl dislikes your cooking, there may be consequences.


    ¡°Chef, do you have any ns to serve tea with the dessert?¡±


    Jefran looked at Desir and stopped slicing the cake. ¡°I need to prepare it. Unfortunately, the guests don¡¯t seem to like my choice of tea, so I have to think about what to do with it.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we use this?¡± Desir gestured towards the plums.


    ¡°The plums? You know how to use these? Hmm¡­¡± The head chef looked concerned.


    | Jefran¡¯s impression of you is currently [favorable]. Due to this, Jefran will make a positive decision.


    Jefran inhaled a deep breath. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll leave this one to you. Tell me what other ingredients you need to prepare the tea.¡±


    ¡°Yes chef! Thank you chef!¡± Desir recalled the ingredients needed for plum tea using the recipe that Pram gave him. ¡®After we clear the Shadow World, I¡¯ll get Pram something tasty.¡¯


    | You have sessfully served the dinner service, as well as disying a personal dish.


    | EX Quest Unlocked!


    | The Earl knows your name. The following sub-quests will be skipped:


    Cooking Quest


    Cleaning Quest 1


    Cleaning Quest 2


    Dish Washing Quest


    Later that night, Desir stayed in the kitchen to wash the dishes. The assistant chef was responsible for cleaning up, and the nking of the dishes emanated throughout the silent kitchen. Jefran was also there taking stock of the ingredients to be used for tomorrow¡¯s dinner. Abruptly, he asked Desir if the tea was an original dish.


    ¡°No. I learned it from a friend.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, can you make that tea again, so long as you have the ingredients?¡±


    ¡°Yes chef, but why are you asking about this? Did the Earl fall in love with my tea, unable to part from it?¡± asked Desir with a teasing voice.


    ¡°Quit running your mouth.¡± Jefran smacked Desir¡¯s head. Seeing his protegee rub his head in pain, Jefran chuckled and told Desir to sit down. ¡°You¡¯re right. The Earl liked your tea and requested more.¡±


    | Sess! For clearing the EX quest, you have been granted the position of [Assistant]. As an [Assistant], you will receive hints for future quests.


    ¡°Will I still be able to work here if I served him full time?¡±


    ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t have the time. I¡¯ll have to find somebody else.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I don¡¯t want to get hit again.¡±


    With hisrge palm, Jefram smacked Desir¡¯s back and gave a heartyugh.


    | Jefran liked your joke. Rtionship with Jefran increased to [Trustworthy].


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you this so you don¡¯t get the wrong idea. You¡¯re not being hired because the tea was amazing. It was fairly standard, but the Earl liked the novelty. He¡¯s never tasted anything like it before. If that¡¯s the case, what should you be doing?¡±


    ¡°I will try my best to serve the greatest tea, chef!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Always remember that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, chef.¡±


    Jefran stood up. ¡°Good. Don¡¯t worry about the dishes and go to bed. You¡¯ll need to wake up early tomorrow. That merchant that stocks up on plums is leaving tomorrow morning. It¡¯s only natural to personally select ingredients for your dish.¡±


    | Due to [Head Chef] Jefran¡¯s high opinion of you, he has rmended you to the Earl, stressing your honesty and talent for the [Assistant] position. Your upation has changed to [Assistant]. The quality of food provided to you will improve. You can freely move around the castle.


    The next morning, the two chefs rode in the carriage out of the castle, following the winding path. Autumn was nearing its end and frost was starting to creep up on the ends of the greenery. Leaning towards the shaking window, Desir looked outside.


    From a chimney, white smoke billowed above a roof. The streets were well kept and after passing the drawbridge, a city came into view. Under the current governing system, the city was flourishing and there was a lively hustle and bustle everywhere they went. While Desir and the Earl had never met, he was convinced that the Earl had to be a splendid ruler.


    As they traveled, Desir began noticing something odd¡­ the smiles on the faces of the people faded the further they got from the city center. After traveling past the residential district, they passed the ins with small huts made of wood. The livelihood of the city vanished in an instant. The people here looked exhausted, their facesced with dirt and grime.


    ¡°Mr. Jefran, what is this ce?¡±


    Jefran clicked his tongue. ¡°A vige for wanderers. Recently, we have been taking in wanderers who don¡¯t have a ce to stay.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s peculiar. I¡¯ve never seen an Earl ept so many wanderers.¡± They were people from all walks of life; some had circumstances which caused them to lose their homes, others had been exiled. The only thing that bound them together was this: they didn¡¯t have any ce to stay. Typically, nobody in the right mind would ept so many nomads- there were almost as many of them as there were residents of the inner city.


    ¡°Our Earl is generous. At first, there were only a few and his Lordship offered them sanctuary. Soon after, rumors spread across thend and here we are now. Regardless of the cautionary tales of his advisors, he¡¯s insistent on supporting them until the end of Winter. As you know, the Winter¡¯s brutal. If we kick them out now, it¡¯s no different from sending them to their graves.¡± Jefran shivered and rubbed his palms together. He took a parting nce at the men and women huddling together for warmth outside.


    ¡°I get it. Nobody wants blood on their hands. But I don¡¯t like it. We¡¯re short enough on food as it is, and these guys do nothing but steal our food. Eh¡­ you know what I mean. There¡¯s plenty of people around here who feel the same.¡± Jefran hacked out some spit.


    ¡°I see.¡± Desir let out a heavy sigh. ¡®It¡¯s just like the Academy- the civilians and nomads are just like the Alpha and Beta students.¡¯

 Chapter 42: Two Problems (1)

    <h4>Chapter 42: Two Problems (1)</h4>


    The carriage rattled as it carried along its path. Leaning towards the window, Desir admired the scenery. Therge tracts ofnd set for farming stuck out in his mind. ¡®With so much abundant and fertile farnd, it¡¯s no wonder they¡¯re able to produce so much food. The Earl didn¡¯t make this decision on a whim.¡¯


    Upon reaching the city borders, the carriage stopped outside of a shabby inn. The wood was worn and the door was creaky, but it stood the test of time and didn¡¯t smell of mould. That was enough.


    ¡°Stay here and wait for me.¡± Jefran walked into the inn and proceeded to secure amodations for the two of them. Desir agreed and gave him a curt nod before noticing how sore he was from the carriage ride here. Once Desir got out of the carriage, he started to stretch. He felt much better after getting out of the cramped carriage. Suddenly, he felt something prodding him.


    He turned around, but couldn¡¯t find anybody there. As he was beginning to believe that nobody was there, he looked down to find an emaciated child with cracked lips. The vagrant girl cupped her hands in front of Desir and pleaded ¡°Sir, could you spare some change? Please?¡± The look in her eyes was desperate, and she couldn¡¯t disguise her exhaustion that was either from fatigue or starvation¡ª or both.


    Desir rummaged through his pockets for something, anything to give to the little girl, but he didn¡¯t have a single coin to give her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t have any money either.¡±


    The little girl¡¯s eyes drooped; she looked like a tree one breeze from falling over. ¡°Sigh¡­ it can¡¯t be helped then.¡± She turned around and wearily stumbled away from Desir. As she began departing, Desir called out to her and offered her four dried plums in an outstretched hand. ¡°If it¡¯s food you want, I do have this.¡±


    Her face brightened and her eyes looked up at Desir, as if asking for permission. He smiled back and nodded approvingly at the little girl before handing her one of the dried plums. She devoured it ravenously, before eyeing the other dried plums avariciously.


    ¡°Do you want more?¡± The little girl nodded furiously in response. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things that I don¡¯t know. Would you be okay if I asked you some questions in exchange for these plums?¡± There was no hesitation as she nodded again.


    ¡°Do you live there?¡± Desir pointed at the shantytown where the wanderers stayed.


    The little girl nodded. ¡°Yep. I live with my mom and little brother. Just the three of us.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your dad?¡±


    ¡°Dunno. Mom won¡¯t tell me.¡±


    Desir gave the little girl another plum. She ate it just as quickly as the first. ¡°I heard that they give you free food here. Isn¡¯t that true?¡±


    ¡°They do. Every morning, theye from over there.¡± She pointed over at the za. ¡°If you wait in line, they give you food.¡±


    ¡°If so, then why¡ª¡° Desir¡¯s words were cut short as he saw the little girl search for something in her pockets. She pulled it out as though she was handling a precious treasure: it was a piece of bread.


    ¡°They give us a piece of bread to eat every day, but it isn¡¯t enough. That¡¯s why Lilica is always hungry.¡±


    ¡°Who is Lilica?¡± asked Desir. The little girl pointed at herself, and her stomach growled in hunger. In response, Desir handed her another dried plum. Like every other time, it disappeared within a matter of seconds.


    ¡°Sir, and your name?¡±


    ¡°You can call me Desir.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Desiiiir. Since you¡¯re so nice, I¡¯ll give you this.¡± It was a handkerchief embroidered with flower patterns; he could tell that it took years to achieve this kind of masterful needlework. ¡°My mom made it; she¡¯s super good at sewing. She even made my clothes!¡± Lilica twirled around and showed off her dress.


    Desir was surprised that she gave him this. ¡°This is beautiful. Are you sure that you don¡¯t want to sell this at the market? With your mom¡¯s workmanship, it should go for a good price.¡±


    ¡°People told us not toe by the market. They said they¡¯d beat my mom to death if she came.¡± She frowned as she recalled the memory. ¡°They said we¡¯re thieves that steal everything. Besides Joffrey, they said that the other people who lived with us stole stuff from them. Even though we didn¡¯t steal anything, they keep calling us thieves. My mom told me to hold it in. She said that since we¡¯re not from here, it¡¯s natural for them to act like this.¡±


    ¡°Hey Desir! Get over here! Now!¡± Jefran¡¯s voice rang out as he called for his assistant. It was time to go. Desir needed to hurry back, so he handed the little girl thest dried plum. ¡°Lilica, do you see that sun? When it¡¯s set about halfway,e to the castle¡¯s backdoor and I¡¯ll give you more food, okay?¡±


    ¡°Wow¡ª really? Okay!¡±


    ¡°Make sure that nobody sees you.¡± After making sure she understood, Desir left and jogged back towards Jefran. Soon after, an notification rang out.


    | You have found the Problem #2: [Vagrants], one of the two problems within the Evernatten Domain.


    Lord Evernatten¡¯s Castle, 11:00am.


    After steam rose from the kettle and its aroma wafted through the office, Desir poured the tea into a silver teacup and then ced it onto a silver tter. Opening the chamber doors, he gently put the silver tray down in front of his Lordship, who was going through a stack of paperwork. He was a gruff older man with a face riddled with battle scars that was carved out by the countless seasons he has survived through. Working in silence, an air of intensity surrounded him.


    | You have encountered Unique Hero [Wilhelm Evernation]. This is a key figure in the main scenario.


    | Be close with him. Once the Earl¡¯s impression of you reaches [trustworthy], the main quest will begin. Currently, his impression of you is [favorable].


    ¡®If this person is a key figure in the Shadow World, then the main quest must be helping him solve the problems of the Evernation Domain.¡¯ Desir gently ced the teacup on top of the Earl¡¯s desk. Clearing the [Dinner Service-EX] quest, Desir was rewarded with the position of the Earl¡¯s assistant. The Earl¡¯s quill moved without rest, while his eyes remained fixed on the paperwork in front of him. He took a few casual sips of the tea, but otherwise remained taciturn.


    ¡®In order to trigger the main quest as soon as possible, I have to persuade the Earl that he can trust me; I have to solve the vagrant problem as soon as possible.¡¯ Desir tactfully observed the Earl. Aside from the quiet scratches on parchment and sips of tea, not a sound was present.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Desir cleared his throat. He wanted to start a casual conversation with the Earl. It was the best way to be friendly with him in a short time. ¡°It¡¯s really cold today.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The Earl answered back without looking up.


    ¡°Should I close the window for you?¡±


    ¡°Leave it be.¡± The Earl looked at Desir. A spectacr failure. This time, Desir tried to change the topic instead of making small talk. Looking at the paperwork piled on top of the Earl¡¯s desk, he concluded that there was so much paperwork that couldn¡¯t possibly be finished by one person.


    ¡°My lord, there appears to be a substantial amount of work to be done. Should you wish it, I would be happy to assist you with your work.¡±


    Wilhelm put down his tea and turned his attention over to Desir. ¡°Do you know how to read?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    Earl Evernation put down his quill pen. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have you do one thing for me.¡± Desir leaned closer to ensure that he caught every single word.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me while I am busy working. It¡¯s distracting.¡±


    | Earl Wilhelm¡¯s impression of you has decreased from [favorable] to [neutral].


    ¡®I can¡¯t approach him using normal means. I need to look at this from a different direction.¡¯


    Desir came to this conclusion after a few days in his new position as the Earl¡¯s assistant. After a disappointing first meeting, Desir tried his best to offer a good impression to the Earl: offering desserts, bringing various exotic teas, and cleaning the Earl¡¯s room ahead of time. Unfortunately, none of these had any affect on the Earl¡¯s temperament. Four days into the mission while Desir was thinking about how to earn the Earl¡¯s trust, the scenario began to split off into a new development.


    Castle Kitchen.


    To help Jefran whilst he was looking for a new assistant, Desir was preparing the onions in the kitchen by himself. With the door slightly ajar, a cute and mischievous eye appeared to ensure that the coast was clear. When he saw Desir, his pupils dted before he popped out of the door and it flew wide open. The speedy shadow dashed straight at Desir and jumped, arms outstretched ready to envelop him. ¡°Mr. Desir, guess who?¡±


    Desir was startled and turned around to see his nimble party member in the flesh. ¡°Pram? How did you get here? Ouch! Hold on!¡±


    ¡°Sorry! I couldn¡¯t help myself after finding you.¡± Pram let go of his tight embrace and took a step back.


    Seeing Pram¡¯s appearance, he noticed that his party member was wearing the uniform of the Evernatten guards. ¡°So you started off as a guard, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! As a guard, I was able to roam around the castle. That¡¯s why it was easy to find you. Besides that, do you know how long I¡¯ve been looking for you?!¡± Pram¡¯s distressed face was extremely close to Desir¡¯s face. Desir took a step back and apologized.


    ¡°Sorry, there¡¯s been a lot going on.¡± He briefed Pram on what had transpired so far in the Orrane region. He mentioned the wanderers living outside of the city, and the disparate treatment that they were receiving from the townsfolk. Desir also mentioned Lilica, the young girl he met outside the walls.


    After catching up with Desir, Pram forgave him and the two of them huddled together to discuss the Shadow World. ¡°So¡­ it seems like this Shadow World is based on the Holy Empire?¡±


    In response to Pram¡¯s question, Desir nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed it. A few days ago, I took a moment to leave the castle. I found that the city¡¯s architecture resembles that of the Holy Empire.¡±


    ¡°But Desir, wasn¡¯t the Holy Empire¡ª¡°


    ¡°Right. The entire territory was swallowed up by the Shadow World, short of the Orrane region where we currently reside.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s weird: it feels out of ce to be in a country that¡¯s already met its end. It¡¯spletely different from where we¡¯re from.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is your first time in a Shadow World.¡± Desir smiled at Pram, reminiscing of his first time.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same for you too?¡± Being caught off-guard, Desir rose from his seat.


    ¡°¡­Just wait here for a moment. I¡¯ll bring you something to eat.¡±

 Chapter 43: Two Problems (2)

    <h4>Chapter 43: Two Problems (2)</h4>


    Soon after, Desir returned with some warm tea and dried fruit. He wrapped up his story and urged Pram to tell his own in return. As they ate, Pram exined how the Shadow World had gone for him: initially, he had been quite hesitant. He had been left all alone, but worked diligently on his assigned quest. Despite his many mistakes and theplications they created, he ultimatelypleted his first quest. ¡°I¡¯m now on a quest to perform a meritorious deed in the annual battle against the barbarians, and to receive an ordination of knighthood,¡± he concluded.


    ¡°Barbarians?¡± Desir asked in response.


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s nothing to eat in the frozen tundra of the north. As a result, they raid this region¡¯s fertile territory every year,¡± exined Pram.


    As he finished his exnation, a notification appeared in front of Desir.


    [You have learned about the ¡®Barbarians¡¯ problem, one of the two problems facing the Evernation Territory.]


    ¡®So the barbarians problem was the other one.¡¯ Desir surmised wordlessly. He bit into one of the dried fruits he had brought along. ¡°How¡¯s your progress on the quest?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ about that¡­¡± Pram sighed. ¡°I¡¯m in the same situation you¡¯re in, Mr. Desir. I haven¡¯t even seen a single barbarian.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°ording to the scouting parties, nobody has seen any signs of a barbarian raid. The Order of the Knights has already dered that the barbarians have given up on raiding this year.¡±


    ¡°The barbarians have given up?¡± Laughter mixed with incredulity seeped into Desir¡¯s voice. ¡°That cannot possibly be true.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a baseless im, Mr. Desir. Ever since Wilhelm became the lord, the barbarians haven¡¯t been able to break through the wall even once. They¡¯ve failed for five straight years; don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time they gave up?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the barbarian you met before?¡± asked Desir suddenly.


    Pram nodded. He remembered the barbarian he met at the Uzuken Marketce.


    Desir continued his questions. ¡°And what kind of feeling did you get from him?¡±


    ¡°¡­like they were the physical embodiment of the spirit of war,¡± Pram reluctantly conceded.


    ¡°So what do you think they¡¯ll be like when they gather into a group? Normal logic doesn¡¯t work on these barbarians. An impregnable fortress? The very idea will only embolden them to try harder.¡± Desir¡¯s voice had an authoritative edge to it, as if he knew a great deal about the barbarians. He did, in truth: he had fought with the King of the Barbarians for 10 years inside the Shadow Labyrinth. He had learned a great deal about them by simply watching Donaif lead his people into battle. ¡°On top of that,¡± Desir continued, ¡°They¡¯re starving, and the fertilend is sitting in front of their eyes. Give that up? No. They¡¯ll give everything to break through.¡±


    Desir lowered his voice an octave. ¡°It might even be the case that they haven¡¯t shown their true strength yet, to make Evernatten underestimate them.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make sense, Mr. Desir. Why would they try what they think is an underhanded trick, when they¡¯re so hawkish and love testing their strength?¡±


    Desir nodded at Pram¡¯s objection, in partial agreement. ¡°You¡¯re correct Pram, but they¡¯re already behaving quite irregrly because they haven¡¯t revealed themselves yet. That means we have to consider another important factor, outside of the unique traits of the barbarians.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The existence of an Opponent. Almost all Narrative Shadow World instances deal with a historical incident involving two opposing forces. In that case, there must be another key character who acts as the antagonist to Lord Evernation. He must be the one leading the barbarians, and the one who set up this new strategy.¡± Desir fell into deep thought, and continued, half mumbling, ¡°their objective is food¡­they haven¡¯t revealed themselves yet however¡­that¡¯s right. If they¡¯re trying to plunder some food, they don¡¯t need arge number of troops.¡± Therefore, Desir emphatically concluded, ¡°They n on ambushing the guards of the food storage warehouse and raiding it with a small strike force.¡±


    This could be described as the ¡°secret problem¡± facing Evernatten. Understanding it hinged on a deep understanding of the barbarians.


    A message appeared in front of Desir as soon as he finished his voicing his thought.


    [Your surprisingly high insight has discerned the ns of the barbarians from a very small hint.] [The hidden quest ¡®Raid¡¯ has begun.]


    [The barbarians will infiltrate the castle in 3 days. Their goal is the rations within the food storage warehouse. Stop the raid!]


    [The soldiers¡¯ morale will plummet if they run out of food.]


    [People living in Evernation and the surrounding territories will starve in a cold winter.]


    [Tension between people living here and the barbarians will increase.]


    [There are currently 4 months worth of food stored.]


    ------------------------------------------


    The fire from the brazier crackled noisily, casting long, pale shadows over the stones as Desir and Pram climbed up the castle walls to survey the region. As they walked along the wall, they made a simple sketch of the key features of the area, and estimated the locations of the guard posts.


    Desir had taken a quarter of a day to look over the entire region, and picked out the three most likely locations from which the barbarians would attempt to infiltrate the castle. First was the space behind the watermill, where the wall was rtively low, due to the hill beyond the wall. Next, the southern wall, where the distance between the guard posts was rtively long, leaving the region sparsely manned inparison. Third, the west gate, the closest gate to where the food storage warehouse was located.


    As the territory of Evernation was rtively wide, it was, unsurprisingly, difficult to keep up adequate patrols; opportunity for the barbarians most definitely existed. Desir turned to Pram. ¡°How did asking your fellow soldiers to increase the density of their patrols go?¡±


    Pram sighed. ¡°No good. Nobody believes me, no matter how much I try.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s your rtionship with the other soldiers?¡± Desir asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± responded Pram. ¡°I haven¡¯t been mindful of their affection level, so I don¡¯t really know.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably skeptical because their affection level for you isn¡¯t high enough.¡± Desir exined. They continued their walk, and Desir continued his exnation. ¡°You said the Knight¡¯s Order already imed that the barbarians wouldn¡¯t invade right? You would probably need an affection level of ¡®Trusting¡¯ at the minimum for them to believe you over the Knight¡¯s Order.¡±


    Pram sighed again. ¡°To think that affection level had that kind of effect¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote do anything about it now. We¡¯ll have toe up with a n on our own.¡±


    In the intervening time, Desir and Pram had cut their own sleeping hours short in order to patrol the tops of the castle walls. Immediately after their regr work ended, they would climb the walls to patrol the areas that Desir determined were the most likely staging points for the attack.


    They had discovered, unfortunately, that the situation was even worse than they initially thought. The soldiers guarding the walls werepletely unprepared for an ambush. Theycked any discipline, and spent most of their time dozing off or chatting with one another.


    Desir sighed. ¡°Without any tangible enemies, they feel no urgency.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard enough doing this work with three people¡­if even the soldiers are like this¡­¡± Pram¡¯s voice was uneasy.


    It soon became the job of Desir¡¯s patrol group to wake the soldiers during their own patrols.


    On the second day of their patrols, it began to snow. It was the first time it had snowed since Desir had arrived, and it was heavy. By the time their patrol of the first area, the watermill, had concluded, the snow had piled up several inches. Their steps left deep imprints as they moved forward.


    ¡°Our visibility has been reduced quite substantially, thanks to this snow. We¡¯ll have to be extra careful today.¡± Desir shouted over the din of the winter storm. He gripped tightly to his clothes as they billowed in the wind. ¡°Pram, you¡¯re still wearing your Runegear right?¡±


    ¡°Always.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± They continued hastily to the second point they identified, the south wall, climbing down a very lengthy set of stairs and passing through a narrow walkway, before finally arriving. The patrolmen were nowhere to be found.


    It was a familiar scene. Pram sighed again. ¡°Just where are they socializing now?¡±


    Desir paused. He felt a strange, inexplicable uneasiness. Without warning, he broke out into a run, rushing forward along the wall, and barely recognized the shapes slumped against the wall. The guards were neither dozing off or socializing. They were dead.


    ¡°Mr. Desir?¡± Pram¡¯s nerves carried in his voice.


    Desir looked down at the fallen guards. The snow had begun forming a thin sheet over the dead body, which meant that very little time had passed since the man had been killed. Desir grabbed the dead guard by the shoulders. He was cold as a block of ice. As Desir turned the man over, he saw an arrow embedded halfway through his stomach, dripping blood into a thick pool underneath. The notification appeared.


    [You¡¯ve discovered the Barbarians¡¯ infiltration.]


    The attack had already begun. They had executed the surprise attack to near perfection; Desir was certain that almost nobody else in Evernation even knew that they were under attack at the moment.


    Pram reflexively turned and began heading to the tower up ahead.


    ¡°Duck!¡± Desir yelled, as he pulled on Pram¡¯s scruff, sending him to the ground. A half dozen arrows zipped by overhead with a quiet, shrill whistle, before crashing against the stone walls with a crunch.


    ¡°¡­wha¡­arrows? But how can they aim through this blizzard¡­?¡± Pram¡¯s voice was dazed.


    ¡°Wait a second Pram.¡± Silently, Desir activated his magic.


    [Owl Vision]. A utility spell that allowed one to see clearly in the night. Carefully, Desir peered out between the crions. He saw a group of barbarians with their bodies almost totally hidden in the snowstorm.


    A single man, covered in the hide of a White Tiger caught his eye. He carried with one hand a great bow, nearly 2 meters long, and was at the head of the barbarians heading towards the wall.


    [You have encountered the Rare Hero, Bloody Talon. He is the tribal chief of the Hawk n, and has managed topletely unite the previously fractured southern barbarians with his brilliant intellect. He is renowned as the greatest archer of the Hawk n.]


    ¡°A titan has arrived.¡± Desir¡¯s voice was surprisingly calm. He watched as hooks shot towards the wall andtched on. Ropes dangled downward and were quickly grabbed by barbarians wearing white leopard hides. By Desir¡¯s estimate, there were about a hundred of them. It would be utter insanity to fight them. ¡®It¡¯d be nice if Ajest was here¡­¡¯ He shook his head, and turned to face Pram.


    Pram¡¯s lips were pale. ¡°We have to alert people.¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± agreed Desir. ¡°But how¡­?¡± He turned his attention back to the guard tower. Guard Tower 13, as it wasbeled, had arge bell attached to the top, whose purpose was to alert everyone in the event of an invasion. Unfortunately, the guard who was supposed to ring the bell had long since been turned into a porcupine thanks to the barbarians.


    ¡°Tsk. Is there no other way?¡±

 Chapter 44: Two Problems (3)

    <h4>Chapter 44: Two Problems (3)</h4>


    Knowing that the castle wall was free of guards, the barbarians tossed grappling hooks and began to scale the walls of Evernatten Castle. Each barbarian was a hulking mass of flesh, and towered over the opposition. With inborn talents in closebat, each one was worth ten of any regr soldiers.


    The barbarians let out guttural war cries as the castle walls were overrun. After bingcent over the long periods of peace, the soldiers had be weak. Arrows drawn from their quivers arced through the snowfall, and one soldier after another breathed theirst breath. The few who escaped the flurry of arrows were forced to hide behind the wall, only to be fodder for the barbarians, who split them in two with their hefty axes.


    Not a soul survived the massacre, and not a sound escaped the brutal ughter.


    Bloody Talon scanned his surroundings, squinting as he hunted for his prey. In an instant, his eyes widened; he had found it. Through the slew of buildings and the white powder draping thendscape, the food stores were nothing but prey for the barbarian horde. ¡®There it is.¡¯


    ¡°Warriors! We move!¡±


    The food stores were quite a ways off from their current location, but under the cover of snowfall, there was little problem. The troupe of barbarians descended the walls and plodded through the snow towards their objective. ¡°There may be survivors. You. You¡­¡± Bloody Talon picked out ten warriors and had them keep watch.


    ¡°As youmand!¡±


    The chosen scaled the walls once again, and the rest of the barbarians began their warpath. Their wrath would be swift.


    The soldiers who remained at the walls grumbled at Bloody Talon¡¯smands. A barbarian ornamented with feathers was agitated at being left behind.


    ¡°Our leader is too afraid. He fears that there are survivors among the guards? What kind of a warrior is he?¡± The other warriors agreed with hisints. They grew more audacious without Bloody Talon around.


    ¡°We want to fight. This clumsy thievery is unbing of our tribe.¡±


    ¡°This is an embarrassment to our lineage.¡±


    ¡°I did note here to slink around like a rat!¡±


    At that moment, a gargantuan barbarian brandished his ax. His hair was like a lion¡¯s mane, and he dwarfed his fellow barbarians as he red at the squabbling meatheads and chastised them. ¡°The tribe leader¡¯s words are absolute. How much you like it doesn¡¯t matter; he is smarter than everyone else. You don¡¯t doubt him, do you?¡± His words were tinged with an unspoken threat.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what we mean¡ª¡°


    ¡°Then we follow his orders. Scatter. Keep a close watch over the walls.¡± The barbarians reluctantly took a step back from the maned barbarian and carried out Bloody Talon¡¯s orders.


    The feathered barbarian traipsed along the pathways as he kept watch for any guards that may have survived. ¡®All the soldiers are dead. Bloody Talon doesn¡¯t miss.¡¯ There were a few soldiers lucky enough to hide, but they were finished off by the barbarians soon enough.


    As he continued walking, his thoughts drifted back to hisints earlier. ¡®The tribe leader is a coward. He worries about nothing.¡¯ Just as he turned the corner, he heard a quiet shuffle. ¡®Probably just the breeze, but I won¡¯t hear the end of it. Sigh.¡¯ As he tried to look back, something wriggled from beneath the piled bodies, and he suddenly felt a deep pain in his chest. Looking down at his body, he found a sword piercing through his chest, bisecting his heart.


    ¡°How d¡ª¡°


    The feathered barbarian couldn¡¯t finish his sentence before he passed. The one who stabbed him from behind, Pram Schneizer, pulled his sword from the corpse. The sword was drenched in scarlet, streaming down the length of the de. ¡°As Mr. Desir expected, there were enemies remaining.¡±


    A few momentster, Desir emerged from the pile of bodies. ¡°Nine to go.¡±


    ¡°If this is too difficult, we can head to guard post 14 to notify them. That ce shouldn¡¯t have been attacked by barbarians.¡±


    Taking into ount the distance between post 13 and post 14, Desir knew there was no way the guards would make it here in time. On top of that, the snowfall would make it immensely more difficult tomunicate. ¡°It¡¯s too far away.¡±


    With precious seconds ticking away, Desir knew that he had to make a game n. After careful consideration, he formted a viable strategy. ¡°We¡¯re going to break through and raise the bell at guard post 13. It should be possible between the two of us.¡±


    Pram nodded in response. ¡°I understand. Leave the vanguard to me.¡±


    [Haste]


    The pair of students rushed towards guard post 13, and were quickly noticed by the barbarians on the wall. ¡°Enemies!¡± cried the patrolling barbarians. Soon after, the rest of the barbarians left on the wall stormed to their location. The vanguards of the two parties shed in furious intensity: the barbarian with his massive ax, and Pram with a broadsword.


    As the two of them fought blow for blow, Pram had met his match. His broadsword flew out of his hands in the first strike. He didn¡¯t have a ghost of a chance to match the strength of a barbarian in a duel.


    The barbariansughed mockingly at Pram, as he ducked and weaved to dodge the iing blows. The maned barbarian teased him as he tried to regain the initiative. The feathered barbarian lifted his ax above his head, swinging it down like a guillotine. ¡®I have him.¡¯


    It was at that moment, Pram dove towards the barbarian and gave him a nasty kick in his sides. Without much room to maneuver and already off bnce due to his ax swing, the man hurtled off the side of the castle walls. His screams grew more distant, only to be cut off by a dull thud.


    ¡°Pram!¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    Pram crouched to avoid the great balls of fire sent rushing towards him by the barbarian spellcasters. The barbarians spat on the ground, disappointed at the showing of their deceased nsman. The narrow walls left little room to dodge, and Pram was in trouble¡ª if not for Desir.


    ¡°Hackingplete. Pram, go!¡±


    Pram kicked off the ground, and the barbarians began to conjure their magic¡ª but nothing happened. While the bewildered barbarians continued to try again and again, Pram closed the distance. Up until thest second, their magic refused to work. In frustration, the barbarians unsheathed their swords and attacked the blue haired boy.


    Regardless of the fact he was barehanded, Pram refused to back down. Small lights began to gather around his hands as he summoned his rapier in response to the unrelenting assault. The barbarians¡¯ eyes grew wide at the sight. Pram increased his speed one notch further, now equipped with his beloved rapier. A giant gash suddenly appeared on a barbarian. His face was filled with shock as he crumpled to the ground.


    ¡°Quickly now!¡± Desir hurried Pram to the guard post, before stopping at the foot of the stairway. Past the stairwayid the guard post, but the remaining barbarians had grouped together and were advancing at a breakneck pace. ¡®They must have gathered while we were fighting.¡¯ Counting seven, Pram was on edge, ready to leap intobat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it this time, Pram. Step back.¡±


    Desir¡¯s magic began to take form.


    [Melting Ice]


    1st Circle Utility magic. It was a magic that acted as advertised. Desir aimed the magic on the ground underneath the barbarians, and the piled snow melted into water.


    [Dry]


    Desir deployed a second magic as a follow up. The water surrounding Desir and Pram began to evaporate. Unlike the barbarians, their surroundings dried up. ¡®Dealing with seven people at once is a bit too much for a 1st Circle magician.¡¯ Having made the judgement call, Desir touched the corner of his Runegear, and the mana inside began to thrum with power.


    - Warning: Mana has been depleted to under 10%. Defensive capabilities will bepromised.


    Multiple rms went off as Desir drew a significant amount of mana from the Runegear. ¡®The Runegear uses a 4th tier magic crystal. That should be enough for me to fight at full capacity.¡¯


    ¡°There he is!¡± The barbarians had just reached the stairway and caught sight of Desir. The readied themselves for a fight, but the sight was ridiculous. The two of them were nning to fight the seven of them outmanned and outgunned. The barbarians descended the stairs to ughter Desir and Pram.


    As they approached, water sshed in all directions. A reflection of Desir¡¯s face could be seen in the axe that was thrown in the air. Six of the barbarians were rushing down the stairs. They may have been outnumbered, but the barbarians were outwitted.


    ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Desir said.


    His magic unfolded with a crash of thunder.


    [Summon Lightning]


    A paper thin beam stretched out, reaching to the heavens. The barbarians began to smile at the pitiful disy of magic, and descended like a murder of crows. As a maned barbarian roared and mmed into the thin beam, his face dropped and his shrieks echoed across the castle walls. The dazzling sh was blinding, and for a split second the sky lit up as if it was still daytime. An intense current mmed into the barbarians and electrocuted them from the inside out. Their blood vessels popped and their skin was charred ck, as if smited by divine retribution. The resulting scene brought a grimace to Pram¡¯s face. He felt queasy at the sight of the barbarians¡ª what was left of them, anyways.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t¡­ was that [Summon Lightning]?¡±


    3rd Circle magic [Summon Lightning] called a powerful electrical current, but what Desir disyed was miles ahead of the [Summon Lightning] he was used to. Likewise, he expressed doubt if a 3rd Circle magician would even be able to take on seven barbarians with a single blow.


    ¡°I modified the form,¡± exined Desir. He had broken the magic form in order to overclock the spell. By reducing the range, he increased the strength of the current many times over. To make up for the limited range, he used the melted ice as a conductor and the result¡­ was potent and gruesome.


    Taking a moment to check the mana levels of the Runegear, Desir sighed. With only one spell, he nearly emptied out the Runegear.


    ¡®I need to get Toa¡¯s Armaments now, and be a 3rd Circle magician.¡¯

 Chapter 45: Two Problems (4)

    <h4>Chapter 45: Two Problems (4)</h4>


    Three arrows hurtled through the snow, each shot from a different angle. As they whistled in the wind, each arrow found their mark: skewered through the throats of the soldiers guarding the food storage. The guards died instantly, without a chance to signal the rm. Bloody Talon callously trudged through the scarlet snow and signaled for his army of barbarians toe out of their hiding ces. Bloody Talon stared at the storage with a gleam in his eye. Only a set of padlocks separated them from their goal.


    One of the barbarians, with a helm ornamented with antlers, rammed straight into the door. With a single charge, the wood was already tearing at the seams. By the third impact, the hinges of the door tore out, and their goal was within their grasp.


    The inside of the food storage was dark, and the humid stench of dirt wafted through the air. Once the torch was lit, the darkness faded away and the motherlode appeared no more than ten feet in front of them. A box filled to the brim with food, and dozens of others like it scattered across the storage area. The barbarians cheered with delight. Regardless of how cold and battle-worn these veterans were, at the sight of the food they too were nothing but starved warriors.


    ¡°With this, we can feed the tribe for the rest of the Winter!¡± The unruly barbarians eagerly awaited orders from Bloody Talon, they were salivating at the sight of the food.


    ¡°Take everything we can and burn the rest.¡±


    Opening the chests, their eyes lit up and as they confirmed its contents and followed Bloody Talon¡¯s orders. As they continued to work, they discovered that there were three levels to the food storage, and began to extract as many of the chests as possible.


    Once his men wereden with chests, he handed the torch to one of his subordinates. They couldn¡¯t carry all of the rations, and anything that was leftover would only help the enemy. It had to be burned.


    Bloody Talon carefullyced the remaining chests with oil, and as he was about to drop the torch and set the entire storage aze when he narrowed his eyes. There was something pouring out of one of the chests. He walked closer to get a better look, and discovered that it was sand. It was at this point that he realized the stench of dirt was suspicious.


    ¡®No¡­ it can¡¯t be¡­¡¯ With a trembling hand, Bloody Talon grabbed the dagger from his waist, he shed open the pouches within. As the leather tore apart, sand poured out through his fingertips. The barbarian leader¡¯s attitude soured quickly and his face paled. He barely managed to call out to his men.


    ¡°All of the boxes¡­ open the boxes and check its contents.¡±


    The barbarians heeded his words and opened the leather pouches, only to be met with the same rude awakening that Bloody Talon found.


    ¡°It¡¯s sand!¡±


    ¡°Do these bastards eat sand?!¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    As dissent was sewn amongst the ranks of the barbarians, Bloody Talon confirmed that all of the chests contained nothing but sand aside from the pouches lining the top. The enemy had seen through their ns. With their blitzkrieg attack, the enemy had recognized that they would be short on time, and wouldn¡¯t have time to check each and every chest. Bloody Talon was speechless; their strategy had been perfect. Everybody had thought they had given up; the guards¡¯ surprise was testament to that. How did they predict it? Just¡­how?


    ¡°It¡¯s divine punishment.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re being punished for trying to obtain food without paying tribute in battle.¡±


    Chaos. Unrest. Disorder. The horde was beginning to splinter after news broke that their mission was aplete failure. They were all convinced that this was the end: for them, for their families, and for the tribes.


    ¡°Do not falter!¡±


    Bloody Talon¡¯s words snapped the barbarians out of their daze. He took deep breaths and calmed himself as he took stock of the situation. He brought his men here to save his people. ming himself wouldn¡¯t change anything. Even if they couldn¡¯t make it out with their food, they could still leave under the cover of stealth. Nobody had discovered their infiltration just yet.


    As if on cue, a distant bell rang out¡ªan ill-fated omen for the barbarians. Peals from other locations began to ring out in response. Before long, the entire city was rang with the sounds of the rm.


    Bloody Talon couldn¡¯t hide his nervousness. He had positioned men at the guard posts specifically for this situation, but they too failed. Before long, the soldiers would arrive and his men would be overrun. His brow furrowed as he made a clear call:


    ¡°Give up on the food and start retreating.¡±


    As they prepared to leave the food storage, the snowfall began to fall more fiercely. For once, the barbarian leader was extremely grateful for the blizzard. With this much snow, the enemy would be unable to send out their mounts, and would have to follow on foot, if at all. They already found the most vulnerable guard post, and readied their ns for their escape.


    Their destination was the north. It wasn¡¯t far, and Bloody Talon could be assured of their safety. He would escape first, and then reflect on today¡¯s failure. About halfway to the guard post, a sudden explosions rocked the surface and snow flew in every direction. The barbarians hesitated to move forward. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    When the snow subsided, Bloody Talon saw a small girl before them, with slim arms and legs. She looked disinterested in the dozens of barbarians staring her down, as her pale blonde hair scattered in the wind. In the arms of the slender girl, a sword rested in her hands. Her beauty caused them to shudder.


    ¡°Are you¡­ an enemy?¡±


    The aloof ice queen drew her sword, resulting in the surrounding atmosphere beginning to freeze. Ajest radiated murderous intent and responded with a calm intensity and focused resolve. ¡°Correct.¡±


    Bloody Talon needed to hear no more. He drew his bow and loosed two shots aimed for Ajest¡¯s pupils. In response, ice rose from the ground and drew a shield surrounding her body. The barbarians answered their leader¡¯s shot by drawing their weapons and attacking without mercy. A contingent of 90 men flooded Ajest¡¯s gaze, but in her eyes, they could see only contempt. She mmed her sword into the ground, and a formationposed of her mana erupted from the ground.


    [Frozen Pce]


    Massive ice pirs rose up and surrounded the barbarians, followed by walls, a roof, and statues,posing Ajest¡¯s grand pce of ice. As always, a throne manifested itself at the center of the pce reserved only for the ice queen herself. From her perched seat, she looked down on the insects littering her hall, and only had one thing to say: ¡°I rmend surrender.¡±


    Overwhelming. Just by confronting her, they could feel a sense of overwhelming pressure crushing their bodies. The barbarians roared to shake off that feeling. As warriors, they thrived in the art of war, and their blood boiled in anticipation of this fight.


    ¡°Is that so.¡± Ajest mobilized her pce in response, and countless magics flooded onto the battlefield. The temperature plummeted, and chilled everything in an instant¡ªincluding their feral ferocity.


    ¡°¡­Ah?¡± Somebody managed to open their mouth, but the words never left their mouth. Instead, those hardy expressions morphed into faces of shock, followed by horror. Arrows of ice poured down on them like rain. Transparent des shot out of the ground to tear at their flesh, and a ball formed from Ajest¡¯s mana and shot ice balls at will. The blizzard that had originally been a boon for them was now their worst nightmare. The ice ball began absorbing the surrounding snow and manifested itself into a gigantic golem that swept through the group. The resulting scene was aplete massacre.


    It was a frozen hellscape. In the hallowed halls of the Frozen Pce, only the ice queen was allowed to remain standing.


    Tearing, crushing, dying. The strictly mechanical offensive magic fulfilled its objective topletion. Ajest looked at the barbarians being pitifully crushed with indifference. They had murdered the soldiers of the domain, more so, this was the Shadow World. They were an imaginary existence, so she had no reason to show them any mercy.


    The sound of ice breaking could be heard. Ajest looked over to the direction of the sound.


    Bloody Talon¡¯s arrow flew and lodged itself into the golem¡¯s core. The Golemposed of a Third Circle formation let out a loud scream before exploding. It wasn¡¯t something that should be able to be broken by mere physical attacks. However, the mystery was soon resolved. Bloody Talon¡¯s arrow was wrapped in a rosy glow, it was the skill that only knights above Rook rank or higher could use, Aura.


    ¡°I will handle all of the dangerous magic! All warriors, huddle together and endure!¡±


    The Aura imbued arrow disyed oppressive destructive ability. Its might exceed the Third Circle, and could be reasoned to be at about Fourth Circle. Disying such ability thiste might have indicated that he was reaching the limits of his strength, but it might have also been a hidden weapon to be stored until now. His final struggle.


    Ajest pulled out the sword embedded in the ground causing the ground to erupt simultaneously. In an instant, her eyes locked onto Bloody Talon. Bloody Talon, who recognized such hostility, turned back to look at her. He aimed an Aura imbued arrow toward her forehead and fired. She deflected it with reflexes that exceeded human limits.


    A massive explosion swept through the area.

 Chapter 46: Two Problems (5)

    <h4>Chapter 46: Two Problems (5)</h4>


    Icy mist created a dense, glittering silver curtain. Bloody Talon leapt backwards, nocked an arrow in his bow, and tried to anticipate where Ajest might pop out.


    [Grease]


    However, Ajest burst through the smoke at an unbelievable speed. The first arrow missed hopelessly and Bloody Talon didn¡¯t have time to fire a second. Ajest¡¯s de froze the air as it closed the distance between them.


    A loud ng rang out in the night. As Ajestnded, she felt that something was amiss. Her opponent¡¯s arrows were definitely made of wood, but her sword had made contact with something metal, resulting in a familiar ng.


    Just as Ajest¡¯s sword had approached him, the barbarian drew his weapon faster than she could track and savagely fended off her attack.


    Bloody Talon was behind her now, holding his sword loosely. The barbarian chief pointed his weapon towards Ajest. It was a de crafted into the shape of a wolf¡¯s fang, overflowing with a crimson aura.


    It was an Aura de.


    Ajest calmly adjusted her grip. Her leg muscles tensed fiercely and she held her breath for a moment beforeunching herself towards her opponent with all of her strength. She put everything she had into a powerful strike aimed directly at Bloody Talon, but he brushed it aside casually. He continued to deflect her follow up strikes in simr fashion, moving faster than she could see. With each sh, Ajest took damage. The powerful impact created by the Aura de caused every muscle in her body to scream in pain each time their des met and the damage was gradually building up.


    The sh of metal continued to ring out as powerful strikes were sporadically exchanged. As Ajest¡¯s body began to falter due to the umted damage, Bloody Talon began to move unpredictably. He pped her sword aside with a powerful swipe and pressed on with his next attack before Ajest could recover her posture. The moment their des met, he spun around and threw a kick at her abdomen. Her waist folded in brutal fashion and Bloody Talon followed up with an elbow to her spine, causing her armor to break.


    Ajest barely managed to stay standing. She swung her sword in an attempted counter-sweep at the barbarian¡¯s legs, but he evaded and brought down his Aura de on her head.


    A strange sound filled the air as Ajest summoned the most powerful defensive spell of the Third Circle, [Sigh of Kizard], drawing from the magic circle to form a shield around her and block the Aura de. The spell also slowed the de for just a brief moment, but it was barely enough to allow Ajest to retreat. Spears of ice, created by the Second Circle spell [Prison Lance], shot up from the ground around Bloody Talon as he tried to pursue.


    ¡°Graaaaa!¡± howled Bloody Talon as he swung the Aura de around to shatter all the icicles. While the attack failed to impale the barbarian, it was sessful in its secondary goal, which was to create some distance between the twobatants.


    Standing more than 10 meters away, Ajest spat out the blood that was welling in her mouth. Her shattered armor was barely hanging onto the leather strap around her chest and the runegear she was wearing underneath was screaming warnings at her.


    [Warning: Runegear mana is below 20%. Defensive capabilities are decreased significantly]


    ¡°Monstrous b*tch,¡± Bloody Talon looked at Ajest in disgust. As they fought, the blood-curdling screams of the other barbarians rang out endlessly from within the pce of ice. Ajest was still maintaining her Frozen Pce as she dueled with him.


    She was continuously pouring her mana into the magic circle that stretched endlessly through the sky, which was used to maintain her icy barbarian trap. This allowed her to hold off the entirety of the barbarian invasion. The number of men she had felled reached 20 already.


    ¡°However, even you must have reached your limits.¡±


    Bloody Talon¡¯s assumptions were correct. Ajest was not in an optimal state. She had poured an incredible amount of mana in order to maintain Frozen Pce, which was now holding 90 barbarians. Her opponent was also someone equal to a Rook-ss Knight. It was difficult enough to fight such an opponent, but doing so while also maintaining a high level magical formation had pushed her past her limits. Doing anything more would be suicidal.


    In reality, Ajest did not need to do anything more. It would not have mattered if she had fled. Her quest was not to eliminate every barbarian, but to simply interfere with the plundering of the rations. To that effect, it would not be wrong to say that she had alreadypletely her quest. However, a single thought kept her from leaving.


    ¡®If I lose here, I won¡¯t be able to catch up to him.¡¯


    Desir Arman. Ajest was single-mindedly focused on him.


    ¡®He went through our battle with a smile on his face.¡¯


    Ajest thought back to that bitter moment during the Promotional Exam.


    ¡®I¡­will surpass Desir Arman¡ª!¡¯


    Ajest tightened her grip on her sword and casted another spell, this time on the surface of her de. An enormous amount of mana began to swell once more.


    A strange sound emanated from the de, a special characteristic of Magic Swords when they are activated. However, the timbre from her sword was off. A portion of her Frozen Pce began to crumble, the chandelier fell and pirs started to melt. With a stubbornness bordering obsession and a will that deserved respect, Ajest pushed past her limits to maintain Frozen Pce while casting an additional spell.


    [Magic Sword: Ice Wave]


    It was Ajest¡¯s final gambit. The air around her sword began to chill and freeze, leaving behind a streak of frosty air with every swing. Her appearance was that of an Ice Princess, wielding her sword of judgement within her pce.


    ¡°Haaaah!¡± The Aura de shes with the Magic Sword.


    Another portion of the Frozen Pce copsed with a thunderous boom. Bloody Talon, who possessed keen awareness, could sense that something was strange. As his sword shed with the Magic Sword, it began to get frosty and cold. Even the handle and his hands were beginning to freeze as well.


    The de shuddered and the steel began to shriek. It was a sharp noise that dug into his ear drums, as if his weapon was a living thing that was sounding its death throes. Bloody Talon stared dumbly at his own sword as it inexplicably shattered into sharp fragments that flew towards him. Bits of frozen metal ripped into his skin, muscles, and body.


    ¡°Kyaaa!¡± screamed Bloody Talon as his steel-like body and his ruggedly handsome face were torn to shreds. He could not withstand the sudden pain and cried out. Drops of fresh blood dripped onto the floor. Unable to stand any longer, the barbarian chief fell backwards. He looked up towards Ajest with his remaining good eye.


    ¡°Un-unbelievable,¡± mumbled Bloody Talon. The words that he struggled to produce were slurred due to the sword fragments embedded in his mouth.


    ¡®I lost?¡¯


    He could not ept his own loss. He believed that he was destined to be a great hero. He was such a powerful warrior that none in his tribe could face him. Additionally he was the wisest of all leaders . He had seen a great path of gloryid out before him. He was going to be the greatest chief in history and lead his tribe to be more powerful than ever before. There was a hero¡¯s path that was instilled in his heart and heritage.


    ¡®And¡­I lost¡­to a girl younger than me¡­!¡¯


    His eyes slowly closed.


    ¡®Betrayed¡­by destiny¡­¡¯


    It could be argued that this was not technically correct. He wasn¡¯t betrayed by his own destiny, but instead swallowed up by a greater destiny. That is, the destiny of Ajest Kingscrown¡­no, Ajest Roguepce. The destiny of one who possessed the royal blood of the Empire and who will, in the future, lead the expedition team of humanity¡¯s greatest into the Shadow Labyrinth. Bloody Talon¡¯s destiny was cruelly trampled by Ajest, the epic hero who would shake humanity¡¯s history.


    The news of the barbarian assault on the food storage, led by the Hawk Tribe chief Bloody Talon, spread throughout the entire region of Evernatten. The inhabitants of the region whispered tales about the ipetence of the soldiers and knights that allowed such an assault, but soon the conversation shifted to those about certain soldiers. Tales of the brave souls that faced off against Bloody Talon and rang the warning bell was popr among the people. The heroism demonstrated by these soldiers, who discovered the assault and resolved it themselves, stood in stark contrast to the sheer ipetence disyed by other soldiers.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who these soldiers were, but they deserve to bemended.¡±


    ¡°I heard it was a maiden knight and the lord¡¯s personal servant that rang the bell.¡±


    ¡°But there is no female knight in our region?¡±


    ¡°Does that mean it was some attendant that did this? What a silly rumor.¡±


    At the same time, stories of a knight-captain that stood against the barbarians alone began to spread.


    ¡°Not only that, but I heard the knight-captain of ournd faced off against the entire barbarian army alone!¡±


    ¡°Bull. This guy¡­where did you hear such a story? It¡¯s hard enough for a veteran soldier to stand against a single barbarian warrior.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense either.¡±


    ¡°You must be talking about some other Order.¡±


    While most of the people believed the story to be exaggerated, they still endlessly praised the three protagonists of the tale. As the rumor mill churned through the nation, the Lord of Evernatten, Wilhelm Evernatten, was reading a report in his homestead. It was a summary ofst night¡¯s events and required his guidance to tie up its loose ends.


    ¡°Lord, we are here.¡±


    ¡°Did the knight-captaine as well?¡±


    ¡°She told me she will be dyed due to injuries. Should I tell the others to wait?¡±


    ¡°No, send them in.¡±


    The office door opened and Desir and Pram entered and kneeled before Wilhelm.


    ¡°Raise your heads.¡±


    They did as he asked. Wilhelm looked down at them and spoke solemnly.


    ¡°Are you the ones that rang the bell to alert everyone of the barbarian invasion?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are.¡±


    ¡°You have performed a great deed. Courage to stand your ground when the barbarians came and the wits to ring the bell to alert raise the rm. These are definitely deeds that deserve merit.¡±


    ¡°We are humbled by your praise.¡±


    They responded calmly, but snuck a peek at each other and noticed that they were both grinning. The lord was definitely looking at them favourably and, by the sound of things, rated their deeds highly. Their actions were indeed considerable. Wilhelm heard that not only was the barbarian raid suppressed but Bloody Talon, who had been the greatest thorn in his side, was captured alive. This was only possible because these two had alerted everyone to the invasion.


    ¡®This clears Pram¡¯s quest of performing a meritorious deed and the lord¡¯s affection should have risen considerably,¡¯ thought Desir. Pram¡¯s quest had confirmed itspletion during the battle against the barbarians. All that was left was to raise the lord¡¯s trust and affection towards him. This had been one of the entry requirements for the main scenario.


    Lord Evernatten opened his mouth to speak again. Desir waited for his words with anticipation.


    ¡°If I had my way, we would announce your feats to the public.¡±


    ¡®If I had my way¡­?¡¯


    Desir¡¯s expression changed as the atmosphere in the room grew tense.


    Notes:


    ¡°He was such a powerful warrior that none in his tribe could face him. Additionally he was the wisest of all leaders¡± ¡ª He¡¯s also the most humble.

 Chapter 47: Two Problems (6)

    <h4>Chapter 47: Two Problems (6)</h4>


    ¡°Desir, I heard that this isn¡¯t your only achievement, that you were also involved in swapping out the food in the stores for sand. Is that the truth?¡±


    ¡°That is correct, milord.¡±


    ¡°By persuading Jefran, the head chef, with ess to the food stores, the three of you had swapped out all of the food for sand. I just have one simple question: how?¡±


    It was unbelievable. The storage that the barbarians raided had enough food stockpiled to feed the entire city for a month. No matter how small the rations were, it was impossible for three people to move it all by themselves.


    ¡°Not all of the food was swapped. If their goal was the food stores, they wouldn¡¯t be able to bring too many people inside. With limited manpower, there was an upper limit to the amount of food they could make off with. Our goal was to swap out as much as we thought they could carry.


    Over the course of two days, the three of us were able to make the switch. Even if they didn¡¯t acquire the food, allowing them to burn our supplies wouldn¡¯t be ideal.¡±


    The lord¡¯s brow furrowed at his words.


    ¡°And indeed, with that in mind, I intended to fool them into thinking the entire warehouse held nothing but sand. To maintain the illusion, we only left food in the crates nearest to the entrance. Afterwards, we drilled small holes in the bottom of the creates so that the sand would leak out. To the barbarians, it may look like a coincidence until they finally clue in. By the time they learn of the deception, the barbarians would discover that their ns were seen through, and would focus on inconspicuously leaving the city.¡±


    Creases appeared on the lord¡¯s forehead as he heard Desir¡¯s tale. ¡°Was it necessary to leave the food in the upper part of the crates while filling the rest with sand and drilling holes underneath?


    ¡°That was to ensure that the deception would y its part¡ª a double bluff to convince them that they werepletely seen through.¡± Desir¡¯s intent was to fool the barbarians into thinking that every single box was lined with sand.


    ¡°Deliberately revealing a ruse only to nest another ruse within. They didn¡¯t spend a single moment to check the boxes deeper in.¡± Lord Evernatten nodded in approval at Desir¡¯s methods. ¡°I see¡ª it was a good strategy. The barbarians would lose on both fronts: acquiring food and burning our stores. Onest thing. How did you know of the barbarians¡¯ invasion?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand how I predicted it.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª,¡°said the lord. The guards immediately readied their pikes to skewer Desir, if not for the lord¡¯s intervention. He raised his hand to tell the guards to stand down, and Desir exined himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s because there¡¯s no evidence. I had gleaned this information by analyzing the behavior and psychology of the barbarian tribes.¡±


    ¡°Expectations¡­ you expected them to. You moved the food, the lifeblood of our city, based on a whim?¡±


    ¡°That is correct, milord. With the barbarians expected to invade, we took the necessary precautions to protect the city.¡± Desir¡¯s facial expression did nothing to betray his lie. The system prompt confirmed any possible suspicions that Desir may have had.


    ¡°In the event of a barbarian invasion, all food is considered military provisions. Interference with military provisions is considered treason, punishable by death. Had the barbarians not infiltrated, the three of you would have been hanged long ago.¡±


    A pregnant pause settled in the room as the severity of the charges set in Desir and Pram¡¯s minds.


    ¡°Should that have been the case, we would have willingly ept it.


    Milord, once upon a time, I was a vagrant and I witnessed countless deaths. Among those that passed, none fared a worse fate than those who died by starvation. Their muscles would wither away, leaving only bones visible through the skin. Without the strength to struggle, they lie still and fade. That is true starvation.¡±


    Desir spoke in half-truths. He was never a vagrant, but he had witnessed countless deaths.


    ¡°More than anybody else, I understand the significance of a warm meal. The love and care from a simple piece of bread. The joy that a single bowl of soup can bring.¡±


    He could never forget his first meal at Hebrion Academy after he returned. To Desir, the stale bread and watery soup that they served to the Beta-ss was a meal fit for a king. After years of surviving on nothing but monster remains and drinking muddy water, it was more than he could ask for.


    ¡°If the barbarians had seeded, the food in the store house would be stolen, and whatever was left would be up in smoke. Imagining the sheer number of people who would have starved, I regret nothing. To prevent that reality, I would stake my life many times over.¡±


    Desir nced over at Pram. The blue haired boy nodded with a resolute gaze. Having heard the whole story, the Lord paused, deep in thought.


    ¡°¡­For the sake of the people.¡±


    Through the window, the snowfall had begun to ease up. Desir looked up at the lord, awaiting further instructions. The lord¡¯s intense stare probed the reactions of the Desir and Pram. In the end, he sighed and lightly smiled. ¡°You performed admirably. Rules must be upheld, but I have lost the desire to persecute you.¡±


    Suddenly, a loud muffled sound pressed against the door. ¡°Out of the way!¡± Therge bumbling sound could be heard as he tackled into the doorway and his figure could be seen: a familiar looking rowdy old man. He jostled into the room and began to tell his old friend off.


    ¡°Wilhelm! You can¡¯t do this! They¡¯ve done nothing wrong!¡± proimed Jefran to the court. His typical neat mustache was disheveled, and his breathing wasbored in his rush to arrive.


    ¡°You cannot sentence him to death! Moving the food was his idea¡ª it was in preparation for the barbarian invasion! If it weren¡¯t for the boy, we would be suffering from a food crisis!¡± The head chef was huffing and puffing from his sprint here. ¡°Look¡ª I didn¡¯t believe the boy at first, but it came true, didn¡¯t it?¡± Jefran stared resolutely at the lord. ¡°If you want to punish the boy, you¡¯ll have to punish me too! I, too, moved the food. I toomitted the crime!¡±


    ¡°At ease, Jefran,¡± said Wilhelm.


    ¡°Do I look at ease? Please! He¡¯s too good to die! In honor of our friendship for the past 20 years, please let him live!¡±


    ¡°I will give you two reasons to calm down: first, you are speaking to me in public. Second, your greatest fears will note to pass.¡±


    It was only at this point that Jefran got a good look at the situation. Desir awkwardly smiled at him, and Pram was in a panic¡ª although it seemed that wasrgely due to Jefran¡¯s sudden appearance. It was a little too friendly to be talking about capital punishment.


    ¡°So you¡ª¡°


    Pram nodded.


    ¡°Aha. Ha.¡± Jefran coughed out a forcedugh and scratched the back of his head. ¡°I see. I will excuse myself.¡± Jefran backed up towards to door and closed it behind him. Behind the door, the three of them could still hear the faint sound of somebody says ¡°My deepest apologieeeeeees!¡±


    The lord sighed loudly as if he didn¡¯t know how to proceed. ¡°Jefran is an old friend of mine. Do you mind if we pretend that we never saw that?¡±


    Shortly after Jefran¡¯s outburst, Lord Wilhelm made up his mind. ¡°Pram Schneizer, I hereby appoint you as a knight of Evernatten.¡±


    Pram kneeled in front of Wilhelm and swore fealty to him. ¡°I, Pram Schneizer, hereby swear allegiance to the Evernatten Estate.¡±


    ¡°¡­And Desir Arman.¡± He turned to Desir and keenly observed him. ¡°You possess intellect and courage. Those are useful qualities in a man. I apologize for disrupting your work and disregarding your opinion.¡±


    Desir kneeled in front of Wilhelm as well. ¡°Not at all, milord.¡±


    ¡°Previously, you spoke of assisting me with my work. From now on, please do so. Advise me on formal matters. You possess the qualifications to do so.¡±


    | Quest [Surprise Attack/Infiltration] Complete!


    | Wilhelm Evernatten¡¯s affection for you has increased to [Trusted]. You have been promoted to a [Personal Aide]. You will be able to learn detailed information regarding the estate. In the event of an emergency, you are able to mobilize the forces on behalf of the lord.


    The rewards for the quest were generous. Desir and Pram shared a smile as they scrolled through the prompt.


    ¡°Milord, the captain of the Knights has arrived.¡±


    ¡°Show them in.¡±


    As the door opened, a familiar streak of tinum hair brushed past Desir. The condescending beauty. ¡°Let me introduce you all to the captain of the guards. She has also contributed greatly to the most recent battle. She is the head of the kni¡­¡±


    ¡°Ajest!¡±


    ¡°Miss Ajest!¡±


    Lord Wilhelm was a little surprised that they were already acquainted, and Ajest gave them a look of acknowledgment.


    | Main Quest: [Survival of Evernatten] begun.


    | Solve the two issues that gue the Evernatten Estate


    | Barbarians Progress: 42.4%


    | The leader of the Falcon tribe [Bloody Talon] has been captured. Without a champion to guide them, the barbarians will not be able to invade Evernatten for a long time.


    | Vagrants Progress: 30.9%


    | Day to day security is stable, and crime has been reduced. With the vagrants under strict administration, crimes are notmitted in Evernatten. The people of Evernatten roam the streets safely.

 Chapter 48: Two Problems (7)

    <h4>Chapter 48: Two Problems (7)</h4>


    Apanied by a loud creak, Desir opened the heavy door that lead underground. A musty stench and a gust of stale air flowed out from the stone tunnel. Surrounded by total darkness, Desir relied on the faint glow of his torch to navigate the subterranean path.


    Desir, who had been wandering around the basement prison, suddenly came to a halt. Behind a set of thick metal bars was a mountain of a man in his mid-30s.


    There were scars covering the man¡¯s body, which summarized the harsh life he had lead. Chains meant to imprison massive beasts wrapped around his body tightly and a gag had been ced in his mouth. The eyes staring back at Desir seemed savage and animalistic, leaving little room for the conversation he hade for.


    Desir was struck by a sense of Deja Vu as his eyes were drawn to Bloody Talon¡¯s ears. Three golden earrings shone brightly in the torchlight. Earrings contained the entire life story of any Barbarians that wore them. For example, the hawk pattern on the first earring represented his tribe, the arrow pattern on the second earring indicated that he was an archer, and the letters etched into the third contained the names of his ancestors.


    After reading over the list of Bloody Talon¡¯s ancestors, Desir clicked his tongue.


    ¡®Is he Khan¡¯s progeny?¡¯


    Melgerr Kahn. His name boasted enough importance to have been recorded in history books. On top of that, those that inherited his bloodline gained all of his natural gifts. This had made his descendants famous for being massive thorns in the sides of many nations across the continent.


    Bloody Talon. It would be correct to assume that he had received all of Kahn¡¯s prowess. He would definitely have great pride in his background; the same was likely true for the rest of the Barbarians that followed him.


    ¡®It¡¯s good that I learned all of this before I confronted him.¡¯


    Desir began to reorganize his ns once more. The objective of the Shadow World was to resolve both of the problems thisnd faced: the external threat of the Barbarians and the internal deterioration of public order caused by the vagrants.


    ¡®And Bloody Talon is the core of the Barbarian problem.¡¯


    Desir finally had aplete picture of the situation. The Barbarians raided the territory for food and supplies while Evernatten defend against them. Following the logic of the Shadow Worlds, if Wilhelm Evernatten was the protagonist of this scenario, then his antagonist, the chief of the Barbarians, Bloody Talon¡­¡®would have been the final boss.¡¯


    Desir looked down at the Barbarian Chieftain in awe.


    ¡®She¡¯s amazing, capturing such a man on her own.¡¯


    When he heard that Ajest had defeated Bloody Talon and suppressed the other Barbarians alone, Desir had been struck silent from shock.


    ¡®I heard she used her Frozen Pce and magic sword simultaneously¡­ If that¡¯s true, it must mean that her abilities have now reached the Fourth Circle.¡¯


    Even ounting for the best possible oue, Desir felt that the situation was still ludicrous. Because of Ajest, the Barbarian threat had been suppressed rtively easilypared to what he had expected.


    Desir thought back to the quest update he¡¯d received after the Chieftain¡¯s subjugation.


    [Barbarian Problem, Progress at 42.49%]


    [Bloody Talon, Chief of the Hawk Tribe, had been captured alive. Having lost their leader, the Barbarians will temporarily be unable to invade the Evernatten region.]


    ¡®This is a good opportunity.¡¯


    Now that such a chance presented itself, Desir knew he couldn¡¯t let it pass. He had to tie up any loose ends so that Ajest¡¯s efforts wouldn¡¯t be for naught¡­


    ¡®The progress still not being 100% means that it¡¯s still possible for the Barbarians to invade eventually, but¡­¡¯


    As they had captured the chief of the Barbarians alive, the fight was as good as over. Desir, who had finished organizing his thoughts, opened the cell door and stepped toward Bloody Talon.


    Desir spoke with confidence. ¡°Bloody Talon, I wish to speak with you.¡±


    Bloody Talon only red back silently with overflowing murderous intent.


    With a sigh, Desir reached towards the gag covering the Barbarian¡¯s mouth. ¡°Please don¡¯t bite or anything.¡±


    The heavy gag fell to the floor with a thud. Immediately, the Chieftain spit on him. Desir calmly wiped the saliva sttered across his cheek. He had expected such a response.


    Ignoring the Barbarian¡¯s provocations, Desir spoke. ¡°I will let you and your 80 captured subordinates live.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°Great descendent of Khan, I wish to grant Alyad to you, the eternal enemy of the Evernatten region.


    Alyad. It was a mercy granted by the victorious chief of a war between tribes. When the name of an ancient tradition performed solely by the Barbarians left the lips of a foreigner, Bloody Talon¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked, his voice rife with suspicion.


    Desir answered the Chieftain. ¡°I am the attendant of Lord Evernatten.¡±


    ¡°Attendant, I have no idea how you¡¯vee to know of Alyad, but you have no right to perform it. Only the blonde-haired b*tch that defeated us has the right.¡±


    Desir smirked, ¡°I might not have personally defeated you, but I also have the same right she does.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Bloody Talon asked confusedly.


    ¡°I was the one who switched the rations with sand.¡±


    As soon as he heard this, the chains binding Bloody Talon began to creak audibly.


    ¡°You!¡± His voice was filled with bloodlust.


    However, Bloody Talon¡¯s anger faded away just as quickly as it had appeared. He clenched his fist and rxed his ragged breathing, looking up at Desir after he had calmed himself.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    The cold, moist air of the prison left Desir feeling chilled. Not wanting to force either of them to spend anymore time down there, Desir prepared to exin his terms to Bloody Talon. However, the Barbarian Chieftain wasn¡¯t finished just yet.


    ¡°I refuse. You¡¯re going to ask that we no longer invade this territory in exchange for our lives, am I wrong?¡±


    Desir was surprised by the Barbarian¡¯s foresight. ¡°¡­You¡¯re correct.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious the kinds of thoughts rolling around in the heads of bastards like you.¡±


    Alyad was an exceedingly advantageous bargain for those on the receiving end. However, to the Barbarians who valued their pride over their own well-being, this was not a difficult choice.


    ¡°But is there a good reason to deny my request?¡±


    ¡°You are the enemies we¡¯ve fought for decades. The greatest wish of my people has always been to defeat you lot, and now you want us to simply give up? Without having made a single tangible gain? While the enemy stands right before our eyes? What you speak of is defeat. I cannot abandon my pride and give up the long-cherished dream of the Hawk Tribe. I cannot admit defeat by my will alone.¡±


    Enemy. He had called Evernatten their enemy. Invading Evernatten was no longer just about the food, it had morphed into a drawn out conflict that neither side saw an end to.


    Having listened to Bloody Talon¡¯s speech, Desir retained his calm exterior. But on the inside, an immense feeling of relief washed over him.


    ¡®If we had just executed him, we probably would have made our problems worse. The remnants of his tribe would likelye seeking revenge for their Chieftain; a suicidal charge to thest man.¡¯


    Desir spoke again. ¡°You truly are an honorable warrior. Rather than beg for your life, you surrender it to keep the hopes of your tribe alive. However, that in and of itself is also a very selfish act.¡±


    Bloody Talon¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Selfish¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You only think of your honor as a warrior, but what about the people of your tribe that follow you? Will you abandon them?¡±


    Bloody Talon responded with confidence. ¡°They will understand my decision.¡±


    ¡°They will surely understand as warriors.¡± Desir twisted the Chieftain¡¯s words.


    ¡°But you are more than just a warrior, you are their leader. Will you not consider Alyad? Will you ignore the responsibility you bear as Chief of the tribe?


    Desir finally struck Bloody Talon¡¯s one remaining weakness, his devotion to the tribe.


    ¡°Your life was not your own as soon as you epted the mantle of Chief. The rest of your tribe won¡¯t survive without you at the head. As an example, would your people be able to defend themselves if the people of this region decided to seek revenge?¡±


    At Desir¡¯s remark, the sound of grinding teeth reverberated loudly.


    ¡°You¡­ dare¡­ threaten me? With the life of my people?¡± Bloody Talon¡¯s voice was steeped in rage.


    ¡°Do not misunderstand. I am not the one who decides, but I have tried my best to reach a fair agreement between us¡±


    A shift of me. Desir redirected Bloody Talon¡¯s anger away from himself, forcing the Chieftain to instead focus on the impact of his decision on the tribe¡¯s well-being.


    Yet, Bloody Talon still wouldn¡¯t concede. ¡°There are warriors other than me that can lead the tribe in my stead.¡±


    ¡°Then that is a relief¡­ but is there really someone that could lead the tribe in your stead?¡± Desir asked, feigning ignorance.


    ¡®Of course not.¡¯


    It was a question to which he already knew the answer. If there was someone that could take the Barbarian Chieftain¡¯s ce, there was no reason that Bloody Talon would have risked his own life to lead the attack in the first ce.


    ¡°Remember, this is the only deal that will leave neither of us at a loss. I hope that you will make the right choice, as a leader.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡± Bloody Talon began to contemte.


    Rather than brushing Desir off as before, Bloody Talon began to seriously contemte his options. He knew that the attendant would continue to press him for an answer. The Chieftain knew that this man had note to see him for idle chat, and had surmised Desir¡¯s true intentions almost immediately. Despite this, Bloody Talon¡¯s heart grew heavier with each passing moment. Slowly but surely, Desir had swayed the Barbarian by using his own idealism against him. All he needed was one more small push.


    It was at this moment that Desir dealt the final blow. ¡°We will provide you with a portion of food that you were trying to take.¡±


    Bloody Talon¡¯s eyes widened noticeably for a moment. The food that his tribe had been after from the start. Their original objective. Bloody Talon knew that this was no longer a deal he could let pass by¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re not retreating because you¡¯ve lost, but rather because you¡¯ve made a truce with your rival.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Bloody Talon guffawed at Desir¡¯s rationale.


    Desir¡¯s gaze met Bloody Talon¡¯s, silently daring him to refuse his offer.


    ¡°You possess a crafty tongue, like a serpent slithering about in the shadows.¡±


    Bloody Talon tsked. Finally realizing this was his only option, he epted Desir¡¯s poorly disguised deception as it was.


    ¡°Fine then. On my honor as Chief, I will agree to form a truce. I swear that, from this point forth, we will leave thisnd be.¡±


    As soon as Bloody Talon put his honor on the line, Desir heard the notification.


    [You have resolved the Barbarian Problem.]

 Chapter 49: Evernatten (1)

    <h4>Chapter 49: Evernatten (1)</h4>


    TL: Neria


    RW: MrScaryMuffin


    KOR Check: Billy Stevens


    ¡°So annoying!¡±


    Romantica threw her quill pen down at the table. Ink sttered all over, drenching various sheets of paper with the ck liquid.


    ¡°Why am I working as a merchant?¡± sighed Romantica, closing her eyes. Upon arriving in the Shadow World, she became the head of a small-sizedpany that was financially unstable. Her quest was to fulfill her duty as the head and revive thepany.


    Romantica leaned back in her chair, swaying back and forth.


    ¡®Even if I¡¯m used to dealing with this kind of work¡­¡¯


    The Eru family was originally a merchant family before they became nobles. Across the continent, they were known as famous merchants and were even acknowledged by the Frillecha Empire. It goes without saying that they have tremendous wealth and influence. They were even able to buy their way into nobility.


    Romantica¡¯s grandfather was a true merchant down to his bones. He had taught her all the skills necessary to survive as a merchant. Romantica learned economics, finance, ounting, and even the art of persuasion. She was even given funds to run her own business in order to learn the practical skills necessary to operate apany.


    This was why it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to manage a small-sizedpany.


    Utilizing her knowledge and talent, Romantica managed to refinance and revive thepany in a mere four days. Thepany was on the path of rapid growth under her tenure.


    ¡®So far so good.¡¯


    While it was true that her experiences helped her progress quickly, a problem arose shortly after she revived thepany.


    There was no follow up quest.


    Additionally, there was another issue. Her party members.


    ¡°Where did Desir and Pram go? Where did they go, leaving me behind all alone!?¡± Romantica mmed the table with her fist in a rage.


    After entering the Shadow World, Romantica was separated from her party. At first, she wasn¡¯t concerned, since she thought they would meet up shortly after. However, she was wrong. It had been 8 days since she entered the Shadow World and she still could not find anyone.


    Currently, Romantica was located in the Kervan Territory. She had deployed people to look for her party members, hoping that they were somewhere within the territory, but they found no one that looked remotely like them, not even Ajest.


    And thus, being unable to find her party members or receive a quest, Romantica was stuck.


    ¡®How did this happen?¡¯ Romantica slumped onto the table and let out another sigh.


    Recovering a bit, she began to sway back and forth in her chair out of habit.


    ¡®I wish I had someone who could tell me how to progress or let me know if this entire situation was normal¡­¡¯


    Romantica felt uneasy with all this uncertainty.


    ¡®What am I supposed to do¡­This is so frustrating. If only Desir was here, I wish¡­¡¯


    As Romantica¡¯s thoughts inadvertently drifted to Desir, her heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Oh my god! What am I thinking about?¡± Romantica¡¯s face became bright red.


    ¡®Why did I think about him so suddenly? That demon!¡¯


    Romantica covered her blushing cheeks with her hands. She was fully aware of how foolish she looked at this moment. However, she still felt that it was necessary to hide her embarrassment. If someone had found out that she was blushing because of Desir¡­


    ¡°Boss!¡±


    ¡°Uwaaaaak!¡± Romantica lost her bnce and fell off her chair with a crash.


    She hit her head on the floor and a sharp pain rattled her skull. Romantica rubbed the back of her head as she slowly stood up.


    ¡°Emil! Didn¡¯t I tell you knock before you enter!?¡± yelled Romantica, with tears dripping from her eyes.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°How many times have I told you to be more mindful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    Seeing the youth in front of her prostrate himself so much, she felt sorry for him. Romantica repositioned the chair and sat down.


    ¡°So? Why are you here so early in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you see¡­the price of the woven fabric you ordered us to purchase spiked today!¡±


    ¡°As expected. I was thinking that it was about time for that to happen.¡±


    ¡°However, I was wondering how you knew.¡±


    ¡°Why are you even reporting something so trivial like that. Didn¡¯t I tell you it was going to happen?¡±


    ¡°You did. Even so¡­I couldn¡¯t believe what I saw today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all about analyzing, okay? Isn¡¯t that what I¡¯ve been telling you guys to do? If you can properly analyze the data, it¡¯s easy to see which products in the market will be popr.¡±


    ¡°But boss, that¡¯s easier said than done.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I will admit that I¡¯m quite talented.¡±


    ¡°Haha boss. It soundsme when you say it yourself¡­¡± The youth trailed off once he saw Romantica ring at him, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    Romantica let out a sigh. She couldn¡¯t find it in her to get angry.


    ¡°So? Is that all you wanted to report?


    ¡°No. I¡¯m here to report on one more thing. Ahem,¡± said Emil, adapting a serious expression as he cleared his throat, ¡°Boss, a few days ago, didn¡¯t you tell us to research the Holy City?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did.¡±


    Goatheim, the Holy City. Before it was swallowed by the Shadow World, it was the capital city of the Holy Empire of Artemis. As the capital city, Goatheim was densely popted. As such, arge amount ofmodities were traded within the city.


    It wasmon knowledge that businesses would flourish in such big cities, so Romantica had nned to enter the capital city of the Holy Empire. However, this was unrted to her quest. It was something she was nning to do on her own ord.


    ¡°We¡¯vepleted our research and concluded that now is not the best time to do business in the Holy City.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? With the volume ofmodities being traded, I thought it would be the opposite.¡±


    ¡°Currently the tax rates are at an all time high. Additionally, people are hesitant toe out and shop because of strange rumors. As such, manypanies have already left the capital.¡±


    ¡°Strange rumors?¡± asked Romantica. Emil nodded and gulped before continuing.


    ¡°There are rumors of a demon kidnapping people who are out alone at night. The demon would skin the person alive and eat them.


    ¡°Pfff.¡± Romantica covered her mouth as she started tough. Seeing her reaction, Emil¡¯s shoulders slumped.


    ¡°I knew you wouldugh boss.¡±


    ¡°If you have time to spread rumors, go work instead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious! While it¡¯s difficult to confirm if this demon exists, it seems like someone is really kidnapping people. There has been numerous reports of mothers asking people to help find their missing children.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­so you¡¯re saying that rumor is not baseless.¡±


    ¡°To make matters worse, the Empire is imposing a hefty tax on the popce, saying that it¡¯s to prevent God¡¯s punishment. They are even arresting anyone who speaks against the Pope. The situation is noughing matter.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t there be a lot of people leaving the city?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. A lot of people have left the capital and are bing vagrants.¡±


    ¡°Vagrants, huh?¡± Romantica did not miss that term. She picked up her quill pen and made a note of it, ¡°I¡¯m not certain about the other things you mentioned, but I should definitely follow up on this. Since our territory isn¡¯t that far from the capital, there should be a lot of theming here.¡±


    ¡°I doubt many woulde into our territory. Our lord issued strict orders to not ept any vagrants.¡±


    Romantica loosened the grip on her pen.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­the lord is quite cold hearted.¡±


    ¡°He made a wise decision. If vagrants were to flood our territory, the public order would be in disarray and a lot of problems would arise. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s better not to ept them in the first ce.¡±


    ¡®Hmmm¡­so is that how things are done in this era?¡¯


    Deep down, Romantica wanted to scold Emil. However, she did not. If this was the popr opinion of this period of time, she knew her words would not change anything.


    ¡°If so, wouldn¡¯t all the vagrants die in this cold winter?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case. There is a territory in the north that is epting all vagrants.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the name of the territory?¡±


    ¡°Evernatten.¡±


    ¡°Evernatten? I feel like I¡¯ve heard that before.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the frontline territory between the barbarians and us. Lord Evernatten is famous, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll figure out a solution to the problem.¡±


    ¡°Is he that famous?¡±


    ¡°Of course. He¡¯s one of those rare men of integrity that¡¯s hard to find these days. When he was still active in the capital, he scored a victory against the Hebrion Empire, expanding our territory past the river. Sadly, he made a bad impression with the Pope and was banished to Evernatten.¡±


    ¡°Emil, bring me the map,¡± Romantica crossed her arms, her merchant¡¯s instinct tingling. Something was fishy. Emil brought over the map and she opened it. She went over each territory¡¯s name with her finger.


    ¡°Evernatten¡­Evernatten¡­Here it is!¡±


    It was a small territory, just an outcropping ofnd bordering the northern barbarian territory. Once Romantica located Evernatten an announcement appeared with a chime.


    [You have started the Main Quest: Evernatten¡¯s Survival]


    [Solve Evernatten¡¯s two problems:


    -Barbarians (Progress 100%): A peace treaty was made with the barbarian chief, Bloody Talon. The barbarians will not perceive Evernatten as an enemy anymore.


    -Vagrants (Progress 30%): Public order has been restored and crime rates have fallen significantly. The residents of the territory feel secure walking around the streets. Vagrants cannotmit any crimes due to strict oversight.]


    ¡®My instincts told me to investigate the capital city and I managed to get information on the vagrant situation. This, in turn, led to knowledge of Evernatten which showed me the Main Quest!¡¯


    Romantica shivered with excitement.


    ¡®The quest has progressed quite a bit. They must all be there, I¡¯m certain of it.¡¯


    Having finally found a clue, Romantica immediately stood up.


    ¡°Emil, I have an urgent job for you.¡±


    ¡°What is it boss?¡±


    ¡°Investigate the situation in Evernatten.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to do business in Evernatten.¡±


    ¡°How can you decide so suddenly? Did you even consider the distance between us and Evernatten?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, pack your bags now. It¡¯s not toote to start investigating once we arrive there.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Emil wasn¡¯t sure what the point of pre-investigation was if they were already going.

 Chapter 50: Evernatten (2)

    <h4>Chapter 50: Evernatten (2)</h4>


    The ear-piercing cry of a crow woke Desir in the morning.


    Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Desir sat up and picked up the cup of water next to his bed. The water smelled fishy and tasted bitter, but nheless he drank it to quench his thirst. Still groggy, he slipped out of his bed and walked into the washroom. A ssh of cold water to the face helped to wake him up fully.


    It had been 8 days since he had entered the ss 4 Shadow World. In real time, only 8 hours have passed. In that time, Desir had finally managed to start the Main Quest. While the difficulty was high, everything had been progressing smoothly.


    When he first arrived, he was assigned the role of assistant chef. Under Jefran¡¯smand, Desirpleted the dinner service. He brilliantly incorporated the rare plum ingredient into the dinner service and earned a favourable impression with the lord. By rmendation, he sessfully got appointed as the personal assistant to the lord.


    However, since the lord was not a talkative person, Desir had a difficult time impressing him. Still, with the help of Pram, they managed to impress the lord by foiling the barbarian¡¯s raid on the food supplies. Thanks to that, the Main Quest was already halfpleted as soon as it was revealed. This was due to the peace treaty that Desir made with the barbarian chief, solving one of the two problems that Evernatten faced.


    ¡®Now the only problem left is the vagrant situation.¡¯


    After his simple morning preparations, Desir headed to the lord¡¯s office. As he was walking by the castle¡¯s hallway, he stopped to observe outside. Someone was making a giant snowball.


    ¡°Hello Lilica.¡±


    ¡°Hi big brother Desir!¡±


    Lilica waved at Desir, looking more lively than the first time they met.


    ¡°What are you doing over there?¡± asked Desir.


    ¡°I¡¯m building a snowman! Do you want to help?¡±


    ¡°We have to prepare food.¡±


    ¡°Oh right!¡± Lilica looked as if she had only just remembered her job.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading to the kitchen too, so let¡¯s walk there together.¡±


    ¡°Thank you brother Desir~!¡± shouted Lilica as she made her way towards Desir. In her hands there was a miniature snowman. ¡°I¡¯m going to decorate the kitchen with this.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure mister Jefran would approve?¡±


    The innocent child smiling at him was a vagrant that Desir had met recently. When Jefranined about theck of personnel, Desir jokingly rmended Lilica to him. However, it seemed like Lilica was inherently talented and easily reced Desir as an assistant chef. Naturally, she was too small to handle any major physical work, such as transporting all the ingredients, so Desir still helped with those.


    ¡°Why are you heading to the kitchen? Didn¡¯t we move all the ingredientsst night?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to brew some tea.¡±


    ¡°Tea? Didn¡¯t the lord say that you don¡¯t need to serve him tea anymore?¡±


    ¡°He did, but you don¡¯t need to take him so literally.¡±


    When Desir and Lilica arrived at the kitchen, they were greeted by Jefran¡¯s frowning face.


    ¡°Where were you this morning Lilica?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I was making a snowman!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll catch a cold if you y outside too long! If you get sick, who will help me in the kitchen?¡±


    ¡®Was this old geezer always like this? Why is he so nice to her?¡¯


    ¡°Hey,¡± said Desir, feeling a bit annoyed, ¡°howe you treat Lilica so much better than me?¡±


    ¡°Unlike you, Lilica is cute.¡±


    Desir was at a loss for words. Rather than replying, he focused on brewing some tea and left for the lord¡¯s office. There was now a small desk in the room just for him.


    ¡°Good morning, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Desir served the tea to the lord and went to his personal desk. There was paperwork piled up on top of his desk. His job was to organize the paperwork and handle smaller tasks that didn¡¯t require the lord¡¯s approval. Once Desir sorted out the papers, he would present them to the lord.


    Most of the paperwork were rted to the management of the Evernatten territory. From them, Desir was able to learn the finer details about the overall situation of Evernatten while working. He now had ess to important information that wasn¡¯t avable to him before.


    For example, there was a detailed map. In the modern era, documentation about the Holy Nation was poor since it was swallowed up by the Shadow World. Additionally, magic was not well developed back then, meaning a detailed map was difficult to create. Finally, printing technology was not avable, so only the affluent could afford to own a map.


    Thus, most modern era maps of the Holy Nation were created through guesswork by mages that had visited rted Shadow Worlds. Inparison, the map that Desir received after being appointed the role of Tactician was better than any other map he had seen before.


    After studying the map, Desir concluded that Evernatten was the front line of defense for the Holy Nation. It was the nation¡¯s shield against barbarian invasions.


    ¡®It¡¯s a small sized territory.¡¯


    Compared to other territories, Desir could see that Evernatten wasn¡¯t big at all.


    ¡®Even so, it maintains a military force big enough for arge sized territory.¡¯


    Evernatten¡¯s military force was excessivelyrge for its territory size. One might even question if the territory could financially sustain such arge militia.


    ¡®Is it because it¡¯s the front line of defense?¡¯


    Not only was the militia well equipped and trained, most of the units were Knight-ranked as well. They have won almost all of their battles against the barbarians. It is said that Lord Evernatten had never lost a battle that he personally led. His leadership was superb.


    ¡®And at the same time, he is governing the territory extremely well.¡¯


    Evernatten utilized itsrge militia as a source of ie. Only Evernatten had enough forces to resist barbarian invasions. Whenever nearby territories were under threat of such an invasion, Wilhelm Evernatten would send his knights and receive marypensation which would, in turn, finance other operations. Word would spread of Evernatten repeatedly repelling the barbarians in the north and merchants, who now felt safe in the territory, began expanding their economic activities.


    Five years ago, Evernatten was struggling due to barbarian raids, which left public order in disarray and merchants avoided the territory. It was during this time that Wilhelm, who was appointed lordship over Evernatten, decided to expand the military. With just that, the lord managed to reverse the situation in just five years.


    ¡®And so, we only have onest problem persisting in the territory.¡¯


    [Vagrants (Progress 30%): Public order has been restored and crime rates have fallen significantly. The residents of the territory feel secure walking around the streets. Vagrants cannotmit any crimes due to strict oversight.]


    ¡®There are so many vagrants that they even formed slum cities just for vagrants.¡¯


    Most vagrants did not have social standing, making it easy for criminals to be mixed in with them. It was understandable that most lords would not want to ept vagrants into their territory. However, that wasn¡¯t the case with Wilhelm Evernatten. He was more generous than any other lord and epted every single vagrant into his territory.


    ¡®By epting vagrants, our food supplies and public order are directly affected.¡¯


    Currently there were no issues with the food supply. Even if the lord continued to ept vagrants, the food supply would just barely suffice.


    ¡®While food supplies aren¡¯t an issue, I should take a look at the public order¡­¡¯


    Desir reviewed the crime rate documents for the territory. With the insurgence of vagrants, crime had also increased significantly. There were manyints from the regr residents. Desir noticed an interesting report. Since the day his party entered the Shadow World, the crime rates had been declining sharply. The reason for this was fairly simple.


    ¡®This is¡­Ajest¡¯s work, right?¡¯


    ***


    Heading out of the castle and crossing the drawbridge, Desir made his way towards the headquarters of the Knights. When he arrived, Desir gave his name to one of the guards and they weed him warmly.


    ¡°Hello Mr. Desir. Our captain is expecting you.¡±


    Desir followed the guard into the building and up to the second floor. There were many rooms on the second floor, each with a door bearing the name of the Knight that lived inside. Desir continued up one more floor and walked towards the furthest room. Hearing voices from within, he paused in front of the door.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we taking any action!?¡± It was a female voice speaking in a harsh tone.


    ¡°That is not something that I alone can decide,¡± replied the voice of Ajest. Her response was cold and brunt, causing the other person to yell louder.


    ¡°Captain, if we let things go as it is, the food supplies will decline and crime rates will increase. We must take action now!¡±


    They were clearly talking about the vagrants.


    ¡°It¡¯s our job to prevent that from happening,¡± replied Ajest.


    ¡°The solution is simple. The vagrants are the root cause. After receiving the lord¡¯s protection, they only waste Evernatten¡¯s food supplies and do nothing in return. This all started because the lord epted all these vagrants! We must remove them immediately!¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth, Lieutenant Eyn,¡± said Ajest coldly. Desir shivered. The tone was overwhelming. It wasn¡¯t only Desir who felt it. Eyn was also at a loss for words.


    ¡°However¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting that you have the authority to trample over our lord¡¯s decision?¡±


    ¡°¡­I got too emotional and misspoke. I am truly sorry,¡± said Eyn. It was certainly not something a Knight could say to a lord.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your words into consideration. You are dismissed.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    Desir heard approaching footsteps and moved away from the door, making room for the conversants to pass. Eyn opened the door and saw Desir.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m Desir Arman,¡± replied Desir light-heartedly. As soon as she heard Desir¡¯s name, Eyn gave him a disdainful look, as if he was an insect.


    ¡°Wipe that smug look off your face, you damn vagrant¡­¡± whispered Eyn as she walked past, loud enough for Desir to hear clearly. She left regretting that she could not behead Desir on the spot. As her footsteps faded in the distance, Desir entered the room. Ajest greeted him warmly.


    ¡°Wee Desir, it¡¯s been so long!¡±


    ¡°How long have you been working here?¡±


    ¡°Since the start. As the captain, I¡¯ve been working on the Main Quest since day 1.¡±


    ¡°What? How unfair,¡± said Desir. As an assistant chef, Desir had to work to his bones. However, the frown of dissatisfaction that he was showing Ajest was yful and soon turned into a smile. Ajest was also smiling gently. She motioned Desir to sit.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumours around the castle that you can brew some excellent tea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you some tea the next time I visit.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it. I¡¯ve been missing your tea.¡±


    Ajest rested her chin on the table and smiled at Desir. From Desir¡¯s perspective, it looked like a beautiful piece of artwork. Taken aback by her beauty, Desir returned the stare nkly for moment. However, he quickly recovered and changed the topic.


    ¡°How¡¯s the quest progressing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on it. The progression isn¡¯t so bad.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what you have been doing so far.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Ajest pondered for a moment. Then she nodded, ¡°rather than telling you, I think it¡¯s best to show you.¡±

 Chapter 51: Evernatten (3)

    <h4>Chapter 51: Evernatten (3)</h4>


    Even in the winter, many residents roamed the streets, basking in the sun. Ajest walked towards a street filled with vendors, stopping in front of a particr stall. As she approached, the surprised stall owner warmly greeted her. ¡°Oh my! Isn¡¯t that our captain? Wee!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times. No need to be so formal.¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­ and you don¡¯t need to be so modest. Thank you for keeping our streets safe.¡± The stall owner handed Ajest some of the cookies from her shop. Ajest tried to pay her for the treats, but the stall owner politely declined.


    ¡°How could I ept money from our protector?¡± Realizing that she couldn¡¯t reject her goodwill, Ajest dly epted the cookies and thanked her for the trouble. The stall owner turned and called out to Desir, who was standing quite a ways behind Ajest. ¡°And here are some for Mr. Boyfriend.¡±


    Desir sputtered out ¡°Boyfriend?¡± before the shop owner had some choice words to say to him.


    ¡°At your age, it¡¯s all over your face,¡± she snickered. ¡°Please take care of our captain. She¡¯s a kind-hearted person.¡±


    Desir raised his half and was ready to deny it. ¡°Ah, I¡ª¡°


    ¡°Thank you for looking after my lover.¡± Ajest quickly cut in and gave the stall owner a simple thanks.


    ¡°Hah! Captain, you are more of a man than he is!¡± She giggled to herself as the unlikely pair departed from her stall.


    ¡°Ajest, what are you saying?!¡± Desir¡¯s face was flush from embarrassment.


    ¡°I¡¯m not heartless enough to reject their good intentions.¡± As Desir opened his mouth to speak again, he was swiftly silenced by Ajest. ¡°There¡¯s no need to waste time exining every little thing.¡± She took off; in her mind, it was a sign that the conversation was over. She bit into the cookie and snapped it in half, offering the remaining portion to ¡®her significant other¡¯.


    The cookie itself wasn¡¯t sweet; it tasted like baked flour. It was most likely because it was hard to find sugar. Even so, it wasn¡¯t that bad at all. As they continued down the street, they attracted attention everywhere they went. Gifts of food piled up and soon enough, it was starting to be difficult to carry it all. ¡°Let¡¯s take a short break,¡± suggested Desir.


    In the central za, a statue of a stallion reared its head in a regal fashion. Desir and Ajest sat down on a set of benches to catch their breath. The skies were clear and the two of them nced at each other before averting their gaze. With a bit of hesitation, Ajest asked him a question. ¡°Desir. What is your impression of the streets?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good ce. The people are nice and lively.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Her golden locks framed her light red cheeks as she let out a sigh of relief. Desir thought to himself that Ajest was bing more expressive. She turned over to meet his eyes and creases appeared on her forehead. ¡°You asked me how the quest was progressing, right?¡± Desir nodded in response. ¡°I mainly focused on resolving the issue of public safety. As you know, the vagrants were causing a lot of trouble. Due to the influx of vagrants, the morale was low.¡±


    ¡°Splitting the territory into districts, I have divvied out the knights to each district to maintain order. Severe crimes were punished on the spot, while lesser criminals were transferred to a holding cell.¡± Desir marveled at what Ajest managed to achieve in a short time. Her strategy was superb. With this method, each district could be policed and managed appropriately.


    ¡°But s, I could not get to the heart of the problem.¡± Ajest gazed off at the people in the streets. Evernatten residents taking a stroll through the town centre. Children having a snowball fight in the snow banks. The atmosphere was warm, and there was a thrum of life filling the air.


    ¡°While moderate crimes declined sharply, it has been difficult to prevent numerous petty crimes, such as robbery and pick-pocketing.¡± Ajest directed her eyes towards a back alley, there were vagrants skulking about. ¡°The overall progression has stalled at 30%. Even if public order improved, the quest wouldn¡¯t proceed any further from here on out.¡±


    In the back alley, a vagrant man had his eyes intensely focused on a woman, marking her with his eyes. Holding his breath and blending in with the alley, he ambushed her and tried to steal her bag. The woman cried out in panic, but she couldn¡¯t chase the young man who was already several paces away. Ajest, catching a wind of the robbery, pointed towards the youth¡¯s foot and cast magic.


    [Ice]


    A coat of ice formed instantaneously, and the young man lost his bnce. Windmilling his arms to maintain bnce, he found it all to be futile as he slipped and dropped the woman¡¯s bag. Momentster, knights arrived at the scene of the crime to prevent him from running away. Ajest, seeing that the criminal had been properly dealt with, turned to leave.


    ¡°If I find some clues, I¡¯lle to visit you again,¡± said Desir.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± As she left him with her parting words, she descended into the dark alley and headed straight towards the vagrant that was being beaten to the floor. After confirming his arrest, Desir headed back toward the castle.


    What¡¯s is the Shadow World?


    The Shadow World is a fragment of history.


    Meaning, it will repeat once again what has happened in the past.


    There were multiple ways to clear a quest in the Shadow World. One was to correct the wrong decisions made by the pivotal figures in the story line. They could clear the quest by leading history through its proper path. The pivotal figure in this Shadow World was Wilhelm Evernatten. He must have spent years searching for a solution to the current problems in his territory, but history proved that the end results had left something to be desired. He needed to obtain more information, and the first step was to gain a better understanding of Wilhelm himself. Not the superficial features, but the private matters that spurred him into action. Thankfully for him, he knew a person who was very familiar with Wilhelm.


    That night, Desir knocked on the kitchen door. He sneaked inside and got in touch with his old master, Jefran. ¡°Want me to tell you about the lord? Why are you asking me that?¡± A thunderous chopnded on the cutting board as the chef cleanly choppedrge chunks of meat. Desir¡¯s eyes grew wide with fascination at Jefran¡¯s knife skills. They were fast and precise, slicing the pieces to the perfect size.


    ¡°I want to know more about the lord from another perspective. Please don¡¯t y dumb with me, Jefran.¡±


    The head chef tried to y it off, but the moment he barged into the lord¡¯s room resonated in his mind. ¡°You little twerp. You should really forget about petty things like that.¡± Jefran cursed under his breath at his protege¡¯s persistence.


    ¡°Mister Jefran, the onions are done!¡± Lilica stood with her arms crossed triumphantly and awaited further instructions from Jefran.


    Jefran smiled cheekily at Lilica¡¯s cheerful personality. ¡°Okay, you can leave them there. Good job!¡±


    ¡°Brother Desir, help me move this pot over there,¡± asked Lilica. Desir moved the pot filled to the brim with sauce over to where Lilica directed.


    ¡°Eugh¡­ it¡¯s not really something I want to talk about, but I guess it¡¯s fine¡­¡± Jefran mumbled under his breath. ¡°Lilica! Desir will take care of the cooking for tonight. Go get a good night¡¯s rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chef!¡± Lilica saluted at Jefran and thanked Desir, before skipping out of the kitchen with a cheerful smile on her face. Desir had his jaw dropped at the entire exchange.


    ¡°Heh. You thought it was free? Now boy. Start stirring that soup.¡±


    ¡®Damn it.¡¯ With a deep sigh, Desir began to follow Jefran¡¯s orders. As usual, it was exhausting.


    Jefran started seasoning the meat, and slowlypsed into his story. ¡°I¡¯ve known Wilhelm for years; we¡¯d first met in the Holy City. During that time, he was a cardinal.¡±


    Desir¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°A cardinal?¡±


    The head chef reminisced and his eyes zed over. ¡°Well ¡ª back then, I was running a small restaurant. After tasting my dish, Wilhelm asked me if I wanted to be his exclusive chef. What with the little money I had to spare, I immediately epted his offer. Little did I know, I would have the same look that you¡¯ve got on your face when I finally heard about it as well. Hey, can you go stir the soup?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chef.¡± Desir rolled up his sleeves and started stirring the soup. ¡°Was he always so cold and aloof?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Wilhelm had a bright personality. By the time the night rolled around, he would go to the bar and drink to his heart¡¯s content. Most people could hardly believe he was a cardinal.¡± Jefran took a sip of his tea. ¡°I can see the look on your face. You don¡¯t believe it either, right? But I¡¯m telling the truth. He was a very lively person who loved to drink and y. On the nicer days, you could see him practicing swordsmanship with his knights.¡±


    With each word that spilled out of Jefran¡¯s mouth, you could hear regret and sorrow fill his voice. ¡°Wilhelm¡¯s talents extended past his knighthood, being a great leader to his men. Leading his knights, he actively fought against the Judgement.¡±


    Judgement. At the time, the Holy Nation referred to the Shadow Worlds as Judgement.


    ¡°Those were the golden days. He never lose a single battle, and thanks to him, the Holy Nation was able to stave off Goddess Artemis¡¯ Judgement.¡±


    Unlike the modern era, who had years of history to build the foundation for fighting the Shadow Worlds, this era was forced to build their foundation from scratch. Sessfully clearing a Shadow World was an amazing feat. A unique individual whose heroics staved off the Shadow World¡¯s erosion.


    ¡°For the record, over half of the knights in the territory followed him here from the Holy City. Even after he was dismissed, their loyalty led them to follow him here.¡±


    ¡°No wonder the knights are so talented¡­ but why was his dismissed with his des?¡±


    ¡°He found himself at odds with the newly appointed royalty.¡± Desir could tell from the trembling in Jefran¡¯s voice that this was around when everything began to change. ¡°His Majesty wanted to ept the Judgement. If you read the original text from the Church of Artemis, ¡®It is proper to ept the Judgement rather than stop it. The Judgement exists due to our wrongdoing. The Goddess is in the right to punish us for our sins.¡¯¡±


    ¡°To ept it¡­ did they mean topletely destroy the Holy Nation?¡±


    ¡°If that is what the Goddess desires,¡±mented Jefran. Desir became stiff. He couldn¡¯t understand how they could resign themselves to such a fate. ¡°Of course, Wilhelm opposed the idea. He always, always, put the people first. You can tell by how he epts the vagrants. Until the very end, Wilhelm argued that we owe it to the people to fight against the Judgement¡ª and trust me, that ended poorly. He was stripped of his achievements and ousted from his title. His unit disbanded and he was banished from the capital. Isn¡¯t it a strange fate?¡± Jefran let out a shallowugh.


    ¡°Take good care of the lord, Desir.¡±

 Chapter 52: Evernatten (4)

    <h4>Chapter 52: Evernatten (4)</h4>


    Desir let out a small yawn as he stretched, stiff and sore from the long hours. He nced over at Lord Wilhelm. Unlike Desir, the lord gave no indication that he was at all tired from another long day.


    Silently, Desir continued to watch Lord Wilhelm. His diligence was unsurprising; Desir had known him to be a hard worker from the very first day. But now, he saw Wilhelm in a new light. ¡®To think, he was such a man¡­¡¯. Indeed, Desir was certain that if the records of the Holy Nation hadn¡¯t been lost, Wilhelm¡¯s name would¡¯ve found their way into the history books.


    He swallowed his bitterness at thest thought. With the dearth of information about the Shadow World, humanity had been beaten badly over thest several centuries. Desir felt even more impressed by Wilhelm; given that half the continent was presently swallowed up, clearing a Shadow World this long ago must¡¯ve been extremely difficult. ¡®To think, he was able to perform such a feat without any prior knowledge or any modern technology. Incredible.¡¯


    And yet, despite having such a singrly talented man, the Holy Nation had still been utterly destroyed. Desir stopped himself from shaking his head. ¡®How stupid they are¡­gone because of a stupid religious ideology.¡¯ In the modern era, what once was the Holy Nation of Artemis was and shrouded in a dark fog; and swallowed by a single Shadow World, with the exception of Orrane Province, where Desir¡¯s party was currently located.


    Contemporary history knew of ss 3 and below (indeed, humanity owed its current record against the Shadow Worlds partially to the fact that no Shadow Worlds of ss 1 or 2 had appeared in recent memory), but records existed of even bigger, even more dangerous Shadow Worlds. The Holy Nation had been destroyed by one, evidently: a ss 1 Shadow World.


    Desir let his thoughts wander back to the present. ¡®The Church of Artemis, huh?¡¯ While the Holy Nation had been destroyed, their religion survived, continuing to the modern Western Kingdoms. In fact, Prisci, one of the Final Six, was a member of the Church of Artemis. ¡®But their beliefs are very different from these¡­¡¯


    Desir¡¯s thoughts drifted again, back to Wilhelm. Although Desir¡¯s talk with Jefran had been enlightening, he had found no clues or hints for his current quest, the vagrant problem, and therefore, it was most likely irrelevant.


    ¡®So Wilhelm is a man who is infinitely devoted to his people. Although he belonged to the Church of Artemis, he put the lives of his people above his religious beliefs. He possesses a powerful military here in Evernatten, and rules it with an innovative management system.¡¯ Desir quickly went through the positive qualities of Lord Wilhelm. ¡®But something went wrong with the vagrants. So what choices did he make?¡¯


    A sharp rap on the door interrupted his thoughts. He heard the scritching of Wilhelm¡¯s pen stop. ¡°Come in.¡±


    A female knight with sharp eyes and long hair tied tightly behind her head opened the door and stepped through. It was Eyn. Desir¡¯s mouth tightened ever so slightly. He still vividly remembered the withering re and harsh insults she sent his direction when he had first met her while visiting Ajest.


    She stopped in front of the lord, and kneeled in a gesture of respect. A cool, sharp voice rang out. ¡°For the honor of Evernatten!¡±


    ¡°Raise your head.¡±


    She looked up at Lord Wilhelm. ¡°Knight Eyn Lilistick greets you, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    Desir noticed her eyes briefly flicker to Desir, before returning the Wilhelm. He pretended not to notice, too absorbed with paperwork.


    ¡°I am here to make my monthly crime report. Captain Ajest apologizes that she is unable to appear in person. She says she is currently too busy handling other matters, and asks forgiveness.¡±


    ¡°I understand she has been working hardtely. Report back to her that it¡¯s alright if she¡¯s busy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding, my lord.¡± From her pocket, she pulled out small stack of paper. ¡°My lord, all the fine details are written here in this report. In thest month, we have 7 cases of murder, rape, arson, and other serious crimes, and 50 additional cases of misdemeanors.¡±


    Desir winced mentally. The crime rate was quite high.


    ¡°Excluding 1 serious and 12 minor offenders, the rest were vagrants.¡± The subtext was clear. In her eyes, the vagrants were responsible. Wilhelm nodded. Eyn continued. ¡°And this.¡± She pulled another document out. ¡°This is a public statement, a request to exile all criminals.¡±


    Desir couldn¡¯t stop himself from looking up. He saw the corners of Wilhelm¡¯s lips twitch, before the lord spoke. ¡°For what purpose are you giving me this?¡± His words had the slightest tone.


    ¡°My lord, I must deliver to you the will of the people.¡±


    Wilhelm took the documents and ced it on top of his desk. Without even ncing at them, he simply said, ¡°As always, criminals will go through the proper legal channels, and be punished ordingly.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, my lord, but I must speak. I believe the current measures we are taking are far too soft, and therefore ineffective. We need stronger measures.¡± Eyn¡¯s delivery showed her belief in her words. ¡°While Captain Ajest has managed to sharply reduce the number of crimes within Evernatten, she cannot change the nature of vagrants. They are ungrateful, and cause harm to our people. In particr, many crimes have been reported from the slum city they have set up.¡±


    ¡°So are you telling me to exile all the vagrants then?¡±


    ¡°No, my lord. However, I do believe that your grace and generosity need not extend to criminals.¡±


    ¡°I will take this into consideration then. You may leave.¡±


    Eyn lowered her head again, before turning around and leaving quietly. As she left, Wilhelm took the statement she had delivered and read through it.


    Desir sighed internally. Exile, in this winter, especially when they had nowhere else to go, would¡¯ve been no different from death.


    ¡°Desir, I¡¯ve heard rumors that you¡¯ve been working on this vagrant issue.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Then you must know a lot about them. What do you think of Eyn¡¯s suggestions?¡±


    ¡°I believe her words are reasonable.¡± As much as Desir did not want to admit it, reworking public safety was only a half-solution. Despite everything they had done, the progression of the main quest remained stuck at 30%.


    Wilhelm paused briefly before responding. ¡°I do, however, believe it¡¯s a bit excessive to punish them so severely.¡±


    ¡°Excessive, huh¡­?¡±


    The lord lightly tapped the sheet of paper. ¡°Even I must acknowledge that the crime rates of the vagrants far exceed those of everyone else. While our knights are working hard on a solution, there are limits to what they can do. I believe, unfortunately, that I must take stronger measures.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a quick demonstration, that my grace and generosity have limits. I have epted these vagrants into Evernatten, and I believe that in return they should show some respect. I cannot let my people continue to suffer because of my selfishness.¡±


    It pained Desir to admit, but Wilhelm was not wrong at all. ¡°If you will do so, consider deporting those with a death penalty. I believe it would set a sufficient example.¡±


    ¡°I was nning on doing so.¡± The lord spoke, with a sudden conviction.


    ¡®What!?¡¯ As soon as he finished speaking, an announcement had rang out. It was all Desir could do to hide his panic. He had thought, if the vagrants were responsible for Evernatten¡¯s problems, one possible solution would be simply to remove them. While he was personally opposed to this approach, he had to admit that it would likely work. However, as soon as he suggested exile, the quest progression had actually declined, which could only mean one thing.


    Removing the vagrants was not the solution. He was following a path opposite to clearing the Shadow World. That meant that Wilhelm must have chosen to exile the vagrants in the past.


    [It is a time of chaos. In such troubling times, the people have cried out for a hero, and they have been led to the Unique Hero: Wilhelm Evernatten. He aplished many incredible feats, earning the nickname ¡®Sdin.¡¯]


    [But that was history. His title of Cardinal has been long forgotten, and his loyal knights long disbanded.]


    [The Fallen Hero, Wilhelm Evernatten. All he had left was his hometown and a fragment of his old zing conviction. When he returned to Evernatten, he hoped to protect his territory from the barbarians, and epted all vagrants, out ofpassion for the people.]


    [s, reality would not amodate his noble ideals of protecting everyone. At times, one must sacrifice the few to save the many. And so, as ruler of Evernatten, he made up his mind.]


    [But his decision did not address the root problem.]


    Ideals. Conviction. Barbarians and vagrants. It all beganing together for Desir.


    Wilhelm Evernatten: the lord who lived for his people. He epted any and all vagrants, but problems of public order & food stocks arose from his decision.


    ¡®Historically, he must have not known about the barbarian invasion either¡­¡¯ Desir had discovered the barbarians¡¯ ns, and taken appropriate countermeasures, because he was familiar with their habits and mindset. But in the real history, Wilhelm must¡¯ve been blindsided by the attack. Bloody Falcon w would have stolen what he wanted and burned down the rest, exactly as nned, which meant that the barbarians would have re-initiated their war with Evernatten, which would have required the whole military of Evernatten to fight against the barbarians.


    ¡®With no food and no knights avable, the vagrant problem would¡¯ve been impossible to deal with.¡¯ It all made sense now. The cruel reality would¡¯ve be apparent to Lord Wilhelm: his ideals were merely illusions. He would¡¯ve abandoned what remained of his pride, by abandoning the vagrants.

 Chapter 53: Evernatten (5)

    <h4>Chapter 53: Evernatten (5)</h4>


    Tranroe: Naturalrice; RW: MrScaryMuffin; KOR Check: Naturalrice


    It was wintertime. The snow was knee deep and the winds were bitter cold.


    Soldiers gathered in the cafeteria to receive their ready made meals. Everyone deployed to the castle gathered here to eat. The cafeteria was bustling with conversation. People were talking so loud that it was easy to eavesdrop and discern information about various parts of the castle. Desir and his friends were gathered in a corner of this raucous cafeteria.


    ¡°So it turns out, after all, that Miss Romantica isn¡¯t in this territory,¡± said Pram. He, Ajest, and Desir had taken up an entire table in order to have a private conversation.


    ¡°She can handle herself,¡± said Desir, adding some salt to his soup.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you concerned at all about Miss Romantica?¡± asked Pram.


    ¡°I am a bit worried, but I have faith in her abilities,¡± replied Desir. Romantica was now a Third Circle Mage, putting her on apletely different level than an average Second Circle Mage. Third Circle Mages were considered the cornerstone of any military. She would be strong enough to handle most situations at her current level of strength.


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ve felt this during the entrance exam, but Romantica is clever. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s progressing the quest in her own way,¡± continued Desir. The quest was still progressing within the Evernatten territory even though Romantica was nowhere to be found. ¡°But just in case, I¡¯ve asked the Lord to dispatch a rider to nearby territories. The Shadow World wouldn¡¯t just put her somewhere random, so she¡¯s probably somewhere nearby.¡±


    Desir was confident that this would be enough to locate Romantica.


    ¡°That is a bit more reassuring,¡± replied Pram.


    Breakfast time was slowly drawing to a close. As the soldiers stood up and filed out one by one, the atmosphere in the cafeteria began to settle down.


    ¡°So, why did you ask us to meet?¡± asked Ajest, putting down her empty te.


    ¡°Actually, I discovered how the vagrant situation was resolved historically.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    The remaining part of the main quest, Vagrants. Pram¡¯s ears perked and Ajest linked her arm with Desir¡¯s, listening intently as Desir began to recount what happened the day before. Yesterday, when he was busy working in the Lord¡¯s office, Eyn came in and rmended deporting vagrants. Once the Lord agreed to the expulsion, the quest progression dipped even though the lord decided to only expel the criminals. Historically, this was also how the Lord had decided to resolve the vagrant situation as a whole.


    ¡°Look at this Ajest,¡± said Desir, finishing his story and pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket. He held it out to Ajest. The material was poor, but the embroidery was beautiful.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite an intricate work.¡±


    ¡°One of the vagrant mothers made it for me, but they can¡¯t even sell it. They are banned from the marketce simply because they are vagrants,¡± said Desir, shaking his head, ¡°Ajest, does this remind you of anything? The way they look at a part and judge the whole?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ajest and Pram tilted their heads quizzically. They pondered the question for a while but could note up with an answer. It was impossible for Ajest, as only those who experienced the descrimination would understand. Thus, it was Pram that raised his hand. Desir pointed at him.


    ¡°Beta ss?¡± said Pram confidently.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± confirmed Desir. Pram and Desir, being from the Beta ss, could distinctly recall all the prejudice and discrimination that they faced first first hand. They were derogatorily known as moners¡¯ and were not given the opportunity to receive proper education.


    ¡°There are people,¡± continued Desir, ¡°who have already decided that the entire poption of vagrants are criminals just because they are ¡®vagrants.¡¯ Doesn¡¯t that remind you of Professor Nifleka, who had already decided that allmoners were ipetent simply because of their origin?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Ajest swallowed her words. Having observed Professor Nifleka up close longer than anyone, she knew this was true.


    ¡°If there are criminals within the vagrants, it is only just that they are punished. However, I can¡¯t ept how the entire poption is being judged based on the actions of a few. Could it not also be said that society is at fault for driving them into a corner and not giving them a chance?¡±


    Ajest looked as though she had been punched in the gut.


    ¡°Does this have anything to do with the clear condition?¡± interjected Pram.


    Desir nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s correct that the vagrant problem can be resolved by removing the vagrants that are causing it. However, the Shadow World has deemed the Lord¡¯s decision to be the ¡®wrong choice.¡¯ I believe this is because that decision is based on that prejudiced mindset.¡±


    Desir did not know what impact Wilhelm Evernatten¡¯s choice had in history or why the Shadow World had deemed this choice to be the wrong one. He could only make assumptions from what he had learned thus far.


    ¡°Thankfully, the situation right now isn¡¯t terrible since we saved the food supplies. Evernatten can hold on for the time being. Since the issue with the barbarians have been resolved, there is nothing immediately threatening the territory. Let¡¯s take time to think of a solution carefully.¡±


    In history, the Lord had been driven into a situation where there was no other recourse, but things were different now. There was still time to find the best solution.


    ¡°Knight Captain!¡± It was the voice of a knight. Ajest turned around to see a knight moving in her direction. ¡°Ah, the tactician is here as well. That¡¯s good. I urge the two of you to follow me.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­I think you should see it for yourself.¡±


    Desir, Pram, and Ajest were breathing heavily as they looked out from the top of the castle walls. The cold air burned in their tired lungs, but their heart raced more when they saw the bright red g in the distance.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    A sea of people filled their vision. An incredible amount of people were swarming at the castle gates: hungry people, people wearing rags, sick people making pitiful noises. They were all looking towards the castle with desperate faces. They were all vagrants.


    ¡°Let us in!¡±


    ¡°My baby is dying! Let me in! Just the baby at least!¡±


    Voices of the vagrants drowned out each other in a crowd that easily exceeded three thousand. Desir and Pram turned pale, unable to believe the awful scene before them. This was a terrible turn of events. A sound of displeasure escaped Ajest¡¯s lips. It wasn¡¯t just Desir¡¯s party who were shocked, nearby soldiers were also taken aback. The castle gate below was sealed shut and was the only thing holding back the swarming vagrants.


    ¡°Just where did so many vagrantse from?¡±


    ¡°Just what is this situation¡­¡±


    Normally, the soldiers would have epted the vagrants following the Lord¡¯s policy. However, the number currently gathered at the gate was simply too much. The soldiers panicked and shut the gate to seal off the entrance. It was actually the best course of action given the situation. If the swarm had been allowed to enter, the resulting situation would be even worse. Still, Desir found himself speechless when faced with such a spectacle out of the blue.


    ¡°This much¡­is dangerous.¡±


    epting all these people will empty out the food supplies. The sea of vagrants pounded at the gates in waves. The quest seemed to be daring Desir to ept the vagrants.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you letting us in!?¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯d ept vagrants!¡±


    ¡°Why are you discriminating against us!?¡±


    ¡°Open the gates right now!¡±


    The demands were growing hostile and profanities could be heard mixed in every now and then. The voices stabbed at Desir¡¯s heart like needles. Lord Evernatten¡¯s generosity had already be an entitlement in their minds and they were enraged that they were refused entry.


    As Desir¡¯s party stared out with agitated faces, a messenger sent by the Lord knelt down beside them.


    ¡°What does the Lord say?¡± asked Desir to the kneeling man.


    ¡°He says ept them all for now.¡±


    ¡°Of course he would.¡± Desir had already expected this decision.


    ¡°Are you really going to let them in Desir?¡± asked Ajest incredulously, ¡°what little public order we managed to obtain will be shattered instantly. No, even if I somehow manage to restore it to some extent, what about the food supply? epting these people will put the survival of this territory into question.¡±


    The survival of Evernatten. That was the name of the main quest and also the main portion of the assignment given to them. Desir could only out at the crowd of vagrants that were also his assignment.


    ¡°Your orders.¡± The soldiers looked at Desir, waiting for instructions. Presently, he was the one with the most authority. Pram and Ajest could only helplessly watch his mouth. Desir¡¯s lips clenched for what felt like an eternity before opening to speak.


    ¡°Open the gates.¡±


    As soon as Desir¡¯s spoke, the soldiers raised their voices to ry the order.


    ¡°He says open the gates!¡±


    ¡°Open the gates!¡±


    The orders quickly spread down to the other soldiers. Desir turned to Ajest.


    ¡°Ajest, please try to contain them for now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Leave it to me.¡±


    Ajest climbed down from the castle walls and ordered the soldiers to create a path for the vagrants to enter. Desir could only watch with clenched fists.


    ¡®I talked arrogantly about how we should give them all a chance and yet I hesitated when it came time to ept more of them.¡¯


    He had hesitated. He had truly hesitated on his decision to ept these people. He already knew how overwhelming the situation was before and immediately thought that he could not ept any more vagrants.


    ¡®¡­Damn.¡¯


    Desir¡¯s hesitation made him feel pathetic. He tasted blood from where he had bit down on his lip.


    ¡°Sir Desir,¡± said Pram, approaching him with a faint smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Pram.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I will always follow Sir Desir¡¯s decision.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it.¡±


    The sound of chains moving filled the air as the gates finally opened. The vagrants began to pour in like the tide. Thanks to Ajest¡¯s direction, they were funnelled through into the territory in an orderly fashion. Once the final person entered, a system notification appeared.


    [Progress of the ¡®Vagrants¡¯ quest has declined by 15%¡­]

 Chapter 54: Evernatten (6)

    <h4>Chapter 54: Evernatten (6)</h4>


    [The Vagrant Problem: Progress Rate 12%]


    The number of vagrants in Evernatten was unsustainable. Felonies such as burry and even murder were bing daily urrences. Residents were afraid to leave their houses, in fear of the unwee guests. Due to the growing instability, merchants refused to pass through Evernatten, crippling its economy.


    The atmosphere in the meeting was chilly. Lord Wilhelm Evernatten and his ¡°think tank,¡± Knight-Captain Ajest, Knight Eyn, and his advisor Desir Arman had gathered to again discuss the vagrant problem.


    Eyn, who was strongly in favor of expelling the vagrants, spoke first. ¡°There are too many of them, my liege. On top of that, they¡¯ve begun mistaking our goodwill and generosity as some sort of obligation.¡± She spat out thest word venomously. Unsurprisingly, Eyn was furious that the vagrants had no gratitude towards Evernatten, as if it were natural that they should be allowed in. ¡°The most critical problem right now is the food supply. At this rate, our stores won¡¯tst all winter. I say we kick the vagrants out immediately!¡±


    ¡°I object!¡± Desir interjected almost immediately. ¡°My lord, do you remember why you let the vagrants into Evernatten in the first ce? You believe in being a lord for your subjects. Expelling the vagrants would be abandoning that conviction.¡±


    ¡°That conviction you speak of,¡± replied Eyn, ¡°does not simply refer to the vagrants, but also the actual residents of Evernatten. The same residents who are now starving because of these vagrants. Sacrificing the many for the few? Idiocy.¡± Emotion and conviction spilled from her voice. ¡°Think about this. These vagrants are strangers, faces you¡¯ve neverid eyes on, and they are taking our goodwill for granted. How can we favor them? Should we not consider Wilhelm¡¯s own people first?¡±


    ¡°We can save both,¡± Desir insisted. ¡°To abandon one group needlessly is not what our lord believes in.¡±


    ¡°Oh? We can? Our residents are afraid to leave their houses! We have no more rations, and no ability to obtain more! Face reality!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re simplying up with reasons to expel them! Why do you insist on acting as though expelling them is the only option? Why aren¡¯t you trying toe up with other options?!¡±


    ¡°Other options? Then present one! Can you? Can youe up with a solution to restore order to these vagrants hopping about like madmen and stop them from eating through all our rations?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Wilhelm¡¯s voice instantly ended the argument. ¡°I believed, once, that we could save them all. But that was a foolish belief from a distant past. I was wrong.¡± His voice was heavy and mncholic, and the words came out slowly. He turned toward Desir. ¡°I thank you for reminding me of those convictions I once so firmly held. But I cannot stubbornly refuse to change. epting all these vagrants will stretch what our territory can provide for beyond breaking.¡±


    Wilhelm sighed. ¡°Ideals and reality. It looks like the moment hase to return to reality.¡± He paused, the chilling reality setting in like the winter¡¯s air, weighing on his heavy bones. The time for childish ideals was long past. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to save everyone. No, more than that, Ick the ability to care for everyone. I can no longer stubbornly refuse to ept this.¡± He turned, slowly to Eyn. ¡°Apologize to the vagrants that we are no longer able to ept them.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Eyn was disturbingly giddy as she heard Wilhelm¡¯s words, assuring the expulsion of the vagrants.


    Ajest watched this exchange silently, unsure of how to proceed. Clearly, thepletion condition for this shadow world was to change Wilhelm¡¯s decision to the correct one, but, as she watched the conversation unfold, she couldn¡¯t think of a single argument against Wilhelm¡¯s decision. She was certain, had she been in his shoes, that she would have made the exact same decision, which meant, unfortunately, that history was bound to repeat itself, leading to the quest¡¯s failure.


    As Ajest continued to think in silence, she saw Desir step forward and drop to his knees. Everyone froze, unsure of what to do.


    ¡°Just two days,¡± pleaded Desir. He knew this would seem desperate, but it didn¡¯t matter to him anymore. If he had to abandon his pride for the vagrants that nobody else cared about, he would. ¡°Give me just two days. I¡¯lle up with a n.¡±


    Ajest looked back and forth between Lord Wilhelm and Desir. Everyone waited with baited breath.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll grant you two final days.¡±


    ***


    The most urgent problem, it seemed to Desir, was resolving the food issue. The rations provided to Wilhelm¡¯s garrison had already been heavily reduced to amodate for the influx of people. Naturally, the soldiers hadined, but Lord Wilhelm had quickly quieted them by eating the same meals as the soldiers, taking the lead on epting the reduced rations. Days had stretched into weeks like this, but now the situation was bing untenable. Desir had only two days to produce a solution, or the vagrants would be expelled, and the quest failed.


    To his credit, he had worked diligently oning up with a solution to the vagrant problem, but so far, all his thinking had led him back to the same conclusion: there was no solution. Regardless of how he approached the problem, nothing he came up with would be better than simply expelling all the vagrants.


    For example: Desir had initially considered trying to ¡°help the vagrants help themselves¡± per se, by opening up apprenticeships and other opportunities for skilled individuals which would increase Evernatten¡¯s export activity, but, unfortunately, he quickly came to the conclusion that such a n would take far too long to bear fruit. Training every skilled individual to the point where they brought in more money for Evernatten than they cost would take at least a month - time they didn¡¯t have.


    Desir sighed. ¡®No wonder the rewards for a 4th-level Shadow World were so good.¡¯ This Shadow World¡¯s rewards was the artifact ¡®Arms of Toa,¡¯ which increased an individual¡¯s mana pool. Due to his weak mana pool, Desir could only use first circle magic; without the artifact, he wasn¡¯t sure if he could reach even the Third Circle. If only the quest wasn¡¯t so incredibly difficult¡­


    He shook his head, banishing those thoughts. ¡®I can¡¯t fail this.¡¯ If he failed, he would have to totally rearrange his ns. He looked up at the empty street ahead. Theck of merchants had brought sharp intion to Evernatten, which meant that most stores were closed down due to ack of customers. Compounding the emptiness, few residents walked about, afraid of the swarms of vagrants. The vibrant energy that once permeated the castle-city no longer seemed to exist. Desir felt all too aware of the frosty winds.


    As he trudged through the thick snow, deep in thought, he passed from the residential area into the propped up shantytown of the vagrants. The signs of activity returned to his senses, but it was a darker, bleaker activity, a far cry from vibrance or joy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stray from the line!¡± The voices of soldiers barkingmands from their station cut through the winter air. Desir saw a line of vagrants miles long, silently following the soldiers¡¯ orders with lifeless eyes.


    ¡°Oi! There won¡¯t be any food if you cut in line!¡± The soldiers, seeing Desir approach, stopped and saluted.


    Desir waved them down. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, you can keep working.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± The soldier went back to distributing rations. Desir peered down the impossibly long line of vagrants. They huddled in clumps for warmth, rubbing their hands to melt their frozen fingers as they waited restlessly. The lines had grown longer and the food supply smaller each time Desir came to observe them.


    ¡°Mister Desir!¡± A voice shouted from behind. Desir turned to see Lilica standing next to Ajest and waving her hand excitedly. She had basically been evicted from the castle, and was now effectively amongst the vagrants.


    She held a fist-sized piece of rye in her hand; evidently, her ration. Desir came up to the pair of them. ¡°Aren¡¯t you bored waiting?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± responded Lyrica, shaking her head forcefully. ¡°Miss Ajest stood with me so I wasn¡¯t bored at all!¡±


    Ajest stood beside her in a full suit of te armor. Nominally, she was here to keep an eye on the ration line, but truthfully, she was keeping an eye on Lyrica.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry things turned out this way, Lyrica.¡± Desir said quietly.


    ¡°No, why are you sorry? You were very good to me. I think that it¡¯s thanks to you that I¡¯m able to get this much. Of course, it¡¯s too bad that Mister Pram couldn¡¯t be with you as well.


    ¡°But, I wish they told me why they chased me out. Mister Jefran just got really quiet and didn¡¯t say anything at all¡­Did I do something wrong? Did they kick me out because I made a mistake?¡±


    Desir shook his head. ¡°Like I told you before, it wasn¡¯t anything you did.¡±


    ¡°What was it then?¡±


    Desir fell silent as well. How could he possibly exin the truth to her? It would be too cruel to expose the terrible reality to her. ¡°You¡¯ll be able toe back one day,¡± he offered.


    ¡°Then watch Carlos for me until then.¡±


    ¡°Carlos?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the name of the snowman I made.¡±


    ¡°¡­Of course. Leave it to me.¡±


    Satisfied, Lilica disappeared into the mob of vagrants.

 Chapter 55: Evernatten (7)

    <h4>Chapter 55: Evernatten (7)</h4>


    The streets were filled with vagrants, making it look like a war zone. Knights were deployed to oversee the food distribution and Pram was sweating profusely as he gave orders to his soldiers. The situation was getting dire.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to drive them away in two days anyways, why are we wasting food like this?¡± said a soldier, expressing the irritation felt by their peers. Others chimed in with their grumbling.


    ¡°While I feel bad for them, how can we look after them if we don¡¯t have enough food for ourselves?¡±


    ¡°You know, I wouldn¡¯t beining if we had food to spare. What is the lord thinking, I wonder?¡±


    They weren¡¯t necessarily wrong. People are typically inclined to share only when there is enough to share.


    ¡°Desir¡­¡± Ajest made her way towards Desir. She motioned to reach out to Desir but stopped, her lips pressed tightly. There was nothing that she could say.


    ¡°What a sheetty feeling,¡± said Desir. It was a feeling that he had forgotten for a very long time. The feeling of despair, being unable to save someone no matter what you do. The feeling of being powerless to do anything in a helpless situation.


    Desir clenched his fists.


    ¡®Anything is fine. If I can just get one hint¡­just any help¡­¡¯


    ¡°Have you thought of a solution?¡± asked Eyn. She was overseeing the food distribution and, noticing Desir¡¯s presence, was walking towards him¡­


    ¡°Knight Eyn,¡± replied Desir, ¡°you speak as if you don¡¯t want me toe up with a solution.¡±


    ¡°Surely you jest. I may have some opinions of vagrants, but how could I let my personal feelings get in the way when the lord¡¯s territory is at stake? I¡¯m anxiously waiting for our tactician toe up with a reasonable solution.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. I intend to do so even without you pressing me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain you will, since you are a vagrant yourself.¡±


    That Desir was a vagrant was actually a lie. In order to win over the lord, Desir lied to created an ideal image of himself. However, there was no need to exin this to Eyn since her opinion of Desir didn¡¯t matter. Additionally, if the lie was exposed, the lord would no longer trust him.


    ¡°As a tactician,¡± continued Eyn, ¡°you must understand by now that the only solution is to deport all the vagrants. When ites time to execute that order, I¡¯ll be sure that all vagrants are expelled without exception.¡±


    Eyn was simply repeating what the lord had said, but there was an emphasis on ¡®no exceptions¡¯.


    ¡°You say you were kneeling to save others,¡± said Eyn, ¡°don¡¯t make meugh. In the end, aren¡¯t you kneeling to save yourself? It¡¯s no different than pathetically begging for your life.¡±


    At that moment, Desir grabbed Ajest¡¯s arm. He had barely stopped her from striking Eyn. Ajest tried to free her arm, but Desir whispered in her ear.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t like you. Don¡¯t be so upset.¡±


    ¡°I wonder,¡± continued Eyn, unaware that she had narrowly avoided a p to the face, ¡°why is every single vagrant so selfish and ego-centric¡­?¡±


    Just then, loud voices could be heard among the vagrants, gradually climbing in volume. A few soldiers were quickly dispatched to deal with the disturbance.


    ¡°Did you know that an incident like this urs every hour? The vagrants are trying to steal each other¡¯s rations. How uncivilized.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    However, the shouting was still getting louder. More soldiers got deployed and were squeezing their way through the crowd.


    ¡®Is it a fight?¡¯


    Desir immediately dismissed the thought. Rather than a fight, it looked like the soldiers were trying to stop something. Someone was trying to make their way to Desir and Ajest and the soldiers were blocking the way. It was difficult to see what was going on due to the wall of soldiers around them, but Desir could hear a frustrated voice.


    ¡°Hey, let go of me! I just told you, there is someone I need to talk to over there!¡±


    ¡°You may not approach our tactician.¡±


    ¡°But I know him!¡±


    Ajest and Desir shared a nk look. The voice was certainly familiar.


    ¡°Is that Romantica?¡±


    Ajest nodded and the pair made their way towards themotion. Curious, Eyn followed them.


    ¡°I swear I know them!¡±


    ¡°How dare you im to know them when you¡¯re just a vagrant!¡±


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you I¡¯m not a vagrant, you moron!¡±


    As they got closer, Desir was certain that the voice belonged to Romantica.


    ¡°Let her go. I do know her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sir.¡± The soldier hesitated before stepping aside. In front of them was a youngdy.


    ¡°I told you so!¡± Upset, Romantica shook her fist at the soldiers before turning towards Desir. ¡°It¡¯s been a while Desir!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay, Romantica.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Who do you think I am? I¡¯m Romantica, a third circle mage!¡± Romantica put her fists on her waist and puffed out her chest in pride. Seeing her brimming with energy, Desir smiled gently.


    ¡°Where did you end up?¡±


    ¡°The Kervan Territory, one day¡¯s travel from here by carriage. I cleared my quest over there and then saw the Main Quest, which led me here. However, they said I needed some kind of document to enter the castle? Anyways, now I¡¯m caught up in this mess.¡±


    Desir felt proud of Romantica. She had been able to aplish a lot by herself.


    ¡°The situation here looks bad,¡± continued Romantica, ¡°why did the quest progression decline?¡±


    Since Romantica was in another territory, she was not aware of the current situation. Desir exined thoroughly to get her caught up. He told her about therge influx of vagrants, which caused the quest progression to decline sharply.


    ¡°The situation is looking bad, Romantica.¡±


    The biggest problem was food. There simply wasn¡¯t enough to go around.


    ¡°Public opinion of vagrants isn¡¯t too great either. If I don¡¯te up with a solution in two days, they¡¯ll be kicked out of the territory.¡±


    Desir knew that if that happens, his party would fail the quest. It would be the end.


    ¡°Hm¡­is that so?¡± said Romantica, tapping her chin.


    ¡°For the time being, you should rest. It must have been a long trip. I¡¯ll let them know to expect you at the castle,¡± said Desir considerately. He wanted to let Romantica rest after her long journey. At the same time, he didn¡¯t have a n to improve the quest progression yet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll dly ept your offer,¡± replied Romantica, nodding, ¡°as you can tell, I¡¯m pretty tired. However, is that the only problem we have left to deal with?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Will the vagrant problem be resolved if we solve the food shortage?¡±


    Desir wasn¡¯t sure where Romantica was going with this line of questioning.


    ¡°Notpletely, but probably most of it. The main reason why we¡¯re driving away the vagrants is because we don¡¯t have enough food.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. No matter what kind of solution wee up with, it¡¯ll be pointless if we still don¡¯t have food.¡±


    Having identified the root problem, Romantica crossed her arms and tried hard not tough. However, she could not help smiling as she was overjoyed that she had one up over Desir in this situation.


    ¡°Did you think of something?¡± asked Desir.


    ¡°Haaa? Think of something? Why do you ask?¡± teased Romantica, savouring the moment, ¡°do I really need to think of a solution if I already have an answer?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll solve the problem for you. I¡¯ll supply the f-o-o-d.¡±


    Desir¡¯s eyes widened. He could not believe his ears.


    ¡°How could a nobody like you solve our food shortage?¡± interrupted Eyn. It was easy to follow the conversation since Romantica¡¯s voice was loud. Still, it was considered very rude to cut into a private conversation. That Eyn was doing so implied that she was looking down on both Desir and Romantica. Romantica turned to look at Eyn with a cold expression.


    ¡°A nobody? Who are you to say that?¡±


    ¡°I am an honourable knight serving Evernatten. The vice captain Eyn Lilistick.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so? A noble huh? What a fancy title. No wonder you can talk smack.¡±


    Romantica red at the knight. It was not a good first impression for either of them.


    ¡°How insolent!¡± roared Eyn loudly, ¡°What did you just say to me?¡±


    ¡°Hey now, listen to me. Didn¡¯t you start it first, old hag? You¡¯re the one calling me a nobody. Do you even know who I am?¡±


    The knight drew her sword in an intimidating fashion, but Romantic merely raised an eyebrow. Her pride would not let her back down. Seeing that, Eyn lost herposure and faltered. Then, she spoke once again, this time in a quieter voice.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a vagrant?¡±


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that I¡¯m not a vagrant!? It¡¯s starting to irritate me. I¡¯ve had enough!¡±


    It was at this moment that Desir noticed that Romantica¡¯s clothes were unusual.

 Chapter 56: Evernatten (8)

    <h4>Chapter 56: Evernatten (8)</h4>


    Romantica was wearing luxurious clothes spun from obviously high quality material. Even Eyn could not deny this.


    ¡°Regardless of who you really are,¡± said Eyn, ¡°this crisis involving the vagrants and the food supply is impossible to resolve.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you revealing your intentions a bit too much? You sound like a middle-aged woman saying that we should just give up without even trying,¡± countered Romantica harshly, ¡°if someone told me there was a solution, I would smile and ask for the details.¡±


    ¡°In any case,¡± continued Romantica, ¡°you¡¯re very rude. Did you grow up in a ce where it¡¯s okay to cut into other people¡¯s conversations? Before you boast about your own importance, shouldn¡¯t you consider that the person you¡¯re talking to might be even more important? Ah¡­maybe this type of thinking is beyond your abilities? Are you just a muscle brained knight?¡±


    Romantica¡¯s words were disparaging, but Eyn was unable to rebuff her. All she could do was make a show of her displeasure, but it was all bark and no bite.


    ¡°Romantica,¡± whispered Desir quietly, ¡°what role did you get when you entered the Shadow World?¡±


    ¡°I thought you would never ask.¡±


    Romantica whistled loudly, rousing a youth in the crowd. He handed her something bound in ck leather. Romantica casually checked the object before handing it over to Desir. It was a ledger. Desir¡¯s stood agape as he received it.


    ¡°I¡¯m a merchant,¡± said Romantica, ¡°and I will solve the vagrant issue the merchant way.¡±


    ¡°Really? This is¡­¡± Desir was amazed.


    That feeling of amazement did not fade as Romantica led them into a forest near the gates. Those apanying him shared his sentiment. Their eyes were wide and jaws hung open.


    ¡°Wha-wha-wha!?¡±


    Horse-drawn carriages and wagons were lined up, filling the entire forest. They were not small in size, with each of the 30 massive carriages requiring four horses each. There were also countless workers managing the wagons.


    ¡°This¡­is impossible. What is¡­¡± As the knight stood dumbfounded, Desir and his party walked ahead. The workers managing the carriages were all wearing the same uniform and all greeted Romantica respectfully as she passed.


    ¡°This is a merchant group lead by me,¡± exined Romantica, ¡°we usually deal with medical product but, well, we recently had to shift our focus in a major way.¡±


    Romantica walked over to one of the wagons and revealed its cargo. The wagon was filled to the brim with food supplies. There were all kinds of products, including wheat.


    ¡°I got news that all the vagrants were gathering in Evernatten. From the sheer number of them all, I knew that there was no way Evernatten could sustain them all, so I predicted that value of food to skyrocket.¡±


    Compared to other merchant groups, Romantica¡¯s merchant guild was doing pretty well. She had dominated the market not only in her headquarter¡¯s local area, but in the surrounding territories as well. Romantica¡¯s outstanding business sense had ushered in a golden age for her guild.


    ¡°And so I went all in.¡±


    Romantica had directed the guild to liquidate a significant amount of its assets in order to purchase food. This was a bold move, foolhardy even. But it might have been this sort of aggressive thinking that had help the guild grow in power. Romantica gathered information, analyzed it thoroughly, created a n, and executed it without holding anything back.


    Of course, things didn¡¯t always go to n. It wasn¡¯t possible to ount for all scenarios or gather perfect information every time. This is where business sense was important. Although betting everything on a ¡°gut feeling¡± meant you would risk losing everything, Romantica was fortunate thus far that her business sense had always resulted in the most favourable oues.


    ¡°We were almost robbed by bandits on the way here, but we managed to fend them off. Now I understand why you worked so hard to make me a Third Circle mage.¡± Romantica showed off the rifle she was carrying. Desir felt sorry for the bandit group.


    ¡°So Ajest,¡± asked Romantica, ¡°is this enough food?¡±


    Ajest was meticulously studying the inventory and calcting the amount of food brought by Romantica as well as the amount remaining in Evernatten.


    ¡°¡­We should be able to hold out through the winter with this much.¡±


    Being able to feed everyone through the winter was no longer just a dream. Thebined food supply greatly improved the situation. It could even be said that they would never have to worry about food again. Colour began returning to Desir¡¯s face.


    ¡°Great,¡± said Desir, ¡°this is really great, Romantica.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m great right? Praise me more.¡±


    ¡°Genuinely, you deserve all the praise. This is quite an achievement. I¡¯m truly grateful, Romantica.¡±


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to go that far,¡± stammered Romantica, ¡°it¡¯s not that big of a deal. I¡¯m giving you all the food even if you don¡¯t praise me that much.¡±


    ¡°Miss Romantica,¡± interjected Emil, ¡°you¡¯re not thinking about giving away the food for free are you?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Why not?¡±


    ¡°If you do that¡­the guild will go bankrupt¡­¡±


    The pleading look in her employee¡¯s eyes made Romantica feel guilty. She had lost sight of her position as the leader of the merchant guild as she wasn¡¯t originally from the Shadow World. If she carried out this decision, she would be betraying the expectations of the people that had believed in her and followed her all the way here.


    [Sub-quest created! Trade with Evernatten:


    Due to outstanding business acumen, a merchant has acquired and brought over enough food to sustain the Evernatten region through the winter. Since the food represents the entirety of the merchant¡¯s avable assets, giving it away for free will ruin the guild financially. A trade offer that satisfies all parties must be created. If this cannot be done, there will be heavy repercussions for the merchant.]


    Desir and Romantica shared a look before Romantica quickly began to control the situation.


    ¡°Hm? Of course we won¡¯t hand over the food for free. That¡¯s right, we¡¯re going to start negotiations.¡±


    Desir had a n.


    ¡°On top of paying arge sum for the food within six months,¡± he said, ¡°we¡¯ll let you use the name of Evernatten for your business. In other words, your guild will be a group operating within Evernatten.¡±


    ¡°Giving us full trading rights?¡± said Romantica, ¡°that¡¯s not bad.¡±


    ¡°Eeehh? Wait a minute guild leader,¡± said Emil, his voice growing loud in panic, ¡°are we handing over all the food just for the name of a fallen noble? In what world is that a fair trade?¡±


    Romantica and Desir shared a sly smile at his panicked voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s an incredible loss for now, ¡° exined Romantica, ¡°but Evernatten¡¯s name still holds a great deal of prestige. A noble¡¯s name is not nothing. It¡¯s a name that everyone recognizes. I¡¯ve heard that Evernatten¡¯s main source of ie is supplying knights to support other regions.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how do you know that much?¡±


    ¡°Most bandits wouldn¡¯t dare touch products if it is marked with the Evernatten name.¡±


    Despite Evernatten being a fallen noble, his name was still widely known.


    ¡°We will be able to grow our guild several times in size within five years. Borrowing Evernatten¡¯s name with just this amount of food is a great deal for us.¡±


    Emil stood ck jawed, unable to refute Romantica¡¯s logic. Romantica turned back to Desir.


    ¡°You¡¯ll make our guild Evernatten¡¯s main merchant group and grant us the same rights as residents of this territory. This much should be okay, right?¡±


    Desir bowed with a wild flourish as if they were acting in a screeny.


    ¡°We wee you to the Evernatten region, Miss Romantica.¡±


    Romantica responded in kind, enjoying the acting. She pressed her lips together and did her best impression of a noblewoman.


    ¡°Ho ho. I leave myself in your care, Mr. Tactician.¡±


    [Sub-quest cleared! A trade agreement has been made that satisfies both parties. With the dealplete, the region¡¯s food issues have been miraculously resolved.


    *The Vagrant issue progress has advanced greatly (Progress rate 71%)]

 Chapter 57: For the People (1)

    <h4>Chapter 57: For the People (1)</h4>


    Lord Evernatten felt a substantial uptick of refugees arriving at his city walls, dwarfing any other instance in recent times. The sudden increase led him to believe that something was amiss, and he probed for more information. As a result of his investigation, he discovered that they had arrived from the Holy City of Gottheim.


    Rumors spread throughout the camp eventually found their way to his ears, and he learned of an evil spirit kidnapping people and peeling off their skin. Wilhelm grimaced; a truly grotesque tale.


    The urban legend was rampant in the vagrant slums, being the most predominant story lingering in their minds. Lord Wilhelm, expecting that there was some truth to the matter, sent people to the area surrounding the Holy City to collect information¡ªthe man kneeling in front of him was one of his trusted confidants.


    ¡°The situation in the Holy City is severe. In order to prevent Judgement, they are levying heavy taxes in the name of God. As a result of this, assets are being seized en masse, and the number of refugees can only grow ever more.¡±


    ¡°And the rumor?¡±


    ¡°There is truth in the matter. Missing persons are oft never to be seen again, milord. The only thing is that his Majesty appears to be taking no steps to address the threat.¡±


    Wilhelm paused. ¡°¡­for sacrifices?¡±


    His voice was barely audible.


    ¡°Yes. Based on multiple eyewitness ounts, it is likely an act of sacrifice in the name of Artemis, all to prevent the Goddesses¡¯ Judgement.¡±


    The Goddesses¡¯ Judgement.


    In order to correct the sins of man, in order to lead history to righteousness. Simply enter the space and return history to the correct path and the Judgement would cease. However, the Holy Kingdom refused to take action to stop them.


    Instead of fighting the Judgement, they chose the path of sacrifice. They believed that in the space, the Goddess would reveal their sins and take the world back under her embrace. By offering the flesh and blood of sinners, they attempted to appease the Goddess.


    ¡°Do they really think that they can fight the Judgement like this?¡±


    Wilhelm Evernatten¡¯s clenched fist trembled in anger. He felt powerless to stop this chain of events. To make matters worse, his informant wasn¡¯t finished.


    ¡°A few days ago, arge number of children disappeared, coinciding with the mass immigration of refugees to Evernatten.¡±


    The lord¡¯s eyes crinkled. ¡°Did an enormous Judgement appear?¡±


    ¡°Most of the other lords predicted the same, but with the current state of the Holy Kingdom, it will be difficult to prevent this from urring.¡±


    Wilhelm closed his eyes momentarily to consider the implications of the man¡¯s words. He warily opened them again and looked down at his informant.


    ¡°Milord, the Earl of Mitelfer has requested to advance upon Gottheim.¡±


    ¡°I will pretend that the request wasn¡¯t received. You are dismissed.¡±


    ¡°My lord!¡± The informant eximed before realizing his ce and kneeling once more.


    Wilhelm shook his head. ¡°Regardless of the fact that I was chased out, I swore on my name that I would live to serve the Holy Kingdom. I will not tarnish my honor. Leave this ce, Lord Carlos.¡±


    Footsteps echoed out as Desir meandered through the lush garden. Romantica had solved the immediate problem of food, but there was still more to be done. In time, the food would run out; a solution was needed to end this, once and for all.


    ¡®Only one day left now.¡¯


    Despite the most pressing problem being alleviated, there was no additional time to resolve the overarching issue. Without a solution to address the influx of refugees, the Evernatten estate had little to no reason to deal with Romantica¡¯s guild. In the meantime, they had the leeway to think up a long-term solution thanks to Romantica¡¯s intervention. For instance, educating and employing the refugees based on their talents.


    This would be the quickest solution that came to mind, but Desir quickly concluded that there were problems with this method, and dismissed it.


    ¡®Wilhelm Evernatten is an astute man. He¡¯s already thought about it.¡¯


    The truth of the matter was that it wouldn¡¯t solve everything. There wasn¡¯t enough money to go around to educate and provide work for everyone.


    Desir slowed down and stopped in his tracks. Somebody was building a snowman in the garden, humming away in bliss. It was Lilica; with the food problem no longer an issue, she could return to work in the castle. Looking around, Desir found plenty of snowmen perched around the garden and approached the little girl, patting down the snow and grabbing a carrot for her newest creation.


    ¡°You¡¯ll catch a cold building a snowman out here,¡± advised Desir.


    ¡°Mister Desir!¡± eximed Lilica.


    ¡°It seems like every time I see you, you¡¯re building snowmen.¡±


    Lilica smiled brightly at Desir. ¡°Yup, snowmen are my friends! Do you want to build a snowman?¡± Her eyes shined with anticipation. ¡°¡­what? Don¡¯t look at me so pitifully! They¡¯re real. We¡¯ve been friends since beforeing here.¡±


    A warm chuckle came out of Desir¡¯s mouth. ¡°So the snowmen aren¡¯t imaginary?¡±


    Lilica¡¯s cheeks puffed out and she crossed her arms at Desir. ¡°Excuuuuuse me!¡± She looked forlorn as she gestured towards the snowmen. ¡°Do you remember the kid that I asked Mister Desir to take care of? He was my closest friend.¡±


    ¡°It must have been lonely parting from him¡ª his name was Carlos, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I couldn¡¯t even say goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Were you too busy?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ he disappeared suddenly. Some people said that a ghost was to me.¡±


    ¡°You mean the evil spirit that takes wandering people and peels off their skin?¡± A voice rang out from behind them as a gentle breeze drifted forward. Romantica walked towards the two surrounded by the snowmen, and Lilica¡¯s eyes bloomed with curiosity.


    ¡°Hey Big Miss, how did you know that?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like the rumors have reached the outskirts of the Holy Kingdom, but plenty of news have passed in the cities leading up to Evernatten. Lilica, are you originally from Gottheim?¡±


    ¡°Yup. Not just me, but all of the refugees are from the Holy City.¡± Desir¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden discovery. ¡°Didn¡¯t I mention it to you, Mister Desir?¡±


    Romantica let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°You really don¡¯t know anything going on in the Holy City, do you?¡±


    She was correct; Desir¡¯s knowledge of the Holy City did not extend past what Jefran had revealed. Desir didn¡¯t have the time to look into the affairs of much anything outside of Evernatten with the abundance of work assigned to him after bing the advisor to Lord Wilhelm.


    ¡®How did I not think of that?¡¯ chastised Desir. His focus was so intent on resolving the refugees that he didn¡¯t put any thought into how they came about. There were just too many problems to solve. ¡®To solve any problem, one should always look to solve the fundamental cause.¡¯


    At this moment, Desir realized that historically, Wilhelm Evernatten made the wrong decision to abandon his principles and exile the refugees. Whilst that would solve the immediate problem, it turns a blind eye to the fundamental issue: the Holy City. If the problems guing Gottheim were never addressed, the problem would only infect the rest of the Holy Kingdom and one day extend its reach to the Evernatten Estate.


    ¡°Romantica. Tell me everything you know.¡±


    The morning fog rolled over the castle and settled in, chilling the atmosphere inside of the office. The firece lent no warmth to the individuals inside, consisting of Desir¡¯s party and the heads of the estate.


    Two days had passed. Sess or failure would alle down to this moment. Wilhelm lightly coughed to grab his peers¡¯ attention.


    ¡°Before we begin our discussions, I would like to express my gratitude towards Madam Romantica for your foresight and leadership. The food situation has improved immensely with your assistance. To that end, I would like to express my thanks.¡±


    Romantica curtsied and elegantly paid her respects to Lord Evernatten. The conversation was as smooth as msses, and the room was in good spirits.


    ¡°There is still the problem of public security, milord.¡± Eyn stepped forward to bring everybody back to reality.


    Wilhelm gave her a curt nod and turned to his advisor.


    ¡°Well, Desir. The allotted time has passed. Have youe up with a solution?¡±


    Desir stepped forward and kneeled in front of Lord Evernatten.


    ¡°Whilst the situation has improved, many problems still need to be addressed; public security for one. Unfortunately, not every problem can be solved immediately. Even if these problems are addressed, therge influx of refugees mean that all solutions will only be useful short-term. Eventually, we will be bereft of options.


    ¡°Take, for instance, the food shortage. The merchant¡¯s guild can only offer so much support, and this won¡¯t be the only time. If the problems in the Holy City continue, refugees will arrive year after year. If we wish to make use of the refugees, we will need to educate them.


    ¡°The only logical solution is to banish the refugees. If we do not ept them, then there is no responsibility. With that, we can resolve our problems almost immediately. In fact, that is exactly how many other estates are approaching the problem.


    ¡°However, there will only be more and more refugees. All of those men, women, and children with nowhere to go will die. This isn¡¯t a solution. This is a death sentence. By exiling these people from the territory, we are averting our eyes from the suffering and avoiding the problem.¡±


    Desir¡¯s intense gaze swept across the room, resting a moment longer on Eyn. She had her fists tightly clenched, but did not dare speak out in front of the lord.


    ¡°I wish to provide a solution that will solve the fundamental problem,¡± announced Desir. Wilhelm Evernatten cared for the people deeply¡ª deeper than anybody else in the entire Holy Kingdom. He had not spent a long time with Wilhelm, but hispassion and charity exuded from his very being.


    ¡°Do you know the root cause, milord?¡±


    ¡°I gather it is due to the problems in the Holy City.¡±


    ¡°Correct. Almost all of the refugees havee from the Holy City, and they are suffering violently. With nary an option left to them, they can only run away. In the future, the people who suffer will continue topound the problem we are experiencing right now. This is not just about them. The tyranny that originally drove them out of the Holy City will one day reach here.¡±


    The Holy Nation¡¯s capital was headed for ruin. In the name of religion; in the face of the dangers ahead of them, nothing was being done. The problem would eat away at the Holy Kingdom until it waspletely submerged, with only one result: Ruination.


    Desir knew what had happened to the Holy Kingdom. Through a ss 1 Shadow World, the entire Holy Kingdom was eventually annihted by the encroachment. In the end, only a handful of survivors of the Artemis religion remained, living out the rest of their days in the Western Kingdoms and piously spreading their religion.


    Apanion in his former life, Prisci, was also a member of the Artemis religion. She was bitter whenever she recalled the downfall of her once-great nation. It was due to this that Desir could speak with confidence. In order to bring the Holy Kingdom back to form, sweeping reforms were needed. With that, Desir presented his solution.


    ¡°The Holy Kingdom is currently on the path to ruin. The endless waves of refugees are a byproduct of this. In order to resolve the fundamental issues and provide for these vagrants, we must change the twisted ideals of the Holy City.¡±

 Chapter 58: For the People (2)

    <h4>Chapter 58: For the People (2)</h4>


    An Artemis priest was outraged at Desir¡¯s proposal.


    ¡°You call this scheme a n? This is a rebellion. It¡¯s treason!¡±


    ¡°Father,¡± interjected Ajest, ¡°don¡¯t interrupt the Lord.¡±


    The priest red at Ajest with murderous eyes. He wanted to say more, but kept silent. It was a momentary respite, the same kind of peace they experiencedst night when Desir asked for more time to resolve the vagrant issue. Eyn and the priest red at Desir. They wanted Desir¡¯s party to know that they would not stand by this course of action and were ready to leave at any time.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re essentially asking me to spark a rebellion,¡± said the Lord. Even in this extremely tense situation, he was only focused on Desir. ¡°Are you aware of who I am?¡±


    ¡°You are the lord that rules over the Evernatten region,¡± replied Desir.


    ¡°Not my name, but my past.¡±


    Wilhelm Evernatten, the fallen hero. As a cardinal, he achieved many great aplishments leading his order of knights against the Shadow World. And before he was a cardinal, he was a knight who had devoted his life to the kingdom.


    ¡°I have pledged my life to the Holy Kingdom and you¡¯re saying that, in order to save that very kingdom, I should start a rebellion?¡±


    Wilhelm achieved the highest order of knighthood as a Knight-captain. There was no questioning his loyalty to the kingdom.


    ¡®And yet¡­¡¯


    Desir noticed that the Lord did not reject his proposal outright. The context of a conversation could bepletely flipped depending on minor nuances. That was the case here. Wilhelm wasn¡¯t throwing usations at Desir, but rather asking subtle questions in order to gauge his reaction.


    ¡®He is already aware that there is a bigger problem.¡¯


    This was a man that once held the lofty position of cardinal within the Holy Kingdom. It would be stranger if a person with such rank was unaware of the problems facing the kingdom.


    ¡®But he¡¯s unable to act due to his oaths.¡¯


    Wilhelm was unable to pursue the ideals he valued because of his obligations to the kingdom. Desir mentally prepared his answer. It was time to help Wilhelm Evernatten realize what he was truly searching for.


    ¡°I believe we have to make one thing clear. What was it that caused you to pledge your life and sword to the kingdom? I implore you to reflect on this cause.¡±


    Desir knew the answer already, even without hearing Wilhelm speak. This was a man that had epted vagrants at the risk of peace and security within his own territory. Currently, the denizens of the Holy Kingdom were suffering under the church¡¯s corrupted ideology. They were chased from their homes and driven into the frozen ounds.


    ¡°If the Lord originally picked up his sword for the sake of the people, then it would make sense for you to do so once again for the sake of the same people.¡±


    Desir used all the information that he had gathered on Wilhelm and carefully crafted a statement to strike right at the Lord¡¯s heart.


    ¡°¡­My life and sword were originally meant for the people.¡±


    Desir¡¯s words were starting to have an effect on Wilhelm.


    ¡°I had always stood for the people since the beginning. I will do anything for their well-being. This is my one true conviction.¡±


    Wilhelm¡¯s eyes lit up, reflecting the zing hot mes of the firece.


    ¡°Knowing this, I still question your proposal. Is calling for war truly for the people? War causes the suffering of countless innocents, Desir.¡±


    Desir could not deny this. Regardless of how nicely he worded it, in the end it was still a call for war.


    ¡°It is possible that starting a war, instead of remaining silent, might cause more people to suffer. Answer me this, Desir. What will you do for those that will get swept into this war and suffer? Can you be so sure that war is the best course of action?¡±


    Regardless of the politics surrounding it, the ones who would feel the effects of war the most were the people. Men and supplies would need to be gathered in preparation for battle, which meant that families would be separated and people would go hungry. Even if they say that the war was ¡®for the people¡¯, it would be the people that would have to pay the cost for the war itself.


    ¡°But, Lord!¡± It was at that moment that Romantica stepped forward.


    ¡°Outsiders shouldn¡¯t say anything!¡± intercepted Eyn immediately. Romantica¡¯s body shook as she red at Eyn, but the knight was calmly focused on her liege.


    ¡°In that case, may I speak my mind?¡± The Knight-captain Ajest stepped forward and the Lord nodded in response.


    ¡°If people get swept into a war, they may or may not suffer morepared to what they¡¯re experiencing right now. However, if we let this stop us from acting, the suffering of the people will definitely get worse over time. The time to make your decision is now, my Lord.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Additionally,¡± continued Ajest, ¡°the reason that the number of vagrants have grown so exceedingly is because the Church of Artemis have been forcibly taking many people as sacrifices.¡±


    It was obvious to everyone why the church had suddenly required arge amount of sacrifices.


    ¡°It must mean that a judgement of dangerous proportions is approaching.¡±


    Desir was surprised that the Lord was aware of this fact, but Ajest caught his attention with a gesture. By calmly speaking her mind, she had brought this insight to light. It was not an opportunity to be missed.


    ¡®Nice assist, Ajest.¡¯ thought Desir as he immediately followed up on her words.


    ¡°It might be a judgement that could affect the entire Holy Kingdom and maybe there is no one there that could properly deal with it.¡±


    Desir estimated that the impending Shadow World was a Grade-1 Shadow World. Even if they mustered every bit of strength they had, there would be no guarantee that they could repel a Shadow World of this magnitude.


    ¡°The kingdom will be unable to fight against it and will be swallowed if we dy any longer,¡± said Desir, with conviction. The Shadow World would lead to the death of every being within the Holy Kingdom, a fate iparable to the suffering caused by a rebellion.


    ¡°Knight Eyn, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree with the premise in the first ce,¡± said Eyn, with a hint of displeasure in her voice, ¡°even if we did start a war, it would be for naught. I don¡¯t believe any one of the territories would be a match for the Holy City on the battlefield. Even though the soldiers in our territory are of higher quality, I see almost no chance of victory against the Holy City.¡±


    Even by modest ounts, Evernatten was only a medium-sized territory while the Holy City was the capital of the entire nation. The sheer difference in size was insurmountable.


    ¡°I received word from another lord yesterday,¡± said Wilhelm, ¡°it was a letter proposing that we take on the Holy City together. Of course, even if we joined forces, it would not improve our chances of sess.¡±


    A hint. The Lord was giving them a hint that other lords supporting the notion of a rebellion existed. There had to be some that were displeased with the Holy City. Some, like Wilhelm, might be champions of the people, while others might have concerns that the actions of the Holy City would affect the security of their territory. The specific motivation for each lord was unimportant, what was important was their avable military force. If all these lords banded together, manpower would not be much of an issue.


    Wilhelm had to be aware of this as well, but his tone implied that he was still feeling guilty about the decision. If that was the case, it was now on Desir to help ease his burden.


    ¡°We have the people¡¯s support, my lord.¡±


    ¡°The people¡¯s support?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Despite the damage it has caused ournd, we willingly ept the countless vagrants that were disced from the Holy City. This act alone justifies the rebellion.¡±


    This was a line of reasoning that Desir would not be able to bring forth had the vagrants been expelled from Evernatten.


    ¡°If we be a spark and make people aware of the Holy City¡¯s sinister deeds, then the lords of other territories are sure to support us.¡±


    Feudal lords who were aware of the situation within the Holy City, but were unwilling to take action, were sure to rally behind Lord Evernatten if he took the lead.


    ¡°This,¡± continued Desir, ¡°is all because we had epted the vagrants who were escaping from the Holy City.¡±


    Wilhelm had taken in all the vagrants that were rejected by the other territories.


    ¡°The Holy City has gone too far with their sinister deeds. With the people¡¯s support behind us, what lord would not join to support our cause? We have the famous Evernatten name, a justified call to action to correct the wrongdoings of the Holy Kingdom, and the urgency of stopping the encroaching judgement. The rebellion is the best course of action that I can propose to you, my lord.¡±


    Desir finished his speech and returned to his seat with his head bowed. He had said everything he wanted to say and done everything that he could. All that was left was for the lord to decide.


    The priest sniffled and Eyn rubbed her brow anxiously. Desir was focused only on the Lord, watching in silence. The ze in the firece crackled, assuring everyone that time was not frozen, but instead crawling at a painful pace. Finally, a decision was made.


    ¡°Knight Pram.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Send a missive to all the knights in every region. Desir, prepare a letter to each of the lords. Let all know that we can no longer sit idly by and watch the sinister deeds of the Holy City any longer. Let it be proimed that we can longer follow the doctrine of the incapable Church of Artemis!¡±


    Finally, the fallen hero had recovered his noble heart and taken up the sword once more.


    [Unique Hero: Wilhelm Evernatten has been changed into Epic Hero: Emperor Wilhelm Ludwig Evernatten.


    *The Vagrant Issue has been resolved: You have sessfully determined the root of the Vagrant issue and presented a solution. You may have found a major event change that could prevent the fall of the Holy City. It might be that this hero will be able to remove the rot from the Holy City and pass judgement on all things that need to be judged. It might be that, if the Holy City avoids ruination, they could act as a shield against all future judgements, even those in present day.]


    [Main Quest: Ancestor of Evernatten has been cleared. Rewards will now be distributed.]

 Chapter 59: For the People (3)

    <h4>Chapter 59: For the People (3)</h4>


    October 15th.


    A party was organized after all the Shadow Worlds were sessfully subjugated. It was a long-time tradition to celebrate subjugations with a party and Hebrion Academy sses were on break as well. During this time, students and teachers alike were in a festive mood. Many people were gathered at the party hall and, in the middle of all of it, students were dancing while musicians set the mood with their music.


    Within this boisterous event, a woman walked silently into the party hallrgely unnoticed. Those that manage to catch a glimpse were enthralled by her beauty. This woman, with flowing pale blonde hair, scanned the interior of the hall quickly.


    Ajest Kingscrown. A woman exuding a chilling aura of ssiness. Several people attempted to start a conversation with her, but she slipped gracefully away with short and polite responses. Having experienced parties hosted by Professor Nifleka before, she already knew how those conversations would go.


    Originally, she didn¡¯t have any interest in attending this kind of party, as she hated parties. Attracting attention from strangers and being forced to mingle with them was exhausting. However, there was a reason that Ajest had chosen to attend this party and, once she found the person she was looking for, she quickly made her way towards her target. As she got closer, she could hear his voice get gradually louder.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try dancing too?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about that. I don¡¯t know how to dance.¡±


    ¡°I can teach you how to dance, Mister Desir.¡±


    ¡°You should at least learn the basics, Desir,¡± said Ajest, interrupting their small talk. Desir¡¯s party all turned to face her.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯vee.¡±


    ¡°Good evening, Miss Ajest.¡±


    ¡°You took your sweet time.¡±


    They exchanged brief greetings before Ajest sat down in thest remaining seat. She was seated directly across from Desir, who handed her a ss.


    ¡°Ajest, your efforts in the Shadow World were invaluable. We couldn¡¯t have cleared it without you.¡±


    ¡°You praise me too much,¡± replied Ajest as she epted the ss. She honestly felt that the praise was overstated. All she did was rout the barbarians. Of course, such a thing was made easy because of her high skill level, but Ajest felt that the issue could still have been resolved by Desir¡¯s party without her.


    ¡°It is you that should be praised.¡±


    Ajest¡¯s opinion of Desir grew a level higher after this ordeal. She was not aware of his abilities beyond what she had personally witnessed during the promotional exam, but Desir had managed to subjugate the Shadow World without even utilizing his ability to analyze magic. He instead disyed the ability to gather the informationid out before him and use it to produce exceptional results. This ability not only allowed him to see through his opponent¡¯s strategy and dismantle it, but also see through other people¡¯s intentions and influence them to his benefit.


    ¡®Not only that¡­¡¯ Ajest thought about Wilhelm Evernatten. He was a man who was broken once, but managed to rise once again. He was truly a respectable figure. A man who lived for his people.


    ¡®That¡¯s a characteristic that I need to learn as the future empress.¡¯


    Ajest wondered what she might have done in Wilhelm¡¯s shoes, but eventually shook her head in resignation. Certainly, she would not have acted as Desir did. Ajest took a sip from her ss in resignation before noticing that the beverage tasted funny.


    ¡°¡­Did they put out plum tea for this party?¡±


    ¡°No, I brewed it myself. I put a lot of effort into preparing it¡­what do you think?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit random, Desir.¡±


    ¡°Why? You said you wanted to taste the one I made in the Shadow World, so I tried to make it here¡­Why? Is it not to your taste?¡±


    ¡®He¡­remembered?¡¯ Ajest¡¯s eyes grew wide. She could feel her normally steady heart beat faster. However, she was not angry or engaged inbat.


    ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯


    Ajest couldn¡¯t figure it out and ended up shaking her head in frustration.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s quite good.¡±


    Romantica watched the pair during their exchange with an unsatisfied expression before nudging Pram. Pram understood her intent and quickly spoke up, disrupting the atmosphere.


    ¡°Mister Desir! So¡­how is the Artifact?¡±


    Artifact. Upon hearing this word, Desir looked down at his hand. The Armament of Toa was an artifact in the form of a pair of gloves with undecipherable runes etched onto its backside. Desir¡¯s party had received the Armament of Toa and a 4th level magic crystal as a reward from the Shadow World.


    ¡®I remember that the original reward was only the Armament of Toa.¡¯


    This could have been because they had managed to clear the Shadow World using a better method than the original party used in Desir¡¯s past. As the party¡¯s rep, Desir dered the Armament of Toa to Student Services and bound the artifact to himself. He sold the bonus magic crystal to the Magic Tower and used the money to pay for transportation fees and taxes.


    Desir attempted to distribute the rewards equally afterwards. However, deciding ownership of artifacts was not as easy as splitting money. He exined that the Armament of Toa increased the absolute amount mana capacity and why he would benefit from it the most, but the others agreed with him so readily that he wondered if his exnation was even necessary.


    They were all supportive of his decision: Ajest had arge mana pool innately, Pram didn¡¯t need it at all as a swordsman, while Desir had helped Romantica rise up to the third circle.In the end, it was decided that Desir would take the artifact and the money would be split among the rest.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t tried using higher grade magic yet, but I think it¡¯ll be fine,¡± replied Desir.


    ¡°What do you think would have been different if the Holy Kingdom didn¡¯t fall to the Shadow World?¡± asked Romantica, steering the conversation towards another topic.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point thinking about what could¡¯ve been, Romantica.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you curious? A powerful country like the Holy Kingdom fell to the Shadow World because of such a ridiculous reason. If the kingdom hadn¡¯t fallen so pitifully, things might be different now.¡±


    The Shadow World that Desir¡¯s party entered revolved around the Holy Kingdom during its economic decline and it had met its demise before history was first recorded. Before this economic decline, it was known that the Holy Kingdom of Artemis had acted as a shield against Shadow Worlds for various kingdoms and had put in a lot of effort into clearing the Shadow Worlds afflicting other kingdoms. Once the Holy Kingdom fell, the continent slowly began to be swallowed by the Shadow World as others failed to fill their shoes. The other kingdoms realized the important role yed by the Holy Kingdom and began setting up organizations to face the Shadow World, leading to the creation of the Hebrion Academy in the Hebrion Kingdom and the Abron Corporation in the Western Alliance of Kingdoms. Unfortunately, it was toote for the Holy Kingdom itself and, by the time these organizations were created, much of the continent had already been shrouded within the dark fog.


    ¡°Nothing is for certain, but if Wilhelm Evernatten managed to turn the Holy Kingdom around, half of the continent might not have been swallowed by the Shadow World.¡±


    The Holy Kingdom existed before the development of magic. The strength of Knights defined its existence as a military powerhouse. In the present, swordsmanship had fallen out of favour and magic had taken its ce. However, Knights held a symbolic importance to the Holy Kingdom. If the Holy Kingdom had not fallen and their swordsmanship was allowed to develop to the present time, the Knights might have been instrumental in subjugating the Shadow Labyrinth as well.


    As his thoughts reached this conclusion, Desir felt a bitter taste in his mouth.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that the Church of Artemis has such a history,¡± said Pram, adding his own thoughts to the conversation. The Holy Kingdom was the birthce of the present day Church of Artemis. After the Holy Kingdom fell, their headquarters within the Alliance of Western Kingdoms doubled their efforts, leading to an age of prosperity for the church. In the present day, they even had followers outside of the Alliance borders. Though they did not have the militaristic strength of the Hebrion Kingdom or the Alliance of Western Kingdoms itself, they possessed significant political influence across the entire continent.


    ¡°The Church of Artemis probably hoped their history would fade away like the Holy Kingdom,¡± said Desir with a smirk. Historically, those within the territory had continued to suffer until half the continent had been overrun by the Shadow World. Countless kingdoms disappeared without a trace, as they existed prior to the development of printing technology and appreciation for history. This included the Holy Kingdom, which neglected historical records to the chagrin of those in the present. Clearing the Shadow World helped to fill these nk pages in the annals of history. From their mission, Desir¡¯s party had managed to discover important details within the history of the Holy Kingdom and the reason behind its fall. His party¡¯s name will be added to any books referencing this incident. This served to further raise his party¡¯s infamy.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t say that. We¡¯re here to celebrate our achievements, aren¡¯t we?¡±ined Romantica, bringing attention to the fact that they were simply sitting in their seats during a party.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure who started this conversation, but aren¡¯t we having a good time already?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just saying that we should go out and do something,¡± replied Romantica, shyly looking back and forth between Desir and the dancers in the center of the party hall. However, it was Ajest that took the initiative this time.


    ¡°Since she mentioned it, how about we go and dance for a song, Desir?¡±


    Pram¡¯s jaw dropped. All he could do was stare at Ajest. The colour drained from Romantica¡¯s face as she could only look on while her target was snatched right before her eyes.


    ¡°I told you before, I can¡¯t dance,¡± replied Desir. At his response, Romantica could feel some colour return to her cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I can teach you how to dance,¡±ughed Ajest, ¡°I don¡¯t know what your ambitions are but, as you be more famous, there will be more parties to attend. When that happens, you can¡¯t just refuse every invitation to dance, can you?¡± Ajest found it funny that she, a person who hated parties, was extending an invitation to dance.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± shouted Romantica as Ajest directed Desir towards the center of the party hall.


    ¡°She got one on you,¡± said Pram, indicating that her shouts were futile.


    ¡°¡­You might be right,¡± said Desir, ¡°it might be good to learn for the future events toe.¡± He epted Ajest¡¯s line of reasoning and epted her invitation. As Desir relented, Ajest felt a strange sense of giddiness. For the first time, she was thankful for all the frustrating dancing lessons that she was forced to take as a member of royalty.


    ¡°I¡¯ll warn you now. I really can¡¯t dance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll lead. Just read my movements.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like this is a battle¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it lightly. In society, dancing is not much different than fighting.¡±


    ¡°¡­In any case, I leave myself in your care. I promise to study diligently.¡±


    Within the crowd of dancers in the center of the party hall, Ajest and Desir¡¯s hands met.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start at the same time on the count of three.¡±


    ¡°One.¡± Ajest began to slowly move her feet.


    ¡°Two.¡± Desir also began to move his feet and their eyes met as the next song, a waltz, struck its opening chord.


    ¡°Three.¡±

 Chapter 60: Summer Break (1)

    <h4>Chapter 60: Summer Break (1)</h4>


    At the center of magic studies, Althea stood in all of its glory. The small territory seemed small inparison to its significant breakthroughs in spellcraft and its military might. Its renown worldwide in magical studies stemmed from the Magic Tower, whose main branch lured magicians of all shapes and sizes to Althea.


    The Magic Tower¡¯s innovative magical techniques cornered the market on anything magic from military application to everyday objects, spanning across multiple nations. The Western Kingdom Alliance and Hebrion Kingdom both paled inparison to the Magic Tower¡¯s market share in producing objects with Magic Crystals.


    Like its namesake, Althea¡¯s Magic Tower dwarfed its neighbors. On every floor of this cylindrical tower, divisions of magicians expressed their talents through innovation. Magicians whose names were widely recognized within the Magic Tower were given their personalbs to test their conjectures, outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment. These rooms were forbidden to all others; any magician worth their salt would be awed by the state-of-the-art equipment lining the walls from end to end.


    There was one room within the tower that was endlessly churning out noises. Many rumors spread about what lurked in theboratory¡ª in reality, it was the privateb of Zod Exarion. Zod was in the middle of an experiment with a Magic Crystal on the table when an elegant voice rang out through the Pad beside him.


    ¡°Old man, I didn¡¯t think I would see you in ab again.¡±


    Zod¡¯s hands moved delicately across the Magic Crystal as he studied the surface of the stone. Zod clicked his tongue as he carefully carved the surface and brushed off the residual dust.


    ¡°I¡¯vee across an interesting technique as ofte,¡± exined Zod.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ I don¡¯t see how you find techniques so interesting.¡±


    ¡°Complex mechanisms. Logic that moves through countless magical circuits. The fundamentalws from which creation is based. Once a new technique is discovered, the world advances one step forward in the face of true progress. Isn¡¯t it scintiting?¡±


    ¡°To somebody normal like myself, it sounds absolutely dreary.¡±


    A buzzing sound whizzed, and a spark flew out of the Magic Crystal. Zod shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Is three the max for a 5th-grade Magic Crystal?¡±


    ¡°Old man, could you focus? It¡¯s been many months since west spoke. In a conversation with the Saintess, only someone like you can speak to me like this.¡±


    ¡°You can meet me anytime you want. This technique is a priority for me.¡±


    The elegant woman shook her head and gave up trying to convince Zod. She was Saintess Prisci, the woman leading the Church of Artemis, whose influence reached every corner of the. Her fame led many to refer to her as the 6th sovereign of the Alliance of the Western Kingdoms; a power putting her status on par with the head of the Magic Tower.


    ¡°Just likest time, I suppose I won¡¯t be expecting you at the Grand Council meeting?¡± asked Prisci. The Grand Council was a meeting of the most influential members in the Alliance of the Western Kingdoms. In truth, thedy¡¯s call was primarily just to check on Zod¡¯s attendance.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m not going to¡ªwhat¡¯s the point in asking?¡± Zod turned back around to tinker with his Magic Crystal before pausing and murmuring to his peer. ¡°Ah, right. Actually, I¡¯ll being along this time. There was a new Magical Technique expert who wanted to sit in.¡±


    Prisci¡¯s ears perked up at Zod¡¯s words. ¡°Oh. A new expert? Who was it¡ª Hephatos, head of the northern branch? Elianos, the wise man of the West? I wonder who could drag Zod¡¯s himself out of seclusion. I¡¯m not familiar with any other Archmages.¡±


    ¡°Desir Arman. 1st Circle Mage.¡±


    Prisci couldn¡¯t hold back herughter, and a guffaw came streaming out of the Pad. ¡°1st Circle? Zod, are you losing it already? I¡¯d have thought it would take a few more years before you start going senile.¡±


    ¡°This kid has the qualification.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I don¡¯t have the right say speak for your corporation.¡± Prisci shook her head in disbelief. ¡°¡­say. I feel like I¡¯ve heard that name before.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve probably head of him. He¡¯s the Single Ranker of Hebrion Academy.¡±


    Prisci¡¯s eyes squinted as she heard his words. ¡°Old man, you¡¯re not really saying you¡¯re going to invite a member of Hebrion Academy to attend our meeting, are you?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see why this is an issue. We¡¯re all allied nations now. In any case, he will be attending not as a member of Hebrion Academy, but as a member of the Magic Tower.¡±


    ¡°You know that whilst we¡¯re allied, the other nations will not take kindly to someone of his pedigree at the meeting.¡±


    Historically, Hebrion Kingdom and the Alliance of Western Kingdoms were on bad terms. It was only after the Holy Kingdom fell that they had no choice but to form an uneasy partnership to bring humanity back from the brink of extinction, but there was a lingering animosity between the two nations. The two main organizations subjugating the Shadow World were Hebrion Academy and the Alliance of the Western Kingdoms, supported by their requisite nations. These organizationspeted for every single scrap of Magic Crystal dropped by the Shadow World, and eachpleted Shadow World dug into the profits of the other. Each sessful Shadow World yielded Magic Crystals that led to military growth for each nation.


    In the past, the two nations devolved into a bitter war before the Shadow Worlds started appearing. Rivers of blood flowed and manypared it to the mythical War of Good and Evil. By the time the Shadow Worlds began, the grudge was deep-seated and small skirmishes erupted whenever a Shadow World was being subjugated.


    ¡°You know that a Shadow World recently popped up, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It was very wee; we were in need of supplies.¡±


    ¡°Desir¡¯s party had entered a Shadow World and discovered documents pertaining to the Fall of Holy Kingdom during its subjugation. I imagine you¡¯ve been looking for this for a while now.¡±


    ¡°What? How?¡± Prisci let out an uncharacteristic yelp in shock.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they tell you? I suppose it¡¯s not surprising, what with the uneasy rtionship between Hebrion and the Church. You¡¯ll find out anyways, but it may be worth hearing what he has to say first hand. What do you think?¡±


    The Saintess looked helpless in front of Zod as he had gotten one over on her. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to meet him just this once.¡±


    -


    The world was on the cusp of being destroyed. Everything was gone. Explosions crashed and tore at his eardrums. The violent sound of war that was so characteristic of his past. Screams bellowed out as the world was covered in soot and ash. Shouts yelled out for loved ones who were at death¡¯s door. Weapons of war emerged tobat the iing threat. He could faintly hear the waves crashing on the shore as the distant sea glittered in an ashen gray.


    The metallic scent of the sea briefly tickled his nose before fading away only to be reced by a burning heat that seemed to consume the world around him. It was an ordeal that drained him of all his energy. He could only watch exhausted as everything underneath the ashen sky was dyed in red.


    The world was in chaos. Thousands of bodies littered the battlefield and more appeared by the minute. With each explosion, the body count increased by one or two dozen. Within the catastrophe, a girl¡¯s torso was squirming sporadically. Desir¡¯s eyes met her own as she opened her mouth to speak. Blood spilled out of her mouth, but no sound came out.


    To this day, he could never forget the final words that she mouthed to him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, Desir.¡±


    Her eyes soon lost focus; it was at this moment that Desir lost himself. The name written on the girl¡¯s dog tag buried within the debris was¡­


    Romantica Eru.


    There were no tears in his eyes. His heart was inplete anguish.


    A surviving soldier was looking at ¡°something¡± gigantic beyond some great distance as he muttered something straight from Desir¡¯s heart. ¡°How do you expect us to stop that thing?¡±At the end of their gaze stood a nightmare from legends past; a cruel butcher with runic words carved into his mrs. mes of hell writhed around his neck and he stood solemnly in front of his opponents. Desir looked at him with disbelief as he pulled the name of the monster from the depths of his memory.


    ¡°The Devil of Ruin, Dadaneuph.¡±


    Hundreds of spells blotted out the sun in the pursuit of the devil. Following the muffled sounds of explosions, there was no damage done to him. In response, he let out a monstrous roar and began his counterattack. Humans wrapped themselves in defensive magic, but it was to no avail. Even the most aplished magicians bled from their eyes and ears as they cried out in pain and agony. There was no better word to describe him than a ¡®cmity¡¯.


    The earth groaned at his footstep and dark clouds shot out, akin to a volcanic eruption. Tremors quaked beneath their feet as an earthquake tore the ground apart, and the skies burned up at the sight of a massive meteor. Desir screamed. He screamed with all his might, but only a hoarse sound of air came out as tears began to blind him.


    He was awake. Desir stood up in a panic with his arms iling in the air only to find walls painted in a creamy white color surrounding him and the faint sound of a grandfather clock ticking somewhere in his room.


    Desir woke in a panic as he looked around to see his creamy white walls and the faint ticking of a grandfather clock lingered in his room. The bloody war, the falling fortresses, and the devil of ruin were nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Was¡­ was it all a dream?¡±


    Desir wrapped his head in his trembling hands and shuddered. As he wrapped his hands around himself forfort, his pale fingers sapped away the unsettling heat radiating from his face. His entire body was soaked in cold sweat. Whatever he did, he couldn¡¯t stop shaking. Cruel memories haunted him haunted him everywhere he went¡ªa scar that would never fade.

 Chapter 61: Summer Break (2)

    <h4>Chapter 61: Summer Break (2)</h4>


    Hot and humid. It was thest Friday of the semester.


    The students of Hebrion Academy were in high spirits, summer break was almost here! Amidst this boisterous atmosphere, a magic ss was about to be in session. Desir entered the ssroom and looked around. He could see that Ajest and Romantica were already seated. Pram was not present. As this was a magic ss, it was not part of Pram¡¯s curriculum.


    ¡°Good morning Desir.¡±


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, good morning.¡±


    After exchanging greetings, Desir stacked his books on a desk next to Romantica and sat down.


    ¡°You look tired, did you get any sleep?¡± asked Romantica, noticing the dark circles around Desir¡¯s eyes.


    Desir yawned, ¡°I got up really early because I had a nightmare.¡±


    ¡°A nightmare? Well aren¡¯t you a special snowke. You¡¯ve appeared many times in my nightmares.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite an honour. What do I do in your nightmares?¡±


    ¡°You were the Devil King.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re tired, why don¡¯t you eat this? You¡¯ll get in big trouble if you doze off during Professor Brigette¡¯s lecture.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, thanks.¡±


    Romantica held out a mint. Desir took it and popped it in his mouth. The cool taste spread over his tongue and throat, instantly making Desir feel more awake. There was still five minutes before ss started. Desir turned to talk to Ajest and Romantica.


    ¡°Summer break is about to start. Do you two have anything special nned?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t particrly. I¡¯m thinking of staying at the academy,¡± replied Ajest. This lined up with Desir¡¯s memory. Ajest had always stayed at the academy.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of returning to my hometown. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen my parents. I do write to them, but it¡¯s still good to see them once in a while,¡± said Romantica.


    ¡°Ah, that works out then. Your hometown is in the Prilecha Kingdom right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, the scenery there is very beautiful.¡±


    Prilecha Kingdom. It was a small country with little territory and a small military to match. However, it had be one of the powerhouses within the Western Kingdom through economic means.


    ¡°Good, that works out then,¡± repeated Desir.


    ¡°Why? What are you nning this time?¡± Romantica had an uneasy feeling as to where the conversation was going.


    ¡°I have something in mind for us for the summer break. Fortunately, it doesn¡¯t seem like it will get in the way of anybody¡¯s ns.¡±


    ¡°Did you even listen to what I said? I¡¯m pretty sure I said I was going back to my hometown.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± continued Desir, ¡°our party will be heading to the Prilecha Kingdom this summer. I¡¯ll say this again when we see Pram, but the Golden Ocean Tournament will be held in the Prilecha Kingdom. We will be entering that tournament.¡±


    The Golden Ocean Tournament. A famous event where young adultspeted against each other inbat. Whether it be with magic or the de, adolescents confident in their abilities couldpete without restriction.


    This tournament was famous in other countries as well. If you ask anyone what the Prilecha Kingdom was known for, they would give one of three answers: its markets, the beautiful coastline, or the Golden Ocean Tournament.


    ¡°If it¡¯s the Golden Ocean Tournament, there will be talented people from all over the world! I don¡¯t think we¡¯d do well,¡± remarked Romantica pessimistically.


    ¡°You should be proud of your skills. It¡¯s notmon for someone your age to be a third circle mage.¡±


    ¡°Oh well that¡­¡± Romantica puffed out her chest, ¡°that¡¯s just innate talent!¡±


    ¡°Having confidence is good, but don¡¯t get too carried away. Ajest here is also a third circle mage and Zod, the head of the Magic Tower, aplished this achievement when he was 3 years younger than you.¡±


    Hearing that, Romantica lowered her gaze.


    ¡°If our party does well in the tournament, it¡¯ll improve our reputation and that will help us in the future.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­doing well in a tournament that is famous in multiple countries¡­it would certainly be a good thing,¡± said Ajest, nodding her head in agreement. Romantica also voiced her support.


    ¡°That¡¯d be great! If we were to win, we¡¯ll never be brushed off as a meremoners party again, will we? I¡¯ve always wanted to try it once.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We just need to ask Pram as well.¡±


    They needed to hurry, as the entry deadline was soon. The Golden Ocean Tournament was starting in 3 weeks.


    ¡°In the meantime,¡± said Romantica happily, ¡°we can rest! I don¡¯t know when west got a break.¡±


    However, Desir was having none of it.


    ¡°What are you talking about Romantica? We¡¯re training after ss today as well.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°We need to keep up our training.¡±


    ¡°Oi, do we really have to? Did you forget that, thanks to me, we cleared the Shadow World?¡±


    ¡°That was then, this is now.¡±


    ¡°But¡­!¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten our contract, have you?¡±


    The contract: Members will follow the orders of the party leader. Especially when ites to training.


    ¡°Dirty scammer!¡± shouted Romantica, coyly turning away with a scoff.


    In that instant, Desir saw something ovepping his vision. His ear felt numb, there seemed to be shoutsing from nowhere. Desir stared hard at Romantica.


    An eviscerated torso. Gushing blood. Desir felt as though his heart was being crushed.


    ¡°What? Why are you staring at me like that?¡± Romantica¡¯s voice brought Desir back to reality.


    ¡®This time definitely¡­¡¯ Desir tightly squeezed his eyes shut for a brief moment before opening them again.


    ¡°Romantica, we¡¯re doing double training today.¡±


    ¡°Whaaaaat!?¡± replied Romantica, losing it, ¡°Hold on, don¡¯t tell me this is because I just called you a dirty scammer?¡±


    Desir did not reply and instead began flipping through his books.


    ¡°Pardon me, Mr. Desir. I¡¯m sorry. Some vile words slipped out of this youngdy¡¯s tongue. Please forgive this innocent girl. Ah, Wait! Desir! Where are you going!?¡±


    Desir collected his books and moved to a seat at the front of the room next to Ajest. Romantica panicked and tried to follow. However¡­


    ¡°Hello everyone! What a wonderful morning to study magic!¡± announced Professor Brigette as she entered the room. Romantica could do nothing except give Desir her best puppy dog eyes from afar.


    ***


    The Hebrion auditorium was made of stone and, during the summer, was very hot and humid, especially at noon. There were many people gathered in the auditorium. Most were students, but there were some teachers gathered there as well. The crowd was quite noisy.


    Justin, the headmaster of Hebrion Academy, made his way up to the lectern and turned on the switch for the loudspeaker. As he took a deep breath, a wave of silence swept through the entire auditorium in an instant. The headmaster coughed for a moment and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°There are many scientists as well as many magicians. The magic system developed by Rockhilt has be the basis for modern magic and Zod¡¯s development of enchantment magic has opened a new path for mankind. Many scientists and magicians have contributed to humanity and, as a result, mankind has survived the scourge known as the Shadow Worlds.¡±


    Justin paused for a breath before continuing.


    ¡°I am sure that you, too, have contributions to make. I have every confidence that anyone here could be the next Rockhilt or Zod. The Hebrion Academy, this continent¡¯s most prestigious andrgest magic academy, will provide all of its support to you.¡±


    He looked out to the faces of the students before him. The students bore a variety of reactions: bored, happy, excited, indifferent¡­


    Children will be children. The headmaster smiled, thinking to himself this ancient adage.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wrap up my speech now. Let the Hebrion Academy summer break begin.¡±


    The auditorium erupted with the sounds of departure, the student body disappearing like the receding tide.


    After the speech, Desir¡¯s party gathered. They all looked very tired, Romantica, Ajest, Pram and Desir. Unlike the other party members, Romantica was pulling along a veryrge suitcase. With Desir, Pram, and Ajest staying at the Academy, she was the only one in the group leaving.


    ¡°Thanks for this week.¡±


    ¡°It was all for you Romantica. The stronger you be, the more effectively you can tackle Shadow Worlds moving forward.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Romantica was sulking. She had been forced to train right up until yesterday.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to miss your train Miss Romantica. Please don¡¯t dy.¡±


    ¡°Got it Pram.¡±


    It was time to go.


    ¡°Rest well in the uing week. We¡¯ll all meet again in the Prilecha Kingdom.¡±


    Romantica turned around and left the auditorium without responding to Desir, the sound of her suitcase rolling on the stone floor filled the silence. Romantica walked down the pathway at a slow pace. She continued for quite a distance before turning back to look at Desir. Desir was still standing outside of the auditorium, waving at her.


    Romantica called out to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead if you¡¯rete!¡±

 Chapter 62: Summer Break (3)

    <h4>Chapter 62: Summer Break (3)</h4>


    The sound of the train travelling over its tracks filled the air. Beautiful scenery passed by endlessly beyond the hallway window. Staring out the window, it was hard to tell whether the train was moving, or if it was the world moving around them.


    ¡°We¡¯re starting to move,¡± said Pram as he entered the passenger room at the end of the train. Desir¡¯s party could only start their journey four days after Romantica left as the procedure required to obtain the entry permits into the Prilecha Kingdom was considerably arduous.


    Because of the Shadow World, the Western Kingdom Alliance and Hebrion Kingdom had formed a peace treaty in order to survive. As such, citizens of both nations could freely move between the two countries, but obtaining an entry permit was still quite a finicky and time consuming process.


    The Outers. As long as this criminal group existed, scattered across the continent, each country had to take the traveller screening process seriously.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get there in three days, so rest up,¡± said Desir. Hearing this, Pram looked around excitedly while Ajest pulled out a book and began reading. Desir was nning to review his own ns for the future during the trip. The superficial reason he had given the party for this trip to the Prilecha Kingdom was the Golden Ocean Tournament. However, that was only an excuse. His true purpose was the Western Kingdom Alliance¡¯s Grand Council meeting.


    ¡®My real reason for visiting the Prilecha Kingdom is the Grand Council Meeting for the Western Kingdom Alliance.¡¯


    The most important figures from the most influential groups within the five kingdoms that formed the Alliance will be participating in this meeting and, thanks to Zod, Desir was allowed to attend as Zod¡¯spanion and as a member of the Magic Tower.


    ¡®Prisci¡­she will be a great help.¡¯


    Prisci Hysilkite. Prisci obtained the title ¡°Immacte Saintess¡± with her ability to handle magic beyond the realm of the modern magic system and had be influential enough to be referred to as the sixth ¡®King¡¯ of the alliance. It was because of this influence that she participated in the Grand Council, attending as the head of the Church of Artemis.


    ¡®The power of the Western Kingdom Alliance is also needed to prepare for the Shadow Labyrinth.¡¯


    Before the Shadow Labyrinth itself appeared, there had been several omens that were continuously ignored by humanity. In the end, they couldn¡¯t properly gather their forces before the Shadow Labyrinth was upon them.


    By the time the Alliance and the Hebrion Kingdom managed to form a unified army to stand against the worst Shadow World in history, it was much toote. Ultimately, each nation gathered their most powerful people and they sent out an army of over 100 million. However, even when faced with such a cmity, the two nations had such a tumultuous history that they found it impossible to work together and had to split their forces. In this state, it was impossible to stand against the worst of all Shadow Worlds.


    ¡®At that time as well¡­¡¯


    Desir could see the scenes from his nightmare sh before his eyes. He had experienced countless nightmarish situations in his past life and each moment was etched deeply upon his heart, resulting in an overwhelming feeling of mncholy that he could barely contain.


    Desir was lost deep in his thoughts when someone knocked on the door. Desir looked towards the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m travelling alone. Do you mind if I sit here?¡±


    The person who entered through the door was a silver-haired old man. His wrinkles left a strong impression of the many years that he must have experienced. Pram and Ajest reacted to the request. Ajest barely looked up from her book, but nodded in consent. Pram agreed as well.


    ¡°Come on in.¡±


    ¡°Pardon the intrusion.¡±


    The old man entered the passenger room. As it was designed for four passengers, the room didn¡¯t feel cramped. The old man looked over his new travelpanions carefully.


    ¡°I hope I¡¯m not interrupting something.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    ¡°Such a polite young man. I¡¯m Dmitri. Are you all students from the Hebrion Academy?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes. I am a student from the Hebrion Academy. My name is Desir Arman.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t recognize such a celebrity! I had wanted to meet you, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be like this.¡±


    Dmitri recognized Desir¡¯s name and held out his hand, his expression still locked in surprise. Desir sped the man¡¯s hand awkwardly, but Dmitri shook it enthusiastically.


    ¡°You know me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Your name is quite famous. Didn¡¯t you cut the aristocracy down a peg as amoner?¡±


    Desir immediately understood.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit of an exaggeration.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not exaggerated at all! Is it so easy for amoner to be a Single Ranker at Hebrion Academy, a school dominated by nobles? I¡¯m well aware of the situation, since my own children are attending that school as well.¡±


    ¡°Ah, haha.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, there were many doubts when you passed the Promotional Exam. People were saying that you used some trickery or that you bribed some of the teachers. Of course, I believe in you all the way, but you really proved your skills by clearing that fourth rank Shadow World! You all have shown usmoners that we can do it as well. You proved that we are no worse than those noble bastards.¡±


    Dmitri was still holding onto Desir¡¯s hand and showed no intention of letting go. It was a small thing. A small step towards showing thatmoners can also make something of themselves. Even so, Desir relished the feeling of this personal goal of his progressing as he intended.


    ¡°Ah, this old man is embarrassing you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Dmitri let go of Desir¡¯s hand and began tough awkwardly. As he did so, he took closer note of the others in the passenger room.


    ¡°Now that I look at it, these are all your party members.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right sir.¡±


    ¡°Please clear the Shadow World next year as well. I leave it to you.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    They travelled with Dmitri about halfway to the Prilecha Kingdom before the old man disembarked. Dmitri said a brief farewell as he got off. Desir¡¯s party arrived at their own destination the day after.


    Thanks to Zod¡¯s referral, the border crossing was quick. As they left the station, the first thing they noticed were the thousands ofmpposts lighting the wide highway that stretched as far as the eye could see. Fancy buildings lined this great highway, all closely packed in together. This was the capital of the Prilecha Kingdom, the city ofmerce and prosperity, Deltaheim.


    From the liveliness everywhere, it was easy to see why the Prilecha Kingdom was called the great nation of economy. There were roads connecting every city within the Prilecha Kingdom and the capital, Deltaheim, had the ocean directly to its east. All exports from the Alliance were sent out to the rest of the world through this ocean. Deltaheim¡¯s pride wasn¡¯t its fancy buildings or highly organizedwork of roads, but this ocean.


    As the sun set, the ocean glittered with a golden hue, as if reflecting the wealth of Deltaheim. The Golden Ocean Tournament originally started as a tribute to this ocean. Desir¡¯s party was mesmerized by the sights and sounds of Deltaheim. It took a while before they noticed a well-dressed man holding a sign that read: Desir Arman. Desir¡¯s jaw dropped.


    ¡°It looks like Sir Desir¡¯s name has even spread to this far awaynd,¡± said Pram, sounding like he was growing tired of fame, ¡°it¡¯s almost scary at this point. Could it be that the entire continent knows your name?¡±


    Desir gulped. He dared to hope that was the reason for a moment before returning to reality and refuting Pram¡¯s statement.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be true. The old man from the train only knew me because his children were attending Hebrion Academy. This time¡­there must be a reason as well.¡±


    ¡°How about we go and ask then?¡± suggested Ajest.


    ¡°We should, right?¡±


    The man looked at Desir as the party approached him.


    ¡°Are you Mister Arman?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡±


    Desir nced down at the sign, but the man put it away and bowed.


    ¡°I am from the Eru Trading Group. The esteemed Miss Romantica has requested your group to her residence.¡±


    They had nned on visiting Romantica, but definitely not in this fashion.


    ¡®That¡¯s right¡­the Eru Trading Group is a massive trading firm.¡¯


    ¡°Miss Romantica is actually quite wealthy huh?¡± muttered Pram, only now registering the fact. They often forgot about Romantica¡¯s background because she was quite expressive, unlike most women from wealthy families.


    They got on the wagon prepared by the Eru Trading Group and arrived by evening time. Romantica¡¯s home was a residence with a great view of the ocean. When the bell was rung, Romantica popped out of the house. She was wearing a frilly feminine dress. She greeted Pram brightly and barely acknowledged Ajest. Of course, Ajest didn¡¯t mind it at all. Finally, Romantica turned to Desir.


    ¡°You weren¡¯tte.¡±


    ¡°I did promise. I don¡¯t break my promises.¡±


    ¡°So you say. You haven¡¯t eaten yet right? I¡¯ll get dinner prepared, so wash up and wait. You can head to your room and put your luggage away, I¡¯ll let the servants know.¡±


    ¡°We can just go in like this? Don¡¯t we have to greet your parents too?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ste, so you can do that next time. It¡¯s only me and a few servants here right now anyways.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°This is a vacation house. They¡¯re at our main home somewhere else.¡±


    ¡®This is a vacation house?¡¯ Desir suppressed his shock. Romantica was definitely cut from a different cloth.


    Desir¡¯s party entered their rooms and began putting away their luggage. They ate a nicely prepared dinner and gathered together in the living room for dessert. The view of the ocean at night was quite beautiful. As they enjoyed this rxing moment, Romantica spoke up.


    ¡°I registered us for the Golden Ocean Tournament ahead of time, just in case. Now we just have to wait six days for the tournament to start.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? We have more time to train ourselves then.¡±


    Training. Romantica¡¯s face sagged upon hearing the word. She quickly recovered andyered on the charm as she addressed Desir.


    ¡°Hey Desir, we¡¯ve trained very hard up until now right? We cleared the Shadow World sessfully and it¡¯s summer break now¡­¡±


    Pram, who was watching the exchange, put in his own two cents.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Sir Desir. When would we get toe here again?¡±


    ¡°Right, right. You haven¡¯t noticed because you arrived sote in the evening, but the ocean¡¯s golden hue is quite a sight.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t just one day ok?¡±


    It was a Pram and Romanticabined assault. Desir looked over to Ajest.


    ¡°Ajest, what do you think we should do?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s the responsibility of the party leader to consider his member¡¯s desire for recreation.¡±


    ¡°Hm, is that so¡­¡±


    Desir considered it for a while before letting out a sigh.


    ¡®I did push them pretty hard before the break¡­I need to give them some kind of reward if I want to push them again.¡¯


    Since there were more than a few days before the tournament, he decided to relent to Romantica¡¯s request.


    ¡°Ok, just one day.¡±


    ¡°Yahoo!¡±


    ¡°We did it!¡±


    Pram and Romantica high-fived while Desir gazed silent out the window. The faint sound of starlit waves crashing against the beach tickled his ears.

 Chapter 63: Summer Vacation (4)

    <h4>Chapter 63: Summer Vacation (4)</h4>


    The beach covered in fine sand was bustling in the midst of midsummer heat. All over the beach there were colorful parasols, vendors wandering around to sell street food, and tourists enjoying their summer holidays. It was the high season, and there were people everywhere. Today, Desir was one of them.


    Wearing shorts, Desir with his hands covering sunlight, was looking for some people, his group members to be specific, who had promised to meet up somewhere around where he was.


    ¡°Have I kept you waiting?¡±


    Hearing the voice from behind, Desir turned his head.


    Romantica was there wearing a bikini. She was wearing a sort of a skirt, which made her look even more cute.


    Desir, baffled by Romantica¡¯s bold sexiness unlike usual, answered calmly as if he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Well, not that long."


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°Wait, did you say great? I was just being polite, you know. Why don¡¯t you ask me again?¡±


    ¡°Why should I ask you the same thing again if you said for yourself that you haven¡¯t been waiting?¡±


    The two rented a parasol, set it up on the beach, andid mats to sit down.


    When Desir was taking his break after all those preparations, Romantica asked,


    ¡°W¡­well, so what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Fantastic. I guess you were right abouting to the beach.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! I was asking about my swimsuit!¡±


    "Looks good on you.¡±


    ¡°I designed it myself. Of course, it looks good on me.¡±


    Romantica replied, swaggering her shoulder.


    ¡°You did? That¡¯s awesome.¡±


    It was quite a surprise to Desir. He hadn¡¯t expected her to have a talent other than magic.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m a genius designer! I could profit mostly from my own designs during my merchant training. I hand-picked swimsuits for Pram and Azest as well.¡±


    ¡°For Pram and Azest? Now I¡¯m a little bit concerned.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! We¡¯ll see about that!¡±


    Wooosh.


    Ocean waves kept hitting the sand. About 5 minutes had passed.


    The first group member to show up to the parasol said,


    ¡°I was looking for you for ages.¡±


    Pram was wearing a coat that came down to his thigh.


    When he realized Desir gazing on him, Pram hesitated, and slipped down his coat.


    ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s just a little too embarrassing to wear it by itself¡­"


    The rashie he was wearing waspletely stuck to his body, emphasizing his slim body shape.


    His thigh was showing below the silky coat.


    ¡°Well, it doesn''t look good on me, does it?¡±


    Pram¡¯s facial expressions were exquisite. He was looking up at Desir, blushing with an embarrassed look.


    He could almost have been mistaken for a girl. Anyone would fall in love with him, if stared at with such a look.


    Desir was mesmerized by his looks. What a destructivebination¡­


    As Desir looked at Romantica, she folded her arms and nodded, looking immensely pleased.


    ¡°Yes, I knew you''d make that face,¡± she said.


    ¡°Romantica,¡± Desir replied.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Desir raised his thumb.


    ¡°I apologize for doubting your talent. You are the best.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my. Toote for you to realize my talent, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What are you two on about?¡±


    Pram interrupted. He had no idea what they were talking about.


    ¡°We were just saying you were so cute, Pram.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Right, Desir?"


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Pram eximed with joy.


    Just then, they noticed people speaking of something.


    They were all looking at one direction, for a reason they all knew why.


    ¡°Would that be Azest?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    Azest was the second to arrive. Romantica stood up from her seat and said,


    ¡°You¡¯ll see about how good I am.¡±


    They got up from their seats and walked towards where everyone¡¯s eyes were facing.


    Azest was wearing a swimsuit of a mixed design between a bikini and a dress.


    Although it was less exposed than the bikini that Romantica was wearing, the design that both exposed and covered her waist made Azest look even more attractive.


    Her snow-white skin and shining blonde hair even overshadowed the beauty of the sea. It wasn¡¯t as creative as what Pram was wearing, but still, the swimsuit looked great on her. When Desir was about topliment Romantica,


    ¡°No¡­,¡± said Romantica.


    "Huh?"


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I gave her.¡±


    Romantica''s facial muscles were unnoticeably trembling.


    Desir had no idea what was going on.


    Azest approached the two.


    Desir, who had learned how to talk with girls from the past experience with Romantica, came forward and said,


    ¡°Looks fantastic, Azest.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Thanking Desir, Azest approached Romantica, and handed her something she was holding in hand.


    ¡°I apologize I couldn''t wear the swimsuit you gave me, Romantica.¡±


    It was the swimsuit that Romantica had given Azest.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wear it?¡±


    ¡°It was too tight and ufortable. I had no choice but to buy a new one."


    "What? Was it too tight?"


    "Yes. Especially my¡­¡±


    Romantica raised her hand to stop Azest from saying any further.


    "Wait, stop. Don¡¯t make me mad at you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    "That¡­ I can''t say.¡±


    Azest nodded.


    "Well, I have no clue what you¡¯re saying, but I respect whatever you say.¡±


    Romantica after looking alternately at her own bosom and that of Azest, clenched her fist and shivered in frustration.


    Azest unknowingly defeated Romantica.


    Desir and the group members yed volleyball. Desir and Pram was on one side, and Romantica and Azest was on the other.


    The losers were supposed to prepare dinner, so the game was outrageously fierce.


    Team Azest was edging out their opponent by 11-10.


    Pram and Azest were each the ace of their team, and the speed of the ball between the two was incredibly fast.


    Desir and Romantica were not as good as their teammates, so that unfortunately they could only score by shooting the ball towards either of the two.


    ¡°Aaaaargh!¡±


    Romantica couldn¡¯t catch the ball that was too high and fell backwards. The score became 11-11. Any team that earns one more point could be the winner.


    ¡°Desir and Romantica, no wonder why you¡¯re wizards.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re wizards, we¡¯re nothing like you knights,¡±


    Desir replied, stretching his stiff shoulders.


    ¡°We wouldn''t be so helpless if we could only use magic,¡±


    Romantica murmured, standing up and shaking off sand all over on her body.


    Pram suggested as a response to theirints.


    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we allow Desir and Romantica to use magic for thest point? Of course, Desir you can¡¯t reverse any magic. Use only magic and we¡¯ll see who¡¯s better.¡±


    Romantica and Desir exchanged nces.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯m down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m down, too.¡±


    The game quickly resumed, starting with Desir¡¯s serve.


    [Enhance muscle strength]


    [Enhance agility]


    [Enhance dynamic vision]


    Desir enhanced his power with his enhancing magic spells.


    Having secured the pawn-level abilities, he threw the ball up and smashed it down.


    Whoosh!


    The ball flew straight towards the Team Azest¡¯s court. It was certainly different from the previous serve attempts that had ended in vain.


    ¡°Now we¡¯re talking.¡±


    Azest returned it near the.


    Pram ran across the court and returned the ball again.


    Boom! B-boom!


    The rally was going on so fast.


    The ball could blow up in any minute. The team that blows up the ball was to be lost.


    Azest tossed up the ball to Romantica instead of smashing the ball, trying not to risk the explosion.


    ¡°Romantica.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    The forms got arranged in the front of Romantica.


    [Gust Wind]


    The ball elerated to a great speed, as if it had been smashed, like a solid smash.


    ¡°Pretty cool, but I could do the same without any magic!¡±


    As Pram shouted and tried to receive the ball, the ball suddenly switched its trajectory to something that was physically impossible. Controlling the orbit of a flying object, was something Romantica could even do blindfolded.


    ¡®This is how you trained me, Desir.¡¯


    By thew of inertia, Pram couldn¡¯t possibly turn his body again to receive the ball that was already moving in the opposite direction. Desir who was right behind Pram could barely receive it.


    ¡°Stay focused, Pram! She can always change how things move with magic!¡±


    ¡°Got it, sir!¡±


    The game went in favor of the Team Azest. Romantica¡¯s magic wind could efficiently control the ball¡¯s orbit, and the control of the 3-circle wizard was a great threat to the opponents.


    Catching what Romantica could do, Azest volunteered to take the role of a supporter for Romantica¡¯s attack, rather than attacking by himself.


    [The Storm of Avaros]


    A 3-circle spell.


    The magic that recreates a small storm.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re using a 3-circle spell?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Everything¡¯s under control and it¡¯s gonna be fine! It¡¯s YOU, who trained me like this, Desir.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve waited so long for this day.¡±


    The ball was approaching fast.


    The ball could change its orbit in any minute, so Team Desir could only barely defend themselves without being able tounch an attack.


    Fortunately for Team Desir, Pram the knight didn¡¯t lose his focus until thest minute of the game, and he received the ball that was almost about to touch the ground with great athleticism. Romantica got nervous.


    The game couldn¡¯t continue like this forever, though.


    ¡°Your left!¡± Shouted Desir, who had read Romantica¡¯s thoughts and figured out the ball¡¯s trajectory.


    As long as the ball¡¯s trajectory was known, it wasn¡¯t a difficult task for Pram to receive the ball and return it.


    Pram¡¯s return crossed the and headed straight to Romantica.


    ¡°¡­?!¡±


    Romantica, who had been waiting at the back to receive the seemingly fast ball, was shocked. The ball had suddenly stopped moving in the air.

 Chapter 64: Summer Vacation (5)

    <h4>Chapter 64: Summer Vacation (5)</h4>


    As Romantica used her wind magic, Desir used his own wind magic and created a headwind. Since it did not alter the magic itself, it was not considered to be an inversion magic. Soon the ball that was hovering in the air fell to the ground.


    ¡°It got me¡±


    Romantica thought that she had lost, however Ajest ran past her towards the ball. It was a superhuman like speed that created a strong wind near them. With a clean sound, the ball bounced up, falling onto the other side of the court. Desir and Pram were not paying attention and saw the ball roll after it fell into the court. There was aplete silence.


    ¡°We won.¡±


    After some time, Romantica broke the silence and said.


    ¡°We won! Desir, you didn¡¯t forget that the team that lost has to prepare dinner, right?¡±


    Ajest¡¯s movement speed was faster than what Desir predicted. It seemed that her athletic ability rivalled Pram¡¯s at Knight-rank. Even though Ajest finished thest game, throughout the game Romantica was in charge. The ability to control mana that Romantica showed was very skilled. Her achievement was one step beyond Desir¡¯s expectation.


    ¡°OK, I admit my defeat.¡±


    As a leader, Desir felt a sense of aplishment. On the other hand, the fact that he had to prepare the dinner made him smile with bitterness. Romantica picked up the tube that she put aside before.


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you for the dinner~¡±


    ¡°¡­ well, a promise is a promise.¡±


    Desir rested his tired body under the parasol. Listening to the refreshing ocean sound, Desir and his crew spent a peaceful day. In the evening, Desir and Pram prepared the dinner. Pram was really good at cooking. He knew a lot of recipes and how to handle the cooking material. Desir worked alongside Pram to assist him while he was cooking. Even though Desir was not very good at cooking, after being harshly trained by Pram in the cataclysm shadow world he knew how to best support him. The food made by Desir and Pram¡¯s cooperation receivedpliments from Romantica and Ajest, and it also made an impression on the vi¡¯s chef.


    After dessert, Desir came outside to get some fresh air. The breeze of the sea was cool. The fact that Romantica¡¯s vi could look down at the beach was very fortunate.


    Sunset time. The whole world was getting dyed by the golden light color.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing right?¡±


    When did shee out? Wearing a dress adorned with frills, Romantica¡¯s eyes were shining with golden light waves.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°I get amazed anytime I see this. It really looks like melted gold flowing.¡±


    It was such a sight. The boundary between day and night. The unbelievable sight, before the sun hides, just barely peaking over the horizon.


    ¡°Desir, do you know why Deltaheim sea has that golden color, not a sky-blue color?¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s because there is mana in the sea that reacts to sunlight.¡±


    ¡°Only local people know that. You really do know everything.¡±


    Romantica was disappointed since she failed to teach Desir something he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Hey, Desir. There is a better spot than here do you want to go there?¡±


    Romantica took Desir and walked the along the line of the shore. After walking for some time, they arrived at an acropolis that was half fallen apart. The rock that made up the acropolis looked like it was melted halfway and solidified. They climbed the fallen acropolis.


    As if she just thought of something, Romantica said.


    ¡°You might not know this story.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°A very long time ago, they said there was a volcanic eruption here.¡±


    Desir had never heard of this story.


    ¡°At that time this ce had been a flourishing city, but the city perished after the volcanic eruption. The eruption was so big that the volcanic ash nketed the nearby sea.¡±


    Romantica was making a ¡°You didn¡¯t know this¡± face.


    ¡°Yeah, this is the first time that I have heard about this story.¡±


    Even Desir who studied every country¡¯s history to prepare for the shadow world could not remember this specific event.


    The pair approached a section of the path that was missing. First Romantica jumped than Desir followed.


    ¡°But, ording to experts, magma never flowed under thisnd.¡±


    At that instant, Desir stopped walking.


    ¡°Expert opinion concludes that volcanoes can¡¯t form here. But there is clear evidence of a volcanic eruption urring. This acropolis is indisputable proof of this.¡±


    They finally reached the top. The view was amazing. The sky was splitting and the gold color spread everywhere.


    ¡°How an eruption can ur in and that has no magma underneath will be a forever be a mystery. But every storyteller embellishes their stories.¡±


    ¡°To make sense of the unexinable events theye up with mythology.¡±


    That¡¯s how these mythological tales were created. To take an unexinable event and try to twist it to conform to reality.


    ¡°Along with a great many myths, one of them is about the great devil who scratched thend and destroyed the city. This story gave a name to this sea. A sea that was once destroyed by the devil, Eastakar Sea.¡±


    Desir followed through.


    ¡°Eastakar. An ancient rune with the meaning of disaster.¡±


    Romantica opened her eyes wide.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing. You really don¡¯t have anything that you don¡¯t know?¡±


    Desir shook his head.


    ¡°No, I just heard it from someone.¡±


    ¡°What, you know someone from Prillecha kingdom other than me?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t remember, it was such a long time ago.¡±


    Desir was sure he heard this story in his past-life, but he could not remember who he heard it from. After the golden light from the sea has faded away, shade started to appear. For some reason, he was bothered about who told him that story. There was only one thing that it could be. He painfully groped through his blood-filled memories.


    ¡°It had to be my hometown, Prillecha Kingdom.¡±


    Soon darkness came down. The slight voice near his ear was very painful. It sounded like it was barely concealing its sadness.


    ¡°Desir?¡±


    ¡°Near here there was my vi. Yes. Every evening there was a beautiful sea that was dyed with a golden color.¡±


    Desir felt his breath closing in. It felt like he was put into the endless deep sea.


    ¡°Are you ok? You don¡¯t look good.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die here.¡±


    He then realized. The sea dyed with the golden color, he had been here before. And it was far from a beautiful sight. With blood.


    ¡®This was one of the shadow maze quests: Gigantic devil.¡¯


    A ce that was filled with humanity¡¯s despair. Humanity had to continue struggling against this desperation. This ce, Eastakar Sea is ce that Romantica grew up and the ce she died. If this is a coincidence, it is one hell of a cruel coincidence.


    ¡°Hey, Desir? Do you want to go to the hospital?¡±


    When he saw green eyes that were filled with concern, he got ahold of himself. He couldn''t make himself calm down.


    ¡®The past is just the past. It hasn¡¯t happened yet.¡¯


    Desir breathed in and out deeply and tried to calm down.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. By the way Romantica.¡±


    However, when Desir looked at Romantica his lips dried out. The danger they will face.


    ¡®I am not going to let anyone die.¡¯


    When Desir was reborn, he made that promise. Humanity, Haverion academy, Desir¡¯s party was included there.


    ¡°There is going to be a time when there is a danger you can¡¯t handle.¡±


    After breathing deeply again, he continued speaking.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a danger so great that you can¡¯t even imagine it now. And when that timees and I order you to run away, make sure to follow the order. No matter the situation.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean so suddenly?¡±


    ¡°I want you to survive.¡±


    ¡°Wow, such a coincidence? Same back at you.¡±


    Romantica was trying to take it as a joke, but she saw Desir¡¯s eyes and realized that he was not joking. His eyes were filled with sadness and great loss. What kind of things do you have to experience to make that kind of a facial expression?


    ¡°Can you promise me?¡±


    Shhaaa~


    Romantica could not understand Desir, but his expression made her nod.


    ¡°Ok, I promise.¡±

 Chapter 65: The Competition (1)

    <h4>Chapter 65: The Competition (1)</h4>


    The ¡®Outsiders¡¯. They are the repulsive group antagonistic towards the Western Kingdom and Hebrion Empire. However, they can¡¯t just be defined as a uniform group. The reason being that the ¡®Outsiders¡¯ are formed by lots of groups who disagree with the Western Kingdom and Hebrion Empire¡¯s monopolising thepletion of the Shadow Worlds. Even though they have grouped up topete against superior forces, they only happen to share simr interests and ideals. Their method and ultimate goals varied.


    ¡°Recently, many ¡®Outsiders¡¯ are getting caught out.¡±


    An individual in a Pierrot mask opened the discussion. On the tip of his finger was a spinning trump card. There was an strong smoky odour emanating from the floor. The tavern was so dark that only vague outlines could be made out. There were four people gathered and all of them were wearing masks. They were the four leaders of the biggest groups in the ¡®Outsiders¡¯.


    ¡°Our boys are in the same situation. It¡¯s as if they already knew our n.¡±


    The woman wearing a mask adorned in: gold, silver, crystal, and feathers; opened her mouth. With her voluptuous body, there seemed to be a seductive scent wafting from her. However, the locals knew that you should not be deceived and approach her carelessly. There is a reason why she is known as the ¡®Vampire¡¯.


    ¡°20 percent of the lower group have already been eliminated.¡±


    Even the spies nted in the Kingdom and Empire have been getting caught.


    ¡°It has to be because our Revolutionary messed up.¡±


    The Pierrot mask¡¯s tone was now somewhat yful. On his right hand, there were two spinning cards on each fingertip, making a total of ten cards.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha. You said that you were caught stealing from the magic tower? You looked so confident before. What happened?¡±


    The individual on the receiving end of this taunt, wearing a crow mask, scowled at the Pierrot mask. However, the guy in the Pierrot mask did not seem to care and continued talking.


    ¡°He even got captured alive? How did you train your underlings if this is the result?!¡±


    The space near the Pierrot mask instantly shattered. High-ss magic that interfered with space was activated without any casting time. However, the only thing that was broken was a floor board underneath the chair, that the Pierrot mask was sitting on. The Pierrot mask continued to lounge in his chair. It was not clear whether that was coincidence or if he dodged it. Considering his identity, thetter made more sense. As a citizen of the Western Kingdom, he was the assassin that killed the king of the Antanas Kingdom. His name garnered respect and praise in the darkness of society, where no light can reach.


    ¡°Perhaps the magic tower owner himself has interrogated him. As a Seventh-Circle wizard, he might have already torn his brain apart and analyzed his memories. Your underling continues to bring trouble, even after his death. Haha.¡±


    The crow mask leapt out of his seat.


    ¡°Stop¡­ Let¡¯s continue.¡±


    The one that organised this meeting was an old man in a skull mask. He was wearing a dark-grey robe. If it wasn¡¯t for white hair that peaked out from above his mask, he would have looked younger.


    ¡°To talk about¡­ a story from¡­ the past¡­¡±


    His voice trailed off away, so it was difficult to understand what he was saying. However, no one thereined. He was technically the leader of this group. Nobody knew who he was. Not even his name. No one even knew whether he was a swordsman or wizard. The one thing that was certain though, was that he was active before the first century.


    ¡°Revolutionary¡­ we¡­ should always remain in the dark¡­ what you suggested, the way¡­ was dangerous.¡±


    The guy in a crow mask refuted.


    ¡°The n was perfect. The magic tower¡¯s defence was the worst on that day, nobody would have expected that.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ somehow¡­ somehow¡­ they knew¡­ I only care about the results.¡±


    The guy in the crow mask did not respond anymore. The cards on the Pierrot¡¯s hand all stopped spinning. The old man with a skull mask continued speaking.


    ¡°On the other hand, this¡­ might be a good chance for us. I¡¯m not yet sure though.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean old man?¡±


    The woman in the shy mask asked.


    ¡°While they are currently underestimating us¡­ before they start to pressure us¡­ it¡¯s not a bad idea to do something big, to make a statement.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean we should change our target?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ that way¡­ will be better.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is great news. I was getting stiff. However, we can¡¯t go against the Western Kingdom and Hebrion Empire.¡±


    Said the Pierrot. This was the true reason why the ¡®Outsiders¡¯ hid out of sight. Currently the Western Kingdom and Hebrion Empire were both stronger than any other force. Naturally, uwful people and organisations, such as the ¡®Outsiders¡¯, had to keep a low profile and wait for their chance.


    ¡°Around this time¡­ there is a meeting¡­ in the Western Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Right¡±


    ¡°This is our chance¡­ The leaders of the Western Kingdom¡­ will all be gathered in one ce¡­ Killing them will maybe¡­ overthrow the entire Western Kingdom itself.¡±


    He looked at the crow mask.


    ¡°I will give you the chance¡­ to redeem yourself after your failure¡­ Hand over that item Pierrot.¡±


    The Pierrot mask did not like this decision of the skull mask and immediately protested.


    ¡°Old man! Do you know how hard it was for me to get this?! After utilising the entire assassin¡¯s guild, we barely managed to obtain this! This item cost me so much! This should be only used in specifics situations!¡±


    ¡°Sh*t,! Ok! I¡¯ll give it.¡±


    He then pulled out something and passed it to the crow. It was an artifact. It was shaped like a cube and emanated an ominous aura at first sight.


    ¡°Western Kingdom meeting¡­ many rulers and influential people will gather there¡­ Can you clean them up¡­ revolutionary?¡±


    Crow mask was referred to as a revolutionary. That actually exined his exact situation. At one-point crow mask wasuded as the best wizard from Hebrion Academy. Now he is just a forgotten name. A manifestation of Hebrion¡¯s troubled history.


    ¡°Let him borrow it¡­ You should take care of everything.¡±


    ¡°I hope you do not forget Hebrion is next.¡±


    Crow mask replied while nodding his head.


    ¡°Sure, Hebrion is one of our oldest enemies.¡±


    And that concluded the meeting. One after the another they left the tavern. The street was still dark, but somewhat humid from the dawn light. There was a distinction feeling of poverty along this street. The Pierrot mask caught up to the crow mask who went out first.


    ¡°Hey, bro. I have some questions. You mind if I ask them?¡±


    The crow mask tried to ignore him and continued walking.


    ¡°At this point, shouldn¡¯t you just admit it? We are the same type.¡±


    That expression must have stirred the crow mask¡¯s feelings as he responded in an angry tone.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t take me as some kind of criminal like you.¡±


    ¡°From attending this meeting, you are indeed a criminal. If either of us were caught by our home nations, we would definitely get executed.¡±


    ¡®Outsiders¡¯ were basically a criminal group, and the people who had just gathered were the leaders of the ¡®Outsiders¡¯. The punishment towards them would surely be death.


    The Pierrot mask pointed at the artifact that the crow mask was holding.


    ¡°First of all, by knowing what artifact that is, and still taking it, shows that you are evil without a doubt.¡±


    The crow mask replied while storing the artifact that he had received from the Pierrot mask.


    ¡°I have things to achieve, no matter the method.¡±


    ¡°Since you believe that you are different from us? Do you think that you are the only one that aspires to achieve your own goals? It¡¯s the same for that old man. That old man has goals and the determination to achieve them as well.¡±


    The Pierrot mask mockingly imitated the skull mask¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Everything¡­ will fall into¡­ the Shadow World¡­ as the Goddess desires.¡±


    It was not funny. It was actually rather unpleasant.


    ¡°Why are you trying so hard to bring me down to your standard?¡±


    Even though his face could not be seen from the Pierrot mask¡¯s perspective, the crow mask was sure that he wasughing. It was almost as if he had been anticipating this question.


    ¡°Hey, when I look at the justification of your goals, from my point of view they are not reasonable. On a daily basis, you act all noble and say that you will make the world a better ce for themon people, right? Even though you are only doing this for your own benefit.¡±


    ¡°The justification of my goals does not concern you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, unfortunately, it does matter. If by some small chance said that you will work for the sake of themon people, I would have to cut your head off.¡±


    The Pierrot mask took one step forward. The distance between the two was small. It was close enough for the crow mask to attack and that meant it was close enough for the Pierrot mask to attack too. Just a knife, perfect for killing a pig.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are saying you will kill.¡±


    ¡°If you want to test me, you can try it out right now.¡±


    He started to juggling his knife. It was as if he was performing some kind of a magic trick. He yed with the knife¡¯s sharp side with his finger. After seeing this unfold, the crow mask turned his back and started walking away again.


    ¡°It will be a small sacrifice for the greater good. I have already acknowledged that.¡±


    Not wanting to waste any more time the crow mask disappeared into the dark. Left alone, the Pierrot mask started to mumble to himself.


    ¡°Ah, as expected. It won¡¯t work on him.¡±


    The Pierrot mask put his knife away.


    ¡°Well, I hope the real party starts in the Western Kingdom.¡±

 Chapter 66. The Great Council (2)

    <h4>Chapter 66. The Great Council (2)</h4>


    In the early morning of the day of the conference, Zod came to meet Desir. He wore a neat ck suit and held a luxurious cane. He didn¡¯t appear to be applying much of his weight against it, as it just touched the ground. Desir¡¯s party who hade to escort him couldn¡¯t repress their astonishment over Zod showing up.


    ¡°You must be the party of my technical adviser.¡±


    Zod shook hands with each member of Desir¡¯s party. Romantica especially couldn¡¯t handle her happiness because Zod was the only Seventh-Circle wizard of this continent and as a result was admired by all wizards who aspire to reach the pinnacle of magic.


    ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s my honor to meet you! I¡¯m Romantica Eru. I¡¯m a big fan of you!"


    ¡°Romantica Eru¡­ Are you thedy of the Eru household? We supply a significant amount of materials to the Eru businesses.¡±


    ¡°All of the items from Matop are brilliant! And the recently released reacting magic light is especially wonderful."


    While Zod and Romantica were deep in conversation, Pram conversed with Desir.


    ¡°It is a shame that you won¡¯t attend the Yellow Oceanpetition.¡±


    Due to a conflict in his schedule between the West Kingdom conference and the Yellow Oceanpetition, Desir couldn¡¯t attend thepetition.


    ¡°I¡¯lle to see the finals though. Of course, only if you make it to them.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you!¡±


    Romantica thundered at Desir understanding the implication of what he said, while simultaneous holding a conversation with Zod. Pram and Desir smiled.


    After the greeting, Desir headed to the pce where the West Kingdom conference was going to take ce. They would use Zod¡¯s carriage to get there. As the carriage rattled, Zod handed over a note to Desir. It appeared that he had been dying to hand it over.


    ¡°Applying the concepts that you shared with me was a simple task.¡±


    During the time spent travelling to the pce, Zod talked in-depth on the theories he had been pondering over after considering what Desir had suggested. They had previously discussed the technologies several times throughmunication magic, but that was less effective than the present face-to-face meeting. They could exchange real-time feedback on their thoughts.


    ¡°Regarding the aurora system, it is a good idea to block a Sixth-Circle spell by offsetting its energy instead of interrupting its resonating frequency. However, the best defense magic we presently have is Fifth-Circle. It seems that we need to spend money to make this a portable solution.¡±


    ¡°Spending money is required to get through this and there are people that will be interested in the result. As such, there is no doubt that it will be produced one way of the other. However, I¡¯m not sure if we have the necessary experience in blocking Sixth-Circle magic.¡±


    As the conversation continued, they eventually arrived at the pce.


    ¡°I guess we arrived a bit earlier than expected.¡± Desir said.


    There was over an hour left until the conference would begin.


    Zod proposed:


    ¡°It appears so. How about we have a talk with the Saint before the conference?¡±


    ¡°Did the Saint approve of this?¡±


    Zod nodded his head.


    ¡°Yes, she agreed immediately when I brought up the issue of the Holy Kingdom falling, as you described it to me.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your help, as always.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I helped you a lot because you are very talented.¡±


    With Zod¡¯s support, Desir had a chance to talk alone with the Saint. She was waiting for Desir in the stateroom. Saint Prisci looked very na?ve but Desir knew that there was more than meets the eye. She was always very crafty and intelligent enough to lead Artemis.


    ¡°It is my honor to meet the great sun of Artemis, Saint,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also happy to meet the famous single-ranker of Hebrion Academy.¡±


    After having a simple greeting, Prisci started getting to the point.


    ¡°I heard that the Shadow World that you attacked is rted to the fall of the Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Saint.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love you to exin what happened there, to me.¡±


    Desir re-told what urred in the Shadow World that he had cleared. He recounted the circumstances that resulted in the fall of the Kingdom, who he met, what quests he received and how they were cleared. Prisci listened intently as he described all of this. She was clearly impressed by Wilhelm.


    ¡°He is the one that caused Artemis to be forever described as God¡¯s shield. In an era severelycking in technology, he achieved so much and had a very respectable personality.¡±


    Finishing the exnation on the quest, Desir passed on thest message that appeared when the Shadow World closed.


    ¡®A great possibility there might have been.¡¯


    That the kingdom might have been able to avoid falling if they could cut out the rotten parts. Heroes should be raised for the people and judge what should truly be judged. If the kingdom didn¡¯t fall, it might havepleted its role as the shield to prevent the spreading Judgement harming its people until today.


    ¡°A great possibility there might have been¡­¡±


    The Saint sadly repeated.


    ¡°Therefore, it means back in the day, the kingdom had the power required to attack the Level 1 Shadow Worlds.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It exins how the kingdom fell due to its internal struggles.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    She nodded. Shadow Worlds had rarely opened in rtion to the Kingdom so far, and those that did, seemed to be distantly rted to the cause of the fall.


    The Shadow World that Desir¡¯s party cleared did not just rte to the fall of the Kingdom, but happened to even ovep with the time in which it urred.


    ¡°I have always wondered. The country that I served and the order that I led¡­ I just did not understand how the Kingdom fell. Why did the Kingdom well-known as the strongest, not only fail to clear the Shadow World, but also fall to it? I now understand."


    ¡°If my recollection was useful, I¡¯m happy to have been of assistance to you."


    ¡°Yes, Desir. You magnificently cleared the Shadow World. Hebrion has a bright future.¡±


    Said the Saint.


    ¡°I want to give you somepensation along with my gratitude. Desir, do you have anything that you want?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t personally need anything; however, I wish Hebrion Empire and the West Kingdom Union could have a more amicable rtionship. Not like the currentpetition in clearing Shadow Worlds alone to hoard resources. It would be much more efficient to clear these Shadow Worlds through cooperation. Before we can do this, I would like you to support the good rtionship of the West Kingdom Union and Hebrion Empire.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think you are? Are you the ambassador of peace from Hebrion?"


    ¡°I only represent myself. This was my own idea, Saint.¡±


    ¡°Cooperation. It is tough concept. The confrontation between the West Kingdom Union and the Hebrion Empire. You know this. It would not even be strange to see them at war right now, if not for themon enemy that they are focusing on.¡±


    ¡°I know. And that is why I beg you. If the rtionship remains the same, the continent cannot defeat the Shadow Worlds when they inevitably increase in difficulty and size, someday.¡±


    ¡°You have an interesting imagination.¡±


    Even if Prisci dismissed Desir¡¯s idea as just a figment of his imagination, Desir knew that it was an undeniable truth.


    Shadow Labyrinths.


    ording to the previous timeline, there was less than 3 years, but she will only be further convinced that his is just a delusion if he continued with this tact. Instead he decided to convince her with another method.


    ¡°Saint, the Kingdom fell because of internal division.¡±


    As soon as Desir mentioned the Kingdom, Prisci¡¯s smile was wiped off her face.


    ¡°The Shadow World which overthrew the Kingdom was at the level where it could have been defeated by the Kingdom at that time. But they couldn¡¯t beat it and eventually copsed.¡±


    ¡°The era when the Kingdom copsed ispletely different from now. We now prepare ourselves before opening any Shadow World and clear it perfectly with our preparations. Moreover, the Level One and Two Shadow Worlds which we assume opened in the past do not even open now-a-days.¡±


    ¡°We should prepare for the worst, Saint.¡±


    The worst. Prisci seemed to brood over what Desir said.


    ¡°I understand what you want to say. But frankly, this job is too big to prepare for based on only your words. None of the West Kingdom Union is influenced.¡±


    She felt something from his eyes looking at her and said while nodding her head.


    ¡°But I also agree on your idea to be ready for the worst. The Church of Artemis shall look for the method to cooperate with both Hebrion and the West Kingdom Union when we see any sign from the Shadow Worlds.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. I appreciate it, Saint.¡±


    The conversation was pretty much over. The conference would also start soon. It was finally time to head over to the conference room. Desir and Prisci walked out of the stateroom.

 Chapter 67. The Great Council (3)

    <h4>Chapter 67. The Great Council (3)</h4>


    Today¡¯s security of the Frilleza Pce was much stricter than any other day. The number of knight guards was tremendous and each was trained to an incredibly high standard.


    This is the expected oue though, considering who wasing to the council. The five kings from the Western Kingdoms, Zod the leader of the Mage Tower, and other leaders whose influence reach every corner of the world.


    This pressure was nothingpared to their political positions. Desir followed after Zod into the council room. The interior of the room was a wide oval with seats circumnavigating a panel that was ced in the center of the room. Desir saw many people had already found their ce as he walked in. They were dressed up in elegant gowns and apanied by their own maids and servants.


    All of the seating was pre-assigned. Desir followed Zod¡¯s lead and sat at his assigned seat.


    ¡°How long has it been since west met, sir?¡± said thedy.


    Coincidentally, the seat was right next to the Saint of Artemis, Prisci. Zod answered insensitively.


    ¡°4 years 6 months 17 days and 3 hours and 12 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t looking for that kind of response.¡±


    Five minutes before the council meeting started, the King Frilleza, who was appointed as the council head, walked in.


    King Frilleza was small and fat. The belt adorned with dolphin engravings was buried in his belly. His face was swollen as if he had been drowned in the water for a long time.


    ¡°Now is thest chance to get away from this, Desir. You cannot escape once the meeting begins.¡±


    Said the Saint in a teasing manner. As they continued to chat, King Frilleza pronounced:


    ¡°We may now begin the great council meeting of the year 3616.¡±


    With the opening words of the King Frilleza the council meeting was officially underway. The format of the council meeting is such that when the chairperson raises a topic, each nation is allowed to put forward their own opinion on the matter. Then they all vote to establish agreement and further borate on the most desirable proposals.


    There are often conflicts but the chairperson, King Frilleza, skillfully arranges and influences the discussion in more positive directions. The issues are diverse. Since the Western Kingdoms were established by five different nations, they talk about issues ranging from trade, to military, to technology, and even politics. Indeed, the Western Kingdom¡¯s affairs were discussed from the lens of all fields, great and small.


    Desir was a bit bored as the discussions lingered on trivial matters, but for him, this was an excellent opportunity to grasp the dynamics of the Western Kingdom. After such a long meeting and some discussion of the various issues between nations, a topic concerning the Shadow Worlds was finally raised.


    The Shadow Worlds were the biggest problem of the continent and were actually one of the key areas of focus for the Western Kingdom¡¯s Congress. The central panel disyed various things including: the achievements of the Avalon army in the Western Kingdoms, the difficulty levels of the Shadow Worlds, the rate at which they were appearing, and the amount of magic stones avable from thepletion of them.


    The profits made by attacking Shadow World were distributed to each country in ordance with their contribution. For some countries this amounted to a considerable amount.


    ¡°This year, the Shadow Worlds were less difficult. If there was one problem, it was the Outsiders.¡±


    While King Frilleza talked, the panel showed an erged map of a mountain range in the Kingdom of Frilleza.


    ¡°The ce shown on this map is where a Level 3 Shadow World appeared. At the time, we did not notice it appearing here and we only discovered it a monthter¡­ long after the attack was over.¡±


    The people gathered at the conference began to whisper amongst themselves.


    ¡°This is a significant threat to us. We didn¡¯t even know of the existence of a Shadow World here. This must mean that the Outsiders potentially have strategies to block our detection technology. Their ability toplete Shadow Worlds may even be higher than ours.¡±


    Desir was listening intently. The Outsiders. They are fairly annoying beings. The Hebrion Empire and the Western Kingdoms managed the Shadow Worlds. That is why the Outsiders were desperate toplete Shadow World using nefarious means.


    The Outsiders, however, had considerable power and often attacked low level Shadow Worlds before others could. They also raided the ruins of the Hebrion Empire, the Western Kingdom, and other ces that had ore deposits. However, their actions were often performed inconspicuously. For this reason information pertaining to them and their operations was difficult to obtain.


    King Frilleza said, gesturing at Zod, the leader of the Mage Tower:


    ¡°Zod Axalion, who is aware of this situation, will borate on this.¡±


    Desir¡¯s eyes turned towards Zod.


    ¡°He understood this situation? The situation of the Outsiders?¡±


    Zod got up and walked towards the pedestal with the careful help of his ebony cane.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is Zod Axalion, the leader of the Mage Tower.¡±


    Zod coughed and then gestured in the air. The screen of the panel changed. On the screen was a view of the Eureli Branch and a magic stone.


    ¡°Two months ago, the Outsiders attacked our Mage Tower. What they aimed for was the second-ss magic stone, the Tear of Reganel that we hold in our possession.¡±


    The second-ss magic stone.


    The stonese from Level 3 Shadow Worlds of the most challenging level, and as a result were one of the top magic stones.


    ¡°Fortunately, I was informed of the raid, prior to it urring, and could safely prevent it. I was able to capture someone who I thought was the officer of the Outsiders. Our Mage Tower interrogated him and managed to obtain information about the Outsiders.¡±


    Zod cleared his throat and continued the story.


    ¡°From the information gathered, we were able to stop the nned attack ahead of time, and we were able to identify Outsider spies.¡±


    ¡°Their numbers were more significant than expected, and they were infiltrating in a very clever way. The spies that haven¡¯t been discovered may still be in the Mage Tower, and maybe even here in the Western Kingdom.¡±


    Ufortable coughs punctuated Zod¡®s story.


    ¡°Unless we know the exact purpose of the Outsiders, this situation is a significant threat for us. The Mage Tower came to the conclusion that they should not be left to their own devices anymore. We would like to share all of the information that we have with the Western Kingdom and would like for all to take this opportunity to join us in the pursuit of the Outsiders.¡±


    It was at this moment that there was a man who raised his hand carefully.


    ¡°Can I speak, for a moment, Zod Axallion?¡±


    ¡°Of course, His Majesty, Divide.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Middle-aged, wearing a stylish ck suit, King Divide arose.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that the Tower was attacked by the Outsiders, but I want to point out that the premise of your story is wrong. First of all, I think it seems impossible that the Outsiders tricked our detection technology and attacked first.¡±


    ¡°Because they are mere criminals, they can¡¯t have that level of technology.¡±


    As the King voiced his concerns, some nodded as if they agreed.


    ¡°The Western Kingdom detection technology is state-of-the-art and required 20 years to develop and implement. It¡¯s not a technology that those criminals can use orpete with.¡±


    ¡°But the situation proves that it is a possibility.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m going to offer you a clearer possibility. Isn¡¯t it more likely that this skill originates from somewhere else?¡±


    The King, who paused, looked around the room. And in a firm tone, he announced:


    ¡°It¡¯s the Hebrion Empire.¡±


    The chamber stirred once again. His words sure made sense. Indeed, the only kingdom that had developed technologically at the level of the Western Kingdom was the Hebrion Empire.


    Desir barely stopped himself from getting up.


    ¡°The Hebrion Empire did this to get the reward of a Level 3 Shadow World. If it¡¯s a stone from such a Shadow World then it¡¯s well worth the risk obtaining it. That¡¯s why they nned this in order to stay under our radar. And it totally makes sense. Are they not our enemies?¡±


    His words served the purpose of emphasizing that the Hebrion Empire was primarily an enemy of the Western Kingdom and that this fact should not be forgotten. There were even some who seemed to sympathize with these feelings.


    ¡°I totally agree with your sentiment King Divide. There is no ce that is capable of this except for the Hebrion Empire.¡±


    The meeting room quickly became noisy after each one of them uttered their opinions.


    ¡°Please be calm. Everyone.¡±


    The chairman, King Frilleza, tried to moderate the turmoil. But the murmur still did not die down.


    Desir exhaled a long sigh.


    ---


    Yellow Ocean Tournament.


    The air was abuzz with the sound of shouting, shing, and the chanting of spells.


    [Burst w.]


    Second-Circle magic.


    When Romantica unleashed magic, strong winds blew around her tearing everything in its path.


    Rippppp!


    The wind blew on a trajectory towards the opponent wizard. Huge scratches appeared on the marble floor.


    The other wizard also cast magic in response to it.


    [Arms Wave.]


    The floor of thepetition hall rippled like a wave in the ocean.


    [Material Burst.]


    Rippling floor and strong wind ovepped and exploded. The magic of both sides was cancelled out.


    The shattered floor material began to gather in the air.


    [Rock Guillotine]


    Second-Circle Magic.


    A hugence made of stone formed and flew directly at Romantica.


    Thud!


    But ridiculously, thence flew past Romantica and lodged behind her. Romantica had adjusted the trajectory of the missile.


    Romantica pronounced, while flicking her hair:


    ¡°Unfortunately, trajectory magic doesn¡¯t work against me.¡±


    In front of Romantica, a magic circle was forming.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one out there that canpete against me.¡±


    Two Third-Circle bullets appeared.


    When Romantica beckoned, one of the bullets fired.


    Bang!


    It was way more powerful than the defense magic could handle. The marble floor exploded creating a deep crater.


    The opponent wizard opened his mouth in disbelief from that incredible disy of power. He wasn¡¯t even able to use a second defense magic.


    As this was the case, Romantica shot another bullet.


    The bullet flew and crashed into the body of the opponent wizard. He flew out of the stadium and fell t.


    Judges and medical teams ran towards him.


    The victorious Romantica returned to the waiting room.

 Chapter 68: The Great Council (4)

    <h4>Chapter 68: The Great Council (4)</h4>


    Starting with Romantica, Pram and Adjest also easily won their matches. After clearing the round of 16, they all reached the quarter-finals. Those who participated in the Yellow Ocean Competition were all high-levelled, and making it to the quarter-finals meant that their skills were remarkably high. Pram, Romantica, and Adjest triumphantly left the stadium. Since the quarter-finals were scheduled to begin at 3:00, they had two hours spare to eat.


    ¡°I think that I¡¯ve improved a lotpared to the past.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s obvious because you train so hard.¡±


    The council meeting wasn¡¯t over yet, so they had to eat by themselves. They had seen a ce for pasta on the way here before, so they decided to go there.


    ¡°But it¡¯s such a shame that Romantica and Adjest have already met.¡±


    As Pram said, Romantica and Adjest met immediately in the quarter-finals.


    At the time, Romantica said that there was nothing that could be done.


    ¡°Why shame? I actually wanted to, so it was a good opportunity. Wasn¡¯t it, Adjest?¡±


    ¡°¡­well, at least once.¡±


    Adjest replied in a less enthusiastic manner. Pram asked Romantica:


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel frustrated when you fight against Adjest?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty confident in my skills. Not that I can afford to underestimate her.¡±


    Romantica still remembered Adjest¡¯s incredible reflexes when they yed volleyball. Adjest was a magic swordsman. She did not only have skills as a magician but also as a knight, so no one could dared challenge her lightly.


    Throughout all of the grades at Hebrion Academy, only a few people could overpower Adjest. Without Desir, she was probably the top of first-ss singles.


    Rumble / glurp


    Anyway, such a painfulparison was of no use now. Romantica was very hungry because she used a lot of magic during the match.


    ¡°Anyway, I need to eat first. I remember it was around here¡­¡±


    There were so many people in the street that there was barely room to even walk. The street was crowded with all of the people who came to either watch the Yellow Ocean Competition or spend their vacation visiting the beach.


    Some people recognized Romantica, Adjest, and Pram. Waving at them tomunicate their feelings. Some of these people cheered them on.


    ¡°Hey, Romantica! You should win! I bet all of my bar money for this month on you!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Adjest! I¡¯m dead meat if you lose!¡±


    ¡°Pram, I don¡¯t care if you win or not. Just don¡¯t get hurt! You¡¯re just too damn precious!¡±


    Most of the encouraging words were rted to betting. However, it was still pleasant to be recognized and famous by others. Romantica and Pram couldn¡¯t hide their bashful smiles. While they were walking along the street with a much lighter step than before, Romantica who was at the front of the group, suddenly stopped and looked back. There was a man who just passed her. The man was wearing a hood, but shortly before passing, she definitely caught a glimpse of what was inside of it from the corner of her eye.


    It was a crow mask.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Romantica?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    Romantica became a Third-Circle Sorcerer, and the biggest difference was that she could feel more mana around her. Previously, she only sensed the presence of mana, but upon reaching the Third-Circle, it felt as though mana would soon be in her hands. And then, for the first time, Romantica realized that mana had a slightly different nature for each person.


    A small but subtly flowing mana for Desir. Adjest¡¯s frigid-cold mana that seemingly stung like frostbite.


    And¡­


    ¡®It feels like I have felt this mana somewhere.¡¯


    It was definitely the mana she felt somewhere. And it wasn¡¯t too long ago.


    ¡®Right, that time¡­¡¯


    The wizard, who led the men that attacked the Ellueli chapter of the Tower of Magic, also had this mana.


    Romantica was in the Second-Circle, so she wasn¡¯t sure if what she felt at that time was the same as now, but she was sure that the feeling from that mana was simr to the man who just passed by her.


    Mana smelling like a sewer. It was a horrendous image that came to mind right away without even trying to remember. Romantic murmured to herself as she stared at the man who passed by her.


    ¡°The Outsiders?¡±


    ¡°Pardon? What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡±


    Romantica spoke, pointing to a man wearing a hood.


    ¡°No, that man has mana that¡¯s simr to what I felt during the Ellueli raid.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure. She just had a simr feeling. But if Romantica¡¯s assumptions are true¡­


    ¡°If so, it could be dangerous.¡±


    Adjest replied.


    ¡°The way that man walks¡­ Very unusual.¡±


    It¡¯s as if he¡¯s ready for any attack. It felt as if he¡¯s been forged with a knife.


    ¡°And he¡¯s also hiding his mana. I can¡¯t even tell how much he has.¡±


    Probably a very high-level wizard, far beyond their current abilities.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too much. It¡¯s only a feeling, and perhaps he¡¯s a grand wizard of some sort.¡±


    Romantica barely shook off all of the ominous thoughts. She wanted to get to the bottom of it, but she couldn¡¯t me the man without any evidence just based on her feelings.


    ¡°First of all, let¡¯s get something to eat. There it is.¡±


    Romantica pointed at the sign of the restaurant that they just passed. The name of the restaurant was written in fancy print. Adjest and Pram no longer brought up the matter as if by prior agreement. The party went into the restaurant, and each ordered something that caught their eye. While they were eating and talking, the memory of the wizard soon started to fade away. Soon the topic moved to Desir, who wasn¡¯t present at the moment:


    ¡°I bet he¡¯s having a tough time.¡±


    Pram rebutted as Romantica made such a definitive statement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think Desir is doing just fine? Desir has usually handled all situations that he¡¯s found himself in perfectly.¡±


    It was the same in the promotion exam, and as well as in the Shadow World. Pram had ced his full trust in him. Adjest nodded in agreement.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Dad and I have attended a few meetings with powerful people and they always insisted on pushing their opinions since they were only interested in their own benefits.¡±


    ¡°So, by now, there¡¯s definitely going to be a lot of arguments in the meeting. They will be pushing for their own justice and profit. Our poor,mon, party leader in such battle. Can you even imagine?¡±


    ¡°Do you think Desir is gutless?¡±


    Adjest replied.


    ¡°Well¡­ Right. That¡¯s true. As long as there¡¯s no topic rted to Hebrion¡­ Yeah, there shouldn¡¯t be any issues.¡±


    When their main dishes came out Romantica concluded the conversation.


    ¡°The bottom line is, there¡¯s a situation that Desir can¡¯t solve so matter what.¡±


    The man in the hood headed off into the alley past the crowds. It was daylight, but it was a ce with plenty of mold because the towering buildings didn¡¯t allow enough sunlight through. Broken bottles were scattered over the street interspersed with loose rubbish.


    ¡°Hebrion¡­¡±


    The muttering man¡¯s voice was mixed with emotions. He thought of the three boys and girls he just passed by. The clothes they were wearing were obviously the uniform of the Hebrion Empire. The only way to have such a uniform at that age was if they attended the Hebrion Academy. They are perhaps the top-ss pupils of the Hebrion Academy.


    Above all, the man clearly heard the voice of one of the girls.


    ¡°She has good senses.¡±


    The girl had especially sensitive intuition. It was doubtful that she sensed dark mana from the man. It was fortunate for them that they did not chase the man there. Third-Circle magic swordsman, knight ss swordsman, and Third-Circle wind wizard. That¡¯s who they are. All together, they wouldn¡¯t leave a scratch on this man.


    ¡®I know I should kill even if they feel suspicious¡­¡¯ but the man decided not to follow his instincts.


    He thought that even if he doesn¡¯t kill them right now, they will all die anyway. Leaving them alone now would only allow them to live for a while longer. The voices of people could only faintly be heard.


    His body scattered like a mist and soon re-appeared on top of a nearby building. He now had a clear view of the scenery of the Kingdom Frilleza. Streets where so many people stroll by, buildings with varying signs¡­ Then his gaze stopped at a particr ce. The top of the royal pce was looming in the distance, shining down on all from the radiant sunlight.


    He softly whispered, ¡°Start.¡±

 Chapter 69: Terrorism (1)

    <h4>Chapter 69: Terrorism (1)</h4>


    ¡°Thinking about it, the recent movement of Hebrion was unusual.¡±


    The criticism of Hebrion from the West Kingdom Union was increasing in volume. It felt like war could break out at any moment with the current tensions in the room. Five countries consisting of the West Kingdom Union, two great business groups, and heads of Artemis and Matop were of attending this great council conference.


    Among them, all of the leaders shared the opinion of King Divide; except for the Saint, head of Matop and King Prillecha. A majority of them were expressing their unconditional enmity for Hebrion. This left Desir in an ufortable position, due to his ns for peace and harmony between the West Kingdom Union and Hebrion. There was not enough time to unite these groups but the consequence of letting doubt fester and each group further dividing, would be history repeating itself.


    ¡°I apologize for showing you such an unfavorable sight, Desir.¡±


    The Saint gave an apology for the nder directed at Hebrion in the conference. Desir was thinking about other things but regained his senses after hearing her.


    ¡°No Saint, it is not you that needs to apologize.¡± he responded with.


    She smiled and asked.


    ¡°Where you thinking about something else?¡±


    ¡°Oh, well¡­ yes. My thoughts just happened to drift¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good decision. You don¡¯t need to mind this nonsense.¡±


    After all, the current measures that Zod suggested to deal with the Outsiders were shelved while they decided to interrogate the Hebrion Empire. It was a less than ideal decision from Desir¡¯s perspective, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. His role was just to listen carefully to the conference.


    Zod went back to his seat. The discussion rting to the Shadow Worlds was finished and they moved on to the next item in the agenda.


    *Tap tap*


    Desir tapped the arm of his chair with his other hand cupping his chin.


    ''So, he is worried about something.¡¯


    He unconsciously changed his position several times in apparent difort. There was a growing feeling that waspletely different to that stemming from the decision just made rting to the Hebrion Empire. It was an instinctive warning against an impending threat that would ur on arge scale.


    ¡°We have taken the back foot so far in these deals. As a result, the tariff for foods is going to increase a little bit in theing year and¡­¡±


    ¡°Food is¡­ the products¡­¡±


    The voices became less distinct, like buzzing flies, making it hard to listen. Nevertheless, Desir kept trying to pay attention, as this was his first time attending. However it was to no-avail. He unconsciously ended up pondering over this growing feeling. It was just too ominous of a feeling to be continually ignored. It was a feeling that he hadn¡¯t felt in recent days, but it was definitely something that he had experienced too many times to be counted in his past life.


    On the battlefield.


    Why did he feel this now, of all ces?


    Why?


    Maybe he was still somewhat affected by that nightmare. This feeling must be anxiety. It must be because this is the ce where she died. He felt a mounting pressure in his heart in-spite of his better judgement.


    As Desir thoughts continued to swirl in contemtion of this issue, a very faint sound started. Almost like tinnitus. It was so small, like a water drop falling into the ocean, but it was definitely magic at work.


    ¡°Lord of Matop.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Is there any magic active around this castle?"


    ¡°There are thousands. Simply speaking, even the elevator we took is also a magical device."


    ¡°No, I mean defense magic as preparation against impact.¡±


    ¡°The maximum level of defense magic is activated. It can withstand attack magic of the Fifth-Circle. What¡¯s lead you to ask this all of sudden?¡±


    Fifth-Circle.


    It can safely be referred to as the maximum level of defensive magic in existence.


    *sh!*


    A huge amount of mana started spreading out like a flood. Zod and Desir immediately focused on the source of the magic. Judging from the massive amount of mana collected, it was clear that magic was about to activate. They had no idea when this mana was collected or when the spell was prepared.


    Desir started analyzing the spell and tried to calcte how to invert it, but the level of magic was Sixth-Circle. It was necessary to have enough time to invert Sixth-Circle magic, even if the person doing it was Desir.


    However, the magic had already been fully invoked and ready for activation at any time. If so, there was only one hope.


    ¡°Lord of Matop!¡±


    Zod realized the seriousness of the situation and arranged magic spells in front of himself. Under the control of greatest wizard, the magic was arranged, formatted and invoked. Staring at the magic forming around Zod, people in the room started stirring into action. One of them immediately threw usations at Zod.


    ¡°Lord of Matop! What are you doing in the council meeting?!¡±


    There was no time to answer each concern. Desir yelled at the top of his lungs.


    ¡°EVERYBODY DOWN!¡±


    But the impact was much quicker.


    *Copse!*


    The sound of a huge explosion resounded. It felt and sounded like the sky was tearing open!


    With this gigantic impact, all the windows of the conference room and the wider pce shattered. The pce shook as if there was an earthquake. People standing immediately lost their bnce and fell down, tumbling and rolling with the undtions of the aftershocks that rocked the pce.


    A huge fire burst into existence and in quick-order epassed the entire pce. As the temperature inside began to ratchet up, for the people inside, it began to feel like they were trapped inside a boiling st furnace.


    *Crack!*


    While the thousands ofyers of magic around the pce broke, debris from the activated mana started falling. With the broken defense magic acting as a source of fuel, the heat became even stronger. The me looked overwhelming to all onlookers. People who were outside the magic formations were burnt to ashes without even a chance to scream.


    Right before thest defense magic broke Zod lifted up his cane and shouted out an incantation:


    [Will of Mahatma.¡¹


    *Crack!*


    From Zod¡¯s feet, cryogenically cold air fanned out. Passing by people, the cold air mmed into the walls of the conference room, against the mes that engulfed the walls. The air itself cooled and solidified. Extreme cold and heat collided and battled against each other.


    There was a rapid expansion in the air! The currents of air raged with an explosive roar.


    After a while, Zod collected his magic back. The me of such intensity that it appeared to threaten to burn down the world hadpletely vanished. But this only allowed a temporary measure of relief.


    *Rumble!*


    A heavy sound resounded. Desks and chairs were pushed to one side.


    One could see the steel frame of the broken window jutting out like a skeleton from the partially destroyed pce. There were some unextinguished fires that continued to smolder from ce to ce, even after Zod¡¯s magic.


    Zod stopped the magic by a hair¡¯s breadth, but the extent of his ability was to safeguard just the conference room. There was just not enough time for him to create a more borate and thorough defense.


    The conference room, no, the whole pce was copsing. As reality set in, some people began to scream.


    ¡°What happened?!¡±


    ¡°This is terrorism! This is terrorism aimed at the West Kingdom Union!¡±


    ¡°We must leave!¡±


    People had to evacuate before the pce copsed any further. They moved towards the exit in flurry.


    Desir murmured to himself. It destroyed the thousands of defense magic formations that were protecting the pce in one-go and didn¡¯t give Zod a chance to prevent damage beyond their room.


    ''Eclipse¡­`


    It was a Sixth-Circle magic that was able to burn entire swathes of area. It was the magic that could reduce a big city to ashes if the caster carefully controlled its range of activation. For it topletely destroy so much of the pce, the area of activation of this spell must have been deliberately narrowed. Only the people in the conference room survived. Everyone else were likely burnt to ashes.


    ''Why does this ominous hunch always prove true?¡¯


    They weren¡¯t able to stay here anymore. Desir woke up Prisci lying on the ground. The edge of her dress was torn and her neat hair was also messed up.


    ¡°We need to leave before the pce copses on us."


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡±


    Zod agreed with that.


    As Zod, Prisci and Desir were about to follow the line of people heading towards the exit, the space in front of them suddenly distorted as numerous ck particles started to form the shape of a person. A man with a crow mask. He exuded a huge amount of power. It was equivalent to that of a Sixth-Circle mage.


    He nced at the escaping people and stretched out his hand. Magic started to active.


    Zod quickly took the initiative to deal with him.


    *p!*


    A massive shockwave formed from the resonation of magic and dust was kicked up. Both Zod and the crow were safe.


    The crow started to begin another magic spell at the same time as Zod.


    The magic battle once againmenced.


    sts of violent magic were exchanged dozens of times in short order. Zod got closer to crow mask while continuing to invoke magic.


    Zod momentarily approached and tried to teleport the crow by grabbing his shoulder. He thought to change the battlefield by moving far away from here and finishing the battle in the open.


    Their bodies granrized and ended up materializing less than 10 meters away. This meant that the crow was also a great wizard and that he had sessfully resisted the teleportation of Zod, a Seventh-Circle wizard. It was apparently one of the expected oues though, as teleporting requires a high degree of concentration.


    *Bam!*


    A dust cloud billowed due to the battle of Zod and the crow.


    ¡°Sh*t. Who is this guy? Why is he not swept away by a Seventh-Circle wizard!¡± The Saint coughed out.


    Desir immediately responded to the question.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of us! We should leave now to get out of his way!¡±


    That¡¯s right.


    Crow mask invoked a destruction magic without hesitation and Zod attempted to invoke his magic to offset and not to allow crow¡¯s magic to properly activate. As a result, Zod¡¯s magic was defensively focused. Although he was invoking his magic way earlier and the power of it was superior to crow¡¯s, he did not appear to be over-powering the crow.


    ¡®Fully analyzing it is the only way.''


    If he inverted the magic causing it to invalidate itself, then he can emascte the wizard in front of him. Zod was trying to get to crow¡¯s core of magic calction.


    It was a very precise and highly encrypted magic. By the time Zod could get the rough hang of it and focus on solving it ¡­


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Contrary to his expectations though, Zod¡¯s magic was analysed. Because he never thought his magic would be analysed back, he neglected to properly prepare for this oue, causing his defensive spell to fail.

 Chapter 70: Terrorism (2)

    <h4>Chapter 70: Terrorism (2)</h4>


    *Crash!*


    Half melted parts of the pce structure transformed into dust that billowed out from the epicentre of the magic duel. Some of the few parts of the pce still standing proceeded to rain down as a backdrop to the fight.


    Zod bitterly started arranging another spell. A momentary mistake had turned into a costly blunder.


    The duel between Sixth-Circle wizards was finallying to a-head. The average magic spell was about Fifth-Circle. Various lethal magical techniques typically employed by wizards had been ruthlessly exchanged.


    As a result of their fight the copse of the pce had elerated.


    In the meantime, at a distance not too far away from the duel, the VIPs of the West Kingdom Union had quickened their pace towards the exit staircase.


    ¡°What¡­ is¡­ a bolt¡­ out of the blue¡­¡±


    The King Prillecha had arge physique and as a result was struggling to keep up. After travelling a short distance, he was already gasping for air. Although one of the knights supported him, the speed at which he travelled continued to decrease due to his heavy build. Desir reinforced his strength with magic and supported the other side of King Prillecha.


    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous! This can¡¯t be happening!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so irritating!¡±


    The kings representing the West Kingdom Union looked incensed at the gall of this attack. Their luxurious clothes were coated in dust and some of them had even been hurt as they fell down during the pseudo-earthquake.


    One the most pissed off amongst them was King Divide who had been ying hardball against the Hebrion Empire just moments before. He couldn¡¯t help expressing his displeasure, betraying just how upset he was.


    ¡°How dare they act so discourteous!? I can¡¯t excuse this behaviour.¡±


    He red at the fight between Zod and the Crow mask. Then hemanded the knights around him.


    ¡°Help Zod immediately and kill that guy!¡±


    In ordance with his order the seven surviving knights charged at the Crow mask.


    ¡°NO!¡±


    Their enemy was a Sixth-Circle wizard! Desir yelled but it was already toote. The Crow mask nced at the people running toward him and muttered.


    [SPECTRUM SHOWER]


    Fifth-Circle magic.


    A shiny light circle formed above Crow mask¡¯s head. Their bodies were dismembered and disintegrated in an instant. An invisible ultra-heated beam was all that remained.


    King Divide saw this deste sight and hastened his pace while keeping his mouth shut.


    The Crow mask was about to stretch his hand out to invoke another spell but he had to change his mind as Zod rapidly closed in on him.


    ¡°Where are you looking!?¡±


    [HOWL OF MAGMA]


    [BITCHANYEGA.]


    *Rumble!*


    The confrontation continued. While the Crow mask and Zod were standing face-to-face, the VIPs of the West Kingdom Union were able to safely escape the conference room and flee to the lower floors.


    Zod saw their departure and paused his battle with Crow mask. He shouted toward Crow mask.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡±


    The Crow mask started invoking another spell instead of responding to Zod. Zod bitterly mulled over this situation.


    ''He certainly is a difficult person.''


    It was easy for Zod to destroy him if he really tried. He could just put him down with a strong stunning spell, but Zod needed to consider the VIPs of the West Kingdom Union. He couldn¡¯t further destroy the pce by thoughtlessly using huge magic. The man in front of Zod was aware of this weak point too. Therefore, his magic was directed entirely toward these VIPs. Zod had been countering each and every one of them and faced him while controlling his power to minimise damage to the pce.


    ''Anyhow I can continue holding him off until they all escape¡­¡¯


    At that moment, the Crow finally spoke.


    ¡°You are sockadaisical!¡±


    While listening to him, Zod closed his eyes and expanded his sensory range to cover the whole pce, as he guessed something else was about to happen. He then opened his eyes.


    ¡®Sh*t!''


    The entrance to the pce.


    He felt Fifth-Circle magic at the ce that the VIPs were heading towards. It was hidden cleverly so as to not easily be found unless one was extremely focussed on finding it. It was definitely one of the Crow mask¡¯s spells. But it hadn¡¯t activated yet.


    ''Same magic as the first attack.''


    It was the Sixth-Circle magic ¡°Eclipse¡± which the Crow had used to attack the pce. There should be some sign of preparation for magic at that kind of level. However, it was activated and overwhelmed the entire pce with no forewarning.


    The Crow mask must have somehow finished arranging and formatting the magic in advance to leave a spell that can be readily invoked at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ''Wait¡­ Is it an artifact with the capability to memorize?¡¯


    An artifact that is able to arrange and format magic in advance and activate the spell at ater date. Hebrion obtained an artifact like this by clearing a Level Three Shadow World decades ago, but it was considered a lost artifact in this era.


    When Zod thought about that, he suddenly regarded the Crow in a new light. If it was what he assumed, the man facing him was much more dangerous than he originally thought.


    ''I should stop the trap first.¡¯


    As soon as Zod tried to teleport to the lower floor to stop the magic that he had sensed, the Crow mask grabbed ahold of his clothes. They disappeared for a moment and re-appeared again at the same ce.


    ¡°YOUUU!¡±


    Zod could sense the people closing in on the entrance where the trap wasying in wait. He was starting to get desperate. But the Crow masked man in front of him continued to interrupt his ns to the end.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Suddenly, the sound of steps approaching the entrance stopped, and ¡°Started¡­ retracing their path?¡±


    The spell waiting to be invoked was fully-analysed and inverted in a moment. Someone saw through it and deactivated it.


    ¡®Was it Desir?''


    People walked away leisurely. Zod felt ted.


    ¡°Is there another Sixth-Circle level wizard¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t read the face covered with the Crow mask, but the face would definitely be contorted in rage. Zod raised his power in earnest. As he no longer needed to hold back, destructive magic started arranging and formatting in front of him.


    ¡°So¡­ Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I have nothing to do with you.¡±


    To the contrary, the Crow mask stepped back to increase the distance between them. His body then transformed into ck particles and rapidly vanished.


    It was teleportation without invoking. It happened so quickly that there was no time to interrupt. No matter what Zod did, he couldn¡¯t have re-acted in-time.


    ''What¡­¡¯


    Zod smiled bitterly. The enemy had run away but it didn¡¯t seem to be finished here. The damage was already done, and it seemed as if he had somewhat achieved his goals. As proof of his thoughts, ck smoke continued billowing out everywhere in the pce.


    ¡°This was crazy.¡±


    ***


    ¡°How did you know there was magic ced there?¡±


    These were the first words that the Saint spat out after they hadpletely left the pce through the fuliginous passage. She admired Desir¡¯s capability. When people were just running towards the entrance, Desir suddenly stopped people and inverted the Fifth-Circle magic that had been ced there. If they had passed through carelessly, all of them might now be dead.


    ¡°Because there is only one entrance to the pce.¡±


    Thinking about it calmly, it was not a difficult inference. The attack magic covered the whole pce. It can only be judged that it was used to target and specifically kill the VIPs inside the pce.


    Assuming that the purpose of the Crow mask was to kill all of the leaders of the West Kingdom Union, it naturally follows that the Crow would have spent a bit of time catering for the possibility of at least one target, of the many present, managing to slip through the cracks and head for an escape route.


    There is only one entrance to the pce. It was simple to set a trap but also simple to read. Following this train of thought, Desir had to assume that there might be a trap at this escape. As the result of remaining vignt, this assumption became a conviction.


    He inverted the Fifth-Circle magic he found by fully-analysing it and allowing the people to leave the pce.


    ¡°You got out safely, my King!¡±


    There were numerous traces of heroic battle outside the pce. Well-arranged roads were partially wrecked and trees were burning. The smell of blood had also spread. The dead bodies of the Outsiders and the castle¡¯s soldiers sprawled in all directions. The knight troop might have been a feint to block the entrance of the pce.


    It seems like the battle had just finished. All of the remaining troops of knights approached. They looked quite exhausted from this long battle. The VIPs of the great council conference blended into their respective knight troops. The knights were considered the pinnacle of security within the continent, so it was safe with them around.


    Desir could finally take a moment to look around and gather his thoughts. Watching the people evacuating and the smoke rising from buildings within the city, Deltaheim, he figured out the pce was not the only ce to get attacked.


    It was terrorism on an epic scale. He could see the knights of Deltaheim were going to be fighting against the Outsiders for a while more. Desir asked one of the knights that was busy maintaining his weapons.


    ¡°How¡¯s the battle going now?¡±


    He looked Desir up and down, and was then about to ignore him due to the mistaken impression of Desir being just a boy. Luckily Prisci was there and corrected the mistake.


    ¡°Answer his question.¡±


    He looked at Desir and Prisci in turn. The authority of the Saint was overwhelming. When she pressed for an answer, he could only exin the current situation.


    ¡°In Deltaheim now, the packs of Outsiders are running on a rampage. The soldiers are fighting against them but they have razed major points of interest in the city and managed to split the military forces through vicious means.¡±


    Furthermore, the abilities of each of the Outsiders were almost at the knight level. The knights are an elite unit inbat, so they can fight back and hold their own, but these Outsiders were not at a level that general soldiers could contend with.


    ¡°We don¡¯t expect them to cut us any ck though.¡±


    Desir had also handled some in the past, but it was tough to face the truth. They had sessfully managed to terrorise the ce where all of the kings and important people of the West Kingdom Union had gathered. This huge incident didn¡¯t happen in his previous life.


    It was an incident unprecedented in the long history of the continent!


    If one of the kings representing the West Kingdom Union had died from the terrorist attack, then the union would have received irrevocable damage and the coalition would quickly crumble. It was a situation on the scale of destroying the West Kingdom Union itself.


    And this event was still unfolding.

 Chapter 71: Terrorism (3)

    <h4>Chapter 71: Terrorism (3)</h4>


    ¡®This attack from the Outsiders means that they will starting at us in earnest now.¡¯


    The Outsiders should be aiming for the kings of the West Kingdom Union.


    ¡®I can¡¯t figure out their exact level of fighting strength.''


    As mentioned in the meeting, the Outsiders had been in hiding and had been actively concealing their power.


    ¡°Our top priority should be the protection of the kings. We should leave here as promptly as possible.¡±


    *Crash*


    What remained of the pce had begun to copse. As if this were the queue, a scuffle broke out amongst the kings.


    ¡°Is this all there is to Prillecha¡¯s enforcement of public order? This is an uneptable situation, as a member of the West Kingdom Union!!¡±


    The Divide Empire was way more powerful, as a nation, than the Prillecha Empire. King Prillecha was sweating profusely.


    ¡°This is a very unsatisfactory experience, Prillecha. I can¡¯t rely on the troops you lead anymore. I¡¯m going to move separately with my subordinates.¡±


    Desir chimed into their conversation.


    ¡°Please beg my pardon but your majesty, we can¡¯t ensure your personal safety and security if you separate from us.¡±


    ¡°You are¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Desir Arman.¡±


    King Divide confirmed that he was the person who had saved them all by inverting the trap spell just a short moment ago and decided to at least hear out what he had to say.


    ¡°If we separate right now then the military powers we hold will also be distributed, and as a result this may give them the optimal situation to take us out one by one.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Do you have a better idea?¡±


    Desir looked at King Prillecha furtively.


    ¡°Do you have any safe spots around here? A secret ce that can¡¯t be easily found.¡±


    King Prillecha replied.


    ¡°There is a shelter prepared for times of war.¡±


    Desir followed this up with King Divide.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Let¡¯s wait this situation out. If it is the Prillecha Empire, they can certainly defend against this.¡±


    ¡°You mean that we should rely on these guys again?¡±


    ¡°Yes your majesty.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I reject your suggestion.¡± King Divide dered.


    Desir¡¯s eyebrows rose.


    Considering what he had done - arousing the animosity to Hebrion and sacrificing his subordinates meaninglessly during the duel; he appeared to be rather head-strong and fool-hardy.


    ¡°Do you have any other ns?¡±


    ¡°¡­ We will go to the teleportation gate. I¡¯m heading back to the Divide Empire.¡±


    ¡°Then Prillecha Empire¡­ ¡±


    ¡°This is technically a foreign country for us.¡±


    He beat off the dust that covered his clothes.


    ¡°It is a shame to call a small country like this a member of the West Kingdom Union. They can¡¯t even defend against trivial terrorism.¡±


    It was a huge diplomatic discourtesy. This noticeably changed the atmosphere and the other leaders of the West Kingdom Union started to be restless.


    King Divide turned toward themander of his forces.


    ¡°So how¡¯s the situation at teleportation gate?¡±


    ¡°The Outsiders have a grip on it but if my kingmands it, then we will confront them immediately.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. Let¡¯s go through the gate with the troops. Is there anyone who cares to join us?¡±


    Nobody raised their hand. As they continued to hesitate, King Divide expressed his anger at the perceived slight.


    ¡°How could you? Don¡¯t you believe in the strength of my knights?¡±


    Someone voiced their concerns.


    ¡°It is not that we can¡¯t rely on your knights, King Divide, but the boy sounds more credible.¡±


    This was immediately refuted. It was quite a different atmosphere from when things previously revolved around King Divide, as was seen in the council meeting. King Divide turned around without any further hesitation.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m going alone.¡±


    He left with his troops. The others decided to go to the shelter of Deltaheim ording to Desir¡¯s n.


    When he was devising this strategy, Desir was starting to worry about the involved parties. The Outsider¡¯s attack was not limited to the pce but epassed the entire city too. If so, it was better to stick together.


    ¡®Outsiders areing to attack with their strongest fighting force. It can¡¯t be finished as simply as before.¡¯


    Zod appeared in front of them via teleportation. Desir immediately questioned him.


    ¡°Did you get the Crow mask?¡±


    Zod shook his head. Desir was surprised. How could Zod allow the Crow to escape? That Crow mask must be a wizard of immense strength.


    Desir exined his n to Zod, who had decided to join them. When he finished the exnation Zod nodded his head in agreement with the n.


    ¡°Hmm. Didn¡¯t you also have a party?¡±


    Zod followed up with,


    ¡°Then let me take care of here. You¡¯d better go, to secure the safety of your party.¡±


    It was a well-timed suggestion for Desir.


    ¡°Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t move as freely while being burdened with worries. Let¡¯s do what we have to do respectively for now.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate this, Lord of Matop. I wish you good luck in this war.¡±


    Leaving Zod behind, Desir started to retrace his steps. At the same time he operated hismunication bracelet, a magic device located on his wrist, to contact Romantica.


    ¡®I hope that they are safe.¡¯


    ***


    The curtains were shut. The air in the restaurant wasced with fear. Without any notice a group of people had suddenly stormed into the restaurant wearing masks. They had gathered the staff and guests together and ultimately upied the building with no resistance.


    ¡°If you do anything suspicious, you¡¯ll be decapitated.¡±


    A person wearing a skull mask threatened. It looked a lot like the symbol of the Outsiders.


    Amongst the people gathered, there was Romantica, Pram and Adjest. It would have been dangerous for them to escte the situation by acting rashly, so they immediately surrendered to the rule of the Outsiders.


    Screams emanated from the cracks in the wall. Watching smoke rise from downtown, it was immediately obvious that the city had suffered a terrorist attack. As citizens of one of the kingdoms in the union, they were embarrassed by the thought that a capital had been attacked by the Outsiders. But after deliberating a bit more on the timing of the attack and why they targeted Deltaheim, they came to a realisation¡­


    ¡®The great council.¡¯


    They couldn¡¯t think of any other reason than this to take the massive risk in attacking the capital. If so¡­ the pce was where the great council was held¡­ They started to worry as soon as they thought Desir might be in danger there.


    ¡°Hey, there! Stop wiggling! I will kill these kids if you dare move any more!¡±


    There were four Outsiders here, and each of them was holding a hostage. They took the children hostage so that the adults couldn¡¯t move. They kept checking the situation outside through a small gap in the curtains as the capital troops had immediately moved to repel and counter the Outsiders¡¯ attack.


    As befitting of soldiers guarding the capital of Prillecha Empire, a member of the West Kingdom Union, they moved swiftly. It looked like the Outsiders were keeping a close watch on them, as they had side-stepped into buildings to conduct gueri attacks.


    Romantica whispered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they are that strong.¡±


    Pram followed up.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem that they are different to what we dealt with at the Ellueli Chapter of Matop.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t dy any longer. No one knows what they will do.¡±


    Adjest suggested.


    ¡°We need to subdue them all at once due to the hostages.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Romantica concentrated on and surveilled them with her sensitive mana detection power.


    ¡°There is a wizard amongst them¡­ he is thest one from the left. Maybe wind attribute. And the others¡­ ¡±


    ¡°The rest of them are knights. Two are pawn level and the middle one is at knight level.¡±


    It was Adjest. She was also sizing up the power of the enemy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s synchronise our timing and subdue the enemies all at once. Romantica, decapitate the knight with attack magic. Pram and I will take the others.¡±


    With a clear-headed direction from Adjest, Romantica decided to follow. She had to admit that Adjest was smart.


    Romantica¡¯s specialty was nonverbal magic. She didn¡¯t even need a second to arrange and format Second-Circle attack magic. But there was still the critical matter of timing the release of it.


    Pram, Adjest and Romantica exchanged nces and just as they were about to attack¡­


    *Ring!*


    Romantica looked at the noise at her wrist. It was hermunication bracelet.


    At the most inopportune moment!


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    The Outsiders started focusing their attention on her.


    Pram had to look down to cover his face and prevent himself from fainting. Adjest looked forward with undaunted eyes. Romantica¡¯smunication bracelet kept ringing despite their efforts.


    *Ring Ring Ring!*


    ¡°Is that amunication device? Did you get in touch to someone?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Romantica said withoutpunction. But her voice slightly quavered.


    The Outsiders thought it was strange and they got up from their seats one by one.


    ¡°Hang up now.¡±


    ¡°Now.¡±


    Romantica spoke in a halting way that hinted that she was close to tears. She looked exactly like a frightened girl.


    ¡°B¡­ But you said that you would kill us¡­ if I moved.¡±


    One of the Outsiders frowned.


    ¡°So annoying. Hey, take it off and bring it over to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    An Outsider approached Romantica and checked hermunication bracelet that was still ringing.


    ¡°It looks like jewelry though. Nothing like amunication device?¡±


    ¡°What is that though?¡±


    ¡°Wait. There are letters. Something H¡­ He¡­¡±


    He looked like he doesn¡¯t know the letters well as he attempted reading it.


    At that time, Romantica touched the foot of Adjest with her toe. It was the signal to move.


    ¡°Hebrion!?"


    When the man finally read the letters, Adjest started to move. Adjest kicked away the closest man in front of them by turning her body. His body was floating in the air and struck the dining table. Food scattered everywhere.


    In the next moment, the food was flung to the opposite side of the room. They were dragged along by the wind bullets that Romantica had invoked.


    The hand of a knight-level Outsider that was grabbing a hostage and the remaining hand holding his weapons were smashed to pieces.


    ¡°Aargh!¡±


    Blood sttered onto the floor as he screamed. The remaining pawn-level knight was surprised and approached them with a drawn iron sword.


    ¡°Y¡­ You swine!¡±


    He started to run towards them while brandishing that iron sword.


    Pram moved. Before they knew it, the nchum rapier that shone with white light had appeared in his hand. With a clean thrust of it¡­


    *Crack!*


    Pram¡¯s rapier broke the iron sword of Outsider and continued on its trajectory, stabbing into his shoulder. The iron sword couldn¡¯tpete with the strength of nchum.


    He struck the back of the man writhing on the floor with the back of his sword and made him cleanly faint.


    ¡°¡­ Did we subdue them all?¡±


    ¡°Even the wizard.¡±


    In no time, there was a fallen Outsider, who happened to be the only wizard of the gang, under the foot of Adjest.


    Everything was settled in a moment.


    ¡°That was a great acting performance, Romantica.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    The kids that were freed returned to their mothers.


    Pram then faced the gathered civilians and gave them an instruction.


    ¡°Quickly join the people fleeing from here.¡±


    The door was opened and the people escaped.


    ¡®Finally.¡¯


    *Ring.*


    Romantica¡¯smunication bracelet was still ringing. It was Desir.

 Chapter 72: Terrorism (4)

    <h4>Chapter 72: Terrorism (4)</h4>


    The capital of Prillecha, Deltaheim, was facing a disaster of unprecedented scale. The Outsider¡¯s terrorist attack aimed at the pce had been effectively carried out and the damage caused by it was severe.


    The speed of their actions was high as it seemed like they had made exhaustive strategies from thoroughly investigating all of the major facilities in Deltaheim. In an instant they had destroyed the defense forces protecting these facilities and upied them.


    As a result, the defense forces of Deltaheim selected the stadium, where the Yellow Ocean Competition was held, to be the public shelter and also their temporary headquarters. Btedly, they started carrying out measures, step by step against this terrorist attack.


    However it was not going to be an easy task to recapture these upied facilities. The Outsiders were a pack of mysterious people that deliberately obscured or hid their identities. Unless their purpose was clearly identified, the defense forces couldn¡¯t recklessly lead their forces and repel the Outsiders.


    Desir¡¯s party reformed under this situation.


    ¡°Thank god you are safe.¡±


    Desir sighed in relief upon meeting up with Romantica, Adjest and Pram. He had heard that they had confronted some Outsiders and thought it was very lucky that they didn¡¯t sustain injuries as a result.


    As the public continued to gather here, Romantica shouted while directing the fleeing civilians towards the defense force.


    ¡°You all must evacuate with these guys and stay safe until things are settled here.¡±


    She looked around Deltaheim where mes continued to spread as far as the eye could see.


    ¡°How dare they do this¡­ I can¡¯t forgive them. I will help the defense force and protect Deltaheim with my all.¡±


    To Desir, Adjest and Pram, the things happening here had nothing to do with them. But to Romantica, this was her hometown. Her anger was only a matter of course.


    Desir sighed.


    ¡°I knew you would say that. Adjest, Pram and I think we should help the forces defeat the Outsiders. If we turned our backs in a situation like this, we will definitely regret it.¡±


    Pram and Adjest nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I agree. I don¡¯t think it is a good idea to leave this situation as is.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Romantica passionately rebutted them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you get caught up in matters involving my country!¡±


    ¡°Romantica, as much as you worry about us, we also worry about you. We will never let you go alone.¡±


    ¡°Yes Romantica. If something happened to you¡­ ¡±


    Since it hurt Pram a lot just thinking about the possibility, his eyes already brimmed with tears.


    ¡°Bu, But¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Romantica, don¡¯t you know who Desir is? He will never change his thoughts after making up his mind on something.¡±


    Adjest¡¯s response seemed like the clincher in this matter. Romantica¡¯s head sank down to her chest and she choked out a response.


    ¡°¡­ Thank you all.¡±


    Desir¡¯s party agreed to repel the Outsiders, who had attacked the capital, by helping the defense forces. They went to the temporary headquarters and requested to join them on the field.


    ¡°We are a party from Hebrion Academy. All of us are single rankers and we would like to be of assistance in this situation.¡±


    After showing their uniforms andmunication bracelets as proof of being Hebrion single rankers, the participation of Desir¡¯s party was approved.


    An officer was designated to give a simple briefing on the current status of affairs to Desir¡¯s party.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Desir Arman, the leader of this party.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m officer Donnel.¡±


    His tone was brisk and businesslike. He may have been influenced by the current state of tensions between nations, and as a result hated working with anything rted to Hebrion.


    Donnel spread a map. It was an ichnographic map of Deltaheim. Points were marked on it with various symbols to represent the current known positions of the Outsiders and the facilities that needed to be recovered.


    ¡°At present, we have sessfully recaptured themunication department and are busy repairing it. The other facilities are also somewhat under-control, but there is just one ce that we are struggling with.¡±


    In the middle of the map of Deltaheim, he pointed out one spot.


    It was the teleportation authority offices.


    ¡°This area is upied by the Outsiders.¡±


    The teleportation gate was used during visits from honored guests as well as for various military matters. It was enchanted to travel long distances in a moment. As a result many support forces routinely passed through there.


    ¡°This is why our reinforcements didn¡¯t arrive.¡±


    It was said that this was where the Outsiders spent most of their effort to take as the terrorist attack first unfolded. As a result, the Outsiders continued to receive reinforcements through the teleportation gate causing this to be the ce of the hardest battle in Deltaheim.


    ¡°From the coordinates set at the teleportation gate, it is possible that the Outsiders will setup a retreat route after inverting the magic.¡±


    It was not easy to invert the Fifth-Circle magic of the teleportation gate, but Desir recalled the crow mask and understood.


    ¡°Reiming this ce and breaking the teleportation gate are the current n of the defense forces. Please help the defense destroy it.¡±


    ¡°If we break the gate, then the West Kingdom Union also won¡¯t have ess to supporting forces.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s inevitable. There is no wizard who has the level of skill required to modify the coordinates of this teleportation gate.¡±


    ¡°If that is the case, I can help.¡±


    Donnel immediately regarded him with a look of surprise.


    ¡°Are you at a level higher than the Fifth-Circle?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not but I know how to do it. I¡¯ve modified something at this level several times.¡±


    Donnel responded with a look of admiration.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯d be very d if you could do that. Things will turn out favorably for us if the coordinates of the gate can be reset.¡±


    ***


    The sun zed down. Sounds of yelling, screaming, magical energy bursting and other sounds synonymous with battle were carried around the capital by the wind.


    The office of the teleportation authority was a huge two-story building, used for transferring VIPs and military in emergencies and as a result was protected by the highest level of defense magic avable to the country.


    A battle line had formed with the Outsiders in front of the teleportation authority. They had warriors with shields lead the line and wizards at their back to confront the defense forces. The number of them was small but they were much stronger than the defense force.


    The bnce of power in the confrontation between these two forces continued to see-saw back and forward. However, this was all overturned in a moment. The Outsiders suddenly shifted their focus to a single point in the defense force¡¯s front and it crumbled under this pressure. An excessive number of Outsider warriors flooded forward like a deluge. The defenses were thrown back indicating that a corner of the front was starting to lose.


    One of the Outsiders had a weighty shield and huge hatchet. When he charged forward with his shield raised, one of the soldiers on defense was flung into the air. This Outsider then smiled and came closer to the soldier left sprawled on the ground, while fondling the hatchet that he was holding. The soldier rushed to his feet and turned his back to start running. It was at this moment that the Outsider raised his huge hatchet above his head in preparation of chopping off the soldier''s head. Unexpectedly though, the Outsider¡¯s body flew backwards like a kite that had its string cut. Blood gushed out from the fist-sized hole that had appeared in his chest. He died so suddenly that he did not even have a chance to scream.


    The surviving soldier was dazed and looked over his shoulder. There was a girlunching spells from far away, with a long silver iron rod resting against her shoulder.


    It was Romantica.


    *Bang.*


    By consecutively invoking sniping magic, she had steadily helped the soldiers at risk out of danger.


    ¡°Yippee!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t alone.


    A swordsman who demonstrated extremely rapid fencing with a nchum rapier, had been subduing the enemy with precise attacks. It was hard for the human eye to track the attacks of his sword. The Outsiders that the defense forces were struggling up until now against, easily fell apart in front of him.


    A girl with grey hair was overwhelming. She attacked with both magic and fencing, and no Outsiders stood a chance against her might.


    The Outsiders realised that those who had suddenly appeared in-front of them were the real threat. They readied to fire their best magic at them. Magic spells hung in the air as they were formatted and arranged.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Just as a soldier tried to warn the party, the magic that the Outsiders tried to invoke blurred and disappeared in a sh. They tilted their heads at this urrence that made neither rhyme nor reason. The voice of a boy resounded.


    ¡°I fully analysed and inverted it! They can¡¯t use that magic anymore! It¡¯s fine to enter now!¡±


    Pram and Adjest started interfering in the battle in earnest now. Only four people had joined the battle but the situation was entirely reversed. The defense force pushed the Outsiders back and started to advance on the offices of the teleportation authority.


    The Outsiders were flustered and could only unwillingly retreat.


    ¡°Our reinforcements!¡±


    ¡°A Third-Circle wizard!¡±


    Morale soared. Under the full power of Desir¡¯s party, the Outsiders were taken down soundly.


    ¡°Pull back!¡±


    The Outsiders finally couldn¡¯t stand anymore and dered a full retreat. The defense force and Desir¡¯s party chased after them but they came to a halt in front of the teleportation authority.


    The teleportation authority was protected by strong defense magic. It was literally a fort in both a magical and physical sense.


    The Outsiders hadpleted their retreat by locking its doors.


    Desir turned to Adjest.


    ¡°Adjest, I will invert the defense magic. Blow the door off right after that.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    *Beammm!*


    Desir detected the defense magic around the teleportation authority. He caught the skillfully crafted,plicated formations and started to craft a counter formation in his head. After analysing the magic, Desirughed ironically.


    ¡®It is a structure dexterously weaving reignite from its base to provide protection against physical impact. It is definitely a strong magic but it¡¯s far too old-fashioned.¡¯


    The difficulty level was quite high but it was fully analysed in less than 10 minutes as Desir had finished analysing the core formation of it.


    *nk!*


    The links weaving the defense magic together were broken and the teleportation authority was defenselessly left exposed. Adjest¡¯s freezing magic was invoked and the entrance to the teleportation authority waspletely blown apart.


    *BOOM!*


    With the entrance pierced, an embarrassed looking group of Outsiders were revealed.


    So as to not squander the opportunity, the defense force infiltrated the building.


    ¡°Everybody in!¡±


    ¡°Move forward!¡±


    Desir¡¯s party followed the defense force.


    A battle broke out inside. The Outsiders couldn¡¯t seize victory and were forced to continually retreat. There were only a few of them left.


    The defense force and Desir¡¯s party re-took the first floor in the blink of an eye, and moved forward to the second floor where the teleportation gate was located. This floor was shaped like a square, to allow for the easy movement of arge number of troops, and was centred around a teleportation gate.


    A super-massive magic formationpletely filled the room with a diverse number of formations.


    ¡°Is that what I need to invert?¡±


    At that exact moment the magic form turned red and the gate started to operate.

 Chapter 73: Terrorism (5)

    <h4>Chapter 73: Terrorism (5)</h4>


    New Outsiders emerged from the gate. They looked far stronger than the ones that they had been fighting against so far. These fresh Outsiders numbered twenty strong and wore the same uniform as the existing Outsiders. The warriors had ck armour and were holding swords of decent quality, while the wizards were all at least of the Third-Circle.


    It was an elite army of Outsiders.


    They started ying the defense force in a show of brilliance. It was impossible to repel them, let alone dominate them. There was almost no one in the defense force that was able to face them at their level.


    ¡®Sh*t. We can¡¯t hold for much longer if more strong people cross over again.¡¯


    It was important to change the coordinates of teleportation gate immediately.


    Desirmanded the party.


    ¡°Pram, Romantica! Protect the troops so that they are not lost pointlessly!¡±


    ¡°Gotcha!¡±


    At one part of the battlefield where the fiercest battle was unfolding, Pram appeared. He dealt with one of the Outsiders with a single swing of his silvery rapier. He was definitely the superior force here.


    Romantica was also curtailing the momentum the Outsiders. Due to the presence of these two, the defense force would not continue to crumble dreadfully, even if they couldn¡¯t seize the initiative in the battle.


    ¡°Yaaap!¡±


    They overpowered the Outsiders. With the exception of the new elite army, there were still plenty of Outsiders and disordered fights had developed as the battlefield spread out.


    ¡°I need to get closer to the center of the magic array of the teleportation gate to reset the coordinates. Cover me, Adjest."


    Adjest lead the way and Desir assisted her from the rear. By thoroughly analysing and inverting the magic of the enemy, Desir was intermittently taking care of the Outsiders with Third-Circle magic. His Third-Circle magic was super-fast and its power was way stronger than normal Third-Circle spells. He approached the center of teleportation gate while subduing opposing Third-Circle wizards one by one.


    Outsiders realised that Adjest and Desir were heading towards the gate and immediately shifted their focus onto them.


    It was a winnable fight at the beginning but thebination of a knight level and Third-Circle wizard attack from the Outsiders proved to be a formidablebination. Their strong opposition brought Adjest to a stop. There were only a few more steps left to reach the gate.


    ¡°It is enough at this distance. Please hold for 5 minutes, Adjest.¡±


    In front of the teleportation gate, analysis had begun. Desir had to reset the coordinates of the teleportation gate that the Outsiders had modified. Because the teleportation magic was aplicated and heavy magic that belonged to the Fifth-Circle, there was a huge amount of calction required to analyse it.


    ¡®Well, freezing-pce can¡¯t be used.¡¯


    Adjest was thinking about how to fight the Outsiders as one of them entered the reach of her sword. Freezing-pce was a magic that allowed one to infinitely invoke the desired magic within a designated area. As it was used simultaneously against multiple members of the Aman tribes in the Shadow World, it was powerful enough to handle the Outsiders despite being so unwieldy. Ultimately though, it was a difficult magic to use in such disordered battle. Due to it being an area-of-effect spell it was possible to catch both enemy and friendly forces in it. The use of freezing-pce in a battlefield like this might result in friendly-fire. This left just one strategy that Adjest could deploy.


    ¡®Then, pure magic and fencing are the only way to fight this enemy.¡¯


    She wielded her sword and swung it at the enemy in front of her. Her counterpart was holding two swords, one in each hand - one was a short sword and the other a long sword.


    As soon as she avoided the sword from her side by ducking her head the other sword immediately followed up.


    Her sword and the Outsider¡¯s collided against each other. Adjest¡¯s power was superior but if she pushed carelessly, she may end up giving up ground as the attack interval of the Outsider swordsman was very short due to his use of two swords.


    Adjest adjusted her hold on the sword.


    *Grip*


    And she swung.


    Fast.


    Much faster.


    With her natural physical ability she swung the huge sword at a tremendous speed.


    The Outsider crossed his swords in a fluster to block her attacks.


    *Wham!*


    Sparks flew from the exchange.


    The Outsider flew back but stood up after rolling once in an admirable disy of acrobatics. But there was no time for him to take a breath. Adjest didn¡¯t allow him any recovery and continued to press the attack in earnest.


    He was furious and snorted. While licking his bloody lips, he yelled.


    ¡°You are strong! Strong! Very strong!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The swordsman disyed a very irregr fencing style. The trajectory of his sword was extremely diverse, constant and rash as his sword flowed in a flexible manner, apparently without any concern for the inevitable umtion of wounds.


    Adjest thought that this exchange was very annoying. Amidst the continuous attacks, Adjest turned her eyes towards the wizard behind her for a brief moment. She realized that he had been busy forming a spell to invoke.


    [Thurman Lightning]


    It was an electric Third-Circle magic.


    Adjest raised her sword to face against the Outsider¡¯s sword and stretched her free hand out towards the wizard. She shoved the swordsman away by strongly pushing the sword facing her in an outwards facing arc whilst also invoking a magic ice dome to protect her and also redirect the approaching magic.


    *Bump!*


    The ice exploded. The lightning had gathered inside the ice dome and was returned at the caster. The Outsider was infuriated while shaking off his burnt-ck hair and clothes. He started invoking a second magic.


    ¡°Let me enjoy this more!¡±


    *Whoosh!*


    A sword passed by Adjest¡¯s hand.


    *Patter.*


    Blood dripped onto the floor. The cost of losing concentration in a duel was immediately paid in full.


    ¡°¡­ I have no more time to spend hanging out with you.¡±


    Adjest didn¡¯t have the time to spend ying any further with him. During the fight with him, the wizard was invoking more magic and Adjest couldn¡¯t handle both of their attacks together.


    Adjest decided that she couldn¡¯t stall any longer.


    [Magic-sword: Frozen Wave]


    ¡°¡­ !?¡±


    Following the trajectory of the sword that Adjest swung, the air was frozen solid. The Outsider swordsman intuitively felt the danger that magic-sword presented and rapidly retreated.


    ¡®I predicted that you would step back, of course.¡¯


    Adjest had actually been aiming at the wizard forming his magic. The swordsman who had been trading blows with her had stepped back after quickly realising the change in the situation, but the wizard behind was not as quick. Because the wizard was fully focused on his Third-Circle magic, he couldn¡¯t figure out why the wind started to blow irregrly. However, regardless of the situation, the wizard had just finished the Third-Circle magic and invoked it at Adjest.


    A sphere of electricity sped towards Adjest emitting a threatening noise. Adjest continued swinging the magic-sword towards the wizard, naturally meeting the electric sphere without hesitation.


    *Buump!*


    Adjest frowned at the feeling of a twinge in her hand, but the concern was only momentary as her sword sessfully shed through the oing magic.


    ¡°What the¡­?!¡±


    When the magic that the wizard had toiled on invoking dissipated with one cut of the sword, he was left visibly disconcerted. He was now in apletely defenseless state. As he was about to turn-heel and flee, Adjest instantaneously approached him.


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    There was no chance of him matching her speed. She punched the wizard in his sr plexus with her hilt.


    *Whack*


    A small noise resonated as he copsed onto the ground. The wizard couldn¡¯t bear the acute pain and had passed out with his eyes rolling back into his head. This was the end of the wizard. The voice of the remaining Outsider reached Adjest¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Haha, I will finish it all here!¡±


    The swordsman was running towards Desir while she was busy handling the wizard.


    [Ice Lance]


    It was a piece of cake now to deal with the remaining man, as the wizard was now out of the picture. The two icences that Adjest had invoked pierced up out of the ground in front of the swordsman.


    During the brief moment that the swordsman hesitated.


    [Grease]


    Adjest closed the distance in an instant.


    Drawing closer at ludicrous speed, the swordsman flinched.


    ¡°Eh? Eeeeeh?¡±


    This was enough to ensure defeat. Adjest flew straight and collided directly into the swordsman. He was blown back towards the teleportation gate. The two swords he held fell onto the ground with an unpleasant noise.


    Adjest punched his stomach as he tried to attack again.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    His upper body folded in pain. However, the swordsman had secretly gripped a dagger hidden at his waist. Adjest didn¡¯t allow him the opportunity to produce the knife and attacked his lower-middle body with a vicious kick.


    ¡°Ughhhh!¡±


    The swordsman screamed at the pain that bloomed beyond his expectation. Adjest then kicked him straight in the face as he held her legs in ast-bid to get up and turn the situation around. Her kick had apparently connected with his nose. With the noise of the dagger dropping to the ground, blood started to pour down his face, also revealing that his two front teeth were broken. This was finally enough for him to ck-out.


    ¡°¡­ Finished.¡±


    She shook her hands.


    ¡°Restoration of coordinates has beenpleted. Good. Now when the gate is restarted¡­ ¡±


    Desir¡¯s analysis and inversion were finished just in time.


    *Hummmm!*


    The form buried under the teleportation gate started to change colour from red to blue. The gate allowing the Outsiders continuous reinforcement was now shut. The Outsiders couldn¡¯t hide their embarrassment at this strategic failure. Themanders who lead the defense force found that the battle was now in their favour and raised their voices.


    ¡°Defeat the remnants! They have no more reinforcements!¡±


    ¡°Whoooop-!¡±


    As long as the defense could hold out until the supporting troops arrived, they would win. With the situation reversed morale was now sky-high on the defense force¡¯s side.


    The battle was almost over. Desir looked at Adjest. He sincerely thanked her for her efforts in holding against those Outsiders.


    ¡°Let¡¯s clear all of the remnants first.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    The final stage of the battle. Whilst handling the Outsiders that troubled the defense forces, Desir recalled the man in the crow mask who hadn¡¯t shown up here. After the first terrorist attack, he actually hadn¡¯t appeared at all.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think he retreated¡­¡¯


    Where in the world did he go?


    It would be an unsolved mystery until he appeared again.

 Chapter 74: At the End of the Nightmare (1)

    <h4>Chapter 74: At the End of the Nightmare (1)</h4>


    On the 500th year of Rowelius, the Dark Age had begun. The appearance of the beings called demons brought despair to the world. The standoff between demons and mankind continued; the civilization of mankind crumbled as a result. The story lost without trace to time and only passed down through word of mouth from generation to generation. Some scoffed at the story as a ssic myth, but some believed. For those few, it was the history that definitely urred.


    *Footsteps*


    Within the royal castle that had copsed into ruins, there was a man walking through the charred remains. He was wearing a Crow Mask. As he was walking, the debris that blocked his path was getting swept aside, clearing the way forward. He arrived at the center of the royal castle and ced his hand on the ground. All of a sudden, a rune appeared and pushed him straight into the air. It immediately lost its strength and dropped him back onto the ground.


    Suddenly, the door to the underground path appeared. The hidden way that Frilleza royalty weren¡¯t even aware of. It took him a very long time to get to this point, gathering all of the stories and evidence that was only passed down through word of mouth from generation to generation. The breakthrough clue was themonality of a ce in the stories where the ocean radiated a golden hue and was named Isthakar.


    Disaster.


    The great demon referred to in times past as Disaster was fast asleep within thisnd. The ancient people were not able to destroy the great demon and only managed to ce it in slumber within the depths of the sea. They also ced a seal on-top of it. As for the foundation of that seal, the ancient people raised a structure to protect it. At ater date one of these ancients, who had originally put the great demon under this seal, established a royal castle and named thends surrounding it the ¡®Frilleza Empire¡¯. But now, this ce could no longer serve its original purpose andid waste. Currently, the royal castle waspletely destroyed and the entire people of the nation were scattered all over the ce focussing on other matters.


    There was no one left that could interfere. Without hesitation, the man wearing a Crow Mask walked down the stairs in the pitch-ck darkness. He stopped at the ce where pulsating magic was drawn and drew something from the inside of his clothes. It was a staff with many ck jewels embedded.


    It was naturally an artifact. It was a treasure obtained through attacking and clearing a 3rd ss Shadow World. Very few knew the purpose of it. One of those exceptions being himself.


    Millions of souls were captured in that staff, and he believed it to be the catalyst to wake up the demon. The Crow Masked man stood in the center of a rune and stuck the staff right in the middle of it. Red mana started flowing out like blood. It was about evening time when the attacks from the Outsiders were starting to abate. The sky was radiating bright light as if it were mixed with gold.


    When the Western Empire¡¯s most elite, Avalon Army, arrived through the newly reconnected space travel gate, the vanquishing of the remaining Outsiders was easily aplished. The situation was quickly concluded as soon as the Outsiders realized that there was no longer a possibility of hope and surrendered right away.


    The stadium, which was used as a temporary headquarters, was filled with guards and refugees. The guards seemed exhausted but appeared proud of the fact that their defense was sessful against the intruders.


    ¡°Hey, try some of this.¡±


    ¡°This as well. It¡¯s cooked to perfection.¡±


    ¡°Oh. No, thanks. I¡¯ve had enough.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all good.¡±


    The guards handed their portion of rations to their foreign allies.


    The foreign allies, who put on awkward smiles after politely attempting to decline their favors, finally caved in and started to gracefully ept the hospitality. The favors eventuating into the sight of ever growing mountains of food. The allies? They were students of Hebrion.


    The party of Desir.


    Even they were showing signs of fatigue from the long, drawn out battles. They small scars and wounds covered their bodies, and the exhaustion they emanated made it all the more evident. But just like the other foreign allies, they seemed very happy stuffing their faces with the food on offer.


    ¡°I have heard that you were quite famous in Hebrion.¡±


    ¡°You guys were great!¡±


    The Desir¡¯s party was getting quite the weing from the soldiers of the Frilleza Empire. It was obvious as the officials, who initially didn¡¯t wee them as they were from Hebrion, now treated them as VIPs and with respect.


    There was nobody who didn¡¯t know their names.


    They especially had quite the following amongst the soldiers who had witnessed the assault on the Teleportation Authority offices.


    Desir¡¯s party received so many gifts that it literally formed a mound on the stadium seats.


    ¡°My mom will go crazy if she heard what happened today.¡±


    Romantica looked ecstatic. And rightfully so, as she had fended off the threat to her hometown with her own hands.


    ¡°Ah, here you are.¡±


    A deep and calm voice came over. As Zod approached, Desir¡¯s party sprang to their feet ending their momentary rest.


    ¡°No, no. Stayfortable. Prisci.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this. Guys, could you gather up here?¡±


    Ady came over to where Desir¡¯s party was and focused on the condition of Pram and Adjest, who had attained a number of small wounds. When she closed her eyes, the light started to gather at the wounds.


    ¡°Ohhhhhh.¡±


    A roar spilled out from the soldiers who witnessed it as they gathered around the party. Healing. The reason that Prisci was referred to as the Saint was because of this exact ability. Many sorcerers were able to expedite the natural healing process, but her magic was on a different level entirely.


    It was magic that actually healed the wound as if it never existed. This was the ability that only she possessed in this world. The bleeding immediately stopped and new flesh rapidly regenerated.


    Even if they were in a critical condition, the moment her hand touched the wound, everything would return to normal.


    Soon after, Pram and Adjest¡¯s woundspletely disappeared without any trace.


    ¡°They were light wounds, so it didn¡¯t take too long.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    Adjest showed her gratitude. On the other side, Desir and Zod were having a conversation.


    ¡°You did great. The King was very grateful. Perhaps this will improve the rtionship that the other nations have with Hebrion.¡±


    Perhaps this was a fortunate thing after all.


    ¡°If you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to find me.¡±


    ¡°Are the kings still in the bunker?¡±


    ¡°They will stay there until everything ispletely resolved. Because¡­ ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of the Crow Mask hasn¡¯t surfaced yet.¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    Zod nodded.


    ¡°We are still unsure what the Outsiders¡¯ intentions are based on their actions so far. I don¡¯t think they will fall back since they are already in too deep.¡±


    ¡°So, you are predicting that he will be on the move soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Since the Outsiders arepletely wiped out, there is nothing that he can do. The Avalon Army is guarding the bunker, and since I cast protection magic at that location, we should be able to respond quickly.¡±


    ¡°I hope that is enough¡­ ¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t guarantee anything.¡±


    Desir couldn¡¯t shake off his unexinable anxiety, even though everything was going well.


    The Crow Mask.


    Although it was for a very short moment, Desir was able to witness the magic that Crow Mask cast. His magic was very sophisticated andplicated. He was a sorcerer with great power.


    ¡®But he can¡¯t possibly defeat Zod with just that ability.¡¯


    Also, all of the Outsiders who were led by him were utterly wiped out. He no longer had any army to mobilize at this point.


    *Boom.*


    It was a very suffocating and ominous explosion.


    Their uneasy gazes that had begun to tremble all gathered on the location of the st.


    Desir shifted his gaze to Zod.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°¡­Certainly.¡±


    The explosion came from the shore.


    ¡°Can this be¡­ ¡±


    Desir got up from his ce of temporary rest. His heart had started to pound. Something was about to happen.


    ¡°Look, look over there!¡±


    There was uneasiness around the stadium. People started looking up at the sky. Within the space of a moment or two, the sun had started to transform into a shade of ck from its originally golden hue.


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    A premonition suddenly struck Desir and he quickly left the stadium. The entire world was turning gray. He started running towards the shore where the explosion came from. Streetlights and the surrounding scenery became a blur in his eyes as he rushed past. He was running out of breath, but he couldn¡¯t afford to think about that. And he thought.


    ¡®The Crow Mask is finally on the move.¡¯


    It must be him. It had to be him.


    But what is he trying to do?


    Is he deploying a Sixth-Circle magic?


    That might actually be a better situation, Desir thought.


    This ce was being protected by the Seventh-Circle sorcerer Zod, and if anything, there was Desir¡¯s ability to invert spells as well. They were prepared to respond. Nothing could possibly prate their defense. But what if it wasn¡¯t magic? What if it wasn¡¯t magic and a totally different type of threat?


    ¡°Please.¡±


    *Roar.*


    Desir finally arrived at the shore. The sun was about to set. The waving ocean was supposed to radiate golden rays of light.


    Except it wasn¡¯t.


    What was supposed to be a golden ocean was turning ck as if squid ink was mixed into it. The ck sun. This ce was gradually losing its colour and turning ck and white.


    The scenery.


    The Sun.


    The view.


    He knew.


    A horrible memory suddenly resurfaced.


    ¡°¡­ this can¡¯t be.¡±


    Reflexes were faster than consciousness. His pupils widened. His mind was in constant denial and kept telling himself it was only a dream.


    *ROAR.*


    Mountains were crumbling down. Cliffs tore apart and copsed from the intensity of the waves crashing into them as eerie screams emanated from the Earth. Something monstrous was slowing emerging from the ocean.


    Reality currently felt like a bad dream. But, the figure in front of his eyes, so vivid as if it just crawled out of a nightmare, was indeed real.


    ¡°WHAT¡­ WHAT IS THAT?¡±


    ¡°NO, NO WAY. THE SHEER SIZE¡­ ¡±


    Romantica and Pram screamed as they just arrived on the scene and came to terms with what they were witness to. Adjest aimlessly gazed at the figure without any words. Zod just touched his staff with unease and other mixed emotions on his face.


    ¡°Is¡­ that a demon?¡±


    It had to be about 10 meters tall. Runes of ughter were carved into its teeth and it had a mane of hell fire around its neck.


    It was one of the great demons that had destroyed much of ancient mankind long ago.


    ¡°Dadenewf, the Demon of Destruction¡­¡±

 Chapter 75: At the End of the Nightmare (2)

    <h4>Chapter 75: At the End of the Nightmare (2)</h4>


    The demon from the legend. The one who once belonged to the highest level of the Shadow Labyrinth had appeared.


    Shattering the entire cliff the demon rolled its gigantic eyes to spot the city near the shore. Then it slowly moved its massive legs. It was a walking disaster. As it took a step the ground shook and everything nearby was wrecked. All of the parasols that beautifully embellished the beach lust hours before were crumpled and destroyed. On approaching the half-copsed castle the demon came to aplete stop. The castle which had been half-melted and of which there was scant amount of it still standing, would have originally served to repel the demon.


    Perhaps due to memories from its past, the demon struck down what remained of the castle. The castle which had stood there for hundreds of years further fell to pieces and was leftpletely shattered.


    "Roooaaarrrr"


    It was a shout as powerful as thunder. The sea that used to shine like gold became pitch-ck as the sky lost all light, not even stars could be seen.


    "Where in the world did a monster this stronge from?!"


    Later, the capital''s defense forces and Western Kingdom''s foremost champions, the Avalon Army, formed into lines and took up strategic positions on the walls of Deltaheim. But they were all rooted to the spot from a strong sense of dread, after seeing the demon that felt like a great gue, slowly but surely close in on the city.


    Themander of the Avalon Army was petrified. He was a well-renowned veteran who had participated in numerous Shadow Worlds, but even he had never seen a monster of this size in any of them.


    "If that thing approaches here¡­"


    It''s over. There were so many citizens still taking refuge in the city. There was no ce to retreat to. It was under these circumstances that themander was forced to make a decision, knowing full well that any choice that he made would be deemed reckless in hindsight.


    "Block it!"


    The gates opened and the Deltaheim troops rushed out to fight against the beast. In the castle, wizards formted magic for invoking and archers nocked their arrows. Soon the sky was filled with bolts and magic. But nothing worked against it. None of the magic or arrows could prate Dadenewf''s skin. Instead, they bounced off pitifully without even leaving a mark behind. The soldiers swung their swords and thrust their spears. The army d in steel could not cut through the hide of the beast, but rather broke their weapons trying. With a single swing, numerous soldiers were cut down by Dadenewf, as if they were nothing more than a bunch of flies. a The troops were devastated and morale quickly plummeted. It was as if they were the pathetic moths diving into a brilliant me, their sole purpose in this battle to be meatshields and buy a miniscule amount of time before inevitably being ughtered. Desir and his party were looking at the scene unfolding before them and could not hide how dreadful they felt. They also realized that all of the demons that they had encountered in the Hebrion Academy tests were a joke inparison to this one. Its size, power, and pressure were all iparable ¡ª the demon that blindly sought destruction and wholesale ughter.


    "I''ve gotta go help quickly."


    Romantica was clearly overwhelmed but she tried to get herself moving after seeing the demon heading towards the castle.


    "Stop"


    Desir stopped Romantica. His dark ck eyes were shaking.


    "There''s nothing you can do."


    Sadly, Romantica already knew that. She pointed to the people who were blocking Dadenewf.


    "Them too."


    But Desir turned down Romantica.


    "Are you saying that you want to be killed over there?"


    "I''m not going to ask you to help me. It''s already enough with what you''ve done before. But this is my hometown. I can''t just sit back and watch!"


    Desir absolutely understood how she felt but he could never send her into that field of ughter. And he also knew how selfish he was being. But to him, there was something called responsibility, that he had to protect her even if he had to trample over and ignore her feelings. Desir continued in a voice that could barely be discerned.


    "Remember the promise we made."


    "A promise?"


    Instantly, Romantica remembered the promise that she had made; to unconditionally drop everything and run away when they encountered an unmanageable threat. That''s what she had promised him.


    Romantica replied in agony, as she weighed up the promise against the unfolding situation.


    "But Desir¡­"


    "Mister Desir, they will copse if this continues, then all of the city will copse as well. They need our help."


    Pram supported Romantica, but Desir was determined.


    "They will. But it''s not on us. We can''t do anything here."


    Pram couldn''t say anything to this.


    "Aargghhh!"


    At that time, there was shouting mixed up with the sound of wind that blew over from the shore. Desir''s party sensed something odd and looked at Dadenewf.


    Dadenewf opened its gigantic mouth and everyone could feel the destructive magic power that gathered before rapidly beaming out. Soon afterward, a high-intensity heat wave shot out from Dadenewf.


    *Brrrzp*


    Everything in the path of the heatwave had been erased. The ultra high-intensity beam left a distortion in the air from the heat wave that passed through.


    "¡­"


    At this absurd sight, Romantica and Pram were left speechless. There was only one person who could fight against such ridiculous things.


    Zod told Desir and his party.


    "I have to go too. You should retreat from here."


    "Tower Master, there should be a core buried deep inside the back of its spine. But even if you know where the core is located, Is not going to be easy to reach it due to its hard shell."


    The core.


    All demons have a core in their bodies. Their bodies form around it. Zod listened to Desir but felt something was strange.


    "How do you know that?"


    "Well, I''ll exin the detailster. The first thing we should do is stop it."


    Dadenewf continued to approach the city of Deltaheim. There was no time to dy.


    "And when that rune on its tusk turns red, it will shoot the same beam attack. It''s impossible to block it with our defensive magic, so the best alternative is to twist its neck and change the direction of the beam. Please remember that if we lower its body heat, that will decrease the power of it by up to half."


    "¡­ I have no choice but to trust you. You can leave this to me."


    Zod was just about to roll up his sleeves and cast his magic.


    "I can''t let you disturb it."


    Just then, someone''s voice was heard from behind. Turning around, there was a man with a hood over his head. It was Crow-Mask. Although he fell short of Zod, he was capable of confronting him and wasting time If Zod was dyed by him, Dadenewf would without a doubt destroy the entire city of Deltaheim.


    "But I can''t just ignore this guy¡­"


    It was a difficult choice to make while under pressure. Crow-Mask invoked his magic. In defense, Zod could only return fire by throwing his own power back. And at that moment¡­


    "Tower Master, teleport Crow Mask and me! I''ll try to oppose him!"


    "But¡­"


    "Tower Master!"


    Zod hesitated for a moment but after seeing Desir''s eyes full of confidence, he soon made up his mind. He started invoking a teleportation spell.


    "I told you that this wouldn''t work."


    Unfortunate as it was, Crow-Mask was stronger at teleportation than Zod. As soon as Zod started formting his teleportation magic, Crow-Mask began analysing it and invoking his own magic. As the power of Crow-Mask started to undo Zod''s spell, his body that had started to break down into dust immediately began to reform. His magic was clearly interrupting Zod''s spell.


    However, Crow-Mask suddenly looked at Zod. Zod must have been processing teleportation magic while also analysing Crow-Mask''s counter magic.


    ''When exactly was my magic inverted?''


    Zod''s teleportation magic was invoked topletion. Dazzling light filled everyone''s vision. When Crow-Mask opened his eyes again, he was already in the middle of Deltaheim city.


    "Interesting¡­"


    Crow Mask once again gathered his magic power and began to cast a teleportation spell. But this time, his body did not disintegrate into dust. It was the same as before. His magic did not move to the next step as if there was a well blocking it. Feeling strange, he looked at the boy in front of him. The boy looked like a magician of the Third-Circle at best. Someone so insignificant that Crow-Mask could not even deem him as someone to care about. That boy was inverting his magic. Crow-Mask opened his mouth.


    "You''re the one who undid the magic I set up in the pce."


    "Yes, it was me."


    "The amount of mane you''re holding is just terrible, but you''re pretty good at analysis."


    Then, the gaze of Crow-Mask moved towards the clothes that Desir was wearing.


    The Hebrion Academy "Clothes Line".


    That''s the defense suit that is only assigned to the single rankers in Hebrion Academy. Crow-Mask understood the situation and gave up on teleporting to Zod, while at the same time reaching out to Desir.


    "I have changed my mind. I will deal with you first."


    ''Gravity Control''


    Enormous gravity pressured Desir and his surroundings.


    *Crack*


    The sidewalk couldn''t hold-out and began to break.


    ''Gravity Reverse''


    Desir reversed the gravity in a narrow area around himself and escaped from the area of effect of the gravity spell. As Crow-Mask invoked his next spell, Desir soon read it.


    ''Night w''


    Crow Mask stretched his hand out towards Desir and made a slicing motion in the air with it. It appeared as if the air itself was cut in a straight line coinciding with this cutting motion.


    *Slice*


    Desir leaned down and a row of trees immediately copsed behind him.


    Desir had managed to dodge this spell by the narrowest of margins.


    Desir quickly analyzed the opponent in front of him.


    ''He is a Twin ss wizard who can simultaneously use the attributes of space and fire in his magic. But is space magic the type of magic that he specialises in?''


    Space magic does not have any magic that can oppose it. This magic also happens to be superior to any other magic in terms of its destructive power. The only thing that Desir could do at this moment was to figure out the path of Crow-Mask''s magic and dodge it.


    ''I can''t be too close to him, but I also can''t be too far away either. I need to maintain a reasonable stand-off distance to have any chance at opposing him.''


    While Desir was strategizing Crow-Mask continued to(a invoke a spell.

 Chapter 76: At the End of Nightmare (3)

    <h4>Chapter 76: At the End of Nightmare (3)</h4>


    [Dimension Burst]


    The Fourth-Circle teleportation magic.


    *Crack*


    With the noise of ss breaking, Desir''s surroundings started to copse. Endless explosions continued to overwhelm the senses and before long the magic had almost reached Desir.


    [Raise Earth]


    A magic spell firmly in the territory of a Third-Circle. It built walls by shaping earth that had been raised. Unfortunately, these walls were not enough to withstand the continuous explosions. They were quickly demolished.


    *Smash*


    One of the pieces of the wall hit Desir''s arm and the force activated the "Clothes Line''s" defense magic. Unconsciously, Desir touched and felt out the affected arm. If it wasn''t for the ''Clothes Line'', he''d probably have lost his arm.


    Crow Mask was a magician that belonged to the highest ss, the Sixth-Circle, and Desir was only a Third-Circle magician with the support of an Artifact.


    At this moment, all Desir could do was gather all of his strength, leaving nothing in reserve. "Let''s do a little bit more¡­ just a little bit more¡­"


    *Thud!*


    The conclusion of this fight was inevitable, with one side attacking unterally and mercilessly, while the other side was preupied with just blocking It was hardly a fair match The inevitability of Desir s defeat was so apparent that even ayperson would recognise this after seeing it with their own eyes. Desir intrinsically knew this fact as well. Thus, his only objective was to dy Crow Mask from reaching and interfenng with Zod s work.


    *Rumble*


    [Destruction Area]


    The Fourth-Circle spatial magic.


    When Crow Mask cast his magic, enormous energy gathered and built up around him. In a matter of moments, the magic had destroyed the roads and shattered buildings as if it would swallow the enbre city Crow Mask''s intention was to use this in a head-on confrontation with Desir.


    *Boom*


    All of a sudden, the magic that had fanned out from Crow Mask disappeared.


    [Inversion]


    The flow of this battle had turned on its head. "You''ve already reversed my magic¡­?"


    No matter how good he was at reversing, it was nearly impossible to analyse and inverse the high-ss magic in just a few seconds. However this boy in front of him was surely capable of doing it.


    "¡­He''s been figuring out the structure of my spells since he first saw my magic."


    Desir had been analyzing Crow Mask''s magic form ever since he came to the council room and battled against Zod earlier. He wanted to be prepared for this kind of situation. Crow Mask quickly changed his magic form. The flow of the magic cast - was entirely changed and a totally new method of magic appeared Even Desir couldn¡¯t defend against this as he wasn¡¯t capable of converting Sixth-Circle magic on first sight.


    But that assumptionsted very shortly His magic didn''tst any longer and was soon inverted.


    "The inversion is getting faster¡­!"


    This time, even though the structure of the form was not even fully analyzed yet, the inversion was quicklypleted. It was because Desir had read the basic logic fundamental quirks to the spells that Crow Mask had cast.


    This was a problem endemic to humankind due to theirck of flexibility and imagination. No matter how Crow Mask tned to change the strategies of his magic, the necessary foundation of it had not been changed.


    Structure of magic.


    The idea of a magician.


    Paths of development.


    As time went by, the flow of became more familiar to Desir As a result, the speed of his reversing only elerated. People say that battles of high-ss sorcerers are like a chess game - yers assume, read, and challenge each other''s strategies.


    Magic battle.


    Desire had a rtively poor mana poolpared to Crow Mask, but he was confronting high-ss magic very calmly On the other hand. Crow Mask had ever decreasing bme to cast his magic before it was inverted.


    He was being fully read. His thought process was being analysed and countered by Desir.


    ''¡­It is only a matter of time before all of my magic gets blocked.''


    Crow Mask started to break out in cold sweat Little by little, he realized the momentum was shifting against him


    ''I''ve never had this kind of battle before.''


    It was quite different from the battle with Zod.


    Zod and Crow Mask had equallypetent mana pools. So. it was really up to who developed and deployed the more powerful magic in a more effective way.


    But the battle with this sorcerer was clearly different A fight that depended solely on inversion No matter how strong the magic, since the form was being inverted, there was nothing he could do.


    It felt as if Desir was slowing taking over.


    Crow Mask would be defeated when all of the magic he had at his disposal was analyzed and inverted by Desir. Crow Mask changed his opinion of Desir.


    ''This is an oppponent as strong as Zod.''


    Low magic power.


    Low circle.


    The physical attnbutes were also terrible.


    *Crash!!!*


    But. he made up for all of these weaknesses with only his prowess in: inversion, judgment, and battle experience. He made up the power difference by predicting what his opponent would do and even attempted to counter it He freely used all kinds of different magic That alone was greater than a Sixth-Circle ability in terms of magic dueling.


    [Devour graviba]


    *Paaa!*


    The magic missed and hit the fountain. The water fountain broke, and the stream of water shot up in the air and soaked Crow Mask''s robe and feet. Oesir didn''t just sit down and miss that golden opportunity.


    [Freezing Field]


    The flooded floor started to freeze and Crow Mask''s feet and robe froze since they were in contact with the water.


    Desir continued to invoke magic. He invoked magic with all of the power that he had. The crest on the back of his hand shed.


    [Ice Orb]


    An attack magic that poured out countless ice bolts. A myriad of ice bolts shot out and nailed against the body of Crow Mask.


    *Crumple*


    With control of the magic that he could counter with wrested out of his control, the ice bolts started dug into Crow Mask''s frost-covered Body.


    One, two, three, and soon tens of ice bolts.


    Now. the figure covered by ice arrows could hardly be considered a human body. It was as if he had transformed into a snowman


    "¡­this bckles."


    The snow covered figure exploded And.


    "GASP!"


    *Crunch!*


    In an instant a jolt of pain gued Desir''s body, wreaking havoc with his nerves. The barrier fragments of the ¡®Clothes Line¡¯ were circling in the immediate surrounding. A surge of pam coursed through Desir''s body, threatening to reap his consciousness. He felt his vision slowly fading to ck. The whole world felt like it was turning upside down.


    Desir¡¯s body flew back and tumbled towards the corner of the building.


    *Crack*


    The crunching sound of bones vividly rang throughout the surrounding area. Desir spat out blood as his organs felt like they were shredded and he fell down to the cold stone ground Desir s ''Clothes Lines'' nonchntly chirped out a warning.


    -Warning. Less than 10 percent of the ''Clothes Line'' mana remains Defense ability shutting down.


    It was the force strong enough to overwhelm the defensive power of the ''Clothes Line''.


    "I didn''t expect to use this here."


    Crow Mask''s robe was a-light and it made short work of melbng the ice covering it. He shook off the ice particles as he was walking across the water puddle left from the ice. Desir could only look at the magic Crow Mask was invoking in his hand.


    The magic that was going to be deployed from Crow Mask''s hand was something bizarre that he had never seen before. The form in his handwas making geometric formations and spinning endlessly.


    [Supercube. Tesseract]


    The form was continually changing.


    ¡®¡­against a half-assed sorcerer like you.¡¯


    Desir got up. wiping the blood from around his mouth. He felt burning pain from what must have been several broken bones. His thought process never stopped or slowed down as he surveyed the damage.


    ''What in the world is that.?''


    Something fell on top of Desir¡¯s shoulder. It was a partially destroyed piece of stone construction. Desir turned around. The top portion of the building he copsed against was destroyed, and rubble was tumbling down, littenng the ground. The building was ruined beyond repair Desir was at the penphery of this scene of destruction.


    ¡®He didn¡¯t have enough time to cast high-circle magic¡­¡¯


    Even if he was casting magic while defending, he could''ve only had about 10 seconds. but the magic deployed was well above the Fifth-Circle. The building waspletely demolished and he was critically wounded with the ''Clothes Line'' defense utterly diminished even though the magic didn''t fully hit him.


    Desir bit his lips.


    ''¡­Is it vision magic?''


    It was a magic that he couldn''t even understand the goveming principle of Crow Mask reached for Desir. The Tesseract started shakmg again.


    "¡­!"


    Unexpectedly. Crow Mask sensed something and guickly developed defense magic.


    At the same moment, a shock rang out loudly. Something flew towards his defensive magic. It was sniper magic Crow Mask turned and stared in the diretion that the sniper magic came from. Then there was a tremendous amount of fighting aura.


    *Swooshl*


    The noise was so loud that it could hurt ears by itself. It was a lightning-fast sword.


    "You get away from Desir!"


    It was Pram''s sword, reaching the super-sonic realm, moving at an astonishing speed Crow Mask had cast his Fourth-Circle magic in between attacks. but Pram broke through the me wall without hesitabon Crow Mask couldn¡¯t avoid it. He was not allowed any bme to react Pram''s sword stabbed into Crow Mask''s side.


    "This is dangerous."


    He invoked spectal movement magic without any preparabon bme. He instantiy felt his body begin to break down into particles.


    ¡­And Desir''s inversion immediately followed up. Crow Mask''s special magic was interrupted Crow Mask''s body immediatety formed again An ice pce appeared above him.


    [Freezmg Pce]


    "¡­!"


    Hundreds of ice spells rained down on him.


    *Kaboom!!*


    The area around him was devastated. Fortunately, there were no civilians nearby.


    Desir lifted his head. Adjest and Pram stood in-front of him. demonstrating a unified front protecbng Desir.


    ¡®You guys¡­ how¡­?¡¯


    "We''ve been followng your location via themunication device."


    Themunication bracelet had a location tracking function between party members.


    Pram grabbed his sword. His face crumpled into a frown and his eyes betrayed how furious he was.


    "¡­you left us because we were notpetent enough. Desir?"


    Pram asked. while remaming vignt and guarding against Crow Mask. His face was as red as fire; and his breath was as rough as a bull Desir had never seen Pram as angry as this.


    "I thought you couldn¡¯t handle it."


    "But¡­ But! We were so worried. Did you know that?"


    "I''m sorry."


    Desir had nothing to say. Adjest nced at Desir and found that he was covered in blood.


    "You re right We are absolutely not enough to fight with a demon But. Desir, look at you It¡¯s not only us who couldn¡¯t handle the situation."


    "¡­ Oh¡­ Um."


    "Well Enough."


    *Ring*


    At that moment, a message arrived from Romantica who was observing them and preparing to snipe Crow Mask.


    "-Will you teli us to stay out here. Desir? We''ll be very disappomted."


    Everyone was thinking about Desir. They were worried about him.


    "The formabon has been deployed as you have trained us for. We have deployed a sniper, and Pram and I will lead the charge." Said Adjest "Well, this is the party that you have taught and trained. Can''t you belteve in us at least once?"


    Desir looked mto everyone''s eyes, and soon found his answer. What he saw told him that they would rely on him, but woutd back him up at the same time.

 Chapter 77: At the end of Nightmare (4)

    <h4>Chapter 77: At the end of Nightmare (4)</h4>


    *Thud*


    Huge nails piercing through the air were blocked by a shield. It was the Avalon Army of the Western Kingdom leading the frontline. Holding their shields up high against Dadenewt. they were all at around the level of knight ss soldiers.


    "We can''t let it advance any further!"


    Frilleza''s defense force were assisting the the Avalon Army as well. Theposition of their forces were mostly ordinary soldiers though, but at this time, their morale was as high as the city walls. Their hearts were a me with the desire to defend their home against this new threat, having Just beaten the Outsiders.


    As the knights and soldiers fearlessly fought their corpses piled up, naturally forming barricades. While they dyed the advance of Dadenewt, the magicians were casting spells from the rear. Third-Circle magic, with some Fourth-Circle magic mixed in, flew through the air demonstrating the overwhelming might of the Avalon Army.


    *Boom* *Boom*


    It was raining magic. Numerous magic spells exploded across Dadenewt''s body, momentarily screening its body from view. The unprecedented plethora of magic spells ignited hope for the knights in the frontlines, but¡­


    "Roooaaarrrrrrr!"


    After the smoke faded away, they couldn''t believe what they saw.


    Dadenewt''s body was untouched, without so much as a single scratch. The huge body seemed as good as new.


    To make matters worse, a wave of heat emanated from its mouth. The scorching wave of air forced everyone nearby, including the battle-hardened knights, to cover their faces. Themanding officer, Kelly, who was situated in the frontline was in a state of shock.


    ''What on earth is this devil¡­?''


    The Avalon Army was a troop of veteran soldiers that had fought against the Shadow Worlds on an innumerable number of asions. However, even their full powered offensive couldn''t make this giant demon so much as twitch.


    [Order de] did not do anything to it, and all other magic simply bounced right off.


    They had never been in this kind of fight before. They couldn''t see a path to victory. They simply didn''t know what to do. The scope of this disaster was beyond what they could wrap their heads around.


    "Arrrgggh!"


    One of the knights screamed as his body was pierced by a giant finger nail. His body was rapidly stained by the blood as it spread everywhere from the wound. There was an ever increasing number of soldiers dying at the shore in a simr manner¡­


    The knights and soldiers were barely holding their line of defense, and morale was slowly declining. Unlike them, Dadenewt looked to be in perfect condition. A mixture of sorrow and resignation had started to appear on the faces of some of the defenders.


    The demon itself was an impregnable fort, and as it moved, it left a trail of ughter in its wake.


    "Is there really no may to block this?"


    The barricades they had constructed during the fight, and had paid for with the blood of their brothers in arms, were about to be demolished. The demon roared. Then the rune on its body started to glow red, as if on fire. Commander Kelly immediately knew what this meant, after previously experiencing it, and was about to order a retreat.


    But before that, a huge explosion hit Dadenewt''s head. Dadenewt''s neck, which had not moved even a bit from the earlier volleys of spells, was bent at an unnatural angle. Thanks to this, the heatwave from the mouth was shot towards the sea. The sea appeared to part, as if fleeing from the massive heat beam. This was a testament to the power packed into that attack. The dark night sky became bright as daylight.


    And most importantly, there were no casualties. Not a single person on the battlefield was hurt from this attack.


    Dadenewt rolled its eyes around seeking the origin of that magic spell. It was a power strong enough to actually hit and damage it for the first time.


    The magic came from Zod Axarion.


    The one and only great Seventh-Circle magician.


    The leader of the world-ss Mage Tower. Unlike other magicians, he stood in the middle of the chaotic battlefield.


    "Axarion!"


    "I will cover you. Continue the battle."


    "But there are so many injured¡­"


    "Don''t worry about that."


    A woman''s voice came from behind them. It was Prisci who was revered as the Saint of the Church of Artemis.


    She heightened her concentration by closing her eyes. A white light spread out from her body and enveloped the bodies of the knights fighting against Dadenewt.


    Their wounds all healed in seconds. Small wounds didn''t even take a second to recover. Severe injuries also healed in just a few moments. Even the wounds of soldiers who were on death''s doorstep closed and healed. Within the space of just a minute, even they could get up and resume battling.


    [Wide Recovery]


    It was indeed a power strong enough to be called a miracle. As a result, the frontline of the battle had stabilized and recovered a little bit.


    Prisci sweated like rain, and the color of her face quickly deteriorated.


    Zod turned towards her.


    "Don''t push yourself too hard."


    "¡­I won''t."


    Zod looked at Dadenewt and again cast magic. It was in this way that the battle continued.


    ***


    Romantica looked into the scope of her magic tool calmly. The battle continued to unfold in-front of her. Adjust, Pram, and Desir were locked inbat against Crow Mask.


    The fight was one-sided. Even though Adjest and Pram had Joined in to support Desir, they were all busy defending and running around avoiding Crow Mask''s attacks.


    ''That unique type of magices from his right hand¡­''


    It was a very odd technique. It endlessly rotated as it changed its shape.


    This unknown magic technique was instantaneously pouring out incredible me in great volume. In a moment, the whole group of buildings nearby copsed as the streets shattered.


    ''If I go against him in a direct match my ''Clothes Line'' will break right away.''


    If it were Desir at any other time, he would probably have already reversed that magic, but this time he''s struggling just to cast magic while defending himself and his team.


    *Crash!!* *Bang!* *Whomp!*


    It was once a busy street, but now all of the buildings lining it were shattered and destroyed beyond recognition. The skeletons that were once hidden now revealed for all to see.


    The magician standing before them was mighty indeed.


    ''What I can do is¡­''


    Aim for the moment of inattention.


    Romantica felt a cool sensation from the rifle as she held it against her cheek.


    Crow Mask had noticed the first sniper shot and cast defense magic in time. His reflexes and intuition were indescribable.


    ''But I can''t give up now.''


    The same attack wouldn''t work again, against him. This one shot was her best chance.


    Romantica wanted to pull the trigger so many times already, but she controlled her impatience and continued to take great care.


    Through the scope, Romantica spotted Crow Mask simply avoiding Adiest''s attacks.


    He continued to act as if all of the damage done by Desir and Adiest''s magic attacks didn''t even faze him.


    ''Is that coat enchanted with Fourth-Circle magic defense?''


    It must be simr to the ''Clothes Line''.


    However, even Crow Mask had to be careful of Pram''s attacks. Blood was dripping from his side. Pram''s nchium sword was able to prate defense magic and hurt him due to its special nature. As a result, Crow Mask invoked space magic to blow away Pram and maintain a safe distance.


    Desir and Adjest also knew about this, so they tried their best to keep Pram close to their enemy.


    Adjest unfolded [Frozen Pce] magic. She tried pressing Crow Mask with her most exceptional magical ability through hundreds of projectile ice magic.


    However, Crow Mask was not only good with spatial magic but also a sorcerer who was well versed in the magic of fire.


    [Linear Ray]


    Crow Mask invoked magic that melted Adiest''s ice magic and [Frozen Pce] surrounding them. In a straight up confrontation, she was no match. The pirs crumbled down and the chandelier fell to the ground.


    All of a sudden, spatial rifts appeared and arranged themselves into a particr formation while flying towards Adjest. Spatial magic had been invoked.


    "Gasp!"


    Adjest raised her sword and hastily invoked defense sword magic.


    [Magic sword: Whisper of Kinard]


    The most potent Third-Circle defensive magic. Desir invoked additional defensive magic.


    [Wind Coat]


    Intense shockwaves shot into Adjust.


    *Boom!* *Bump!* *Bang!*


    She was pushed far back.


    Luckily, she didn''t seem to be harmed. It was all because Desir helped her out at Just the right time.


    Desir helped Pram and Adjest by fending off the magic that was cast towards them. At the same time, he was continually trying to reverse Crow Mask''s unusual form of magic.


    The tesseract that was shifting shape near Crow Mask''s hand was roughly a Sixth-Circle technique.


    It changed every second and seemed to have thousands of possible permutations, but in order to reverse it, it was necessary to interpret each permutation. It would drive one crazy just attempting to reverse the magic one permutation at a time.


    ''not to mention¡­ me.''


    The tesseract type of magic was indeed powerful, but it obviously consumed a great amount of power. It was visible from the movement of Crow Mask that he was starting to get exhausted from maintaining it.


    In addition, due to the continued struggles of other party members, he let his guard down against the sniper.


    It was the perfect opportunity for Romantica. She held her breath and lined up the target in the crosshair. Crow Mask''s spatial magic was about to be invoked once again.


    ''Now!''


    She pulled the trigger. The Third-Circle magic that she had loaded, [Storm of Avaros], waspressed and fired with the help of her rifle. The magic bullet with the prating power of the Fourth-Circle streaked through the air and crashed into the target.


    *Kabooom!*


    A small storm erupted. The strong gust of wind ripped through everything in its path. Crow Mask''s body flew in the air and crashed into the rubble of what was once a fountain.


    Finally, Romantica inhaled deeply.


    ''Was it sessful?''


    The dust storm settled and the figure of a man appeared. The edge of his robe was slightly torn and he was covered in dirt.


    Immediately, Romantica''s hopeful mood morphed into disappointment


    ''Is he really a monster?¡­ Wait.''


    However, something was definitely different this time. There was a small crack on the mask.


    *Crack*


    The cracking increased in volume without anyone even touching the mask. And it finally tore in half and fell to the ground. His bare face had appeared.

 Chapter 78: At the End of the Nightmare (5)

    <h4>Chapter 78: At the End of the Nightmare (5)</h4>


    When Crow Mask was flung into the fountain, Desir immediately realized that it was due to Romantica''s sniper shot.


    The snipe was sessful. Although it failed to end Crow Mask, it had dealt him some serious damage. He now limped and the enchanted defense magic on his clothes seemed to no longer work. Moreover, the attack had revealed Crow Mask''s face.


    After the mask fell off, a hideous face was revealed. The skin was all red and his face was covered with scars from severe burns. It was impossible to find any unblemished skin with the exception of a small part on his cheeks. His face looked like that of the corpse of an immtion victim.


    Crow Mask lifted his left hand and covered his bare face. Through his fingers ferocious, beast-like eyes zed like a naked me.


    "You¡­ your scar¡­"


    As Desir started walking towards him, Crow Mask stretched out a hand towards Desir.


    Spatial magic was invoked. Everything near Desir was instantly destroyed. As a result, Desir had to retreat, increasing the distance between himself and Crow Mask.


    "She''s actually a Fourth-Circle sniper instead of being just a Third-Circle magician."


    Crow Mask looked at the direction of the sniper. He used his Sixth-Circle mana detection senses and located the wind element magician who was aiming at him. He was angry and stretched out his hand in the direction of the sniper.


    "Block it!"


    At that moment, Pram dashed towards Crow Mask. Crow Mask had no choice. He turned around and faced Pram.


    *Crack!*


    Pram hit the ground to narrowly dodge the attack but his Clothes Line was left tattered from the attack that had just brushed past his body. Adjest also moved forward to intercept and attack Crow Mask.


    [Magic Sword. Ice Wave.]


    As the Tesseract spell continued to change its structure, it unleashed defensive magic and Adjest''s sword twisted after meeting that force.


    Even though Pram and Adjest couldn''t leave significant wounds on Crow Mask, it wasn''t entirely in vain. Crow Mask had no choice but to focuspletely on the group in front of him. Crow Mask swiped his right arm to the left in order to deal with Adjest.


    *Crash*


    The resulting spatial magic destroyed a wide area but Adjest was no longer standing there.


    Crow Mask had lost the initiative and was falling into the pace of Desir''s party. His actions became predictable and straightforward. It was too easy for Adjest to avoid such attacks.


    Adjest jumped into the air and sailed over Crow Mask''s head beforending elegantly. She then pivoted on one foot and shed the side of Crow Mask''s leg.


    *Crash!*


    me rose along the path of the sword. The Tesseract quickly switched from attack magic to defense magic to block further attacks from Adjest. As the Tesseract morphed once again, the ground started splitting apart under Adjest''s feet. A cloud of dust shot up as she attempted to flee from the affected area. The surface of the ground was not only demolished but parts of it were also left raised.


    Adjest shot up into the air with various debris as she failed to escape in time. Crow Mask cast a spell at her as she sailed through the air.


    ''Being hit by this spell is inevitable.''


    As the thought passed through her mind, she saw some conveniently located debris and repositioned by jumping off of them. Pram hade to her aid.


    As Adjest crossed her arms, Pram kicked them and bounced off backward. Crow Mask''s magic sliced the air between, where they had been just a moment prior.


    Both of themnded at the same time and dashed towards Crow Mask. Adjest started casting magic immediately.


    "Icy cold gust spears through the heart."


    [Ice Lens]


    Second-Circle attack magic. The icy spear flew towards Crow Mask.


    *Thud!*


    It crashed into him.


    Adjest''s magic demanded all of Crow Mask''s attention. The cloud of dust billowing up into the air from the further cracked ground obscured all vision.


    At that moment Pram stealthily moved into Crow Mask''s blind spot. Pram held up his rapier and raised it to the back of his head, as if he was holding a javelin. It was a skill that he had practiced numerous times. Pram''s sword pierced through the air at the speed of sound as he disappeared from sight.


    *Zap!*


    Crow Mask''s robe was torn and a bloody, red line was left behind. Adjest was already in a position to capitalise on this sudden gap in Crow Mask''s defenses. Without enough time to even let out a scream, Crow Mask''s Tesseract begun to shoot out magic.


    *Kaboom!*


    Pram and Adjest tag-teamed to keep up a continuous assault on Crow Mask. Within the space of a couple of seconds, tens and hundreds of strikesnded on him.


    He couldn''t do a single thing in response. Because Crow Mask''s one hand was upied covering his face, his movement was limited and he looked ufortable. He needed both hands to properly defend, but he still held his hand up to cover his face, as if ashamed of revealing his face. Slowly, more scratches and wounds appeared on his body. He couldn''t bear it anymore and started to shout.


    "You pieces of trash. Hebnon''s hypocritesl"


    It was a huge cry of hatred for Hebrion Academy. At the same time, the Tesseract subtly changed and assembled in a new way.


    Dark red light burst out. He was using all of the magic power that he had saved for the battle against Zod.


    "Back off, Pram!"


    Pram and Adjest stopped their sword strike mid-swing and immediately backed off. It was merely an application of the magic but the Tesseract rotated at a tremendous speed. The light glowed and¡­


    "What¡­?"


    It withered away. The various pieces of the Tesseract that had formed into a new pattern had started to break down and disappear.


    " ¡­It''s over." Said Desir.


    He had sessfully inverted the magic, countering all of the possible permutations.


    "¡­Over?" Crow Mask mumbled.


    "Yeah, you lost."


    Even the vision magic was fully-analysed and no longer usable. All of the methods he had at his disposal were now countered. No matter what magic he invoked, it would all be read and inverted. Crow Mask had nothing left.


    "¡­"


    He looked at Desir. Desir could feet the hatred deep in those eyes.


    "Why did you he all this?"


    "¡­This world has been a series of absurdities. You know better than most, if you are a Hebrion Academy student."


    Crow Mask looked at the Clothes Line that Desir and his party were wearing.


    "It''s not only Hebrion Academy. The same is true of the Hebrion Empire and even the entire world. Foolish aristocrats impose their standards and absurdity on everyone else."


    Desir couldn''t say anything in response because he was absolutely right. Those words tore down reality.


    A noble world.


    The Beta-ss students at the Hebrion Academy were not getting a decent education. just because they weremoners. This was the reason why Desir created a party.


    "This world is a copsing sandcastle. And the people who live in the castle¡­ Someday, everything will fall apart. And that''s what I desire."


    That logic. That reason. It was the slogan imed by a group in the past not so far from now.


    "Revolutionary Remnant¡­ was it?"


    Twelve years ago, a single student from the Hebrion Academy, held up a republican g and founded a revolutionary army. They called themselves Republicans, but other people called them Revolutionaries.


    And then the Hebrion Empire was plunged into civil war. The war divided people into nobles andmoners, and caused tragedy to both sides. The civil war eventually ended in royal victory and the revolutionaries were all executed.


    "The structure of this world is so wrong, right from its root. And you can''t argue with that."


    "You''re right. But no matter what goodwill you have, it can''t be justified. Look around you. Is this the answer you found?"


    "It''s sacrificing the small for big. The fall of the Western Kingdom is only the beginning. I willpletely destroy this absurd world and create true equality."


    Pram was appalled at Crow Mask''s objective.


    "Desir, we don''t have to listen to this nonsense anymore. Let''s arrest him right now."


    Crow Mask heard him and murmured.


    "You can''t stop us."


    At that moment, the sky which had been darkened with the appearance of Dadenewt, suddenly regained its brightness.


    "Did they defeat the demon?"


    Desir refuted.


    "No, that''s¡­"


    *Booooom*


    It was a me. No, it wasva resulting from a huge explosion.


    Volcanic ash poured down from the sky as if it was snowing. They all looked up. Then, as if the stars had begun to fall, raindrops fell from the sky.


    It was a scene that could only be described as apocalyptic. It was as if it was the end of the world.


    "Eruption Phase¡­"


    Desir muttered, astonished.


    "Seems like the great leader of the Mage Tower can''t even stop the demon without any preparation."


    Crow Mask continued whileughing.


    "I''ll return exactly what you said before."


    His body faded. Pram and Adjest rushed to catch him but his body had already started to turn to dust.


    [Memorize]


    There was no time to invert the magic. It was magic that he had previously saved to instantly cast.


    "It''s over."


    With those final words, Crow Mask disappeared. Dark particles floated in the air.

 Chapter 79: His Decision (1)

    <h4>Chapter 79: His Decision (1)</h4>


    The harbor of Deltaheim was crowded. It was almost impossible to move through the throngs of people that had gathered. The Outsiders had destroyed the railway to block all reinforcement and supply routes from outside the city. The only way in and out now, was by boat.


    Due to the Yellow Ocean Contest there were more visitors than usual.


    A number of merchant ships were docked side by side and the line of refugees heading towards them was exceptionally long. There was a bit of a tussle to get on board quickly but it was an immutablew that the high ss boarded earlier than them. Therefore the general popce could only finally board after all of the royal families and nobles.


    As some ships were escaping amongst the chaos, a huge roar followed by a shock wave traversed the sea. Some people fell down after losing their bnce.


    People looked up to the sky as it suddenly brightened, as if changing from night-time to day-time.


    The sky suddenly filled with burning rocks.


    "Who, what is that¡­" Uttered someone from the crowd.


    Disaster had arrived at the city of the merchants and rich, Deltaheim.


    *Booooom*


    The harbor was under attack.


    "Screeeech!"


    "Help me!"


    Something swept across the refugees. Merchant ships were critically damaged and some of them were even partially destroyed and immediately sunk by the burning rocks that were raining down from the sky.


    "Oh my god, oh my god."


    Some passengers decided to jump into the sea.


    Other people died instantly. And the rest could only despair amongst the mes as they burnt to death.


    The harbor was rapidly consumed by pandemonium. A zing rock flew towards a mother and son. It couldn''t be avoided. She knew that she could do nothing but embrace her child in theirst moments.


    *Bump*


    However the rock was shot down by wind bullets that were flying out from somewhere before it could reach them. Dark debris scattered over the sea.


    [Ice Crown]


    At the same time, water soared from the sea and created a crown of ice. It kept people safe from the debris of broken rocks.


    It was Desir''s party.


    They came to the harbor where the refugees were most concentrated, to reduce the casualties, as soon as Crow Mask withdrew.


    Adjest invoked defense magic to cover the refugees, while Romantica intercepted the rocks from her vantage point that allowed her to see the entire harbor. They were trying to minimize the injury of refugees.


    "Everyone get on board!"


    Pram assisted the soldiers with the refugee evacuation. The situation was quickly stabilizing as a result of the party''sbined effort.


    Because the feeling of imminent danger was fading, the refugees seemed to recover little by little from the panic.


    The mother embracing her child held its hands again and urged it to walk quickly towards the ship.


    "We can''t finish the evacuation at this pace."


    This was Desir''s opinion after taking in this terrible sight. He was working on magic to block the rocks that Adjest couldn''t.


    Romantica responded while unleashing sniper spells.


    "I think so too."


    Not only the harbor, the entire city was devastated. An observatory erected to view the sea was split into two and the debris from it had struck the mall. The upper part of the stadium, where the Yellow Ocean Contest took ce, was blown away and ttened.


    No building was untouched by the shower of rocks that imparted as much force as miniature bombs. The ming rocks continued to pour down without end.


    All of the buildings were copsing around them.


    Screaming and various explosions could endlessly be heard. Mixed amongst this cacophony were the once calming sound of waves crashing against the shore. Faint and distant on the now grey beaches.


    Dadenewt was a major disaster.


    As Crow Mask had said earlier, Zod couldn''t easily end this disaster without preparation.


    In the past, skilled expeditions rushed into the Shadow Labyrinths but they only managed to deal heavy damage to such demons. It was impossible to stop demons with only these people present.


    The eruption phase was also just the beginning. It was the foreshadow of Dadenewt beginning its activities in earnest. While just this foreshadow of its true power was horrendous, if Dadenewt appeared in its original form then Deltaheim would simply be burnt off the map without a trace.


    Many people had already died. When Desir finally decided on the best course of action, he turned towards Romantica.


    "Romantica, let''s move out."


    The evacuation was almost finished. She took her eyes off her rifle.


    "I agree. I''ll burn and die if I stay here much longer. My power has also reached its limit."


    After continuous sniping, Romantica only had enough power for one or two shots of Second-Circle magic.


    It was the same with Adjest, who was busy protecting the refugees with her magic.


    They had reached their limits from battling the Outsiders and then dealing with Crow Mask sessively. It was not strange for them to be exhausted.


    Desir contacted Adjest and Pram.


    -Everybody did a good job. Now we''ll evacuate too. Everyone join the procession onto the ships.


    Adjest stopped using magic. The structures made of ice copsed.


    Until now they had held up great. A lot of people could get on board the ships while they were blocking the rocks.


    There were still about 2,000 people left on the harbor. Although the number was not small, it was much better than before.


    Adjest and Pram who helped the evacuation of refugees closer to the boats, joined the queue much further up than Desir and Romantica who had helped from the rear.


    They gathered all of their remaining power and smashed the rocks on trajectories that would harm the refugees on the boats.


    That was the best they could do.


    About five minutes into the final part of the evacuation process, Desir suddenly lifted his head to locate Pram and Adjest. It was hard to see them as they had joined the queue way up in front.


    "As there are so many people, to prevent us missing each other, I will bring back Pram and Adjest from the front. If I take too long, then don''t wait and just get on board." Desir exined.


    Romantica responded in a rather cold tone.


    "Oh well, my life is mine to protect. Of course I should run. I''m just a bitch running away even when my hometown is devastated "I''m so sorry but that''s¡­"


    Romantica cut off Desir who was attempting to make excuses.


    "Well, it''s fine. In fact, you are right. I know it''s reckless. I was just grumpy. Go and find them quickly."


    *Smile*


    Romanticaughed as her lips formed a crooked arc.


    The boy and girl, covered in soot and ash, stared at each other as if looking for something in each other.


    "Aren''t you going?"


    "I will."


    Desir started moving away.


    "It won''t take me long."


    When Desir vanished into the crowd, Romantica was left alone.


    She was not just waiting.


    Whenever her power recovered a little she helped smash the rocks flying towards the harbor.


    Fortunately, because the number of refugees left in the harbor was considerably reduced, the area left to be protected was also reduced. It now seemed to be rtively safe.


    "¡­?"


    However the movement of the queue suddenly stalled. Listening to the gossip from the front, it seemed there was a fight. It was natural for people to be on edge during crises. Refugees also happen to get into fights easily, even with light arguments.


    At that particr moment though, Romantica felt an ominous sense of foreboding.


    ''Is he caught up there?''


    It also made sense for Desir to be involved, as he always seems to be at the centre of each mess.


    When Desir, who said he would just bring back Pram and Adjest, was starting to run quitete Romantica began to worry more.


    She stroked the rifle several times, that Desir had given her.


    ''Was he just dyed?''


    At the time Romantica was concerned about finding Desir, someone touched her shoulder.


    ''He might be finally back.''


    Romantica took a deep breath through her nose in an attempt to blow him out of her concerns. She then turned to see the face of the man who had touched her.


    "So you are here, Lady Romantica."


    "Butler?"


    It was the butler of the Eru family. He was wearing a neat suit.


    "I have been searching for you for some time now. You happened to be here, after all. Come on. Hurry up."


    When he finished talking, he began to walk out of the procession and head towards the ship.


    "Wait! Where are we going?"


    The butler realized something was off from Romantica''s reaction and tried to exin to her. "This ship for refugees is actually an Eru merchant ship. You definitely deserve to be on board first as you are thedy of Eru."


    "I understand. But I''m waiting for my friends."


    "You can see them soon again if you are on board. Please hurry out of here. The Baron is worried."


    When she heard that her parents were worried, she had to agree with the butler.


    ''Well, Desir told me to get on board if he waste.''


    She followed the butler and passed the procession. She quickly reached the ce where refugees were causing trouble.


    "You hit first!"


    "Look who''s talking!"


    They never stopped cursing at each other, even though people around them were forcing them apart.


    Romantica passed by them and walked onto the ship. But she didn''t leave the deck.


    "Oh! You''re already here."


    About five minutester Pram and Adjest approached Romantica. They were surprised that she beat them to board first due to originally being so far back in the queue.


    Desir was not here with them.


    "Where is Desir?"


    "Wasn''t he with you, Romantica?"


    "No, he said he went to find you."


    "But we haven''t seen him."


    Desir had disappeared without a trace.


    Romantica looked around. Almost every refugee had boarded but there was still no sign of Desir.


    He was not here.


    He was not anywhere.

 Chapter 80: His Decision (2)

    <h4>Chapter 80: His Decision (2)</h4>


    *Bwaaaa*


    The ship''s horn sounded. It was the indicator that the ship''s departure was imminent.


    Romantica started to be impatient.


    "That idiot! What the hell are you doing?"


    Romantica turned on themunication bracelet.


    Themunication bracelet had the ability to search for the location of party members. They had just used it to track Desir when he teleported with Crow Mask.


    She searched for the location of Desir and it wasn''t long before the result appeared. Desir was on board. in the cabins somewhere.


    Romantica frantically ran into the cabin area. She jumped down the four steps in a single leap and barged through a group of people that were loitering in the hallway. She quickly apologized to those bumped without slowing down and reached the point indicated by themunication bracelet.


    She couldn''t help being resentful for the sess of the Eru business at that particr moment. The ship was sorge and as a result, Romantica had to traverse the hallway that connected the long line of cabins.


    The positioning function of themunication bracelet couldn''t provide an urate location. This meant that she had to open each cabin door in search of Desir.


    Romantica didn''t hesitate.


    She opened the door of the first cabin. The couple inside were shocked and could only look at her with eyes filled with surprise. Desir was not there.


    "Sorry."


    *m*


    She closed the door to the first cabin.


    It was the same story for the second cabin.


    She closed the door to the second cabin. It was in this manner that Romantica opened cabin doors in an attempt to search the entire living quarters for Desir.


    From the corner of her eye through a nearby window, Romantica saw that they were leaving the port. She quickened her pace.


    And¡­


    It was finally thest cabin.


    Just before the door opened, Romantica calmed her breathing. She had to be calm enough to give him a proper scolding.


    "Hey, Desir! Are you trying to y hide and seek with me¡­ ?!"


    Thest door was opened but there was no one inside. Very slowly, Romantica entered the cabin. There was no sign of anyone having used the room. This was the only cabin that was left clean.


    Looking around inside the empty cabin, Romantica spotted the Hebrion Academymunication braceletying on the desk.


    "¡­"


    Romantica picked it up and took out her ownmunication bracelet. She closed her eyes for a while before opening them. Then she attempted to call Desir.


    ''Please don''t ring.''


    *Rrrrring*


    Themunication bracelet in her other hand started to ring.


    "¡­"


    Romantica barely suppressed the wave of emotion rising within herself. She stomped out of the cabin and back to the deck of the ship. While she was searching the cabin area, the ship had left the port.


    Romantica stormed over towards the butler. He seemed rather dismayed at her udy-like behaviour. Her face was screwed up in rage.


    "Oh, mydy. What is wrong?"


    Romantica immediately responded.


    "Now answer my question straight. As soon as possible."


    "Oh, youngdy,"


    "How did you know that I was evacuating and that I would be at that part of the queue?"


    "I, I went down and kept looking all over for you."


    "Do not lie! It doesn''t make sense to look for someone so far back in the queue!"


    *Swish*


    Ash has been falling down from the sky this entire time. Adjest, Pram and all of the refugees including Romantica had been outside for most of this time were covered in it. The constant movement of people also prevented it from fully settling onto the ground, increasing the amount of it floating in the air.


    However, the butler''s clothes were so neat.


    Nobody could possibly think that these clothes belonged to a person that had been wandering about outside.


    In other words. he had been in the merchant ship the entire time.


    He was the butler of the Eru family. and he must have been the first to evacuate with the family. The butler was left speechless at Romantica pointing this out.


    "Be honest! Right now! No matter what he said to you, I will jump off of this boat if you don''t tell we the truth!"


    Against an irrationally rageful Romantica, who was likely to follow through on such a threat, the butler had no choice but to break his promise and tell her everything.


    "At that time a ck-haired friend, whom you have previously asked we to escort, told we where you would be. But mydy, I swear¡­"


    She didn''t need to hear any more.


    Romantica immediately ignored the butler and brushed past him to climb onto the ship''s railing.


    "Oh, mydy!"


    *Scream*


    Just before Romantica''s body fell into the sea, Adjest managed to just grab ahold of her.


    Romantica quickly tried to throw off the clothes line, but Adjest pulled her back up one step faster. The momentum of this movement had both of them fall backwards onto the deck of the ship.


    "Get away from me."


    "Find your sanity, Romantica."


    Romantica attempted to rid herself of Adjest''s grip while Adjest attempted to subdue her. The two of them rolled around several times during this struggle.


    "I told you to let go of me!"


    "If you promise to be calm, I will let go."


    "You know that I won''t make a promise like that!"


    Romantica continued to struggle to get out of Adjest''s grasp but she couldn''t resist her through force.


    Adjest finally had theplete upper-hand in the scuffle. and prevented all further movement from Romantica.


    Romantica could only direct her anger at Adjest through interrogation. "Did you know about this?" Adjest responded.


    "Yes."


    "When did you find out about it?!"


    "From when Desir slowed down the evacuation by starting a fight."


    Starting the fight.


    Romantica felt as though someone had smashed her on the head with a hammer.


    The fight during the evacuation was Desir''s doing to give himself enough time to conceal themunication bracelet. And Romantica had to waste time searching for it until the ship had already departed.


    ''Stupid bitch''


    Romantica reminded herself. She couldn''t forgive herself as she figured out just what Desir had done.


    While almost crying, should could only continue shouting at Adjest.


    "You knew! Not like the stupid me, you knew much earlier! Why didn''t you stop him? WHY!"


    In contrast to Romantica''s frantic tone. Adjests tone was level and calm.


    "I didn''t notice it. I was asked by him."


    "What?"


    For a moment, Romantica''s struggling stopped. Adjest''s continued.


    "He asked we to stop you and Pram from following him."


    ***


    Desir ran along the coast.


    The entire area of Deltaheim was obscured by the ash in the air that was as thick as fog.


    He ran while coughing over and over again and futilely attempting to cover his nose and mouth against the poisonous air partictes.


    As Desir passed through, a dead body came into view. The body was partially covered by rubble from a nearby stone construction.


    ''Hopefully he did not feel a thing and died in a single blow.''


    Faced with such a terrible scene, Desir''s steps slowed-down and he eventually came to aplete stop. He had no words to adequately describe whaty before him. It was terrible, but at the same time, it was an alien yet familiarndscape to him.


    He had previously lived a life of death. And he had witnessed so many of those deaths first hand.


    Friends who had shared school days and childhood memories together. Juniors who followed him exceptionally well.


    And Romantica.


    Among the many deaths. Desir especially couldn''t forget the death of Romantica. Perhaps it was because her situation was simr to his.


    The story ended with a sad ending. Romantica Eru had talent and a future more brilliant than anyone else.


    She was also thedy of a baron family, on she could join the Alpha ss at Hebrion Academy without any problem andter enter the Blue Moon Party which was considered the best of the school.


    After a long time, however, it was discovered that Romantica was the daughter of a baron who had bought the title with money. The Alpha ss nobles did not acknowledge her anymore after that.


    Unable to endure the savage Alpha ss brutality, Romantica finally moved down to the Beta ss, but no one epted her there too. There was nowhere else she could be.


    In the Beta ss, Romantica''s talent went uncultivated and her future had gradually stagnated. By the time she graduated, she was only at the Third-Circle.


    And then the Shadow Labyrinth appeared. Romantica entered the Shadow Labyrinth as a member of the Western Kingdom Union, where she met with Desir again who was from the same Beta ss.


    Desir, being in a simr situation as her was unfortunately an inevitability.


    In such a terrible battlefield they became each other''s emotional support. They survived for each other.


    And eight years after the arrival of that Shadow Labyrinth¡­ In the end, Desir could not protect Romantica.


    "¡­I will not allow that to happen again."


    Desir. who had returned to the past, had made that vow.


    This was not only for her.


    Adjest and Pram.


    Zod and Prisci.


    Residents of Deltaheim and visitors from all over the world.


    The heads of the Western Kingdom Union gathered for the purpose of the council.


    All of them couldn''t avoid death unless they stopped Dadenewt.


    The situation was currently heading towards the worst oue.


    ''I must stop this.''


    To y the devil, its inner core must be destroyed.


    In the Shadow Labyrinth, when faced with Dadenewt, legion-sized parties of wizards unleashed freezing magic to weaken Dadenewt''s power while knights equipped with nchum rapiers destroyed Dadenewts body to find the core.


    Luckily this time, Dena- knew the approximate location of the core. However, the problem was that he didn''t have enough power to prate the body of Dadenewt itself.


    Desir looked down at the palm of his hand.


    ''I must stop it.''


    I will stop it.


    Desir clenched his fist. He decided to implement his trump card, the measure ofst resort that he had kept in reserve thus far.


    [Proverb]


    Magic that had been arranged in a way that fell entirely outside of the existing magical system used by humanity.


    It had a power different to standard magic. At the end of the Shadow Labyrinth, Desir discovered the spell by inverting the [Proverb] of the Meteor-Rank Dragon of Destruction, Bhromier Napolitan.


    It was a huge and powerful magic indeed. But there were so many risks involved as a result. He wondered if his body would be able to withstand the magic of [Proverb] that deviated from the existingws, but now was not the time to worry about that.


    ''I definitely need to kill it.''


    *Booom*


    The closer Dadenewt got the greater the heat and the more violent the ash suspended in the air became.


    Desir clenched his teeth.

 Chapter 81. His Decision (3)

    <h4>Chapter 81. His Decision (3)</h4>


    The beautiful coast was now covered with redva. The troops that had been holding out against Dadenewt were now nowhere to be seen.


    The result of this eruption phase was more than half of the vanguard being left incapable ofbat. The vanguard had lost all semnce of control over Dadenewt. They retreated.


    Prisci had also over exerted herself and was leftpletely exhausted as a result.


    At this point, Zod ordered all of the remaining soldiers to retreat.


    Dadenewt hadpletely burnt the coast. Searingva and ckened marks was all that remained.


    Only Zod and Prisci remained on the walls of


    Deltaheim to confront Dadenewt and buy some time.


    But this arrangement could notst long.


    Despite the magic of Zod, Dadenewt gradually approached the city.


    *Baaammmmm*


    Zod was invoking Sixth-Circle magic. Up until now, he had been limiting himself to the


    Fifth-Circle due to the potential of allies being caught up in the coteral damage.


    Zod''s formation of Sixth-Circle magic while continually invoking Fifth-Circle magic was enough to draw the admiration of many wizards.


    Zod lifted his cane.


    When Dadenewt reached the wall, Zod''s Sixth-Circle spell was invoked.


    [Time when all things fall asleep]


    It was one of the highest level freezing magics.


    A spell that brought about absolute sub-zero temperatures where all molecr activity stopped within a fixed area.


    The flowingva that covered Dadenewt''s entire body was cooled down. In just a moment, theva froze and hardened. Soon, the movement of Dadenewt slowed down and came to aplete stop. It now looked like a statue caught in the middle of winter.


    It was the first time that Dadenewt''s movement was significantly hindered.


    The Saint looked back at Zod shing a flirtatious look.


    "This is great, Zod!"


    Zod shook his head.


    "No, I didn''t defeat him, I''ve blocked its movement for a while."


    *Crick*


    The ice began to crack as if to disprove Zod''s assertion. Eerie noises filled the air.


    "How long can the magicst?"


    "5 minutes? 10 minutes?"


    Shortly afterwards, Dadenewt would break the ice and resume activity.


    Even the Sixth-Circle magic was only enough to buy some time.


    "How can I defeat him? No magic I know can beat it. I''m not sure but if it''s the Seventh-Circle magic like ''Nuclear Stream Buster'' it may work."


    Zod checked his own state of wellness.


    "I don''t have enough magic power left."


    After a series of fights, Zod didn''t have much magic power left. And after everyone was evacuated, he also had to leave enough power in reserve to escape himself.


    ''It would have been better if I hadn''t wasted power on Crow Mask¡­''


    In addition, Zod''s magic, which had been enhanced to an unprecedented level to push back against Dadenewt''s advance and allow people to evacuate, was now showing its limits.


    ''So now¡­''


    He nced back and saw a Deltaheim that was so damaged and filled with copsed buildings that it could no longer be called the capital of a nation.


    It was a city full of vigor and abundance just a few hours ago.


    The city which was still alive after the assault from the Outsiders was nowpletely destroyed by just a single monster.


    "This defense has failed."


    "Then¡­"


    Zod calmly concluded.


    Deltaheim was over.


    At that moment he received amunication via magic. It was from the unit of the Avalon Army that had retreated first. When themunication magic ended Zod turned to Prisci.


    "The kings of the Western Kingdom Union, who had taken refuge in the air-raid shelter, have now safely escaped to the harbor. Most of the citizens have also escaped unharmed. It''s our turn now."


    That''s right.


    It was time to run away.


    Prisci confirmed that Zod was formting teleportation magic.


    "I know what you mean, but it''s time to avoid it."


    There was no way to stop Dadenewt now. With this experience, we need to be prepared.


    "If all of the civilians have been evacuated¡­ okay. Let''s get out of here."


    "Good idea."


    *Crick*


    There was a huge crack in the ice surrounding Dadenewt''s body. The Sixth-Circle magic was now at its limit. Fortunately, it was enough to buy time to invoke teleportation magic.


    "Huh?"


    The situation had suddenly changed.


    The ice surrounding Dadenewt started copsing at an abnormal speed. The source was near the waist. After observing it casually, Zod was left surprised.


    ''Wings?''


    *Rumble*


    A new part was sprouting out from Dadenewt''s body. It was a pair of wings with a span of tens of meters. The huge wings spread wide through the ice as if they had been in bondage until now. Lava sshed in all directions.


    It began with cracks in the ice surrounding Dadenewt''s body. Fragments were sent flying.


    The ice melted in the heat and began to evaporate.


    *Bump*


    The next thing liberated was the face. When Dadenewt moved its neck, the hardenedva and ice shrapnel fell off and once againva exploded outwards and encased its body like skin.


    The Devil of Destruction, Dadenewt revealed itself.


    It spread out its wings and howled toward the sky.


    "Aaaaaaaaaah!"


    "Huh!?"


    "Ahhhh!"


    The trapped heat exploded out. Even though the distance was still quite far between Dadenewt and the wall, in the intense heat, Zod covered his face subconsciously. His face med up, as if he was sunburnt. When he touched his face, he felt how irritated it was, now covered with minor burns.


    He had magic covering his entire body to keep out the heat. While the ambient temperature had actually been quite hot so far, he had not sustained any damage from it.


    But now, Dadenewt had raised the temperature with heat great enough to beat the ice magic with just a roar.


    "Huh, you''ve be stronger¡­ ?"


    Thoroughly appalled at this turn of situation,


    Zod could onlyugh in vain.


    "It''s¡­ It''s really beyond imagination."


    It pped its wings but still could not fly.


    This was due to its lower body still being frozen. But the speed at which the ice was breaking showed that it was only a matter of time until it found its freedom.


    And when that happened, Dadenewt would be flying destruction incarnate.


    ''The goal was¡­''


    ''The refugees¡­''


    Dadenewt was no longer heading towards the copsed city. Its gaze was now directed at the series of ships leaving the harbor port.


    Dadenewt''s goal was to kill humans, not just to cause mindless destruction.


    There was no such thing as a mindless creature.


    "If it does, all of the boats that have escaped the city will be within the range of Dadenewt."


    Zod and Prisci suddenly turned their heads to the voice that came from behind them.


    It was Desir. His head was gray all over, lightly dusted with ash, and his body was covered with wounds from the battle with Crow Mask.


    Prisci approached him while invoking her magic. His wounds began to heal little by little as a result.


    "Why are you here?" Prisci dumbly enquired.


    "Now that Dadenewt has revealed itself, we can''t run away. If we don''t stop it here, a lot of people will die."


    If Dadenewt left here for his friends and the refugees, not only countless ordinary citizens but also the leaders of the Western Kingdom


    Union Council would be condemned to a certain death.


    If all of the kings who ruled the continent died here, the existing world order would fall and chaos would inevitably descend.


    And that chaos was the aim of the Outsiders.


    "I won''t let it do that¡­ Desir, take


    Prisci and leave in a hurry. I''m going to keep it upied."


    "Zod!"


    Prisci shouted at him after seeing Zod''s determination.


    "No, I have a way."


    Zod tilted his head at Desir''s words.


    "How can you bring it down?"


    He pointed at Dadenewt.


    The devil that the Seventh-Circle wizard, Zod had struggled to defeat.


    The being that had excellent defense against


    Fifth-Circle magic, practically ignoring it due to the natural structure of its body.


    Zod has never met an opponent of this level. It was such a powerful demon.


    Even so, the Third-Circle wizard, Desir imed to be able to beat it.


    Desir responded.


    "Give me all of the remaining mana on you." Do you know what doing that means?"


    "I know."


    Using all of his remaining mana. That meant Zod could no longer invoke magic to escape from the demon.


    He had no idea what Desir was trying to do, but his death would be confirmed if he failed.


    What is the guarantee that you will seed?"


    "I can''t say for sure since it''s my first time trying."


    *Boooom*


    There was no time. The time given to Zod was just too short.


    "Even if I trust you and give you all of my mana, how are you going to hold on to that mana? Your magic circle won''tst. Your body will copse."


    "There''s a Saint."


    If it''s her recovery magic¡­


    "I think you can survive it if you use all means."


    Are you sure?"


    "Of course."


    Desir was sincere.


    Zod turned his head towards Prisci.


    "Preci, what''s your opinion?"


    Prisci was also one of the people who would be sacrificed if Desir failed.


    She spoke in a calm tone that gave off a feeling of invincibility.


    "I saw this boy for the first time today. It makes no sense to leave my life to something I can''t be sure about¡­ but he seems to mean it.


    So I''m going to follow Zod''s decision that falls under his domain of experience."


    "Is that so?"


    Zod, who left a single phrase behind, grabbed his walking cane.


    The cane of the best wizard in the world.


    It was a cane with considerable power in of itself with a first ss marquee magic stone inserted into it.


    The internal mana was no longer shining because it had beenpletely exhausted, but when Zod grasped the cane, the mana stone at the end of the stick quickly regained its original light.


    "If anyone saw this, they''d call me crazy."


    And he handed it to Desir.


    It was proof of his trust, to leave all future possibilities to Desir.


    "Please."


    Zod decided to believe in Desir.


    All that was left now was the repayment of that faith.


    "Thank you."


    As soon as Desir took the cane, a great deal of mana began to fluctuate.


    He raised it high towards Dadenewt.

 Chapter 82. His Decision (4)

    <h4>Chapter 82. His Decision (4)</h4>


    Magic has changed little by little with the passage of time. Awareness, cost and formatting method have all been slowly improved upon.


    But in its long history there was only one thing that would not change.


    In order to use magic, mana from the surroundings must be processed by the mage. This was an unchanged fact in what was an otherwise constantly changing system.


    In the past when endless wars were waged, each country needed more power and the best way to produce that power was to figure out new ways to process mana more efficiently.


    As a result, a number of magic systems were derived and ultimately fell out of favour and died. The most evolved magic system in-use nowadays was based around the application of mathematical forms.


    Mathematical formatting involves the calction of a specific array of mana to actuate specific spells.


    Naturally, this raises the question of whether a magic system based on maths would be the most powerful magic system, seeing as it is thetest magic system in a long line of magic systems?


    The answer is that it most definitely is not.


    In the distant past, there was a magic system used by races that were collectively known as magical lords. These existences have beenpletely lost in the annals of time, falling out of the collective memory of mankind.


    [Proverb]


    Desir started to clear his mind of all distracting thoughts.


    The pain from the heat and his concern about the wellbeing of his party. All of those thoughts were pushed somewhere else for the time being.


    He steeled his resolve for the mammoth task he had taken on.


    Thousands of hectares of vast open space unfolded within his senses.


    Desir focuses all of his senses on just one being.


    And he started to arrange a spell using the draconic magic system. He had gained this in the past by inverting a dragon''s magic.


    *Rumble*


    The magic spell arrays appeared in the air surrounding him. Initially, the magic appeared one or two letters at a time but within the span of a minute had rapidly increased to such a speed that the human eye could no longer keep up.


    The symbols and patterns filled the air to such a degree that they began to ovep in a pure ck mess, as if the magic could never tolerate sharing such space with anything else. Just like those prideful dragons, this magic system simply oozed such pride and arrogance.


    Mankind''s best anti-mage had staked his life on this magic.


    An unrecognisable voice came out of Desir''s mouth. It was as if hundreds of people started whispering at the same time.


    At the same time, the spell in his head unfolded into reality.


    As the technique was invoked, Desir''s body tensed up. Excessive mana overwhelmed him and his mana circle was overloaded and destroyed continually while the cells in his body were burnt to ash. Just when it seemed like he would fall apart, he would be healed back to normal, allowing this cycle of never-ending pain to be continued ad nauseam.


    He struggled to maintain consciousness. No matter how strong his mental fortitude was he could not maintain his sanity if he kept experiencing the pain of his whole body copsing.


    Without Prisci, he would have instantly copsed and his life would have been extinguished. She put all the power she had into restoring Desir.


    Desir''s body repeatedly went through cycles of destruction and recovery, each cycle taking mere seconds. But he continued to arrange the magic even as he struggled with the pain.


    As the spell continued to be arranged, innumerable formations continued to appear in the air, densely packed around the cane that


    Desir held up.


    Watching it all, Zod stared at Desir without even a thought about closing his gaping mouth.


    Desir''s magic was inplete contrast to all of the learnings of the established modern magic system. What he was doing was at the level where the most a wizard could do was stare at it dumbfounded.


    But standing at the pinnacle of magical research, Zod Exarion was an exception. He felt like he was witness to a masterpiece beyond the level of anything achievable by a human.


    Zod followed Desir''s magic with his peerless intellect and wisdom and every time he gained a bit of enlightenment of what was unfolding in front of himself, his admiration of it could only increase.


    "Beautiful."


    The extremes of beauty existed within the never-ending pursuit of magical efficiency by humans.


    *Grrrrrr*


    The roar shook Zod awake from his reverie. He looked at the source of the noise, Dadenewt.


    It was finally freed from its icy bondage.


    Dadenewt shrugged and spread its wings to fly up into the sky. It had long forgotten about the three humans on the wall, distracted by the horde of humans escaping by ship.


    "Kiyaaaah (Screech)!"


    *Booom*


    As Dadenewt pped its wings, hundreds of ming rocks fell down on the city, harbor and evacuating ships.


    Desir''s warning was not an exaggeration.


    Compared to before, its attacks were bigger and definitely far more destructive. Ships that were not prepared for the falling rocks were sunk or wrecked. Smoke started to rise from the many structures and few ships that had caught fire.


    There was a faint scream carried by the wind.


    At least the number of ships not yet destroyed was much higher than those sunk thus far. Their only saving grace was that Dadenewt''s attacks, while destructive, were not very urate.


    But to Dadenewt, what was a constion for humanity, was actually a source of joy for itself. It was a devil that revelled in destruction and misery, after all.


    Its giant body started turning.


    "Grrr?"


    The Dadenewt, that was attempting to fly towards the ships, momentarily paused.


    Its eyes swiveled to gaze upon the walls of


    Deltaheim.


    *Wingggg*


    Desir''s magic was still being arranged. A plethora of magical arrays that one could instinctively feel the danger from at a nce.


    His arrangement by way of verbal technique continued.


    The devil''s body shook after seeing this.


    Fear.


    It was a threat that even this great demon had never encountered before. Its devilish instinct was ringing, telling it that danger was imminent.


    Dadenewt roared at Desir.


    "Khewahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."


    An enormous power began to concentrate in its mouth. A mighty spell with the power to melt mountains and destroy an entire city began to arrange.


    *Kaboom*


    Dadenewt''s surroundings began to vibrate.


    The massive mana flow manifested as a physical phenomenon in of itself. And it was the same with Desir.


    Space was trembling.


    "This¡­ is my limit¡­ Desir."


    Prisci squeaked out in a tiny voice. Her face was blue. Although the energy in her eyes was somewhat diminished, one could still make out her ferocious will to survive.


    The copse of his body started to elerate as a result of the restoration and resilience weakening.


    *Crumble*


    But.


    Never-the-less ''l must defeat you here.''


    Desir didn''t weaken his grip on Zod''s cane.


    As Dadenewt screamed and expelled its fire attack, a faint voice leaked out from the cracked lips of Desir.


    [Earth Nourishing the Sun


    Far away at Hebrion Academy.


    Professor Brigiet, who was watering the pot nts in her ssroom, suddenly felt something and approached the window.


    A warm breeze blew and tousled her well-groomed hair.


    *Whoooosh*


    Leaves from various nts and trees from the garden were carried by the wind.


    Brigiet''s gaze was focused on something that could not be seen in the far distance.


    On a mountain much closer than Hebrion Academy, but still far from Deltaheim, a man was standing on a street. From Deltaheim, he would be seen as just a dot in the distance.


    The man, wearing a hooded shirt, stared at the horizon of the ocean while forgetting to cover the burns on his face.


    The start was just a dot.


    A dot of ultra-high temperature sma continued to bepressed at high pressure.


    A temperature of up to tens of millions of degrees and a massive pressure converging at single point that elerated the particles caught within.


    The particles that were elerated to such an extreme began to bump into each other at such velocities that they began to fuse.


    The mass lost in this process was released as energy in the form of heat and light.


    *Wuuuung*


    The body of Dadenewt swelled up as if about to burst. The dot was swollen and was now as big as a fist.


    The amount of light had doubled. The brightness was so great that it could no longer be looked at with the naked human eye.


    Countless particles elerated, collided, and gave off an endless amount of energy.


    The nearby ocean had split, pushed back by the force of the spell.


    Dadenewt''s body which was stronger than anything was divided and split up. An enormou amount of light spilled out of the cracks on its body that had appeared.


    "Khhh!"


    Reactions began to take ce in the rocky ocean as the intense light bursting out from the cracks covering Dadenewt''s body, hit it.


    The color of the deep dark ocean had changed to gold even though there was no sunlight. The water that looked like melted gold was greatly agitated by the huge amount of energy poured into it as a byproduct of the magic.


    "Kaa-aa-aa-ah!"


    Dadenewt twisted on what looked like a dazzling golden furnace. The rocks and magma that made up its body sloughed off.


    The ocean finally swallowed up Dadenewt.


    The only thing left was a sense of tranquility so great that it felt like the world was finally at peace.


    A golden sea of stars sparkled like starlight.


    The world was plunged back into a pitch ck darkness.


    Dadenewt was nowhere to be seen. All that could be seen was magma that encircled the entire city, devastating debris and a terrain so destroyed that it looked as if it had been inverted. These were the only remaining signs of the resurrection of a devil, a so called disaster.


    The crashing sound of the sea trying to fill the void left behind, like a wound to its own body, resonated all over the world.


    Desir closed his eyes. He felt as if he had been thrown into an endless pit. Thest thing he saw was the appearance of Zod and Prisci approaching him.

 Chapter 83. His Decision (5)

    <h4>Chapter 83. His Decision (5)</h4>


    [A wizard from the Hebrion Academy raises their sword against the enemy.]


    [August 5th at 2 pm, Capital Deltaheim of Prilecha Kingdom. The date when the Yellow Ocean Competition was in full swing.]


    [August 5th, The Outsiders carried out a terror attack in Deltaheim, the capital of the Prilecha Kingdom, during the Yellow Ocean Competition and while the Western Kingdom Union conference was being held.


    Judging by the coordination of their movements, the attacks are spected to have been premeditated and nned over a long period of time.


    The damage was severe but the defense had the upper hand with the dispatch of the Avalon Army. This seems to have been enough to put an end to the attack.


    But the Outsiders didn''t and ended up also summoning an ancient devil through artifacts that are believed to have been stolen rewards from Third-Level Shadow Worlds. This devil tried to exterminate all human life in and near Deltaheim.


    Sir Jane Austen, a well re-known historian, testified that it was a mythical creature called Dadenewt whom we have record of appearing in ancient times.


    It was a desperate situation in which everyone in Deltaheim had no doubt of their own imminent death, but fortunately, this disastrous oue was avoided.


    All due to a boy single-handedly stopping the devil.


    This boy, Desir Arman, is a first-year single-ranker who is currently attending the Hebrion Academy¡­]


    After reading the article Romantica folded up the newspaper and put it to one side. There was a pile of other newspapers and the contents of their front pages were essentially all the same.


    [The party led by Desir Arman helped refugees]


    [Desir Arman, who is he?]


    [A wizard from Hebrion Academy, another Seventh-Circle wizard?]


    [Technical consultant of Magic Tower, the center of the Hebrion miracle]


    Romantica took a deep breath before exhaling. A lot of things happened in short order after Desir yed Dadenewt.


    First, Desir became a hero in the span of a few hours.


    In a way, this may be natural as Desir was from the Hebrion Empire that had a rtionship like that of cats and dogs with the Western Kingdom


    Union. He managed to save everyone by putting his own body on the line.


    It would be rather strange if he garnered no attention as a result.


    The problem, however, was that the rest of the party members: Adjest, Pram and Romantica; likewise caught the eye of the public.


    It was impossible to know just how many reporters mobbed the party, hoping to get some kind of scoop or soundbite. Some of the journalists even chased them into the hospital.


    Romantica couldn''t help remembering thatmotion and involuntarily shuddered.


    Of course, being famous was not all that bad.


    If it were any other time, she would have arrogantly enjoyed her meteoric rise to fame.


    If only everything had been as usual.


    She looked to her side with a somewhat subdued stare.


    In her gaze was the one mentioned by countless media outlets.


    Desir Arman.


    He had been unconscious for two weeks.


    "You finally¡­ till the end¡­"


    Desir, who toppled Dadenewt, fainted on the spot and the Western Kingdom Union took him in as an honored state guest and transported him to one of the leading hospitals of the continent.


    Adeina Kingdom, a country with the most advanced medical techniques and technology.


    Every year Adeina Kingdom produced excellent doctors and they consistently made a name for themselves across the continent.


    It was also not too much of a stretch to say that most of the hospitals that exist on the continent were founded with the support of such doctors.


    Since being treated at the Royal Hospital of Adeina, the best of them all, it was apparent just how good they were.


    At the time of admission, he was in a terrible state.


    Most of his organs were eitherpletely destroyed orpletely dysfunctional and his mana circle was also heavily damaged. He was in such a precarious state that he could barely breathe.


    Fortunately, thanks to the support of the Western Kingdom Union, they were able to quickly move him to the space transfer gate that was only made avable for VIPs. Their quick action managed to avoid a crisis and he was able to swiftly receive treatment at Adeina Royal Hospital where the best medical staff was always on stand-by.


    The Saint, Prisci, also cast her healing on Desir''s body whenever she recovered a little bit of her strength, even though her own body was a mess too.


    However, despite such efforts, Desir''s condition did not improve. His body condition appeared normal, but they couldn''t figure out just what was keeping him from waking up and returning to normal. They could only assume it was a magical side effect of the spell that he had invoked.


    I will kill you when you wake up."


    Romantica grabbed her chest and pledged dolefully.


    While thinking back to her first encounter with him, they always had a kind of bad rtionship.


    In retrospect, the first encounter she had with Desir began on the wrong foot entirely.


    At that time, Romantica was a Second-Circle wizard and Desir was a First-Circle wizard.


    She judged everything too superficially and ended up looking down on him. She actually didn''t know anything about him. Of course, anyone in her position would have done the same.


    However, Desir beat her with his limited ability. He should have shown some kind of arrogance from defeating the person who had openly despised and derided him, but he didn''t.


    ''You just ck-mailed me.''


    Of course, it wasn''t because he looked down on her.


    After the entrance test, Romantica was ckmailed by Desir and ended up entering the party that he created.


    Until then, he was a man whom she really didn''t like anything about. With his ability to properly react to every situation, his strangely well-informed understanding of her and even his eloquent manner of speaking, she ended up not able to beat him.


    However, despite suchints, Romantica did not leave his party that she was forced into.


    Mainly because she was so concerned about the anxiety and consideration he showed to her.


    ''I just don''t know anymore.''


    She would never know. But the only thing


    Romantica knew for sure about him was that he was always sincere.


    Desir did his best for Romantica. Come to think of it, it had been like that since the entrance exam. He took it upon himself to teach her, no matter the asion, even during the hyperpetitive tests of the academy.


    "You''re such a fool."


    She ended up rejecting the offer to join the Blue Moon party and she remained in Desir''s.


    She did her best and became a single-ranker.


    She learnt a lot and experienced a lot.


    She knew that Desir was constantly covering for her and helping her to address her shortfalls.


    She knew he always tried his best for her.


    She knew that she relied on him.


    Romantica started to feel a new kind of feeling well up inside herself.


    Whenever she thought about him, she caught herself doing so and tried to think about something else.


    And¡­


    Her eyes found their way back to Desir.


    *Zzzzzz*


    The sound of regr breathing. There was still no sign of him waking up.


    "l just cannot understand you."


    Looking at Desir, Romantica spoke aloud to no-one in particr.


    It was a lie.


    She knew that she somewhat understood his intentions.


    He tried to save the people, the group, and her at the expense of his own health.


    No, this is not right.


    She couldn''t tolerate it any longer.


    Why does it need to be like this?"


    Her voice cracked as she covered her face with her hands.


    She didn''t want him to see her crying. She felt so miserable.


    "Why don''t you think about the feelings of the people supporting you¡­ Why don''t you think¡­ of my feelings¡­"


    *Silence*


    There was no one there to answer that question.


    Romantica remembered the promise that she made with Desir by the golden sea.


    If he told her to run away, she would run away.


    And she had kept her promise.


    Because she knew him that well, she kept the promise.


    That''s because she understood that he didn''t want her to die.


    "Did you think I''d be happy because you did that? You have the wrong idea. Because as much as you think about me, I think about you. I don''t want you to die¡­!"


    The tone of her voice rose. She felt a surge of emotion from venting her anger.


    It was anger. But it was not aimed at Desir, but instead at herself.


    Romantica knew that Desir had taken this action because she was not strong enough to be with him.


    She could only think about how she was just too pathetic for him, not even able to be just a bit useful to him.


    "I''ll train harder."


    Romantica pledged.


    "I won''t even criticize you. I''ll do whatever you say. If you say to die, then I will die."


    Romantica bowed her head, almost as if she was copsing.


    "I will try hard and be a colleague who is not ashamed to be seen with you. I''ll be your strength. I mean, so¡­"


    Tears dripped down onto the sheets.


    "So don''t do this again."


    Romantica''s whimper filled the quiet room.


    Feeling a sense of warmth from her hair, Romantica raised her head. Through her tears, she saw Desir staring at her.


    "I promise, Romantica."


    He brushed Romantica''s hair out of the way in a gentle fashion He silently continued doing so until she stopped crying.


    September 27th. The clock had just struck noon.


    ***


    Less than a minute after Romantica informed Pram and Adjest, by theirmunication bracelet, that Desir had woken up, amotion sounded in the hallway and the door violently burst open.


    "I''m so d you''ve woken up!"


    Pram ran up and jumped onto the bed to hug Desir tightly.


    He buried his face in Desir''s chest and would not let go. He was like a puppy that saw its injured owner. He seemed to be quite worried.


    Desir gently stroked Pram''s back in an attempt to calm him.


    Again the door opened and a calm voice emanated.


    "You''ve done more than I thought possible, Desir."


    It was Adjest.


    Suddenly, Pram and Romantica stared at Adjest in unison. It was because she sympathized with Desir''s actions that she ended up helping him trick Romantica and Pram.


    That''s why Desir had to desperately defend Adjest by saying that she was innocent and only helped at his request.


    The furore continued for quite a while, but eventually, they came to terms with it and could understand why Desir did what he did. They could only nod and ept it, after making their displeasure known.


    "Are you alright? You''re crying."


    "I''m fine. Well, it was Pram after all who exhausted himself taking care of Desir all night long."


    "Romantica! I told you not to mention that!"


    Noisy. It was a pleasant atmosphere.


    It was in this atmosphere that they could have a pleasant conversation. Desir had just woken up, so he was content enjoying this moment.


    "I''m sorry for interrupting this happy reunion."


    It was Zod, the master of Magic Tower. He was in formal attire.


    "I''ve got something to discuss with Desir. Could you excuse us for a moment?"


    QC: Dr. Lock, Drei

 Chapter 84. His Decision (6)

    <h4>Chapter 84. His Decision (6)</h4>


    After Adjest, Pram and Romantica left, only Zod and Desir remained in the room.


    The only Seventh-Circle wizard in the continent and master of the Magic Tower.


    It was obvious that what he went through to reach such a position was unimaginable to normal people.


    As a result, he was always unppable¡­ no matter what kind of a situation he found himself in. He would always appear calm without a hint of tension.


    But Zod, the master of the Magic Tower currently looked very nervous.


    The room waspletely quiet.


    *p*


    As soon as Zod pped, the faint noise from the activity in the hallway could no longer be heard. Desir immediately grasped the fact that he had invoked a [Silence] spell.


    Zod, who invoked the Second-Circle magic without arranging and formting it, pulled a chair closer and sat down on it. His eyes never left Desir.


    They made eye contact. The intensity of their gazes were such that it felt as if they were peering into each other¡¯s souls.


    After a long silence, it was Zod who first opened his mouth.


    ¡°So, I take it that you haven¡¯t told them yet?¡± Desir nodded silently.


    ¡°So you knew all along after all, Zod. I didn¡¯t want to spoil the mood earlier. I thought it would be better to tell the others after I¡¯ve had a chance to confirm the state of my body.¡±


    ¡°Recovery is going to be impossible.¡±


    Zod¡¯s tone was assertive, as if he was dering a certainty.


    ¡°As judged by the best doctors and Prisci, it¡¯s impossible to restore your left eye with modern technology.¡±


    There was no sight in Desir¡¯s left eye. It waspletely blinded. Mentally, it felt like something vital was missing.


    ¡°Is this an artificial eye?¡±


    Desir touched his left eye. There was clearly something there. If the eye socket was empty then his party would have instantly figured it out.


    ¡°It¡¯s not artificial. The organ itself is not physically damaged.¡±


    Desir got out of the bed and walked over to the mirror.


    At first nce, nothing seemed to be wrong. But on closer inspection he could see that his left eye was out of focus.


    When he spread his right palm and covered his right eye, he couldn¡¯t see anything, Zod continued to speak while observing Desir.


    ¡°The treatment was perfect, but your vision could not be restored. The doctors did their best to figure out the cause, but in the end, they couldn¡¯t.¡±


    Desir uncovered and slowly opened his right eye. The headache that threatened to split his head had returned. He still felt the pain from his entire body being broken as if it was being torn apart.


    [Proverb] a draconic magic.


    Desir could grasp it through fully inverting it in the Shadow Labyrinth, but casting the spell was a different story. He now had first-hand experience on what it actually entailed.


    Draconic magic was obviously more powerful than any man-made magic, but it was never a magic that humans could use. There was a cost to using a power greater than one could control.


    ¡®It¡¯s an unforgiving price.¡¯


    Those who didn¡¯t know what Desir used was draconic magic, would not even be able to fathom what condition it left him in.


    Desir knew with his intuition that this was the price of entering the dragon¡¯s realm of magic.


    He had used power well beyond the realm of what humans could wield and then paid the price for it.


    But Desir sighed out of relief.


    ¡®Is it just this much?¡¯


    He thought it was a rather cheap price to pay. It would be enough if only one eye could save everyone¡¯s life. If so, he was satisfied. He had absolutely no regret.


    He believed this from the bottom of his heart.


    ¡®Rather, the problem now was¡­¡¯


    Zod looked at him with a grave expression. From his attitude it was clear that he had something else to say.


    Seeing Desir¡¯s expression as if he could read him as clearly as an open book, Zod slowly opened his clenched jaw.


    ¡°Desir, I have something that I need to check with you.¡±


    As Desir expected, his visit had another purpose.


    This was the true start of the conversation he hade for.


    ¡°What should I start with first¡­¡±


    Perhaps because the long battle had consumed excessive power, Zod seemed much older than before.


    ¡°You can never be said to be responsible for the happenings at the Magic Tower. You warned us about the imminent threat of the Outsiders and even helped us repel them. Ultimately you protected the Second-ss magic stone. But to be honest, I suspected that you were an Outsider at that time.¡±


    The circumstances appeared to match up so well in hindsight.


    ¡°You said that you knew by espionage¡­ but that¡¯s pretty unreliable. Rather, it was much more credible to judge you as an Outsider that nned to earn my trust. As a result, I didn¡¯t want to get involved with you and offered to pay money to quickly finish it.¡±


    Desir remembered the proposal of Prelude, the wizard from the Aureli branch. Apparently, it was Zod¡¯s order.


    ¡°But you¡­¡±


    ¡°I suggested chess instead of money.¡±


    Zod recalled that unexpected situation and his expression looked brighter for a brief moment.


    ¡°Yes, chess! That was really unexpected. There was no room for me to refuse it. My curiosity was not to be suppressed by reason. It was strange that you decided to pick chess instead of money.¡±


    The excitement in his tone gradually subsided, and soon became sharp like a knife.


    In that tone, Desir could figure out what Zod was trying to get at.


    ¡®Zod is interrogating me.¡¯


    Now Zod was stepping towards checkmate through skillful maniption of his chess pieces.


    ¡°You beat me and you made a deal with me. Aside from the stupid smokescreen proposals, such as sponsorship, what caught my attention was the technology you presented. The technology you proposed was several generations ahead.


    ¡°When ites to magic, I¡¯m confident that I won¡¯t lose to anyone.¡±


    It was time to pretend. There was no reason to appear shaken.


    ¡°Well. You weren¡¯t such a good wizard until you entered Hebrion Academy.¡±


    Desir¡¯s act immediately crumbled. He was truly shaken.


    ¡°How could such a normal person before entering Hebrion Academy, acquire the ability to invert spells? How could you know about the ns of the Outsiders? How could you acquire and understand advanced technology that could only appear many generations from now? No matter how much I investigated it, my questions about you have not been solved.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You did quite the background check.¡±


    He thought Zod was suspicious but he didn¡¯t think he would investigate his past this thoroughly.


    Zod justified himself as Desir visibly showed just how betrayed he felt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at it like that. As a master of the Magic Tower, I did what I had to do. I must remove anything that might endanger the Magic Tower.¡±


    There was no change to Zod¡¯s expression, but Desir felt the atmosphere subtly change into something that can only be felt on the battlefield.


    The mana inside the room was moving. In other words, Zod was preparing to invoke magic before Desir could invert it. Zod recognized that Desir would notice the threat.


    ¡°This is a warning¡­¡± Zod continued.


    ¡°You know¡­ I hypothesised the following. The real student, Desir Arman, is actually dead and now an Outsider is impersonating him. If so, Professor Bridget, who rmended you toe to Hebrion¡­ I guess that I don''t need to say anymore.¡±


    Desir was able to immediately understand what Zod meant.


    Zod was heading straight for an incorrect conclusion to exin this unusual situation.


    ¡°Here, I will ask the question point-nk. Who are you?¡±


    Desir was seriously conflicted.


    It was impossible to make ame excuse to Zod. But no exnation would be able to convince him. There was no hole to hide in that would allow him to escape this question.


    ¡®If I don''t exin myself here, I will be designated as an Outsider.¡¯


    Not only that. The same would be said about Professor Bridget. Desir¡¯s only recourse was to tell Zod the truth.


    It¡¯s a story that Desir had never shared with anyone.


    ¡®Returning to the past.¡¯


    It was a fact that no one would ever guess this unless Desir told them directly.


    Desir agonized.


    ¡®Shall I tell you? That I came from the future?¡¯


    ¡®Do I have to share everything from the Shadow Labyrinth to the present?¡¯


    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t share this.¡¯


    Desir hadn¡¯t told anyone about what had happened to him. It was because of his concern over the unintended consequences and how the untold number of changed variables would ultimately affect the end result.


    Variables should be left unchanged as much as possible. For him, knowing the future was the most powerful weapon of all.


    If the future changed due to changes in these variables, he would lose the most powerful weapon he possessed. It was something that he should not allow at all costs.


    The variables already changed were enough to make Desir sick with worry and he wanted to refrain from changing them any further.


    ¡®I can tell you someday, but not now.¡¯


    Soon afterward, Desir shook his head. Zod replied with a grave tone.


    ¡°You can¡¯t answer.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    In the end, Desir decided not to speak. He carefully looked up at Zod to gauge his reaction.


    Zod was strangelyposed. When Zod reacted differently than expected, Desir queried him.


    ¡°Are you not going to question me further?¡±


    ¡°I would have if it were two weeks ago.¡±


    2 weeks ago.


    It was precisely before the awakening of Dadenewt.


    ¡°But what is the point of doubting you now? You tried to save a lot of people by sacrificing yourself, and in the end you managed to prevail over such adversity. There are no dumb Outsiders at your level of skill.¡±


    Zod smiled.


    ¡°My intuition tells me to trust you. And when I gave you all of my power, I decided to believe this groundless intuition.¡±


    His intuition as a wise man was telling him that Desir was very reliable.


    He would never know the circumstances surrounding Desir but he could see his heart.


    He wanted to save people at his own expense. It was a fact that no one could deny.

 Chapter 85. His Decision (7)

    <h4>Chapter 85. His Decision (7)</h4>


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Desir was left embarrassed with Zod¡¯s sudden confession.


    This was a side of Zod that Desir had not seen in his previous life, even after apanying him for many years.


    Desir only saw Zod acting as the master of the Magic Tower, cold and calctive in all circumstances, and as the Seventh-Circle wizard with an insatiable curiosity in finding the truth of all things.


    If he was nning to give up this easily, what was the purpose of the conversation thus far?


    After considering it for another second, Desir voiced his doubts.


    ¡°If this is true, everything you have told me so far¡­¡±


    ¡°I was just testing you. I wouldn¡¯t care whether or not you tell me.¡±


    All of his threats to Desir had been an act.


    Desir was perfectly deceived by his skillful acting.


    Desir responded in a heavy voice.


    ¡°Mr. Zod.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ I¡¯m sorry. But I give you my word. I won¡¯t ask about your identity anymore.


    Everyone has their own secrets that they can¡¯t share with anybody. I also have a bunch of secrets that I don¡¯t want anybody to know.¡±


    In Zod¡¯s own words, Desir imitated his tone and solemn posture.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t tell you my identity, but I give you my word. If the dayes, I will tell you everything.¡±


    *HAHAHA*


    The two faced each other andughed.


    ¡°I hope that day is not too far away.¡±


    Zod¡¯s smile was amazingly warm. It was like the smile of a grandfather looking at his grandson.


    ¡°Is that all you wanted to say?¡±


    ¡°No, there is one more thing. It¡¯s about the Outsiders.¡±


    Desir instantly recalled what happened around this time in his future.


    It had all unfolded in a rush.


    The Great Conference of the West Kingdom Union. The Outsiders carried out a terrorist attack on the conference and they managed to summon a devil, Dadenewt.


    Up until that point, they had only been a trivial faction thatmitted minor misdeeds, but it was at this point that they became active in earnest.


    Those who tried to overturn the status quo and spread chaos were clearly a destabilizing force.


    In particr, the Crow Mask that led this movement was especially dangerous.


    ¡°Through these events, I can see that the Outsider¡¯s power is considerable. They have been sessful at concealing their power up until now.¡±


    Above all, the Crow Mask that was leading them. A Sixth-Circle wizard, of which there are few on this continent, who used space magic, a Sixth-Circle spell.


    He was powerful enough to interrupt Zod¡¯s use of space magic.


    Desir could not understand how such a person could manage to hide his identity without even a hint at what their real name was.


    ¡°The revolutionaries¡­¡±


    The Crow Mask was a remnant of the Revolutionary Army. In the future, Desir was told that the remnants of the Revolutionary Army that survived during the civil war of the Hebrion Empire became the Outsiders, but he never thought that he would encounter them this way.


    Theymit indiscriminate acts of terrorism with absurd justifications.


    ¡®A group with that kind of motivation was even more dangerous than a regr criminal syndicate.¡¯


    Those who move based on faith are scary. It was because they believed their actions were right that they could justify any and all actions. They even ughtered citizens while saying that they resurrected Dadenewt to sacrifice the few for the sake of the many.


    ¡®I can¡¯t tolerate this.¡¯


    The only thing that can be said about them is that they arepletely crazy.


    The main purpose behind one¡¯s actions cannot be described in just a few words.


    What they enacted was not a revolution, but an obvious massacre.


    ¡®And they must have recognized me as an enemy by now.¡¯


    Desir felt that he would inevitably meet them again someday.


    With a lighter tone than before, Zod broke Desir¡¯s ruminations.


    ¡°Nothing to worry about. There have been some positive changes as a result of this.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? What do you mean?¡±


    Zod picked up one of the newspapers at the bedside and handed it over to Desir.


    [Wizard from Hebrion Academy raises a sword against the enemy]


    ¡°The mood is now different inparison to the time before the Great Council. Not only the citizens of the Western Kingdom but also the kings of the nations realized the seriousness of the Outsiders. And thanks to you, the impression of the Hebrion Empire was dramatically improved.¡±


    Desir smiled.


    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m very d.¡±


    ¡°If the talks goes well, the front lines between the Hebrion Empire and Western Kingdom may be united.¡±


    ¡°I hope that happens.¡±


    Zod stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m all done now. I¡¯m going to let you go. Take care.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Tower Master.¡±


    As soon as he opened the door, the silence magic disappeared.


    The long and tiring conversation had finallye to an end.


    Desiry down on his fluffy pillow to digest the contents of that heavy conversation.


    ¡®Improvement of the rtionship between the Western Kingdom and Hebrion Empire¡­¡¯


    It was a relief during a time of misery. Desir fell into deep thought.


    ¡®But they are not the ¡®true¡¯ enemy that we need to be concerned with.¡¯


    Despite the emergence of the Outsiders as a threat, the ultimate enemy remained unchanged.


    The Shadow Labyrinth.


    The worst disaster that was fated to appear in the future.


    Desir had yet to talk about the real enemy. This was because he had determined that there was no reason to spend the effort convincing the others without exining how he was a returner.


    Trying to exin how he knew this would only cause confusion.


    ¡®It¡¯s time to calmly start preparing.¡¯


    He would gather up his party and train them further to increase their power. Of course, he couldn¡¯t forget to train himself. His own power would be a decisive factor in thising disaster.


    Putting this n into action would allow Desir to reach the end goal, step by step.


    With this n, Desir felt he could ovee any danger.


    ***


    In a secluded vige in the Prillecha Kingdom.


    Someone traveling to the capital would encounter this vige on their journey. This town was frequented by tourists and merchants who stopped to take a break from their travels.


    There was nothing to write home about this vige and it was not very big, but it at least was known for its one specialty.


    Dark Beer.


    There was only one tavern in this vige but the taste of dark beer was well renowned in the nearby towns. The taste was good enough that people from nearby viges would even stop by specifically for this beer.


    ¡°Hey, Hans. Did you hear the news?¡±


    It was a very hot evening. Heat intensely radiated up from the ground and the air was especially muggy. The vigers dealt with the heat by rushing to the pub and drinking the cold dark beer.


    It was on this day that the pub was a bit noisier than usual.


    It wasn¡¯t just because of a few rowdy foreigners. Some news from the capital had arrived and turned the vige upside down.


    They gathered at the tavern and shared their merriment at the good tidings.


    ¡°What happened?"


    Hans, who ran a mill in the neighborhood, looked at his friend in a way that showed he didn¡¯t know what he was talking about.


    His friend pounded his chest in sheer frustration at someone being this much out of the loop.


    ¡°Oh, this guy! Haven¡¯t you even read the newspaper? Just what have you been doing?¡±


    ¡°Ehhhh, you know how my work has been recently.¡±


    ¡°Were you sick? Well, you shutdown your mill for a few days¡­ That Outsider gang¡­ The Outsiders. They broke into the capital¡­¡±


    The friend brought his hand to his ear, as if to tell Hans to listen carefully to his surroundings.


    When Hans stopped talking, he could hear the conversations of the people around him.


    ¡°The Outsiders have invaded the capital.¡±


    ¡°The Hebrion boy¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Hero¡­¡±


    Everyone in the tavern was talking about this one person. This could be expected though. It was an event of such significance that it would inevitably be recorded in the history books.


    Rumors of what had urred were already spread across the continent.


    Hans was still listening to what his friend was telling him. When the friend¡¯s story concluded, he was left absolutely amazed.


    ¡°The boy defeated the Outsiders.¡±


    Everyone spoke up after listening to him, adding a word or two of praise for the hero or disdain at the Outsiders.


    ¡°Well done.¡±


    ¡°Damn, they are so annoying! I¡¯ve heard that the amount of damage that they¡¯ve caused so far to the Magic Tower is astronomical.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard they stole technology?¡±


    ¡°We paid them back in full, this time.¡±


    Then he nodded.


    ¡°So this is why fewer traders had passed through the town recently.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because the capital has copsed and is not a ce to do business right now. In addition, more and more trains are being used in recent years. There are going to be fewer foreign visitors to the vige in theing years.¡±


    Hans listened to the story and grabbed a cold beer. The beer had a nice texture.


    Excitedly, his face turned red. The dark beer produced here was also famous for its high alcohol content. From drinking a single ss, no matter how strong the person was, they would definitely get drunk.


    Hans¡¯s gaze that swept throughout the tavern ended up catching on a particr person.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that guy?¡±


    He pointed at someone in the corner.


    In that particr corner of the tavern, there was someone sipping beer. He wore a hood and the shadows it left were so dark that it was almost impossible to see his face.


    He was sitting alone and drinking.


    Perhaps because of the bleak atmosphere he gave off, no one had tried to get close to him.


    He looked unpleasant.


    Hans¡¯s friend lowered his voice.


    ¡°¡­ He¡¯s a stranger who¡¯s been staying here for a few days. No one has seen his face.¡±


    Because of the incident in the capital, the merchants who used to visit hadn¡¯te recently.


    Not to mention the tourists and other travelers.


    It was therefore not weird for the vigers to look at him with suspicion while reluctantly weing him into the vige.


    A friend whispered into Hans¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Actually¡­ someone has reported him as a potential Outsider. We should get a response by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Ha, you¡¯re saying he¡¯s an Outsider?¡±


    ¡°Keep your voice down!¡±


    A friend pushed Hans¡¯s head down while furtively monitoring the hooded man¡¯s movement for any change. However, he was still sipping beer as calmly as ever.


    ----

 Chapter 86. His Decision (8)

    <h4>Chapter 86. His Decision (8)</h4>


    Hans admonished his friend for being so pathetic.


    ¡°Do you think an Outsider is silly enough to drink beer in a public tavern like this?!¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t bad to be vignt¡­ Hey, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give that stupid foreigner a real taste of our town.¡±


    Hans shook off his friend¡¯s hand and asked the owner for two sses of dark beer.


    It was the first foreigner to visit in a long time. He seemed like a wanderer but he appeared to be interested in some of the conversations in the tavern.


    ¡°Hey, dude. Can I join you?¡±


    It was a polite question, but it didn¡¯t require an answer. Hans sat down without waiting for such an answer. He then pushed away the beer that the hooded man was drinking and reced it with his dark beer.


    ¡°It¡¯s on me. Get rid of that pale, smelly beer. This is the good stuff.¡±


    At that moment, the quiet man¡¯s mouth opened.


    ¡°¡­ Go.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Take your friend and leave within 30 seconds.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Hans was embarrassed. He had done this foreigner a favor and in return he received a deportation order aspensation.


    ¡°You are a rude man. Where are you from? From the North? Oh, I see. You¡¯re from¡­¡±


    ¡°Toote.¡±


    *Bang*


    Suddenly, Hans looked over his shoulder at the source of the noise.


    There were two people striding through the wide open door.


    An insidious voice echoed in the tavern.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, wee to my show!¡±


    The man who had spoken was rather tall and wore a nice suit. But unusually, he had a funny Pierrot mask on his face.


    However, in contrast to the ridiculous mask, the people in the bar had goosebumps on their arms for some reason. There was a leash dangling from his hand and it was connected to the neck of the middle-aged man who came in together with him.


    ¡°I, Pierrot, will be running this show. Nice to meet you.¡±


    The gorgeous clothes of the middle-aged man were dusty and torn. His obviously once muscr body was now wrecked from torture, like a tattered piece of cloth.


    His dignified appearance was gone, now reced with uncontroble trembling and a look stricken with terror.


    Hans recognized the face of the middle-aged man and inadvertently revealed his shock.


    ¡°And let me introduce my assistant! Great Kingdom of Steel, King of Divide! Your Majesty Colora Ahs F Waldersch!¡±


    Nobody responded. No one dared to meddle in the unfolding situation.


    Silence. Everyone was frozen in horror and could say nothing.


    The sound of flies buzzing in the air seemed louder than thunder.


    With a gesture that he was ying, Pierrot Mask un-summoned the bondage that tied the king¡¯s hands and took off the eye patch that covered his eyes.


    The eyes of the King of Divide were finally revealed. They were filled with tears.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing now¡­¡±


    Someone woke up but he didn¡¯t have enough time to finish his sentence. Something sparkled in Pierrot Mask¡¯s hand before blowing past the neck of the unruly onlooker.


    Blood gathered in a line in the air.


    The wire was too thin to easily identify with the human eye.


    No one saw it as it was flying.


    It was an overwhelming action.


    ¡°Hup¡­ !¡±


    Nobody dared to scream. It was because Pierrot Mask looked around, non-verballymunicating a threat that the same would happen to anyone else that made a sound.


    ¡°Okay, everyone, take up a weapon. Anything that can hurt others is fine. Knife, chair, ah, a good choice. But don¡¯t even think about moving.¡±


    *Rustle*


    People were busy finding a suitable weapon.


    In short order, everyone present was holding something that could be used as a weapon. Even Hans had something. He spilled the beer out of the mug and broke the ss making a sharp piece that he could use like a knife.


    Hans nced at the man wearing the hood, but he was still sitting. The Pierrot Mask acted as if he was not there and continued directing his show.


    ¡°Well, maybe you all know each other here due to being from the same vige. But tragically, only one person can leave here alive. My assistant here is going to participate in thispetition as well.¡±


    The King of Divide grabbed the dagger and walked out. There was no pride in his eyes at all.


    Instead, they were filled with the desire to live.


    Everyone was eyeing each other.


    ¡°Starting is always hard. Good. The first person to kill will be the exception. I will send them out first.¡±


    Hans tightened his grip on the ss shard.


    How can this man be subdued? If he pretended to fight moderately and then suddenly poked a non-fatal ce with his shard, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the quick attack from the wire.


    Hans¡¯s friend approached Hans with a bottle opener in hand.


    ¡°Friends, calm down.¡±


    ¡°You heard him too.¡±


    Hans put down his weapon first and once more eagerly said to his friend.


    ¡°Put down the weapon¡±


    ¡°I want to live, Hans.¡±


    He rushed towards Hans. Blood sttered and screams broke out everywhere. Pierrot Mask exploded into a fit ofughter while watching the tavern suddenly turn into the site of a battle royale.


    ***


    The bar was quiet. No one was alive. It was so terrible to see.


    ¡°This is a bad habit of yours.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    The Pierrot Mask sat next to the now un-hooded Crow Mask.


    ¡°I wondered if you were nning to stop me or not.¡±


    Crow Mask answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to get caught up in your pace.¡±


    With his answer, Pierrot Mask opened his eyes for a brief moment beforeughing in satisfaction.


    ¡°You sure have changed.¡±


    ¡°Is that aint?¡±


    ¡°No, I like it. Really. It is clear that you are no different from us.¡±


    Crow Mask no longer denied what he said.


    Was it because it was too much of a bother to refute it, or did he finally acknowledge it in his heart?


    He switched topic without responding to Pierrot Mask.


    ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    ¡°I failed to kill all of the kings who attended the conference. But I do have some profit from the attempt. The capital of the Prillecha Kingdom has lost its function and is badly affected economically. I also seeded in catching one of the kings of the Western Kingdom Union.¡±


    He pointed at a dead body.


    The King of Divide, Colora Ahs F Waldersch.


    He struggled with a dagger to survive. He ughtered people and did his best to take their lives.


    Eventually it was all futile.


    In the midst of so many mishaps his face is perfectly preserved.


    ¡°You can¡¯t imagine how easily things were though, thanks to him moving separately from the rest.¡±


    King Divide separated from the kings of the Western Kingdom Union. That was the biggest reason for him bing a target.


    He was overconfident in his power.


    Pierrot Mask prodded his body with his toe and smiled.


    ¡°It could be fun to do things with it.¡±


    Crow Mask didn¡¯t like the man in front of him.


    This man¡¯s behavior was always dirty and disgusting.


    ¡°So, I heard Dadenewt was resurrected¡­¡±


    ¡°It was destroyed.¡±


    Pierrot Mask tilted his head.


    ¡°What? How was it killed? It should have destroyed at least one kingdom.¡±


    ¡°¡­ There was a powerful wizard.¡±


    ¡°Zod?¡±


    ¡°No, a more dangerous wizard.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that the kid in the article killed the demon? The kid who can¡¯t even arrange Fourth-Circle magic. Least to say Seventh-Circle magic?¡±


    Pierrot Mask had the same level of contempt that Crow Mask had upon first meeting Desir.


    ¡°His magic ability has already surpassed Zod. And at a young age he is good at fighting too. He¡¯s not an easy man to be trifled with. He also used a spell that I couldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    With a single magic, he killed Dadenewt that even Zod had a hard time with. The power he used was above the Seventh-Circle.


    They would never understand how to arrange magic at such a level. But what was clear was that he was the enemy of Crow Mask ¡°So you dealt with him directly. What was your impression?¡±


    Pierrot Mask seemed to be very interested in hearing this information.


    ¡°Overall, it¡¯s clear that he is below me. But in the use of spells, there are few people in the world that can achieve as much as him. The absence of higher-tiered spells that I initially thought was a major weakness ended up being a triviality to him.¡± Crow Mask continued.


    ¡°He is the highest risk factor. More so than Zod. He will be a big stumbling block in future ns. I hope we get rid of him quickly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very impressed. Stronger than Zod.¡±


    ¡°Do not think he will be easy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Pierrot Mask drank the beer in front of him.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to move even more destructively to imprint fear of us on everyone. It will be iparable to what we have done so far. And at the same time¡­¡±


    The gaze of Pierrot Mask turned back towards the King of Divide.


    ¡°We are going to dig deeper and more secretly into the heart of the enemy to destroy them from the inside.¡±

 Chapter 87. In Between Summer and Winter (1)

    <h4>Chapter 87. In Between Summer and Winter (1)</h4>


    The temperature in the air had been steamy hot, but as soon as October arrived it immediately cooled down catching everyone unaware.


    In the garden of Hebrion Academy, the flowers and nts bloomed in such vivid shades of red and green that one could easily mistake these nts as being painted.


    With the conclusion of summer break, it was naturally time for the fall semester to start.


    ¡°It¡¯s second semester already. Time sure flies!¡±


    With themencement of the semester, all of the students who had left for the break had now returned. As a result, the mood in Hebrion Academy was one of youthful excitement.


    No matter where you went in the campus there were students walking in groups of three or four. Amongst one such group, there was one boy with dark hair that stood out amidst his peers. He was wearing a Clothes Line that showed his status as a single ranker.


    Naturally, it was Desir Arman.


    He had returned to school for the new semester and felt all of the attention directed at him from the crowd. Students whispered as he walked by. Some snarled at him while others simply gossiped about him. It was so much attention¡­ too much really.


    Of course, not all of the attention was positive. However, it clearly proved that Desir was now really famous. Some students would evene up and ask for his autograph. This unbridled curiosity continued until the opening ceremony was over.


    It was evening by the time the assembly concluded. At Hebrion Academy, whenever there was an event like this, all of the students gathered at the main hall and had dinner together.


    Desir could only see with one eye. And due to that fact, he could no longer gauge the distance to objects in-front of him very well. He was currently walking down a flight of stairs, heavily relying on the rail. Before making it very far he ended up losing his bnce. He almost fell, but at that time, someone happened to be nearby to offer their assistance.


    ¡°Be careful, Desir.¡±


    It was Pram Schneider. He looked up at Desir and smiled at him.


    ¡°Thanks, Pram.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you walk.¡±


    Desir felt he didn¡¯t need such help. Pram approached him, but he politely refused.


    ¡°No, thanks.¡±


    ¡°You might fall!¡±


    Pram wasn¡¯t one to easily give up on such things.


    ¡°If you fall and get hurt while I stand right next to you, I¡¯d be living in a nightmare of a guilt-trip from not being able to save you¡­¡±


    ¡°Rx! Rx, Pram!¡±


    Desir hurried tofort Pram before he could be depressed and out of sorts.


    ¡°Then, does that mean I can help you?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Fine. Then if you would, please Pram.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Desir realized that Pram had tricked him as he saw Pram with a smile so radiant it was as if he had never been sad. However, it was already toote.


    Pram linked arms with Desir.


    ¡°Now you can lean on me.¡±


    Pram was a thin person, but he was a very steady support for Desir. He also constantly checked on Desir¡¯s wellbeing andfort.


    Pram already knew about Desir¡¯s condition. After Zod left, Desir exined his condition to the party.


    After walking down the stairs and outting both feet back onto t ground, Desir turned to Pram.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Allow me to assist you when you walk back up.¡±


    They hurried over to the banquet hall. For dinner there was: corn sd, rye bread, and vegetable sandwiches. This was unusual as they were all used to eating from the luxurious menu on normal school days. Of course this caused someints from students and quite a few of them immediately left the hall.


    Desir and Pram didn¡¯t care. They nonchntly picked up some sd and rye bread before moving on.


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    Desir and Pram found Romantica and Adjest were already settled, so they sat down next to them. After a short exhange of greetings they started eating.


    Romantica wasn¡¯t happy about the food here either and muttered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I need to put this low quality food in my mouth. Is this the result of some kind of conspiracy?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense.¡±


    This was the highest educational institution of the Hebrion Empire. The empire¡¯s very own noble heirs attended this school. It would not have been possible for corruption of that magnitude to ur here.


    ¡°To be honest, this is probably not the result of a reduction in quality, but more about a change in diet.¡±


    Meat was thoroughly excluded from this new diet.


    Romantica shook her head.


    ¡°There must be something else at y. Is today somehow special?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is anything to do with the first day of the semester.¡±


    It was then.


    ¡°All of you are here!¡±


    It was Ladoria Doriche. She is a sophomore single ranker making her one of the best of the best. She seemed rather excited. She took out a pen and paper from her inner pocket and headed over to Desir.


    ¡°A friend of mine is a big fan of you. Can I get an autograph? I mean from all of you.¡±


    All of them were surprised. They looked at each other and soon nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a big deal, so they easily epted her request.


    As she waited for all of the autographs, Ladoria gaze settled on Romantica¡¯s te that had so much leftover food.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t like it, did you?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, yeah. This isn¡¯t really¡­¡±


    Ladoria nodded her head as if she understood what Romnatica attempted to exin.


    ¡°Actually, my friends were not satisfied with today¡¯s banquet either. But then again, what can we do? They said it was done in remembrance of people who had died from Western Kingdom Union terrorist attack.¡±


    Desir and his party finally understood why the menu was the way it was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The menu will return to normal after a while. Alright, guys! Keep up the good work! I¡¯ll always cheer for you!¡±


    Ladoria left on those words.


    Pram couldn¡¯t believe what he had heard.


    ¡°Ladoria, from the Red Dragon Party, asked for our autographs¡­ The Ladoria¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow, now I¡¯m sure that we really are famous.¡±


    Romantica said delightfully in delight.


    They were all Beta students before this summer break had started. It was true that they feel some kind of pressure from the other students, but nobody really expressed that feeling that they sensed.


    ¡°Well, there are a few annoying disadvantages though.¡±


    Adjest wasn¡¯t really happy with their newfound reputation. Unlike Romantica, she didn¡¯t like to be in the center of attention.


    ¡°I see it as a good thing. This is a chance to advertise our party.¡±


    Bing famous meant that you can spread your name to the world. Desir had decided to use this fame.


    Desir established a party for the talented people who couldn¡¯t utilize their full potential in the future. There were no requirements to enter this party. Even if they didn¡¯t have any discernible skill, Desir still wanted to help them if they had a strong will.


    Romantica added on to this.


    ¡°It will be a good advertisement, but the important fact is that nobody wanted to join our party.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I know.¡±


    But so far, there was nobody that took up their offer, with the exception of Adjest.


    Honestly, it was puzzling.


    ¡°It¡¯s so strange. Let¡¯s say they didn¡¯t know about us before. However, now that we are pretty famous, I can¡¯t understand why there is still no one¡­ no one applying to join us.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about the rumor of our tough spartan training regime?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Maybe it is.¡±


    Yes, Desir¡¯s training method was definitely harsh.


    As trainees, they might hate it. Even Romantica hadined about the heavy training in the beginning. She alwaysined and never seemed happy about it.


    However, as hard as his training was, it produced results and everyone didn¡¯tin since they knew it as well.


    ¡°Desir¡¯s training really works! I feel like a totally different person inparison to the beginning of the semester!¡±


    Pram insisted strongly.


    Adjest, who had been silently listening, added her piece too.


    ¡°The training that enstated highlighted and helped the areas that we needed to improve. It was more effective than what any professor could do for us.¡±


    Desir smiled.


    ¡°Really? I¡¯m going to prepare the training for tonight. All of you shoulde prepared!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    There was only one person who remained silent. Desir stared at her.


    ¡°Romantica?¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay! I got it!¡±


    Romantica has been diligently participating Desir¡¯s trainingtely.


    There had been several asions in the past where she skipped out on them, but since ¡°the incident¡±, Romantica¡¯s attitude had changedpletely. She faithfully undertook the training offered by Desir.


    While they were chatting about these things, all of a sudden, there was a loud noise.


    A woman stepped up on the stage in front of the hall. She appeared to be somewhat familiar.


    She was professor Bridget, the one who had taught them study of magic.


    She wiped off the sweat on her face twice, then turned on the magic microphone. Her voice echoed deeply in the hall.


    ¡°It is great to see you again, Hebrion students. I am professor Bridget, the study of magic teacher. I want to exin some of the changes we will be implementing this semester that couldn¡¯t be exined at the opening ceremony.¡±


    Immediately, the entire hall was silent.


    ¡°I assume that you all have heard what happened in the Western Kingdom Union. The Outsiders invaded and caused serious damage to the Western Kingdom Union. Therefore we, Hebrion Academy, have decided to take measures and prepare against such a serious threat. As a result, a patrol squad of graduates now reside at Hebrion Academy and some security regtions will now be enforced to keep you all safe.¡±


    Security regtions.


    ¡°These are the measures regarding external activities. In order to leave the Hebrion Academy grounds, you will now need to get approval from your grade professors. Your grade professors must be informed of where your party will be going. Also, in order to enter the dormitory after 10PM, you will now need to submit a reasonable excuse for thete entrance.¡±


    Romantica sighed. She left Hebrion Academy pretty often and thought it was going to be an extra hassle for her. Professor Briggette continued listing the additional regtions.


    ¡°We will now also start imposing a curfew from 6PM. We encourage all students to follow the instructions from all members of the faculty. I have personally increased the security magic around our school. If you are not higher than Fifth-Circle, don¡¯t even think about sneaking out.¡±


    She continued on for a couple more minutes after this. To summarize it all, school life was about to get a lot more strict and tiring.


    After finishing her words, Professor Bridget announced that all of the information regarding the new regtions would be sent to themunication pads. She then left the stage. The hall soon returned to a normal level of noise again, as students discussed the implications of these regtions.


    ¡°Oh my, so she is saying that we have nowhere but here to go.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even date.¡±


    ¡°I need to shop for chips and snacks.¡±


    Many students including Romantica were not happy about this, but Desir thought differently.


    ¡°Think about what would happen if the Western Kingdom Union tragedy was repeated here. It¡¯d be horrible.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Romantica involuntarily recalled what happened and ceasedining.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I can¡¯t imagine the result of them unleashing such havoc here.¡±


    She ripped a piece off of the rye bread in her hand and shoved it into her mouth, as if trying to block that thought.

 Chapter 88. In Between Summer and Winter (2)

    <h4>Chapter 88. In Between Summer and Winter (2)</h4>


    After dinner, they headed over to their party office.


    Desir picked up the schedule from his desk and distributed it to the party members. Everyone read through the schedule that would dictate whether their semester would be heaven or hell.


    Their schedules seemed to differ a lot from the first semester. Pram was carefully looking at his schedule and his lips ended up forming a smile.


    ¡°We have three courses together, Desir!¡±


    Pram shouted out in delight.


    Desir was a magician. Pram was a swordsman. As they had different foundational curriculum to follow, they barely had a chance to share the same ss.


    Starting this second semester, they had a couple of mandatorymon sses. As a result, Desir and Pram would be taking quite a few sses together.


    Romantica narrowed her eyes as she checked out her schedule.


    ¡°Look at this. The previous sparring ss professor is sick, and they hired a new professor for the ss. Their name is¡­ Essennc Tistachia? It doesn¡¯t sound like he is from Hebrion. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You can tell when you hear his ent.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who that is, but I just hope he¡¯s better than the Magic Engineering professor.¡±


    The professor of the Magic Engineer ss was Pugman.


    * * *


    The next day, the full schedule of Hebrion Academy academic curriculum began.


    Botany ss lecture.


    The professor of Botany, for the Alpha ss, was Prof. Katweek. She was in her mid-50s. Her voice was slow and calm. Her lecture was mainly theoretical. Romantica was already bored while sitting in this lecture.


    ¡°Perhaps, she¡¯s going to focus on Mandra Gondra. I don¡¯t even know why we need to know that Mandra Gondra¡¯s scream is closely rted to abdominal pain and all of that.¡±


    Harrumphed Romantica.


    ¡°There will be times when you need to act based on all of your knowledge.¡±


    Desir responded.


    History ss lecture.


    The professor of this ss was a young man, Prof. Kevin. He has had a very sharp nose and wore rectangr sses with sharp angles on their edges. He always assigned a tremendous amount of homework to his students as he felt that History ss was the most important ss of all.


    ¡°Professor Kevin thinks that we only have History ss in this school.¡±


    Romantica criticized as she dumped the history textbook in her locker. So far, there was no ss that she really liked and felt positive about.


    ¡°Plus, we have Rune ss next. I don¡¯t know how I will be able to fix myself to a seat for those long dragging hours.¡±


    Romantica sighed deeply, as if trying to sink into the ground. Prof. Banquick had the longest lecture of them all.


    Surprisingly though, the lecture wasn¡¯t boring at all. It was fantastic. Prof. Banquick was an old man in his 60s with thick sses. His lecture today ended 10 minutes earlier than it was supposed to. Students screamed, bursting out into the hallway when they found out the lecture was over.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that he ended his lecture early. Why do you think he did that?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he had something to celebrate?¡±


    They tried to guess how this miracle ured.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s you, Desir.¡±


    Adjest pointed out.


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s because¡­ um¡­¡±


    ¡°Because that professor is also amoner like you.¡±


    A strange voice jumped into the conversation. It was a tall boy with dark eyebrows. He was wearing a blue coat that represented the Blue Moon Party. Grade 1, single ranker top 3.


    Dta Hadune. His tone was pretty haughty.


    ¡°Commoners have a barbaric misconception that they will be sessful if others of their kind are sessful. They are like parasites living off of each other. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    A frown crept onto Romantica face. Just as she was about to say something, Desir turned his head away.


    ¡°Not worth it. Ignore him.¡±


    What just happened was going to be nothing inparison with what was instore for them in Magic Engineering ss. As soon as Desir and his friends entered the lecture room, all of the attention spotted fell onto them.


    It was anything but warm, weing attention. Most of the students in this lecture were Blue Moon Grade 1 and 2 single rankers who were outright hostile to Desir and his party members.


    After Adjest changed party from Blue Moon to Desir¡¯s, they were more sensitive and harsh towards Desir¡¯s party.


    The director of Blue Moon Party was Professor Pugman. He hates hatedmoners. He disliked Desir in particr since during the promotion period, he involved himself in the problem of the transfer of Adjest from Blue Moon to Desir¡¯s party. He had even managed to somehow be meaner than he was in thest semester. One day, during a practical lesson on building a First-Circle magic sequence using a ss Six magic stone, Desir submitted aplete sequence before everybody else. However, he got a minus mark on his grade. Prof.


    Pugman said that Desir didn¡¯t check his work carefully, but everyone knew it was just an excuse.


    ¡°That was a ridiculous nitpick.¡±


    Romantica said as she poured salt into her soup.


    ¡°You did build it perfectly. You didn¡¯t even have to review it.¡±


    ¡°He just needed an excuse to deduct points.¡±


    Said Adjest as she shrugged her shoulders as if it were no surprise.


    Things have always been like this. It¡¯s always been a Blue Moon Party member who gets the top score. Desir¡¯s party always had something less than them.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°Magic Theory.¡±


    ¡°Is it Prof. Bridget?¡±


    After the lunch was over, Desir, Adjest, and Romantica headed over to the lecture room for Magic Theory ss.


    ¡°It is a beautiful day to talk about magic theory!¡±


    Prof. Bridget was always calm. She was well-known as a Hollow Witch throughout the continent. She was a magnificent sorcerer, and her lecture was just so great and that nothing else couldpare.


    Unlike other lectures that emphasized theories and were filled up with rambling discussions and tangential tirades, her lecture was more skewed towards practical exercises based on real situations. Therefore it was easy but contained so much useful information.


    After exining a concept, Prof. Bridget spoke to the students.


    ¡°Okay, we are now going to practice alternating the magic we already know. Make groups of three, and after you practice performing it, give feedback to each other. Today¡¯s lecture and practice will be applied to the final evaluation.¡±


    The students spread out to practice magic on their own.


    Prof. Bridget was busy walking around the lecture room and helping students cast magic correctly, giving feedback on how they invoked their magic. After the lecture was over, Prof.


    Bridget walked up to Desir.


    ¡°Please follow me to my office, Desir.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He answered as he nodded. It was a surprise to Desir, but he tried not to show any awkwardness.


    * * *


    Her room was full of well-organized books and references, just like a library. Among them there were unique and antique references. Desir had been to this office a couple of times already, but every time he came here, he couldn¡¯t help but be astonished at the scale of it.


    Prof. Bridget brought out two cups of hot tea. She ced them on the table, then signalled Desir toe over with her hand. As soon as Desir had a seat, she started talking.


    ¡°Desir, do you remember when we first met?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do.¡±


    Desir nodded quickly.


    ¡°The Royal Library that all citizens are allowed to visit freely. You were reading a book there. Even though you were so young at that time, you were so thirsty for knowledge and eager to read more.¡±


    ¡°It was my only learning ce and I was pretty desperate at that time.¡±


    Prof. Bridget made a bitter smile.


    ¡°I felt bad for you because I knew that you had so much passion for learning, but you couldn¡¯t due to the limited environment you were in. That¡¯s why I gave you a rmendation for Hebrion Academy.¡±


    Desir nodded his head as the memory of his past was still so vivid.


    Without her help, it was impossible for Desir to enter Hebrion Academy to begin with. Desir already had excellent skills. With her help, he could create First-Circle spells and was epted by Hebrion Academy with Bridget¡¯s rmendation.


    Bridget was a savior to Desir.


    ¡°Desir, you were someone beyond what I could imagine. And honestly, I couldn¡¯t ever imagine you reaching where you are now.¡±


    Then, her face darkened.


    ¡°You again saved so many people in a foreignnd. I am truly proud of you. But¡­ I wish you would take care of yourself more¡­¡±


    Desir couldn¡¯t say anything to her.


    ¡°I know that you didn¡¯t have a choice, but I still think that this is way too dangerous To sacrifice yourself all of the time to save other¡¯s lives.¡±


    Bridget¡¯s voice betrayed her worry on this matter.


    ¡°You must be so sick of hearing this from other people. I want you to remember that there are so many people who think about you. Do you know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes, I do. Professor.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you should go now.¡±


    When Bridget finally heard Desir¡¯s response, her face regained its smile.

 Chapter 89. In Between Summer and Winter (3)

    <h4>Chapter 89. In Between Summer and Winter (3)</h4>


    All of the Grade 1 and Grade 2 single rankers participated in the sparring ss. Most of the single rankers were part of the Blue Moon party.


    Dta Hadune was talking to his party members excitedly.


    ¡°He probably begged Zod with something like ¡®Can you please tell people that I beat this?¡¯ ¡±


    ¡°Saying that he is the only hope for the Hebrion Academymoners.¡±


    People giggled. When Desir and his party arrived, they deliberately raised their voices and shared hostile jokes with the intent to embarrass the party.


    Adjest and Romantica stared at them but would not react unless Desir did so first. The crowd was mainly targeting Desir, so there was nothing that they could do.


    Adjest spoke in an annoyed tone.


    ¡°One day¡­ I¡¯ll beat them up until they die.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll join you.¡±


    Dta finally shut up when the professor arrived.


    ¡°Nice to meet you all. I¡¯m professor Essennc Tistachia. I¡¯ll be facilitating the sparring lecture today.¡±


    Essennc had a huge scar on his face and his hair was elegantly brushed back. He was in his mid 30s. He also had thick scars on his arms that made him look strong.


    ¡°I was once a soldier, captain rank, for the Golden Hawk Knights of the Hebrion Empire. I used to train and raise little kids like you into a state ofbat readiness.¡±


    One of the students seemed upset by his words. Essennc raised his voice even louder.


    ¡°I believe that your true ability onlyes with real experience. But you are still inexperienced and immature. You are just like nts grown in a greenhouse. Through these sparring courses you will experience something very close to real battles and grow to your maximum power and strength.¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling that this professor is super strict¡­¡±


    Romantica muttered.


    ¡°From what I have heard¡­ there are a lot of interesting students here who are single rankers. First¡­¡±


    He scanned through the single ranker section and his eyes stopped on Desir.


    ¡°So¡­ Are you the number one single ranker, Desir Arman?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    The corner of the professor¡¯s lips curled up into a smirk.


    ¡°Desir, pleasee down.¡±


    When Desir came down to the podium, Essennc squeezed Desir¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°When I said ¡®inexperienced and immature¡¯, that doesn¡¯t apply to this young man. This student has realized his fullbat potential. You know that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your kind words.¡±


    ¡°Rumors say that even before the opening ceremony, you have achieved great things. You have killed elite Outsiders and an ancient demon with Zod Exarion, the world¡¯s greatest wizard. You are also a technical advisor for the Mage Tower? What a great list of achievements at such a young age.¡±


    As Essennc continued, Dta¡¯s face contorted with a frown even greater than before.


    ¡°I know that all of the nobles at Hebrion Academy are haughty. You have proven that they are no different than anyone else. You should be proud as amoner.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Professor?¡±


    ¡°But Desir, look around yourself within the school. Look at how all of the noble¡¯s attention now falls upon you. This is the treatment you get as the hero who saved thousands of people.¡±


    ¡°Because it is a lie.¡±


    Dta couldn¡¯t stay quiet for a moment longer.


    ¡°There is no one who witnessed him killing the demon. Zod probably saw him and sympathised with thismoner, sharing some part of his achievement with Desir.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Is that what you think? You are¡­ Dta Hadune? Is that your opinion?¡±


    ¡°Most of us think so. We know thatmoners are not capable of doing such things.¡±


    ¡°Please stand up, Dta.¡±


    Essennc walked away from Desir and strode towards the Blue Moon party section. Each step he made seemed to resonate, creating a subtle change in the atmosphere of the room.


    Before anyone realised, the room felt very cold and threatening. It also felt like he would unsheathe his sword and attack someone at any moment.


    Surprisingly though, Essennc agreed with Dta.


    ¡°Well, you are right, Dta. Unlike nobles,moners are inferior in many respects. For the most part, they are not capable, or just can¡¯t do various things that are easy for nobles. You can simply see this from the test results. You can easilypare the ability of the students of Hebrion Academy via these tests. The noble students are way better than themoners.¡±


    With Essennc¡¯s words Dta¡¯s face brightened. Essennc continued.


    ¡°Some people think that it is a waste of time and money to even ept them into Hebrion Academy. Maybe Desir himself spread this rumor to build the reputation of themoners.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s what I wanted to say!¡±


    Dta pped his hands in excitement from finally finding someone to connect with.


    Essennc smiled.


    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t youe down here and spar with him?¡±


    ¡°Wh¡­ at?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t believe it because you didn¡¯t see Desir fighting against the demon, then you cane up right now and fight with him. Win and prove that he is a liar.¡±


    Desir thought it was ridiculous how Essennc brought about this whole situation without asking what he thought about it, but he decided to go with the flow since it didn¡¯t seem too bad.


    ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Dta couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. His mouth pped open and shut, as if trying to say something, but no voice came out.


    ¡°If you are not going toe down, just find your seat.¡±


    Dta hesitated a few seconds. He looked at Desir and plopped himself down into his seat.


    Romantica snickered.


    ¡°I love that professor. What do you think?¡±


    Romantica proimed.


    She nudged Adjest and realized that her face looked serious. Adjest was looking at the professor very unpleasantly.


    ¡°¡­ He is discriminating againstmoners. This only feeds the nobles¡¯ superiorityplex.


    This makes it all the more ufortable.¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s true though.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    She swallowed her words but definitely felt this situation was slightly suspicious.


    ¡°Raise your hand if you think you can beat Desir.¡±


    Essennc announced.


    Nobody raised their hand.


    ¡°You guys imed thatmoners are inferior and less worthy than nobles. Is this all you can do? Mock and tease others with just words. Are you one of those pathetic people who can take pride in yourself without proving your ability?¡±


    He taunted the Blue Moon party.


    ¡°So¡­ I guess there is no noble that can beat thismoner?¡±


    One student raised their hand and Essennc smiled in response.


    ¡°Great. Come on down.¡±


    One man walked down. He was tall with hair that stopped at ear length. The students who saw him were appalled. Desir knew who he was.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Kelt Pasil Niplica.¡±


    He was the younger brother of Professor Pugman.


    ¡°Wow¡­ A big shot.¡±


    Essenncughed. He seemed to be enjoying this moment.


    * * *


    The wind felt chilly. It was now fall.


    Desir and Kelt walked up onto the cold and empty stage. The stage was located in the center of the field and was surrounded by stone and granite boulders.


    Kelt started talking.


    ¡°I want to apologize on behalf of Dta. He never stopped gossiping, even though I told him to stop several times.¡±


    Desir questioned.


    ¡°Why are you apologizing? You have nothing to do with it.¡±


    ¡°We are the Blue Moon party.¡±


    Desir thought that he would also hatemoners. He thought that it was mistaken to believe that he¡¯d be different as he was the brother of Professor Pugman.


    ¡°I just want to make it clear that I didn¡¯t challenge you just because you¡¯re amoner. I did it because I wanted to see if you are as good as the rumours say you are.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Desir carefully scanned him.


    ¡®Unlike other noble men, he doesn¡¯t appear to be discriminatory againstmoners. Is he Fourth-Circle¡­¡¯


    Fourth-Circle is the level where one can be considered strong. He must be one of the best in


    Grade 2. Most of the crowd predicted that it was easily going to be Kelt¡¯s win. Kelt was well known and confirmed to be an experienced sorcerer.


    Kelt offered his hand towards Desir.


    ¡°Let me introduce myself again. Kelt Niplica.¡±


    Desir liked this guy. He had a good first impression of him. He was strong, but humble and well mannered. Before all of that, he wasn¡¯t biased by social ss.


    ¡®¡­ I¡¯ll let you have this one by making it close.¡¯


    Desir epted the handshake.


    ¡°Desir Arman.¡±


    After the handshake, they separated and maintained a distance between each other. Both of them wore Clothes Lines. As they were wizards, they didn¡¯t have any weapons in their hands.


    ¡°If you¡¯re ready, let¡¯s start the duel.¡±


    Essennc announced the beginning of the duel. Simultaneously, magical spells starting arranging themselves in front of both wizards.

 Chapter 90. In Between Summer and Winter (4)

    <h4>Chapter 90. In Between Summer and Winter (4)</h4>


    [Sea st]


    Desir was a lot faster and used more intricate formations when casting his spells. Nobody could mimic how he cast spells.


    [Water Strike]


    However, Kelt was a Fourth-Circle magician. Even though Desir had created Third-Circle magic by using the power of an artifact, Kelt¡¯s magic was a lot stronger than Desir¡¯s. They traded magic attacks, like a game of tennis the spells went back and forth between the two.


    Both wizards swapped between attack and defence. As their spells collided with each other, the stage cracked and tiles flew off of it.


    ¡®I guess the gossip about him was exaggerated.¡¯


    Kelt heard that Desir defeated the ancient demon and was on high alert regarding his strength, but a few minutes into the fight, he realized that the power of Desir¡¯s magic was not as great as his speed and intricate casting.


    ¡®¡­ I heard that he had some skill with inverting magic.¡¯


    Desir hadn¡¯t inverted Kelt¡¯s magic yet. Kelt thought that Desir was still just dipping his toe in the water, holding back against him. He decided to attack him with something stronger and unexpected.


    Desir¡¯s magic flew directly at Kelt¡¯s face. Kelt cast a spell of a higher level to defend with.


    [Ssh]


    Kelt¡¯s body transformed into water, and Desir¡¯s magic prated through Kelt¡¯s body without causing any damages. After a few attacks from Desir¡¯s and Kelt¡¯s defensive magic, the stage was flooded with water. It was hard to locate where Kelt, who was entirely made up of water, was hiding on the stage. Desir looked around.


    [Fire Bolt]


    Desir shot fire magic toward the water, but it only left an empty stage behind as the water evaporated in just that spot. Kelt wasn¡¯t there. Kelt silently observed Desir¡¯s reaction and thought it was funny.


    ¡®Come on. There is now only one thing that you can do. Use wide-area magic.¡¯


    Wide-area magic typically required a long time to cast. There should be a gap when casting this type of magic. That¡¯s what Kelt aimed for. He wanted to attack Desir when he was busy casting a wide-area magic.


    Desir started casting magic. It seemed like he was casting wide-area magic, just as Kelt expected. Kelt waited continued to wait though, as he didn¡¯t want to show his body while he wasn¡¯t absolutely sure what Desir was doing. Instead, he cast magic that didn¡¯t require a physical body.


    The water still left on the stage transformed into des and surrounded Desir. Just as all of the des were about to fly towards Desir¡­


    ¡°When you cast Ssh magic, you can choose the timing of when to attack¡­¡±


    Desir spoke out loud, to no-one in particr.


    *Crunch*


    Desir¡¯s magic stopped all of a sudden. No¡­ it was alreadyplete.


    ¡°¡­ and you can¡¯t defend in that condition.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ it wasn''t wide-area magic?¡±


    It was Desir just pretending all along. By the time Kelt realized that he was outsmarted,


    Desir¡¯s magic poured down upon Kelt.


    [Summon Lightning]


    Countless spears with great sparks on their tips flew at where Kelt was hiding. Kelt, who was in a state of shock for a short moment, still somehow managed to swiftly cancel his ssh magic, removing the des around Desir and then cast a magic that he could defend himself with.


    [Create Water] was a spell that created pure water. The curtains of pure water formed a screen in front of Kelt. The pure water redirected the electrical current into the ground. When the lightning stabbed into the water curtain, it exploded like a balloon.


    The explosion pushed Kelt back a few steps. If he was pushed back just three more steps, he would fall off of the stage and lose the battle.


    ¡°You seem to know how to handle electric magic well enough. When you boldly cast Ssh magic, I thought you had no idea.¡±


    Desir remarked.


    The flood on the stage started making sparks and crackling noise soon reverberated throughout the field.


    ¡°¡­ Sure. Now I learnt so much about you.¡±


    Kelt strongly clenched his fists.


    ¡°The warm-up has ended.¡±


    Kelt underestimated Desir because he was at a lower circle as a wizard and the magic he cast was not all that strong. He recognised that he had been careless.


    He stretched his hand out in front of himself. He started to cast a vast number of spells. The scale of the magic showed that Kelt had changed his attitude and was putting his best effort into it now.


    [Create Water]


    [Create Water]


    [Create Water]


    [Create Water]


    The level of water on the stage rapidly increased and finally stopped at their ankles.


    With a minor motion of Kelt¡¯s finger, the water became a tsunami and rushed towards Desir.


    Desir¡¯s eyes moved quickly to read the path of the water waves.


    ¡®Right.¡¯


    [Gravity Reverse]


    Magic that flipped the effects of gravity.


    The currents could no longer reach where Desir was standing as the opposing gravity pulled it down.


    Desir could simply walk out of the path of the raging current. Still, it wasn¡¯t the solution for this situation as the water was overflowing the entire stage and could attack Desir from any angle at any time.


    ¡®It¡¯s impossible to evaporate all of the water using fire magic.¡¯


    The amount of water was so great that even if Desir evaporated some of it, Kelt would just make more water in a heartbeat.


    Then, Desir just had to evaporate all of the water at once, not little by little. However, it was impossible for Desir as he wasn¡¯t a Fourth-Circle magician. He didn¡¯t have equal power to strike Kelt¡¯s magic.


    *Brrrrrng*


    ¡°I can tell you can¡¯t beat this one.¡±


    The water was in the exact position that Kelt carefully desired it to be. It made currents and waves to apply continuous pressure on Desir.


    Desir decided to focus on blocking Kelt¡¯s attacks. Although he couldn¡¯te up with a solution to the water magic, he wasn¡¯t getting outright trounced either. He continued to think about how he could react to this as he kept casting.


    ¡®Then¡­ OUCH!¡¯


    Desir was lifted by a huge wave. Luckily, he regained his bnce before he was pushed off of the stage. The damage from the water pressure was great enough that it was actually painful to be on the receiving end of.


    ¡®I guess I was too close to him.¡¯


    Desir bit his lips.


    It was an attack from the left side. Desir couldn¡¯t pay attention to maintaining a distance from


    Kelt due to the distraction of currents attacking from every angle.


    ¡®I need to figure this out.¡¯


    Ever since Desir lost eyesight in his left eye, estimating distances had be very difficult for him. For the battles where every movement and every magic counted, his new impediment was now his greatest weakness.


    Kelt didn¡¯t know about that of course. However, as he observed Desir only attacking him in certain ways, he noticed that Desir¡¯s sense of direction and distance was terribly weak.


    It was questionable. Now that Kelt had battled with Desir, Desir truly was a strong magician.


    Not as much as people described him as, but Desir still had a great level of skill. Above all, he was experienced in real battles. Desir sharply cut off or blocked the attacks aimed at him from all directions except his left. Kelt wondered, for some reason, Desir was peculiarly slow to react to all the attacks aimed at his left.


    Well, it was a chance for Kelt. Kelt didn¡¯t hesitate and poured magic out at Desir.


    [Aqua Tornado]


    Third-Circle magic.


    Since the area was full of water it could actually do damage at level of Fourth-Circle.


    *Fwoosh*


    All of the water started to gather as it twisted into and formed a pir of water. The number of water tornados increased extremely fast. They started to sweep everywhere on the field. The stage was made of stone and it began to crack under this merciless assault.


    Desir didn''t sit down and just watch this happen though.


    [Liquid Oxygen]


    A liquid that created spooky smoke that spread out like dense fog. As this liquid spread out from where Desir was standing, all of the water that it touched instantly froze¡­


    ¡®Oh, boy!¡¯


    All of the water on the stage gradually froze and broke out of Kelt¡¯s control. The liquid that


    Desir created also stiffened the frightening water tornado pirs into uselessness.


    Desir looked at Kelt.


    ¡°So, you can¡¯t cast that kind of magic anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Kelt didn¡¯t immediately reply. He was busy chuckling in his mind.


    ¡°This is all you could think of?¡±


    Kelt pointed at his surroundings.


    ¡°Look around you. Now your magic has been spread out over the entire stage to freeze the water. Even at your feet, too.¡±


    The liquid had indeed spread everywhere as it froze everything that it touched. The only area that the liquid hadn¡¯t covered was the tiny space where Desir was standing.


    ¡°That said, you can¡¯t escape from my magic anymore.¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t cast any more magic.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    Kelt pointed at the sky. The sky started to darken in all directions.


    Mana moved in a colossal torrent. It was mana on the scale of the Fourth-Circle.


    As Desir looked up at the sky,it started to rain on the stage. Desir realized what it was right away.


    ¡®It¡¯s narrow in scope and only temporary in terms of controlling the climate, but this is definitely¡­¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s weather control magic.¡±


    Kelt replied, as if reading Desir¡¯s mind.


    [Weather control]


    It interrupts the climate and forcibly changes the weather instantly. Initially, this was one of the highest spells that belong to the Fifth-Circle level of wide-area magic, but Kelt minimized the scale and cast it at the Fourth-Circle.


    *Pitter* *Patter*


    It started with just one or two drops of rain and soon became a downpour.


    Kelt arranged another spell in front of himself. Immediately the downpour intensified as raindrops fell like bullets.


    *Cling* *Cling*


    Desir took his Clothes Line jacket off and covered his head with it. The coat ceaselessly made sounds indicating that its defensive function was activating. However, it wouldn¡¯tst much longer than a couple more seconds.


    ¡°You had better surrender before the Clothes Line is destroyed."


    Kelt said triumphantly.


    ¡°You¡¯re great for your age.¡±


    Desir said as he took the Clothes Line jacket off his head.


    ¡°What?¡±


    *p*


    Desir suddenly pped. And what happened next was entirely unexpected. The stage just exploded all of a sudden.


    ¡°Eeek!¡±


    There was a gasp. White smoke started to rise into the sky.


    Kelt¡¯s body bounced off of the stage. Kelt couldn¡¯t do anything as everything happened in an instant.


    Kelt had a Clothes Line on too and it protected Kelt from injury. He slowly got up and made a face that revealed that even he had no idea what had just happened to him.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Kelt enquired.


    ¡°What I invoked is magic that spreads out liquid oxygen. When the liquid oxygen froze the water, it expanded and eventually created an explosion. With that amount of water and liquid oxygen it would simply blow you off the stage."


    Kelt looked at the stage that did not even exist anymore.


    ¡°I clearly lost.¡±


    Keltughed bitterly.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t even see your strongest asset, inversion.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Desir couldn¡¯t say that he didn''t try his best just because he wanted to see how strong Kelt was. He wanted to observe Kelt¡¯s movement.


    ¡°Fine. I admit that I lost.¡±


    Kelt nodded and made a genuine smile.

 Chapter 91. So They Go On (1)

    <h4>Chapter 91. So They Go On (1)</h4>


    Kelt Pasil Niplica was one of the top students within the academy who had earned great titles like being the Grade 2 leader of the Blue Moon party and also being a single ranker at the Fourth-Cirlce. He was also the younger brother of Professor Pugman. Every single person in Hebrion Academy knew who he was.


    And Desir beat Kelt. In front of all of the Grade 1 and 2 single rankers. Desir knocked him off the stage clearly and fairly. This of course brought a significant change to Desir¡¯s school life.


    ¡°Did you see how he walked away? It was bizarre.¡±


    Romantica said.


    They were sitting in Desir¡¯s party office. Romantica¡¯sughter was loudly amplified in the small room. Just like Romantica had said, after the big battle, they had confronted Dta a few more times during lectures. He hadpletely lost his morale. He was too dispirited to spend energy ming and finger pointing at Desir. Rather he was busy rushing out of his way to avoid Desir whenever he encountered him.


    ¡°You look happy, Romantica.¡±


    Desir voiced and Romantica nodded in response to.


    ¡°Of course! You knocked them down a few pegs so easily!¡±


    This unfortunately hadn¡¯t changed how people looked at Desir¡¯s party. It had however slightly reduced the bawling of the nobles that had been tantly expressing their unpleasant thoughts and emotions up until now. There were now far fewer people questioning Desir¡¯s ability to fight.


    Desir¡¯s party members no longer needed to blush in anger and bottle up their anger at these people. It was a very peaceful andfortable school life that they had not been able to experience previously.


    Finally, there were more.


    *Knock knock*


    ¡°Another one?¡±


    Romantica got up from the couch and adjusted her sleeves. She dragged over a chair and set it up in front of Desir.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring the tea.¡±


    Pram chirped as he went into the kitchen.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    After Desir¡¯s greeting, the door opened. A girl with short brown hair and huge dark-framed sses walked into the room.


    ¡°How can we help you?¡±


    Romantica kindly but impatiently asked the girl.


    ¡°Professor Vanquik told me that your party helps people train with no requirements to join¡­ I would like to join the party.¡±


    Professor Vanquik.


    He taught Rune ss and had supported Desir since the second semester started. He was amoner like Desir.


    ¡°Well, please take a seat first.¡±


    When Desir sat down in front of the girl, Pram brought over some snacks. From the pile of papers, Desir pullFreechel hesitated.


    ¡°Well, your party is so powerful, and I¡¯m only a Beta student¡­¡±


    ¡°There are no limitations or restrictions for application. You don¡¯t have to worry about it, but


    Freechel, have you heard about our party?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have. The training is really hard, and all of the nobles hate this party.¡±


    ¡°Then, why do you want to join our party?¡±


    Of course, there were parties that existed among the Beta sses. However, their primary mission was a lot different from the clearing of the Shadow Worlds. For some of the lucky students, they could participate in ss Seven Shadow Worlds to receive some advantages from the Alpha ss party. Unfortunately, some Beta ss parties were only established to serve the Alpha ss. It was an ugly result of unfairness and injustice.


    Desir used hismunication pad to retrieve information about Freechel. Her old party was called Arach, one of the subcontracted parties that assisted Alpha ss by looking up information rted to the Shadow World battles.


    ¡°¡­ I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.¡±


    Freechel pulled out hermunication pad from her inner pocket and showed Desir some pictures from it. There were many pictures. The pictures of textbooks torn apart, desks with broken legs¡­


    Desir frowned his face. Now he fully understood why Freechel hade to him.


    ¡°Did you get bullied?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Freechel nodded and continued.


    ¡°But no one in my party could help me. Even the professor. He couldn¡¯t oppose the Alpha ss by helping me out.¡±


    In Hebrion Academy, all of the bullying and hazing by the nobles was ignored and overlooked without exception.


    Even though all of the party members of Arach seemed like they had ignored the violence and cruelty, Freechel didn¡¯t seem to be bothered. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to help, but it was more of a case that they couldn¡¯t help.


    Desir pressed on his left eye with his fingers. It was not easy to help other people as doing so increases one¡¯s own exposure to dangerous situations. The people who needed to be med and punished were the people who bullied her.


    ¡°¡­ if it¡¯s only because of this, you don¡¯t have to join our party. We can solve this problem for you.¡±


    Freechel shook her head.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s meaningful in that way. Sure, I want to pay them back. Doing so would make me feel better. That¡¯s why I came here. You train your members with no requirements.¡±


    ¡°Ok. We will train you to the best of our ability.¡±


    So Freechel was epted as a member of the party.


    Desir looked at the list of the party members. There were three new members, including Freechel, on the list. Ever since Desir won the sparring fight with Kelt, people hade to Desir¡¯s party to join.


    ¡®The Beta ss students who were bullied by nobles, and couldn¡¯t do anything about it, have starteding to our party.¡¯


    It was a good sign. Everything that Desir had deliberately shown to people had now started to show its effect.


    ¡®It¡¯s really disappointing how Beta ss training is designed.¡¯


    There were no big changes to the Beta sses.


    ¡®And there will be some talented people who will fall into Beta sses next year as well.¡¯


    These students couldn¡¯t take decent sses, simply because they weremoners. Amongst them there would be talented students that had a decent amount of potential but without professional training, would never realise it. They needed to be trained, not tamed by the Alpha ss.


    The cause of all of this was a deeply rooted prejudice againstmoners by the nobles.


    ¡®It all came from the revolution that the Revolutionaries caused.¡¯


    This even happened twelve years ago, leaving an unavoidable scar on both themoners and nobles, withsting effects to this very day. The situation just wouldn¡¯t change unless the hatred from both sides disappeared.


    ¡®We need to change this.¡¯


    Nobles andmoners needed to reconcile, so thatmoners could be recognized.


    ¡®Gather all of the talented students. Then, provide them with an environment where they can get decent training and flourish.¡¯


    There were so many students from Beta sses that would ace things with proper training.


    ¡®Like capturing a Shadow Labyrinth.¡¯


    * * *


    Adjest was standing in the middle of the training facility. The dawn fog had not even disappeared yet.


    She swung her sword nonstop as her shiny silver hair danced in the air. She brought out her mana to the fullest extent and didn¡¯t stop practicing until reaching her limit. It was a practice to handle the sword more delicately and she had been repeating this since the second semester started.


    Adjest bit her lip incredibly hard.


    ¡®I couldn¡¯t do a single thing.¡¯


    Adjest recalled how helpless she was in the Prillecha Empire.


    Until she had encountered the Crow Mask, she thought that she was on the same level as Desir. However, it was purely her own delusion of grandeur.


    ¡°Can you stop Pram and Romantica from leaving the ship?¡±


    Desir asked Adjest while they were running away from Dadenewt.


    Then, Desir sacrificed himself. Adjest couldn¡¯t take it. She couldn¡¯t take herself watching helplessly from the sidelines. She couldn¡¯t do anything at all.


    *Crack*


    She momentarily lost her attention. The ice attached to her sword fell off. Adjest decided to stop practicing and sat down for a short rest.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    Adjest¡¯s ability was unimaginably great inparison to others, but the wall of the Fourth-Circle Bishop ss was not so easy to break through as a magic-swordsman.


    *Pitapat*


    Adjest felt someone approaching her and immediately turned to look in that direction.


    ¡°You¡¯re early today, Adjest.¡±


    Romantica was walking towards her. She was wearing light training clothes. She pped, and the dawn fog disappeared.


    ¡°Do you have any business with me?¡±


    Romantica stopped in front of Adjest.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m at the training facility. What do you think I¡¯m here for? I¡¯m here to train, too.¡±


    Then Romantica cast a spell at Adjest without warning. It was a Second-Circle spell.


    Adjest lifted her sword and blocked it.


    *Thud*


    A grand sound echoed across the training facility.


    ¡°What the heck was that?¡±


    ¡°A practical training session!¡±


    A practical training session.


    ¡°You want to be stronger, don¡¯t you? I want to be stronger. And we can finally end the duel we started at the Yellow Ocean Competition.¡±


    The Yellow Ocean Competition.


    Romantica and Adjest had a chance topete with each other, but they were interrupted by the Outsider¡¯s terrorist attack and lost that opportunity.


    ¡°I want to settle it. How about you?¡±


    Adjest assumed that Romantica wasn¡¯t simply saying it to figure out what the result of thatpetition would have been. Romantica had always kept Adjest in check. She had always been like that.


    ¡®But this is not a bad opportunity.¡¯


    Adjest decided that it wasn¡¯t a bad time to practice her magic sword, like in a real battle.


    Romantica had been trained by Desir for more than a half year. She was a great magician.


    Adjest had no reason to decline. She lifted her sword as her answer.


    ¡°But it¡¯s no fun if we ONLY practice with nothing on the line.¡±


    Adjest responded with.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The person who loses will clean up the office until we have anotherpetition, and the result is flipped. If you ept this condition, then I¡¯ll practice with you.¡±


    She suggested.


    Romantica was speechless.


    ¡®Cleaning¡­? That¡¯s nonsense!¡¯


    Romantica grew up as a noble girl. She wasn¡¯t used to doing menial chores like cleaning. And it was a big problem that there was no specified duration to this ridiculous oue. It was possible that she might end up cleaning the office forever.


    ¡®I should win. If I win, I can watch Adjest clean up the office all the time.¡¯


    Romantica hesitated for a bit, but soon she nodded her head.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take that bet. Don¡¯tinter.¡±


    ¡°I like that.¡±


    Adjest smiled.


    She raised her magic power, and calmly nned her strategy. She had a feeling that for the first time in a long while, she would finally be able to fight at her peak strength.

 Chapter 92. So They Go On (2)

    <h4>Chapter 92. So They Go On (2)</h4>


    Desir¡¯s party had seven members now. He had to ce another couch in the office to aodate all of the party members.


    Freechel first thought the office was big on her first visit, but she had since changed her mind.


    The room felt cramped with seven people stuffed into this tiny space.


    She didn¡¯t mind though. It was nothingpared to what she had to endure at her previous office. At least this ce didn¡¯t smell like garbage. The desks here had all four legs intact and the wall wasn¡¯t covered in mold. The floor was polished so clean it shone like a mirror.


    ¡®Who did the cleaning? They did such a good job. This is like heavenpared to her Beta ss office, but¡­¡¯


    Freechel tried so hard not to show her nervousness as she looked around the room. The office was already crowded with party members. Desir had called in everyone.


    ¡®I hope everyone here is nice¡­¡¯


    Freechel tried to say something to the other newbies, and for her own sake, but it wasn¡¯t easy.


    Two brothers who were also from Beta ss, Len and Tarky, were here too. They were swordsmen and had overwhelming physiques. They didn¡¯t look like the friendly type that you could start a casual conversation with.


    Freechel sighed and looked away, finding Adjest reading a book calmly. Her shiny silver hair dangled down to waist height. Even though she wasn¡¯t smiling, her overwhelming beauty radiated out.


    Freechel already felt an incredible distance between themselves, mentally that is.


    ¡®Oh, boy, I can¡¯t.¡¯


    Freechel quickly gave up talking to Adjest. Maybe part of it was that Freechel was too timid, but another part of it was that Adjest was too high-spec for anybody to casually talk with. She moved her sight to another person. A girl was helplessly sitting on a rocking chair with her hands, squeezing her head. It was a cute girl with blue hair.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Freechel screamed out of joy to find Romantica. Romantica was here when Freechel came to join the party. Freechel believed that it would be easy to talk to Romantica. She tried to move next to where Romantica was sitting. But soon she realized that it wasn¡¯t going to work.


    Romantica was grabbing her head. She seemed to be in deep contemtion, but actually, she was covering a bump on her forehead. She was wearing a fierce expression, so fierce in fact that she could be mistaken for an angry lion.


    ¡®She is not in a condition to talk with someone.¡¯


    There was no one in the office to hold a delightful conversation with. Her analysisplete, Freechel realised that she could only sit awkwardly until the end of this meeting.


    ¡®I can¡¯t do anything about this.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll give up. It¡¯s easy when I give up.¡¯


    Freechel decided to keep her mouth shut. Then, someone walked toward her.


    ¡°We meet again, Freechel.¡±


    It was Pram Schneider. With a weing smile, he handed her a hot teacup with steam billowing out of it.


    ¡°Oh, hi. It¡¯s great to meet you again, Pram.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Freechel. Romantica needs some time to be alone.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is really nice and sweet. You will get to know her very soon. May I sit next to you?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay next to you. If you have any questions, let me know. I understand that there are so many things you want to know since it¡¯s your first time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem. We are now a family.¡±


    ¡®An angel. This person is an angel.¡¯


    Freechel dered.


    At that moment, Desir entered the office.


    ¡°So everyone is here.¡±


    Desir looked around the office.


    ¡°The reason I have gathered everyone here is¡­ hey, Romantica, what happened to your forehead?¡±


    Romantica was not happy that Desir asked that specific question.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask.¡±


    Romantica huffed.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Desir felt that it was not a good time and ce to enquire further. Otherwise, he was sure that he would hear something terrible. He looked away from Romantica and resumed talking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know this, but there will be apetition among parties in the second semester.¡±


    Everyone nodded, except Freechel. Pram noticed that and exined it to her.


    ¡°The partypetition is held by all of the existing parties in the Hebrion Academy.¡±


    ¡°Is it like a promotional contest?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s different. The promotional contest is all about assessing individuals. Parties we only used to support the students, but this partypetition is more about assessing each party as a team, not as strong individuals. You can¡¯t y as a single yer. And for this one, unlike in the promotional exam, all of the grades will participate together.¡±


    Students in the Alpha ss and Beta ss show a huge gap as they move up to higher grades.


    It tends to be a stage for Alpha ss students since they are more dominant in skills.


    ¡°Of course, we will allpete, and naturally, we will achieve great results. I will not be satisfied with average results.¡±


    Desir calmly stated, as if this was not a big deal to him.


    ¡°And we will win this contest.¡±


    Freechel grasped. Her face turned a little pale, and she looked towards Pram.


    ¡°Did I hear that right?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes, you did. Definitely.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ But winning this kind of contest means¡­¡±


    ¡°It means that we need to beat up all the parties, including the Blue Moon party. He wants to stand on the top of the Hebrion Academy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy, but he said it so easily.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll get used to it. Desir is always like that, and¡­¡±


    Pram¡¯s eyes stayed on Desir, and he solemnly dered.


    ¡°He has always achieved it.¡±


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    Freechel tightly shut her mouth. Unlike her, there were some party members who opposedthis deration.


    ¡°Did you say that we will win the contest?¡±


    Takiran stood up in agitation.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    Is it realistic? I know that your party is so amazing, and that¡¯s why we are all here. But¡­ The partypetition is quite different from the promotional contest.¡±


    Desir nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. The partypetition is different from the promotional contest. Especially since for the partypetition all of the grades participate together and we can easily experience gaps in skill level first-hand. But let me tell you. It is truly possible.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What?¡±


    Takiran thought Desir was a dreamer, and he was reaching out toward a dream that could never be achieved.


    Adjest added her piece to the conversation.


    ¡°Desir, what does it mean when we are all pressured by the result of thepetition? Our party is already getting enough support from the school, and what we need right now is not winning or bing a top ranked party.¡±


    ¡°Good question, Adjest.¡±


    Desir¡¯s party was getting so much support financially from the tower already. Theycked nothing financially, as a brief nce at their bank ount would attest to.


    ¡°Like you said, we¡¯ve got enough support from the tower. It¡¯s really enough. We¡¯ve been promoted to single rankers as Beta ss students. We also were made famous from the Deltaheim case.¡±


    The Mage Tower truly was the best sponsor and filled Desir¡¯s party¡¯s pockets full. The reputation of Desir¡¯s party was as great as Blue Moon¡¯s.


    ¡°You need to know that the reason I started this party and aimed to be a single ranker wasn¡¯t for our individual benefit.¡±


    Desir looked back and forth between Pram and Romantica. In response, they both nodded their heads.


    To prove the proficiency of individuals and change the education system of the Hebrion Academy which neglected and ignored the potential ofmoners,belling them ipetent. Desir¡¯s ultimate goal was the beginning of all of the preparation required for battle with the Shadow World. However, Desir did not need to disclose that here. He was looking way too far into the future.


    ¡°It is a simple reason that Hebrion Academy doesn¡¯t provide a decent education for Beta sses. They think it¡¯s not worth it. They im that we will never produce as great of a result as nobles will.¡±


    Themoner professors put so much effort into teaching them. On the other hand, the noble professors didn¡¯t even bother to teach them. It was obvious from the beginning that the Beta ss would not be properly educated, since the majority of the professors at the Hebrion Academy were aristocratic.


    Len, Takiran, and Freechel bit their lips unconsciously. They were mad. It was frustrating to show what they were capable of to people who didn¡¯t want to see anything from them.


    ¡°All of our new members are from the Beta sses. What did you learn from your sses


    ¡°¡­ Well, it was a self-study session.¡±


    Freechel answered.


    ¡°Len and Takiran, how about you guys? Have you made some progress since you started attending this school? You can say something if you disagree with me.¡±


    Nobody spoke up. Desir¡¯s words had uncovered the reality that was so brutal to everyone present.


    ¡°It is true that your skills are not aspetent as the students from the Alpha sses, but it¡¯s not about what you are and who you are. It¡¯s not because you are untalented. It¡¯s not because you aremoners.¡±


    Desir voice raised a little as he delivered his speech passionately.


    ¡°Status doesn¡¯t mean anything. It shouldn¡¯t be a tool to judge you. You just couldn¡¯t learn because there was no opportunity to do so.¡±


    Everyone focused on his words.


    ¡°I am not just speaking nonsense. I wish everyone was treated equally. When you stand on the top of the Hebrion Academy, you will be the proof that we, asmoners, can do as well when given the same opportunity and the same education as the nobles do. And when this change continues, nobility will have to admit it. At least, on the surface, the school can no longer treat Beta sses unfairly or unequally.¡±

 Chapter 93. So They Go On (3)

    <h4>Chapter 93. So They Go On (3)</h4>


    Desir¡¯s party had officially started training.


    All of the new party members were newbies who had never experienced a real battle. There was a huge amount of training that they required. They needed everything from training on basic formations to what their areas of weakness were.


    Desir knew all of the basic movements of different swordsmanship style_s since he spent so much time with the knights and swordsmen from different continents in his past life. He settled on teaching the Hebrion Emperor swordsmanship to Lan and the aggressive Northern swordsmanship to Takiran.


    Freechel was a water-based mage and she only knew a few spells. Therefore, she focused on learning more spells to increase her repertoire. This was the first task given to her. Desir taught her a couple First-Circle water-based spells that she could practice on her.


    After setting the newbies straight, Desir went to check on the old members¡¯ training. Pram was the one who had aplished the most amongst them.


    ¡°Great work, Pram!¡±


    Desir found blue mes covering the tip of his sword. However, these mes were neither bright nor clear, meaning it was definitely an aura. Pram was a step closer to the Bishop level.


    ¡°Thank you, Desir. You know that I practiced so hard to get this far.¡±


    ¡°This is wonderful. Keep doing what you¡¯re doing. When you get enough of the aura on your sword, we can start sparring together.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Desir then went over to Romantica.


    In the Wind Magic field metal shot-puts were flung around at 200 kilometers per hour. The shot-puts were fist-sized, but as they burst into the far distance, they quickly became the size of small dots.


    There, Romantica was holding her rifle, aiming somewhere in the sky. With a loud noise, the magic she invoked into the rifle wasunched into the air.


    *Boom!*


    [Sess.]


    A robotic voice sounded from a nearby machine.


    Romantica¡¯s shot put was torn into pieces.


    When Romantica was done reloading her rifle, Desir apuded.


    ¡°Wow, impressive growth. With your capacity, you can shoot someone so far away. You¡¯ll have fewer enemies who can detect your sniping. It¡¯s a great achievement!¡±


    ¡°Well. This is really easy.¡±


    Wordless invoking was Romantica¡¯s greatest trait. Since her sniping can be done at great speed, it was challenging to defend against this magic. She once used this sniping magic during the battle with Crow Mask and even managed to break his mask.


    ¡°Try again.¡±


    Desir signalled Romantica with the sign to go one more time.


    Romantica brought her riflescope to her eye.


    ¡°But you should know that your sniper training isn¡¯tplete yet. Your shot is effective when you are dealing with one person, but there¡¯s no guarantee that there will always be only one enemy.¡±


    Desir pulled down on the lever and a shot-put burst into the sky. Romantica started aiming it while Desir pulled the lever again before Romantica even had a chance to pull the trigger.


    The second shot-put was streaking through the air. Romantica lost herposure and her aim was thrown off in panic.


    ¡°Wa¡­ Wait!¡±


    ¡°Focus, Romantica.¡±


    Desir pulled another lever. Romantica tightly bit her lips and stared down the scope.


    ¡®Which one should I shoot first? Forget about the first one, it¡¯s so far away now. Then, the second one? No¡­ the first one isn¡¯t too far away yet. It¡¯s not toote!¡¯


    The second of agitation had tremendously affected her uracy. After making up her mind she took her first shot, but it missed the target.


    [Failure]


    [Failure]


    [Failure]


    Terrible results.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Romantica lowered the rifle from her eye.


    ¡°That adds to the list of what I need to practice, right?¡±


    Lastly, Desir headed over to Adjest.


    ¡°So, you feel that your rate of progress has slowed down?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you practiced so much with the magic sword.¡±


    ¡°¡­ is there something wrong with that?¡±


    Desir shook his head.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. We always have to practice the skills we have not mastered. But if the Bishop ss and the Fourth-Circle are your ultimate goal, then there¡¯s a little bit of a problem.¡±


    ¡°What should I do then?¡±


    ¡°There are only a few people who can reach the Fourth-Circle. They¡¯re really talented. Even though you have the talent, it is still hard to achieve the elusive Fourth-Circle.¡±


    Indeed, Fourth-Circle is not something that can be reached with just talent.


    ¡°It is because it is incredibly hard to have a solid heart.¡±


    Fundamentally, only magicians with a solid heart could cast higher tiered magic. Not only that, the more solid the heart is, the stronger the magic they can cast with greater precision and robust structure.


    ¡°For Fourth-Circle in particr, you need to have not only skill and casting ability, but more importantly a solid heart that can not bepared to others.¡±


    ¡°¡­ A solid heart.¡±


    ¡°Yup. Training for a solid heart will help you not only achieve Fourth-Circle but also allow you to cast any kind of magic in the future.¡±


    It was homework assigned to Adjest. If she could build a solid heart, ultimately it would serve as her foundation and allow her to be a brilliant magician in the future.


    Adjest was lost in her own thought.


    Desir¡¯s party¡¯s training continued.


    * * *


    On the same day, Kelt was busy working on a pile of documents for the Blue Moon party. The


    Blue Moon party was so huge that they had a leader for each grade inorder to manage all of the students.


    Kelt was the Grade 2 leader. Not due to his brother being a professor of this school, but due to his own hard-work and ability. He also had a great reputation amongst his peers.


    His feather pen suddenly stopped dancing across the documents. Before he was aware, his brother, Prof. Pugman hade and sat infront him.


    ¡°How is everything going?¡±


    Pugman Pasil Niplica was a dean professor of Hebrion Academy and taught magic engineering. He was a big man. There were hints of handsomeness that he had once perhaps possessed, but they were all obscured by the weight he had since put on.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done with all of the paperwork for the new party members. I just need to finish the financial management piece documents.¡±


    ¡°Great. You¡¯re very useful. You know, the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree.¡±


    Then, Pugman brought out an apple from his pocket.


    ¡°You want one?¡±


    Kelt shook his head.


    Pugman took an enormous bite from the apple and the juice popped sprayed everywhere, including onto the documents on the desk. Kelt smudged it off with his hand.


    ¡°But, you know, Kelt. I heard that you lost your duel with Desir.¡±


    Lost.


    After Pugman¡¯s statement, Kelt had no idea where to look and what to say in response.


    The word, lost, was not eptable to the Niplica family. It was way too strong. The Niplica family didn¡¯t ept any kind of failure. They had always been on the winning side. It was due to this that they could survive the revolution.


    ¡°Um¡­ that¡­¡±


    Kelt tried to remain calm.


    ¡°¡­ Desir was stronger than I thought. You know¡­ I thought it was a baseless rumor, but it wasn¡¯t. I thought allmoners were ipetent and useless. I was totally wrong.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Oh, Kelt.¡±


    Pugman¡¯s face quickly changed and Kelt realized that he had said something wrong uneptable. Pugman leered at Kelt once, then ced the apple onto the desk.


    ¡®Okay, I should wrap up my work now. I don¡¯t think I can continue.¡¯


    Kelt grimmaced. He then quickly cleaned up his desk and put all of the documents in a drawer underneath.


    ¡°Kelt, based on what you just said, does that mean you are acknowledgingmoners? You should never be fooled by them.¡±


    Pugman calmly spoke, but the message he wanted to deliver wasn¡¯t veryfortable.


    ¡°Commoners are cruel. I still remember so clearly what they have done. Themoners killed so many nobilities who supported the empire. Even our family, the Niplica, had to go through so much sacrifice to survive. Kelt, did you forget all of this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember.¡±


    Every time Pugman repeated this story, Kelt told him that he still remembered it. However, Kelt honestly didn¡¯t remember any of it. It was way too long ago.


    ¡°Commoners always take a chance presented to them to rise up again. If they gain any power, even if it¡¯s little, they will start another revolution. That chance should never be presented to them again, Kelt. Never.¡±


    Pugman picked up the apple on the desk and had another bite.


    ¡°But these days, they have been acting up more grantly, forgetting who they really are.


    They think that they are at a simr level to nobles, which is ridiculous. They even established some parties and now move in organizations.¡±


    He was describing Desir¡¯s party.


    Pugman hated Desir so much.


    ¡°They are practicing for the Party Competition. Kelt, you should teach them a lesson.¡±


    Kelt could only nod his head to this statement.

 Chapter 94. So They Go On (4)

    <h4>Chapter 94. So They Go On (4)</h4>


    Freechel felt more at home as she worked through her first week¡¯s training schedule.


    The training was tough, but it was also very refreshing for Freechel as she finally felt that she was learning something new. It finally felt like she was now attending the great school known as the Hebrion Academy.


    Desir¡¯s party taught her so many things and it all became fuel to further drive her studies. For example, she sessfullypleted casting [Watering], the so-called hardest First-Circle water magic to cast.


    ¡®What¡¯s in store for me tomorrow? What will I learn?¡¯


    Freechel¡¯s confidence had increased. To the shock of other people that knew her, she now greeted everyone with delight. They asked her things like:


    ¡°Is this really Freechel?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ?¡±


    Freechel walked past a hallway and saw a crowd murmuring about something. Her feet naturally led her to the epicentre of the trouble.


    It was where the lockers were located. Once there she saw a familiar face. She pushed herself through the crowd and as soon as she saw the face of the person sitting in the center of the crowd, she couldn¡¯t help screaming.


    ¡°Erje!¡±


    Erje was Freechel¡¯s former party member. She was a pleasant person that was always surrounded by friends. Of course, Freechel was one of her friends. Erje was staring at her locker with a pale face.


    Freechel was speechless when she saw the condition the locker was in. There was an unbearable scent wafting out from inside it. The intestines of some kind of animal were thrown into the locker and blood had sttered everywhere, even dripping down onto the floor.


    ¡°Oh, this¡­¡±


    Freechel was familiar with the scene in front of her. It was all too familiar to her.


    ¡°Erje! Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°Freechel¡­ ?¡±


    Erje turned her head and found Freechel in the crowd. Her eyes changed as if she had suddenly found herself face to face with a mortal enemy.


    ¡°Wh¡­ What¡¯s wrong, Erje?¡±


    Erje wiped her tears with her sleeve before speaking.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a hypocrite. You¡¯re disgusting.¡±


    Freechel didn¡¯t expect to hear this. Freechel and Erje were not best friends, but they were still rtively close. Freechel found herself without any clues as to why the Erje standing in front of her was consumed by hatred. Freechel¡¯s face betrayed her bewilderment at this change of heart.


    Erje manically grinned.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t leave, this wouldn¡¯t have happened to me.¡±


    Her words tore Freechel¡¯s heart into pieces.


    ¡°Who do you think I¡¯m doing all of this for?¡±


    All of this.


    Hazing.


    This was something that Freechel had been on the receiving end of up until she left the party.


    After she moved to Desir¡¯s party, the bullying stopped.


    She thought it had stopped.


    No, it hadn¡¯t. The target of it had just changed.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you. Because you ran away.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The new target of the bullying was Erje. The charm that she usually disyed hadpletely disappeared.


    ¡°Get the fuck away. I don¡¯t need your pity.¡±


    Erje turned around and started cleaning up her locker.


    Freechel¡¯s heart hurt so much. She was in this exact situation, getting bullied all the time up until recently, and nobody helped her. She was all alone. Freechel understood how Erje felt.


    She must be sad, miserable, and resentful.


    But that¡¯s all it was.


    ¡°Erje, I think you''re missing something.¡± Erje stopped moving her hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me who you need to hate. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong to deserve your me.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What? I became the new target all because you transferred to another party! What the heck are you talking about?¡± Erje growled.


    ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s because of me? You are bullied because there are bullies out there!


    Stop trying to avoid reality.¡±


    ¡°You became so ballsy, Freechel. Does your new party teach you how to lecture someone?¡±


    *Click-ck*


    A girl in a school uniform walked down the hallway.


    da Iddel.


    She was a member of the party that used to give Freechel¡¯s previous party work and also happened to be the one that had bullied her.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m saying what needs to be said. I should have spoken up about this issue before.¡±


    Freechel stated with pure determination.


    ¡°Really? So what difference does talking about it now make? Whatever you say, it will only tickle me.¡±


    da said as she shook her hand as if shooing away a fly.


    ¡°I have no interest in you anymore. You better stay out of my way and watch from the sidelines. This has nothing to do with you.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, I can see it so clearly. You are just a coward who only picks on the weak.¡±


    Freechel¡¯s impassioned words had clearly upset da.


    ¡°Freechel, you seem to have misunderstood something.¡±


    da started casting magic.


    ¡°The fact that you are now in Desir¡¯s party doesn¡¯t mean that your blood has now changed.¡±


    It was a vition of the rules to cast magic in the school building, but da didn¡¯t care.


    Second-Circle magic was hurled at Freechel.


    [Empage]


    Freechel cast defense magic, but she was only a First-Circle magician. Her magic couldn¡¯t block it.


    [Water Shield]


    ¡°O!!¡±


    *Thud*


    It didn¡¯t do anything at all. Freechel¡¯s defense magic was torn as if it was a thin piece of paper.


    A wooden fist struck her abdomen and she flew back into the lockers.


    ¡°Arrgghh¡­¡±


    da had clearly heard Freechel moaning in pain but she didn¡¯t care. She walked towards


    Freechel and stomped on her back. It didn¡¯t look like anyone would step up to stop her rampage. She walked back a few steps and then cast another Second-Circle spell.


    [Root Binding]


    *Crack*


    From the magic web, tree branches spread out and wrapped Freechel¡¯s body. The pressure it exerted was overwhelming.


    ¡°Now, repeat after me. ¡®I as a worthlessmoner, med a noble, and therefore deserve death.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡­ You are the worst.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you say so.¡±


    The tree branches started to tighten even further around Freechel¡¯s body. Her bones were at extreme risk of breaking into pieces, assuming she could withstand this pain for much longer.


    However, Freechel didn¡¯t let any sound of difort escape her lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    *Snap*


    Some unknown force instantly destroyed da¡¯s magic. The tree branches around Freechel disappeared.


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Get away from Freechel.¡±


    It was Desir. He slowly walked toward the girls and gestured with his hand. da felt embarrassed, but she knew how strong Desir was. She stepped backward.


    da didn¡¯t notice Desir¡¯s casting. His magic and capability were so overwhelmingly strong that her ability was nothing great in front of Desir.


    ¡°Desir¡­¡±


    Freechel got up as she coughed. Desir noticed some bruises on her skin. He also saw some red marks here and there too.


    ¡°I tried so hard not to yell at students.¡±


    Desir sighed as he continued walking.


    da felt the rage emanating from Desir and instinctively walked backward in an attempt to escape. But she found herself backed into a wall. There was no where else to go.


    ¡°This is too much.¡±


    [te]


    [Create Marsh]


    da felt her back start to get wet. It then felt as if the wall was about to swallow her whole.


    She stirred her body into action to get away from it, but as she moved her body sank into the wall faster.


    ¡°Wa¡­ Wait! What are you doing?¡±


    In the span of just a second, her body was half-buried in the wall. She could only twitch her fingers.


    ¡°Get me out!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bury you if I had to take you out so soon.¡±


    da tried to cast magic to escape, but Desir simply swung his hand and blocked her magic.


    da was truly helpless.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be okay after this? If any professores by, you¡¯re dead meat.¡±


    ¡°Worry about yourself, kiddo. Your body is trapped in the wall under my te magic. I can rip your body into pieces very easily.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Desir started casting magic again.


    da sensed that she was in danger. She struggled in an attempt to free herself, however it was all in vain. After her struggles she found herself in the exact same ce in the exact same wall.


    The magic was almostplete.


    ¡°And this is magnifying magic. I usually use this to erge the size of an object, but today, I can use it to fill up the gaps and holes in the wall.¡±


    Desir¡¯s finger swung in a curved shape towards where da was buried in the wall.


    ¡°Imagine if you were the hole in this wall. What would happen to you if I just closed up this hole?¡±


    She¡¯d be suffocated.


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    ¡°I guarantee that it¡¯s pain on a whole other level to what you have experienced in your life so far.¡±


    *Grin*


    Desir¡¯s smile gave everyone a chill.


    ¡°Stop! This is enough! I understand what you¡¯re trying to teach me!¡±


    ¡°Did you stop torturing others when you were told to stop?¡±


    The magic cast started to glow.


    ¡°Aeeeeeiik!¡±


    ¡®Is he even going to stop?¡¯


    Tears poured out of da¡¯s eyes. She started sobbing uncontrobly. She was well past the point of caring about how shameful she would look. She then screamed.


    ¡°Sorry! I¡¯m so sorry! Please forgive me!¡±


    Her make-up blended with her tears and started to streak down her face. Her face became uglier as she cried and shouted. Desir didn¡¯t seem to care. He continued with his magic.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! Please¡­ Please forgive me!¡±


    The magic was invoked and left Desir¡¯s finger. da closed her eyes tight and screamed.


    ¡°Yaiiiikkkkkkk!¡±


    da bounced out from the wall as if it had barfed her out.


    ¡°Screeeek!¡±


    da didn¡¯t feel any pain. It was strange. She carefully opened her eyes, and she saw Desir standing in front of her looking down on her with a bleak face.


    ¡°That¡¯s how you say it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Desir turned around and walked towards Freechel. He helped her to her feet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to the medical center.¡±


    ¡°How did you know I was here?¡±


    Freechel inquired with a look of curiosity stered on her face.


    ¡°I was walking by and sensed that someone cast magic. I just came by to check it out. I didn¡¯t expect this.¡±


    If Freechel was only abused physically, then Desir wouldn¡¯t have realised until it was toote.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Freechel. I know you tried to solve this by yourself, but I couldn¡¯t help myself from jumping in.¡±


    Freechel was beat up mercilessly. Desir couldn¡¯t walk away from what he saw.


    Freechel smiled at Desir.


    ¡°No, thank you very much Desir. Thank you for helping me.¡±


    Desir saw an unmistakable trace of agony concealed behind her smile. It was a bitter grin.

 Chapter 95. Dungeon Attack (1)

    <h4>Chapter 95. Dungeon Attack (1)</h4>


    It was the first day of the partypetition. All of the party leaders headed over to the auditorium for an orientation. Naturally, Desir was also on his way to attend this meeting.


    Desir calmly looked around to check out the other participants. A tremendous amount of energy filled the room as all of the party leaders gathered. There was one strange thing about where the leaders chose to stand though. The Alpha and Beta sses grouped up and naturally kept apart from each other, showing their obvious aversion to each other. It was as if an invisible wall had divided the groups of nobles andmoners. Desir shook his head at this spectacle.


    A person walked up onto the stage.


    ¡°Wee, Hebrion¡¯s brave leaders.¡±


    Pelsta, the World History professor eximed.


    He had been the person responsible for running the partypetition in prior years. After a brief greeting he started talking about the format of this year¡¯spetition.


    ¡°The theme of the partypetition for this year is ¡®Dungeon Invasion.¡¯ The dungeons have three stages in total. The level of each stage is based on the same scaling as the Shadow


    Worlds. The first stage is ss 6, the second stage is ss 5, and the third stage is ss 4. If you judge that your party cannot precede any farther you may surrender. Your score will reflect how far your party makes it before surrendering.¡±


    Since Desir¡¯ party had previously invaded a ss 4 Shadow World it should be a simple matter to clear this. However, this naive manner of thinking doesn¡¯t reflect reality.


    It was apletely different situation between entering a dungeon with prior research on it, and entering a dungeon blind. If you had some basic idea of what the Shadow World was about you could prepare counter measures for whatever you were inevitably going to face.


    ¡°The partypetition will be scored based not only on how fast and effectively each of you handle and clear the obstacles, but also how team members take their roles and work cooperatively.¡±


    Professor Peslta droned on.


    He continued on with the boring instructions that everybody already knew well in advance and had practiced against. Upon finishing his exnation he ended the assembly with a formal closing ceremony.


    ¡°So, let us begin the partypetition in two hours from now.¡±


    With these formalities out of the way the party leaders dispersed. Handling sudden and unexpected events was part of the assessment, therefore the orientation had been held just a few hours before thepetition actually started. They now had a few hours to get their parties ready.


    Desir hurried back to his party members.


    ¡®I participated in the partypetition in my prior life.¡¯


    Desir was once a member of the Beta ss party and had participated in the partypetition. Therefore, he already had some of the information about it, but he couldn¡¯t directly share it with anybody. With that said, Desir had two hours to exin all of the rules to his party, just like other party leaders.


    While he was walking and contemting the matter, someone approached Desir.


    ¡°Desir, do you have a moment?¡±


    It was Prof. Essennc. The one who always carried a long sword as if it was permanently attached to his body.


    ¡°Sure, but not for long since the partypetition starts in two hours.¡±


    Desir casually responded with.


    ¡°Just a minute is fine.¡±


    Essennc brought Desir to a corner where nobody could see them. Only after checking their surroundings and confirming that there was no one in close-proximity to over-hear them, he continued to talk.


    ¡°Desir, you know that I have a huge expectation for you. The only person who can defeat the


    Essennc spoke with a trace of passion seeping through.


    Desir listened to him silently.


    ¡°This is a good chance for us to change the rtionship between the nobles and themoners. Let¡¯s just say, it¡¯s like a revolution.¡±


    ¡°Professor.¡±


    Desir cut off Essennc.


    It was true that Desir wanted to change the rtionship between the nobles andmoners, but his perspective was slightly different from Essennc¡¯s.


    Essennc didn¡¯t mind and continued delivering his impassioned words.


    ¡°Some of the Outsiders that attacked the Prillecha Empire were part of the revolutionary army.


    What do you think about that?¡±


    Essennc enquired.


    Through the investigation of the Outsiders, some of the information about the Prillecha Empire invasion and the Outsiders had managed to leak and spread far and wide. Essennc probably obtained this information from that.


    ¡°I think they were wrong.¡±


    Desir didn¡¯t leave it at just that.


    ¡°The first intention that they might have had was right, but their intention right now is twisted so much that it has made their current actionspletely wrong. They harm people to achieve their goals. For this reason, they are nothing more than just terrorists.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you agree with some parts of their intention. Don¡¯t you want to cooperate with them? Even just a little?¡±


    Desir shook his head.


    ¡°I never have and never will.¡±


    As Essennc was about to say something else, someone called his name from the back.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Prof. Essennc.¡±


    It was Professor Vanquik, the one with the gorgeous beard.


    Essennc saw the face and took his hand off his sword.


    ¡°¡­ We¡¯ll continue this conversationter.¡±


    He said to Desir while turning around to leave.


    Essennc nodded as an acknowledgement to Vanquik as he passed by him. Vanquik winked at Desir.


    * * *


    [All partypetition participants pleasee to the auditorium.]


    Only one team representing each party can participate in the partypetition and each group can have a maximum of six people.


    Desir¡¯s party has seven members in total. They decided to exclude Len as he was the youngest member. When they arrived at the Shadow Auditorium they could see long Tv-like panels arranged in the area. Professors would watch the participant¡¯s performances through these panels and assess them.


    Romantica tapped Desir¡¯s shoulder and pointed in a direction.


    ¡°Look over there.¡±


    Her finger was pointing at the professors who were staring at Desir.


    It was somewhat expected that all of the professors were highly interested in Desir as every action he made caused record breaking results. Not only students, but also the professors would now carefully watch Desir¡¯s actions.


    Desir had epted the Beta ss students as new members to his party. It was obvious why he took Beta ss members in when his original members were at top levels already.


    It was to show-off the power of themoners.


    Prof. Pugman furiously red at Desir. Desir chuckled in response.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even bother with them. Let¡¯s focus on what¡¯s in front of us. I just need to show them what we are capable of. Then, they¡¯ll all shut up.¡±


    It was necessary to show-off the strength of Desir and his party. And it wasn¡¯t his intention, but the cmity involving the Outsider¡¯s invasion of the Prillecha Empire had already gained him some fame.


    But in reality, he was facing a big wall as amoner. Hebrion Academy was truly the greatest educational institution of the various nations, but it wasn¡¯t the best environment formoners.


    Desir felt that he could end this discrimination today. There was no doubt that it could change how the world sees them, if he were to win thepetition.


    There was now only a little bit of time remaining. It was time to cease thinking about such lofty goals and instead prepare for the real enemy. Desir squeezed his hands into fists.


    ¡°Do you think we can win?¡±


    Freechel enquired.


    She was wearing the Clothes Line from the Mage Tower.


    Desir put his hand on her shoulder in a reassuring manner.


    ¡°Freechel, believe in you and us. You have changed. You are different now. And we will never forget you when you need our help.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Freechel blushed in response before walking away.


    Romantica watched the brief interaction between these two. She then reached up to touch her own shoulder, but stopped before doing so.


    ¡®So stupid.¡¯


    She hurriedly lowered her hand.


    Shortly afterwards, Desir called the party members together.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start with the briefing. We will participate in the three different stages¡­¡±


    Desir conveyed the critical points from the prior leaders¡¯ meeting. As he was in the middle of exining, other parties started to arrive and the room started to fill up. There was a huge number of people as each party had six members participating. Most of these participants were single rankers. Some of them were even well known experts and most of them were from the


    Alpha ss. As Desir monitored his surroundings, he could tell that thispetition would not be as easy as he hoped for.


    When Desir was finished exining all the rules, it was finally time to start thepetition.


    The bell rang from the clock tower. An announcement sounded from eachmunication pad.


    [All participants pleasee to the front of the gate.]

 Chapter 96. Dungeon Attack (2)

    <h4>Chapter 96. Dungeon Attack (2)</h4>


    As soon as Desir¡¯s party entered the simted Shadow World, ¡®Eienbez¡¯s Dungeon¡¯, an announcement sounded.


    - You have encountered a quest.


    This is the dungeon of the great wizard, Eienbez. He spent his entire life in this ce in the devotion to furthering his studies. Break through this dungeon to gain the legacy left behind by


    Eienbez.


    - This dungeon isposed of three stages. You are currently in the first stage.


    The spaces that wizards created for their own research were generally called dungeons. They were like treasure chests since wizards usually hid their life¡¯s achievements and findings in them.


    This party challenge would be held in Eienbez¡¯s dungeon and the participants were to y the role of treasure hunters.


    Desir looked around but couldn¡¯t make out anything at all. He was shrouded in total darkness.


    [Light]


    He cast magic to light up his surroundings. People nearby saw this and used their magic to do the same.


    The bones of dozens of skeletons were scattered all over the ground and the now illuminated walls of the dungeon were covered in letters and pictures of unknown meaning. Some parties acted fast and started working to interpret these letters and pictures.


    ¡®There¡¯s no point. They¡¯re meaningless.¡¯


    Desir already knew what they meant. They were just warnings. He had participated in the partypetition as a member of a Beta ss party in his previous life. Well, his partypletely failed before even finishing the first stage. Not only his party, but all of the Beta ss parties had failed. There were no Beta ss students that had entered the second stage.


    ¡®The Beta ss usually participates in Level 7 Shadow Worlds. This ce is already Level 6 at just the first stage. It was impossible for them to clear it.¡¯


    But it was different now.


    Desir turned towards Romantica.


    ¡°Romantica, cast the detective magic.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Romantica replied as she cast a spell. The wind then stirred around her and shot towards the forked path that was not too far away from the starting point.


    The most important thing during a dungeon attack was to find out the structure of the dungeon.


    Doing this would help n a safe route. Romantica continued to cast this spell to find potential paths in this ce.


    ¡°Hey, Desir! We¡¯ll be going ahead!¡±


    Ladoria greeted Desir and walked ahead towards a path.


    The Red Dragon party that she belonged to was one of the top parties in the Hebrion


    Academy, which meant that it was no surprise that they had someone with outstanding detective magic skills in their team.


    Thus the Red Dragon party departed. Right after that, Desir met another party. It was Kelt¡¯s.


    Kelt was about to smile at Desir, but suddenly his face hardened, as if he was reminded of something unpleasant.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He ended up not saying anything and walked away swiftly.


    Desir thought that this was strange behaviour. The Kelt that he had gotten to know was a bright and considerate student. Desir really liked Kelt¡¯s personality that was a breath of fresh air inparison with the other nobles. The current Kelt was now a little different from the previous times Desir had interacted with him. However, Desir quickly forgot about this since there was no time to waste on minor matters like that.


    ¡°Desir, look at the 2 o¡¯clock, 4 o¡¯clock, and 6 o¡¯clock paths. They seemed like the fastest ways forward.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s take the 2 o¡¯clock path.¡±


    * * *


    [Party of Soleun has resigned]


    [Isle Kisrai failed]


    [Demes Judas failed]


    Within a short period of time many simr announcements were made. It had been less than an hour since the partypetition had started and more than half of the Beta ss students had failed. They just couldn¡¯t handle the first stage.


    If Desir hadn¡¯t changed his partyposition and improved their overall skill level, he probably would have been amongst those that had failed.


    Takiran also thought the same as he listened to the announcements. The reason he changed party with his younger brother was clear. He wanted to escape from the Beta ss. Desir¡¯s party managed to w their way up from Beta ss to Alpha ss and even managed to achieve single ranker status. Takiran believed that he could learn something from Desir¡¯s party.


    In fact, he had actually already learnt so much. He could feel the difference in himself after joining Desir¡¯s party for just a couple of weeks, inparison to the two years he had spent in his old party. Desir had taught him a decent kind of swordsmanship and his other skills had massively improved too.


    ¡°This time, our party will win.¡±


    Takiran couldn¡¯t forget the moment when he heard Desir proim this. He first thought at the time that it was impossible. He thought that Desir just said this to raise the party¡¯s morale. But it wasn¡¯t. Desir really meant it and he actually had the abilities to pull it off.


    ¡°Freechel, clear the dust on the ground.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Swoooooosh!


    ¡°¡­ There was a trap. It is some kind of weight sensitive trap. Adjest, can you make a bridge that we can use with your ice zone?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    *Grrrrr*


    ¡°Alright everyone. Let¡¯s get across.¡±


    Desir¡¯s party had proceeded quickly as if they were taking a casual stroll. The Level 6 Shadow


    World difficulty didn¡¯t seem too hard for them.


    ¡°It feels like something is about to reveal itself. Romantica, check the front with your detective magic.¡±


    *Whoosh*


    ¡°I detected multiple creatures ahead. It¡¯s a group of goblins.¡±


    ¡°Pram and Takiran to the front. Romantica, back them up. Takiran, show us what you have learnt so far.¡±


    Takiran tightly squeezed his sword in his hands and nodded his head in acknowledgement.


    Desir¡¯s party shared the load fairly with the new members, encouraging them to practice in real situations. Desir guided Takiran and Freechel to gain practical experience. The Level 6


    Shadow World was like a practice stage for the existing members.


    ¡°Adjest, cover Takiran when it bes dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The party roles were pre-determined based on their training. Desir also exined things easily and in an effective manner out in the field.


    ¡°Romantica, give me an overview on how far away they are.¡±


    ¡°They are about 15 meters ahead. Wait, this goblin seems a little too big, like a monster.¡±


    ¡°What does it look like?¡±


    ¡°Huge fangs. The size of its body is way bigger than a regr goblin¡­¡±


    ¡°A huge body and fangs¡­ then it¡¯s an ogre¡­ It might be too challenging for Takiran. Pram, you should take this. Make sure the ogre doesn¡¯t even get a chance to retaliate.¡±


    ¡°Roger!¡±


    When unexpected things happened, Desir flexibly changed the strategies and responded as the situation required.


    ¡°Humans, humans!¡±


    Goblins and an ogre approached Desir¡¯s party. As soon as the location of the enemies was determined, Pram dashed out like a streak of lightning and assaulted the ogre. Now, only goblins were left.


    Takiran, counting on the support from the remaining party members, demonstrated the swordsmanship he learned from Desir to his heart¡¯s content.


    *Swooosh*


    *Grrrr*


    *Screech*


    The herd of monsters were swiftly knocked down.


    Since he hadn¡¯t fully mastered it yet, Takiran had made some mistakes here and there, but


    Romantica was there to support him and Adjest sometimes came to help him as well.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s clear.¡±


    Desir announced as he cut thest one down.


    ¡°Let¡¯s recap and get going in 5 minutes.¡±


    Takiran shook blood off of his sword and slid it back into the sheathe.


    ¡®It is perhaps possible.¡¯


    As he was looking at Desir¡¯s back he felt a rising certainty that the party could reach the goal they had set for themselves.


    Desir¡¯s party resumed moving forward. On the way, they encountered a few more traps and monsters but they handled them all easily under Desir¡¯s instructions.


    As they kept moving, they suddenly heard a thud that sounded like a huge weapon crushing something.


    ¡°Arrrrghhh!¡±


    Someone screamed loudly.


    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s pick up the pace.¡±


    Desir rushed his party.


    The path widened as they continued forward and it ended up leading to an enormous open space. There was a party fighting with a monster. The monster had a body and wings made of stones and a huge horn on its forehead. The horn was as big as a muscr arm.


    ¡°Gargoyle¡­!¡±


    An artificial creature that wizards created to protect their dungeons. The party fighting this creature was one of the Beta ss parties. It wasn¡¯t hard to identify them since they were using poor quality gear. They didn¡¯t have Clothes Lines. They didn¡¯t even have enchanted coats for defense. All they had was old armor made up of steel and leather. The swords the wielded didn¡¯t seem strong enough for the purpose either. They were swinging their thin, stick-like swords against this intimidating gargoyle.


    ¡®How did they get here so fast?¡¯


    Only four members were left in that party.


    *Thud*


    Before too long, a gargoyle struck one party member with its horn. His body faded away. If you were taken out, this was how your body disappeared.


    [Bejray failed]


    Only three remained.


    This party probably started thepetition with six members. Two people were probably taken out a long time ago leaving just three people, desperate to defeat this monster.


    ¡°What are we going to do, Desir?¡±


    Romantica enquired.


    ¡°Technically, there is no reason for us to help them.¡±


    This was apetition amongst all parties to figure out which parties were morepetent than the rest.


    On the other hand, there was no policy preventing parties attacking each other, which meant it was technically allowed for them to attack and attempt to eliminate other parties. This party should be thankful that they were not getting attacked by Desir¡¯s party.


    ¡°But, we need to pass through this path, too. We don¡¯t have to wait until they fail. It¡¯s just wasting our time, right?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Desir.¡±


    Pram chirped, knowing what Desir was trying to get at.


    Nobody was opposed to this and shortly after, Desir¡¯s party joined the fight.

 Chapter 97. Dungeon Attack (3)

    <h4>Chapter 97. Dungeon Attack (3)</h4>


    A loud noise of rocks crashing down onto the ground reverberated across the cavern. The source of the noise was the destruction of a gargoyle¡¯s body. This sound represented the action of a party invading a dungeon.


    ¡°Haaa!¡±


    With a shout, Pram stabbed his sword into the forehead of the remaining gargoyle. The silver de easily tore through it as if it were paper, destroying the gargoyle¡¯s core. With a deft motion, Pram lightly withdrew his sword from the falling rock.


    Surrounding Desir¡¯s party was the rubble of eight gargoyles. These creatures were the most challenging obstacle in the first stage of this dungeon since First-Circle magic didn¡¯t affect them at all. Until their core was destroyed, they would tirelessly attack regardless of their body tearing and breaking. On top of that, they moved at an overwhelming speed. For those that did not have powerful gear equipped, these gargoyles were simply invincible.


    Desir¡¯s party had strong enough equipment and strategies to triumph over them. Each member of their power was also powerful enough to take on a gargoyle head-on too. It goes without saying that their battle with the gargoyles ended swiftly, wrapping uppletely within an hour.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Awesome, you¡¯re just awesome.¡±


    Eximed Edwin, the leader of the party that was defeated by the gargoyles prior to Desir arriving. His party was grateful that Desir¡¯s party actually intervened in the battle and saved them.


    ¡°Your ability is well-known. I was still surprised to see you defeat these gargoyles so easily though. You¡¯re just awesome.¡±


    Some of them stepped forward to request handshakes with Desir¡¯s party.


    ¡°You lost three of your members to gargoyles?¡±


    Edwin smiled awkwardly.


    The situation was now settled. Behind the defeated gargoyles there was a path and a set of stairs leading towards the second stage.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest and confirm your party status here first? We¡¯ll start moving onwards in the meantime.¡±


    Desir suggested.


    ¡°Thanks for saving us, but we are not going to proceed to the second stage.¡±


    Edwin replied.


    ¡°How did you get up here?¡±


    ¡°We¡­ skipped.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You know all of the traps and monsters¡­ we couldn¡¯t defeat them with our limited ability and gear. This was quite clear to us. Instead, we just ran. Literally. We tried to get as far as we could. We didn¡¯t care about failure, but look at us now.¡±


    This was the worst strategy. Charging through enemy territory without thinking about any escape routes or backup ns. The sacrifice of team members, one by one, was expected with such a ¡®n¡¯, if you could even really call it such.


    ¡°I know it is such a stupid strategy. You can easily tell how we would end up. When one person fails, it¡¯s nearly impossible to form any strategy. But this was our best shot at it. This is all we could do.¡±


    A few announcements sounded.


    [Korsious Party surrendered]


    [Taimu Li failed]


    [Urjen Kios failed]


    Other Beta ss parties had dered their surrender. None of them could make it through the first stage. They were simply ipetent in the face of this trial.


    It was rare for someone to be able to seed with just effort, especially in the fields of swordsmanship and magic. It was clear that they would not improve and would always be defined by their current status as Beta ss students. It was essentially an inescapable destiny.


    Desir was speechless.


    ¡°Recently, I thought¡­¡±


    Edwin choked out as he looked up at Desir.


    ¡°That you, Desir, can change all of this nonsense and unfairness. With you, one day, themoners will not be discriminated against and be able to learn whatever we want to learn.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Sure.¡±


    Desir nodded in affirmation as he replied.


    ¡°I promise. I¡¯ll change the world and prove this to you.¡±


    ¡°I trust you all.¡±


    Edwin then shouted.


    ¡°Betherway Party surrenders!¡±


    [Betherway party surrendered]


    [Dia Mesis failed]


    [¡­]


    The announcement listed all of the remaining members of their party. Their bodies faded and soon disappeared.


    ¡°Did you all hear that?¡±


    After the bodies had disappeared Desir turned towards his party members.


    ¡°This is why we need to win this thing.¡±


    Once again, Desir¡¯s party members were reminded of their goal.


    * * *


    [cing third, Desir Arman Party has entered Stage Two]


    Of course, Stage Two was a lot more challenging than Stage One. As the paths in this stage were wider,rger scales of attacks and traps were to be expected. The traps were trickier and more sinister while the monsters were harder to defeat.


    Inparison to the skeletons and goblins in Stage One, monsters such as packs of Orcs and


    Great Worms were much tougher to tackle head-on. The difficulty level in this stage was about Level 5.


    ¡°Formation! There is a sign of Great Worms ahead.¡±


    Desir instructed the party as he sensed movement in the ground.


    Even though they had irregr breaks in between continuous battles, Desir¡¯s party members were more serious and more alert than they were before. Instead of giving opportunities to the new members to lead the battles, they were now protecting them in their formation.


    Great Worms attack invaders byunching ambushes based on their sense of vibration and heat as they crawl beneath the ground. Their bodies were covered in specially treated metal. It was outstandingly strong but at the same time very smooth, allowing it to rapidly move under the ground.


    *Crash*


    A Great Worm exploded out of the ground,nding on the surface. Takiran was standing in its trajectory. He quickly rolled his body out of harm''s way before charging at the Great Worm with his sword.


    ¡°Aiyaaahh!¡±


    *Tuk*


    It didn¡¯t so much as leave a scratch on the giant worm. The sword was not strong enough to prate the metal and just bounced off. There was no room to be surprised at this.


    ¡°Takiran, back off!¡±


    Desir shouted.


    ¡°¡­ Okay!¡±


    *Bang*


    Right away, Romantica¡¯s magic streaked through the air. With a huge noise, the Great Worm¡¯s body shook. A small region of its metallic skin cracked and bodily fluid started to leak out of it.


    Pram didn¡¯t miss that opportunity. He stabbed his sword into that crack and deftly widened the crack by slicing through it.


    *Slice*


    In just a moment the worm¡¯s body was cut in half.


    ¡°Hiss! Hisssss!¡±


    The Great Worm wobbled its body abruptly in an attempt to get away from Pram. ck liquid sshed everywhere. The Great Worm noticed that it was facing people it had no chance of defeating. It turned its head around and wriggled its body in an attempt to dig into the ground and escape.


    Due to the natural abilities of Great Worms underground, when they manage to escape back into the ground there is typically no way to find them again. Great Worms also tend to form packs. If this Great Worm managed to return to its pack, it would bring its whole family to challenge them againter.


    Adjest quickly reacted. She invoked area of effect magic. A sheet of ice covered the area surrounding the worm.


    *Boom*


    The Great Worm mmed its head against the ice. Fortunately, the ice was dense enough.


    Actually, it was unimaginably hard. It soon realized that it wouldn¡¯t be able to return to its pack. It instead started mming its body against the ceiling and walls and eventually charged at Desir¡¯s party.


    For a sub-surface dweller, it was surprisingly fast.


    The Great Worm opened its mouth wide, revealing thousands of sharp teeth. It crushed everything in its path with this mouth as it charged forward.


    ¡°Freechel, stand behind me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡±


    ¡°Romantica, I¡¯m going to use explosive magic. I need oxygen.¡±


    The Great Worm approached so loudly that dust snowed down from the ceiling. Desir didn¡¯t panic. He raised his hand calmly towards the worm.


    [Explosion]


    A massive amount of magic from the Third-Circle spell exploded in the mouth of the Great


    Worm.


    *Boom*


    Hot air billowed out along with a huge amount of me. The Great Worm cooked from the inside out as it suffocated from the hot air that prevented it from breathing. Of course, it was hard for the rest of the party members to breathe also. It was almost suicidal to use explosion magic in a closed area like this, but of course Desir wouldn¡¯t use such a thing without a n.


    Romantica cast a spell.


    [Refrain Air]


    Fresh air blew and helped all of the members to breathe again. The Great Worm twitched its body. More ck liquid poured out of its wounds. Takiran and Pram used their swords to steal itsst breath.


    ¡°Hisss!¡±


    With a short shriek the thrashing of the Great Worm stopped.


    ¡°The battle is over.¡±


    This battle took a long time to finish. Desirs needed to use higher-level magic as well. They couldn¡¯t maintain their pace from Stage One.


    However, while traversing through this stage was a bit moreplicated, it was still safe and within the capabilities of the party. It was still doable. Achievable. Beatable.


    ¡®But we are still in 3rd ce.¡¯


    Currently, the Red Dragon party was in first ce. The Blue Moon party was second.


    Desir needed to slightly increase their pace in order to catch up to them.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take a 10 minute breather, then we¡¯ll resume.¡±

 Chapter 98. Dungeon Attack (4)

    <h4>Chapter 98. Dungeon Attack (4)</h4>


    ¡°The Blue Moon party is rather impressive. They are very skillful.¡±


    ¡°The Red Dragon party is in first ce. They¡¯re indeed an honor party.¡±


    The audience made variousments on the performance of the parties.


    On the other side of the room, professors busily scored the performance of the parties. As it interested in the students that upied the top ranks.


    ¡°The third rank is Desir¡¯s party.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean the party that doesn¡¯t have an official name yet? The new one?¡±


    ¡°I had some hope for them, but they are a Beta ss party after all. They did a great job reaching third ce though.¡± The professors continued to converse with each other.


    ¡°Nice to see you, Prof. Bridgette.¡±


    A husky voice squeezed out a greeting. His attitude immediately showed that he habitually treated others with disrespect. He then sat next to Bridgette. It was Pugman Niplica.


    ¡°Nice to see you, Prof. Pugman.¡±


    It was a rare asion for Pugman to start a conversation with Bridgette. Bridgette was ufortable talking to Pugman as a result. After a short exchange of greetings, she returned her focus back onto the disy panels.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°Of course. You probably don¡¯t feel like talking. I can tell by the situation.¡±


    Pugman deeply breathed in, staring at Bridgette¡¯s face as if enjoying it. For some reason, he looked oddly determined.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, Bridgette.¡±


    In a moment, there was a loud scream amongst the professors. The Blue Moon party cleared a high-level obstacle in Stage Two and imed the rank one position.


    Bridgette turned to look at Pugman.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never know until it¡¯s really over, Professor.¡±


    ¡°If it makes you feel any better.¡±


    Pugman replied with a slight smirk.


    ¡°Desir¡­ maybe this is his limit.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Bridgette enquired.


    ¡°I admit that he ispetent, but he is amoner. He came all the way up to this point by pure luck, but there is a ss ceiling as amoner.¡±


    ¡°Well, there was a person who lost to amoner.¡± She was referring to Kelt.


    ¡°¡­ That was a careless mistake.¡±


    ¡°If that makes you feel any better.¡±


    It felt like cold air was billowing between the two. Eventually they focused on the disy panels again.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be as easy as it was before.¡±


    ¡°Is there a reason that you are so confident?¡±


    ¡°Hmph. It is a partypetition after all.¡±


    Pugman replied as he continued staring at the disy panels.


    ¡°Even the honor parties attempted this with their best members. But this one¡­ is made up of


    Beta ss members. All of them! Aren¡¯t they too full of themselves?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Maybe they were. For thispetition, the top magicians had gathered. This was what Desir was trying to do ¡ªpete against them withmoners who were regarded as ipetent.


    ¡®But¡­¡¯


    It didn¡¯t phase Bridgette at all though. She shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, Pugman. Your bravado is incredible.¡±


    This time fire seemed to spark between the two as they stared at each other.


    However, on the disy panels that disyed the Beta ss parties, nobody noticed that there was something going on in the corner of a panel. A spot that no one paid attention to.


    * * * *


    ¡°They went ahead to the next stage!¡±


    Back in Stage One of the dungeon, a ce where many parties struggled and tried their best to clear, there was a party moving forward effortlessly.


    ¡°Any traps or monsters?¡±


    ¡°Nope, theypletely cleared them out.¡±


    ¡°Great. They don¡¯t leave any debris behind them as I expected.¡±


    O¡¯Quinn smiled after the report from their scout. His prediction was correct. It was a great choice to select Desir¡¯s party. He turned towards his party members.


    ¡°Good news everyone! It¡¯s time to resume our journey!¡±


    The party, Arachne, was a Beta ss party. They had neither decent gear nor skills.


    Surprisingly, all six members were still alive. As a Beta ss party, it was certainly a miracle that all of their members had survived with the entrance to Stage Two right around the corner.


    O¡¯Quinn, the leader of Arachne, was smart enough to know that his party was notpetent enough to finish Stage One on their own merit.


    ¡®Then, I can literally follow in the footsteps of a good party?¡¯


    When a party clears traps and monsters, just follow quietly behind them. This was their strategy. People would say that it was sly, unfair, and sneaky, but O¡¯Quinn thought that it was foolish to go head to head when he could go around.


    The downside to this strategy was that if the leading party found out, the wholepetition would be over for O¡¯Quinn¡¯s party. Not only that, dire consequences would swiftly follow after the tournament.


    Therefore, they tried to select a party that would be magnanimous about this matter even if they were caught: Desir¡¯s party.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t harm us, even after finding out that we were chasing right behind them.¡± O¡¯Quinn smirked.


    ¡°They even took our ace, Freechel, away from us. At the very least, they should let us follow them.¡±


    The Arachne party members responded with somewhat vacant gazes.


    ¡°S¡­ Sure.¡±


    ¡°We were so nice to Freechel.¡±


    O¡¯Quinn shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. She was the one who couldn¡¯t take our ¡®prank.¡¯ It was just a little prank, and it was so awkward that she just ran out like that.¡±


    He then red at the members who hadn¡¯t said anything yet.


    ¡°Somebody has to be a toy for the Alphas, right, Aljay?¡±


    Aljay looked away. Her eyes wandered around the area. She responded emotionlessly,


    ¡°¡­ Right.¡±


    O¡¯Quinn had a close rtionship with Alpha ss parties and was subcontracted with them as a result. The party members had to be careful with O¡¯Quinn. Otherwise, they could be made the new target.


    The Arachne party walked down the hallway of Stage One. Originally, traps and monsters would have blocked them. No, there were actually some traps set up there, but they were already all dismantled and destroyed. They continued to walk through patches of dead monsters and destroyed traps. It was a non-stop coge of post-battle scenes.


    There was a path leading down stairs just behind the piles of gargoyle rubble. The Arachne party went down the stairs.


    [Arachne party has entered Stage Two.]


    ¡°Great!¡±


    They were probably the top rank amongst the Beta ss parties now. Even though they didn¡¯t fight against a single monster or dismantle a single trap, by entering Stage Two they had gained so much credit already.


    ¡®This is so easy. We can probably enter Stage Three if we continue moving forward like this.¡¯


    O¡¯Quinn announced to his party members, ¡°Alright, time to look for Desir¡¯s tracks again.¡±


    ¡°On it.¡±


    There were so many tracks on the ground. The debris from the battlefield was iparable to the ones in Stage One.


    ¡°This way.¡±


    The Arachne party continued following the tracks that lead from battle to battle. After about 10 minutes, they suddenly came to a stop.


    *Thud*


    A heavy noise could be heard, swiftly followed by arge vibration.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    *Thud* *Thud*


    And it wasn¡¯t a one time event. The noise became louder and louder. Soon, a red dot appeared in the dark.


    *Shring*


    One of the magicians cast light magic and illuminated the surroundings. From one of many paths in front of them, there was something walking towards them. It had a huge body and it made the ground shake as it stepped forward with its gigantic feet, one step at a time. The magician who cast the light magic noticed what it was and screamed.


    ¡°A golem!?¡±


    Golems were mythical figures that guard dungeons. They were one of the highest leveled monsters that dungeon invaders, like themselves, could face. It was nearly impossible for them to defeat this monster. Even if they did, they would sustain so much damage from the battle that they wouldn¡¯t be able to carry on.


    ¡®Is it just strolling around?¡¯


    Unlike the monsters in Stage One, golems in Stage Two steadily roamed in search of invaders.


    While the Arachne party tried to collect themselves, the golem had approached them. A red light scanned them once.


    *Shwing*


    The golem recognized the figures in-front of it as invaders. The massive body of rock was already so close to them.


    O¡¯Quinn ordered his party.


    ¡°Back off!¡±


    It was suicidal for them to try and defeat a golem. They needed magic of at least the


    Third-Circle or a Knight-Level swordsman in order to break the outeryer and damage the inside of its body.


    The highest power in their party was Second-Circle. Retreating was the right decision.


    The Arachne party started to run away from the golem, but the golem chasing them was surprisingly fast.


    ¡®Way too fast.¡¯


    It seemed like it would catch up to them in just a moment. O¡¯Quinn had to make a decision.


    ¡°Aljay, sorry.¡±


    O¡¯Quinn cast magic. He turned around and cast [Seize] magic at Aljay.


    *Crush*


    Aljay¡¯s feet were caught and stuck to the ground. Due to her momentum and the abrupt stop, she immediately fell down to her knees. O¡¯Quinn shouted at her.


    ¡°You need to be the bait for us.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Aljay looked up at O¡¯Quinn and the other members, but nobody came to help her. They continued escaping.


    ¡®We can find the trackster. We just need to get rid of this thing first.¡¯


    Because Stage Two had a moreplicated map somewhat reminiscent of spider webs, inparison to Stage One, O¡¯Quinn believed that he could remove this tail.


    ¡®Next time, I should chase Desir¡¯s party much closer.¡¯


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t change the past to make this happen. O¡¯Quinn¡¯s party suddenly stopped in their tracks. O¡¯Quinn¡¯s could see a red light glowing in the dark in front of them. It was another golem.


    ¡°We¡¯ll turn around and take the side path that we just passed!¡±


    *Thump*


    It was a heavy sound from behind them. The first golem had caught up.


    ¡®Wait, it¡¯s here already? Aljay, you useless piece of sh*t.¡¯


    Two golems, on either side of the party, slowly closed in on them blocking any path out of this predicament. They werepletely trapped.


    ¡°We¡¯re done.¡±


    All of the members heard what O¡¯Quinn muttered and gave up on escaping their fate.


    ¡®Well, we made it to Stage Two. We did pretty well.¡¯


    ¡°Arachne party, we surrender.¡±


    As the party leader imed their surrender, all party members¡¯ bodies faded as they were transported to the ce where they first started thepetition. At least, that was what was meant to happen. It didn¡¯t happen this time though.


    ¡°¡­Why aren¡¯t we being transported?¡±


    Nothing had happened to their bodies. In a moment, the golem in the back swung its gigantic arm.


    *Crush*


    ¡°Arrrrrrrr!!!¡±


    An ear piercing scream resounded.


    It was the party member in the rear. His armor and shield were crushed and a terrible amount of blood squirted out through the holes that had appeared in it. It was a serious injury. His bones were smashed into pieces and his body was thrown to the ground.


    [Anin Pailmint failed.]


    There was an announcement about the party member failing the mission, but the body that was supposed to fade and disappear was still there. In a short moment, the rest of the party realized what had just happened. Rather, what hadn¡¯t happened.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead for real!?¡±


    The golems surrounding them came much closer.


    Their faces were stered with misery at their inevitable fate.


    ----


    Brought to you by Mokura.

 Chapter 99. Configuration Demolition (1)

    <h4>Chapter 99. Configuration Demolition (1)</h4>


    *Plop*


    ¡°Gosh!¡±


    Water droplets fell onto Pram¡¯s head. He immediately shook his head to rid himself of the water. Looking up, the water droplets that had umted on the ceiling due to condensation, were falling down at regr intervals.


    Pram moved away and turned back towards his party.


    ¡°I felt it when I first came in, but I really don''t like it here.¡±


    It had almost passed the four hour mark since entering the dungeon. Two hours had passed since entering the second stage.


    It was inevitable for hunger to start setting in. It was now time to take a break and refresh.


    ¡°I agree. I don''t like the food either.¡±


    Romantica said while frowning. Desir¡¯s party, which was attacking the second stage, sat down for a while and started consuming their packed food. It wasn¡¯t a luxurious meal since it had to be easy to carry. The water was in a bottle made out of iron, hence it tasted like iron too and the briskets were rather unpleasant.


    ¡®It feels like I haven¡¯t had a fine meal recently.¡¯


    Frankly, this was still fine. She could still handle an inconvenience of this level.


    ¡®But most of all, what I can¡¯t stand¡­ ¡¯


    Romantica used her eyes to gesture ahead. At the point where she was gesturing at, Desir and


    Adjest could be seen sitting together. They were holding a conversation a little further away from where the party was eating together.


    They were probably talking about this dungeon raid.


    But even so¡­


    ¡°Desir seems to think of Adjest as a sub-leader to our party.¡±


    Romantica responded nervously at Pram¡¯s observation.


    ¡°Don''t be silly, Pram.¡±


    ¡°But if it is Adjest, I think it fits her. It¡¯s a bit vexing to admit though.¡±


    Romantica couldn¡¯t respond.


    It was natural, if one thought about it. Adjest was stronger than her. No one could disagree that


    she was the strongest one in the party, excluding Desir.


    She had talent as a swordsman and a lot of experience, even if she was at the same


    Third-Circle of wizardry as Romantica. She also had experience participating in the conquering of Shadow Worlds before entering Hebrion Academy.


    She was talented to a whole other level.


    ¡°Well, she is pretty too¡­ ¡±


    ¡°She might also be the second most famous amongst the first years, right next to Desir.¡±


    ¡°And she was the leader of the freshmen when she was part of the Blue Moon party.¡±


    She was already a different being to Romantica.


    ¡®Can¡¯t I catch up to her in any other way¡­ ever¡­? ¡¯


    *Crunch*


    Romantica chewed her briskets angrily, startling Pram and Freechel who were sitting right next to her.


    While they discussed this, Desir and Adjest who had already finished eating, got to work disarming traps on the path that the party would need to pass through.


    Desir unlocked traps whilst teaching Adjest.


    ¡°Adjest, there¡¯s a trap in front of you. If you check the flow of mana, you can feel that it is different only around that area.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it sure is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easier to check the trap¡¯s grade by the amount of mana it uses. And when it¡¯s a lower level trap, it¡¯s better to deal with it by just preparing a defense and triggering it. But if you can¡¯t figure out what the trap is, like I do, it¡¯s better to just avoid it. Just in case, if you do have to trigger it, then do it like this¡­ ¡±


    Desir put his hand against the ground. Mana then flowed down into the ground from it. The flow of mana that powered the trap was slightly distorted as a result. After that, Desir then stepped on the trap.


    Something mechanical clicked but nothing happened.


    ¡°You can break a trap with just a little change to its mana flow. It should feel like you¡¯re changing the flow of water in a rippling stream by putting stones down to disrupt it. I¡¯m putting my mana on the flowing mana and changing the flow ever so slightly. This can be applied to most of the trap spells that are driven by mana.¡±


    It was not a technique that could be learnt, regardless of how much you paid someone. It required practice. Adjest tried to familiarize herself with the technique, but she couldn¡¯t help but be worried.


    ¡°Desir, you look very rxed but I¡¯m honestly worried.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Can we keep up with the parties ahead of us?¡±


    Adjest checked the leaderboard on hermunication pad.


    ---


    1st: Blue Moon Party. Leader: Argeria G Ron Nimbias


    Progress Points 2300, Party Points 1700


    2nd: Red Dragon Party. Leader: Radoria von Dorice


    Progression Points 2100, Party Points 1560


    3rd: Unknown Party. Leader: Desir Arman


    Progression Points 1700, Party Points 1800


    ---


    The points of each party were scored in real time by the professors watching the partypetition through the disy panels and the results were shared via themunication pads.


    ¡°We are ahead with party points, but far behind other parties in progress. That means we are that much slower than the others. ¡±


    The party points were a measure of how well the party worked together to effectively clear the dungeon, and the progression points quantified how much of the dungeon they hadpleted.


    ¡°We lost a lot of time on the first stage giving our new party members experience. Thank you


    for teaching us but the purpose of our participation in this partypetition is to win. I¡¯m worried that we can¡¯t achieve that goal.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. It¡¯s not such a big problem to worry about. Our party can always take the first ce in thispetition.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a n? Due to the structure of the dungeon, it will be very difficult to reverse the standings at this point.¡±


    The second stage was abyrinth consisting of a total of five zones. The distinction between each zone was demarcated by the presence of halls leading one to enter the next zone. The structure of thebyrinth varied from zone to zone and the goal for the second stage was to proceed to the fifth zone that contained the way forward to the third stage.


    It was very difficult to reverse the standing since it required a minimum amount of time to break through thebyrinth varying from zone to zone.


    ¡°But there¡¯s always a way.¡±


    At the same time as Desir finished speaking, the Desir Party, which had since stopped resting, arrived at a huge hall marking the end of the first zone.


    As soon as Adjest recognized the three paths in the hall of the second zone, she could hear the announcement in her ear.


    ---


    - You¡¯ve reached the Hall of the third zone in the second stage.


    Before entering the third zone, a normal passage to the third zone as well as two additional options are given to parties that reach this area.


    -The passage of folly.


    This is a passage filled with monsters and traps at the level found in the first stage. The difficulty will drop but the length of thebyrinth will be much longer.


    -Passage of suffering.


    This is a direct route to the fifth zone which is guarded by Tyrant-T.


    The passage ispletely straight but Tyrant-T has nested here.


    Tyrant-T targets invaders who pass through the passage in the dark.


    The difficulty of this passage is much greater but the length of the zone is shorter.


    ---


    The passage of folly is the choice of a party that has lost orck sufficient power, and the passage of suffering is a choice that strong parties might opt to take.


    Most of the time, the majority of parties chose to use the normal passage way or the passage of folly. The difficulty level of the Tyrant-T, which was described as appearing in the passage of suffering, wasparable to fourth level Shadow Worlds.


    Reaching the third stage would be made much more difficult for most parties if they lost just one member, hence there were very few parties willing to take such a risk or make such a sacrifice just to quickly break through.


    The risk was just too high inparison to the benefits.


    It was better to traverse thebyrinth at a suitable level for the party, even if the path would be a little bit longer. In fact, almost every party would make such a decision.


    ¡°But we¡¯re entering here.¡±


    With what Pram was saying, Romantica could only sigh.


    ¡°Well¡­ it is not the first time.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean to take a gamble?¡±


    Adjest enquired and Desir shook his head.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not suggesting it out of desperation. I have a clear n. I promise you that we¡¯ll not drop out due to this choice.¡±


    Desir spoke with confidence while choosing a passage.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be reversing the rankings and snatching first ce.¡±


    - You¡¯ve entered the passage of suffering.

 Chapter 100. Configuration Demolition (2)

    <h4>Chapter 100. Configuration Demolition (2)</h4>


    There were several bodies on the floor. They were from the Alpha ss parties of the Hebrion


    Academy. The Clothes Lines that boast such strong defense were torn and blood leaked fromcerations that covered their entire bodies.


    But these weren¡¯t fatal wounds. The wounds themselves were not that deep.


    *Ssh*


    The reason they had died from such shallow wounds was from the poison that the Tyrant-T injected into their bodies.


    The poison of the Tyrant-T, which was definitely ssed as belonging to a monster of the highest level, was powerful enough to paralyze and melt the inside of the body on contact.


    Due to the power of such a poison, they were immediately eliminated and marked to return to reality¡­


    However, something had gone wrong.


    *Ssh*


    The noise easily echoed throughout the desated passageway.


    One of the bodies rolled over. ck legs sharp as des ripped into it as the beast ravenously devoured it.


    *Ssh* *Ssh* *Ssh*


    There was a loud sound of filthy water spilling onto the ground.


    This process was repeated several times. Each body was meticulously wrapped into a spider web. The figures of each quickly disappeared as they were sealed within the spider¡¯s silk.


    Before long, the bodies that once littered the hallway were securely stowed within their new silk cocoons.


    The silk that was once visible started to turn transparent and before long the grisly scene was no longer visible. The sharp, knife-like legs were also concealed in spider silk and became transparent.


    The blood and bodies that were strewn everywhere had disappeared, as if they had never existed. There was only an empty passage leading into the distance.


    Not too long after, the presence of people could be detected and the passage that waspletely silent up until then was filled with the echoes of a voice.


    ¡°The reason why Tyrant-T is dangerous is due to the poison on the edge of its legs. There is also a special gimmick rted to its spider silk.¡±


    The source of the noise was none other than Desir¡¯s party.


    Desir moved forward carefully. The filthy water on the ground sttered everywhere as the party traipsed through it.


    ¡°Tyrant-T¡¯s web has the effect of making anything that it wraps transparent.¡±


    Most people knew this but Desir exined it for the sake of anyone who didn¡¯t.


    *Tap*


    Desir stopped.


    [Create Water]


    Water droplets were suspended mysteriously in the air.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s literally invisible. Tyrant-T has transparent webs everywhere like this and wraps itself in them. That¡¯s why nothing is visible. To unknowing prey, there¡¯s nothing in this passage.¡±


    Given how empty it was, believing such a monster existed in the passageway they were currently standing in was rather difficult.


    ¡°If we go fast and get caught in a spider web, we will get attacked by an invisible enemy. This is why people avoid Tyrant-T¡¯s nest.¡±


    ¡°What do we have to do then? Is there something special? ¡±


    Freechel asked with curiosity after Desir¡¯s exnation.


    Desir nodded.


    ¡°The principle of the spider¡¯s webs in this passage is simple: Tyrant-T uses the webs to sense and attack its prey. So, how should we ovee this?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ don¡¯t touch the web at all?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Desir pointed at the passage extending straight ahead.


    ¡°You can¡¯t see them, but from this point on, there are countless spider webs. As soon as you touch any of the webs, Tyrant-T wille running. It¡¯s incredibly fast and invisible. You have no chance of coping. What can we do?¡±


    After no one could offer a suggestion, Adjest opened her mouth.


    ¡°What about sabotaging the spider¡¯s perception? Since we have to touch the web, we need to make it so we can break through without being detected.¡±


    Desir pped.


    ¡°That is the correct answer. Tyrant-T¡¯s perception is restricted to the spider¡¯s web. In other words, if we irritate several spider webs at the same time, its perception will be confused.


    That¡¯s the opportunity that we have to aim for.¡±


    Its limited perception was Tyrant-T¡¯s only exploitable weakness.


    ¡°Hit the web with magic and shake Tyrant-T¡¯s perception. Of course, we can¡¯t just invoke random magic.¡±


    Desir opened his palms.


    ¡°To induce a stimulus strong enough that masks other human movement at the same time, we must hit at least five magic spells of at least the Second-Circle at the same time. This will give


    Tyrant-T no chance to recognize us.¡±


    ¡°Let me take that role, Desir.¡±


    Adjest hurriedly suggested.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible for me to arrange more than five spells at the same time at my level.¡±


    ¡°You can arrange five spells but the problem isnding them at the right time. That kind of urate magical arrangement is something only I can do.¡±


    No mistakes were allowed. At the same time, the magic had to hit a thin spider web.


    ¡°I¡¯ll distract Tyrant-T from a little bit further away. You break though in that chance. Once you do, I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡±


    ¡°Is this a guaranteed method for sess?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Of course.¡±


    In the strange gap between the question and answer, Romantica frowned.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m sure of this.¡±


    Eventually, Romantica sighed and allowed the n.


    After getting everyone¡¯s consent, Desir began preparation for his part in the n.


    ¡°Even though Tyrant-T¡¯s perception via its spider¡¯s web can be avoided, be careful not to get stuck in its webs. They still have great adhesive force, so proceed with caution.¡±


    ¡°I know that much.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    They got ready to run after exchanging a few more pieces of advice with each other.


    ¡°One¡­ Two¡­ ¡±


    Five spells were formed in front of Desir.


    ¡°Three.¡±


    As soon as Desir invoked the spells, all party members except Desir began to run.


    Pram swung his sword forward, cleaving open a webless path for the party to traverse.


    Desir watched them escape quickly.


    After that, the magic arrangements in front of him stopped and faded away.


    ¡®Did it work?''


    Desir checked that all of them had escaped and sighed in relief.


    ¡®They would never allow me to do this if I told them the truth.¡¯


    It was true that Tyrant-T¡¯s weakness was disrupting its perception, but the way Tyrant-T perceived its prey was very different to what Desir had exined.


    Desir had to deceive his party again since the actual method did guarantee the safe escape of the bait.


    ¡®The real way it perceives people is¡­ ¡¯


    Desir reached his hands forward and felt something on his fingertips. He caught the web.


    Entangling it, he brought it to his heart.


    ¡®Bio signal. And amongst them, it responds the most to heartbeats.¡¯


    Tyrant-T¡¯s favorite food was


    ¡®live prey¡¯. Inevitably, it responded the greatest to bioreactions.


    Desir stopped breathing and began to concentrate.


    ¡®Recognizing changes in environment:¡¯


    ¡®Detect the slightest changes amongst this absolute silence. Nothing seems to have changed on the surface.¡¯


    Silence.


    *Tap*


    After a moment or two, dust and debris began to fall off the walls.


    Desir smiled.


    ¡°How many monsters do you think I¡¯ve killed? Hundreds? Thousands?¡±


    *Frack*


    Tyrant-T appeared out of nowhere and ripped through the air, aiming to skewer Desir through the back with its leg.


    Although there was the expectation that it could only make a small wound to the Clothes Lineof a single ranker, it was still incredibly dangerous due to its terrible poison, able to kill its opponent with just the slightest cut from its leg.


    So far, no student had ever been able to attack it, since it was able to appear out of nowhere.


    At least so far.


    However, Desir naturally reached towards his back as if expecting such an attack.


    And with the spell that formed behind him -


    ***


    When Desir opened the gate, his eyes and ears were immediately assaulted by Romantica¡¯s loud displeasure.


    ¡°What took you so long, Desir?!¡±


    Desir smiled and replied.


    ¡°Ah, I made a mistake and failed to disrupt its perception. Fortunately, I ran as well.¡±


    ¡°You idiot!¡±


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s our ranking anyway?¡±


    ¡°Yes, our ranking!¡±


    Everyone in the party turned on theirmunication pads and checked the leaderboard.


    The leaderboard on themunication pad was as follows:


    ---


    1st: Unknown Party. Leader: Desir Arman


    Progression Points 2350, Party Points 1900


    2nd: Blue Moon Party. Leader: Argeria G Ron Nimbias


    Progress Points 2320, Party Points 1850


    3rd: Red Dragon Party. Leader: Radoria von Dorice


    Progression Points 2200, Party Points 1700


    ---


    The party looked at each other in a mixture of surprise and joy.


    ¡°OH-YEAH!¡±


    They had seeded in taking first ce.


    They had surpassed the Blue Moon party.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue on with this momentum and clear it all at once.¡±


    ¡°I agree!¡±


    ¡°I will do my best.¡±


    ¡°Well, you should.¡±


    While everyone merrily continued down the passage, Desir noticed a scratch on his finger.


    ¡®Hm¡­ It may be from the debris.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s pretty painful for a simted 30 percent pain limit¡­ am I just imagining things?¡¯


    Desir kept his thoughts to himself. He couldn¡¯t give them anything else to worry about. Desir entered the fifth zone while rubbing his bloody finger on hispel.

 Chapter 101. Configuration Demolition (3)

    <h4>Chapter 101. Configuration Demolition (3)</h4>


    1st: Unknown Party. Leader: Desir Arman


    2nd: Blue Moon Party. Leader: Argeria G Ron Nimbias


    3rd: Red Dragon Party. Leader: Radoria von Dorice


    Desir¡¯s party, that had only been in 3rd ce up until now, suddenly reached the top rank in an instant. Confirming this fact with hismunication pad, Kelt took a deep breath.


    ¡®This is rather ridiculous.¡¯


    The increase in points was massive. It was never meant to be possible to reverse the rankings like this.


    Snapping out of his reverie, Kelt looked around to confirm how the others were handling this.


    The reaction of the Blue Moon party members was fairly simr across the board. They all felt horrible.


    ¡°They just passed us? That doesn¡¯t make sense. We are at thest zone of the second stage.¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense at all. The difference between our progress points was almost 500.


    That¡¯s like three zones worth of distance¡­ ¡±


    How did they shorten the point gap? How did they catch up? Kelt Nippleca could only think of one possibility.


    ¡®No way¡­ Did they take on the Tyrant-T passage?¡¯


    Other than that, it was impossible to exin.


    It was not easy to locate the Tyrant-T in its natural habitat, let alone take it on. The Blue


    Moon party was skilled enough to do so, but not without taking casualties. If the party suffered a great loss in the second level, it was almost impossible to reach the third stage of the dungeon. It simply wasn¡¯t necessary to attack Tyrant-T when there were suchrge demerits associated with doing so.


    ¡®He is not a man that would gamble like that.¡¯


    After recalling what he knew about Desir Arman, Kelt Neppleca immediately corrected this view.


    ¡®If he knew that he could do it safely¡­ ¡¯


    After sorting out his thoughts, Kelt shared his hypothesis behind the Desir party¡¯s meteoric rise in the rankings. After contemting the matter, the Blue Moon party leader, a first ce single ranker of the third-grade, Argeria G Ron Nimbia¡¯s expression turned into one of utter seriousness. He intuitively felt that this was the only reasonable exnation for the phenomena.


    Argeria red at the leaderboard on hismunication pad and after confirming the rankings for the umpteenth time, he finally opened his dried lips.


    ¡°¡­ this can¡¯t be. ¡±


    The Blue Moon party was thergest gathering of Alpha ss talent. In other words, it was the most powerful party in Hebrion Academy.


    They were provided with high quality armor and weapons suited for the best of the best.


    Professor Pugman also invested heavily in them to demonstrate the superiority of the noble ss. It was due to this fact that Prof. Pugman, who was in charge of this party, had ced his high expectations on them to do well in this tournament.


    Argeria turned to Kelt, who happened to be standing right next to him.


    ¡°Kelt, did the professor tell you anything before the partypetition started?¡±


    ¡°Be sure to defeat the Desir party¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    Argeria knew how Prof. Pugman felt about Desir. For Prof. Pugman, who had fully subscribed to the belief that nobles were superior tomoners in every way, he was like a thorn under one¡¯s nail. In particr, Desir was directlybatting this ideology of noble supremacy by including Beta ss party members in their party for thispetition.


    If he was beaten by a party like Desir¡¯s¡­


    *Gulp*


    Argeria suddenly felt a bout of intense anxiety. He was no longer so certain about his well being after thispetition ended.


    Argeria¡¯s footsteps that wereden with all kinds of thoughts suddenly came to a stop.


    He pointed forward after signaling the party members to be quiet.


    Desir¡¯s party was resting where his finger pointed at. It seemed like they had just finished fighting a tough battle and were in the middle of a short break.


    The Blue Moon party unexpectedly felt a growing sense of relief and thrill.


    ¡°This is our chance, leader.¡±


    The sixth ce ranker of the third grade, M¡¯n¨¦ whispered.


    ¡°If they just finished attacking the Tyrant-T, there is no chance that they are in fighting condition. Let¡¯s attack them before they recover.¡±


    The Blue Moon party was shaken out of their depression.


    Surely as he said, this was their best chance.


    ¡°Furthermore, they are not as vignt as they normally would be. If we attack them all of a sudden then¡­ ¡±


    A voice cut off M¡¯n¨¦¡¯s goading.


    ¡°It¡¯s silly for us to attack them.¡±


    It was Kelt. He had pointed his finger at Desir¡¯s party a little earlier than the rest of the party members even realised what was in front of them.


    ¡°Look at them now. Do you think they look tired?¡±


    The party members looked over towards them again.


    ¡°Um¡­ ¡±


    Desir¡¯s party wasughing and rxing. It didn¡¯t look like they were tired from conducting a massive battle at all. No wounds could be seen. It wouldn¡¯t even be a surprise to see them suddenly leap up and start fighting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what they¡¯ve done but they¡¯ve defeated Tyrant-T without sustaining any damage from it.¡±


    Kelt continued.


    ¡°I¡¯m honestly not convinced that we can win against them without losing. So while they are taking a break, I suggest just ignoring them and moving on quickly.¡±


    Argeria nodded. This course of action had merit.


    He had heard several rumors about Desir Arman. Whether the rumors were true or not, the recurring theme was that he was not one to be trifled with.


    Even if some of their party were from Beta ss, he wasn¡¯t sure that they could easily win.


    Then, will we just pass by them?


    Argeria shook his head. They couldn¡¯t do that either.


    ¡°But if we don¡¯t deal with them now, we may end up regretting it.¡±


    After all, it was Desir¡¯s party that had overturned a significant point difference in one go. Even if they managed to regain their lead, they couldn¡¯t be sure that Desir¡¯s party wouldn¡¯t do the same thing again.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, are we going to attack them then?¡±


    ¡°As Kelt mentioned earlier, we can¡¯t. Even if we defeat them, the damage to our side will be huge. We would be helping the Red Dragon Party by doing so.¡±


    ¡°If so¡­ ¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to attack them directly, do we?¡±


    ¡°The Great Worm.¡±


    A mean grin found its way onto Argeria¡¯s face.


    ¡°Do they have a trait that would summon a crowd of them?¡±


    ***


    Romantica¡¯s detection magic spread out epassing arge distance.


    She drew the dungeon¡¯s terrain on paper based on the information that she got from the detection magic and handed it over to Desir.


    ¡°Okay, this is the path we should take.¡±


    Desir¡¯s party was smoothly raiding this dungeon. They were calmly killing monsters and destroying traps. Then proceeding forward until something else came into range of their detection magic, before repeating the entire process again. They had been doing this for so long that it had almost be afortable routine for the party.


    After the fifth cycle of spreading out detection magic since their short break, Romantica started toin¡­


    ¡°How long do we have to keep on doing this for?¡±


    Rather than being taxing on one¡¯s mana or magic formation skills, detection magic consumes a lot of mental power due to the strain from processing the sheer volume of information from it.


    She had repeated this process of detection and fighting several times already, so she could not help but be tired.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done, Romantica.¡±


    Desir showed her a nearlypleted map.


    ¡°We will find the exit out of the fifth zone soon. There is not much left for us to explore until we inevitably find the entrance to the third stage.¡±


    Romantica took back the map and pen from Desir.


    ¡°¡­ Alright. I¡¯ll invoke it again.¡±


    In the front of Romantica, detection magic arrays started to form again.


    [Detect]


    *Hoowoong*


    They were finding less and less obstacles and monsters aftering this far. A huge vacant cavern soon appeared in her senses, as well as a set of stairs that led downwards.


    Romantica smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found it.¡±


    ¡°Well done, Romantica.¡±


    ¡°But wait, there¡¯s something in front of it. This is¡­ !¡±


    Romantica¡¯s voice suddenly softened in despair.


    ¡°There are Great Worms!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve met one or two Great Worms already. You don¡¯t have to make such a fuss now.¡±


    ¡°You idiot! I said Great Worm ¡°S¡±! Not one or two! More than thirty!¡±


    Desir¡¯s pupils instantly dted.


    ¡°What?¡±


    *nk*


    *CLAAAANK*


    As if to prove the words of Romantica, the sound of the ground crumbling from far away echoed down the passage.


    The sound was getting closer. The ground also began to vibrate. Dust billowed up in great big clouds.


    ¡°Everyone get into formation!¡±


    Desir¡¯s party began to quickly move into battle ready positions. In the meantime, a conversation was quickly shared between the worried party members.


    ¡°What, what happened?¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. Great Worms basically move alone unless a wounded worm runs away and calls a colleague¡­ ¡±


    ¡°We defeated everything clearly! We didn¡¯t miss a single one!¡±


    ¡°We did indeed. Unless someone was fooling around and let one go¡­ Wait a minute.¡±


    Desir raised his head.


    ¡°No way¡­ ¡±


    The ground started to crack with a crumbling sound and a bunch of Great Worms jumped out of the wall and on to the floor as if they were swimming through water.


    That wasn¡¯t the end to them though. A procession of worms filed into the area, seemingly ready to overrun the party. Explosive bursts of dust and stone debris were continuallyunched.


    *Baaaam*


    There were sparks as Takiran¡¯s great sword and the body of a Great Worm collided. Pram¡¯s sword pierced the body of a Great Worm in an instant, like a blinding sh of light. Bodily fluids started pouring out of the wound. A myriad of spells wereunched by Adjest,


    Romantica and Desir.


    Great Worms by themselves were not particrly strong inparison to Desir¡¯s party.


    However, the growing problem in this situation was the sheer number of them. They were rapidly losing control.


    At that time, the Blue Moon party moved past Desir¡¯s party, ignoring the Great Worms as if to prove Desir¡¯s hypothesis.


    ¡°Take care.¡±


    They continued to move along while shing smirks filled with ridicule.


    Kelt turned and looked at Desir. As soon as their eyes met, he bowed slightly to Desir and followed after his party again.

 Chapter 102. Configuration Demolition (4)

    <h4>Chapter 102. Configuration Demolition (4)</h4>


    Blue Moon Party quickly moved away from the fight that kept the Desir party upied. The sound of fighting gradually faded away, until just the footsteps of their party of six could be heard in the now silent cave. Argeria finally broke the silence.


    ¡°Did we make it?¡±


    His excited voice echoed in thebyrinth. Other voices agreed with the assertion in agitation. ¡°Did you see how embarrassed they looked? It was truly a spectacle.¡±


    ¡°It looked like they were struggling to survive.¡±


    It was a simple n. Killing that many Great Worms would take a lot of time, no matter which party was confronted with such a situation, regardless of whether it was Desir¡¯s party or their own.


    The Blue Moon party used this situation to increase their lead over Desir¡¯s party. ¡°You look unhappy, Kelt.¡±


    Kelt turned to look at Argeria.


    ¡°I don''t know if this wille back to bite us or not.¡±


    ¡°Think of it as a mock skirmish. Can you defeat an enemy while taking care of them? Think of the enemy party as virtual beings in a mock Shadow World. There really is no big difference between those two concepts here anyway. Even if you die in here, you don¡¯t really die.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that is¡­ ¡±


    ¡°If your mind wanders during practice, how will you stay focused in a real dungeon? It¡¯s your responsibility to prioritise the party and your own wellbeing over the enemy¡¯s. Unless you take this seriously, one day you¡¯ll get both yourself and your party killed.¡±


    After sharing his advice, Argeria focussed back on the cave in front of himself and increased his pace.


    Kelt, however, looked over his shoulder to confirm whether he had any regrets. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that defeating other parties in this way is eptable.¡¯


    Even though he thought that this was an inevitable situation, he still felt guilty in some small part of his heart.


    They had not defeated them with their ability but through their own cowardice. ¡®I guess the ends justify the means.¡¯


    Kelt remembered what his brother had told him and reluctantly turned his head forward and focused on the path in front of him.


    Not long afterwards, they broke through thest zone within the second stage. ¡°I found it! There¡¯s an exit just up ahead.¡±


    Indeed, in just a short moment, the narrowbyrinth had widened and a huge space was revealed. A spacious hall was nestled in the middle of this open area. It wasrge enough to amodate hundreds of people simultaneously. What would have normally been a dark and foreboding chamber was instead brightly lit. The walls wereposed of some kind of luminous stone, which emanated a bright light more than capable of lighting up a room.


    ¡°We¡¯ve finally arrived.¡±


    The hall was so silent that a pin drop could be heard. Argeria¡¯s murmur was hence loud enough to fill the hall with its echo. There was a door opposite to the side they had entered from. It was probably the passage to the third stage. Once they passed through it, they would be the first ones to enter the third stage.


    Argeria confidently stepped forward and his party members followed him.


    Without any warning, a sound loud enough to tear eardrums reverberated throughout the hall. The Blue Moon party came to an abrupt stop.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Great Worm.¡±


    Great Worms made a unique, but loud, noise due to the way they ate and disced the ground as they moved. Unless they had heard wrong, this was obviously the sound of a Great Worm. ¡®Have some of them been chased off by Desir¡¯s party?¡¯


    Kelt felt that this was possible.


    The number of Great Worms that the Blue Moon party had led to Desir¡¯s party was about a thousand. It was usible for some of them to have chased the Blue Moon party instead of staying to fight Desir.


    *Crack* *Craaack*


    The noise of digginging from the walls was exceptionally loud. The walls soon began to show signs of cracking while the noise assaulting their ear drums increased. As the cracks continued to grow, the luminous stone illuminating the area began to dim and soon the light disappearedpletely.


    *Crash*


    One by one, the luminous stone walls faded to dark. Before they knew it, the surroundings had be pitch ck.


    ¡°Secure vision of the area.¡±


    On Argeria¡¯smand, the wizards of the Blue Moon party arranged and invoked various illumination spells.


    [Light Whisper]


    [Candle Swift]


    They continually unleashed light spells. Before too long, there were a dozen light sources that formed a huge central source of light as well as many periphery smaller light sources that spread out to cover the area. One might think that the luminous stone had turned back on, if not for the massive shadow that loomed over the Blue Moon party.


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    Kelt doubted his own eyes.


    It moved in like a massive wall, preventing all escape. This was an area that could afford space to hundreds of people simultaneously, which made the size of this being all the more frightening.


    A party member shouted in rm.


    ¡°¡­ is this the work of a Great Worm?¡± ¡°No, this is too much¡­ Then it must be¡­ !¡±


    It was too big to call it a Great Worm, based on what they had seen before. No, this was something that stimted the fear of man due to its sheer size.


    The surface of its exoskeleton reflected the light. The giant which had not yet left the wall had already filled the hall with its enormity. Its legs, as if made up of dozens of broken knives somehow glued end to end, made a grating noise as they moved in-sync with its constant cycle of breathing.


    As they began to recognize exactly what exactly they were up against, the party who had thought that they were the strongest began to feel embarrassed.


    At the same time, a notification sounded.


    -''Great Mother Worm'' has appeared in response to the massive amount of Great Worm blood that has been spilled.


    The Great Mother Worm who oversees the Great Worms feels threatened by the death of so many Great Worms and will now kill all intruders that it finds.


    -A hidden quest has appeared.


    Defeat the Great Mother Worm in order to advance to the next stage.


    ***


    *Bam*


    *Bam*


    Stone fragments scattered everywhere. A Great Worm protruded from a wall. Almost instantaneously, Pram¡¯s rapier prated the Great Worm¡¯s head. Pram then took one step forward while spinning his rapier round and round, piercing the Great Worm in many different ces. Bodily fluids burst out, sttering over a wide area.


    ¡°Kaeeh!¡±


    The Great Worm twisted and fell to the floor, intermittently spasming.


    Pram stabbed his rapier a few more times into its body to ensure it was dead.


    He then turned around to identify any other nearby threats. A short distance away, he saw a Great Worm wriggling backwards, attempting to dig a path to escape.


    ¡®I have to handle that before it¡¯s toote.¡¯ Pram flitted forward.


    [Ragna Break]


    Pram nced backwards at the source of the sudden explosion behind him. Half of a Great Worm was roasted ck while the other half of it was flying away as Desir reached out to Pram.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go too deep on your own, Pram! We must maintain formation.¡± ¡°Sorry!¡±


    Pram realized he had acted too hastily, and hurriedly returned to his position.


    ¡°I understand that this is a hassle, but we cannot rx until this battle is over.¡± Pram replied in embarrassment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    Meanwhile, wind magic poured out from the center of the party formation and mutted the Great Worm trying to escape back into the ground.


    Their tactic for this battle was dead simple.


    The swordsmen, Pram and Takiran, confronted the Great Worms in front of them to halt their advance and protect the party. In the meantime, Adjest and Desir dealt massive damage with their magic while Fritzel flexed to assist the party where required. Finally, when Great Worms attempt to escape, Romantica deals with them via sniper magic to prevent more reinforcements froming.


    The battle was nearing its end. There were not many Great Worms left that could still move. Adjest took out thest Great Worm, signaling that the battle had ended.


    ¡°It¡¯s finally over.¡±


    Innumerable slices and chunks of Great Worm littered the ground that was flooded with bodily fluids. It was as if they had defeated all of the Great Worms in this dungeon.


    As the party¡¯s adrenaline wore off, they finally took in their surroundings. The odor wafting from the body fluids and Great Worm viscera was nauseating, and quickly became the source of the party¡¯s anguish.


    Romantica frowned at the unpleasant environment.


    ¡°Really, that was just too many. They¡¯re really pushing their luck. Those Blue Moon party guys, no matter how much they hate us, how could they do something so shameful? ¡±


    Pram also spoke up while shaking off fluid that had umted on his rapier. He did not sound like his usual self, sounding far more upset than Desir had ever heard him before. ¡°That Blue Moon party is so dirty.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Adjest looked the same as usual on the surface, but it was clear that she was also angry. Even though the battle was now over, the way she carried herself remained the same.


    Everyone was filled with anger at the Blue Moon party and annoyed at the senseless fight they had to undertake.


    In the meantime, Desir focused more on other things than his seething rage at the Blue Moon party. He looked at the carcasses of the Great Worms scattered everywhere.


    ¡°Mm¡­ there were too many. This was too dangerous.¡± Pram chirped in response next to him.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already handled everything, Desir.¡±


    Desir silently collected and burned the bodies of the Great Worms. His party members were curious at what he had been doing, actingpletely normal, instead of joining them in expressing their rage.


    As he continued working, he started talking to the party members.


    ¡°In order to control the Great Worms in an artificial environment like this, there is a need for an entity to lead and manipte them. A being that represents the will of all colonies. Of course, this entity usually doesn¡¯t get involved and instead remains in the colony that they spawn in¡­¡±


    Sensing how seriously Desir was treating the situation, the party members all quietly listened to him.


    ¡°However, when ites to situations where the entire colony is threatened, this all changes.


    When so many Great Worms all die at once¡­ it might make a move.¡± ¡°I see, so¡­ ¡±


    ¡°We definitely need to get rid of all traces of this battle. It absolutely can¡¯t know how many we ughtered. This entity is really tricky to deal with. Very annoying.¡±


    Desir looked at the burning mes. In the mes, the body of a Great Worm crumbled and scattered to ash.


    ¡°Desir.¡±


    Adjest was looking far away into the dark. ¡°I think we are already toote.¡±

 Chapter 103. Configuration Demolition (5)

    <h4>Chapter 103. Configuration Demolition (5)</h4>


    ¡°We¡¯re going to break through.¡±


    Argeria decided to move forward with the appearance of the Mother Great Worm. He could not give up the attack in this way.


    They decisively fell back tounch their assault.


    ¡°No matter how strong it is, there¡¯s still only one enemy. If we do our best, we can somehow get past it.¡±


    He felt that they could win. They were the strongest party of Hebrion Academy, after all.


    The modifier ¡®strongest¡¯ was never an exaggeration. They had two Fourth-Circle wizards and three Rook-Level knights in their party.


    No other party that participated in this partypetition had this much power at their disposal. This was something only the Blue Moon party could achieve.


    No matter how strong the opponent was, it was just one enemy afterall, and it was against the best six people in the Academy student body.


    The n was also perfect.


    While Rook-Level knights and Third-Circle wizards slow the Mother Great Worm, the two Fourth-Circle wizards, including Kelt, would unleash magic that could damage the Mother Great Worm.


    It was fine if they failed to defeat it. They could just break through if they keep it preupied for just a few seconds as a result of their offensive.


    For a party this well equipped and with a n this fool-proof, moving on to the third stage was a guarantee.


    After they re-entered the hall, they put their n into action. They used shields to form a barrier of defense against the Mother Great Worm¡¯s acid and the wizards used magic to damage it.


    As everyone expected, the battle was proceeding smoothly.


    But it was all just a delusion.


    The tail of the Mother Great Worm, which was buried in the wall up until that moment, freed itself from the wall and sped towards the party.


    A massive amount of dirt was flung into the air, obscuring everyone¡¯s sight. At the same time, the Mother Great Worm¡¯s tail struck someone in the neck.


    *Thud*


    Their head was flung from their body. The body fell down a bitter.


    Shortly afterwards, an announcement sounded.


    [Kashu Madahit is eliminated.] Argeria whined inint.


    ¡°Damn it! Such an idiot! How could we lose someone here?! ¡±


    If just one person dropped out at the second stage, it would be very difficult to get far in the third. Without going this far though, it would be very difficult to deal with the Mother Great Worm in front of them.


    The opponent in front of them was like a boss monster from a Level Three Shadow World. It was a very powerful opponent. Even as the Blue Moon party, they would need to try their absolute hardest to have a chance at beating it.


    *Bam*


    ¡°Eek¡±


    Argeria screamed as some part of the Mother Great Worm bounced off of his shield. ¡°Focus on your opponent first!¡±


    Focus was the most important thing when dealing with strong monsters.


    There was no way out of this now. He would be eliminated and moved to the real world. This was the reality of the situation unfolding in front of him.


    Unexpectedly though, there was a voice in his ear. ¡°That¡­ Look over there leader¡­ ¡±


    It was Kelt. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°His body¡­ It¡¯s still there?¡±


    To confirm it for himself, Argeria¡¯s eyes turned towards the party member who had lost his head before.


    ¡°Whaaa¡­ ¡±


    The corpse that had lost its head had not disappeared and instead remained in the dungeon. ¡°It isn¡¯t gone¡­ ?¡±


    The blood was vividly oozing out of the corpse that had lost its head.


    Argeria was a veteran amongst veterans and immediately noticed what this meant. Not only him but the other Blue Moon party members also realized what situation they were in.


    It meant that this was no longer simted training but an actual dungeon invasion.


    In this space created by the technology of the Hebrion Acedemy, death should be impossible and pain should be limited.


    Argeria shook his head and tried to deny the reality he was faced with. *Throb*


    As if to immediately snap him out of it, his wrist sharply throbbed in pain. When he lifted his gloves, he saw a deep ck bruise. This wound was probably caused by blocking an attack from the Mother Great Worm. There was absolutely no pain reduction in effect. ¡°This is¡­ real¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Kiyaa aaahhh!¡±


    However, the Mother Great Worm in front of him wasn¡¯t kind enough to wait until they had sorted out their thoughts. Opening its mouth wide, it charged at those who had threatened its colony.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    He thought this was a no-risk environment. He thought it was just a test. That¡¯s why he was willing to take the risk and make such a daring assault.


    However, in reality it was truly a test with consequences unlike any practice or mock battle.


    If he knew that they were risking their actual lives, he would never have approached this so recklessly. He had taken dozens of precautionary measures to lower the risk of death and figure out all relevant attack patterns up until now. This was how he had survived in this dungeon so far.


    But it was now toote.


    Not only was it toote but the level of the enemy they were dealing with was far from normal.


    ¡°Ha¡±


    As soon as Argeriaughed at such an iprehensible situation, the body of Mother Great Worm swept over towards him.


    *Thud*


    He flew away as if swept by waves on the level of a tsunami.


    ¡°Cough¡±


    He was in excruciating pain. Argeria coughed up several mouthfuls of blood. All he could taste and smell was blood. His right arm seemedpletely broken and the pain in his abdomen was also serious.


    Argeria could only tremble in the face of guaranteed death. *Booooom*


    Something wasunched from behind him. It was Fourth-Circle water and electric magic. They were the most powerful spells that Fourth-Circle mages could invoke.


    Magic exploded on the body of the Mother Great Worm. The magic made a loud burst and a brilliant light could be seen by all! The two Fourth-Circle magic wizards had unleashed their strongest spells.


    ¡°Kia-a-a-ak!¡±


    The Mother Great Worm that had been aggressively attacking them so far, temporarily ceased moving.


    It was clear that the magic had hit. Its body was singed all over and part of its outer carapace had even crumbled.


    But that was all. It was neither decisive nor fatal. Almost as if it were human, the Mother Great Worm seemed to frown andin about the pain but it then resumed moving faster than ever.


    The Fourth-Circle spells that had just been used required a long time to prepare and using them had merely bought a short reprieve for the party.


    Argeria stood up while leaning heavily on his sword. His legs shook in response. ¡®However¡­ ¡¯


    The Mother Great Worm was devastating the Blue Moon party.


    It was different from when it had first encountered them.


    ¡°Was our n too reckless to defeat such a ferocious monster?¡±


    They were struggling but it wouldn¡¯tst much longer. They were falling one by one.


    If the front knights couldn¡¯t stand, then the next would be the wizards. In short, the party was on the brink of a total wipe out.


    ¡°Ha¡±


    *Clink*


    The Mother Great Worm moved. Its countless legs were a thing of nightmare now. Its attacks were strong and merciless.


    Forget about trying to defeat it, or even getting to the third stage. Was it even possible to survive this ordeal they had gotten themselves into?


    ***


    ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± ¡°Check the situation!¡±


    The Hebrion Academy had a crisis on their hands.


    This was an unprecedented event. The Party Competition, such a historical test, had malfunctioned somehow. Such a brutal massacre was by far the worst tragedy to ever ur on academy grounds.


    ¡°We have confirmed that the dropouts in the first stage are safe.¡±


    Those who fell in the first stage had all returned safely through the shadow gate. But none of those who dropped out after entering the second level wereing back.


    As to why this had happened, the panel in front of them was clearly showing the answer. Those that hadn¡¯t returned had all faced death in the virtual space created for the Party Competition.


    There was no exception.


    ¡°Is there a problem with the configuration?¡±


    ¡°If so, there should have been abnormalities from the start of the first stage too.¡±


    The biggest problem, above all, is that most of the Alpha ss students had entered the second level. They were gradually made aware of the abnormalities, but there were also a lot of people who had not yet noticed. There was also a party currently dealing with an enemy beyond their abilities that they couldn¡¯t afford to lose.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening!¡± Pugman shrieked.


    The centre-most panel showed the party at the top of the leaderboard.


    The Blue Moon Party.


    The Mother Great Worm was iling its legs and trampling the Blue Moon party members with its massive frame. The acid that it flung melted even rock while its hard carapace acted like an imprable armor.


    ¡°My brother is in there! What measures can we take¡­ ?!¡±


    As more than two students had died already they were in dire need of assistance. Annihtion didn¡¯t look to be too far away.


    ¡°Check the number of students!¡±


    ¡°How many Alpha ss students have entered the second level?"


    Prof. Bridgette calmly tried to grasp the situation. She slowly but deliberately confirmed what had happened and what information they had to work with. After arranging the information that she had, she then talked, no longer staring at the panel.


    ¡°What has happened here? Is there something wrong with the magic ore?¡±


    The virtual Shadow World was created by extracting traces contained in the magic stone obtained by clearing a real Shadow World.


    There were ways to change the various configuration settings, but considering the current situation, there was no choice but to suspect that there was a problem with the ore.


    ¡°It seems that the configuration in the stone was changed right before the Party Competition began.¡±


    Prof. Bridgette¡¯s question was answered by the professor of Shadow World Studies, Pelsta. ¡°Someone deliberately manipted what was set in the ore?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I believe so.¡±


    It was the most terrifying possibility. ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Prof. Bridgette bit her lips.


    ¡®Obviously the security was multiplied several fold. Someone couldn¡¯t just break in from the outside¡­ ¡¯


    Her fine brows furrowed into a frown. ¡®How on Earth¡­ No, who the hell did this¡­ ¡¯


    It was clearly an act of terrorism against Hebrion Academy. ¡°Is there any way to force the students to all quit?¡±


    ¡°No, our controls arepletely unresponsive¡­ At the moment, their only chance of survival is to clear the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s just like a real Shadow World¡­ ¡±


    Listening to Pelstar¡¯s despairing answer, Bridgette looked at the panel in serious contemtion.

 Chapter 104. The Clue to Transcendence (1)

    <h4>Chapter 104. The Clue to Transcendence (1)</h4>


    The way forward had been cleared long ago.


    Desir and his party members ran towards the exit of the second stage.


    Desir began to briefly exin the Mother Great Worm, the entity thatmanded all Great Worms, to his party members.


    ¡°Her strength increases as she lives longer, but you can assume that her attacks will be stronger than your Clothes Lines can handle.¡±


    Tough exterior aside, she was capable of withstanding any sort of physical attack. Only magicing from at least the Third-Circle would be able to pierce her carapace.


    If its tough defense were the only barrier then it wouldn¡¯t pose much of a threat. However¡­ ¡°Whatever damage we inflict will be meaningless; her rapid regeneration allows her to healin an instant.¡±


    ¡°What an unassable monster¡­ ¡± Pram replied in a strained voice.


    Almost imprable defense and rapid regeneration. How troublesome.


    That wasn¡¯t even addressing her offensive prowess. A powerful attacking from her immense size couldn¡¯t be ignored.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯d hoped that the Mother Great Worm wouldn¡¯t show up¡­¡± Desir trailed off.


    Adjest said that she had heard the screams of the Blue Moon party.


    As they hurried down the passage, a wide-open area appeared. However, all they could see after arriving at the hall was debris and dirt strewn everywhere.


    Despite injuries all over him, Kelt continued invoking spells, deflecting and diverting the Mother Great Worm¡¯s attacks. Beside him stood Argeria, clutching his mangled arm.


    It was a battle that was already lost.


    The frontlines had already fallen. One warrior and one magician alreadyy dead. There was no way that they could stand up to the Mother Great Worm.


    There was only one reason why they were still alive.


    As if she¡¯d discovered a new toy, the Mother Great Worm sadistically tormented them as she blocked the exit with her massive body.


    Every time she sprayed acidic fluid, screams from the Blue Moon party filled the room. But there was something else that horrified Desir¡¯s party more than anything.


    ¡°Corpses¡­ ?¡±


    Two bodies were syed across the floor. Something that wasn¡¯t supposed to happen in this simted world.


    Desir¡¯s party was shaken. ¡°¡­ No way.¡±


    ¡°When pushed to the brink of death, you¡¯re transported out of the system. How did this¡­ ¡± Desir wordlessly stroked his injured finger.


    It ached. No matter how much he thought about it, it felt no different from the real world. In other words, it was dangerous to assume that any of the protective measures set up by Hebrion Academy were still in ce.


    Desir¡¯s gaze then turned to the two bodies that were scattered on the floor.


    ¡®Does this mean that the safeguards against death have fallen along with our resistance to pain?¡¯


    There was no way Hebrion Academy hadn¡¯t caught on to what was happening within the dungeon. Evaluation footage of the parties¡¯ battles were being transmitted in real-time to the panel of judges.


    However, despite this anomaly, the parties¡¯ struggle to survive waged on. This meant that the current situation was out of the Academy¡¯s control.


    Since the beginning of Hebrion Academy¡¯s history, this level of disaster had never urred before.


    There were many possible causes, but after recalling what had happened in the Prillecha Empire, Desir narrowed down the list of possible actors right away.


    ¡®¡­ An Outsider.¡¯


    Desir looked straight ahead.


    ¡°SKRIIIIIIIIIT¡±


    The Mother Great Worm let out a scream. ¡°Desir, what do we do now?¡±


    At Adjest¡¯s question, Desir confided his thoughts.


    ¡°Right now, our priority is to take care of what¡¯s in front of us.¡±


    What had originally been used as a simple hindrance to conquering the dungeon, had nowe back to bite them as a life-threatening danger.


    Desir had to make a choice.


    He could help the Blue Moon party that was still fighting, by defeating Mother Great Worm for them. Or he could choose to run away and prioritise the safety of his party members. Allying with the Blue Moon party would guarantee a win against the Mother Great Worm, but that didn¡¯t mean that everyone would survive the battle.


    This right here was a real battle. Dying here would mean dying in the real world. The best way to protect his party members was to leave immediately.


    ¡®¡­ But there¡¯s no way I can do something like that.¡¯ Desir shook his head.


    He couldn¡¯t ignore the people dying in front of his eyes.


    Although they were nobles that looked down onmoners, their skills were the real deal. Even within the Blue Moon party that boasted the best skills of Hebrion Academy, they were selected as the elites of the elite. They wouldter go on to y an active role in saving lives in the Shadow Labyrinths of the future. Letting them die here would change the future he had experienced.


    For the sake of clearing the Shadow Labyrinths and for the lives of countless others, he could not just leave them to die.


    ¡®Besides, it¡¯s not just the Blue Moon party that we¡¯re saving. None of the following parties will be able to escape annihtion by the Mother Great Worm if we leave her in this state.¡¯ The many parties that had yet to arrive would do so eventually, and they would have to face off against the Mother Great Worm too.


    If they hadn¡¯t noticed that the configuration of the simted world was changed, they would have attacked the Mother Great Worm without hesitation. A dungeon of this level was easily defeatable by Alpha ss students of their caliber. Why would they fear a bigger Great Worm?


    ¡°Everyone, ready for battle.¡± Desir spoke.


    At hismand, each member of Desir¡¯s party raised their weapons. Desir studied their expressions.


    Adjest was stone-faced as usual. As for Pram, he too was simply following orders. Romantica may have disyed some signs of disgust, but she wasn¡¯t scared in any way.


    They were calm. Despite witnessing the Mother Great Worm overpowering the Blue Moon party and knowing that they could lose their lives, they were unshaken.


    After all, they had already encountered a being many fold more horrifying.


    The Demon of Destruction, Dadenewt.


    ¡®Compared to then, this ordeal is way easier to deal with.¡¯


    It was undeniably a strong opponent, but their experience was unmatched. They didn¡¯t make the mistake of panicking like rookies.


    ¡®Seems like yesterday when we were struggling with lower level demons.¡¯ However, the two new members were exceptions.


    Freechel and Takiren didn¡¯t dare move as they stood with their mouths hanging open. They had beenpletely overwhelmed by the spectacle before their eyes.


    ¡°You two watch from the rear.¡±


    Desir addressed Freechel and Takiren before turning to Adjest. ¡°Adjest.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    Adjest raised her sword. The ice magic that she cast formed a massive wall, splitting the gap between the Blue Moon party and Mother Great Worm atst.


    The sudden appearance of a giant ice wall took the Mother Great Worm by surprise. For just a split-second, its unrelenting assault ceased.


    *Bang*


    Romantica¡¯s bullets instantaneously streaked through the air.


    She was a Third-Circle magician, but her sniper skills were powerful enough that they actually approached the Fourth-Circle.


    Her Wind Bullet punctured the Mother Great Worm¡¯s carapace and prated deep into her flesh.


    The Mother Great Worm stopped her attacks and drew back in pain. At the same time, red foam boiled over the chunk of the body that Romantica had sted off.


    Regeneration.


    The damaged part was instantly restored. It was a truly exceptional ability.


    But dealing permanent damage wasn¡¯t the goal in the first ce.


    The real goal had been the brief window of opportunity presented as she stood still to regenerate.


    During this window, Desir and Adjest¡¯s spells finished invoking. [Ice Crown]


    The Mother Great Worm¡¯s body was frozen solid. [Rumble Crush]


    Desir¡¯s spell then collided with the Mother Great Worm. With a loud crack, her body started crumbling slightly.


    ¡°Hrrragghhh!¡±


    Immediately, Pram¡¯s de followed up and pierced the Mother Great Worm¡¯s body.


    A silver wave danced along the trajectory, which was then followed by a sharp piercing noise that rang out.


    ¡®Did it not break through?¡¯


    As Pram took a step back, he gripped his rapier tightly. In that moment, a faint light trickled out of it. An aura appeared and wrapped itself around Pram¡¯s rapier, albeit the quality of it showcased the inexperience of the wielder. To a swordsman, this was the crystallization of their mastery in the way of the sword.


    Pram took a step forward and just like that, he easily sliced into the Mother Great Worm. *sh*


    A long red mark was drawn across the Mother Great Worm¡¯s body. Bodily fluid and what appeared to be blood gushed out from the wound.


    As this happened, Desir yelled towards the Blue Moon party members. ¡°Hurry up and escape before she finishes regenerating!¡±


    Foam bubbled over and spilled forth. But the undeniable severity of her injuries meant that she needed more time to heal.


    The Blue Moon party scrambled to escape the area. Every single one of them was covered in injuries and they were clearly weary after fighting their hearts out.


    ¡°SKRIIIIIIIIIT¡±


    The Mother Great Worm let out a yell as she attempted to pursue the Blue Moon party that was attempting to escape.


    But Desir¡¯s party wouldn¡¯t allow that to happen.


    Romantica¡¯s shots rained down and Pram¡¯s de blocked the Mother Great Worm¡¯s path. Pram had only recently climbed up the ranks. As a swordsman who relied on his attacking skills, his defenses were rather weak.


    Hence why he chose not to take a defensive stance against the Mother Great Worm. *Swish*


    Every time he swung his rapier, the Mother Great Worm¡¯s tough exterior cracked, allowing him to slice deeply into her flesh.


    By inflicting damage and forcing her to regenerate constantly, Pram didn¡¯t give the Mother Great Worm any time to attack. This was only possible for a swordsman that was both talented and wielded a de crafted out of nk?um.


    While Romantica and Pram bought some time, the Blue Moon party reached Desir. Fortunately, there were no more casualties, but everyone had sustained heavy injuries. The only people that could still move were Kelt and Argeria.


    ¡°Um¡­ ¡±


    ¡°We can talk after the battle has ended. Can you still move?¡±


    As Argeria struggled to open his mouth, Desir cut him off with a curt answer. Argeria¡¯s weary eyes shot open.


    ¡°Wait, did you say that you¡¯re going up against that thing?¡±


    ¡°Unless someone is willing to be bait, no one will be able to escape safely. Our only option is to fight.¡±


    ¡°You must have seen what it¡¯s capable of though?¡±


    Argeria stammered while pointing to the bodies scattered across the floor.


    ¡°You might die. Commoner, I acknowledge that your party is strong. However, that isn¡¯t a monster that can be defeated with who we have right now. It¡¯s at least on the level of a boss in a Level Three Shadow World.¡±


    A Level Three Shadow World.


    That was the objective evaluation of Argeria, Hebrion¡¯s number one single ranker of the third grade, who had been clearing Shadow Worlds of all levels.

 Chapter 105. The Clue to Transcendence (2)

    <h4>Chapter 105. The Clue to Transcendence (2)</h4>


    Pram, Romantica and Adjest unleashed a flurry of attacks aimed at the Mother Worm.


    The number of injuries sustained by Mother Worm increased rapidly, yet they had nosting effect. She was able to regenerate before the next attacknded on her.


    Argeria quickly assessed the situation they found themselves in.


    ¡°As far as we can tell, that thing can keep regenerating forever. Meanwhile, we only have a limited amount of mana to work with.¡±


    No matter how much damage they dealt, if they couldn¡¯t kill her in a single blow, she would continue to regenerate in an instant. In the end, all of their achievements would only amount to a waste of mana.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be impossible for us to beat it if we regroup. Shall we briefly retreat and join up with another party?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I would like to only do that if we run out of options.¡± Desir examined his surroundings.


    ¡°The Mother Worm isn¡¯t the only reason why we can¡¯t escape safely.¡±


    Before Argeria could discern what Desir meant, the Mother Worm made her move.


    *SHRIIEEEK*


    Her cry was so loud that even the ground around them began to rumble. ¡°Th¡­ That¡¯s!¡±


    Argeria turned ghastly pale as Great Worms flooded into the cavern. The worms flooded in like a tsunami, threatening to overwhelm and envelope them. As arge force assaulted them head-on, some worms proceeded to the sides of the room, threatening to encircle the party if not dealt with.


    ¡°The Mother Worm has concluded that we are a threat and has decided to summon the remainder of her Great Worm colony.¡±


    Although the attacks that Desir¡¯s party dished outcked the raw power to kill the Mother Worm, each one of their attacks had the damage and precision required to inflict what would normally be a fatal wound. The Mother Worm had essentially been cornered; she had to stop moving and put all of her energy into regenerating in order to oust their mana-dependent onught.


    The Mother Worm¡¯s hostility was understandable.


    The number of Great Worms that the Blue Moon party had gathered to interfere with Desir¡¯s party couldn¡¯t hold a candle to the sheer number of them that were now flooding towards the hall. In fact, the number was only increasing without end


    The escape route was blocked.


    ¡°Argeria, regrouping isn¡¯t an option. The only way to make it out alive now is to handle all of them.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Argeria seemed to be at a loss for words in the face of this desperate situation. ¡°I have a n. Would you be willing to follow mymand?¡±


    At Desir¡¯s unexpected words, Argeria yelled in protest. ¡°W¡­ Wait a minute!¡±


    Desir turned back to face Argeria. ¡°Perhaps you have a better idea?¡± *SCREEECH*


    Horrible wails could be heard approaching the group of students from all directions.


    After studying his surroundings, Argeria felt hopeless. There really was no choice but to trust


    Desir¡¯s directions. ¡°No, not necessarily¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes then?¡± ¡°¡­ Alright.¡±


    Having gotten confirmation, Desir reconfirmed the situation in front of him.


    Out of the four people that remained standing from the Blue Moon party, only two were in a battle-ready condition. The high-ranking knight Argeria and the Fourth-Circle magician Kelt. However, their stamina and mana had been exhausted.


    Everyone in Desir¡¯s party was alive and well, but Freechel and Takiran couldn¡¯t contribute much to the group¡¯s overall fighting power.


    In other words, only six people from their party could engage inbat. It didn¡¯t seem like enough to take down the Mother Worm, not to mention that the horde of Great Worms heading their way made the situation that much harder to deal with. The fact that they had to fight, while protecting the ones who couldn¡¯t, made it even worse.


    ¡®But it¡¯s not entirely hopeless.¡¯


    Desir looked at the passageway from which some of the Great Worms were swarming from. ¡®Thankfully it¡¯s a narrow entrance.¡¯


    Desir determined that preventing the Great Worms from entering into this battle was the highest priority.


    There was only one way for the Great Worms to enter the hall. If they could be restrained before they passed through that entrance, it would be possible to fight the smaller swarms that forced their way through other locations.


    ¡°We¡¯ll split up into two groups. Argeria, Kelt, Pram and Romantica, please work together to stop the Great Worms at the entrance before they enter the hall.¡± ¡°W¡­ Wait! What are you thinking?¡±


    Romantica bleated, taken aback by Desir¡¯s unexpectedmand.


    If four out of their six members were stationed there, that meant that Adjest and Desir would have to fight off the Mother Worm alone.


    It was impossible. There was no way the two of them could handle a monster like that alone. No, there was only one way¡­


    ¡°You aren¡¯t nning on attempting the impossible again, are you?¡±


    He, Desir Arman, had defeated a monster more powerful than the Mother Worm. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure how he did it, but if he reenacted the situation step by step, defeating the Mother Worm seemed simple enough.


    But there was a cost.


    Knowing what Romantica was about to say, Desir stroked his left eye as he smiled bitterly. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten our promise. I won¡¯t do anything to make you worry.¡±


    Their promise.


    Romantica nodded silently as she recalled the conversation they had in Adeinia Kingdom¡¯s top hospital.


    ¡°The rest of you may be skeptical, but please trust me for now.¡±


    Everyone looked like they had something they wanted to say, but since time was against them, they soon enough decided to just focus on Desir¡¯s instructions instead.


    ¡°Argeria, please block their path from the frontlines.¡±


    Argeria was one of the most skilled swordsmen in the country. Without him, this n couldn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Pram will assist you in maintaining the frontlines. Please focus exclusively on defense.¡± Argeria and Pram nodded.


    Desir directed his attention towards Kelt.


    ¡°Kelt, please continue to drive the approaching enemies back with magic. Don¡¯t waste all of your mana trying to clear the entire horde. Just trim the frontlines to maintain their size. We can¡¯t afford to lose more power. Romantica will cover for you.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Unable toe up with an alternative solution, the two members of the Blue Moon party had decided to follow Desir¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°And Adjest and I will take care of that thing.¡± Receiving Desir¡¯s signal, Adjest nodded wordlessly.


    After Desir had finished giving out his orders, Pram and Romantica headed to the passage where the majority of the Great Worms were swarming out of. Argeria and Kelt also prepared themselves to fight.


    With everyone heading towards the passage, only Adjest and Desir were left in the hall. Desir gestured at the Mother Worm that was approaching.


    ¡°Now, we¡¯re going to take care of that thing.¡± ¡°I wonder if that¡¯ll be possible.¡± *Crackle*


    As the Mother Worm drew nearer, she shot out acidic fluid.


    Desir and Adjest avoided the acidic fluid by splitting off into opposite directions. A rock vaporized with a gurgling sound at the spot they were both standing just a moment before. ¡°Adjest. Don¡¯t worry about conserving mana anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Got it.¡±


    Fighting with everything they had. It was the most wee thing she¡¯d heard in a while. Adjest had been saving up her mana to cast a Third-Circle spell anyway. In an instant, the air flowing around her changed.


    *Swoosh*


    Magic gathered around Adjest as a pce made out of ice materialized. Majestic ice pirs rose out of the ground all around her, arranged in a way that left space for her. As Desir watched the pce emerge, he momentarily fell into contemtion.


    ¡®Adjest¡¯s ice pce can inflict continuous damage.¡¯


    It directly countered the Mother Worm¡¯s ability to regenerate.


    To take down a monster that could heal itself endlessly, the only options avable were to either deal a blow strong enough to kill it before it can regenerate, or to deal attacks faster than it can regenerate.


    And Adjest¡¯s ice pce magic was capable of doing just that.


    Hundreds of ice spears materialized and flew towards Mother Worm. The magic pierced her skin and shredded the flesh.


    However, all she needed to do was curl up for a moment before all of the injuries on her body healed. She then attempted a counterattack by flinging her acidic fluid everywhere.


    *Crash*


    Colliding with the acidic fluid, one of the pce¡¯s pirs fell down. Ice kes and dust cascaded down.


    ¡°Is there a way to take care of that thing?¡± Adjest uttered. ¡°It¡¯s simple. st it faster than it can regenerate.¡±


    ¡°st it faster than it can regenerate¡­ that could work.¡± Easier said than done though.


    ¡°Maintaining the ice pce at a point where it can consistently inflict that much damage is hard Desir.¡±


    Since they couldn¡¯t fell the beast in one blow, the only other option was to damage it to the point where its regeneration could no longer keep up.


    But no matter how much they thought about it, the attacks had to be made by a magician of at least the Fifth-Circle to ughter a monster of this caliber in one go.


    But was it possible for anyone here to invoke Fifth-Circle magic? *Craaaaash*


    The ice pce activated once again and hundreds of ice spears were flung at the Mother Worm.


    However, the blow wasn¡¯t strong enough. No matter how much mana Adjest had, she was only a Third-Circle magician. Dealing an attack on the level of Fourth-Circle was simply beyond her current ability.


    Amidst the fighting, Desir started to speak.


    ¡°I have a n in mind, but it¡¯s crucial topletely immobilize the Mother Worm first.¡± ¡°No problem.¡±


    Even without the details, Adjest believed in Desir and rushed headfirst towards the Mother Worm.


    [Magic Sword: Ice Strike]


    As her magic sword took shape, she faced off against the Mother Worm. Invoking the ice magic within fractions of a second, the ice pce covered for her.


    A one-man army.


    The Mother Worm, who was hard to take down with the might of all six members of the Blue Moon party, was having a hard time advancing past a lone Adjest.


    When it came to skill, Adjest clearly was superior.


    ¡®Now all that¡¯s left is to knock it down with a single blow.¡¯


    But could Desir invoke magic strong enough to overthrow Mother Worm in an instant? Of course, if he used draconic magic, taking down the Mother Worm would be easy. However, he had barely seeded in invoking draconic magic in the Prillecha Empire thanks to the help of Prisci and Zod, two of the most powerful individuals in the world. Without their backup and support, there was no way he could invoke it on his own.


    Without draconic magic, there was no magic he had at his disposal that he could use as a finishing blow. Crow Mask had also pointed out this w.


    That was Desir¡¯s limit as a Third-Circle magician. It was a wall that could only be bridged with the help of an artifact.


    ---But all of this was based on the standard of his past life.


    Through the incidents in Prillecha, Desir had been able to experience new things that he hadn¡¯t in the struggles of his previous life.


    ¡®Crow Mask.¡¯


    Desir smirked as he expressed his thanks to the being that he hadn¡¯t encountered in his old world.


    ¡®Thanks to you, I¡¯m surpassing my past life.¡¯

 Chapter 106. The Clue to Transcendence (3)

    <h4>Chapter 106. The Clue to Transcendence (3)</h4>


    Desir summoned his mana. It was a level of mana that reached the level of the Third-Circle. The mana arranged itself around him, assuming a geometrical form that started revolving around him endlessly.


    The steps in casting a spell are as follows: arranging the magic into formations derived from a set equation specific to each spell, followed by exciting the magic enough for it to start revolving around the caster and eventually invoke the spell.


    ¡®Although I can only execute an imitation of it¡­¡¯


    However, by using various spells and shaping them into something that looks like the Tesseract that was used by Crow Mask, Desir was granted a hint toward what could allow him to surpass his previous limits.


    The Tesseract artifact essentially allowed the caster to use a spell that mutated andbined many low-level spells to forge high-level spells.


    ¡®I¡¯ll use that concept.¡¯


    Bybining the draconic magic system and the Tesseract spell style, they could be blended into a single arithmetic equation.


    Desir merged these new magical structures he learned, creating a new spell that could be used. Together, the spells merged elegantly and stretched out beyond Desir.


    Considering that multiple spells had to be analyzed and formatted simultaneously, the required level of calction had long passed what a Sixth-Circle magician was capable of.


    This should have been a feat impossible to achieve with the skills of a Third-Circle magician, but Desir had made it possible.


    Adjest struck back against the tail that flew towards her and took a step back in the process. Her breathing had bebored due to the never-ending battle.


    As she regained her breath, the numerous spells that shot out from the ice pce restrained the Mother Worm.


    In a low voice, Desir spoke with Adjest.


    ¡°Adjest, invoke defensive magic with all your might.¡±


    Adjest¡¯s eyes drifted to the spell that was being formed ahead of Desir. ¡°¡­!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t normal in the slightest. Getting a hunch that something out of the ordinary was about to happen, Adjest decided to follow Desir¡¯smands instead of questioning them and wasting time.


    [Kijard¡¯s Sigh]


    Fiveyers of ice formed a shield in front of them. It was Kijard¡¯s Sigh, known as the strongest magic of the Third-Circle.


    Just as the defensive spell was finalized, a zing red ring of fire was drawn beneath Mother Worm.


    As Adjest gazed at Desir with unadulterated excitement and reverence, he opened his mouth. [Fire Storm]


    Fire Storm, a Third-Circle fire attribute spell.


    Adjest found this rather dubious. There was no way Desir didn¡¯t know that Third-Circle magic wouldn¡¯t inflict any damage on Mother Worm.


    She knew he wasn¡¯t someone to do something without a good reason, so she started questioning him.


    ¡°Desir, what on earth¡­¡±


    Before Adjest had a chance to finish vocalising her question, a tremendous shockwave struck the magic that she had cast. ¡°Urk!?¡±


    In an instant, two out of the fiveyers that she had put up were vaporized. Gritting her teeth, Adjest focused her remaining magic on maintaining theyers that were left.


    ¡®There¡¯s no way a Third-Circle spell can be this powerful¡­!¡¯ As she shifted her gaze ahead, Adjest¡¯s pupils widened. All she could see was a ghastly tempest of mes.


    The unbearable heat swept over everything in the hall.


    The numerous spells that had bound the Mother Worm, the ice pce, all of it simply melted away as if it were just regr ice.


    Although two of her five barriers had been instantaneously vaporized, the fact that any of them remained was a sign that the attack¡¯s range had been greatly limited by an astonishingly high degree of control.


    *CRACKLE*


    A sickeningly painful scream rang out.


    ¡°AGHHHHH! ARRRGHHHHHH!¡±


    Amidst the red mes, a big ck figure desperately thrashing around could be seen.


    It writhed in pain as it was engulfed in scorching mes. The acidic fluid it desperately shot out evaporated without a trace in the face of the zing heat.


    Soon, the fire that looked like it was ready to swallow everything had died down. Confronted with the sight before her, Adjest could not hide her disbelief.


    The Mother Worm, who with her endless regeneration had caused the strongest party, the Blue Moon party, to retreat in despair, had been wiped outpletely without leaving even a single trace behind.


    Was this truly something that a Third-Circle magic spell could achieve? It didn¡¯t take a prodigy like Adjest to know such a thing was impossible.


    The magic that Desir had invoked could hardly be called normal. ¡°Desir.¡±


    Adjest hurriedly checked Desir¡¯s condition, ncing up and down his body. She wanted to confirm whether he had been hurt invoking that monstrous spell.


    Desir spoke to her with a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯m okay, Adjest.¡±


    This indeed wasn¡¯t a lie. He hadn¡¯t copsed, nor did he have any visible injuries. Besides being light-headed, there were no other symptoms at all.


    ¡°Forget about me, the others still need help.¡±


    Desir pointed at the passage. The battle was still raging on.


    They had taken care of the Mother Worm, but the battle wasn¡¯t over yet. The countless Great Worms that had been summoned by Mother Worm were still running loose.


    ¡°But¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. Really.¡±


    Adjest hesitated for a moment, but once she heard a screaming from the passage, she had no choice but to follow Desir¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Once Adjest left, Desir stumbled as all the tension flowed out of him. His head was spinning. ¡®That was more exhausting than I expected¡­ ¡¯


    He had been confident that he wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone when it came to his calction skills, but even for someone like himself, using a new calction technique to invoke a spell hadpletely worn him out.


    ¡®I was fine when I used it against Tyrant-T though¡­ ¡±


    It was most likely because he had invoked a spell of a much higher level. Desire looked around him. The aftermath of his magic remained in the hall.


    The Fire Storm had been so hot, the stone in the hall had melted. The lingering heat excited Desir.


    It wasn¡¯t perfect. Having not practiced it much, even the origin of his calction could be considered wed. Nevertheless, the power was incredible.


    With just Third-Circle mana, he had been able to invoke a spell with the power of a Fifth-Circle spell. He had surpassed the limits of the Third-Circle.


    For Desir, who had been unable to escape the crutches of the Third-Circle due to his inherently limited mana, it was a momentous asion for him.


    ¡®With some practice and fine-tuning, I may be able to use this regrly.¡± *CRASH*


    ¡®They really don¡¯t give me a break, do they?¡¯


    Desir heaved a sigh and stood up as his fantasy about introducing a new magic-based system that could go beyond the limitations of the existing calction-based system was interrupted. He started invoking a magic spell as he approached the battle that was furiously raging on against the Great Worms.


    ***


    An hourter, the battle had finallye to an end.


    Miraculously, no one else had been sacrificed during the battle against the Great Worms.


    However, the sudden emergency in addition to the prolonged battle had exhausted everyone physically and mentally.


    They gathered the bodies andid them all down in a corner of the hall.


    The silence that came after the battle was overwhelmingly heavy.


    People had died.


    They would have resolved themselves to be prepared to die at any moment when they decided to challenge the Shadow World.


    Even so, the anguish that came along with death was unforgettable. That applied to Desir, who had experienced numerous deaths first-hand as well.


    Freechel was pitifully trembling like a leaf and traces of anxiety could be heard from Pram, who wasforting her. Romantica appeared to be unaffected, but the unexinable situation seemed to have left her somewhat anxious.


    Only Adjest, Desir, and the Blue Moon party¡¯s veterans remained calm. ¡°¡­¡±


    Argeria, the Blue Moon party¡¯s leader, studied Desir as he spoke with his party members.


    He knew that Desir was a skilled magician. That was a truth that had been fully proved through all of the feats that he had achieved so far.


    Even so, rumors about the event in Priche had been exaggerated, as usual. Everyone would have thought the same way.


    It didn¡¯t make sense that a mere student took down a demon that had wreaked so much destruction on Deltaheim, the capital of the Priche Empire.


    ¡®But he took down a Mother Worm with a single spell.¡¯


    There was no choice but to admit it. He had already surpassed the limits of a student. What he had achieved today suggested that the rumors may have been true.


    The other party members must have shared simr thoughts as they all sat there in silence, when usually the very act of sitting near amoner would have displeased them greatly. Amidst the grim mood, Pram spoke up.


    ¡°Do you think the information we sent out about the map went through?¡± Desir nodded as he replied.


    ¡°Of course it did. We saw it being received on the Blue Moon party¡¯smunication pad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ ¡±


    Desir had sent out a map that outlined a safe route to all of the other parties that had participated in thepetition. If lives could no longer be guaranteed in this ce, danger had to be avoided as best as possible.


    ¡°For now, our priority is for everyone to join forces.¡± There couldn¡¯t be any more sacrifices.


    That was why they were waiting for other parties at the entrance to the Third Stage. Feeling an approaching presence, Adjest sounded the rm.


    ¡°Someone¡¯sing.¡±

 Chapter 107. Commander (1)

    <h4>Chapter 107. Commander (1)</h4>


    The party that had arrived after the Blue Moon Party and the Desir Party was the Red Dragon Party led by Radoria.


    Radoria looked tense. She seemed to have figured out how serious the situation was.


    The number of Red Dragon party members was five. The conditions of the other parties were bound to be worse.


    Beginning with the Red Dragon Party, other parties soon entered the hall. Within a few minutes, the empty hall was filled with people and the ambient noise level had risen as a result of everyone talking.


    Desir turned hismunication pad on and checked the leaderboard.


    He immediately noticed that one of the Alpha ss parties had been eliminated. ¡®All of their members were out. They were not just absent from this gathering.¡¯ In total, six party members had been massacred.


    Including the deceased from the Blue Moon party, the total number was nine. Desir¡¯s expression turned frosty.


    ¡®I can¡¯t allow any more casualties to ur here.¡¯ Adjest tapped Desir on his shoulder.


    ¡°Every party in thepetition seems to have gathered, Desir.¡± ¡°Yes. I believe so.¡±


    Desir stood up.


    Looking around, he could see dozens of people. Fortunately, no party appeared to have made any further sacrifices to make it thus far. It was because he shared a map of safe passage in such a hurry.


    They were all curious about what the current situation was, and at the same time, looked somewhat dissatisfied.


    The reason for this dissatisfaction was simple.


    It was because Desir¡¯s party and the Blue Moon party had arrived earlier and were blocking the entrance to the Third Stage.


    Parties who hadn¡¯t figured out what was happening couldn¡¯t help butin in such circumstances. If Desir hadn¡¯t shared his map, they might have even stood up against him. ¡°How long are you gonna hold us here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are thinking.¡±


    Their patience had reached their limit. Theirbinedints created a raucous. It was very noisy, to put it mildly.


    ¡°Would you all please listen to me for a moment?¡±


    Desir¡¯s voice rang out, but was soon buried under another voice.


    Someone protested against Desir causing everyone to start shouting louder. Desir sighed and arranged a spell in front of himself. Sound amplification magic. His loud voice soon resonated across the hall.


    ¡°All of the safeguards protecting us in here have been lifted. There is no more pain relief, no surrender derations, and above all, the death limit has been undone. In other words, this ce is no different than a real Shadow World. If you die here, you will actually die.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ !¡±


    One student who had been fiercely crying out about how bullsh*t this blockade was, could instantly tell that this deration was probably true based on the serious look that Argeria and Radoria shared.


    The seemingly unrelenting cacophony of noise suddenly stopped, and the ce instantly became quiet enough that one would be able to hear the sound of an ant crawling. Everyone couldn¡¯t help but stop to focus on the fact that Desir was informing them of the grave threat of death.


    ¡°It seems that this is not a situation that Hebrion Academy can assist with, as nothing appears to have changed even though quite some time has passed since this began. I think our only hope is to proceed and clear this dungeon. But if all of the parties are going to continue topete against each other, as in the past, then the number of casualties will only rise.¡±


    ¡°So what do you propose?!¡±


    Someone spoke and as if waiting for such a question, Desir instantly responded. ¡°I suggest we unite our parties and form a raid to prevent further sacrifice.¡± Again, the crowd became anxious and started murmuring amongst themselves.


    The suggestion was indeed reasonable. Forming a raid, bybining multiple parties into a single entity, would indeed increase their chances of survival.


    But this was¡­ ¡°Bullsh*t!¡±


    Welca, a single-ranker from the third grade and leader of a party, was upset at such a proposal. ¡°Don¡¯t ept this lunatic¡¯s crap, you guys!¡±


    She yelled while shaking her finger at Desir.


    ¡°Do you think it makes sense to cooperate withmoners? We¡¯re just wasting our time on crap like you! How dare you think up such an unpleasant idea!¡±


    Welca suddenly narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Is this your n? Did you think themoners could be on par with the nobles just because you provided a map? We¡¯ll take your idea of forming a raid, but we won¡¯t cooperate with you.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Desir smirked.


    ¡°You¡¯re funny. Do you think you could have made it this far without the map I handed over to you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it¡­ !¡±


    ¡°Welca, please. You¡¯re just going to abandon everyone as soon as it¡¯s convenient for you. In what sense of the word are you a noble?¡±


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    Another Alpha ss student who had been listening up until now decided to speak up. ¡°We were only able to reach this far safely thanks to the information on that map.¡± Welca quickly responded in outrage.


    ¡°Still, you would suggest that we work with amoner¡¯s party?!¡± Romantica, who had been listening quietly thus far was about to lose it. ¡°Does she even understand what¡¯s happening right now?¡±


    Freechel, who in the past would be terrified in such a situation, now spoke confidently.


    ¡°All of the nobility that I have met are like this. Nobles always act the same. Their pride and honor are more important than anything else to them.¡±


    Pram looked to one side of the group.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, it is usually like that. However, not everyone is the same.¡± Pram looked over at a woman that was sitting in a corner.


    Radoria von Dorice.


    Leader of the Red Dragon party.


    She was ady of the royal family, but she had never been seen expressing hateful thoughts directed at themon people. Rather, she could currently be seen taking cues from amoner, Desir.


    People looked towards Radoria for her response but she was just staring at Welca without saying a word. No matter how friendly she was towardsmoners, her status normally prevented her from openly standing up formoners. However, Radoria¡¯s stare directed at Welca was intense, and everyone could feel an unusual mood emanating out of her.


    *Gulp*


    Welca swallowed hard.


    Radoria was the leader of the Red Dragon party which represented the upper echelon of Hebrion Academy, even if she was only in the second grade. Not only was her personal abilityparable to a third-grade single-ranker, the power of the Dorice family was significant.


    Under the sustained silent pressure, Welca had long lost her momentum.


    The atmosphere across the hall had subtly shifted in favor of agreeing to Desir¡¯s proposal, due to the fact that he had shared his map and because he had a level of skill that demanded recognition.


    At that point, Welca has no choice but to bow down to the majority. With the dissenter taken care of, Radoria turned towards Desir and spoke.


    ¡°¡­ Good. I agree with your suggestion.¡±


    Thus the raid, made up of several top-tier parties was formed. Now it was time to determine themander who would lead this raid.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    There was no one who hastily raised their hand.


    The situation involved taking the lives of dozens of party members into their hands and leading them sessfully to clear a Shadow World. It was not a responsibility that could be taken lightly.


    ¡®If I were to lead this party, it would be simple¡­ ¡¯


    Desir hadmanded magical forces several times in his previous life.


    This situation was just too funny. Honestly speaking, it would be a cake-walk to break through the Third and Fourth Stages of this dungeon, leading a party of this caliber.


    ¡®I can clear this quickly without sacrificing anyone.¡¯


    His experience as a Shadow Dungeon veteran was the foundation for this confidence. But nevertheless, Desir couldn¡¯t force this situation.


    The nobles were finally willing to let slide the dissatisfaction of joining a raid that included Desir¡¯s party. But to ept amoner as their leader? It would never happen under their watch.


    Without knowing the cause of the anomaly, it was impossible to know what would happen in the future. In such a precarious situation, further disputes could only result in more death. Desir decided to just observe how the situation in front of him unfolded.


    And after breaking a moment of silence, someone opened their mouth. ¡°¡­ Wouldn¡¯t Argeria be the best leader?¡±


    At the mention of his name, everyone¡¯s eyes swivelled towards Argeria.


    Argeria was ranked first in the Third Grade and praised as the strongest swordsman in the Hebrion Academy.


    He had participated in several raids on Shadow Worlds. He also had experience in leading arge number of troops before.


    Argeria, taking grasp of the situation, looked up. ¡°I can takemand.¡±


    He looked at Desir for a while and then turned towards the others.


    ¡°But I won¡¯t be the one calling the shots. If I were to choose the best person for this position, I think it should be Desir Arman.¡±


    ¡°Wait! Mr. Argeria, what are you talking about?¡± Argeria replied without changing his expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m being serious. I think the best person for the job is Desir. If he takes lead, we should be able to ovee this situation.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean he is better than you?¡± Argeria nodded.


    ¡°Yes. Desir is more capable than me. He took the lead from us while leading a force of much lower capability. I even ended up receiving some assistance from him. As amander, I have to admit that he is more capable than me.¡±


    Welca, having finally calmed down, broke out into another fit of rage. ¡°You¡¯re being ridiculous! Do you think the other parties will agree to that?¡±


    ¡°If you are dissatisfied, you can try forming another raid. Further discussion would be pointless. But let me tell you one thing.¡±


    Argeria took a deep breath.


    ¡°Whether you die here or live to see tomorrow depends on the decision that you make now.¡± As the conversation proceeded seriously, Welca stomped over to Kelt and shook his shoulders. ¡°What are you looking at, Kelt! Do you have any idea what your party is trying to do? He actually wants themoners tomand the nobility! Do something! It¡¯s obvious how Professor Pugman will react!¡±


    Welca knew well what Professor Pugman thought and was confident Kelt would stand up to disagree with Argeria. She also believed Kelt had a chance at persuading Argeria as he was the child of a duke.


    Kelt¡¯s answer, however, was far beyond her expectations. ¡°¡­ I think it¡¯s a wise choice.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Wait, what?!¡± Argeria turned to Desir.


    ¡°Argeria, leader of the Blue Moon party, hands over themand of the Blue Moon party to Desir.¡±


    The Blue Moon party, often referred to as the strongest, acknowledged Desir as theirmander.

 Chapter 108. Commander (2)

    <h4>Chapter 108. Commander (2)</h4>


    The mood in the hall swiftly plummeted. The parties in the room snuck nces at each other, sizing up each other¡¯s stance on this pressing issue.


    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re definitely insane. Is your brain paralyzed due to fear? Are you seriously intending to letmoners lead us?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this our best option?¡± Radoria opened her mouth.


    ¡°If someone has enough qualification to do so, I think it¡¯s only right for them to takemand. Since it is Desir, the so called hero of Prillecha, nothing else needs to be said. What do you guys think?¡±


    If anyone in her party disagreed, they didn¡¯t voice their opinion.


    Radoria shrugged and stood behind Desir. The Red Dragon party members followed suit shortly afterwards.


    ¡°The Red Dragon party¡¯s leader, Radoria von Doriche, handsmand over the party to Desir Arman.¡±


    ¡°Why? How did this happen?¡±


    Before anyone could process the situation, both the Red Dragon Party and Blue Moon Party, which belonged to the top echelon of the academy, were now under themand of Desir. Just a year ago, this was something that one would be ridiculed for even imagining. It was ridiculous to think that a party made up ofmoners could disy skills superior to a noble party, let alone a noble party willingly choosing to follow the directions of amoner party. As a result of this unexpected action, the mood in the hallpletely reversed. Nobles that had previously expressed naked disdain at working withmoners had now unconditionally changed their opinion.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to work with them?¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s amoner party, but it will be safer to join them as the Blue Moon party and Red Dragon party are there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but it can¡¯t be helped. Our lives are at stake here.¡±


    They sided with Desir, one by one, and before too long entire parties decided to join Desir¡¯s newly formed raid. Students continued to position themselves behind Desir.


    Of course, not everyone willingly joined Desir¡¯s party. The only people remaining in opposition to this idea were Welca, the first person to raise their objection, and her party members. They stood on the other side of the room to Desir, defiant to the bitter end.


    Welca stared at Desir and puckered her lips several times before eventually opening her mouth.


    ¡°Well, if you really must be themander, then fine. I¡¯ll let you take control of our party. Consider it an honor for you tomand us.¡±


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t easy, but you made a really tough decision.¡± ¡°Well, yes. So¡­ ¡±


    Desir cut her off.


    ¡°You made such a difficult decision that I can¡¯t help but make it up to you.¡± ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I will give you a special chance to gain some fame.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Yaaaayyyyy!¡±


    Shouting resounded as people screamed from the top of their lungs. It was deafeningly loud. Prof. Bridgette¡¯s ears ached but she was unwilling to raise her hands to cover her ears. Her eyes were glued to the panels in front of her, and she didn¡¯t dare move in fear of missing the slightest detail.


    The atmosphere quickly morphed from one of shock and horror into one that was slightly more positive and hopeful.


    Cheering them on was all they could do, even if the parties couldn¡¯t hear them.


    ¡®¡­ I can¡¯t believe it. Are they really going to clear the third stage without letting anyone get hurt?¡¯


    ¡°Students are able to clear out a Level Four Shadow World this swiftly? This is surely unprecedented in our history of Party Competitions!¡±


    The disy panel showed the raid consisting of students clearing the dungeon at a steady but swift speed.


    Monsters guarding the dungeon melted under their onught and traps were easily dismantled. It almost looked like the raid was simply running unimpeded through the dungeon. At this point, Bridgette was questioning whether this third stage of the dungeon was really equivalent to a Level Four Shadow Labyrinth. She felt that there should have been more casualties from clearing a dungeon of this caliber.


    Ever since Desir stepped up to take over asmander of the raid, the atmosphere in the judging room had greatly reversed. The students and spectators who were watching couldn¡¯t help cheering as the situation continued to change for the better.


    Desir¡¯s voice sounded through the panel. [Monsters will appear soon. Ready for battle.]


    [It is a poisonous monster, keep your distance and use magic to deal with it.] [There will be a trap at this point. Please prepare the detection magic.]


    Desir¡¯s lead was outstanding when leading a party with six members. However, when the number of people he led grew to the level of a raid, his leadership stood out even more.


    Desir did not have any special talent in conducting such raids. Instead, he had more experience than anyone else.


    Experience that he gained through numerous battles where he had to put his life on the line and live with the consequences of failure.


    This experience allowed him to understand the characteristics of his enemies better than anyone else, and to also urately predict what would happen in the future with only small bits of data to work with.


    ¡°They will soon break through on the left!¡±


    Moreover, the people that he was leading would all go on to clear Shadow Labyrinths in the future. Desir was already well aware of their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. More so than even the people themselves were aware of.


    ¡°Mr. Haripon, can you block the enemy¡¯s support on the right nk with [Raise Earth]?¡±


    He urately identified these strengths and weaknesses of those that he led and used them in the right ces at the right times.


    He was only sticking to the basics ofmanding, but he performed these basics to a level of mastery better than anyone else present would be able to.


    Bridgette continued to silently monitor the panel in front of. However, her curiosity got the better of her. The person closest to her was Prof. Pelstar.


    ¡°Where are they breaking through now?¡±


    ¡°They just broke through the middle of the third stage.¡± ¡°Fast.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very fast. They are moving more than twice the pace that we expected them to.¡± Bridgette felt that sinking feeling that had been smothering her up until now started to lighten slightly.


    Shortly after forming the raid, they had already broken through half of the third stage. Regardless of how the parties arranged themselves or coborated, no one expected them to clear the dungeon this fast.


    ¡®Most of all, formoners and nobles to join forces¡­ ¡¯ This was the first time since the civil war ten years ago.


    Bridgette was dubious when Desir suggested uniting with the nobles. She thought he had no chance of prevailing against the noble supremacy that pervaded Hebrion.


    However, Desir proved his legitimacy through his past deeds and eloquent speaking. His legitimacy was further propped up by the support of the two premiere parties. The end result was his party being included in the raid. It didn¡¯t just stop there though. Desir became themander of the raid!


    He tookmand of a raid consisting mostly of nobles!


    After Desir was chosen to lead, numerousints and concerns arose from professors who dislikedmoners.


    ¡°Why is thatmoner themander!?¡±


    ¡°Figure out how to get in contact with the people inside the Shadow World right now!¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Argeria take the lead? If they enter the third stage, there will surely be innumerable casualties!¡±


    However, they all were all seated silently, staring at the panels in front of them with their mouths tightly closed, marveling at Desir¡¯s masterfulmand.


    Prof. Pugman Nippleka was the leading example of this phenomena.


    As if denying that his initial outburst even happened, he was now calmly watching the raid easily clear the dungeon.


    Inside the dungeon, the situation was not much different from that of the judging room. ¡°I think the party in the vanguard is the one that initially opposed the raid?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been taking the lead all of this time.¡±


    ¡°They are crying! It seems they are happy to get the chance at leaving this dungeon safely.¡± ¡°Just how happy do they have to be to cry about it?¡±


    People whispered amongst themselves, discussing things that might just make Welca faint if she were to overhear any of them.


    Despite everyone agreeing to join forces, there were very few parties who actually followed Desir¡¯smands and orders without hesitation.


    The majority of the party leaders had reluctantly handedmand of their party to Desir, and expressed deep disdain over Argeria¡¯s choice to deny leadership. Whenever possible, theyined about Desir behind his back and chose to bank their survival on the formidable strength of the Blue Moon party and the Red Dragon party. When Desir gave an order, party members begrudgingly followed them. However, as they continued to press onwards, it became more and more apparent that Desir¡¯s aptitude formanding far outssed their own. They began to subconsciously ept Desir as their leader and started following his instructions willingly!


    ¡®What Desir¡¯s aplished is phenomenal. To not only unite all of the parties, but also lead them¡­¡¯


    Prof. Bridgette continued to contemte.


    ¡®If they continue at this pace, they should be able to clear the dungeon without incurring any more casualties.¡¯


    The students¡¯ safety was no longer at risk.


    Bridgette could finally sigh in relief at this realisation. Then all that¡¯s left on our side is¡­ to find the culprit. ¡®The culprit is amongst us.¡¯


    The Hebrion Empire had been made aware of the dangers presented by the Outsiders due to events that had transpired in the Western Kingdom Union held in Prillecha. As a precaution, they had set up a specialised enchantment within the school. All of the magic professors including Bridgette had taken part in designing and implementing it.


    The enchantment was designed not only to be powerful, but also to immediately notify the magic professors if it was disabled or tampered with.


    It was impossible to pass through this barrier without being caught.


    In other words, the culprit must have already been inside the school before the magical barrier was invoked.


    The culprit was likely an Outsider. If so, it was going to be difficult to identify them in any simple way. They also might have disguised themselves as someone else.


    ¡®Since they manipted the variables set up in the magic stone, it must be someone who¡¯s good at handling such magic stones¡­ ¡¯


    Bridgette turned her gaze slightly towards Prof. Pelstar.


    Pelstar was an authoritative schr in the field of Shadow World studies, and was also so skillful that he could even create virtual Shadow Worlds with such magic stones.


    In fact, he was the one organizing the Party Competition every year, creating his own virtual Shadow World for the sole purpose of thepetition. In other words, if he wanted to manipte the Shadow World used here, it was entirely possible for him to do so.


    ¡°How did he get involved? ¡­ The stone should have been safely secured until the day before thepetition¡­ ¡±


    But Pelstar seemed to be earnest in his self-me. He even started crying when these events yed out on the screens in front of them.


    Bridgette shook her head.


    ¡®It is too early to be certain. First off, I need to gather more information to go by.¡¯ Bridgette could only continue to think solemnly.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Numerous professors from the Hebrion Academy were gathered in this room. Amongst them, there was a professor silently staring at themunication panel.


    His stomach twisted in embarrassment as he looked at this situation unfold in a manner drastically different to how he had nned it to.


    He was pretending to admire the raid, apuding when appropriate so as to not stand out from the others. However, he had begun to feel a bit on edge at the eeriness of this.


    ¡®It¡¯s only a matter of time before they start investigating this.¡¯ ¡°Yaaaayyy!¡±


    The raiding party cleared yet another obstacle. Excitement suffused the room as everyone cheered.


    As they shouted, he twisted the ring on his finger to appease his growing anxiety.

 Chapter 109. Commander (3)

    <h4>Chapter 109. Commander (3)</h4>


    [You¡¯ve secured the legacy of Awonbetz.


    Awonbetz was a magician who worked hard for a very long time. He left behind all of his magic in theb where he conducted his research.


    You have effectively cleared the dungeons created by Awonbetz.]


    The dungeon attack was finally over.


    As soon as the information panel that had popped up inside the dungeon started to fade, the Shadow Gate started to work again. The remaining students who participated in the Party Competition filed out of this gate.


    The number of personnel remained the same as at the time the parties joined forces to form a raid. They had seeded in clearing the dungeon without further casualty.


    After the raid entered the third stage, not a single death urred. Some were injured, but most were not seriously injured.


    The professors were surprised that such a thing could really happen. The difficulty of the third stage was close to that of a Level Four Shadow World.


    Those who participated in the Party Competition were excellent enough to have previously cleared Level Three Shadow Worlds. For them, a typical Level Four Shadow World was not a big deal.


    However, even in the case of Level Four Shadow Worlds, the difficulty is said to be at least three or more difficulty levels higher if the relevant information is not obtained prior to tackling the Shadow World. A party can truly never be too cautious when it came to clearing Shadow Worlds, regardless of their alleged difficulty level.


    ¡°¡­ He really saved us all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. How could they clear the dungeon at such a speed without any casualties?¡±


    Many professors were left puzzled, even after witnessing this miracle with their own eyes. After all, the difficulty of the third stage was directlyparable to a Level Four Shadow World!


    ¡°I¡¯m d to have a student of this caliber.¡±


    The professors overlooking the ensuing line of people shuffling out of the shadow gate took immediate action.


    Medical staff was waiting for them to arrive, and immediately began to evacuate the injured students.


    ¡°All injured students should move over here!" ¡°Where are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°There is a serious injury over there!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle this person is standing right now! Medic, emergency patient! Let¡¯s move this boy first!¡±


    With the injured dealt with, the professors and students that had watched the situation unfold through the judging panels proceeded to flock over to congratte the returnees.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    As Radoria emerged from the shadow gate, Red Dragon party members approached her in an attempt to cheer her up.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. But Patrick¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d the remaining people are safe. Patrick will surely be happy to know that the rest are safe.¡±


    The Blue Moon party followed the Red Dragon party out of the gate.


    Initially there were six of them, but only four left the gate.


    Someone barged through the crowd to approach them. ¡°Brother.¡±


    It was a Pugman Nipleka. Pugman didn¡¯t care about who saw him, instead choosing to just hug Kelt.


    ¡°Kelt, my boy¡­ ¡± ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Many were surprised by this action that was very unlike the Prof. Pugman that they knew. After considering the circumstances though, it didn¡¯t seem so odd afterall.


    Except for the Duke of Nipleka, Kelt was the only remaining blood rtive of Pugman. No matter how badly he appeared to treat him, he cared greatly about his brother.


    Pugman freed Kelt from his embrace and then encouraged the other party members to rest. Lastly, Desir and his party strolled out of the gate.


    Everybody¡¯s attention immediately honed in on the Desir party.


    The eyes of those who had personally witnessed Desir¡¯s ability through the panel hadpletely changed to how they were in the beginning. Not only his individual skill but also his masterful leadership. He was clearly the most skilled person across all grades of the Hebrion Academy.


    Desir Arman, the man who led the raid and sessfully allowed everyone to return safely. However, Desir wasn¡¯t swept away in themotion and didn¡¯t neglect to check the damage he had kept tally of while inside the dungeon, against what Prof. Bridgette had seen on her end outside the dungeon. He wanted to ensure that the data he had was correct.


    ¡°How many victims are there, professor?¡±


    These were the first words that Desir spoke to Bridgette.


    Bridgette sighed and solemnly replied.


    ¡°Fourteen.¡±


    He was only aware of nine victims.


    As the number of victims was greater than what he had kept tally of, Desir¡¯s eyes immediately sharpened.


    Bridgette noticed Desir¡¯s intention and borated further.


    ¡°There was a party in the Beta ss that entered the second stage.¡±


    It was hard to reach the second stage with the skills of typical beta ss students. It would have beenpletely safe for them to withdraw or drop out in the first stage, but thebination of abnormal circumstances ended up making this impossible.


    ¡°Damn it.¡± Desir sighed.


    ¡®If only I had noticed a little bit faster¡­ ¡¯


    No abnormality had urred in the first level where most of the dropouts urred. Moreover, it was hard to suspect anything was wrong after they had witnessed defeated parties safely leaving the first level.


    The anomalies that urred from the second level onwards made the criminal¡¯s purpose crystal clear.


    They were aiming for the death of Alpha ss students.


    It was clear that the sole purpose of the offender was just that. This time there was an exception, but usually the only parties that manage to enter the second stage are from the Alpha ss.


    Then why did the criminal target the Alpha sses?


    ¡®The purpose of the criminal can only be those two things.¡¯


    The first would be the removal of all talent that form the central force of the Hebrion Empire in the near future.


    The Alpha sses who participated in this partypetition were the cream of the crop of the Hebrion Academy. If all of them had died, Hebrion Academy would have been in serious danger.


    And the other purpose was the one possibility that Desir was most concerned about. That is¡­


    ¡°How are the things going?¡±


    As this bad feeling started to rise in Desir, he turned towards Bridgette. ¡°We are doing our best to find the culprit.¡±


    Prof. Bridgette never lied. The Hebrion Academy was investigating the manipted stone and attempting to figure out who the culprit was based on the traces of magic that they had found. The highest level of wizards were all mobilized, and as a result, it would not take long for the results to materialize.


    ¡°You did very well, Desir. Your efforts will forever be remembered.¡± It was Justin, the Dean of the Hebrion Academy.


    He had a neutral stance that neither favored nor abhorredmoners, but after seeing Desir in action, his impression had favorably changed regardingmoners.


    Justin conversed with Bridgette and Desir in an attempt to bring things to an end.


    ¡°You spent several long hours clearing this dungeon. You must be so exhausted. Why don¡¯t you go take a rest and leave everything else for ater time? ¡±


    Justin¡¯s words entered one ear and went out the other. Desir continued to pivot while looking around the room.


    Many officials and spectators, including various students and professors, crowded the area. The area was so crowded that the exits were even obscured.


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    During the pandemonium, Desir managed to catch a glimpse of a professor that slipped out of the room.


    ***


    The man swept his belongings off his desk into a trunk that he was carrying. The trunk swallowed up items that added up to be tens of timesrger than what a normal trunk of that size could store.


    There was no time for him to separate and orderly pack things one by one. He had to hurry. Somehow, he had to leave the academy before surveince was intensified.


    ¡®Crap.¡¯


    Finally, he lifted the frame hanging by the window, pulling the paper out of the hidden space behind it and shoving it into the trunk.


    Through the gap in his unbuttoned coat, was a tie loosened to the halfway point. He looked tired and dishevelled.


    But he didn¡¯t have the luxury of time to neaten up his appearance.


    His escape was urgent.


    The wizards of the Hebrion Academy who were currently investigating the stone were definitely excellent. It was obvious that they would soon figure out that he was the culprit.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to be caught.


    His goal had not yet been realized.


    The man squeezed his hat and grabbed the doorknob with the hand that was also holding the trunk.


    The door opened quickly before he even managed to turn the door handle. He was momentarily embarrassed as the door swung open and the trunk handle slipped out of his hand.


    The load of items hastily shoved into his trunk erupted out, covering the floor.


    The intruder looked down at the mess covering the floor before turning to look at the man nkly looking around himself.


    ¡°Where are you going so urgently, Professor?¡± The voice was as familiar as it was hateful. ¡°I¡¯m d you escaped safely, Desir.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the concern I may have caused.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy to see that you didn¡¯t get hurt. I was really worried about you.¡±


    The man referred to as a professor by Desir hastily began to clear the items littering the floor. ¡°Thank you for your concern. But as I can see, you have a bunch of items packed into your trunk. It seems like you are intending to go somewhere far away.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Yes. I have some¡­ something urgent to go on¡­ a business trip.¡±


    The professor walked back to the door after closing the trunk. He ced his hand on Desir¡¯s shoulder.


    His was clearly signalling Desir to move out of the way.


    But Desir stood fast and refused to move.


    ¡°Why did you do this, Professor Benquick?¡±


    After Desir said this, Benquick¡¯s face which always had a smile stered onto it, rapidly hardened.

 Chapter 110. Commander (4)

    <h4>Chapter 110. Commander (4)</h4>


    Benquick Feriamos.


    Amoner that managed to be a professor of runguage through hard work. ¡°Someone had to do it.¡±


    There was no trace of the old professor that was well loved by his students in the words he spat out in a frosty tone.


    His eyes glowed like a wild beast¡¯s. ¡°How did you notice it was me?¡±


    ¡°There was no evidence. At first it was just a guess.¡± Desir stated without a hint of emotion.


    ¡°But when I tried narrowing down the list of suspects to just those who: were already inside the surveince formation of Hebrion Academy, had the skills to manipte the stone, and had the motive to kill nobles; there were only a few remaining suspects that met all of these conditions.¡±


    It was at this moment where Benquick¡¯s sudden attempt to flee was as good as a confession of guilt to being the culprit.


    ¡°I was in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You really did it, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What is the point of denying it now? Yes, I did it.¡±


    What Desir was most concerned about uring had now been fully realized. He locked the door with a spell.


    Professor Benquick unleashed magic to block him from doing so. He was a Third-Circle wizard.


    However, his magic instantly broke into motes of light and disappeared before he could even properly form it.


    This was a full analysis. His spell had been inverted before he could even react.


    Benquick expected this but didn¡¯t expect it to be so daunting seeing it in person. He could not help but emmenate a gloomy aura.


    After seeing the difference in skill level, he was essentially forced to just watch what Desir nned to do.


    It only took a moment for Desir to block all escape routes and shove Benquick in the chest. ¡°Fourteen people were sacrificed due to what you did.¡±


    Benquick nodded without even blinking.


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of what happened, Desir. I was watching the event too.¡± ¡°No grief? No remorse? Did these lives mean nothing to you?¡±


    ¡°It was a necessary sacrifice.¡± A necessary sacrifice?


    ¡°People had to die without even knowing what cause they died for?¡± Desir approached Benquick in anger.


    It was only with this movement that Benquick felt something must have been wrong with his answer. He backed up unconsciously. Despite moving back so quickly, he didn¡¯t stop talking. ¡°Look at the history of the world. The flow of history has only ever been changed by violence and bloodshed. ¡±


    *Thud*


    Books that had piled up on his desk had fallen to the floor. He had finally been backed into his desk. There was no room for him to retreat further.


    Benquick anxiously continued speaking, hoping to dissuade Desir from taking drastic action.


    ¡°Hebrion Academy is also not an exception to this.¡±


    Desir¡¯s eyes probed Benquick¡¯s body before settling on his ring.


    He could feel a high-density of mana was collected at this location. Desir could tell with just a nce that it was an artifact.


    Artifacts are treasures that have a low chance of appearing after clearing a Shadow World. As a result, artifacts are not only rare, but typically have power beyond human cognition.


    Typical examples of such treasures include Toa¡¯s Crest which provides power on the level of a Third-Circle. There were also artifacts that help invoke high-level magic, like the one used by Crow Mask that allowed him to invoke spells while skipping all of the other steps usually involved.


    Although many artifacts have imitation copies floating around, using cutting edge modern technology that has reached the current pinnacle in magical engineering, none of those imitations have reproduced anywhere near the original power of an artifact.


    Artifacts are unpredictable and strong since they transcendmon sense.


    For that reason, Desir couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Benquick¡¯s finger.


    ¡°Hebrion Academy¡­ was originally an educational institution set up to cultivate the necessary manpower tobat the Shadow Worlds.¡±


    A story that came from a distant past.


    A close but unreachable past where all of humanity was united and confronted the Shadow Worlds together with one heart and a single purpose.


    ¡°The ideology of the Hebrion Academy has faded away a long time ago. Humanity already has enough ability and power to clear Shadow Worlds. Ever since then, humans have begun to fight amongst themselves. They no longer have a need to unite. If you have eyes, see the reality of the world, Desir. This is just a breeding ground for nobles to abuse themon people and train them into dogs for their own pleasure.¡±


    His tone was calm but intense hatred thickened the air with every word he spat out. He looked at Desir. It was as if he was looking for Desir¡¯s consent.


    ¡°These schools no longer serve a purpose. No, this structure itself should not exist anymore. We need change, Desir. Fortunately, the Shadow Worlds no longer pose a threat to the world, and as a result, we no longer need to unite with the nobles. They are just enemies to usmoners. Change only starts when we attack the enemy.¡±


    The books scattered on the floor made annoying crunching noises as they were trampled by their feet.


    ¡°Desir, you shouldn¡¯t have participated in this Party Competition or cleared the dungeon, even if your goal was to raise the status ofmoners. But there is still a way to atone for this mistake. You are going to let me out of here right now. I still have a lot of work to do for the sake ofmoners. ¡±


    After his monologue concluded, a moment of silence passed.


    Benquick looked at Desir¡¯s face, but couldn¡¯t fathom what he was thinking about.


    Was he sympathetic to the cause? Did he understand why things had to unfold this way? No, that wasn¡¯t it.


    Benquick¡¯s story did not touch Desir at all. Rather, it allowed him to make a decision.


    Desir had hope for such a professor that had been trying various things to improve life formoners.


    But Desir no longer thought of him as a professor, he was just an Outsider. ¡°I don¡¯t like you.¡±


    Desir opened his mouth after breaking the long silence.


    ¡°Your way of dismissing the massacre in order to further your own cause is clearly wrong. This is for themon people? Who the hell asked you to do that? Don¡¯t put your own standards on others as if it is some kind of universal justice.¡±


    Benquick spoke in a tone of self-mocking and self-loathing.


    ¡°¡­ Yes, I knew you were like this. I knew you wouldment our choice.¡±


    The professor¡¯s office was quite spacious. Six bookcases were arranged in a row. Desir and Benquick stood off against each other with just a bookcase separating them from each other. Benquick¡¯s face was visible over the top of the books in the bookshelf.


    ¡°But you do agree with our goal.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Desir agreed with their goal.


    He knew better than anyone else that the Hebrion Empire needed to change. Change was a necessary element not only for the Hebrion Academy but also for the entire continent.


    BUT.


    ¡°It won¡¯t work out if we do it this way.¡±


    If they continued down this path, the present situation may change for the better, but the future would still leave everyone in hopeless despair. For Desir who knew the outline of the future toe, such changes were meaningless.


    In the first ce, the premise itself was wrong.


    The threat of the Shadow Worlds had not disappeared.


    ¡°People and nobles have to work together. We must understand each other. We have to start from there.¡±


    Benquick nkly stared at Desir. The words that Desir spoke didn¡¯t seem to register at all. After a brief pause he enquired.


    ¡°Are you talking about unity, Desir? The unity betweenmoners and nobles?¡± His lips subtly curled upwards. His face failed to hide a smile of utter derision.


    ¡°That sh*t can¡¯t be possible. The nobles as an entire species cannot possibly deign to join forces withmoners. Wake up from your dream! Wake up from your delusion!¡±


    As if his words were the catalyst of a reaction, a chain of events rapidly unfolded.


    Professor Benquick knocked over the bookshelf while attempting to distract Desir with his response. Like dominos, the bookshelf fell towards Desir, obscuring his vision. Desir arranged a spell while spreading his hands forward.


    [Wand st] *Crack*


    A st was shot. The bookcase was shattered and the books were torn apart and scattered everywhere. Wood debris and paper hit Desir¡¯s face.


    Desir¡¯s mind was working in overdrive as he spected what the professor¡¯s next move would be.


    ¡®It is not teleportation magic considering that the artifact has not been triggered yet. If so, is it an artifact that can only be triggered by certain conditions? Or does he need time to do something specific? ''


    Benquick¡¯s voice rang out.


    ¡°He is a hope for usmoners. He is the one who brings change to this world in a real sense.¡±


    When the shattered bookshelves no longer obscured his vision, Desir could now see the professor. There was no ce to escape. He had ced his other hand on his ring.


    ¡°He will truly build a society for themon people.¡±


    Desir was nervous as he seemed to be pulling out a trump card.


    Desir prepared defensive magic and the artifact activated.


    A wave of mana spread out in an instant.


    At the same time, Benquick¡¯s body stopped moving, as if it had be stone. His joints then started to bend unnaturally like a doll¡¯s. Soon ¡®it¡¯ raised its head to look at Desir.


    Desir could now clearly see what features had been built into the artifact and frowned after discerning these.


    ¡°Long distance mind control¡­ ¡± Mind control.


    Literally the art of controlling the mind of another person.


    It was a terrifying force that stood out as a power with no closepetitor. What could possibly harm that which couldn¡¯t be seen? The person utilizing the magic would not be exposed to any direct harm.


    ¡®But why was Professor Benquick dominated¡­ ?¡¯


    It was while Desir nervously stood and watched the situation unfolding in front of him that such an unexpected event urred.


    *Frack*


    Benquick¡¯s body began to rapidly dry out. All of the blood in his body appeared to evaporate. He became pale and skeletal. Anyone could see that his life was depleting at a rapid rate. ¡°Wait, what?!¡±


    Desir doesn¡¯t know what was going on, but now wasn¡¯t the time to figure out the situation. He couldn¡¯t let Benquick just die. There was still a lot of valuable information left to extract from him.


    However, Desir could only helplessly watch Benquik die in front of him. *Craaack*


    The thin lips on the puppet-like body curved upwards. It looked like he wasughing at Desir. Shortly after that smirk, his body which was now twisted like an old tree, copsed.


    Desir realized after seeing that smile.


    ¡®Just to prevent information from leaking out¡­ ¡¯


    While Desir was staring nkly at Benquick¡¯s copsed corpse, a flurry of footsteps could be heard reaching the door.


    After a small explosion, the door was smashed open and Prof. Brigitte and a few others entered the room. Seeing them force their way through the locked door, it seemed that Benquick was confirmed as a suspect.


    The faculty room was in aplete mess. A trunky open on the ground and its contents scattered across the room. The floor was also covered in splinters from shattered bookcases and torn paper from many books.


    Of course, there was also Benquick, whose corpse looked like a dried prune. Brigitte looked at Desir with an expression of utter shock.


    ¡°Desir, what is¡­ What happened before we arrived?¡±


    Desir opened his mouth while everyone¡¯s eyes focused on him. ¡°Professor Benquick is the culprit.¡±


    Almost instantly, the atmosphere in the room changed.


    ¡°So it is amoner?¡± ¡°They make me sick.¡± ¡°They really are just scum.¡±


    Insults were hurled without restraint.


    The group that entered with Brigitte wasposed of Hebrion¡¯s Alpha ss graduates as well as various members of prominent ns and families.


    The atmosphere had quickly turned heated from the naked fury that these nobles unleashed. After all, themoners were once again aiming to overthrow the nobility. Indeed, talented people lost their lives and the Hebrion Academy nearly suffered irreparable damage.


    It was clearly obvious that Desir¡¯s goal of unity between themoners and nobles would be simply rejected.


    Desir didn¡¯t want this to happen.


    If the rtionship between themoners and the nobles worsened more than it was now, it would be impossible to prevent theing disaster.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    He closed his eyes and thought deeply about it.


    There was never going to be much leeway given though. Fortunately, however, he was given the option to escape the situation. ¡®I can¡¯t help but¡­ ¡¯


    He continued to murmur to himself internally. ¡®Do not lose sight of your purpose.¡¯


    He finally reached a decision.


    Desir opened his eyes. He then spoke to the graduates of the Hebrion Academy that had immersed themselves in gossip about themoners. ¡°But Professor Benquick didn¡¯t do this arbitrarily.¡± ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    With words that they couldn¡¯tprehend, one of the angry graduates stormed up towards Desir.


    However, Brigitte stopped the graduate and addressed Desir in a calm voice. ¡°What do you mean, Desir?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an artifact that clouds the mind of the wearer.¡±


    Desir spoke calmly without any change in his facial expression. His finger pointed towards the ring that Benquick was grasping.


    While Brigitte stared at it, the graduates approached Benquick¡¯s corpse and checked the authenticity of the ring.


    All of the graduates were top-level wizards. The result of their analysis came quickly. They confirmed Desir¡¯s words as true.


    ¡°You mean, Professor Benquick didn¡¯t do everything on his own, then¡­ ¡±


    Desir spoke while suppressing the rising nauseaing from deep inside himself.


    ¡°Professor Benquick was manipted by the Outsiders through that artifact, and eventually lost his life. That is the truth of this case.¡±

 Chapter 111. The Hypocrite (1)

    <h4>Chapter 111. The Hypocrite (1)</h4>


    There was a strange rumor making the rounds in the Divide Kingdom. ¡°Don¡¯t you think His Majesty has changed recently?¡±


    ¡°They say he doesn¡¯t frequent Her Majesty¡¯s chambers anymore. Apparently, he¡¯s found himself a concubine?¡±


    ¡°Not only that, but they say he also invites young girls into his sleeping chambers every night.¡±


    The Royal Pce Garden.


    The gardeners who gathered there exchanged the rumors they¡¯d each heard as they trimmed the trees.


    A ce like the Royal Pce was an awfully secluded ce, where rumors could cultivate and fester over the course of an afternoon.


    ¡°The circumstances are bing more and more unsettling. He¡¯s been hiring strange people as guards¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh. He¡¯sing this way.¡±


    At the gardener¡¯s words, everyone went silent.


    A momentter, a well-built man wearing an intricate cloak passed them. All the while, the gardeners tried their best not to let out a single breath as they focused on trimming the trees. Once the parade of knights tailing behind him were out of sight, the gardeners let out a unanimous sigh of relief. He hadn¡¯t heard anything. It would be hard to hear anything from that far away.


    But their assumption was unfortunately wrong. As they let out a sigh of relief, the man gave amand to his knights.


    ¡°Kill all those who run their mouths within the pce.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The knights all headed towards the gardeners en masse.


    After being faced with derision, he dismissed his servants and walked along the hallway. Lined with marble, it was extremely long.


    Momentster when he reached his destination, he mumbled to himself as he gripped the doorknob.


    [The oaths of the abandoned will shine brightly even in the deep sea.] As if it understood hisnguage, the door opened.


    The ce that was finally revealed was a room exuding a sinister air too dark to be considered the king¡¯s sleeping chambers.


    The King of Divide.


    Clora Ars F. Baldershu.


    As he walked into the bedroom, he opened his mouth. ¡°Is it to your liking?¡±


    A voice whispered coyly into his ear.


    ¡°Hm,pared to what I¡¯ve been through, it¡¯s very pleasant here.¡± A womany upon the big bed.


    She didn¡¯t hide her busty figure as she wore a revealing outfit, but there was something else that drew attention.


    A mask that was embellished with intricate gems and feathers.


    Though not evident, there was most definitely a beautiful face hidden behind the mask. She spoke in a gentle tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful to you.¡±


    She rubbed her face on a soft pillow.


    ¡°I really like it here. Soft nkets and extravagant food, but most of all, being provided with an endless supply of virgins¡¯ blood.¡±


    It had been long since maids and servants, and even the queen consort had been dismissed. Not a single person within the pce could frequent the king¡¯s sleeping chambers.


    The King of Divide took off his cloak. As soon as he did, his strong and sturdy body shrunk as if it was never real in the first ce, revealing a much slender body.


    Now only the face bore a resemnce to the king of Divide¡¯s figure.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief then. My head is about to split as I try to take care of things I¡¯ve never done before.¡±


    He grumbled with his back facing the woman. He groped his face, taking the ¡°King of Divide¡¯s face¡± off and ced it on the table.


    And from his chest, he took out a clown mask and hid his face. ¡°There¡¯s no other mask that suits me more than this one.¡±


    Clown Mask donned his usual mad smile at the bottom of his mask. Thest thing countless people had seen was that smile, before being gruesomely murdered.


    He approached the bookshelf and pulled at books ced in various locations in a sporadic order. As he did, a whirring sound filled the room, indicating that some kind of engine had toe to life. The bookshelf slid to the side with a creak.


    A hidden area came into view.


    As Clown Mask and Feather Mask entered, the door shut automatically.


    In the dim room, a young man wearing a Crow Mask and an old gray-haired man wearing a


    Skull Mask were seated.


    A massive mirror had been ced in front of them. The mirror that spanned the entire length of the room disyed not only the major facilities of each nation, but also detailed information that only locals would know.


    The moment Clown Mask and Feather Mask took a seat, the mirror shivered as it continued to update information in real-time.


    Small and big events were all disyed on the mirror in real-time.


    Clown Mask had never seen an artifact more remarkable.


    It was typically referred to as the Mirror That Holds Shadows.


    With no limits, it could gather information about any ¡®event¡¯ happening from far away. Even amongst all other artifacts, its ability to collect information was astounding.


    This artifact had yed a big role in allowing the Outsiders to operate carefully while staying out of sight.


    If it weren¡¯t for the artifact, the Outsiders would have dispersed long ago.


    Skull Mask had several more artifacts of this level. For someone to possess numerous artifacts of the highest standard, artifacts that could turn the tables on the most dire of situations, evoked a somewhat awe-inspiring sensation.


    Clown Mask shifted his gaze back to the mirror.


    Information continued to pop-up constantly.


    As Crow Mask studied the information being disyed on the mirror, he used a long-distancemunication device to sendmands to his subordinates scattered across several nations. ¡°Troops at Lintholin join up with troops at Liheim. There will be a big scale movement of the heads soon. It¡¯ll be a chance for us to earn a considerate amount of money.¡±


    ¡°Hebrion¡¯s troops are gathering at the north. An extensive inspection is to be expected. Halt all action and conceal yourselves as best as possible.¡±


    ¡°Sodune Canyon¡¯s newly appointedmander will not go easy on us. The information that¡¯s been identified so far is likely a trap, so ideally we should¡­ ¡±


    Crow Mask led these people who didn¡¯t amount to much individually and challenged the entire Hebrion Empire as a whole. He was once amander that upied the capital of the empire that disyed tactics and strategies that made him a widely feared opponent at that time.


    Now as an Outsider, he gathered information using the artifact, which he then used to predict future oues and calmly design a strategy to slowly bring about the downfall of the kingdoms.


    A vast sea of information and an excellentmander. Thebination of the two was what truly allowed the Outsiders to make such amazing results.


    Clown Mask turned to speak to Crow Mask who was moving around tirelessly. ¡°An official message came from the Western Empire today.¡±


    *Click*


    Crow Mask turned off themunication device and stared nkly at the Clown Mask, as if urging him to continue.


    Suppressing the desire to crack a joke, Clown Mask continued speaking.


    ¡°They requested the right tomand and also requested additional soldiers from the Avalon troops that Divide appointed.¡±


    ¡°And their goal?¡±


    ¡°The demise of the Outsiders.¡±


    The words that Clown Mask stated so casually was a direct deration of an all-out waring from the Western Empire.


    But not a single person present was surprised.


    The time hade.


    Ever since the event in Priche, the five nations of the Western Empire had unanimously agreed to join forces in order to get rid of the Outsiders. Until now, there had only been empty promises of such ns, with no further action, in order to appease their citizens. However, that had all changed. They had finally started making a move.


    But it was a little toote. They¡¯d already found a ce within the Western Empire. No, they hadn¡¯t just found their ce. They¡¯d grasped the entirety of the Empire and its military power. They held the entirety of Divide in their hands.


    Clown Mask spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s best toply with their requests for now. Just enough to save face.¡±


    What they had a hold of was a section of the Western Empire. Their goal didn¡¯t stop there. They still needed to establish a stronger position from the inside.


    ¡°Who¡¯s sending the most troops?¡±


    Clown Mask sneered as he spoke of the nation with the most hostile attitude.


    ¡°Priche Empire. They still haven¡¯t recovered from their losses, but they must be overflowing with rage towards the Outsiders. Heh.¡±


    The sound of sneers rang across the room. Soon, that sound was interrupted by Crow Mask¡¯smand.


    ¡°Send double the number of troops to them.¡± ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Clown Mask and Feather Mask cocked their heads. It was an order they didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Can I ask why you made that decision? It doesn¡¯t affect our organization settled here in Divide, but other organizations may be annihted.¡±


    ¡°The others epted that death was just a step away when they decided to join the Outsiders. Have you forgotten the pledge? The Outsiders all prioritize their own goals, and to achieve those goals, we use each other.¡±


    The Outsiders were an organization made up of many different groups that had joined forces. As they merged into one, a single pledge was made.


    To achieve a goal, one may utilize others whenever they must.


    The organization had been united by the same ideals. Individually, everyone had different motives.


    Thus, the pledge had been made.


    And that pledge had molded everyone into humans that wouldn¡¯t stop at anything in order to achieve their goals.


    Of course, some had been like that from the start.


    As Clown Mask was listening to Crow Mask¡¯s rationale, he couldn¡¯t help but grin with glee.

 Chapter 112. The Hypocrite (2)

    <h4>Chapter 112. The Hypocrite (2)</h4>


    Crow Mask continued to speak.


    ¡°The Divide Nation will dispatch arge number of troops to aid in the disposal of the Outsiders. Since we will provide the most troops out of all of the allied nations, we¡¯ll be able to take the lead of the Western Empire.¡±


    Clown Mask gave a nod. ¡°Hmm, perhaps.¡±


    ¡°Starting with that, we¡¯ll dominate the Western Empire step-by-step. If we¡¯re able to secure an opportunity with the sacrifice of an ally-in-name-only, we must seize the chance.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a single ounce of guilt discernable in his words.


    It was a tactic devised through meticulous calctions.


    Clown Mask¡¯s fondness for Crow Mask started to grow more and more.


    Unlike himself, who simply killed for joy, the way he calcted everything objectively, even sending out allies to their deaths if it aligned with his ns, intrigued him greatly.


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s proceed with that n.¡±


    Once Clown Mask gave his word, Crow Mask turned back to the mirror. And out of the many markers, his gaze moved to one in particr.


    Hebrion Academy.


    Year after year, Crow Mask contemted how to best overthrow the Hebrion Academy. He had eventually settled on using the annual Party Competition.


    It took his subordinate, Benquick, a very long time to approach the level of magic that allowed him to create a virtual Shadow World.


    It was an opportunity they wouldn¡¯t be able to recreate.


    Thus, they couldn¡¯t fail here.


    But the n had copsed. It was fair to say that it was an absolute defeat.


    As his n had failed, Crow Mask used the artifact that he had acquired from Skull Mask in preparation for that sort of situation.


    He killed Benquick without hesitation.


    He had no choice but to kill him if the n had failed anyway. Benquick had spent a considerable amount of time as Crow Mask¡¯s subordinate. He knew too much about the Outsiders.


    Even if the n failed, Crow Mask had nned to utilize the fact that Benquick was amoner to intensify the hostility between themoners and the nobles.


    The rtionship between the two sses had already reached its tipping point. The event should have been the final blow.


    But it was silent.


    Strangely silent.


    The anticipated chaos didn¡¯t happen.


    But why?


    Recalling the face he¡¯d seen when using the mind-control artifact, Crow Mask easily figured out the reason.


    The man had buried the incident.


    The fact that the same person had interfered in his ns, yet again, made Crow Mask¡¯s face contort in anger.


    The way he had buried it was fully predictable. ¡®Dirty hypocrite.¡¯


    Crow Mask recalled the conversation he shared with him in Priche.


    What is the difference between you and I?


    You too, won¡¯t stop at any means.


    Indeed. Our pursuits are different, but you are no different from us. ¡®I will be the one to finish you off, without fail.¡¯


    ***


    The atmosphere died down, and the piercing wind started to peek through.


    The Hebrion Academy was shrouded in an abnormally somber atmosphere. The autumn leaves that used to embrace the trees had scattered hopelessly, the grass that used to light up the meadows had shriveled up, and all the flowers that had been embroidered across the gardens had frozen. And people had died.


    Once the situation at the Party Competition had been settled, Hebrion Academy delivered the news to the families of the victims.


    Each family expressed their grief in their own way. Some cried wordlessly as they epted the news, others didn¡¯t ept the reality and went looking for their children, and others expressed their anger towards the Academy.


    Their methods of grieving were different, but the one thing inmon was that there wasn¡¯t a single person that didn¡¯t cry.


    Hebrion Academy did their best to console them and took the necessary measures. ¡°I want to see my daughter¡¯s face onest time.¡±


    One countess¡¯ wife pleaded, but it was an impossible request to grant.


    Corpses couldn¡¯t be seen.


    If someone were to meet their end in the Shadow World, their corpse would be a part of the world. Once the Shadow World was cleared, it would disappear along with the world.


    There were no physical bodies, but there was a way to prove their deaths. The Party Competition had been recorded.


    But not a single family member wanted to confirm it. They didn¡¯t want to witness the moment their family member reached their tragic end.


    Even after the belongings of the deceased were returned to their families, themotion didn¡¯t die down.


    Eventually, the only thing Hebrion Academy could do was to wait until everyone calmed down.


    There were a total of fourteen students sacrificed.


    Nine from the Alpha ss.


    Five from the Beta ss.


    And one professor.


    Benquick Periamoss.


    As someone who had dedicated his entire life to education, he had no one that could be called family.


    He was alone. He had neither parents, nor a wife or children since he had never married, nor any rtives.


    A professor who always managed to find himself at odds with him murmured. ¡°No wonder he always stayed at the academy over the breaks.¡±


    Another professor who had an ambiguous rtionship with him spoke in a dry tone. ¡°Didn¡¯t he go on his very first trip this vacation? But who knew that¡¯d be hisst trip¡­ ¡± Someone clicked their tongue.


    ¡°Poor man.¡±


    Everybody took pity on Benquick.


    To pity the murder of a man like Benquick who had devoted his life to education was to be expected.


    Benquick¡¯s dedication and his efforts were recognized by Hebrion Academy, and he wasid to rest in the National Burial Ground, a ce that was only open to honorable people.


    The autumn leaves scattered. The students stood in a line facing the coffins, as red rain drizzled on them.


    Other than a few professors that were taking care of the situation, all the students and professors were present at the hall.


    Shortly thereafter, Justin¡¯smemorative speech began. He spoke about Benquick¡¯s life, how hard he had worked for the students at Hebrion Academy, and how he had truly devoted everything for this cause.


    The sound of people¡¯s cries came from all directions.


    There were many students from the Beta ss that had greatly admired Benquick. They shed tears as they mourned the loss of a respected professor.


    Desir feigned grief as he looked down on Benquick¡¯s coffin.


    A murderer of fourteen people that was being mourned by students and professors alike in the National Burial Ground.


    Could there be anything more ironic?


    All of this had been caused by one person¡¯s lie.


    Desir felt sick to his stomach.


    iming that it was for themoners, Benquick had targeted the nobles, and set in motion a chain of events that resulted in nothing but needless tragedy.


    If the truth was made public, what would naturally follow wouldn¡¯t be a surprise to anyone. The nobles would view Benquick not as an Outsider, but as amoner, which would cause more discrimination against them, leading to another revolt. Another wall between the two sses would be inevitable.


    It was the shortcut to an irreversible copse. Desir couldn¡¯t let that happen. ¡®It must be stopped.¡¯


    Desir was the sole person to witness Benquick¡¯s end. The only thing that the others knew was the fact that the artifact he was using had the power of mind control. Only Desir knew how and when those powers had activated.


    Benquick had died because of the mind-controlling artifact.


    Someone amongst the Outsiders made that call in order to prevent Desir from getting information on them.


    However, ¡®thanks to¡¯ his death, Desir was able to lie.


    That Benquick¡¯s mind had been controlled for a long time, that he had been used by the Outsiders.


    Despite Desir¡¯s intentions, in the end he had done nothing but cover for a murderer.


    Desir had to deliberate on his actions. He had seen parallels between himself and the Outsiders in that neither would stop at anything to achieve their goals. No matter what happened, he had to make sure he didn¡¯t be a pawn for them. He couldn¡¯t afford to waste time.


    *Rustle*


    Desir was pulled out of his thoughts as something cold hit his palm.


    It was a chilled leaf. Desir clenched his fist and crushed the leaf.


    And the moment he opened his hand, the finely crushed leaf fluttered away with the wind.


    Desir felt all the strength leave his body.


    Suddenly, the dean¡¯s voice rang in his ears.


    ¡°We will not forget the students that were cruelly victimized and our beloved professor Benquick. They will forever be by our side-¡±


    ¡®Am I feeling guilty about lying?¡¯ ¡­ Perhaps.


    ¡®If I was given another chance, would I make a different choice?¡¯ No, never.


    Desir shook his head.


    Even if he was given thousands, millions of chances, he would always make the same decision.


    ¡®I mustn¡¯t forget my goal.¡¯


    Desir resolved himself. He was keenly aware of what was important and what he needed to do to achieve his goal.


    ¡®To prevent the future, to save humanity, I¡¯ll make the tough choice every time it¡¯s required.¡¯ They could criticize and call him a hypocrite as much as they wanted to.


    That didn¡¯t matter.


    His goal was never to enforce something like justice in the first ce. He didn¡¯t want to build trust and respect between nobles andmoners because it was a noble cause. There was a single goal he needed to achieve even if it meant that he had to shoulder all the guilt, shame, and hatred.


    That was to save everyone from the uing disaster. ¡®If it¡¯s for that, I¡¯d happilybel myself a hypocrite.¡¯


    That was it.


    Hardening his new found resolve, Desir stared straight ahead.


    The numerous students and professors that were lined up beside Benquick¡¯s coffin stood solemnly.


    They burned with hatred and the desire to overthrow the Outsiders.


    Desir saw Professor Pugman hand his handkerchief over to Professor Bridget, who was shedding tears.


    At this moment, the wall that separated themoners and nobles didn¡¯t exist. ¡°-That is all.¡±


    Justin¡¯s speech ended. They solemnly buried Benquick¡¯s coffin.


    The moaning wind pped everyone¡¯s faces.


    Just like that, the funeral on an autumn day ended.

 Chapter 113. The Hypocrite (3)

    <h4>Chapter 113. The Hypocrite (3)</h4>


    The panic from the partypetition had died down at the academy.


    If it was like any other year, there would be rowdy arguments by party members boasting about how much better their party was, and others going around challenging people and holding rematches. However, none of that was present this year. It seemed like this dark atmosphere would go on for a while longer.


    Atst, the seasons turned and the student body had to face up against winter.


    The Runic lectures were soon taken over by another professor that was called in from another academy. In the beginning, the students couldn¡¯t help mourning for Benquick during the lectures, but the scars had somewhat healed by now.


    Desir¡¯s partymitted themselves to a proper school life amidst the calm. Like always, Desir¡¯s training didn¡¯t stop.


    As a result, Pram had be skilled at wielding the Aura de. A mere two months ago, his Aura could barely be called swordsmanship, but he had reached the point where no one could criticize his Aura de.


    Desir concluded that being pushed so close to his limit while he was surrounded by the Mother Worm and numerous Great Worms had been the fuel for this improvement.


    The only thing left for Desir to do was simple.


    Pram had always wielded a sword that exceeded his skill level. A nk?um de could prate through the defence of most foes, and Pram had begun to lean heavily on the de¡¯s abilities.


    He had yet to battle someone who used Aura, but the time had finallye for him to seriously battle against a formidable enemy that used the Aura. Enemies like those were hard to confront without having Aura too.


    To force Pram out of his habit of relying on his sword, Desir temporarily sealed it away and made him learn how to use Aura with a normal saber.


    Desir nned on teaching him how to change the form of his Aura once he got used to summoning one.


    As for swordsmanship, a professor who¡¯d been keeping an eye on Pram was carefully teaching him, so there was nothing else to worry about.


    The uracy of Romantica¡¯s shots was increasing by the day.


    It hadn¡¯t been long since she had advanced to the Third-Circle, yet she already managed perfect control over it. To further her sess, she had managed to memorize most of the wind spells that could be invoked at the Third-Circle.


    Although Desir had been the one teaching her the different types of spells (to the point where he was absolutely sick of them), it was Romantica herself who honed those skills and made them hers.


    After the destruction of Priche, Romantica worked tirelessly to polish her abilities. As someone who was originally gifted, her added diligence sped up her growth greatly. Conversely, Adjest still faced a wall.


    She was still struggling to conjure based on an image.


    Feeling like she had teaued while everyone around her was making substantial progress and achieving goals, Adjest felt a surge of anxiety.


    Desperate to see results, she asked Desir to start training with her more often, because he was the only person skilled enough to stand a chance against her.


    Desir was more than willing to spend time with Adjest to support her in reaching a new level, so he epted her request without hesitation.


    The time the two spent stuck together naturally grew. Apart from meal and rest times, the two were almost always seen together.


    Adjest made sure to listen carefully to Desir¡¯s advice, since she didn¡¯t want to miss even the smallest of detail.


    ¡®An association somewhat like this should be fine.¡¯


    As a result, she was able toe across a meaningful hint about the magic image she wanted to invoke.


    Freechel wasn¡¯t a particrly talented individual, but she was a hard worker who was serious about everything. If she focused on getting the basics correct, she had the potential to reach the Second-Circle within a few months. If she was lucky, achieving Third-Circle within 10 years would be possible.


    Takiran¡¯s achievements were also going pretty well. He had never gotten the chance to improve because there had never been a teacher to teach him proper swordsmanship.


    The fact that he had been unable to do anything at the Party Competition seemed to have been a great shock to him.


    As a result, the experience made him eager to be stronger, and after immersing himself in daily training, he was able to enter the Pawn ss.


    Takiran¡¯s little brother eventually left the party. Not everyone had the willpower to bear Desir¡¯s demanding training regimine.


    He had initially joined not because he had a goal that he wanted to achieve, but because he wanted to stick with his brother. As a result, he didn¡¯t have the will to endure the pain in order to achieve something.


    Desir didn¡¯t relegate himself to the role of tutor. After all, he needed to get stronger as well to face the oing storm. Whenever he had a moment of respite, Desir analyzed his new magic system from various perspectives.


    If he wanted to invoke magic multiple times in a fight, he still had a lot of fine-tuning to do. He frequently cooped himself up in the library, and could be found up to his nose in stacks of books. Whenever he felt himself approach a wall, he made a point to converse with and bounce ideas off of Zod. Soon after, he¡¯d be back on track.Through theirbined hard work, Desir¡¯s party improved smoothly and quickly.


    ***


    ¡°Good morning Desir.¡±


    Kelt always greeted Desir when they crossed paths. The Kelt that had turned his face away to avoid eye-contact during the Party Competition was long gone.


    He wasn¡¯t the only one who greeted Desir. The Alpha ss students who¡¯d worked with him to clear the third stage of the dungeon also said hello whenever they met Desir¡¯s party.


    The impression ofmoners had changed drastically.


    The Alpha ss students who had participated in the partypetition were all top rankers in their respective parties. As these students changed the way they interacted withmoners, the others naturally followed suit.


    Of course, there were still many nobles that detestedmoners, but they didn¡¯t openly treat them with as much contempt as before for fear of drawing attention to themselves.


    The most surprising change came from Prof. Pugman.


    He had always harassed Desir, trying to take him down. But after that day, he hadn¡¯t acted in that manner even once.


    It was to be expected, as Desir was the very person who¡¯d saved Pugman¡¯s precious little brother. He was at least someone aware of his duty and standing.


    It was only the attitude towardsmoners that had changed, but even so, Romantica regarded it as a tremendous stride forward.


    Although insignificantly, the school environment for the Beta ss had improved. Although it wasn¡¯t quite how Desir had nned, he had managed to show everyone at the event thatmoners were capable too. By disproving the ims made by noble professors thatmoners were ipetent head-on, the support formoners had increased slightly.


    The professors that continued to oppose improvements to the Beta ss eventually left the academy and new professors soon took their ces.


    ***


    Once the lecture on sparring ended, Hersaint-nc called Desir into his office.


    His office was decorated with various swords. If anyone entered it unknowingly, they would probably mistake it for a knight¡¯s office.


    Hersaint-nc offered Desir a seat, but quite a lot of dust had collected on the seat. It was evident that the ce hadn¡¯t been cleaned for the past couple of days.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit dirty but do excuse me for that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right.¡±


    Hersaint-nc cleared his throat before starting to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point. I apologize for testing you thus far, Desir.¡± It was an unexpected remark, but Desir maintained his poker face. ¡°You don¡¯t seem too surprised.¡±


    ¡°I had a hunch.¡±


    Desir just barely managed to recall his past memories of the man in front of him when he had mentioned he had once served as the captain of the empire¡¯s Golden Hawks. Hersaint-nc Tistachia.


    Active in the Shadow Labyrinth under the alias known as the Knight of Dawn. He was famous for contributing to the training of numerous talents even in the hell holes known as Shadow Worlds. There was no way he was an Outsider.


    Desir had been unable to identify him immediately, despite his fame, since he was more widely known for his alias, not his real name.


    Hersaint-nc scratched the scar on his cheek as he spoke.


    ¡°Haha, did you notice? In any case, sorry for that. We needed to determine what kind of individual you were.¡±


    We.


    Just as the word suggested, it meant that he had a group supporting him. ¡°So have you made any progress?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. We¡¯ve at least found out that you have hostile rtions with the Outsiders. And that¡¯s enough because that means one of our biggest worries is gone.¡±


    ¡°However, I advise you to continue being careful of your actions. Always keep in mind that there are people out there paying attention to you.¡±


    Desir answered firmly to his words.


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your advice, but I¡¯m only doing what I need to. That won¡¯t change no matter what others say.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well. That will change once you find out who¡¯s been keeping their eye on you.¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of finding out. No matter who¡¯s watching, nothing will change. I hate having to walk on eggshells around others.¡±


    What Desir had to do could not waver, no matter the reason. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m expecting a lot from you. Feel free to leave now.¡± ¡°Thank you for your time, professor.¡±


    *Creeeak*


    Hersaint-nc looked at the empty chair where Desir was sitting before bursting intoughter.


    Thinking he was a boy that truly embodied the trait of boldness, Hersaint-ck took his pen, and wrote a letter.


    The opening of the letter started like this.


    -Your Majesty, the great Sun of Hebrion, I report to you.

 Chapter 114. Season in Snow (1)

    <h4>Chapter 114. Season in Snow (1)</h4>


    *Tap*


    Desir woke up from the sound of something knocking on his window. He rubbed his sleepy eyes while opening the window. As it was a dorm room located on a floor above the ground level, one could take in quite a lot of the scenery around the academy.


    ¡°Hmm¡±


    Desir admired the view briefly.


    Apparently, it had been snowing all night as the academy wasced in white. The trees were frozen and white, resembling borate sculptures, and the snow-covered buildings shone like jewels in the morning sun.


    Although he was used to the non-snowy scenery, after seeing it for so long, the appearance of the academy that can be seen at this time of the year still left him in a state of admiration. Desir felt a surge ofplicated emotions swell up inside him, as at one point near the end of his previous life, he felt that he would never be able to see this sight again.


    On the ground, in front of the dormitory where arge amount of snow had piled up, one person was frolicking around leaving a trail of footprints.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first snow!¡±


    Pram looked up at Desir with a smile of pure innocence. His cheeks were slightly flushed. ¡°Beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, right? Desir, would you like to build a snowman with me?¡± Desir sighed in response.


    ¡°Are you serious? You aren¡¯t a kid anymore, Pram.¡± ¡°So you won¡¯te out?¡±


    Pram looked a little sad but it was also a cute expression for Desir.


    For a brief moment, Desir felt a tug at his heartstrings but he quickly hardened his mind. He couldn¡¯t let today¡¯s work be set to the side by this obvious honey trap.


    ¡°¡­ I have a lot of work to do today. Thanks for waking me up, Pram.¡± He spoke coldly and started to close the window.


    *Bam*


    A snowball hit the window and the debris sshed Desir¡¯s face. ¡°Aww, that¡¯s okay Desir. How about after this?¡±


    He was coyly smiling as he taunted Desir. Pram had Desir right where he wanted him. Since the honey trap had failed, Pram was going with the hard-line instead.


    Although Desir felt some pride in how well he had taught Pram to act in preparation for the next Shadow World, he shook his head in distress at theical situation he had dug for himself.


    ¡°If you think I would fall for such a childish provocation, that would be a mistake, Pram. Why don¡¯t you just give¡­ ¡±


    *Bam*


    With such a piercing cold attack, whatever drowsiness Desir had was instantly reced with a rude awakening.


    He couldn¡¯t respond in time, even though he didn¡¯t take his eyes off Pram. Frighteningly, he was able to throw a snowball at a speed that exceeded the speed of ice bolt magic.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s got to hurt.¡±


    Pram¡¯s body trembled in abination of fear and excitement, but his mouth was curved into a childish smile. This attack was very clearly intended.


    ¡°So, how was the taste of the snowball thrown by a child?¡±


    The snowball wasn¡¯t tight, so the moment it hit Desir¡¯s face, it exploded harmlessly and fell to the ground.


    Desir wiped his face. As he removed the remaining snow on his face, his flushed cheeks were revealed.


    ¡°Wait there patiently.¡±


    Desir roughly donned a coat hanging on a nearby hanger.


    January 1st.


    The Academy had been painted as a winter wondend after a consistent night of snowfall.


    ***


    As the New Year approached, the atmosphere within Hebrion Academy started to rx. The scars left over from a few months ago seemed to have started fading.


    Since all the big events like the Party Competition and the final exam were over, the schedule for the remainder of the semester was actually very light.


    In fact, before the vacation which was due to begin in February, students were given arge amount of free time.


    However, the exception to this was Desir.


    Desir touched his red cheeks which showed the telltale signs from the aftermath of an intense snowball fight and began organizing the multitude of papersid out on the desk in front of him.


    He would have chosen to do this work in his office, as usual, but he ended up bringing it to the dormitory since there was no more room for additional paper due to the substantial amount of party-rted work.


    Despite there being various types of documents and paper in front of him, he decided to tackle the newspapers first.


    [The Western Kingdom Takes Charge!]


    [The kings of the Western Kingdom union proimed an all-out war on the group known as the Outsiders. Lord Zod Exarion of the Magic Tower dered his support, issuing a statement saying that those who disturb the peace should be disposed of ordingly.


    As a result, all branches of the Magic Tower have begun to sponsor the Western Kingdom Union through an increased supply of magical equipment¡­ ]


    It became clear to Desir that his actions were having an impact on the world. Events were beginning to differ greatly from his past.


    The next piece of paper to look through was a letter.


    Prisci and Zod did their best to cooperate with Desir, but Prisci and Zod mainly used letters due to the confidentiality of the information they exchanged with each other.


    This signified how much they trusted Desir.


    Desir started to calmly analyze the situation based on the information they had provided him with.


    The branch of the Magic Tower that was dedicated to the study of magic stones, the Epane Branch, had been destroyed by the Outsiders. As a result, development of the Aurora system had been dyed. The Aurora system was the next-generation defensive equipment the Magic Tower had been researching as part of the flood of new ideas Desir brought with him.


    The silver mine in the Prillecha Empire, which had been upied by the Outsiders, had been recaptured.


    Allied forces used tactical magic against the Outsiders who were escaping from the southern part of the Adeina Kingdom.


    Desir plotted out the new information on the map in front of him. If circumstances changed, he erased the existing information and rewrote over the top of it.


    Keeping track of the developing situation was exhausting, but Desir had to do it to better understand shifts in the bnce of power as a result of the war between the Western Kingdom Union and the Outsiders.


    He calcted the gains from repelling the Outsiders and the number of troops lost in the process.


    The Prillecha Empire expected to recover the funds required to restore Deltaheim by recapturing the silver mine.


    Allied forces had incurred some losses, but they were within the expected range. ¡°Hmmm¡±


    Desir recorded the information up until there and sighed while leaning back into the sofa.


    ¡®I don''t know why the Outsiders, who were quiet in the past, are making such grand moves like this now.¡¯


    Contemting this question that could not easily be solved, Desir could only deeply sigh. He was used to this process, after doing it every week for a while now, but it was inevitable that he had be worn out.


    Desir checked what had changed and revised his ns.


    ¡®As a consequence of the recent movements, very positive changes are taking ce across the continent.¡¯


    The world was now on a clearly different trajectory from his previous life.


    The history Desir had experienced first-hand. In his world, The Western Kingdom Union, a binding alliance of five nations, had stoppedpeting with each other due to ack of conflict.


    There had been no preparation for the future due to a long period of rtive peace and they only pursued their own interests while sniping at each other.


    They had been woefully unprepared when they had to face the Shadow Labyrinth.


    Mankind realized the crisis toote and as a result, struggled to survive. The Western Kingdom Union had reunited at the end but they could only muster trivial power due to the great losses they had sustained.


    Since they only knew how to snarl and antagonize each other up until that point, how effectively could they deal with an enemy together?


    Desir knew well that the result was aplete catastrophe. ¡®But it¡¯s different now.¡¯


    Desir looked at the map.


    A lot of events were unfolding in many ces, but the most advantageous events were urring in the Western Kingdom Union. The allied forces of the Western Kingdom Union were achieving tangible results.


    ¡®Themon threat of the Outsiders had made the Western Kingdom Union band together.¡¯ The Outsiders¡¯ recent aggressive activities had made the Western Kingdom Union aware of how dangerous they were, and thus the Western Kingdom Union formed an allied force tobat them.


    ¡®The Shadow Labyrinth is also amon threat, so this will be a good experience for them. But¡­ ¡¯


    Desir marked the country bordering the Hebrion Empire in red.


    The country boasting thergest territory and having the most military amongst the nations that made up the Western Kingdom Union.


    ¡®The King of Divide, Clora Ars F. Baldershu, looked down on the Outsiders and ignored them. But now, Divide had just contributed the most forces in the allied force. What change have they undergone in just a few months?¡¯


    Desir quickly shook his head.


    He made some hypotheses but he could only guess without supporting evidence. ¡®To score it, they are 8 out of 10.¡¯


    Either way was good. Whatever the king of Divide thought, the Western Kingdom Union was unified and moving in a good direction.


    Desir turned his eyes to the next problematic spot.


    The Hebrion Empire which was currently the strongest empire power on the continent.


    ¡®Now the key is the rtionship between the Western Kingdom Union and the Hebrion Empire¡­ ¡¯


    The Western Kingdom Union and the Hebrion Empire had a bad rtionship. After the arrival of the Shadow Worlds, a truce was signed and there had been no great disagreement so far, but it was only a temporary truce.


    Although Desir from the Hebrion Empire was hailed as a hero in the Western Kingdom Union, it was merely the fame of an individual and had not substantially changed the rtionship between the two nations.


    *Tap* *Tap*


    Desir tapped on the center of the Hebron Empire where the emperor pce was marked. ¡®After all, the emperor is the key.¡¯


    Rogpce Family A great family who ruled the Hebrion Empire.


    ¡®Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know anything about the Rogpce family.¡¯


    Up until now, he had always acted in ordance with his previous memories and experiences. This time though, he had nothing to work with on which to base any ns.


    To score them, they would have to be a 2 out of 10. It was a very low score inparison to what he had worked with thus far.

 Chapter 115. Season in Snow (2)

    <h4>Chapter 115. Season in Snow (2)</h4>


    After catching up on the material in front of himself, Desir let out a sigh of relief as he finished up his nning for the day. He had done enough pre-work to keep abreast of therge changes that could affect his ns.


    There was another problem that required his undivided attention next though: the development of his own power. Pure politicking could only get one so far, at the end of the day, one needed enough strength to defend oneself; let alone enact change on the scale of countries.


    ¡®I¡¯m not strong enough.¡¯


    This was Desir¡¯s self-evaluation.


    Desir had just formed a Third-Circle spell with the power of a Fifth-Circle wizard, but the amount of power he could use was still not enough. The problem with his new system of magic had also now be apparent.


    ¡®If I consume all of my mana firing off a single spell, I can¡¯t do anything else in a fight without a colleague to continue the fight for me if I fail to finish the job in a single strike.¡¯ The method ofbining and unleashing several spells consumed far too much mana. But because of this unique property, the amount of force Desir could fire was much stronger than firing off multiple spells with the same amount of mana. However, the power might as well be useless with how inefficient it was in terms of mana.


    Desir remembered his goal and could feel that this half-assed approach would not be enough. For this reason, Desir spent the next two months struggling desperately to improve the effectiveness of this new magic system. He frantically eked out what little extra time he could find in his schedule while also reducing the time spent on eating and sleeping.


    His messy room reflected just how desperate he was.


    Desir¡¯s desk was littered with paper and empty cups of coffee.


    The floor was no different. Booksy strewn all around his studying area. [The Weaknesses of Magic Arrangement Systems]


    [What is the Most Useful Magic System?]


    [Insights on Shadow Worlds Vol. 3: Types of Magical Worlds and their Significance]


    ¡­


    He used the names of his party members to borrow as many books as he could from the library, but even this amount was insufficient for his needs.


    He put his all into this endeavour but had nothing to show for it. It could be considered aplete failure.


    He had researched many rted topics and used all of the material he could get his hands on, but there was no way to perfect this magic system any further.


    ¡®I can¡¯t do this on my own.¡¯


    When all hope seemed lost, Desir desperately felt the need to consult with somebody. Fortunately, Desir had an advisor more reliable than anyone else.


    Zod Exarion.


    The only Seventh-Circle wizard and the chairman of the esteemed Magic Tower, the leading magicalpany in both magical research and production of magical equipment.


    Desir regrly liaised with Zod as a technical advisor to the Magic Tower. Essentially, Desir would describe his ideas and theories, and Zod used these to formte groundbreaking theories or design earth-shaking equipment.


    It was in this way that the Magic Tower had developed technology at a far faster pace than in Desir¡¯s previous timeline.


    Desir hastily cleared his desk before cing themunication pad on it and starting the call.


    -Good, I managed to catch you; I wanted to share the results of the Aurora System test. ¡°I called you today to request advice on a topic that has been troubling me.¡±


    -That¡¯s interesting. You have nevere to me for advice before. I¡¯ll help you as much as I am able to.


    Zod seemed quite surprised at this development. It was the first time Desir had sought advice on something. Zod could not help feeling intrigued, as this topic must be truly puzzling to stump Desir.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been researching a magic system recently, but it was hard to improve further.¡± -A magic system? Go ahead.


    Zod, slightly leaking his disappointment, didn¡¯t expect much from Desir¡¯s question as the modern magic arrangement system was aplete system that could no longer be improved. ¡°Let me exin where I am at first¡­ ¡±


    Desir began to exin to Zod the principles of his magical system.


    Initially, Zod was amazed little by little, but as Desir continued, he became very silent. The silence stretched to an awkward length after Desir finished exining.


    -Amazing. I knew you were great, but I didn¡¯t think you were capable of something like this. After breaking the silence, Zod expressed his admiration of Desir.


    ¡°There are still too many things I need to do to improve it.¡±


    -No, it¡¯s great. Although it consumes a lot of magical power, it can be said to have risen beyond the power that can theoretically be expressed in our modern magical system¡­


    Since it was impossible to exin the draconic magic system, Desir only exined the way he arranged the structure by borrowing the structure of a tesseract.


    But Zod caught on immediately.


    -This¡­ It¡¯s the magic system you used in Prillecha. Am I right? ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yes.¡±


    Zod couldn¡¯t help but sigh. A genius was a genius, after all.


    -I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t think of any method to improve it right now. To be honest, I could barely understand a small portion of the magic that I saw back then.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    -Unfortunately, I wouldn¡¯t even know where to get started.


    For the great sage, Zod Exarion, the concept of draconic magic was a realm entirely outside of his cognition.


    Desir was forced to give up with a sigh. There was no way to continue if even Zod couldn¡¯t help.


    Though some regret remained, he decided that there was no choice but to admit defeat for the time being and refocus his efforts otherwise.


    With his focus no longer dedicated to the new magic system, he could now devote his time to the next high priority.


    The Aurora System.


    The ultimate shield created by humanity, implemented and used near the end of the Shadow Labyrinth in his past timeline. It was the technology that Desir and Zod were trying to implement with the greatest of care. This was due to the fact that they talked about this topic first.


    -We were able to sessfully implement the system such that it¡¯s capable of defending against Sixth-Circle magic. If we could solve the outrageous amount of magic stones it consumes, there¡¯s no reason it couldn¡¯t remain active permanently¡­


    ¡°You¡¯ve already managed to construct it?!¡±


    -Yes. I¡¯ve filled in some of the parts you¡¯ve advised us on.


    It had taken much longer toplete the Aurora System in his previous life. Because of the Shadow Labyrinth, many talented people had lost their lives and it was not as easy to invest the required money and time under such circumstances.


    But now, people had been able to devote themselves purely to the development of this technology, and money was not an issue either. Thanks to this, the rate at which new technology could be researched was exponentially higher than it had been in Desir¡¯s past life. At this rate they would be able to quickly catch up to the technology level that was prevalent near the end of his previous life.


    -We were able to design a portable version as well. It¡¯s single use though, as a trade-off, and the functionality of it is slightly lower than the stationary version. It can barely hold up against a single Sixth-Circle spell.


    In other words, an item that can be used once before getting discarded. Considering the material and production cost, this was definitely something too costly to be treated as a disposable item.


    But Desir felt that this was good enough. Being able to defend against a Sixth-Circle spell without draining the user¡¯s mana was an extraordinary feat, capable of changing the tides in a desperate battle.


    ¡°This is good enough. Thank you very much.¡±


    -Honestly, Desir, I haven¡¯t gotten this excited in years! Thanks to you, the Magic Tower has made significant technological advancement. Now let¡¯s talk about the next project¡­


    Desir cut off Zod as he attempted to switch topics.


    ¡°The Aurora System is far frompleted. It¡¯s only barely enough for practical use as it is.¡± -Barely? Did you just say ¡®barely¡¯? Did you not just say that this was good enough?


    Zod¡¯s tone increased by several octaves. He was upset at Desir telling him that the technology that he had poured his heart and soul into, was only barely usable. He had justpleted it after a great deal of trial and error over a long period of time.


    The Aurora System was one of the key technologies for clearing the Shadow Labyrinth.


    If the development of it wasn¡¯t stopped here, it could rtively easily be improved to match the level of developmentpleted in his previous life, but it would not easily be improved beyond that.


    However, Desir couldn¡¯t be satisfied with just that.


    He shouldn¡¯t be satisfied with just this.


    This time, it had to be developed further.


    ¡°The goal is to make something strong enough to stop the magic I used in Prillecha.¡±


    Zodughed at this notion. After all, he had witnessed Desir¡¯s draconic magic with his own eyes.


    -Do you think that will be possible?


    ¡°If you think it is impossible, we should stop here for now and move on to the next project. Actually, the purpose of this project was to make something easy tomercialize, so it doesn''t matter if you move on to the next topic. It could be more advanced, but what can I do if you, the only wizard on the continent who can develop this Aurora System, says no? ¡±


    -You drive me crazy.


    Zodughed. He had a pleasant smile on his face.


    -You know me too well. My pride would be wounded if I failed to exceed your expectations after hearing such a bold im! ¡°Then please do so.¡±


    With Zod¡¯s enthusiasm reinvigorated, discussion of the Aurora System came to a close. It was now time to wrap up any remaining loose ends and end the call.


    -Oh, Desir. It should have arrived by now. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    -My New Year¡¯s gift to you all. I hope the students like it.


    ¡°Thank you for taking care of us. There¡¯s no one in this world who wouldn¡¯t like something that the Lord of the Magic Tower personally sent them.¡±


    -Thank you for saying that. Then I will get in touch with you again soon. *Blip*


    When Desir ended themunication, he noticed that there were dozens of messages in his inbox. When he checked the sender, most of them were from Romantica. Dozens of messages, but the contents of them all were the same.


    -When the hell are youing?


    Desir easily guessed the reason behind Romanica¡¯s frantic urging and just smiled bitterly.

 Chapter 116. Season in Snow (3)

    <h4>Chapter 116. Season in Snow (3)</h4>


    ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    As Desir opened the door of the party¡¯s office, he was greeted by Romantica¡¯s annoying cries. Stepping into the office, Desir was surprised to see boxes stacked like small mountains in the center of the office.


    ¡°¡­ What the hell are these?¡±


    Desir had expected a few gifts. It had long been a custom for parents to send gifts to their children in the New Year. However, considering that there were six-party members, the number of gifts was toorge.


    ¡°These gifts are from various ces! Desir, you sure are famous!¡±


    Freechel¡¯s words were true. Of course, there had been gifts from the party members¡¯ families, but there were also gifts from a wide variety ofpanies and notable people.


    ¡°I understand Prillecha, Magic Tower and the Eru Conglomerate¡­ but Kire Trading Company? Where even is that?¡±


    Amongst the ces where the gifts came from, there were some ces they didn¡¯t have any direct rtion with.


    ¡°During the attack in Prillecha, there were a lot of tourists there, so maybe it¡¯s one of them?¡± Desir nodded as Romantica¡¯s suggestion seemed reasonable.


    When Desir stopped Dadenewt from destroying Deltaheim, the capital of Prillecha, there had been tourists from all over the continent due to the Yellow Ocean Competition.


    If someone did you a favor, it was onlymon courtesy to send a gift. And in this case, it wasn¡¯t just a favor; Desir had saved their lives.


    Nevertheless, it was the Western Kingdom Union that had sent the most gifts.


    After he single-handedly neutralized the assault on Prillecha, Desir gained great renown not only in Prillecha but also from the kings of Adenia and Arunbeth. The luxurious gifts made it clear just how much favor they had for Desir.


    ¡°I was waiting for Desir to join us before opening them.¡±


    ¡°Yes. So sit down quickly. My hands are tingling and I can¡¯t wait any longer to open these.¡± ¡°We have arranged them in order of distance from the Hebrion Academy. You can open them up in this order.¡±


    They looked too excited.


    As soon as Desir sat down, Romantica began to tear into the wrapping paper. ¡°Oh?! I told you to open them in order, Romantica!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start with the ones from my hometown!¡± ¡°Hmm? A gift to Romantica? Then I will open this.¡± ¡°No, wait! Pram, put that down right now!¡± Hurly-burly.


    The gifts that had been pain-stakingly arranged began to get randomly mixed up. The mountains of gifts soon copsed and the room consequently started to look incredibly messy. ¡®They are still kids after all.¡¯


    Desir shrugged and sat down next to Adjest who had been sitting quietly up until now. ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Good morning.¡±


    Yes, this was Adjest. Desir really liked the calmness that she exuded. Meanwhile, the first gift was revealed. It was a gift from the King of Prillecha.


    ¡°What a nice badge. It seems the office looks empty, but this will be great to liven it up. ¡± Freechel looked at the badge. Her eyes twinkled, indicating that she knew exactly what it stood for.


    ¡°The fact that the King gave the country¡¯s badge to someone means that he absolutely trusts them! It¡¯s a pledge that the King will assist you when you need it!¡±


    ¡°The gift from Arunbeth¡­ It¡¯s a ticket for the Lujean Theater! They are even royal seats that allow one to sit in the perfect position to see the stage!? Incredible! These are worth 200 gold on the scalping market right now!¡±


    ¡°This is sent by His Majesty the King of Adenia¡­ It¡¯s a rare santhruleaf herb. It has a very unique taste and aroma when brewed as a tea. People say it is impossible to get a hold of in winter, but he has sent this to us.¡±


    As gifts from the kings of various countries, everything that they had received was difficult to obtain as an individual, and all were consequently precious.


    It was finally time to open the gift sent from the Magic Tower.


    There were two gifts from Zod. From the notes on the box, the gifts were for Takiran and Freechel.


    Zod was one of the biggest supporters of the Desir party, and the support he had provided had been of great help to the Desir party thus far. As a result, the others weren¡¯t very disappointed or dissatisfied, even though they didn¡¯t receive a gift of their own this time.


    ¡°Oh! Oh!! Look at this, it¡¯s a great sword.¡±


    When the first box opened, a great sword that glowed brilliantly in the dark was revealed. It was a sword forged with ck iron. ck iron was somewhat heavier than steel, but it was far harder than any regr alloy of steel. It was the preferred material of many swordsmen due to itsbination of strength and weight.


    In addition, shield magic was enchanted on to the sword which allowed it to simultaneously have a high offensive and defensive might, affording the wielder more options during battle. When Takiran demonstrated the shield magic, the party members responded with amazed apuse.


    When the next box opening revealed a book.


    The party was a bit embarrassed to see that gift was some old book.


    Freechel, on the other hand, treated it as if it was some kind of valuable treasure.


    In response to the puzzled reaction of the party members, Freechel passionately exined what exactly this gift entailed. So passionate in fact that spit flew from her mouth, spraying the room


    ¡°This is a rare old book that went out of print a long time ago! Most of them are now lost, so you can just imagine how expensive this would be to obtain these days! And he didn¡¯t just send a copy, this is an original¡­ ¡±


    Both of the newer party members seemed to love the gifts that Zod had sent. ¡®He must feel the results of our cooperation have been fruitful.¡¯


    With those two gifts as the highlight, the unboxing continued. The gifts unveiled were varied and each time a box was opened, a round of apuse as well as exmation orughing could be heard leaking out of the party room.


    It was as this kind of atmosphere continued that Adjest also picked up one of the boxes from a pile in front of her before opening it.


    There was a muffler in the box. It was made out of a luxurious wool and the embroidery of blue thread intertwined with red thread intimating that it was a muffler filled with heavy feelings from the sender.


    Adjest gazed at the tip of the muffler.


    D.A.


    It was the initials of Desir Arman.


    Adjest picked up the muffler and looked at Desir as if she was possessed.


    Desir smiled, fully immersed in the infectious happiness of the other party members, before suddenly turning to match the gaze that was avidly boring a hole into the side of his head. Adjest was at a distance of less than half a meter. It was close enough to let him feel her warmth.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    For a moment, Desir¡¯s breath stopped.


    Before Desir regained his wits to ask ¡®why¡¯, Adjest moved.


    For a while, Desir felt dizzy from the soft scent that lingered in the space around him. Desir¡¯s reaction was so dyed that the back of Adjest¡¯s hand caressed his cheek without any resistance.


    ¡°Adjest?¡±


    Awakened Desir leaned back, but Adjest pulled the muffler and dragged him back towards her.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    One.


    Two.


    Desir said nothing until the muffler was fully wrapped around his neck.


    As the muffler was finally wrapped around Desir¡¯s neck, their eyes met.


    Her golden eyes shook like a wave breaking against a shore.


    Adjest hurriedly lifted her hand from the muffler, shrinking back as if a child touching a toy that they have been told should not be touched. ¡°¡­ ¡±


    In the party office which had been raucous just moments before, there was now only silence. It was as if the prior noise had been a lie.


    No one dared open their mouth to break this awkward tension. The office which had never been quiet, was finally soundless for the first time.


    ¡°Your name was on it.¡±


    Adjest attempted to excuse her behaviour after the awkward silence had truly be unbearable.


    No one else spoke up though.


    The awkward silence began afresh.


    The door opened. Desir thanked God for the distraction. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s going on? It¡¯s exceptionally quiet in here today.¡±


    It was Professor Bridgette. She looked around with a rxed smile like always.


    While looking around the office, it was apparent to everyone that she was happy seeing Desir. ¡°That muffler goes really well with you. It was worth all of the hard work.¡±


    ¡°Is this¡­ a muffler that you knitted, professor?¡± ¡°Yes. I knitted it. Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I like it. Thank you very much, Professor.¡±


    Bridgette looked delighted at the gratitude expressed for her gift.


    ¡°I was going to give one to each of you, but due to my inexperience in knitting, I ended up taking too much time to make just one of them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, thank you, professor. What brings you here? Do you have something to tell us? Don¡¯t you?¡±


    Romantica desperately thered, attempting to forcibly change the topic of discussion.


    ¡°I think I came in at a fairly appropriate time. Right, Miss Romanica. I am here to share the good news with all of you.¡±


    Professor Bridgette stiffened slightly before speaking in a slightly less casual tone.


    ¡°As you all know, January 4th is the day when Emperor Ruspena Hebrion founded the Hebrion Empire.¡±


    It also happened to be the day that thergest festival normally takes ce in the Hebrion Empire.


    ¡°Normally, we would hold a festival each year at the Hebrion Academy, but for a number of reasons, that won¡¯t be happening this year.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? How is this good news?¡±


    ¡°Rather, I just became very depressed, Professor.¡± Bridgetteughed at the response from the students.


    ¡°Instead, on this day, we decided to rx the school regtions and allow students to go out into the city and enjoy the festival.¡±


    Romantica immediately intensely focussed all of her attention on Prof. Bridgette. ¡°Really? Are you serious, Professor?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I hope you spend a wonderful time out there.¡±

 Chapter 117. National Foundation Day (1)

    <h4>Chapter 117. National Foundation Day (1)</h4>


    January 4th.


    This was the day that the first emperor of the Hebrion Empire founded the country, and ever since there has been an annual celebration of good times and national pride. This day is known as Founding Day.


    The capital of the Hebrion Empire, Dresden, was thergest city in the empire and as a result, holds thergest Founding Day celebration across the country. The city was crowded with people travelling from ces far and wide, including the Hebrion Academy. There were lots of things to see in the streets and it soon got much busier than normal. People in groups held each other tightly to prevent getting separated or lost.


    Even though the activity of the Outsiders had been more threatening recently, the citizens of Dresden did not feel nervous or unsafe being out in the open. Many international intelligence agents, mostly Hebrion Academy alumni, returned to Dresden and worked on the security of the event. One of them was even the famed ¡®Knight of Light.¡¯ Any concerns about safety could be whisked away, knowing that he was ensuring their safety.


    There was arge number of Hebrion Academy students in the crowds. It was a long overdue break, something that they had not gotten for quite a while. They enjoyed the festival all night long. When the academy finally decided to release students for the Founding Day festival, the entire student body had praised their decision.


    Desir was one of the students who admired the decision made by the school. Desir still had many things to do, but he decided to dump his burdens off of his shoulders and take a short break. He had not taken any days off since returning from the future, and this was a rare opportunity for him to just rx without making any specific ns. It was a reward that he treated himself to.


    The other party members felt the same way. They had worked so hard for so long. They wanted to forget everything and just enjoy the night. They took their Clothes Lines off, instead dressing up in their favorite outfits. They ate all the food they wanted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how long it has been! The sweetness of freedom! I missed this so much!¡± Romantica shouted between mouthfuls of sweets.


    ¡°That¡¯s way too much of an exaggeration! We were only separated from this by a wall.¡± Takiran dutifully pointed out before Romantica interjected.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right, but it¡¯s apletely different world over that single wall. The ce hidden behind that wall is the world of conventions and boring practices. Outside the wall is a city of fantastic freedom where you can eat food all you want.¡±


    Freechel, who by the way, found a visitor¡¯s brochure from somewhere and was studiously checking out and making notes about rmendedndmarks.


    ¡°It says here that all the popr restaurants hold special events at certain times, and gives us a warning to avoid those ces during the rush hour.¡±


    ¡°But it also rmends we visit the event at Lubenia Garden, even though so many people are expected to be there. Do you think that ce is any good?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ I haven¡¯t tried their food before.¡±


    Desir was listening to their conversation and jumped in to help them out.


    ¡°So Lubenia Garden is a steak ce. They have food for 1/10 of the regr price only from 1 pm and 2 pm. The food is good. I remember their sauce was great.¡±


    ¡°Oh, nice.¡±


    Pram thought about something delicious in his mind and ended up bouncing around in excitement as a result.


    Desir felt the enthusiasm from Prams¡¯ eyes.


    ¡°You can eat their food anytime, but there are some events we can only see during the Founding Day Festival. So we should check those out first, what do you think? I think the most popr performance is ¡®The Chronicles¡¯.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. All the brochures emphasise that we should not miss the Hebrion Chronicles.¡± The Hebrion Chronicles was a y that retold the entire history of the Hebrion Empire. The plot was pretty interesting since the history of the Hebrion Empire was quite dynamic. The y was full of special effects and light disys, and of course, it was the premiere performance, even inparison to the other works that are presented during the entire year. It had five chapters altogether. Interestingly, the entire y was not performed at a single theater. There were five different theaters spread across the city, each ying a different chapter from the story.


    ¡°The first chapter will be held at Dawn Star za in an hour, Desir.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s head over there. If you see something you want to eat or buy on the way, let me know anytime and we¡¯ll make a quick stop.¡±


    Desir took off in the direction of the za.


    Desir¡¯s party had some room in their budget. They had just received their grants from the Mage Tower and were able to obtain additional funds from demonstrating such a great feat ofpetency in the Party Competition. In all actuality they had more than enough money, they couldn¡¯t possibly use it all here.


    Adjest was standing in front of the group, it was clear that she was tired from being pushed and pulled by the crowd.


    Desir suddenly recalled that she had been busy following the party members all day and had not even eaten anything yet.


    ¡°Adjest, do you want to eat something?¡± ¡°Eat¡­ Not really.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you crave something that you had once as a child or used to have all the time? Like ice cream, waffles, or the like.¡±


    Seizing the opportunity to jump in, Pram suddenly chirped at the group.


    ¡°If we have a destination set, let¡¯s go already! If we get therete, it will only be harder to find seats and all that. You too, Adjest. You need to hurry up.¡±


    Pram pushed Adjest.


    Romantica came out of nowhere and pulled Desir in a direction opposite to where the group was heading.


    ¡°Desir, you said we can buy anything we want to eat? I want that. Can you get me that?¡± ¡°Romantica, that¡¯s¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Right now! If we are one secondte, it¡¯ll be all sold out!¡±


    In a moment, Desir and Adjest were pulled apart and a distance quickly formed between them. Pram and Romantica looked at each other while they were pulling Desir and Adjest far apart, and smiled at each other.


    ¡®Never allow them a chance.¡¯ ¡®Never a chance.¡¯


    They continued to pull them apart while they walked along the streets in opposite directions. The group looked at a water fountain and grabbed some snacks at a bar. Pram and Romantica had their eye on them every second and did not allow them a moment of reprieve.


    The group eventually ambled over to the Dawn Star za to see the Chronicles performance.


    It was already a busy street, but it got even busier in just moments. It didn¡¯t long before it became so crowded that it was hard enough just finding a way to thread through the people. ¡°What in the world¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Look over there.¡±


    Romantica pointed to a ce that had a sign with a picture of a loaf of bread on it. ¡®Bethward Bakery¡¯


    It was a very famous bakery that had expensive cakes. Bethward Bakery had branches everywhere in the empire, but this particr branch in Dresden had chocte cake which was considered a must-try for all tourists.


    ¡°Look at that line. It¡¯s freaking long.¡± ¡°Well, this ce is very popr after all.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the only reason here.¡±


    The number of people in the line was abnormally big. Something must have happened here. Pram hazarded a guess.


    ¡°Um, maybe it¡¯s the event time at Bethward Bakery?¡± ¡°¡­¡±


    The group suddenly had a premonition of something bad toe. ¡°¡­ We need to escape from here.¡±


    They hesitated for just a few seconds, but that was enough time for more people to gather and block the paths around thempletely. On top of that, the crowd had pushed them down the street quite a bit already, and there was no way to get back to where they entered from. They decided to go against the flow in the crowd, in an attempt to make it to the opposite side of the street that the bakery was on.


    ¡°Excuse us. We¡¯re trying to go through.¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    One step at a time, they waded through the crowd.


    By then, the mascot of a cat figure standing on top of the Bethward Bakery building opened its mouth.


    ¡°We¡¯ll now begin the Bethward Bakery event! We are now selling 500 limited chocte cakes for 1 bronze!¡±


    It was a disaster. It didn¡¯t take more than a few seconds for all the people on the street to surge forward towards the bakery in even greater numbers than before.


    ¡°Wh¡­ Whaaat?!¡± ¡°Wait!¡±


    Desir¡¯s party was swept up by the tsunami of people. Desir looked around, but couldn¡¯t find anyone around him. They had been forced apart in all directions by the flood of people. As he panicked for a second, a hand grabbed his hand tight. Desir couldn¡¯t see the face, but assumed that it was one of his party members. He squeezed the hand tightly so that he didn¡¯t lose this person.


    ¡®I need to get out of here first.¡¯


    Desir passed by one person at a time and finally got out of the frenzied crowd. His top was partially unbuttoned. Someone swung an arm and hit him in the stomach. He was aplete mess. Desir tried to get things together and tidy himself up. After taking a deep breath, Desir asked if the person on the other side was okay.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    It was a very calm voice.


    When Desir raised his head and looked in the direction the other person was standing, he could quickly make out their appearance.


    A silver blonde.


    The person who Desir had been holding hands tightly with for the entire time, thinking that it was just one of the other members, was actually Adjest.

 Chapter 118. National Foundation Day (2)

    <h4>Chapter 118. National Foundation Day (2)</h4>


    Like any big event, it wasn¡¯t just the tourists who eagerly awaited Foundation Day. Local merchants, restaurant owners, and shopkeepers could barely contain themselves as the most profitable days of the year approached. Among these businesses, it was the fortune-tellers who benefitted the most from the tourist boom. In Dresden, a huge number of people would line up to receive a consultation, desperate to learn their fate and luck for the year toe.


    Of course, not everyone wouldpletely ept what the fortune-tellers said, but they would still test their luck once or twice for fun. Banking on this tendency, many fortune-tellers had positioned themselves on avable street corners. Davinachon, one of these fortune-tellers, had set himself up by theurel tree. He had been traveling with his grandmother.


    ¡°There are trains running on steel railroads. Magiciansmute by teleportation gates. What about us? We have nothing.¡±


    Hisints fell on deaf ears; his words could never make a difference. His grandmother was very old-fashioned and wouldn¡¯t travel using anything other than a horse-drawn wagon, made using the technology of their ancestors. Although heined, Davinachon had given up on her long ago.


    In reality, wagons were likely the perfect tool for fortune-tellers. Fortune-tellers were nomads that moved from city to city in search of customers. The wagons served as both their legs to walk on and their feet to rest on. When they found a good spot, they could stop their wagon and quickly set up business using the wagon as the base of their store. The only inconvenience was that due to the space that their wagon took up, they couldn¡¯t set up shop in the middle of a city.


    ¡®No, that¡¯s not our biggest problem.¡¯


    They had no customers. The Foundation Day celebration was extraordinarilyrge, yet there wasn¡¯t a single person in sight. The reason why was obvious.


    Every street in Dresden held special events for the Foundation Day festivities, and the other merchants had already taken the best spots on the streets. Therefore, it was unnecessary for people to walk all the way to a run-down hut disced from the rest of the festivities.


    ¡°I told you. We have to get rid of this relic and set up in the center of the city. Damn you.¡±


    As he finishedining, he began to hear a creepy song emanate from the other side of the tent. Goosebumps quickly spread across his body. Though he had heard it hundreds of times, it never failed to unnerve him. The low pitch of the song only served to heighten this effect.


    ¡°I already feel sh*tty today. Can you quit singing? If we¡¯re lucky enough to have customers, your singing will scare them off¡­¡±


    The foreboding song came to an immediate halt.


    An old woman, her face filled with deep wrinkles, shook her head.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, why do you me the song? If people do note, it is because youck faith!¡± ¡°Fine, so what if Ick faith? That song is unnatural! Every time I hear it, my body feels slick with sweat and my heart feels as though it¡¯s been turned to stone!¡±


    ¡°Sacrilege! How dare you look down on our ways? Your ancestors have sung this song since long ago. Our fortune-telling is rooted deeply in this song.¡±


    Davinachon couldn¡¯t respond to her because he knew that she was right; it was not an ordinary song. The song¡¯s lyrics wereposed of mysterious, indescribable words and the strange melody shook the listener¡¯s emotions. Although he hadn¡¯t been travelling for long, Davinachon had visited arge portion of the continent. No matter where he went, nothing he heard came close to that wretched song.


    ¡°From the beginning, this song is a song that we sing when we tell fortunes. We were lucky enough to inherit this song from our ancestors. And it¡¯s ridiculous that you, a fortune-teller, don¡¯t want to hear this song just because you don¡¯t like the melody. Tsk tsk, your fortune-telling is neverplete without this song.¡±


    Before Davinachon could respond, someone knocked on the wagon. He frowned in displeasure.


    ¡°Whatever you say. Just don¡¯t sing it when a customer is here.¡± He spat out his reply and walked to the curtain.


    ¡®I think that¡¯s enough to stop her.¡¯


    Davinachon cleared his throat before addressing his potential customers. ¡°Yes,e on in. The door is open.¡±


    As soon as he saw the customers walking in, he smiled. It was a young couple. ¡®Aha, they are Hebrion Academy students.¡¯


    Davinachon could tell that they were from the Hebrion Academy at first sight. Dresden was a special city because it had the school of Hebrion, thergest school in the continent.


    Many magicians and knights had studied and trained there, and consequently, they had achieved great fame and power.


    ¡®Students are still students, however.¡¯


    Their appearance hinted at nobility. They probably came in to entertain themselves. Davinachon was thinking that he could butter them up with some sugar-coated words. They should then happily pay arge sum of money. They were easy prey in his eyes.


    ¡®They have their linked arms. Must be a couple.¡¯


    It was even easier to swindle couples. He simply had to encourage their rtionship and heap positivements onto them. Most couples would be satisfied as a result. Davinachon rubbed his hands together as his lips curved up into a big smile.


    ¡°Wee! I¡¯m Davinachon. I can sneak a peek at your future and foresee your destiny, measure the strength of your rtionship, or whatever else you desire!¡±


    * * *


    Desir had already contacted everyone in the party using hismunication pad. They agreed to all gather at the theater where the first part of the Chronicles would be presented. This was their original destination anyway.


    Unfortunately, to take the most direct route to the theater, Desir and Adjest would have to cut through the center of town: the Dawn Star za. When Desir saw the sheer size of the mob they would have to force themselves through, he felt his heart drop.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna go through that again.¡± ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to go through that.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make a detour.¡±


    ¡°I like that idea.¡±


    It was a smart idea. The outer district of the city was practically devoid of all festivities. They could hear faint violin music drifting over the walls from the central district, and saw plenty of beautiful flowers that bloomed along the sides of the streets. This detour ended up being a rather scenic route.


    ¡°I like the emptiness.¡±


    It was a long detour but they were able to get to the destination a lot faster without needing to weave their way through tons of people. As they walked down the street, Adjest suddenly stopped walking. ¡°Adjest?¡±


    There was no response.


    Desir turned his head and saw two horses breathing noisily. Next to them was a very old, worn-out wagon with a sign ced out front.


    ¡®Sneak a peek at your future and foresee your destiny and love rtionships - Davinachon.¡¯ ¡®Futures of couples¡­¡¯


    A couple.


    In a rtionship.


    Adjest sighed deeply. These words wandered through her mind and left her dazed. ¡°Adjest, everyone is waiting for us. Let¡¯s hurry up.¡±


    Desir anxiously attempted to get her moving again. Sweat started to build up on his brow. ¡°Wait¡­ ¡±


    Adjest pulled Desir¡¯s arm. She did it without consciously realizing what she was doing. She calmly reasoned with Desir.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll take that long.¡± ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That fortune-telling thing.¡±


    And that¡¯s how she calmly made her first step into the wagon.


    * * *


    The inside of the wagon was incredibly tiny. ¡°I can already foresee what you are here for.¡±


    The inside of the wagon was filled with strange scents. A huge crystal marble reflected clusters of light into a corner of the room. A skull with a big hole in the middle of its forehead and a broken sword¡­ created a cheezy yet spooky vibe.


    Davinachon addressed the couple standing in front of him. ¡°You are here to get a reading on your rtionship?¡±


    A guy with dark hairughed at him. ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯re far off the mark.¡±


    The blonde girl quickly responded. She energetically nodded her head making the guy close his mouth.


    ¡®New lovers. Shy, and embarrassed. This¡¯ll be easy.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Desir Arman.¡± ¡°Adjest Kingscrown.¡± ¡°Great names.¡±


    In Davinachon¡¯s mind, he nned to encourage their rtionship to make them happy and take money in exchange for the over-the-top tteries. For this, he needed to y his part well though, he needed to act things out a little.


    ¡°It will cost you one silver. Of course, you can pay more than that. It would be a great investment for your fortune.¡±


    Desir handed over three silvers before crossing his arms in front of his chest. ¡®This kid¡¯s ballsy.¡¯


    Davinachonughed silently.


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed what I expect from a noble. I have a good feeling about you two.¡±


    Davinachon mumbled in awe while he started shuffling the deck of cards. His hands moved quickly and skillfully. He was well known for fooling people¡¯s eyes with his nimble sleight of hand. He snuck a quick nce to make sure the couple in front of him were staring at the cards. He then put the card that he ¡®intended them to pick¡¯ on top of the stack.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll read the fortune for your rtionship!¡± Davinachon grandly eximed as he started his show. ¡°How dare you try to fool your customers!¡± *Smack*


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    Something cracked Davinachon on his hands and the stack of cards fell out of them. ¡°G¡­ Grandma? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense! You are thest offspring of our n! You shouldn¡¯t be faking a fortune-telling just because you¡¯re tired orzy!¡±


    An old woman with silver hair suddenly barged her way into the hut and began shouting at the fortune-teller. She wielded a long stick in her hand as if it was a spear. Her swing made a loud noise, almost seeming to part the air.


    ¡°Who the hell is the one defiling the sacred art of fortune-telling by deceiving guests! Damn you! It¡¯s you! This stupid tin head did it!¡±


    She continued her verbal and physical assault without taking a breath. ¡°Wa¡­ Wait! Grandma!¡±


    Davinachon tried to block the stick with his arms guarding up, but surprisingly the stick always managed to slip through his defences and strike him urately on his head each time. *Smash*


    ¡°Urrggghhh!¡±

 Chapter 119. National Foundation Day (3)

    <h4>Chapter 119. National Foundation Day (3)</h4>


    The old woman knelt down and bowed her head.


    ¡°I sincerely apologize. My foolish grandson has made such a huge mistake. I didn¡¯t know that he would y a stupid trick like this.¡±


    She earnestly apologized while staring daggers at Davinachon from the corner of her eyes. Davinachon felt her nce and all he could do was rub the back of his head out of embarrassment.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all fine. You even refunded the money. I don¡¯t really have anything to say.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for understanding. If you give me a chance, I can read your future precisely. We tell fortunes using a song passed down by our ancestors. Would you allow me to tell your fortune to expunge our shame?¡±


    ¡°A song?¡±


    Desir was very curious about it. He had never heard about reading futures through the use of a song. When Desir looked at Adjest, she nodded her head in agreement.


    ¡°Thank you so much. We¡¯ll try our best. I think to properly convey our sincerity, my grandson should read your future. I¡¯ll supervise him from right here, so you don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡±


    Davinachon suddenly felt very tired, hearing that he would be reading to that creepy song. ¡°Gr¡­ Grandma?¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth! You better make it up to them double and triple! I¡¯ll sing the song and you read. You learned how to read over my shoulder.¡±


    She announced her decision with utter determination. Her tone left no room for negotiation. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bury you in the ground if you don¡¯t do it well!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯m not the douchebag you think I am.¡±


    Davinachon swept all the trinkets on the table off to the side, and then lit up a stick of incense before immediately blowing it out. He then brought another stick of incense wrapped up in something red. The scent filled up the room entirely. Meanwhile, the old woman arranged some symbolic figures in the cardinal directions.


    Desir and Adjest looked at what they were doing with gazes filled with curiosity. This was definitely quite a novel experience for them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you had to wait.¡±


    The incense immediately ignited into a big me. Davinachon changed into a red robe. In his hands, he was holding an old worn-out stack of leather cards instead of the fancy golden tarot cards he had before. He deeply gazed at Desir and Adjest before sitting down in front of them. ¡°I¡¯ll read your rtionship. Before I start, I need a strand of hair from both of you.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t a hard task. Both Desir and Adjest handed him a strand of hair. Davinachon twisted and knotted the hair. He dropped the string of hair into the me.


    ¡°A person¡¯s hair represents their destiny. The knot represents an intertwining of destiny: the rtionship.¡±


    Dark smoke spilt out from the me and settled on the desk. Davinachonid out the leathered cards. Within a moment, the cards were covered by the smoke and disappeared from view. ¡°Now then, I need to spiritually connect your souls to the cards. For this, we need the song.¡± The old woman started singing in a deep and low tone.


    ¡°DeNa Lado, Kalips. DneLanKaniWai¡­ ¡±


    Desir thought that this turn wasn¡¯t too surprising at all. The song had nothing special going for it excluding the use of an ancientnguage for its lyrics. She was just reading words out loud.


    That was all, he thought. However, there was some strange energy building up in the room that appeared to be rted to the song.


    ¡°¡­DeMoon, LaSiGal, CheBe,¡± and the old woman finished the song.


    ¡°Now, your souls and the cards are connected. You can select a card, but don¡¯t flip it yet. Just look straight ahead.¡±


    Adjest followed his directions. Desir was just sitting down, staring at the cards nkly, so Adjest had to poke his knee to wake him up. Desir quickly selected a card.


    Davinachon received both cards and flipped them.


    One of the cards had a picture of multiple swords.


    ¡°This card represents alliance, strong bond, or a concentration.¡± Davinachon solemnly told them.


    He, then, sighed and closed his eyes. After a while, he loudly exhaled out and opened his eyes. ¡°But, these swords have subtly disconnected. You can see the deviation. Each sword is blocking the word ahead. It is difficult to see positively.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Adjest¡¯s face tensed up.


    Davinachon continued. He now flipped the card Adjest had selected. This card showed a copsed world. Amongst the pieces of debris, there was a pir of a temple standing. If the pir wasn¡¯t there, the card would have looked like a pile of stones and rocks.


    ¡°No matter how solid a temple is built, it will someday copse. There will be decay due to time, rain, snow, and wind. And when it hits its limit, it will copse. It will lose its purpose and be a pile of rocks.¡±


    Davinachon took a breath before continuing.


    ¡°Humans are no different from this. We have a downfall at least once in our life. The heavier the ceiling we support, the heavier burdens and responsibilities we hold. And this makes it all the easier to fall.¡±


    He pointed at the pir.


    ¡°But even though everything falls, there is a pir that perseveres until the end. We know that this card is a temple because of this pir. A thing that still exists even after everything in the world copses. Either of you will be this pir when the other faces a downfall. The person will be the support.¡±


    Davinachon turned to face Adjest squarely.


    ¡°This kind of reading is very rare. I can foresee many hardships in your rtionship, but as you two ovee each of them, one by one, your rtionship will be all the stronger for it.¡± ¡°¡­¡±


    After this, Adjest finally made a small smile.


    A strong rtionship. She couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of rtionship Davinachon was talking about, but she was pretty satisfied with this result.


    The incense was all burnt. The smoke began to swiftly fade away. The reading was done. Without hesitation, Adjest took out a gold coin from her pocket. The old woman refused to receive the gold, saying the reading was an apology for the slight they made before, but Adjest insisted that they take it.


    Out of the blue¡­ ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    Desirughed. He seemed very happy.


    The old woman and Davinachon were surprised and looked at Desir. After a long time, Desir stoppedughing.


    ¡°It was a really great reading. The song was very impressive.¡± Davinachon¡¯s eyes widened. Desir put 10 gold in the box.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go ahead. Thank you for the song.¡±


    As they bid their farewell, Desir and Adjest took off leaving behind a wagon that had been stunned into silence.


    ¡®What the hell just happened?¡¯


    The old woman picked up a coin in the box. She observed it carefully and it was a real gold coin. And she found nine more of the pure gold coins in the box.


    No fortune-teller in the central part of the city could make this in an entire day.


    ¡°Grandma, I had thought that your song was helpless. I hated it. I couldn¡¯t care less if this tradition was cut off in your generation. I was a fool. I was stupid to believe that the song was meaningless.¡±


    Davinachon broke the silence with his rambling.


    ¡°So¡­ What you are saying is that you want to carry this tradition on?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. I finally realized how important it is. If you teach me, I¡¯ll be honored to learn and carry on our tradition.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve longed for the day when you would ask this of me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s only me who can inherit this. Is there anyone else?¡± ¡°Oh, dear¡­ ¡±


    They looked at each other with eyes filled with emotion. When the connection spanning the two generations was finally about to happen, the old woman suddenly frowned.


    ¡°Hell to you!¡± *Thud*


    ¡°What? Why are you mad? I thought you¡¯d be happy!¡±


    ¡°Screw you! Do you think I¡¯d believe you? You only care about money!¡±


    * * *


    Desir surely overpaid the fortune-tellers with 10 gold. Precisely, he paid this much not because he liked the reading, but the method of fortune-telling. Specifically, he liked the ritual and the song that it was based around. Once the old woman started singing, Desir couldn¡¯t pay any attention to the reading, focusing entirely on the song.


    It was a very mysterious song. ording to what the old woman said, the song must have been passed down, generation to generation, over a long period of time. The song had the power to shake his emotions.


    ¡®How?¡¯


    The melody of the song was very ordinary. It didn¡¯t have any special passage, nor could it be described with any particr color. The lyrics were not unique at all, although Desir couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of them.


    ¡®They were just ancient words¡­ ¡±


    But the ancient words definitely moved Desir¡¯s heart.


    ¡®They were just regr words in istion, but the energy in the roompletely changed when they were expressed together in those particr phrases.¡¯


    If the words were arranged in a different order, Desir might have felt differently. ¡®The arrangement of words, harmony¡­ ¡¯


    Desir suddenly felt enlightened. His thoughts suddenly raced in a particr direction and he ended up thinking about magic.


    ¡®I¡¯d never thought about things in this perspective.¡¯


    He quickly thought about the magic structures he used.


    Inversion, dragonnguage, and the tesseract structure. Desir¡¯s magic structure that he newly invented was converting the dragonnguage into spells.


    ¡®The song is very simr to the tesseract in terms of its structure.¡¯


    Both the song and the tesseract magicbined lower levelled spells (words) to create upper levelled spells (verses). But Desir had never thought about the arrangement of these building blocks when he cast a spell using this new magical system. It was as if he was randomly making verses without any concern for the arrangement of the words.


    ¡®When you currently sing it, it¡¯s just words put together meaninglessly.¡¯ As a result, Desir could finish a phrase, but the phrase was pointless.


    ¡®I really can improve my magic!¡¯


    If he could find the bestbination of magic that he could cast in the tesseract structure simultaneously¡­


    ¡®This could be the most brilliant innovation in this world.¡¯

 Chapter 120. The Empire’s Guardian (1)

    <h4>Chapter 120. The Empire¡¯s Guardian (1)</h4>


    ¡°Seriously, where have you been?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for ages!¡±


    When Desir and Adjest reunited with their party members, Pram and Romantica were fuming fervently.


    That was to be expected, because by the time they arrived at the meeting ce, the first part of the Chronicle y was already over.


    ¡°Sorry, there were a lot of people on the streets, so it took some time to get here.¡± Like that, Desir made an excuse.


    Pram and Romantica reluctantly epted his apology, but that didn¡¯t mean their anger had died down.


    Seemingly quite displeased, they vehemently picked out their snacks and constantly annoyed Desir by pointing out things they could y with. It was as if they were trying to getpensation for the time they hadn¡¯t spent with him.


    Being in a good mood, Desir willingly gave in to all of their demands. He even went as far as saving seats for them in an incredibly crowded restaurant.


    At this point, they started getting suspicious if anything had happened during his absence with Adjest.


    ¡°Has Desir ever been that kind before?¡±


    ¡°He seems to be very happy about something. The festival must have been rather fun.¡± Freechel added on to Romantica and Pram¡¯s spections.


    ¡°Hmm, if I had to take a guess, I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s been like that since he started spending more time with Adjest instead of us. Something clearly happened between the two.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Freechel?¡±


    The moment Freechel heard Romantica¡¯s voice, a sudden chill went down her spine. It was winter, so it was still cold, but that chill most definitely was not from the weather. Understanding the situation, Freechel quickly attempted to back-pedal.


    ¡°I, I mean, it¡¯s probably because he¡¯s very happy to be with you, Romantica.¡± ¡°Of course, right?¡±


    As he was busy enjoying the festival at its peak, Desir¡¯smunication pad rang. It was an audio message from Prof. Bridgette.


    It was a request for Desir to go to the Dean¡¯s office immediately.


    Getting a sense that it was quite urgent from her tone of voice, Desir had no choice but to end his break there.


    The other party members tried to return to the academy with Desir, but since he had been the only one that Prof. Bridgette had summoned, he told them to enjoy themselves more before heading back towards the academy.


    When he arrived at the Dean¡¯s office, he could see several professors including Nipleka and Bridgette waiting for him.


    ¡°You barely made it in time.¡±


    As opposed to his usual attire, Nipleka was all dressed up in a fancy suit.


    All too aware of his usual snobbish self, Desir was immediately struck with the image of a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. The image nearly made him lose hisposure, but he was able to distract himself by asking Bridgette a question.


    ¡°What¡¯s the asion?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll exin that in just a moment. First, please follow me.¡±


    The one who answered was Bridgette, who was standing next to him.


    Bridgette headed to her office with Desir in tow.


    The moment he saw several dress suits hanging in a bunch once the door opened, Desir had to press Bridgette for an answer even though he knew it would be discourteous.


    ¡°Professor, this is a bit unexpected.¡±


    ¡°I know that this maye as a shock. It shocked us as well. Not this one¡­ This one won¡¯t do either¡­ ¡±


    In short order, three suits were held up against Desir¡¯s clothes, only to be tossed on the floor. As she held up a lightly checkered shirt to Desir, Bridgette opened her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware that a party is held by the royal family every year on the anniversary of the empire¡¯s founding.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Every year on the founding day, the nobles attended or hosted various parties. The scale of the party and the ss of the nobles that attended said parties was determined by the host¡¯s status and power, and the best of them all was, without a doubt, the party hosted by the royal family.


    The annual party hosted by the royal family was extremely well-known. Not only were important figures invited, but so were the continent¡¯s most powerful figures. It was truly the pinnacle of high society.


    A social party that only the most powerful figures of each nation could attend. It was a ce that lower nobles wouldn¡¯t even dare imagine attending.


    Having finally picked out an adequate suit atst, Bridgette grinned slyly as she opened her mouth.


    ¡°His Majesty said that he wants to meet Hebrion Academy¡¯s best student. It was so sudden that all of the professors were left flustered, but it would be ludicrous to not obey His Majesty¡¯s orders.¡±


    Hearing the story up to that point, Desir was able to fill in the nks. However, there remained one question he couldn¡¯t fathom on his own.


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it have been impossible to select the best student based on the academy¡¯s system?¡±


    Hebrion Academy did rank the students by skill, but the ranks were given based on grade level. This meant that it made it difficult topare students of different grades.


    But Bridgette just smiled as if she had seen thating.


    ¡°Hehe. That¡¯s why we had a meeting. We had to choose between Radoria, Alseria, and you, all ranked first in your respective grades. And do you know what the results were like?¡±


    She spoke quickly in a tone that made her excitement evident.


    ¡°Unanimous, it was unanimous. All of the professors chose you. Even Prof. Pugman agreed that you were the best student! Do you know what that means? It means that you will be representing Hebrion Academy¡¯s students as you attend the royal family¡¯s ball!¡±


    Bridgette¡¯s cheerful voice echoed throughout the room.


    * * *


    Desir was in a carriage apanied by Professor Pugman, headed for Edark¡¯s Pce, to attend the royal party.


    Unlike previous years, this year¡¯s party was said to be held like a masquerade ball.


    Leaning on the door of the bumpy carriage, Desir adjusted his mask. As wasmon for a masquerade, the maskpletely hid his face.


    He saw this as a great opportunity. ¡®This is an unexpected gain.¡¯


    He had been trying to figure out how to get close to the Emperor anyway. And as if right on time, the Emperor had invited him to his party first. That proved just how noteworthy Desir¡¯s achievements had been.


    ¡®¡­ I have a rough idea of what he wants, so I might as well start nning my response.¡¯ As Desir was lost in his thoughts, Pugman turned his head to face him.


    ¡°His Majesty is being kind enough to show you what it¡¯s like in the upper ss, so I rmend you keep your mouth shut. Needlessly rambling will only reveal your limited insight.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to care about me so much.¡± Professor Nipleka pursed his lips at Desir¡¯s response.


    ¡°If it was up to me, I¡¯d enjoy watching you get ridiculed by the other nobles after your identity is revealed. However, the fact that you¡¯re Hebrion Academy¡¯s representative prevents me from taking any pleasure in doing so. The academy¡¯s honor mustn¡¯t be tarnished.¡±


    ¡°How touching, indeed.¡±


    ¡°You always need to have thest word, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your wonderful teaching.¡±


    The carriage reached its destination. Pugman and Desir did ast check, to ensure their masks were securely attached.


    Truth be told, Pugman didn¡¯t gain any anonymity by wearing a mask. His presence was so distinct that it made it trivial to guess who he was.


    As they entered the pce, the party hall¡¯s impressive interior came into sight.


    The jewels that adorned the interior dazzled brightly as the light bounced off. It almost seemed like jewels were moremon in this pce than pebbles on the sidewalk.


    Despite being overly extravagant, the artistic value in this room was undeniably outstanding. Even Desir, who was often unfazed by disys of wealth or power, felt his jaw drop an inch. Even the rather luxuriously decorated Hebrion Academy looked in inparison to the Royal Pce¡¯s banquet hall.


    By the time Desir and Pugman had arrived, there were already quite a number of people upying the area.


    Despite their faces being hidden, the elegance that exuded from their every little movement made it clear that they weren¡¯t ordinary people.


    Stately music filled the party hall.


    The people at the party talked to each other naturally despite not being able to see each other¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be going off to mingle. I¡¯ll have the carriage stand by, so leave whenever you wish, although the faster you leave, the better.¡±


    Pugman added on as he got up from his chair. ¡°I hope we don¡¯t cross paths again.¡±


    ¡°My thoughts exactly.¡±


    Desir looked around as he sipped on a drink at his table. Some people had already started dancing after finding partners.


    ¡®Now, what do I need to do?¡¯


    Desir hadn¡¯te to this ce to admire the surroundings. Nor had hee to enjoy the delicious food.


    His goal was to get close to the Emperor.


    ¡®And the Emperor himself wants to meet me as well.¡¯


    The Emperor had said that he ¡®wanted to see¡¯ Hebrion Academy¡¯s best student. But with the party being a masquerade ball, he couldn¡¯t have meant that he just wanted a glimpse from afar.


    Desir thought of two reasons why the Emperor could have changed the party to a masquerade ball.


    First, to keep hismoner status from getting exposed.


    And second, for the Emperor to keep himself out of the spotlight at the party.


    Combining these two reasons, the conclusion he drew was that the Emperor wanted to meet him while out of the public¡¯s eye.


    He was sure that the Emperor was within the crowds.


    Desir¡¯s eyes moved quickly, scanning the crowds of people within the party hall.


    A person busy talking with others, a person that sipped his drink through lips that their mask didn¡¯t cover, a person that got embarrassed as his identity was exposed.


    And.


    ¡°Thank you foring on such short notice.¡± A person that was approaching him.

 Chapter 121. The Empire’s Guardian (2)

    <h4>Chapter 121. The Empire¡¯s Guardian (2)</h4>


    The man that was walking towards Desir had concealed his face with a white mask.


    He was at least two feet taller than Desir and had a fairlyrge build. Like the other guests, he was in a suit, but his outfit looked a bit simple inparison to the other attendees. It was in dark blue.


    The aura that he exuded was noticeably different from the other guests. His overwhelming energy leaked out with everyrge stride he took, and his dignity overflowed from his broad shoulders.


    Desir was certain. This person was the very Emperor of Hebrion.


    Guiltian Zedgar F Rogfs.


    The one who had been titled the Empire¡¯s Guardian for bringing the civil war to an end.


    He was the Emperor who quickly stabilized a frenzied empire torn apart by a civil war, leading it to its full restoration.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Desir got up from his seat and greeted him with a slight nod.


    Normally, this sort of behavior towards the Emperor would lead him straight to the guillotine, but Guiltian merely scoffed lightly.


    ¡°You seem to have somemon sense.¡±


    After sitting across from Desir, Guiltian encouraged him to sitfortably.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a rather unique position. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already well aware of that yourself.¡± Understanding what Guiltian was referring to, Desir nodded.


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Good.¡±


    Desir could feel Guiltian making a sly smile, even though the only thing visible behind the white mask were two chilly eyes.


    ¡°If you¡¯re aware of your position then I assume you¡¯ll understand what I¡¯m about to say. Are you aware that your presence feels like a threat to people like us?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by threat? I¡¯m honored by your high opinion of me, but I¡¯m just a mere student.¡±


    The moment Desir finished answering, he felt a chill travel down his backside. ¡°Are you mocking me?¡±


    The Emperor¡¯s two eyes, the only thing he could be seen through the white mask, were frighteningly cold.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been getting a lot of internal support from themoners. It seems like some nobles have recently begun advocating for you as well.¡±


    As Guiltian said, after the Party Competition, many of the nobles who had maintained a neutral rtionship with themoners started being more amicable.¡±


    It didn¡¯t feel right to say that the change meant that they were advocating for Desir himself, but it wasn¡¯tpletely wrong either.


    Desir couldn¡¯t deny his words.


    ¡°And internationally you¡¯ve been building a rtionship with the Magic Tower, and in some nations, you¡¯re even being hailed as a hero.¡±


    Guiltian¡¯s cold words continued.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an ipetent fellow who will regard someone like that as a ¡®mere student,¡¯ Desir Arman.¡±


    At his unexpected reaction, Desir held his breath. ¡°Which is why I want you.¡±


    And as if nothing had ever happened, Guiltian had reverted back to the way he was when they¡¯d first met.


    ¡®It was an act.¡¯


    An act to take control of the conversation. Even Desir was momentarily overwhelmed. ¡°¡­ May I ask why?¡±


    Guiltian expressed his thoughts in an extremely calm tone. ¡°To strengthen the royal family¡¯s position.¡±


    It was an extremely calm tone.


    ¡°Hebrion Empire may look peaceful from the outside, but it is actually in an unstable position. It¡¯s been like this since I took the throne.¡±


    In the past, when amoner revolt known as the Revolutionary Army upied Dresden¡¯s Royal Pce, the child Emperor was beheaded without a chance to leave behind any descendants and Hebrion¡¯s royal bloodline consequently died out.


    At the time, the Rogfs family was considered to be next in line since they carried the blood of Hebrion Empire¡¯s first Emperor, Rusphena Hebrion.


    For that reason, Guiltian was able to receive the full support of four noble families and lead the united army of five families to win the war against the Revolutionary Army. This brought the civil war to an end in just a year.


    Like that, the current royal family became the Rogfs, and Guiltian Zedgar F Rogfs became the Emperor.


    No one dared oppose the head of the Rogfs family being crowned Emperor. His bloodline had session rights and, as an individual, he boasted great achievements.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s been a long time since the rebellion, the nobles are still oppressing themoners.¡±


    The nobles were afraid that history would repeat itself in the hands of themoners, and to prevent that, the nobles continued to do everything they could to suppress them.


    ¡°But the times have changed. Themoners have be much more aware of the disparity in their treatment. Moreover, with the advancements made in magic and engineering, it has be especially easy formoners to grab hold of power that could kill the nobles.¡± Looking at numbers alone, themoners overwhelm the nobles. If arge groupunched an attack equipped with modern magical equipment, there was no guarantee that the royal family would be able to withstand it like they had in the past.


    ¡°Themoners are no longer a presence that can be neglected. This kind of oppression will only lead to another civil war. I cannot continue to overlook this.¡±


    Desir agreed with him. If the discrimination against themoners continued on like this, he truly believed that a second civil war could take ce.


    ¡°That is why I have always tried to prioritize the convenience of themoners, even if it meant severing ties with several families. I continued allowingmoners to enrol in Hebrion Academy, and apart from punishing the Revolutionary Army, I¡¯ve always treatedmoners fairly.¡±


    The nobles despised themoners and demanded harsher punishments, but the Emperor refused.


    ¡°Consumed by the momentary rage and hatred, our nobility has allowed themselves to be blinded from reality. s, how foolish. Those who have been chosen to rule should prioritize practical benefits over all else. Instead, they¡¯ve been caught up in their personal prejudices.¡± The nobles still viewed the hierarchy as though it was an ancient feudal society.


    ¡°But the discrimination against the Beta ss at Hebrion Academy has only worsened to the point where having a decent learning environment is almost impossible.¡±


    ¡°It was hard to ask for more when the Professors were already so strongly against even allowingmoners to enroll in the academy. But just as I was worrying about it, you appeared.¡±


    The appearance of Desir Arman was nothing short of a miracle.


    Desir Arman immediately made a name for himself by taking the top ranking spot for his year as amoner. Not even a yearter, he formed a party almost entirelyposed ofmoners and cleared a Level Four Shadow World.


    And more than anything, he thwarted the terrorist attacks of the Outsiders in the Priche Empire and managed to protect the kings of the Western Kingdom Union.


    Who else could have achieved this?


    Commoners went wild at his presence. They cheered at the birth of a great magician. He was a hero.


    ¡°What I want to say is that we have simr goals. Don¡¯t you want to free themoners from the oppression of the nobles?


    ¡°¡­ You want to keep the nobles in check.¡± ¡°You catch on fast.¡±


    The moment he finished his sentence, the dancing and music in the party hall came to a stop too. The people that had been dancing in the center of the hall dispersed like a low tide. Sound filled therge hall as new conversations began.


    ¡°Come work for me.¡±


    ¡°It would be an honor. I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    Desir answered immediately.


    With a request like this, he couldn¡¯t hesitate before answering. He couldn¡¯t make it seem like he was weighing the pros and cons.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good attitude.¡±


    Creating a connection with the Emperor.


    This was what Desir had wanted all along.


    If he had support from the ruler of a nation, it would be extremely beneficialter on when he started training a military force to fight against the Shadow Labyrinth.


    ¡®And it may be a chance to get close to Raphaello as well.¡¯ Raphaello Cheringer.


    One of the greatest swordsmen from the Cheringer bloodline. He was one of the strongest human beings who had reached the end of the Shadow Labyrinth with Desir in his previous life.


    He was most likely the currentmander of the Imperial Knights, so creating a connection with the Emperor would make it easier to get close to him.


    ¡®Let¡¯s see if we can be a little greedy¡­ ¡¯


    The Emperor was the one who made the request, so there was still a bit of leverage that Desir could take advantage of.


    ¡°However, I have one condition.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s something I can grant, then I¡¯ll do what I can.¡±


    ¡°I understand that the Western Kingdom Union has requested an alliance with the Hebrion Empire during their war on the Outsiders through the Magic Tower.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±


    ¡°But you denied the request.¡±


    ¡°The Western Kingdom Union is a potential enemy of Hebrion Empire. As for the Outsiders, it goes without saying. Is there a particr reason to help them? I say let our enemies fight amongst themselves.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand your deeper intentions, butmon sense won¡¯t work on the Outsiders. If they aren¡¯t taken care of this time, the Hebrion Empire will eventually have to deal with a situation with the Outsiders stabbing us in the back while we are preupied. Instead, it will be better to knock them down once and for all for the nation¡¯s future benefit.


    Benefit.


    With a sigh of contemtion, the Emperor took a deep breath. ¡°So what is it that you¡¯re requesting?¡±


    ¡°I want you to help with humanity¡¯smon enemy. Promise to dispatch troops to deal with the threat the Outsiders pose, and send backup to the Wester Kingdom Union immediately. This is my condition.¡±

 Chapter 122. The Empire’s Guardian (3)

    <h4>Chapter 122. The Empire¡¯s Guardian (3)</h4>


    Music began to fill the hall again, and voices died back down as the party soon returned to full swing. This time it was an extremely lyrical melody. The piano and cello¡¯s harmony rang out sorrowfully in the party hall.


    However, even with everything going around them, Guiltian¡¯s eyes were blisteringly cold. This time, it wasn¡¯t an act.


    ¡°Do you understand what you¡¯re asking for right now? You¡¯re asking me to stop the sun from rising.¡±


    Desir hung his head as he responded.


    ¡°I¡¯m making this earnest request, knowing full well how disrespectful my actions are.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. Getting rid of the Outsiders at this time may be the best choice for the nation.¡±


    Guiltian expressed his agreement towards Desir¡¯s opinion.


    If Hebrion Empire were to join hands with the Western Kingdom Union to drive the Outsiders back, the two nations could sessfully put the events of the past behind them and get rid of any lingering anxieties.


    In addition, the Emperor of Hebrion could acquire a valuable tool - Desir. He would be able to gain the support of themoners like he had wished to.


    There was no reason to decline.


    ¡®The only problem would be the bacsh from the nobles who still hold a grudge against the Western Kingdoms¡­ ¡¯


    The conflict between the Western Kingdom Union and Hebrion Empire was deeply engraved in the history of the nations and dated back centuries. This fact has influenced matters to this day.


    With the appearance of the Shadow Worlds, the two empires made peace. But as if it were coded into their DNA, the animosity between the two nations hadn¡¯t disappeared.


    ¡®A short term issue for long term gain¡­ ¡¯


    There was still lingering tension between the two nations, but in the present day, it had be less noticeable.


    It was possible that some nobles still opposed the nations¡¯ cooperation, but it wouldn¡¯t be hard to convince them.


    The Empire¡¯s Guardian, Guiltian Zedar F Rogfs.


    Something like that was a matter too easy for him to address.


    But if he was still hesitating to ept Desir¡¯s proposal, it meant that there was another hidden reason.


    As if he could read Desir¡¯s innermost thoughts through his eyes, Guiltian started speaking. ¡°The reason I¡¯m not epting your proposal is not because it¡¯s hard to do. It is far too suspicious of an offer to passively agree to. Why is the destruction of the Outsiders so important to you?¡±


    Guiltian was expecting Desir to set additional conditions. And as expected, Desir did. However, it was an unexpected request. Even if he were to fulfill those conditions, there was nothing for Desir to gain. Therefore it was natural to be off-put by his proposal.


    Desir replied, unshaken. ¡°It¡¯s to survive.¡±


    ¡°To survive.¡±


    ¡°The Outsiders are a big threat. And I have ruined many of their ns. I¡¯m most likely already regarded as an enemy that must be eliminated.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. Your presence is like a thorn in their side.¡±


    ¡°All the Outsiders must be taken care of to ensure my own safety. No jewel out there is more important than my safety, so I proposed a condition that is the most beneficial to me.¡±


    Desir had already anticipated that the emperor would be doubtful of his proposal. And as the very person who had ruined the Outsiders¡¯ ns until now, he had prepared a reasonable justification.


    Guiltian spoke with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Yet you didn¡¯t limit your target to the Outsiders, but instead you¡¯ve broadened your target to humanity¡¯smon enemy.¡±


    The Emperor keenly pointed out the loopholes in Desir¡¯s argument.


    But Desir had seen thating as well.


    ¡°The main goal of my proposal is not the purging of Outsiders, but rather, the reconciliation of the two nations.¡±


    The reconciliation of Hebrion Empire and the Western Kingdom Union.


    That was currently Desir¡¯s most ambitious goal.


    ¡°To be honest, the Outsiders aren¡¯t an immediate threat. They are quite troublesome, but not to the point of bing a genuine threat to the nation.¡±


    Guiltian nodded at Desir¡¯s words.


    ¡°However, I am always concerned about a threat that may strike us at any moment. To prepare for that day, I believe that all unnecessary conflict should stop and that we should join forces.¡± He didn¡¯t think that simple tactics would persuade the emperor.


    ¡°For example, something like the level of the Shadow Worlds suddenly increasing could happen.¡±


    ¡°Something like that is impossible.¡± ¡°There is nothing we can be certain of.¡±


    For this reason, Desir had no choice but to reveal some of the truth.


    ¡°If the whole of humanity is threatened, it¡¯s everyone¡¯s safety that needs to be ensured. However, my safety is also included in there, so I think it¡¯s a beneficial proposal for me as well.¡±


    Guiltian probed Desir with a suspicious gaze.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll give up a definite gain for a threat that may or may not exist.¡±


    ¡°As long as there is uncertainty, we must be prepared. If we find ourselves in such a situation, it¡¯ll already be toote. That is why I¡¯m putting forward this proposal. This time, exterminating the threat of the Outsiders will be the start of an alliance between the Western Kingdom Union and Hebrion Empire.¡±


    The threat that the Outsiders posed had been revealed.


    Through their past actions, the Outsiders made it clear they were willing to sacrifice many innocents in their quest for revenge and eventual equality.


    ¡®Which is why I¡¯ll make use of you.¡¯


    Desir decided to turn the Outsiders into a rallying cry for a better world.


    The presence of the Outsiders would be used as a starting point to unite humanity. The threats in in sight would be used as the foundation of an alliance to prepare for the Shadow Labyrinth.


    Guiltian, who was silently listening to Desir¡¯s ims, closed his eyes and thought for a moment before opening them to speak.


    ¡°Alright. I ept your condition. However, some parts of your proposal remain ambiguous.


    How many troops do you want to send to the Western Kingdom Union? What qualifies as an alliance with the Western Kingdom Union?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave that up to you.¡± ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡®There is no way he¡¯d determine that a disaster like a Shadow Labyrinth isn¡¯t a threat.¡¯


    Back then, even without a proposal like this, all nearby nations joined forces to fight against the Shadow Labyrinth.


    Which is why Desir didn¡¯t feel the need to make any additional demands.


    After he made his point, Desir kept quiet. Saying anything else could make the Emperor grow suspicious, which would only make more problems for him in the future. Desir knew where he should draw the line.


    ¡°You¡¯ve maintained a moderate position.¡± Guiltian seemed pleased by Desir¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°From now on, to stand up to humanity¡¯smon enemy, Hebrion Empire will dispatch troops strong enough to defeat the Outsider threat. And following that, we will also dispatch troops to the Western Kingdom Union who is currently at war with the Outsiders. In exchange, you will pledge allegiance to me from today forth.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Excellency. I will do my best.¡± ¡°Our conversation today was quite enjoyable.¡±


    Guiltian took something out from his pockets as he rose from his seat. ¡°You¡¯ll be needing this from now on, since you¡¯ll be working for me.¡±


    The medallion was made of gold, with beautiful patterns exquisitely engraved into it.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be easier to think of this as an identification card. You¡¯ll be able to freely use the teleportation gates if you show that to the guards.¡± ¡°¡­ !¡±


    The teleportation gates.


    Gates were structures enchanted with teleportation magic. They allowed one to arrive at their destination in mere seconds, no matter how far away the destination was.


    However as they were only open for the usage of VIPs and for various military purposes, Desir couldn¡¯t ess them. No matter how famous he became, he would never have ess to them.


    But he had just been given the authority to ess them as he pleased. ¡°I hope we can continue this good rtionship.¡±


    Guiltian walked away. In an instant, he blended in with the other masked individuals, and soon, he had disappeared.


    * * *


    Desir returned to the Hebrion Academy. The other members of his party hadn¡¯t returned yet, as the office was still deserted.


    After brewing some tea, he took a seat on the sofa and organized his thoughts. Once he got a whiff of the tea¡¯s aroma, his thoughts seemed to straighten out.


    ¡®A lot of things happened today.¡¯


    Desir had persuaded the Emperor during their conversation to sympathize with the Western Kingdom Union.


    ¡®For now, Hebrion Empire has agreed to support the Western Kingdom Union, so the Outsiders are more or less dealt with. They probably won¡¯t have the leeway to continue rampaging as they have been so far.¡¯


    For the moment, he had taken enough direct action. The Emperor didn¡¯t oppose the idea as much as Desir had expected, so their discussion ended quickly.


    ¡®And I¡¯ve even been given permission to use the teleportation gate.¡¯


    The golden medallion he had received from the Emperor felt heavy in his pocket.


    Until now, it had taken a long time to travel to the Western Kingdom Union. This meant that visits were hard to arrange.


    But now that he was authorized to use the teleportation gate, he could arrive in an instant without wasting any time.


    ¡®I could even go to see how Zod is progressing on his research. I¡¯ve been too busy with my own affairs, to take the time and go visit him¡­¡¯


    But his biggest achievement today by far was that he hade up with an idea to improve his new magic spell.


    ¡®The importance of its arrangement. Moving forward, I¡¯ll have to figure out which arrangement works best for each form by trying them out one by one.¡¯


    It was going to require an immense amount of effort. After all, he could think of at least ten thousand possiblebinations off the top of his head.


    ¡®But I have to do it. Currently, it¡¯s the only way to improve the power of my magic.¡¯ As he finished organizing his thoughts, heid down on the sofa to rx.


    Outside the window, he could see snowkes gracefully falling from the sky. It was a wintery night.


    The anniversary of the nation¡¯s founding was almost over.


    Desir pulled out a piece of paper that listed all of the events that happened in his past that he had taken the time to record, before they started to fade from his memory.


    The paper was filled with notes. Each event was recorded with its rtive importance and its rough date. Likest year, this year was filled with incidents of various importance.


    Among those events, Desir¡¯s eyes were fixed on one point. 3614, the appearance of higher tiered Shadow Worlds.


    Since returning to the past, there wasn¡¯t much time left until the first wave of higher leveled Shadow Worlds appeared.

 Chapter 123. Starling Party (1)

    <h4>Chapter 123. Starling Party (1)</h4>


    After the Founding Day celebration ended, winter vacation began.


    Romantica left on the train to the Prillecha Empire. She was unwilling to leave, but couldn''t turn down her parents¡¯ request toe home for the holiday.


    Her trip home was unavoidable, but Desir made sure to emphasize that she needed to continue practicing her imagery training during the vacation. This was both a necessity and the fastest way to ensure she could safely enter the Fourth-Circle.


    Freechel and Takiran also left for their hometowns like Romantica.


    Desir gave them their own assignments to allow them to be productive and to keep them from frittering away their time justzing about.


    Pram, Adjest, and Desir stayed in the academy. They had no ce to go, so they decided to stay and focus on their training.


    With renewed vigor and the recently afforded extra time to focus on his training, Pram had be rather proficient in using his aura.


    Pram had grown stronger by ending his reliance on his nk?um rapier. He could now bring out his full power with ordinary swords.


    At first, Pram couldn¡¯t control his aura very well and ended up breaking many of these ordinary swords. When he called forth his aura, the swords would crumble under the pressure. Up until now, he had only used his nk?um rapier that boasted the ability of holding an infinite amount of aura. As a result, he had never needed to improve the fine control of his aura.


    Pram¡¯s training had been aplete sess. He could now control the strength and intensity of the aura infused in his sword, drastically boosting his overall fighting ability.


    At this point, Pram was at a level that made it difficult for a wizard, like Desir, to offer further advice on.


    Fortunately, there was a suitable person avable to offer the much needed mentoring at the Hebrion Academy.


    Hersaint-nc Tistachia.


    He served as the master of the Knights of the Golden Hawk and was now a professor at the Hebrion Academy.


    In the future, he would earn the nickname ¡°Knight of Dawn¡± and contribute greatly to the clearing of the Shadow Labyrinth.


    Hersaint-nc was one of the few top-ss Bishop-Rank swordsmen in the kingdom.


    Since Desir could no longer offer effective advice to Pram, he could only approach Hersaint-nc and ask him to mentor Pram.


    After Desir had pledged allegiance to the Emperor, a sort of cooperative rtionship was easily established with the Emperor¡¯s closest swordsman, Hersaint-nc. Due to this mutual understanding, he was more than happy to ept Desir¡¯s request.


    Adjest was finally able to achieve the Fourth-Circle. It only ended up taking her three months to reach the required level ofpetency in using her imagery sense. While this had seemed like an eternity to her, reaching the Fourth-Circle at her age demonstrated her outrageous talent.


    Her talents far exceeded themonsense and left Hebrion Academy¡¯s curriculum in shame inparison


    Desir felt he couldn¡¯t be left behind, so he also devoted himself to his training.


    A clue on how he could improve his new magic system had finally been found. All that remained was tranting this theory into practice.


    Winter break gave him the perfect opportunity to seek out a perfectbination for at least one of his spells.


    Although there were thousands of ways his basic arrays and formations could bebined into new spells, only a handful of these would produce powerful yet cost-effective spells. Desir knew it would be very difficult to find the perfect formation for a single spell, due to the number ofbinations that needed to be considered, multiplied by the fundamental nature of this new magic system. This magic system had a structure reminiscent of the Tesseract artifact he had seen Crow mask use, meaning multiple magic spells needed to be calcted simultaneously.


    Desir decided toplete his new spells one by one. First, he selected some of the most versatile magic amongst the Third-Circle spells and began experimenting.


    However, there was one significant problem with this process:


    In order to verify the effect of changing the arrangement of magic formations in the spell, it was necessary for him to invoke thebination. However, considering that the magical power required to fuel these spells was typically at a level higher than the Fifth-Circle, he would struggle to find a suitable ce to practice.


    Even though the Hebrion Academy is well equipped, even their training grounds could not hold up against Fifth-Circle magic.


    ¡®But I will not give up with just this road block.¡¯


    Desir thus got in contact with Zod and suggested that he test the defence of the Aurora System. Doing this, he could hit two birds with the same stone. He could ascertain howplete the Aurora System was, while also improving his magic system.


    As soon as Zod approved the request, Desir headed straight to Althea, where the headquarters of the Magic Tower was located. The Hebrion Empire and Althea were not close, but this was no longer a problem as the Emperor had given Desir permission to use the transportation gate as he saw fit.


    The experiment began with Zod running the Aurora System in arge, open space.


    The Aurora System whirred to life. The magic stones powering it began to hum. Arge film shot across the ground,pletely covering it from any assault. This technology was the culmination of years of dedicated research by the future Zod Exarion, widely referred to as the Great Sage.


    Using his new magic system, Desir mentally formted his first arrangement, and invoked the spell, firing it straight at the barrier cast by the Aurora System.


    The ground shook as a spell equivalent to the Fifth-Circle struck the shield. *Grrrrr*


    A deafening st threatened to burst their eardrums while the ground continued to shake as though it was the epicentre of a major earthquake.


    But that was it. The Aurora System hadpletely neutralized Desir¡¯s magic without leaving behind any trace of it. Furthermore, the shield was still in perfect condition; its defensive powerpletely unaffected by Desir¡¯s literal earth-shaking power¡­


    Zod checked the Aurora System to make sure it was still working properly and shortly afterwards informed Desir of the results.


    ¡°The power of that magic is weaker than the previous one. Desir, how¡¯s the mana consumption of that spell? ¡±


    ¡°No change. Rather, it must have been an inefficient arrangement.¡±


    Desir continued to study new arrays and repeatedly experimented with newbinations, but this didn¡¯t mean he spent all of his vacation on these experiments.


    He recalled the details of incidents from his past life, not yet forgotten, and gave simple advice where necessary to avoid idents from uring.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t it been a long time since youst inspected the power source installed in each Magic Tower? Just in case, it would probably be a good idea to conduct arge-scale audit at least once.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Zod always heeded Desir¡¯s advice. After just a few days, a full investigation of each location¡¯s power generation had beenpleted.


    ¡°You were right. I found a power pipe leaking at one of our branches. This could have led to a major incident. By the end of the year, a branch could have been frozen and suffered great losses.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Through Desir¡¯s directions and Zod¡¯s diligence, the many disasters that gued the Magic Tower of Desir¡¯s time werepletely avoided. Such incidents ranged from minor mishaps all the way to severe catastrophes.


    The Magic Tower wasn¡¯t the only recipient of Desir¡¯s advice. He also regrlymunicated with the Western Kingdom Union through Prisci.


    Meanwhile, the battle between the Western Kingdom Union and the Outsiders was still underway.


    At first, it seemed as though the war would freeze in an eternal stalemate, the two powers equally matched for one another. However, thanks to Desir¡¯s interference, the scales tipped drastically when the Hebrion Empire joined the Western Kingdom Union.


    The alliance between the Hebrion Empire and the Western Kingdom Union had been much more effective than expected. By sharing intel with each other and establishing strategies together, the movement of coalition forces had be more efficient and easier.


    As a result, the number of active hotspots of Outsider activity plunged swiftly and steadily, and by the end of Hebrion Academy¡¯s winter vacation, the Outsiders had begun to group up in a desperatest stand against the coalition forces.


    The allied forces judged that this was the opportunity to exterminate the threat of the Outsiders once and for all, so they poured almost all of their resources into the northern ins of Adenia where the Outsiders had rallied.


    Lines of troops stood in formation on opposite ends of the ins. The two groups stood off, monitoring and probing each other.


    Amidst the stand-off, small-scale skirmishes asionally broke out.


    As the Outsiders weren¡¯tmitting to a full assault, and were heavily entrenched on their end of the ins, it seemed like this stand-off was not going to be resolved in the short-term. ¡®It looks like thest struggle of a rodent caught in a rat trap¡­ ¡¯


    If so, defeating this band of criminals wouldpletely wipe out the Outsiders forces.


    But Desir felt a rising sense of difort. So far, the Outsiders had yet to y one of their strongest pieces.


    ¡°Crow mask still hasn¡¯t made an appearance here, or anywhere else for that matter.¡±


    Desir received his information from Prisci who was participating directly in this Battle of the ins.


    ¡°It¡¯s really strange.¡±


    Desir tried to make sense of this discrepancy.


    If the Outsiders lost this battle, their fate was as good as sealed.


    It was truly perplexing that they would keep a wizard on the level of the Crow Mask in reserve. He should have shown up by now.


    In his past life, the Outsiders had never made a move like this. Desir wasn¡¯t able to solve this with his knowledge of the past, like he could fix the power leak or find Pram a mentor. The Outsiders were a rogue element, where Desir had no trick up his sleeve, nothing to guide his actions. All he could do was provide his insight and give rmendations on which tactics to pursue and what to be wary of.


    ¡°They may be nning something. Please remain careful.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    As the vacation came to an end, Desir had managed to achieve tangible results in his magical system research. He sessfully developed spells powerful enough to affect the Aurora System. Zod looked in sheer incredulity at the cracks that tarnished his pride and joy.


    ¡°It seems this spell is a bit too much of a heavy burden on the Aurora System. It has power that is less than the Sixth-Circle, but definitely amongst the higher tiers of Fifth-Circle spells. What makes this incredible though, is that the base of it is formed purely out of Third-Circle spells.¡±


    In addition to the increase in power, the mana consumed has been greatly reduced by interweaving and arranging the corresponding spell arrays so that they were simultaneously derived, instead of being derived one at a time.


    It was a bit of a let down that Desir had only managed to improve a single spell to this level, but being able to sessfully improve upon his magic system in the end, he could not help being excited none-the-less.


    His choice to focus on the ordering of spells in the arrays had ended up being the right decision.


    He had now proven that the power and efficiency of his spells could be improved by re-arranging the spell arrays, and further work would doubtlessly achieve further results in the future.


    After much trial and error, Desir had started to get a feel for the optimal arrangement of spells. It probably wouldn¡¯t take too much longer to find perfect arrangements for his other spells.


    It was finally time for the new semester to begin.

 Chapter 124. Starling Party (2)

    <h4>Chapter 124. Starling Party (2)</h4>


    Thest remnants of snow had melted and green sprouts started pushing their way out of the ground.


    And just like past years, the start of spring signified the start of a new school year at the Hebrion Academy.


    Excluding Takiran, all of the Desir party¡¯s members had be sophomores this semester, and were now obligated to take on the role of mentoring.


    A mentor¡¯s responsibilities were simple. They had to guide the applicants around the academy, ensure they arrive safely at the exam and understand what is required from them, and finally, they had to give them a tour of the various facilities in the academy if the mentee manages to pass the exam.


    The proportion of applicants for the exam had changed drastically inparison to previous years. Typically, there had always been many more nobles thanmoners. For some reason though, this proportion had been reversed in this year¡¯s applicants.


    The origins of the students also varied greatly from the usual. Although the prestige of Hebrion Academy attracted a lot of international students in general, this year the proportion of international students was very high.


    ¡°Why did you apply for admission to the Hebrion Academy?¡±


    Applicants were surveyed by The Eden Times, a renowned newspaper publishingpany that regrly covered the annual entrance ceremony at the academy.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of Desir Arman. Who wouldn¡¯t want to go to the same school as a person like him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always heard it¡¯s a really good academy, however, I was hesitant to join after hearing about the discrimination againstmoners. I¡¯m now hearing that this has improved considerably in recent years, so I have no reason to apply to any other school.¡±


    Meanwhile, Desir busied himself checking the list of applicants. After a few hours, he found one that caught his eye:


    Ronde Fizzlebang.


    Specializing in fire magic, he mainly used precision bombing spells; demonstrating a far higher single target damage than anyone else in his age group.


    He was well and truly a first-ss talent. This much couldn¡¯t be denied, as long as one only looked at his ability.


    He had a major w though. ¡®This one is rather cheeky.¡¯


    Recalling his prior life, Desir remembered how Ronde had problems maintaining human rtionships due to his personality. He eventually quit school.


    As a nobleman, he was eligible to join the Alpha ss, so Desir could only sigh in helplessness. Ronde should have been able to grow to much greater heights, had he continued attending school.


    ¡®If I lead him from the shadows, he will be able to climb to a tremendous level.¡¯


    Desir thought highly of Ronde¡¯s potential. He didn''t doubt that Ronde would y a big role in theing battles, if he could count on him being by his side.


    Fortunately, before Ronde¡¯s admission, the walls dividing the two sses of students had already been mostly broken, so Desir was ready and able to recruit him.


    Desir decided to try to get Ronde into his party first.


    Mentors rarely chose their mentee directly, but Desir was able to be his mentor by simply expressing his desire to take Ronde.


    When Professor Bridgette¡¯s guidance session ended, signaling the start of the pre-exam period where mentor and the mentee met, Desir could easily recognize Ronde from a distance.


    He saw a boy with ming red hair.


    Ronde was leaning his back against the wall, hands tucked into his pockets.


    With his menacing eyes, he looked rather vicious. Even students already enrolled in the academy chose to steer clear of him.


    Desir was familiar with his personality, so he managed to remain calm.


    However, the grand stratagems he devised to tempt the boy into joining his party were for naught.


    ¡°Desir? Is it true that you¡¯re my mentor? Sir?


    The moment Desir approached Ronde, the mental fortitude he had preemptively prepared waspletely extinguished.


    All he could see in front of him was a boy filled with pure admiration.


    Ronde enthusiastically asked Desir to shake hands and all but radiated puppy dog eyes for an autograph.


    ¡°I¡¯ve really wanted to meet you! I¡¯ve read a countless number of articles about you, but the most surprising was about how you defeated the great demon in Deltaheim!¡±


    He frenziedly peppered Desir with question after question, barely managing to take short breaths in between.


    ¡°How on earth could you arrange magic with such destructive power? Can I learn such magic when I enter here?¡±


    To say Ronde was a big fan of Desir was an understatement.


    Desir, in turn, could only wryly respond with a bitter smile.


    ¡°You can¡¯t learn magic like that from just entering the Hebrion Academy.¡± ¡°Is that true? That¡¯s disappointing¡­ ¡±


    ¡°But if you join my party, I can teach you.¡±


    For a moment, his eyes shed with deep traces of desire.


    ¡°Seriously?! Are you really sure? Then, of course, I have to sign up! If I pass the entrance exam, I will definitely join your party!¡±


    After a while, he added.


    ¡°Oh, and Sir! Can I address you as a brother? I¡¯ve wanted to be of use to you for the longest of times.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Suit yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, brother.¡±


    Ronde was practically a different person inparison to what Desir remembered of the me wizard in his previous life.


    Desir was very embarrassed, but at least he was able to easily achieve his goal.


    While Ronde was taking the entrance exam, Desir checked out the other applicants as well. Among the horde of applicants this year, there were plenty of other talented students, but he didn¡¯t approach them or otherwise influence them to join his party.


    With the current state of affairs within the Hebrion Academy, they were talented enough to be core members in other parties without Desir¡¯s interference.


    Up untilst year, the Hebrion Academy was prone to iming that there was a difference in natural talent between nobles andmoners, based on the fact that themoners typicallygged behind the nobles. Without affording them even the briefest opportunity at education, this was a foregone result.


    However, since the Desir Party, mostlyposed ofmoners, actually managed to take first ce in the Party Competition, things had started to change for the better. This feat was further emphasized by Desir¡¯s party being made entirely out of first years, and beating out the parties mostly filled with second and third year students.


    This change was most pronounced after the entrance exam.


    Some exceptionalmoners had been assigned to the Alpha ss, which had previously unofficially been a nobles-only ss.


    Desir smiled at his achievement.


    It was time for the new students who passed the entrance exam to make the most important decision of their academy life: Which party they would join?


    Just as the parties were evaluating the freshmen, the freshmen themselves were busy evaluating the parties. They each had their own criteria and goals, and would not easily join a party that didn¡¯t meet their standards. This was the decision of a lifetime, and they could not afford to take it lightly.


    ¡°People said Radoria of the Red Dragon Party is very friendly and the support they provide is significant. I heard that they are sponsored by the top five tradepanies.¡±


    ¡°The Blue Moon Party is also good. The number of members and the quality of their top members is the best in the academy, are they not? Above all, they have direct support from the Duke of Nipleka, so it cannot bepared with other parties.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t discount the Starling Party either. It¡¯s a party with the famous Desir Arman and it¡¯s clear that it will continue to grow enormously in the near future.¡±


    The Starling Party was the name of the Desir Party. A party that had been nameless up until now.


    With the party name being undecided for so long, it ended up getting a default name, matching the dormitory that Desir was currently staying at.


    It wasn¡¯t a fancy name, and thinking back to when the name was finally announced left Desir feeling rather embarrassed, but no one objected to it since it didn¡¯t seem too bad.


    The parties foremost on the freshmen¡¯s minds were undoubtedly the Blue Moon Party and the Starling Party.


    In the end, the party that had the most student applications was the Blue Moon Party. Even though a lot of talented members had just graduated, the most prominent of which was Argeria, its poprity still seemed to skyrocket.


    The Starling Party had dozens of applicants, which was remarkable considering the fact that it was a new party with only one year of prior activity.


    ¡®I can¡¯t afford to waste effort on students who have no drive to improve themselves.¡¯


    Desir interviewed the applicants and ended up only selecting students he felt were eager to learn. A total of 19 students joined the Desir Party.


    It was clear that the freshmen had some proficiency as they had managed to enter the academy by making it through the fiercepetition, but it was still insufficient.


    Desir entrusted the training of freshmen to Freechel who had just entered the Second-Circle and Takiran who had also just advanced, now a Knight-ss swordsman.


    However, for freshmen such as Ronde who already demonstrated considerable skill, Desir directly took on their training, splitting what remained of his already insufficient time amongst them.


    Desir instructed freshmen in the Beta ss to set their goal as joining the Alpha ss and the Alpha ss party members to set their goal as bing single rankers in the approaching Ranking Exam.


    After organizing andmunicating the freshman¡¯s tasks, Desir began to prepare for the next major event ahead of the imminent Ranking Exam.


    The higher leveled Shadow Worlds would appear soon.


    As far as he could remember, only a month remained until the first wave of increased difficulty Shadow Worlds appeared.


    ¡®The difficulty of the Shadow Worlds will increase¡­ ¡¯


    The Shadow Worlds began to increase their difficulty around this time. Besides the average difficulty increasing, many high-leveled Shadow Worlds also appeared.


    It was a wee thing for those who thought of the Shadow World as simply a resource to be exploited. If Desir took no action, this mentality would unfortunately lead to catastrophe. ¡®There are two Shadow Worlds that must be cleared this time.¡¯


    One of them was a Level Five Shadow World.


    The reason for prioritizing the clearing of that Shadow World in particr, is that the team that challenged this Shadow World failed in his past life. Not only were the people who participated killed, but the surrounding area was eroded by the Shadow World due to the failure, resulting in hundreds of additional casualties.


    ¡®If I recall correctly, the failure was recorded as being due to the application of incorrect history.¡¯


    After investigating exactly how the team failed, historians had concluded that the relevant information was wrong.


    Of course, no one else in this time knew the information would be wrong, but as long as Desir knew the situation could be avoided. Relying on faulty information greatly increases the


    difficulty of a dungeon, so for a party with foresight like the Starling Party, clearing a Level Five Shadow World shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    The biggest problem was the other Shadow World that had to be cleared.


    It was obvious that clearing two Shadow Worlds would not be easy, so Desir was left somewhat troubled.


    ¡®Once again, I need to prepare thoroughly.¡¯


    Desir headed back to the party office to check up on his party members.

 Chapter 125. Starling Party (3)

    <h4>Chapter 125. Starling Party (3)</h4>


    Desir quickly realized they had a logistical problem on their hands. With the increase in party members, their small office simply couldn¡¯t amodate them any longer.


    Given the importance of Desir and his party, the academy happily granted them the entire fourth floor of the west wing building. The Starling Party excitedly moved into their new home.


    With all the new members that Desir was expected to train, he became aware that his current method of operating the party could no longer continue. He was already stretched as thin as possible, and the number of new members would only continue to grow in the future.


    Desir restructured the party into three different subgroups: the main party, the sub party, and the probationary party.


    The probationary party would beposed of new students with low or unreliable military might and were still in need of further training.


    Desir instructed them to familiarize themselves with the basics taught in their academy sses, and furthered their education as a group outside of ss, focusing on the elements that the academy neglected.


    The current notable sub-party members were Freechel and Takiran. They had some military might, but they stillcked the experience to contribute reliably to the overall party. What little experience they had and their trivial achievements put them ahead of the probationary party, but not by much. These factors prevented them from being considered part of the main force. For their level, they could provide limited assistance to the main force as they continued to develop. If there was further growth, these two had the potential to be active members of the main party.


    The main party members, of course, contained the core power of the Starling Party: Romanica,


    Adjest, and Pram as well as Desir acting in the role of party leader. Each core member had the strength and experience to do their part, as well as pull their own weight even in higher leveled Shadow Worlds.


    Overall, these ssifications made sense and created a natural hierarchy, but Ronde Fizzlebang was different. He found himself working as an individual, rather than as a part of the three levels in the hierarchy.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly because Desir favored him. His skills were outstanding amongst the freshmen. Although he had no actual experience, others could easily mistake him for a Shadow Dungeon veteran.


    Despite all his skill, Ronde still had a huge anchor holding him back. Due to his rough way of speaking and his constant behavioural issues, he found himself unable to get along with the other freshmen.


    New students trained together and talked together while hanging out in the office at the end of each day, forming natural bonds. However, Ronde just wasn¡¯t able to blend in with the crowd and join them.


    Over time, an invisible wall seemed to be built between Ronde and the other freshmen.


    Desir, who already knew about Ronde¡¯s personality, felt the need to solve this issue somehow; but he couldn¡¯t think of a good solution since his rtionship with others wasn¡¯t that much better either.


    Things came to a head sooner than expected.


    A few dayster, out of the blue, Romantica started yelling at Desir. He had spilt a bit of coffee on his desk.


    ¡°Oh seriously! Desir, you idiot! Even a little bit of coffee creates a permanent stain. I¡¯m always telling you to drink carefully!¡±


    It was an extreme amount of noise and emotion for what was merely a drop or two of spilt coffee.


    Romantica continued yelling while jabbing at Desir¡¯s forehead with her finger.


    ¡°Really, I¡¯ve said it again and again, but nothing changes. You really are worse than a slug.¡± Ronde looked up to and respected Desir as both a role model and a brother. He didn¡¯tst long before shooting an antagonistic re at Romantica.


    ¡°How can you speak so badly of my brother over a drop or two of coffee?¡± ¡°HA? How pitiful you are to have this stupid guy as a brother.¡± ¡°WHAT? What did you say? Apologize to my brother right now.¡±


    ¡°If you have aint, why don¡¯t you challenge me to duel? Not that you ever would, though.¡±


    Ronde turned to Desir revealing eyes that appeared to burn hot like naked mes.


    ¡°Brother, I will challenge Ms. Romantica to a duel. In the meantime, I will surely fix her behavior.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. I know you are thinking of me, but Romantica is many times stronger than you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t give up on this, brother. For your honor, I must defeat this woman.¡±


    After pretending to deeply consider this request, his face creasing in the anguish of his alleged internal conflict, Desir epted the request. In the interest of both party¡¯s feelings, he had to at least make them think he gave this serious thought. Thus the duel of Ronde versus Romantica was established.


    Romantica haughtily faced off against Ronde.


    ¡°If you beat me, I¡¯ll apologize to Desir. But it¡¯s not fair for only me to have loser conditions? I want you to add a condition too.¡±


    ¡°Of course. What should I bet with? You can choose anything.¡±


    ¡°No need to go that far. I want you to clean our areas up. As you know, I am doing the cleaning of this office alone. If you lose, you have to clean the whole office instead of me. And you are not allowed to use magic.¡±


    ¡°Of course I will ept it, let¡¯s start.¡± ¡°Good. Then show me what you¡¯ve got.¡± The sparring match began.


    Ronde Fizzlebang was one of the strongest amongst the first years. Even though he was still just a Second-Circle wizard, the spells he utilized and the mana he had at his disposal had long reached the level of a Third-Circle¡¯s.


    [me Ring]


    A ring of mes syed out in all directions around Ronde.


    The heat it generated was enormous. In terms of pure power, it was close to outright Third-Circle magic, even though it was a Second-Circle spell. In terms of destructive power, it could not bepared with any regr Second-Circle magic.


    [Burst Fire]


    Rapid-fire magic. The Sparring ce was already showing signs of significant damage. ¡°So what do you think, Ms. Romantica! Look at this awesome destructive power!¡± Ronde Fizzlebang had not even entertained the notion of losing.


    He knew that Romantica was a sniper and had determined that in close-quarter sparring, she would not be able to rely on her specialty. He just had to focus on limiting the amount of space that she could use to her advantage and it would be an easy victory.


    But it was a ridiculous misconception on his part, stemming solely from hisck of experience.


    ¡°Do you think that destructive power is all there is to magic?¡±


    Romantica puffed up into a brilliant smile as she invoked magic directly ahead of herself. [Swift the Air]


    A spell that lets onepress a specified amount of space into a vacuum. The mes that had been soaring uninhibited in all directions, suddenly extinguished.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Ronde was unable to re-cast the spell that he considered his greatest strength.


    An experienced wizard would have adapted to the sudden change in situation, but he was just a freshman who had just entered the academy.


    Romantica shrugged her shoulders, exaggerating her easy victory. ¡°I think it¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no I can still¡­ !¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Desir spoke up and stopped the duel.


    It was Romantica¡¯s victory.


    Ronde bowed his head while addressing Desir.


    ¡°Br-Brother. I wasn¡¯t able to avenge her properly due to myck of skill. Please let me¡­ ¡± Ronde was beside himself in embarrassment and grief.


    Before he could continue, Romantica jumped in. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the words I spoke, Desir.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You? Why did you apologize? You won.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I should apologize if I take something too far while I¡¯m angry. What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°However¡­ ¡±


    While still trying to process what had happened, Romantica¡¯s next words snapped him out of his stupor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. Go start cleaning. You start immediately.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t understand the situation¡­ But a bet is a bet. Ronde was defeated, and he had to fulfill the loser¡¯s duties.


    From that day onwards, Ronde cleaned the entire party office on his own.


    If he used magic, the cleaning would have been a little easier, but it couldn¡¯t be helped since that was an additional condition. He was not allowed to use magic.


    Ronde was forced to sweep and wipe each surface while sweating heavily. While he was busy struggling to clean like that, a few freshmen approached him. ¡°Did the seniors ask you to clean this?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Well, yea. Something like that.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us? Are you going to clean up everything here alone?¡± ¡°Why you¡­ You are actually kinder than the way you look.¡±


    ¡°You can ask us for help. We¡¯re not going to just watch you do this.¡±


    Each of them brought cleaning tools out of the closet and got to work helping Ronde.


    At first, it was a bit awkward, but once they realized that Ronde wasn¡¯t that bad, they gradually began to loosen up. After spending time cleaning together, they started to develop an easy-going rtionship where they shared jokes and hung out afterwards. Desir and Romantica looked at them while smiling.


    * * *


    It was D-Day.


    [A World anomaly has been detected.


    Open Shadow Gates ording to procedure.]


    As the Shadow Gates opened, the full-scale attack of the Shadow Worlds began.


    There was no top ranker or single rankers in the first grade, as the Shadow Worlds had appeared before the ranking exam. In addition, since they appeared so soon after the entrance ceremony, the first years had not received a proper amount of training yet.


    ¡°First years who have notpleted their mental curriculum yet will be barred from entering the Shadow Worlds with difficulty of Level Four and higher.¡±


    It was inevitable that a special measure had to be taken by the academy.


    ¡°I would like Freechel and Takiran to take the neers and lead a separate Shadow World clearing. Freechel, you¡¯ll lead the party as themander with Takiran acting as your assistantmander.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m themander?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve spent a lot of time studying tactics.¡± ¡°I have been, but¡­ ¡±


    Freechel loved books, so she was very familiar with various battle tactics. In addition, rather than Takiran who would be positioned in the front lines, it was more reasonable for Freechel to observe and control the situation from the rear.


    ¡°Once you¡¯ve got a better sense for leading while clearing a low difficulty Shadow World, go clear the Level 5 Shadow World, Rota Vige Battle. This is a Shadow World that we have reserved, so there is no need to rush toplete it. However, please make sure to stick it out andplete it, even if it¡¯s low level.¡±


    ¡°Roger.¡±


    Desir entrusted the lower leveled Shadow World to the other party members.


    Since the proper information had been delivered, things wouldn¡¯t unfold like they did in his previous life. Desir, Romantica, Pram, and Adjest did not participate in the Shadow World with them. They were the core power of the Starling Party. There was a different Shadow World that they had to clear.


    ¡°The Shadow World we will clear is Level 3.¡±


    Other party members nodded their heads in consent to Desir¡¯s announcement. ¡°I guess we really are going to target something like that, after all.¡±


    ¡°Well, I was expecting something like this.¡± [Estimated difficulty: Level 3


    Level 3 Shadow Worlds based on the Ethena province.]


    A Level 3 Shadow World.


    At this point, Level 3 Shadow Worlds, which happen to actually be the highest level of difficulty that appear, were qualitatively different from other levels in terms of difficulty.


    For this reason, the Central Committee did not easily give parties permission to attempt clearing such Shadow Worlds unless they were adequately qualified.


    Desir¡¯s sess against a Level 4 Shadow Worldst year wasrgely attributed to Toa¡¯s Crest, but his pursuit of this artifact happened to also be the reason why he targeted that Shadow World in particr.


    However, things were different fromst year. Their power had now been proven through a number of events. The Starling Party was acknowledged as contender for first ce in strength against the Blue Moon Party, with a fraction of the members.


    The centralmittee took this into consideration when judging this, and it didn¡¯t take them long to ept Desir¡¯s request. In fact, approval came almost as soon as Desir submitted it. -Participation request has been approved.


    [Desir Arman, Pram Schneider, Romantica Eru, and Adjest Kingscrown. Please head to Shadow Gate 1.]

 Chapter 126. Travelers of the Blue Sky (1)

    <h4>Chapter 126. Travelers of the Blue Sky (1)</h4>


    The fact that the Starling Party was nning to clear a Level 3 Shadow World with just four party members shocked many people.


    Wherever they went, people gossiped in hushed voices.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that a party that was established less than a year ago is already trying to face a Level 3 Shadow World.¡±


    ¡°And with barely four people on top of that. Wouldn¡¯t that be too difficult?¡±


    ¡°If they pull this off, doesn¡¯t this mean we may see a second Hebrion Academy party knighted?¡±


    If a group were to single-handedly clear a Level 3 Shadow World, their power and teamwork would be officially acknowledged by the empire, and they would be empowered with the same authority as a knight of the empire. This wasmon knowledge amongst the citizens of the Hebrion Empire.


    A party of students being no different from a real party meant that this rule naturally applied to parties with the Hebrion Academy.


    An added bonus was that any party that gained this qualification did not need to worry aboutpleting their schooling and could ept work outside of the academy. In other words, they would immediately be independent.


    Currently, the only party that had this privilege was the Blue Moon Party. Thanks to that, they were able to freely take on various jobs not avable to the other students.


    Desir highly valued this authority.


    ¡®The future is constantly changing. Unless I know with certainty what is about to happen, the power to go independent will be a vital tool.¡¯


    If they could sessfully clear a Level 3 Shadow World this time and obtain the opportunity to work without any restrictions, they would finally be able to move forward with several projects that he had painstakingly nned.


    This was why defeating a Level 3 Shadow World was his highest priority on the to-do list for this year.


    The Shadow World that they were about to enter was one that dealt with a historic event in the Ethena Region.


    Desir had already pieced together some basic intel on this Shadow World, based on what he remembered of his previous life.


    ¡®They said it would be rather easy to clear.¡±


    He didn''t remember all the details but unlikest year''s Shadow World, this year''s would be more straightforward and basic.


    Although a Level 3 Shadow World would be a cause of rm for Desir, he was confident his party would have the power to clear it at their current level.


    ¡®Although it would have been much better if there was an artifact or two in this Shadow World¡­ ¡¯


    From what he remembered, there was only one other Shadow World in this batch or thest that had the potential to drop an artifact on a perfect clear.


    Desir actually had experience with the artifact in his previous life. Both Kelt and himself had experimented with it and used it while sparring with each other. It had the ability to apply spiritual magic to an area asrge as a city. Depending on how well it was used, it had power equal to tactical-level magic, making it one of the main sources of power in future raids on Shadow Worlds.


    ¡®If things are proceeding like the original timeline, then Kelt should have it by now. And if my past life is anything to go by, he will be able to use it effectively.¡¯


    In his previous life too, Desir felt that it would be better for Kelt to use the artifact than himself.


    Shadow Labyrinths weren¡¯t something that Desir could take on single-handedly, which was why he always needed to consider the most effective way of clearing them while taking steps to minimize the risks involved. He also had to think long-term and consider the best approach to allow for the parties to continue growing and reach their maximum potential for future Shadow Worlds.


    ¡°For real. I never dreamed that I would be standing here like this.¡±


    While Desir was consumed in his thoughts, Romantica mumbled as she stared at the Gate 1 which had already arrived, unbeknownst to them.


    Gate 1 was only used by those who were targeting Level 3 Shadow Worlds. In other words, those that used this gate were pitting themselves against Shadow Worlds of the highest urring difficulty level.


    For that reason, Romantica¡¯s reaction was to be expected, and Pram¡¯s nervousness was apparent.


    ¡°Desir Arman, Pram Schneider, Romantica Eru, and Adjest Kingscrown. These are the members that will attempt clearing the Level 3 Shadow World that has opened up in the Ethena Region. Is this correct?¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°Do you agree to all the uses rted to the participation of Shadow Worlds?¡± ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°Then I will now open the Shadow Gate. The connected destination is Ethena Region. Please note that you may experience momentary dizziness after the teleportation.¡± The gate opened. And the blinding light epassed them.


    * * *


    [You¡¯ve entered the Shadow World]


    When Desir re-opened his eyes, he was standing on the deck of a ship with a cool breeze blowing across the bow.


    As he attempted to make out the rough noises around him, he studied his surroundings closely. Looking around, he saw some old-fashioned engines powered by magic stones on either side. On closer inspection, what could be first mistaken as a ship clearly wasn¡¯t. Of this, Desir could be certain. There was no mast, and above all else, they were not at sea.


    Desir headed towards the railing and looked down.


    It was a vast desert. Desir guessed that it was the Padunsa Desert that spanned the Ethena Region. The asional viges that they sailed past looked like miniature models on a table; they had to be incredibly high up¡­


    That¡¯s right. The thing that he was riding on was floating midair. If so, then the thing that Desir was standing on was obvious. ¡®An airship, huh?¡¯


    An airship.


    Using an engine powered by the magic of these stones, it was a method of transportation fit to represent the technological level of a civilized society. In terms of status, it wasparable to that of trains in modern society.


    The biggest advantages of airships were that unlike trains, they were able to pass over mountains, and they weren¡¯t restricted by railways.


    However, due to therge amount of investment that was needed to produce engines that could float, they were impossible to mass-produce, and each country only produced them for military purposes.


    In modern times where the number of wars had decreased significantly, they were merely seen as relics of an age long past.


    ¡®It wasn¡¯t too long ago when airships were still being used actively.¡¯


    Using the airship as evidence, Desir was sure that the time period he was in wasn¡¯t too different from what he had recalled.


    The airship itself wasn¡¯t very big, but that didn¡¯t mean it was shabby. The size was small, but the interior seemed rather modern for its time.


    Just as Desir was examining the airship, people in military uniforms roamed around the deck. ¡°Check the coordinates!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! I told you to keep an eye on the fourth engine as it¡¯s running low on power! If we had left it anyter, we would have had a problem!¡±


    ¡°The route to the capital Alteia is clear!¡±


    The quest hadn¡¯t been activated. This meant that there was a condition he hadn¡¯t met yet. As Desir was pondering about the quest that wasn¡¯t activating, someone spoke to him. ¡°Desir?¡±


    When he turned around, Romantica was standing in front of him.


    Once she confirmed that it was indeed Desir, her face lit up.


    ¡°Haah, I¡¯m so d! You don¡¯t know how nervous I was, thinking that we might¡¯ve beenpletely separated likest time.¡±


    As if she¡¯d recalled a bad memory, Romantica shook her head in distress.


    Desir responded to her in a solemn but serious tone. ¡°Did you pick up any information?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing in particr. What about you?¡±


    ¡°First of all, the time period of this Shadow World is roughly 120 to 140 years in the past.¡± ¡°Really? How¡¯d you already figure that out?¡±


    ¡°The airship we¡¯re on is heading towards the capital Alteia.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Alteia the city-state where the Magic Tower is?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    As if receiving some inspiration, Romantica sorted through her memories in search of anything relevant. After a short moment, she eximed in surprise.


    ¡°Oh, there was a time when Alteia was the capital, right?¡± It was as she said.


    In modern times, Alteia was a city-state so it wasn¡¯t referred to as the capital of anything, but at the height of its prosperity, there was a time where it was an important part of a magic empire.


    ¡°Right. This Shadow World is based on an event from 120 years ago, before the copse of Kuma Merilson, the Magic Empire. Considering that the airship was invented 140 years ago, we should be somewhere in between those two dates.¡±


    ¡°A Shadow World intertwined with a Magic Empire¡­ ¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait and see what other details we can uncover.¡±


    In less than ten minutes, Desir had managed to gather information on their surroundings. To Romantica, that was an admirable feat.


    ¡°So here you were, mercenaries.¡±


    A man clothed in what seemed to be an officer¡¯s uniform headed towards them.


    Like his attire, his gait was extremely disciplined, but his expression was pleasant like that of a traveler exploring the azure sky.


    Desir naturally responded to him.


    ¡°The view from here is quite spectacr.¡±


    ¡°The view that we see from the sky is truly marvelous. Even more so with a beautiful woman.¡±


    Despite his mischievous joke, he still addressed Desir and Romantica in a respectful manner. Through this exchange, Desir had confirmed that they had taken the identity of mercenaries, and his polite attitude was evidence that they held power that couldn¡¯t be discounted. ¡°Unfortunately I¡¯ll have to ask you to save the view forter on. The Major is looking for you.¡±


    The room that the officer led them to was organized neatly, and the big windows allowed them to enjoy the outside scenery.


    As Romantica was looking around the room, she stopped in surprise. Pram and Adjest were inside, waving softly.


    Who knew that the four of them would be able to meet up this quickly? They were off to a good start.


    ¡°Major, I¡¯ve brought in the rest of the mercenaries.¡±


    Inside the room, there were two other people beside Adjest and Pram.


    One was an old man sitting on a hammock and nkly staring off into space, eyes out of focus, as he muttered unintelligibly. The other was a very handsome young man. His clear-cut features resembled a sculpture and his excitement was palpable.


    The young man wore a white uniform, and a long sword was sheathed on his waist. [You¡¯ve encountered the unique hero, Grand Master Kei Hazmaryoon]


    [He is one of your ¡®most powerful¡¯ helpers in this quest line and he is one of the important characters in your scenario. Make sure to maintain a good rtionship with him. If you are unable to receive his help, the difficulty level of your quests will increase.]

 Chapter 127. Travelers of the Blue Sky (2)

    <h4>Chapter 127. Travelers of the Blue Sky (2)</h4>


    After saluting them, the officer that escorted Desir and Romantica left the room. Kei then encouraged Desir¡¯s party to sit. By the looks of it, all of his members were mercenaries.


    ¡°The reason I called all of you here is because there have been some changes made that aren¡¯t written in the contract.¡±


    He pointed at a city on the map that was spread out on his desk.


    ¡°Currently, Hebrion Empire has requested that in order to fly via the Empire, the interrogation should happen at this ce. As there is an unnecessary stopover added to our route, arriving may take longer than we expected. Of course, we will be paying you extra ording to the increase in time.¡±


    He was saying that the contents of the contract could change. ¡®It seems like he¡¯s a polite, well-mannered fellow.¡¯


    Desir nodded.


    ¡°If you could do that for us, then we don¡¯t mind too much.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know exactly what was going on, but in a situation like this, it was important to continue the conversation without making it too awkward.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you the new contract.¡±


    Kei pulled out the contract and handed it to Desir and his party members.


    Written carefully on the contract were the details of the assignment, the precautions, the rewards, and more.


    It was lengthy, but to put it simply, the assignment was to protect an individual so they could arrive at their destination safely. In other words, it was an escort mission.


    ¡®It must be someone important.¡¯


    Reading through the contents of the contract, Desir could tell that whoever he was escorting was an important person.


    The man standing in front of him was registered as a unique hero ording to the system. Considering that he held the title of Grand Master, his skills were guaranteed.


    The fact that they had to hire separate mercenaries despite him being here meant that the individual they were escorting wasn¡¯t anyone ordinary.


    Desir turned his attention to the part of the contract where the precautions were listed out.


    The precautions stated that due to the individual¡¯s inability tomunicate or move easily, they had to be escorted with extra caution.


    Having read all of the information up to that point, Desir suspected that their escort target was the old man sitting on the hammock.


    The old man could hardly be considered sane. He stared off into space as he muttered unintelligible words.


    He seemed extremely out of ce, but if he was truly who they were supposed to escort, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to keep him here. Desir decided to calmly gather what he could about him.


    Desir and the other party members finished signing the papers. This was apparently the condition to enter the main scenario. An rm rang.


    [You have entered the main scenario]


    [Kei Hazumaryun has a very desperate goal. He will stop at nothing to achieve it.] [- As mercenaries hired by Kei Hazumaryun, you must escort Aldin Sepius]


    [Aldin Sepius holds a big clue in achieving Kei Hazymaryun¡¯s goal. Aldin¡¯s life will have a grave impact on your progress in the quest.]


    * * *


    Due to some unexpected turbulence, the airship started to shake considerably. As the situation became serious, Kei headed towards the steering wheel himself. After Kei dashed out of the room, only the Starling Party and the old man were left in the room.


    Having never been on an airship before, Romantica and Pram seemed to be enjoying the novel experience of being caught in unexpected turbulence. They showed no signs of being nervous. In fact, they couldn¡¯t even hold in their excitement as they bounded over to peer out the window in the room.


    The sun, halfway across the horizon painted the desert a scarlet red. ¡°Oh my gosh, it¡¯s endless.¡±


    ¡°The southern desert really is massive. They say not even the Empire can manage all of it.¡± The Hebrion Empire¡¯s Padun Desert in the Ethena Region was probably the singlergest region ofnd found anywhere on the continent.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not a suitable environment to live in, so there aren¡¯t any cities connected to the capital, excluding the Desert Flower City. There are probably more wandering nomads than citizens.¡±


    As they were engaged in conversation, Adjest amused herself by skimming through several books from the bookshelf in the room.


    The use of airships had decreased significantly in modern times, so it was hard to find books rted to it. However, there appeared to be many of those here.


    Watching the other members of the party enjoy their respective activities amidst the turbulence, Desir smiled bitterly before shifting his gaze to the mapid across the table. ¡®Things are going ording to my expectation.¡¯


    That was the conclusion Desir hade to about the Shadow World. He was already well versed in details rting to such Shadow Worlds.


    There were many potential threats while in air, but they could easily be solved by everyone they had present aboard the airship. If they could only reach Alteia, their destination, the Shadow World would be cleared.


    ¡®We just need to assist Kei appropriately.¡¯


    The threats were likely to fall short of a Level 3 Shadow World. However, the Starling Party had a great helper. A person whose caliber was truly iparable to anyone else they could find in the Hebrion Academy.


    Kei Hazymaryun, Grand Master.


    The title of Grand Master during this period was only given to the best swordsmen.


    Desir fully understood what the skill level of someone holding the title of a Grand Master would be like. After all, one of the final six people from the Shadow Labyrinth, Raphaello Cheriger, had also held that title.


    While he couldn¡¯t be exactly sure of the limit of Kei Hazumaryun¡¯s strength, he made a rough estimate using another Grand Master as reference.


    ¡®If Kei¡¯s skills are at that level, then a Level 3 Shadow World won¡¯t be a problem.¡¯


    Confident in their likelihood of sess in clearing the Shadow World, Desir started to consider what would happen afterward.


    Right then, he heard a low, gloomy voice from behind his back. ¡°Sagan.¡±


    Desir took his eyes off the map and looked at the old man sitting on the hammock. Unlike the dazed look he had before, he was now smirking unpleasantly at Desir. ¡°Ah, so it was Sagan.¡±


    ¡°Sagan?¡±


    Desir questioned, but the old man disregarded him as he continued speaking.


    ¡°I met him. I only watched. I did nothing. It smells very familiar. Sagan. Ah, was that why¡­ Was that it?¡±


    As the old man continued rambling on, all eyes turned to him.


    Suddenly, he burst out into a fit of giggles.


    ¡°Tee hee hee. It¡¯s no use. It¡¯s pointless. Nothing matters.¡±


    His hystericalughter sent chills down the spine of everyone in the room.


    As nobody said a word, seemingly having lost interest in them, the old man went back to muttering to himself.


    ¡°Lottier, Anas, Kiriebren.¡±


    Just then, footsteps could be heard as the door burst open.


    It was Kei. In an urgent voice, he spoke to the Starling party. ¡°There¡¯s something that you must take care of.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Kei responded in a very serious tone. ¡°A Wyvern flock has appeared.¡±


    [Sub quest, the Wyverns haveunched an attack] [The Wyverns have attacked the airship.]


    [ - You must stop the Wyverns in order to protect Aldin Sepius.] A momentter, another rm sounded in their heads.


    [Kei Hazumaryun is still unaware of your ability. He wants to use this opportunity to confirm your power.]


    [ - Prove that you are skilled. The results of this quest will affect Kei Hazumaryun¡¯s affinity for you.]


    * * *


    The airship shook violently at irregr intervals. Through the screen shining from the steering room, a Gargoyle pping its big wings could be seen approaching.


    ¡°The Wyvern flock is still approaching from the rear!¡± A monster that glides through the blue sky, the Wyvern.


    Once a Wyvern chose its prey, it was known to chase it to its bitter end, and due to its tendency to travel in flocks, it was a difficult monster to hunt.


    A number of Wyverns filled the screen. There seemed to be at least thirty of them. ¡°Load the mana cannon!¡±


    With Kei¡¯smand, the soldiers moved in perfect unison. Even at a nce, it was obvious that they were well-trained.


    The cannon emitted a tremendous amount of noise as it concentrated all of the power put in by dozens of wizards.


    ¡°Ready to fire!¡± ¡°Fire!¡±


    The mana cannon that finallyunched created a ripple in air as the mana projectile struck the Wyverns.


    *Bang*


    *Bang*


    Theunch was apanied by the sound of several deafening explosions.


    Not a single trace of the Wyverns that were hit remained. But there were still at least twenty that remained.


    ¡°Get into a defensive formation to stop them from reaching the ship!¡±


    The mana cannon was powerful, but it required too much time to reload. Now there was no choice but to fight them head-on.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the deck too.¡±


    At Desir¡¯s words, the Starling Party members nodded and hurried out.


    The wind that emanated from the desert at night time was ice-cold.


    When they reached the deck, the Gargoyles¡¯ crying was noticeably louder. ¡°Romantica, reduce the number of approaching Wyverns as much as possible.¡± It was time for Romantica to make a move. Aiming her rifle, she invoked a spell. [Abarossa¡¯s Storm]


    A violent storm hit the Wyverns. Magic that had almost reached the strength of a Fourth-Circle ripped numerous Wyverns into shreds.


    Romantica¡¯s shot was extremely powerful, but what was scary about her magic was not the power, but the fact that there was no dy between her shots.


    *Bang*


    The second shot, third shot. All of her shots were fired instantaneously.


    Unable to even react to the ranged attacks, the number of remaining Wyverns continued to decrease as their brethren continued to be torn to pieces.


    But even that had its limits.


    As the Wyverns continued to approach, it soon became impossible to invoke powerful magic. If the airship was to get damaged and crash as a result, nobody would be able to avoid death. As the Wyverns continued to close the gap, the tables had turned and they now had the upper hand. A Wyvern¡¯s ws were extremely sharp, and their movements were nimble. Even well-trained soldiers would struggle to deal with them.


    ¡°AAAGHH!¡±


    One Wyvern snatched up a soldier that was slightly out of formation. Dragged into the sky, the soldier was ripped into shreds and rain of giblets and gore poured down on the deck.


    A single moment of vulnerability could result in brutal annihtion.

 Chapter 128. Travelers of the Blue Sky (3)

    <h4>Chapter 128. Travelers of the Blue Sky (3)</h4>


    Having witnessed the death of their colleague, the soldiers started to tense up. The only thing they could do was use their spears and swords to try and block the Wyverns from damaging the airship.


    *Thwack*


    *Rip*


    But their spears and swords weren¡¯t enough to block the agile Wyverns¡¯ attacks. Under their relentless attacks, the battlefield on the deck of the airship had soon devolved into chaos. Again, another soldier was snatched away by a Wyvern.


    ¡°AGGHHH!¡±


    The moment the Wyvern attempted to fly up into the sky, at the speed of light, Pram hacked its legs off.


    The soldier, having fallen on the deck, had a dazed look on his face. ¡°Ah¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Snap out of it and get back into formation!¡±


    Soon after yelling hismand, Pram started focusing on striking the Wyverns that swooped down on the soldiers.


    His rapier struck the Wyverns¡¯ wings and legs without mercy. ¡°Grr!¡±


    ¡°Grrrrrr!¡±


    As more of their own continued dying, the Wyverns¡¯ movements started bing more reserved and calcted. They had determined that Pram was a dangerous enemy.


    [Frozen Whisper]


    Adjest momentarily stunned the Wyverns with a freezing spell.


    ¡°Grr!¡±


    With that, the Wyvern¡¯s could no longer approach the soldiers. The risk that they posed no longer matched the potential reward and as a result, some of them hung back biding their time for a better opportunity. However, Desir wasn¡¯t idle.


    [Summon Lightning] *Crash* ¡°Kyaaaak!¡±


    An electrocuted Wyvern tumbled out of the air andnded at Desir¡¯s feet. Even in pain, it whipped its tail at him.


    After easily avoiding the attack, Desir invoked a spell that pierced it through its forehead, killing it immediately.


    It didn¡¯t take long before almost all of the Wyverns had been taken care of. There had been two unfortunate casualties, but considering how dangerous the situation was, it was the best they could do.


    Desir examined the situation and prevented more casualties by focusing his efforts on helping the soldiers that were in danger.


    *Swooop*


    Just as the situation seemed toe to a close, a strange noise rang out. Desir looked up at the cloudy sky. It was a ce that the light couldn¡¯t reach. [Owl¡¯s Vision]


    Observing the sky using magic, Desir noticed something strange. ¡°A transcendent creature¡­ ¡±


    Having heard Desir¡¯s muttering, the soldiers started panicking.


    Transcendent creatures.


    Through evolution, these creatures had developed into beings far superior than their regr equivalents, both physically and intellectually.


    Fully understanding how dangerous this situation had be, the soldiers¡¯ faces paled by the second.


    ¡°A transcendent Wyvern! It¡¯s approaching the ship from above!¡± The magicians hurried to invoke magic towards the creature. *Bang*


    Despite their struggles, none of the magic managed to harm it in the least.


    Easily ignoring the magic, the creature opened its mouth towards the airship. Soon, magic started gathering in front of it.


    Desir held his breath. ¡®This is dangerous.¡¯


    From the look of it, it was a rather powerful breath spell. If that were to directly hit the airship, a crash was unavoidable.


    ¡®There¡¯s no choice, huh.¡¯


    It was when Desir reluctantly started to invoke a spell¡­ ¡°Everybody back off.¡±


    An extremely calm voice spoke.


    Kei, who had been watching the entire time, had already pulled out his sword. As his aura seemed to wrap around the sword, it suddenly burst into mes.


    But it didn¡¯t end there. The aura red up even more, soonpressing its energy into itself. Desir knew what that meant.


    Qianjiang, the sword also known as the perfected aura de.


    Apparently Kei wielded it.


    Although it looked like he was shing into thin air, a crescent-shaped force flew towards the transcendent creature as it followed the trajectory of his sword.


    At the same time, the creature fired its breath. Kei¡¯s force split it in two as it continued to fly straight at the creature.


    Everyone was silent in shock as Kei¡¯s sword strike sliced through the creature as if it were tofu.


    He was strong.


    It was truly strength that exceeded all standards. This was proof enough as to why he had been endowed with the title of Grand Master.


    Having taken care of the transcendent creature, only a few Wyverns remained. Seemingly having determined that no furthermand was necessary, Kei jumped straight into the front lines and started hunting the Wyverns.


    ¡®This is no time to be admiring him.¡¯


    Desir examined the situation. It seemed like there was no further need for him to join the battle.


    Just as he had started to rx, he cried out in surprise. ¡°Romantica, behind you!¡±


    There had been a Wyvern right behind her.


    At Desir¡¯s cry, Romantica turned around, but it was already toote. The Wyvern snatched her and flew up.


    ¡°AHHHH!¡±


    In an instant, Romantica was ferried far away from the airship.


    She couldn¡¯t help involuntarily recalling the soldier that was shredded by a Wyvern¡¯s ws. And that image ovepped with herself.


    The color drained from her face. The thought that she had to get away from it at all costs filled her head.


    [Wind Cutter]


    Invoked at an incredible speed, Romantica¡¯s magic cut off the legs of the Wyvern with a crisp sound.


    As she escaped her restraints and regained her freedom, Romantica smiled with joy. But that smile soon disappeared. She had realized the situation she was in. Romantica was falling. From tens of thousands of feet above the ground. *Whoosh*


    The desertndscape that had seemed so far away was zooming in quickly. The roar of the wind deafened her as she continued to pick up speed in her free-fall.


    Romantica could feel herself getting faint. Her mind went ck. She had lost control of her thoughtspletely.


    Clenching her jaw. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth and soaked her lips. ¡®I can¡¯t give up. If I let go of my consciousness here, I¡¯ll die.¡¯


    Romantica could easily picture her pancaked body if she didn¡¯t think of a way out of this. Not even a strengthened Clothes Line would survive a fall from this height.


    If she wanted to avoid her imminent doom, she had toe up with a solution somehow. ¡®There is a levitation spell, but¡­ ¡¯


    Like the name stated, levitation magic was magic that lifted objects from the ground.


    However, there were too many problems that made it hard to use in this situation.


    First off, Romantica was quite frazzled by the sudden turn of events and trying to levitate an unstable object that was falling from a high altitude was difficult to do with her skills.


    There was also the possibility that the situation would worsen if she tried invoking levitation magic in her current state.


    ¡®But if the end result is going to be the same anyway¡­ ¡¯ Her clothes fluttered around crazily.


    There wasn¡¯t much time left before her crash. Romantica steadied herself with a deep breath. ¡®I have no choice but to do something!¡¯


    A spell unfolded before her eyes. Once the arrangement wasplete, her body started to float.


    But there was no time to be relieved because her body iled around wildly as if an invisible giant was controlling her.


    From left to right, up and down, her body was flung around like crazy.


    In an instant, the sky and ground flipped around. At this point, she didn¡¯t even know which way she was falling.


    ¡®D-Damnit!¡¯


    She knew that it was going to be dangerous, but she didn¡¯t expect something like this to happen.


    She could hardly concentrate. Her calctions immediately fell into disarray as her direction continued to get further messed up. The spell that had miraculouslysted this long, started to copse.


    *Snap*


    The levitation spell eventually fell apart.


    And it would be the same no matter how many times she tried.


    She couldn¡¯t think of anything other than levitation magic.


    Her momentary struggle ended in vain.


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    The situation was hopeless. Even opening her eyes had be a struggle as her oxygen-deprived brain started to slow down further.


    Romantica could sense her death nearing.


    She knew that most deaths in Shadow Worlds were caused by carelessness, but she didn¡¯t expect to die in vain like this.


    She realized the importance of the single guiding principle in Shadow Worlds. The principle that she had be socent about.


    ¡®A single misjudgment will lead to death.¡¯ Romantica closed her eyes and gave up.


    ¡°ROOOMAAAANTIIIICAAA!¡± Just then, Desir¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°De-Desir!?¡±


    When Romantica opened her eyes in surprise, Desir was right next to her.


    Was she dreaming? Why was Desir, who was on the airship mere moments ago, falling with her?


    ¡°Reactivate your levitation magic!¡±


    Romantica was about to instinctively argue that the air currents were too unstable.


    ¡®But it¡¯s Desir.¡¯


    She buried her anxiety. And per Desir¡¯s request, invoked the magic again. [Fly]


    The levitation magic was invoked. This was her second try. Following Romantica¡¯s magic, Desir invoked his own magic.


    [Swift The Air]


    It was magic that turned the atmosphere into a vacuum state.


    Desir minimized the air present in the atmosphere. They caught their breath, but it wasn¡¯t the time to be worrying about that.


    As if they were a lie, Romantica felt the raging winds that had tormented her instantly subside. Getting rid of the air current itself meant that an unstable current wouldn¡¯t exist in the first ce.


    Romantica invoked the flying magic, while Desir maintained a stable air current.


    However, because they had already umted so much speed, they couldn¡¯t be satisfied with the levitation magic simply slowing them down. It still wasn¡¯t enough to break their fall to a level they could survive from.


    Desir yelled towards Romantica.


    ¡°Use all of your magic power and cast it downwards!¡±


    Realizing that he was trying to slow their fall by using the principle of opposing forces, Romantica immediately invoked her magic.


    [Abarossa¡¯s Storm]


    [Wind Twilight]


    [Spear of Thousand Wing]


    It was a vast array of spells.


    Romantica poured out all of the magic she had. As she continuously invoked magic into the desert below, her magic power soon started to run dry.


    ¡°Hold on tight.¡±


    Desir then pulled her into his arms.


    He also started to invoke magic towards the ground. It seemed to have aplex structure. It had been formed using his new magic system.


    [Paria Arunde]


    It was a Third-Circle wind property magic.


    As the magic hit the ground, the sand exploded, creating a huge crater. And soon after, they felt their bodies bouncing back up with an unparalleled repulsive force.


    ¡°Blech!¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Romantica and Desir¡¯s shouts echoed out. Hitting the ground, they rolled several times on the sand. The impact had been great enough to trigger their Clothes Line defensive magic.


    ¡°Cough cough.¡±


    Romantica let out a few dry coughs. Her entire body was a mess. Not a single ce didn¡¯t ache. She could hardly get up.


    After a while, the sand dust subsided, and the airship sailing in the sky seemed like a small dot in the distance.


    ¡°Well, it seems to still be flying.¡±


    Desir¡¯s voice rang out. He was lying t next to Romantica. The twoy still for a while. Desir¡¯s voice was tender as he checked up on Romantica.


    ¡°Check if you have any injuries.¡± ¡°Hm, I probably don¡¯t have any.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s a relief.¡±


    Desir gave a small smile.

 Chapter 129. Travelers of the Blue Sky (4)

    <h4>Chapter 129. Travelers of the Blue Sky (4)</h4>


    The sun¡¯s heat was intense.


    It went without saying that the heat of the desert was extreme during the day.


    The sand was boiling hot and the dry air burned their throats every time they breathed.


    What was even worse were the temperature swings. While it was hot in the day time, the temperature dropped down to freezing temperatures in the evening. The desert¡¯s climate was simply too inhospitable. One could say that it wasn¡¯t a suitable habitat for humans.


    Desir and Romantica walked along that very desert. If their legs ached, they took a break, and if they needed water, they made some with magic.


    To all those who traveled the desert, finding water was the biggest concern, but magicians who knew how to invoke water magic didn¡¯t have to worry about that.


    Romantica stared at Desir¡¯s back as she trailed along. She opened her mouth a few times in an attempt to speak, but she gave up every time.


    She¡¯d already missed the right time to voice her gratitude. Romantica wasn¡¯t straightforward enough to thank him now.


    But the one obvious fact made her waver. ¡®He risked his life to save me.¡¯


    If he hadn¡¯t jumped in as soon as she fell, he wouldn¡¯t have made it in time. Simply put, there hadn¡¯t been a moment of hesitation.


    Every time she was reminded of this fact, her face burned as if the sun had increased in temperature.


    Meanwhile, Desir was thinking about his next steps. ¡®This was unexpected.¡¯


    By this point, they should still be on the airship undertaking their mission.


    There were other threats waiting for them, but overall, the Shadow World would have been easy to clear with the Grand Master¡¯s help. But not even Desir expected things to turn out this way.


    ¡®They did say they¡¯d be taking a break in the middle.¡¯


    That was probably their only chance to get back onto the airship. The problem was whether they would be able to arrive at that city in time.


    ¡®It¡¯s impossible to reach it by foot.¡¯


    Even if they were to ride a carriage, there was no hope. In that case, they had just one other option.


    ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure there was a city around here somewhere¡­ ¡¯


    It was when Desir was trying to recall the map to find his bearings. ¡°Desir, what¡¯s that?¡±


    A massive structure stood where Romantica was pointing.


    It was a utility pole. The long pole stretched out towards another one somewhere off in the distance.


    The structure that was ced awkwardly in the middle of the zing desert was so absurd it almost amazed them. Building something like that in the middle of nowhere was quite a feat. ¡°Hermes¡¯ Wing. It¡¯s a magic utility pole. It was used frequently by the Empire before the development ofmunication magic. It was used for many other purposes besidesmunication too. It allowed magicalworks to be connected between cities.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re connecting cities with something like that.¡±


    ¡°Realistically speaking, it¡¯s impossible to connect all the ces people live. That¡¯s why it¡¯s pretty rare to see them outside big cities.¡±


    There was only one ce in the southern desert that could be called a big city.


    ¡°The Desert Flower city must be somewhere around here. We¡¯ll get there if we follow where the utility pole leads to.¡±


    Desir let out a sigh of relief.


    If it was the Desert Flower city, there was no doubt that all the conditions would be present to allow for them to regroup. If they missed this opportunity, there likely wouldn¡¯t be another. ¡®There must be a teleportation gate here.¡¯


    Unlike in modern times, teleportation gates were almost impossible toe across, but if it was the Desert Flower city, there was no doubt they¡¯d see one.


    ¡®After reorganizing, we¡¯ll use the teleportation gate.¡¯


    Having decided on his next course of action, he started heading towards the utility pole in the zing heat once more.


    They eventually arrived at Desert Flower city and needed to be inspected by the guards, but Desir and Romantica had already made identification cards for each major time period before entering the Shadow World.


    They easily slipped into the city.


    Most of the buildings in the city were built by shaving back rock or hardening sand, which exined theck of taller buildings.


    ¡°Desir. People keep staring at us.¡±


    The citizens eyed the two warily, but that was to be expected since they were wearing ck suits. Both the attire and the color were unsuitable for desert environments.


    They had no choice but to stop by a store to buy some clothes. Luckily they still held on to the deposit that Kei had given them.


    ¡°Is that how you travelled through the desert?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Hmm.¡±


    The merchant clearly exuded hostility towards these outsiders. He demanded they pay twice more than the locals.


    Romantica was livid but after weighing up the consequences of causing a scene here, ended up paying full price.


    Having somewhat blended in, Desir and Romantica stopped by at a nearby restaurant to eat. Romantica wolfed down her food as the pair had been unable to get a proper meal since embarking on their journey across the desert.


    But something seemed off. There were a lot of seats in the restaurant, yet no one dared to sit close to them.


    Desir called an employee over.


    ¡°Why is everyone here so wary of outsiders?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t have my mouth run in front of an outsider like you.¡± ¡°I suggest you think again.¡±


    Desir tossed him 10 silver.


    The employee quickly took it and hid it before anyone could notice.


    ¡°It¡¯s because there¡¯s been an increase in mysterious disappearancestely. Every night, they disappear one by one. We can¡¯t help but be wary of strangers.¡±


    ¡°Is that so.¡±


    So that was what had happened. If that was the case, their hostility was valid. Desir determined that they needed to leave the ce as soon as possible.


    ¡°I want to go to the Lord¡¯s castle. Which way is it?¡±


    ¡°Just pass through the northern market and turn right. But before you meet the Lord, you¡¯ll have to meet the Sage. Commoners like us can¡¯t see him unless we get approved by the Sage.¡± ¡°The Sage?¡±


    ¡°He is an amazing Sage that turns lead into gold. Not even a magician would be able to do that.¡±


    Desir was able to get some more information after that.


    Once the employee stepped away, Romantica whispered.


    ¡°Did you hear that Desir? The Sage is most definitely an Alchemist.¡± An Alchemist.


    People of such professions had mostly disappeared as alchemy was reced by magic. The foundations of alchemy could be applied to magic as well, so the idea of it still lived on. However, its applications in modern times were limited.


    Regardless of who their opponent was, they didn¡¯t have a choice.


    It was customary to get approval from the Lord to use the teleport gate. It seemed that they had no choice but to meet this Sage.


    Desir and Romantica first headed to the Sage¡¯s residence, which the employee pointed them in the direction of.


    The Sage¡¯s home was extremely massive. It was situated right in front of the Lord¡¯s castle, making it structurally impossible to meet the Lord without passing through it.


    Before them was a long line that made them sigh just from the sight of it.


    As they unwillingly headed to the end of the line, the man standing in front red at Desir and Romantica with hostile eyes, but after finding out about their situation, didn¡¯t bother them any further.


    About an hour had passed and it was when they were about to pass through the main gate. Desir was able to confirm that mana detectors had been installed at the gate. They would have sent a signal inside after detecting Desir and Romantica¡¯s mana.


    ¡®They were waiting for magicians to show up.¡¯


    Sure enough, one of the servants approached Desir and Romantica momentster. ¡°You two pleasee this way.¡±


    They escaped the line and went through the residence¡¯s back door, arriving at arge room. There, the servant bowed his head.


    ¡°My master is waiting for you.¡±


    The moment they entered the room, the smell of gunpowder wafted by. The room was filled with various solutions and metals.


    From the room that appeared to be ab, a man greeted them. ¡°May all creations of goods be with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°This is the greeting of alchemists.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡±


    At his exnation, Desir and Romantica also bowed to greet him.


    Being the first to raise his head, Desir spoke to him.


    ¡°The Lord must put a lot of faith in you since everyone must gain approval from an Alchemist before seeing him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s to be expected. The city runs smoothly because I¡¯m around.¡±


    ¡°I heard you make gold. From my understanding, making gold seems to be a very advanced form of alchemy.¡±


    As Desir stated the information he¡¯d heard from the employee, the Alchemistughed. ¡°Everything was conducted through legitimate research. These are the books, and these are the materials that were used during the research. Please feel free to take a look.¡±


    Desir stared nkly at the documents that were presented to him. ¡°What is the reason you¡¯re showing me all this?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    His face stiffened momentarily. He then burst intoughter and put away the documents he¡¯d presented to Desir.


    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯d assumed you¡¯d be curious. Don¡¯t they call it a magician¡¯s thirst for knowledge?¡± A thirst for knowledge? It was a ridiculous excuse. Desir immediately realized what his actions meant.


    ¡®He¡¯s mistaken us for investigators.¡¯


    He had presented the research material, as if expecting them to ask for it. ¡®There must be something he¡¯s guilty about.¡¯


    Just then, an rm rang out.


    [A second main quest has been detected]


    [As of now, it is only a hunch. Gathering more detailed information will allow you to start a new main quest.]

 Chapter 130. The Alchemist’s Unspoken Desire (1)

    <h4>Chapter 130. The Alchemist¡¯s Unspoken Desire (1)</h4>


    A second main quest.


    That meant that there was another way to clear the Shadow World.


    But Desir didn¡¯t want to proceed with the second main quest. There were too many problems that came along with it.


    A Level 3 Shadow World was not easy to clear. They didn¡¯t have any information, and there was no need to overdo it while they were separated from their colleagues.


    Determining that clearing their initial quest as soon as possible was better, Desir hurried to change the subject.


    ¡°I heard that it was necessary to gain your approval in order to meet the Lord. Personally, I¡¯d like to get things done quickly.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m asking this as a formality, but why have youe to this city?¡± ¡°To use the teleport gate.¡±


    ¡°The gate?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We are top mercenaries that were traveling the desert, but we¡¯ve ended up getting separated from our party due to a monster attack. We need to use the teleport gate to get back to them.¡±


    Desir clearly stated his objectives. It wasn¡¯t really anything worth hiding and he figured that it would help convince him.


    The Alchemist nodded as he spoke.


    ¡°As you may know, it will be hard to get approval to use the gate for such personal reasons.¡±


    It was as he¡¯d said. Regardless of the time period, a teleport gate wasn¡¯t something that anyone could use.


    However, a way for Desir to use the teleport gate without the Lord¡¯s permission technically did exist.


    ¡®Using the golden que would grant us immediate ess¡­¡¯ The golden que.


    Proof that the emperor had granted ess to the teleport gate to his close allies.


    There weren¡¯t any records of its design changing, which meant that they would be able to use the gate without the Lord¡¯s permission if they just presented it.


    But that would leave a record. Any further investigation would eventually cause suspicions to arise.


    As long as there was a chance that their quest would be impacted, Desir wanted to minimize the risks.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t just stand by and watch; you seem to be in such a dire situation. I¡¯ll make a personal request to the Lord. Surely he¡¯ll understand if I say your work has to do with me.¡± Since they had such limited options at their disposal, they were very grateful for the Alchemist¡¯s offer. It was as if they had found a glimmer of hope.


    ¡°What a relief, Desir.¡±


    Romantica gave Desir some firm pats on the back. ¡°I know, right?¡±


    Desir turned towards the Alchemist.


    ¡°We would be very grateful if you would. Thank you for your kindness, sir.¡±


    ¡°As people who seek the truth together, we must help each other when we¡¯re in trouble.¡± The Alchemist let out a throaty chuckle before continuing.


    ¡°It will take me about one day to persuade the Lord and go through formalities. But we can¡¯t continue calling each other Alchemist and Magician.¡±


    He was telling them to introduce themselves.


    The Alchemist was the first to lower his head before introducing himself. ¡°My name is Pureus Niftion.¡±


    Out of nowhere, an rm sounded in their heads. [You have met Pureus Niftion, rare hero]


    [He is an important figure in the new main quest. Once you enter the main quest after learning more about him, his research materials will be a key factor in the quest¡¯s progression.] [Pureus¡¯ affinity towards you is currently ¡®neutral¡¯.]


    ¡°Pureus?¡±


    Hearing that, Romantica eximed in surprise. So did Desir.


    Pureus Niftion.


    He was an alchemist famous enough to remain in the history books.


    An alchemist that had worked 100 years ago, he had devoted his entire life to researching the secrets of eternity. Although his research ultimately failed, his findings contributed greatly to the development of medicine. In addition, having realized the limits of alchemy, his research that tried to incorporate magic into alchemy went on to greatly impact magic engineering. Although he was unable to leave any achievements in alchemy, he left his mark as someone that had contributed greatly to technological developments in all areas.


    ¡®Then it¡¯s understandable why one alchemist is given so much power.¡¯


    He hadn¡¯t made any big achievements in alchemy, but the fact that he was an outstanding figure was undeniable.


    Alchemy had died out in the modern times, but back then it was considerably influential, so it was understandable that the Lord put his trust in it.


    ¡°I¡¯m Deay Nebsilon. You can call me Deay.¡± ¡°And thedy?¡±


    As Desir gave him a pseudonym, Romantica followed suit. ¡°I¡¯m Lyn Miart.¡±


    ¡°And as you know, the current situation in Desert Flower city isn¡¯t, shall we say, the most amicable, so it won¡¯t be easy for you to stay here as outsiders. I¡¯ll get permission from the Lord in a day, so feel free to stay at my residence in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±


    Having no reason to decline, Desir immediately epted Pureus¡¯ offer.


    Immediately, Pureus ordered a servant to prepare rooms for Desir and Romantica. He also made sure they prepared a grand meal for his guests.


    The servant guided Desir and Romantica around the mansion.


    It wasn¡¯t a very big mansion but it had a ratherplex structure. Without the servant, they would have easily found themselves lost.


    Before too long, they had finally arrived at their temporary amodation. Romantica was on the third floor, and Desir was on the second.


    After they enjoyed a brief respite in their respective rooms, a servant led them to the dinning hall. Inside, Pureus was waiting for them. Shortly after Desir and Romantica took their seats, the food started arriving in multiple, luxurious courses.


    Unlike anything they had tasted before, the food was quite exotic. Pureus exined to them that it had been cooked with various spices to preserve the food for as long as possible in the desert.


    It was predominantly Pureus who led the conversation. Starting with an exnation of the spices used, he recounted many interesting stories. He was good with his words, and dinner was enjoyable as a result of the light conversation.


    By the time dinner was over, it was night time outside.


    Romantica spoke as if they had been extremely lucky.


    ¡°For there to have been a rare hero right where wended. I think we were really lucky.¡± ¡°Definitely. Not to mention, he¡¯s very generous.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s not only helping us use the teleport gate, but he¡¯s also giving us a ce to stay.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Had it not been for Pureus, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to stay in the city sofortably. To say the Desert Flower city was hostile towards outsiders was an understatement. They couldn¡¯t even guarantee that they could get a room during these chaotic times.


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing that¡¯s been bothering me though¡­ They did say that there was a possibility of entering a new main quest¡­ What do you think that was about Desir?¡±


    ¡°Probably something to do with the Alchemist. Since they said entering would be made possible after gaining more information, that would probably mean checking the documents Pureus gave us or finding out additional information about him.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what it¡¯ll be about.¡±


    Desir was also curious. A second main quest wasn¡¯tmon, and through the quest, they had a chance to discover historical facts that hadn¡¯t been revealed to the world. For someone who was invested in learning, it was quite a tantalizing opportunity.


    But Desir wasn¡¯t foolish enough to risk his life to satisfy his curiosity.


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous for the two of us to try clearing a new quest. Let¡¯s forget about the second main quest for now and focus on finding Pram and Adjest.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want then it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    Romantica btedly agreed with Desir. She had also determined that it would be too much for them to focus on the quest here.


    Like that, they both agreed to forget about the second main quest and returned to their respective rooms.


    * * *


    ¡°¡­ up.¡±


    Feeling something nudge her cheek, Romantica squirmed.


    She wanted to sleep more but the nuisance persisted. As she refused to wake up, it started to shake her violently.


    ¡°Romantica, wake up.¡±


    The moment she realized it was Desir¡¯s voice, Romantica woke up with a start. Her mouth hung open as she gaped at Desir in surprise.


    ¡°Wh-What the hell are you doing in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to panic. Hurry up and put your Clothes Line on.¡±


    Romantica was about to argue with him, but after seeing how serious he was, she nodded before hurrying to dress herself.


    After confirming that Romantica was ready, Desir spoke to her. ¡°I¡¯m warning you in advance, but don¡¯t be too surprised.¡±


    The moment Desir opened the door, his warning became meaningless as Romantica froze in fright. A grotesque monster had been ced there.


    The monster was sprawled out, covered in its own slime, and something had been pierced through its chest. It was quite obvious that it had been in by Desir. The moment the light shone on it, revealing its form, an rm rang out. [You¡¯ve entered the second main quest]

 Chapter 131. The Alchemist’s Unspoken Desire (2)

    <h4>Chapter 131. The Alchemist¡¯s Unspoken Desire (2)</h4>


    [An unknown condition has been fulfilled]


    [The main quest ¡°The Truth of Eternal Life¡± is starting now.]


    [Pureus Niftion, the alchemist who resides in the Desert Flower Town, is concealing something from you. Pureus Niftion is trying to secure your position for reasons that are unknown. Block his offensive and fight him off.]


    Romantica was flustered by the alerts that poured in. The quest that she supposedly wasn¡¯t going for was progressing by itself automatically.


    Romantica asked Desir with a surprised voice, ¡°Wh-What is this?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not the only ones who have an impact on the world. Sometimes, the quest may progress automatically when triggered by a character from the Shadow World.¡±


    Desir had a bitter smile on his face.


    Activating a second main quest meant that there would be at least one more condition to clearing this Shadow World. There was no way to cancel a main quest that had already begun. The only choice was to proceed with this second main quest.


    ¡°Pureus has involuntarily forced us into this quest now, so we¡¯ll have to clear it before we regroup with Pram and Adjest.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Desir looked down at the ground. The moonlit monster had an extremely horrific form.


    It had the body of a lion, the wriggling tail of a snake as well as the wings of a Wyvern. Not only that, but its sharp fangs were covered in steel and its legs ended in sharp des instead of feet.


    It was a hybrid of the body parts of various different creatures. Mechanical equipment had even been added onto it.


    Romantica had heard of creatures like this before.


    It was a Chimera.


    A living weapon made bybining different life forms; an existence deeply frowned upon by all countries, no matter the time period.


    ¡°If it had snuck up on us, that surely would have been the end of us. We would likely be dead had we not installed defensive spells.¡±


    The Chimera looked for a chance to attack while they were asleep, but fortunately, Desir had been able to detect the Chimera¡¯s approach through a [Detector] spell.


    He immediately seized the chance to attack the Chimera first, then ran towards Romantica¡¯s room to deal with all the Chimeras that were targeting her too.


    They didn¡¯t know the reason for the Chimeras¡¯ actions, but it was clear that the Chimeras¡¯ target was their lives.


    ¡°Let¡¯s worry about thatter. Better get out of here first.¡±


    Desir¡¯s defensive spells, which had been installed in strategic locations, were detecting the Chimeras and sending strong signals. They didn¡¯t have the luxury to idly chat in front of the corpses of the Chimeras.


    Besides, they had to fight off Pureus in order to end this quest.


    Romantica and Desir started to move along the corridor with the help of the moonlight. Though the residence was not big, it wasplicated like a maze, so it was not an easy task finding the correct path out.


    ¡°Romantica, prepare for battle.¡±


    Another Chimera appeared not too long after they started escaping. Something crawled out of a room on the third floor.


    Bright red, fresh blood dripped from the corner of its mouth. Between the crevice of the half-broken door, there were what seemed to be someone¡¯s hand and leg.


    Desir voiced his mental note.


    ¡°¡­ They don¡¯t seem to care about the life of a servant.¡±


    This monster had a different form than previous Chimeras that they had encountered thus far. It looked very simr to a praying mantis.


    Because Chimeras were created bybining the strengths of different creatures, they may seem invincible, but in reality, most Chimeras struggled to maintain their bnce from the uneven distribution of the weight of their various parts.


    Since thebined body parts could easily copse, it was not an easy task to create Chimeras.


    However, the bodies of the Chimeras created by Pureus were very well bnced. They moved around naturally as if they were born that way.


    *nk*


    *nk*


    The de on the Chimera¡¯s legs created a threatening sound as the main body moved. At the same moment, Desir¡¯s spell was invoked in front of it.


    [Electric Bolt]


    A Second-Circle spell that casts an electric bolt.


    A light shed. The air was immediately filled with the smell of burning flesh, but the Chimera continued to lumber forward with des on its legs. It was as if it wasn¡¯t affected at all.


    Desir and Romantica lowered their heads. *Vroom*


    There was an ominous sound above their heads.


    ¡°I wonder if one of itsponents is from a monster that has resistance to electricity.¡±


    The Chimera climbed the wall at a great speed. Its movement demanded theirplete attention.


    ¡°Keeeeyek!¡±


    Each swing of its des was performed while it moved with great swiftness. It was proving difficult to react to its speed and force.


    ¡°How- Howe it¡¯s so fast!?¡±


    Romantica waspletely taken aback at how quickly it closed the distance. During that short moment of distraction, she revealed an opening, allowing it to hit her with a full-powered strike. Fortunately she was wearing a Clothes Line, otherwise that powerful strike would have imed her arm.


    ¡°We can¡¯t shoot it down like this!¡± ¡°Duck!¡±


    *Vroom*


    A handful of ck hair fell to the floor.


    Desir frowned.


    ¡°Such an annoying type.¡±


    A body structure that relied on unparalleled speed. Having the frame that allowed incredibly swift movement and mechanical supporting equipment that allowed great power at a moment¡¯s notice, it was not an easy Chimera to deal with.


    ¡°With this kind of enemy, using the [Scope] spell would definitely work¡­ ¡±


    However, such a method would be impossible. There was a high chance that innocent people were still inside the residence.


    Using a fire spell that could cause an inferno to break out, or unleashing any other powerful spells, could cause massive coteral damage if the residence copses.


    Although the servants within the mansion were virtual characters, Desir couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it.


    ¡°Well, then.¡±


    Desir started arranging various spells in front of himself. ¡°I¡¯ll use a different method.¡±


    [Water Wall]


    A Second-Circle water spell.


    A wall of water gushed out, separating themselves from the Chimera that was still flitting around the hall.


    *Thud*


    The Chimera, moving at an ultra-high speed, crashed head-first into the wall of water.


    But it took no damage. Even though it was a wall of water, it was only water after all. It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult for a Chimera to break through that wall with its ability.


    The Chimera, realizing that as well, leaped again into the wall made of water. Water sshed and sttered in all directions as its gigantic figure crashed into the wall of water once again. ¡°Romantica!¡±


    As Desir called on Romantica, he cast another spell. [Winter Cold]


    *Crrrraaack*


    The wall of water instantly froze and the Chimera that was trying to pass through it found itself trapped.


    A brief window of opportunity had presented itself to the pair.


    This was all they needed. Romantica aimed her rifle at the Chimera without hesitation. *Baang*


    Even though the Chimera was strong and robust, it couldn¡¯t endure her shot at point-nk range. The Chimera¡¯s head exploded with a loud pow.


    With the brief but intense battle behind them, they could take a moment to regain their breaths. ¡°Desir, why don¡¯t we go outside of the residence instead?¡±


    Romantica suggested as she pointed at the window.


    ¡°It¡¯s much moreplicated to fight while controlling our power.¡±


    Without a doubt, the residence was a disadvantageous battlefield for them. From the maze-likeyout, to the limitation on power that they could use while inside, there were just too many things that they had to keep in mind.


    ¡°Our worst-case scenario is if all the Chimeras attack us at the same time. If that happens, I think we¡¯d much prefer to remain inside. How would you deal with them outside of the mansion?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course we could just use a powerful spell to handle them all at once. However many Chimeras there may be, if you use that spell you used on the Mother Worm, it would be a piece of cake.¡±


    ¡°Then what would you do after that?¡± ¡°After that?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in a situation where we don¡¯t know how many more enemies there are. But you¡¯re saying we should spend all our mana and expose our trump card? How do you know what will happen next?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ ¡±


    She hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead.


    ¡°Romantica, when you haven¡¯t figured out the exact strength of the enemy, it¡¯s better to think of the worst-case scenario, save your power, and hide.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    After this, a simr situation repeated.


    Desir and Romantica cleverly avoided areas with many Chimeras by using defensive spells. Even though Chimeras were powerful, facing each Chimera one by one, no matter how strong it was, these creatures had no chance of overwhelming their teamwork.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that he¡¯s still mistaking us as examiners.¡±


    Desir made a spection after dealing with the third Chimera.


    ¡°If he¡¯s still thinking that we¡¯re examiners, don¡¯t you think he would try to hide the fact that he¡¯s creating Chimeras?¡±


    She had a point.


    But Desir shook his head and denied her spection.


    ¡°No. Even if he thinks we¡¯re examiners, that couldn¡¯t be the reason he¡¯s acting this way. He knows that we are desperate to leave this ce, and he¡¯s also the one who made us stay here.¡± It was as Desir said. Pureus knew the goal of Desir and Romantica was to try and leave the city as soon as possible. If he felt that they were dangerous, he would¡¯ve gotten the approval of the teleportation gate and sent them off already.


    However, Pureus had Desir and Romantica stay at his residence instead of sending them away. These points added more credibility to the assumption that Pureus was targeting Desir and Romantica since the beginning.


    ¡°¡­ We¡¯ll find out the reason when we meet him in person.¡±


    Desir was about to say something, but stopped mid-thought. However, Romantica didn¡¯t put much thought into it.


    The quest continued.


    They were already well-acquainted with the direction to theboratory, so it wasn¡¯t difficult for them to move onwards.


    When they reached theboratory atst, there were two Chimerasying in wait there. This seemed very likely to be the correct path.


    Having guards here meant that there must be something in need of protection. It was clear that Pureus was in theboratory that these Chimeras were guarding.

 Chapter 132. The Alchemist’s Unspoken Desire (3)

    <h4>Chapter 132. The Alchemist¡¯s Unspoken Desire (3)</h4>


    Pureus was exuberantly talking to someone else in the musty basement.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve got our hands on the hardest material to obtain, it won¡¯t take us too long to reach our goal.¡±


    An archaic piece of magical paraphernalia lit up the basement.


    [¡°This marks the end of the long, long period of time we have spent on this research.¡±]


    The voice heard through the magic equipment was so loud and heavily distorted that it was barely discernible. However, considering the distance between the two was sorge, the sound quality could be considered very good.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because you have done your best to assist me. I didn¡¯t receive this much support, even when I served as a professor. I never imagined I could perform this kind of experiment.¡± [¡°How do you feel about going against God¡¯s will?¡±]


    ¡°It¡¯s refreshing.¡±


    Pureus smiled as his face exuded unbridled joy.


    ¡°I feel so refreshed! It doesn¡¯t even feel like my feet are on the ground right now. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m flying! Of course, it¡¯s not because the long period of hard work I have poured into this research has finally been rewarded. And it¡¯s certainly not from some naive sense of pride in achieving the desire of all great alchemists. It¡¯s because of the ecstasy of revenge! I can now finally crush the prideful Alchemy Society!¡±


    [¡°Don¡¯t rx just yet. Do your best until you havepleted this research, oh Great Seeker of Eternal Life, Pureus.¡±]


    The voice conveyed its intentions slowly but clearly.


    [¡°As promised, your research will be published under your name across the Kingdom. You will be the best alchemist on the continent. Every alchemist in the world. No. Every human in the world, will look up to you.¡±] ¡°It¡¯s a great honor.¡±


    Themunication was terminated. ¡°Hihihi.¡±


    Pureus giggled before closing his eyes. He couldn¡¯t suppress the rapturous smile that crept onto his face.


    ¡®I am closer than anyone else to the most essential truth.¡¯


    He grinned. Just the thought of it made his heart burn zing hot.


    Eternal Life.


    The unobtainable, sought after by the kings and philosophers of legend; a life that continues forever.


    An act contrary to the natural providence set by nature, and an ability that has proved capable of eluding even the greatest of minds.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost over. I¡¯m almost there.¡±


    How many years have I invested in this research? It was not enough to describe it as a lifetime after entering alchemy.


    Achieving my wish is just around the corner. There was no possibility of failure now. It was theoretically perfect.


    I only need just a little bit of material toplete my research nicely. Just an ever so small amount.


    ¡®A little bit from some Wizards.¡¯


    It was a material that he couldn¡¯ty his hands on for such a long time. The location he had setup in was well ced to avoid the eyes of investigators, due to its remoteness. On the other hand, discovering talented wizards to use had been more difficult than plucking a star from the sky.


    The discovery of a human being who possesses even just one magical circle was an utterly fortuitous event. Most of the talented wizards left early for the Empire¡¯s Hebrion Academy or other such prestigious institutions.


    ¡®I¡¯m so lucky. The materials came to me by themselves.¡¯


    Wizards that have reached the Third-Circle are typically wizards with the potential to still grow further. At first he was convinced that they were investigators, so he was very wary of them. However, that turned out to be nothing more than a delusion of his.


    Pureus almost cheered as he watched them epting his favor without doubt. He wanted to capture them right away and use them as materials, but he held himself back again and again. He could not afford to ruin this golden opportunity.


    After waiting for them to fall asleep, Pureus released the Chimera to hunt them down. ¡®They will be used as honored material vital in approaching greater truths.¡¯


    They would be happy to serve a greater purpose. He truly felt this from the bottom of his heart. Just as he thought that this was the end¡­


    [Chimera Unit 1 has been destroyed]


    rms sounded from the sensor attuned to the biometrics of the Chimeras. ¡°What?¡±


    Unit 1 was a Chimera he had poured his heart and soul into making. Even though it was one of the first Chimeras he had made, and thus one of the weakest, it was strong enough to easily ughter Third-Circle wizards. He had sent this Chimera to retrieve the valuable samples from the male mage.


    This immediately raised some questions. How did the male wizard react to this raid when he should have been fast asleep?


    There was only one answer. ¡®He was on guard.¡¯


    [Chimera Unit 2 has been destroyed]


    Even the second one sent to the woman¡¯s bedroom had been destroyed. And not long after, Unit 3, the perfect Chimera, had also been destroyed.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Unit 3 was the most powerful Chimera he had ever produced. A very powerful Chimera made as a result of several coincidences. It was a Chimera that had powerparable to a knight of the Empire.


    What was supposed to be simple prey had instead proved capable of easily ughtering even his perfect Chimera, like plucking weeds from a garden. Pureus couldn¡¯t believe the situation he found himself in.


    Rather, he remained skeptical of the situation he found himself in. The fact that his Chimera had been destroyed by wizards at the Third-Circle was something that his pride could not handle.


    But reality would not suffer anyone¡¯s delusions of grandeur. Now that even the third Chimera, his magnum opus, had been destroyed, there were no Chimeras able to stop them.


    [Chimera Unit 4 has been destroyed] [¡°Sh*t!¡±]


    Pureus mmed his desk. A sk near the edge of it fell on to the floor. ¡°Chimeras aren¡¯t disposable like pawns!¡±


    He prepared these Chimeras with his heart and soul, to fight back in the event investigators decided to march troops on hisboratory. They were not supposed to be consumed in vain. ¡°No, I should not panic just yet.¡±


    If he wanted to judge the situation objectively, he needed to swallow his pride.


    He knew they were mercenaries at themerce organization, but he wrote off their potential as threats due to their age. He hated to admit it, but he misjudged their skillspletely. They were some of the most talented people he had ever seen.


    He had a strong sense of foreboding that something had gone wrong. It felt like he had touched something that he shouldn¡¯t have.


    The two were approaching his ownb at a normal walking pace, hardly slowed down by the Chimeras that were supposed to kill them. The situation had beenpletely overturned, and he was now in the position of the hunted instead of the hunter.


    ¡°This is dangerous. Really dangerous.¡±


    Pureus began to bite his nails. It was a bad habit of his that reared its head when he was nervous.


    His happiness from finallypleting his research had beenpletely shattered. His eyes had even begun trembling as he looked at his trump card. He didn¡¯t dare y it¡­ but he was starting to feel a bit desperate.


    Pureus sighed. Although it was iplete, there was nothing else he could think of to regain control of this situation now.


    He decided to y hisst card.


    * * *


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy, dealing with two at the same time.¡±


    Desir and Romantica, who had just killed the two Chimeras guarding theb, opened the door and entered the room.


    Theb was cold and dark. [Light]


    The spell light illuminated their surroundings.


    There was no sign of Pureus. Desir spoke, as if already expecting this turn of events.


    ¡°There must be a secret passage. Romantica, use magic to search for any crevices with airflow.¡±


    For wizards specializing in wind magic, like Romantica, finding hidden passageways was something like an inherent trait.


    *Whoosh*


    A gust of wind swept through theb, and Romantica pointed at the closet. ¡°It¡¯s down here.¡±


    A simple security device was installed, but Desir dispelled it within the blink of an eye. As Desir brushed the security system to the side and pushed the closet out of his way, stairs that descended into darkness were revealed.


    They walked down the stairs. Romantica and Desir were alert and ready to use magic at any sign of danger.


    They soon entered an open room that was incredibly spacious and dreary. Even Desir wasn¡¯t expecting there to be this much space in the basement of the mansion.


    Even more surprising was that the underground facilities he could see were of such superior quality that they could not be thought of as being from ab built 100 years ago. They did notg behind modern facilities in the slightest.


    As they looked around, a voice emanated from somewhere close. ¡°¡­ Who-Who¡¯s there¡­ ?¡±


    There was a mixture of fear in the man¡¯s trembling voice. Desir judged that he was not an enemy.


    ¡°We¡¯re the wizards who came here to kill the alchemist.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here to y the fucking alchemist!?¡±


    Hearing Desir¡¯s motive, the man shouted desperately. ¡°Please save me! I¡¯m over here!¡±


    The voice was heard from inside a ck ss wall that lined both sides of the corridor. ¡°Are you in the ss wall?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a button on the wall. When you press it, a ss door will open.¡±


    Just as he said it would, the ss door opened after Desir pressed the button. What then appeared was a man tied to a mp.


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    Romantica let out a small scream out of shock.


    The man was in terrible shape.


    His arms were ckened like coal, half of his face was covered with severe wrinkles. Seemingly undernourished, the body was severely thin. He was barely alive.


    Desir checked for traps in the room with detection magic before approaching the man. [Ice Cutter]


    The de made of ice broke the iron bars and cut off the shackles that bound the limbs of the man.


    ¡°Thank you very much. I thought I¡¯d die like this.¡±


    Tears streamed from the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay now.¡±


    Romantica and Desir closely inspected the wounds on his body,forting the man. ¡°Desir, this is¡­ ¡±


    Although his skin was terribly disfigured, some of the wounds adorning his body looked like small puncture marks left by syringes. It was fairly obvious that the man had been turned into a human test dummy, pumped full of various alchemical fluids and subjected to all kinds of harm.


    ¡°Were human experiments conducted here?¡± Desir asked in a heavy voice.


    Judging from the condition of the man¡¯s body and his mental state, he¡¯d clearly been through extensive physical abuse.


    ¡°Yes, I went to the mansion to see the lord, but at one point I suddenly passed out. When I opened my eyes and I found myself here. I¡¯ve had a hell of a life since that day.¡±


    The man quivered, recalling what had happened.


    ¡°The Alchemist injected us with drugs and observed us. He¡¯s the devil incarnate.¡± ¡°Us?¡±


    Romantica¡¯s face turned pale.


    ¡°Are you saying there are more people in here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many people there are, but with all the screaming I heard, quite a few people must have been captured like me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Desir thought for a moment before turning towards Romantica.


    ¡°Romantica, take this man and the rest of the survivors to the surface. In the meantime, I¡¯ll deal with the Alchemist.¡±


    ¡°Desir!¡±


    Romantica tried to stop Desir, but Desir had decided on the best course of action and would not be easily dissuaded.


    ¡°We need to divide our roles. There¡¯s a Chimera out there that we haven¡¯t dealt with yet, and we need someone to protect the survivors from it. Besides, if the Chimeraes in here, I¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it together.¡±


    ¡°We are not yet sure what Pureus will do in the meantime. I¡¯ll stop him, so kill the Chimera as soon as possible ande help me. Is that okay?¡±


    Someone had to do it. ¡°¡­ Okay.¡±


    She had no choice. Romantica supported the man and left to find the remaining survivors. After Romantica left, Desir walked down the hallway and looked at the writing someone had handwritten on the ss wall with some kind of pen.


    Woman in her 40s. X


    Man in his 40s. X


    Woman in her 50s. X


    Man in his 50s. X


    ¡­ ¡­


    ¡­


    Inside one of the rooms marked with an X, a dead and dissected body was visible on theb table.


    Desir realized what the X sign means.


    It was a sign of death.


    They had been cruelly treated as test subjects and then died miserably.

 Chapter 133. The Pinnacle (1)

    <h4>Chapter 133. The Pinnacle (1)</h4>


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Desir turned around and returned to the hallway before heading deeper into theboratory. The age of experimental subjects increased as he went further inside, before stopping after reaching the 60s. Subsequent subjects were ssified by constitution rather than age.


    The ss doors listed subjects by various traits including: unique blood types, a man who had survived a previous alchemical experiment and even a man that had reached the First-Circle. There were no survivors. However, amongst those names, there was a new demarcation on two doors. It read ¡°unsecured.¡±


    Teenage woman at the Third-Circle, unsecured.


    Teenage man at the Third-Circle, unsecured.


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    For a moment Desir¡¯s heart beat violently. He felt as if his blood was literally boiling. He could never forgive Pureus.


    Desir continued down the hallway before reaching the end of it. The hallway terminated in arge circr room.


    There was a monitor that kept track of the status of the human experiments, a freezer and a coffin full of various test material, as well as a man boldly standing in the middle of the room. There was a dim smile on his lips.


    ¡°Ahahahaha, good. I¡¯ll admit it. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be able to make it all the way here, but I¡¯ll be washing my hands of you now. You are insanely amazing.¡±


    Of course, it was the Alchemist, Pureus Niftion. ¡°I am also impressed.¡±


    Desir spoke solemnly, but with a firm tone.


    ¡°Only a face like yours could utter such trash so confidently. You shouldn¡¯t even be able to hold your head high after throwing your humanity away.¡±


    ¡°Please, do I really deserve such harsh words? In order for progress to be made, sacrifices must be made as well. I¡¯ve furthered alchemy through my utter dedication to the craft! I have reached the sublime truth!¡±


    ¡°All these wasted lives, and you want praise for your dedication?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Progress requires noble sacrifice. The experimental data gained from sacrifice formed the basis of my research. Without them, I never would have been able to revolutionize Alchemy! Revolutionize the world!¡±


    He spoke fervently to Desir while pointing his finger at him.


    ¡°Now I am approaching the precipice. Only one more sacrifice needs to be made. With a Third-Circle wizard, I can finally finish my research! One of the greatest truths that mankind has pursued for so long can finally be revealed! Don¡¯t you want to be witness to this moment? As a wizard who has dedicated their life to unveiling the truth, can you really say you aren¡¯t interested?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Desir didn¡¯t feel this question was worth answering, instead he aimed a spell at him with a face filled with disgust.


    Pureus screamed in desperation.


    ¡°Howe! Why don¡¯t you chase the great truth?! Why aren¡¯t you praising my great achievements! I am the closest to uncovering the truth! More than anyone in the world!¡±


    ¡°I try not to make a hobby of being pleased with the deeds of a manic murderer.¡± Pureus exploded in a fit of rage.


    ¡°Human experiments are an inevitable factor in exploring life.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only going to ask you one question.¡±


    Desir killing intent began to leak out.


    ¡°Was there anyone who agreed to your delusion and participated in the experiment willingly?¡± ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Did anyone ever join you in the pursuit of your great ¡®truth,¡¯ Pureus? Did anyone ever enthusiastically agree to those painful experiments, with the same fervor as you conducted them? I¡¯ll put it inly: has anyone willingly thrown away their life?¡±


    ¡°You are pathetic. In the pursuit of the truth, such questions are irrelevant! They should be thanking me for using their humble bodies in a manner useful for the advancement of human civilization.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Desir regretted even starting a conversation with the deranged Pureus. His delusion was not on a level that could be solved through conversation.


    ¡°What a shame. You, after all, are no different than the close-minded simpletons in the Academy. Well, that¡¯s it.¡±


    When Pureus finished speaking, as if to confirm that he¡¯d made up his mind, a notification sounded.


    [Rare Hero Pureus Niftion¡¯s evil deeds were detected] [Your reputation with Pureus has dropped to ¡®Hostile.¡¯]


    [Pureus¡¯s research will bring numerous advances to human civilization in the future, but his research required numerous victims.]


    [Pureus is a person who will do anything for his own research. You are an important experiment subject for his research. He intends to use his trump card to make you an experimental subject.]


    [ - Defeat Pureus Niftion.]


    Pureus sighed before addressing Desir for thest time.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate. I never thought I could convince you, but I didn¡¯t want it to end this way.¡±


    It was as he said. No further conversation was necessary. Pureus wanted to catch him and make him an experimental subject, and Desir had to defeat Pureus to progress the quest.


    Desir immediately unleashed a spell, hoping to defeat Pureus before he had a chance to unleash the trump card the Shadow Dungeon had warned him about.


    [Charged Bolt]


    Desir lifted his hand and fired an electrical spell at Pureus. It was magic that would stun the target on hit.


    *Hiss*


    At that moment, the coffin at the center of theb opened and the creature inside it reached out and blocked the magic. The lightning scattered.


    ¡°¡­ Ooh, this is mypleted body. This is a body most satisfactory for living an eternity within.¡±


    It was ¡®something¡¯ in the form of a human that was able to stop the magic. The skin was blue and the whole body seemed to be covered with fish scales.


    It looked at Desir. Its eyes were nk,pletely void of any emotion or signs of life. That is until they slowly began to fill with hostility towards Desir.


    [ - Encountered the pinnacle of alchemy: a Homunculus]


    [This is the answer that Pureus Niftion has reached after spending so long exploring the mysteries of alchemy in search of eternal life.]


    [Novel and pure, it is a true lifeform just like that of a human.] [It has recognized you as an enemy who has attacked it.] Desir was astonished.


    ¡°He must have failed¡­ ¡±


    Pureus¡¯s study had clearly failed. If the research had been sessful, it would have eventually been uncovered and recorded in the history books.


    Desir was somewhat embarrassed by the fact that the history of this Shadow World reflected a major difference from reality.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Didn''t I say that I was about toplete it? Even though I couldn¡¯t obtain the right wizard material to properly finish it, it should still be enough to deal with you.¡±


    The Homunculus struck the ground. The basementboratory was quiterge so the distance between it and Desir was quiterge, but that quickly changed before Desir had time to react. Its speed was far superior to that of the Chimera he had dealt with before.


    ¡°Kieeaeek!¡±


    The Homunculus swung its arm at Desir. It was a simple swing without any skill, but its speed and power exceeded the Rook ss, and in terms of its pure power, was at the level of a Bishop ss attack.


    Desir hastily unleashed magic to strengthen his body. [Bnce Adjustment]


    [Strengthen Muscle Strength]


    [Enhance Dynamic Visual Acuity]


    [eleration]


    Even though he managed to invoke four different body strengthening spells, he had only just managed to buy himself enough time to react. Even with this strengthening magic, Desir was no match for the Homunculus, so he began arranging Third-Circle defensive spells one after another.


    [Sigh of Kizard]


    [Fire Shield]


    Whenever the defensive magic and Homunculus hit each other, a heavy sh rang out and dust fell from the ceiling.


    The fierce battle continued. Desir, who had crossed numerous life-or-death crises in the past, had never experienced battling against an enemy with this level of physical abilities while on his own.


    However, the Homunculus had a decisive difference from the typical enemy Desir had encountered.


    ¡®Its attacks are very monotonous.¡¯ The attack pattern was dead simple.


    The Homunculus continued to attack only in the form of swinging its arms or biting. It felt as if a newborn baby had taken over a monstrous adult¡¯s body.


    It also seemed to be unable to control its power and urately gauge the distance between itself and its target. These defects manifested in it hitting its own body or bouncing off walls that it charged into due to inertia.


    No matter how powerful the creature was, it was a useless creation without a wizard able to control it.


    For Desir, who had experienced numerous battlefields, this battle had turned into a piece of cake.


    Desir read its pattern and began to move in earnest. When the Homunculus charged forward again, Desir did not avoid it and instead unleashed [Sigh of Kizard] in its face.


    *Baaam*


    The [Sigh of Kizard] spell couldn¡¯t withstand the shock and shattered. The Homunculus maintained its trajectory and hit Desir head-on. Since the momentum was greatly reduced by the defensive magic, Desir took no serious damage.


    Desir held his ground and grabbed the Homunculus¡¯s head. He then started to arrange a spell. [Gravity Control]


    As the gravity started to increase, Desir kicked Homunculus¡¯s head to the ground. *Smash*


    It was such arge impact that cracks appeared on the stone floor. Desir wasn¡¯t yet done, however. Another attack shortly followed up.


    *Burst*


    Dozens of fireballs formed in the air and crashed into the Homunculus¡¯s body. As the fireballs rained down, a smoke cloud formed.


    ¡°Kiaaaaaaah!¡±


    Homunculus iled its fist around to escape from Desir¡¯s attack but was blocked by Desir¡¯s defensive magic.


    The initiative of this battle had long been seized by Desir.


    Desir calmly responded to the attack of the Homunculus and sealed its movement. [Bind]


    [lce Crown] ¡°Kiee-aeek!¡±


    A scream burst out.


    The Homunculus was pummeled by Desir.


    An utterly ruthless pummeling.


    Despite being hit with so much magic, based on the screams, it still managed to hang onto life. The strength of its body was definitely incredible.


    ¡®Of course, it won¡¯tst much longer.¡¯


    While pummeling the Homunculus, Desir couldn¡¯t help but ponder the implications this event raised.

 Chapter 134. The Pinnacle (2)

    <h4>Chapter 134. The Pinnacle (2)</h4>


    ¡®Is this really the pinnacle of alchemy?¡¯


    The Homunculus had a body that was superior enough to withstand Desir¡¯s magic. However, as the attacks continued, the hard body began to be destroyed little by little.


    It was far too weak. It was far from being called the pinnacle of alchemy. [Burst Fire]


    *Crash*


    The Homunculus¡¯s skin was cracked, muscles were torn, and bones were broken. It had been thoroughly crushed by Desir¡¯s magic.


    Desir decided to end it; there was no need to drag this out any longer. [Wind Press]


    A Second-Circle spell that forcefully restrained enemies with wind pressure.


    The Homunculus, whose body had been fractured, couldn¡¯t ovee the wind pressure and flew into the wall.


    Desir reached his hand out and aimed his next spell at the Homunculus. The spell quickly arranged itself in front of him.


    [Fire Spear]


    A fire spear fell down on the Homunculus. *Baaaaam*


    A heavy scream shook the basement. A cloud of dust billowed out. Apanying the shockwave was a bright light; a sign that the defences of the Homunculus had been annihted.


    Desir turned his attention to Pureus.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, Pureus. The Homunculus you were so proud of has been destroyed.¡±


    Despite the fact that the Homunculus had beenpletely annihted, Pureus was still smiling.


    ¡°There is nothing you can do anymore. Surrender without resistance.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha. Foolish wizard. Do you think you have won? Do you not understand the meaning of eternal life?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Just as Pureus finished speaking, something stirred amongst the dust. Desir turned around to look at it.


    It was the Homunculus.


    It faced Desir, looking as it did when it stepped out of the coffin at the start of the battle. It was in pristine conditions, looking as if it had never even been in a battle.


    ¡®Regeneration¡­ It doesn¡¯t look like that kind of thing¡­ ¡¯


    If it had the ability to regenerate, it would have shown signs of restoring itself as he was attacking it. However, in the battle so far, no such thing could be seen at all.


    ¡®This is something more than regeneration. It must be some kind of psychedelic magic that makes it look like it¡¯s damaged.¡¯


    Desir couldn¡¯t tell for sure, but intuitively knew that there was something afoot here. Desir reached out to the Homunculus.


    While he was not sure, he just had to subdue it again to rify his doubts.


    ¡®Whether it be a hallucination or something else, I will subdue it again and find out!¡¯


    He didn¡¯t know what power it had used, but the Homunculus wasn¡¯t his opponent anyway. After Desir finished arranging his thoughts, he started to invoke spells on the Homunculus again.


    However, in reaction to Desir, the Homunculus¡¯ body seemed to have shrunk. It disappeared from Desir¡¯s sight in an instant.


    Before Desir could even react, Desir felt a sharp pain on his left arm. The pain was unbearable, almost as if it were on fire.


    *Baaaaam*


    Despite feeling a tremendous amount of pain, Desirpleted the arrangement of his spell. An intense shock wave struck the Homunculus and it was blown off its feet by the force, burying itself halfway into the nearby wall.


    Desir was astonished.


    ¡®It managed to attack before the spell was activated?¡¯


    Its speed had be iparably fast inparison to thest sh.


    Even with improved reflexes and muscle strength from his strengthening magic, he waspletely unable to respond.


    The Homunculus pulled itself out of the wall and looked at Desir. It stood still, as if observing Desir.


    ¡®Something has changed.¡¯


    This creature that had just jumped around without thinking before, now had a look of intelligence on its face. As if it were carefully contemting the best way to attack next.


    Desir invoked another spell. Simultaneously, the Homunculus began to move.


    It was so fast that it left behind an afterimage, creating the illusion of there being multiple copies of it all over the ce.


    *Bang*


    *Baaang*


    Desir¡¯s magic streaked through the air and smashed into the innocent wall.


    The Homunculus had been slowly closing the distance before realizing that Desir¡¯s magic couldn¡¯t hurt it.


    ¡®It has the ability to gradually improve its judgement. I can¡¯t take my time dealing with it anymore. Since that¡¯s the case¡­ !¡¯


    Desir had internally admitted that he could no longer shoot down the Homunculus with a single-shot magic.


    Upon reaching this conclusion, he decided to pour all of his effort into a long-ranged attack that it could not avoid.


    [lce Crown]


    It was one of the top-ss spells amongst those of the Second-Circle.


    He was nning to arrange thisrger-scale magic while retreating from the Homunculus that would be preupied with that spell for a while.


    ¡°What¡­ !?¡±


    At that moment, however, the Homunculus rushed towards Desir.


    Unexpectedly, it took the attack magic directly and approached him.


    The speed it moved at was beyond imagination. It never even gave Desir a chance to unleash defensive magic.


    Instinctively, Desir lifted his arms to defend himself. *Bang*


    A tremendous impact sounded.


    With it, the mana capacity of the Clothes Line had dropped sharply. As the Clothes Line offset the shock, Desir¡¯s body bounced back.


    Immediately after Desir shook his head to clear it, he saw the arm of the Homunculus descending on him to split his head.


    [Sigh of Kizard]


    Fortunately, Desir was bounced back by the Homunculus shattering the defensive spell he barely got off in time.


    Unfortunately, the Homunculus¡¯s continuous attacks did not let up. *Smash*


    *Smash*


    *Smash*


    Explosions emanated from its simple yet powerful fist swings and kicks.


    Moreover, as his vision on his right side was greatly reduced, this kind of close-rangebat was very unfavorable for Desir.


    ¡®In order to respond to this speed¡­ ¡¯


    Desir remembered the way he handled the Chimera.


    A spell arranged itself in front of him.


    [Water Wall]


    Desir summoned a cylindrical wall of water, blocking him off from the Homunculus on all sides.


    [Winter Ice]


    The water around him froze immediately as it formed. *Chkhk*


    ¡°Kiaaaaah!¡±


    The body of the Homunculus approached Desir with the exact timing he had hoped for. As it was partially through the water wall, it also froze under the influence of the spellbo. It was trapped on his right-hand side.


    Desir unleashed a spell of the Third-Circle while feeling a bloodcurdling sensation at how close this encounter was.


    [Summon Lighting]


    So far, with the exception of defensive magic, the only attack magic he had been using was at the Second-Circle to conserve mana.


    However, Summon Lightning was a Third-Circle spell. It may not be the pinnacle of Third-Circle spells, but it definitely could not be discounted.


    An intense thunderstorm swept the ice wall that had temporarily trapped the Homunculus. There was a dazzling sh as lighting filled the enclosed room.


    Within an instant, an extreme current of electricity prated the body of the Homunculus. Using such a spell while surrounded by water definitely wasn¡¯t safe, but it was certainly effective. As Desir expected, the Homunculus¡¯s face was soon burned ck.


    The current was so powerful that Desir could see its red and blue blood vessels bursting all over its body.


    ¡°Khaaaaaak!


    It screamed in pain. *Crack*


    At the same time, the ice sphere that had restrained it was broken, and thousands of shards of ice were flung out.


    A blue hand reached through the ice shards and made a swipe at Desir. ¡®What the hell is this ability?¡¯


    He couldn¡¯t make any sense of it.


    It truly felt like he had done significant damage to the Homunculus. The manner in which he had done it was evenpletely different fromst time. How exactly the Homunculus was recovering was far beyond hisprehension and outside of his realm of experience.


    Although he couldn¡¯t figure out what it was, it was easy to figure out what it wasn¡¯t. From the amount of damage it sustained and how it seemed to instantaneously revert to a perfect condition, it wasn¡¯t a form of regeneration or an illusion effect.


    ¡®Within a moment, it was back to its original shape.¡¯ It was as if this was its natural state.


    Anyone would be dumbstruck


    Desir could only feel bitter at the mana expenditure for such inconclusive results. [Raise Wall]


    A stone wall soared out of the ground to block its path. The Homunculus didn¡¯t care and charged straight through it.


    The sturdy stone wall was torn apart like a sheet of paper under the Homunculus¡¯s strength. ¡°¡­ !¡±


    But Desir wasn¡¯t there when the Homunculus smashed through the wall.


    The Homunculus¡¯s eyes swivelled from left to right in search of Desir. Instinctively, it then looked up.


    Desir was standing on top of the copsing wall and had just finished arranging a spell. [Burst Fire]


    Dozens of fireballs, each drawing different paths, rushed at the Homunculus.


    The Homunculus kicked against the ground, leaping backwards as it read the fireball¡¯s trajectory, and nimbly escaped. It appeared to be reading the paths as if it were one step ahead at all times. An absolute feat of aerobatic mastery.


    Fortunately, with the Homunculus preupied, there was a brief respite for Desir to gather his thoughts. This window would be brief though, as Desir had barely managed to distance himself from it.


    With how the Homunculus had evolved, Desir struggled to find a solution to his predicament. Before, attacks were easy to get off, but functionally useless due to its healing ability. Now, however, Desir was struggling to find opportunities to attack; even if he did damage, it would just regenerate itself. In effect, any attack Desir could make would be meaningless.


    ¡®But that doesn¡¯t mean that I can solely rely on defensive magic.¡¯


    Defensive magic was not able to respond to the variety and strength of attacks from the Homunculus.


    Unfortunately for Desir, the Clothes Line had begun to approach its limit.


    [Warning: Clothes Line has less than 20 percent mana remaining. The defensive capabilities have been significantly reduced.]


    Desir¡¯s position could only get worse, the longer the battle went on. It was clear that Desir had lost the advantage.


    During the battle, the Homunculus began to handle its power with a higher level of finesse. There were fewer gaps in its defenses and its attacks became even more relentless. Attacking and defending against this creature had be significantly harder.


    It was clear now that it would continually evolve.


    The more it battled against Desir, the more difficult it was going to be for Desir to handle. Desir¡¯s mana, on the other hand, became increasingly exhausted. Less than half of his mana pool remained.


    ¡®If it continues like this, it will be rather dangerous.¡¯


    If the essence of Homunculus¡¯s ability was regenerative power, it could be dealt with in the one-go by any attack that had overwhelming might.


    If Desir used all of his remaining mana, he might be able to finish things off once and for all. However, he was not convinced that Homunculus¡¯s ability was regeneration. After hitting it with [Summon Lightning], he was almost certain that the source of its longevity was something else.


    Desir¡¯s expression slowly distorted. ¡°What a pathetic disy.¡±


    Pureus smiled, savoring Desir¡¯s expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s very sad that you cannot evenprehend this great wisdom. The truth that your trivial brain dare not even imagine. I at least want you to know what truth is overwhelming you in this battle.¡±


    Pureus stared at the Homunculus with ecstatic eyes.


    ¡°The truth that I have embodied into this creature is not just eternal life. A truth on that level would just allow one to live forever. This is the true pinnacle of alchemy. And that power is¡­ !¡±


    *Baaam*


    An explosion shook the room slightly.


    Desir had seeded in blowing an entire arm off the Homunculus using a Third-Circle spell. However, the fragments of the arm that were scattered across the floor soon re-attached themselves to the stump of its arm and reformed a perfectly functional arm.


    Desir couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t anything like a regenerative ability. It felt like an ability that reversed time, restoring it back to its original state.


    ¡°It¡¯s controlling Causality.¡±

 Chapter 135. The Pinnacle (3)

    <h4>Chapter 135. The Pinnacle (3)</h4>


    Causality.


    If there is a cause, there will be a consequent result.


    It was one of thews that governed this world.


    And Pureus said that the Homunculus in front of him could manipte causality. ¡®It¡¯s possible he¡¯s lying to manipte me. But if it¡¯s true¡­ ¡¯


    Desir looked at the Homunculus, who was pursuing him closely.


    A monster that could instantly restore its body, no matter how much it was damaged. *Baaam*


    Judging from the situation so far, it felt indisputable that Pureus had told him the truth. Desir soon found himself in the worst situation.


    ¡®It wasn¡¯t a recovery ability, but an ability to return itself to the past.¡¯


    It was restored to its top condition without any dy or apparent resource usage. It was a power that defiedmon sense.


    ¡°Kiaaaak!¡±


    The continuous cry of the Homunculus snapped him out of his stupor.


    When the Homunculus attacked with full power, the defensive spell that had been holding until that moment finally reached its limit and shattered. It put all of its power into kicking against the ground to narrow the distance with Desir.


    [Storm of Abarossa] *Bang*


    A wind bullet tore through the upper body of the Homunculus. It was Romantica¡¯s sniping spell.


    Desir noticed that Romantica had arrived.


    ¡®She¡¯s arrived on time.¡¯


    Desir sighed and distanced himself from the Homunculus. Of course, as before, its body restored itself in an instant.


    [¡°What the hell is that monster?¡±]


    Through themunication magic cast by Romantica, a voice tinged with embarrassment could be heard.


    [¡°It¡¯s a monster with a strange recovery ability. Make sure to focus on slowing or stopping it rather than thinking about outright defeating it.¡±]


    [¡°I''ll hold it in check as much as possible.¡±] Romantica¡¯s sniping magic was fast and urate.


    If the Homunculus showed any gap in its defence, her sniping magic destroyed its body. *Bang*


    ¡°Grrrrrr!¡±


    With the sniping magic now providing covering fire for Desir, the Homunculus couldn¡¯t rush as aggressively as before.


    Desir, who couldn¡¯t even find an opportunity to take a breather just moments before, could now find the time to sigh and contemte on the best action to take.


    ¡®Indiscriminate attacks are useless.¡¯


    He needed a method to reverse this situation.


    No, if it controlled causality in the first ce, how the hell could it even be defeated?


    No matter how hard they try, it was impossible to cope in any way if the results of all their attacks were just ignored.


    ¡®Then, how high is the possibility of that Alchemist lying?¡¯


    Desir desperately mused.


    ¡®Is there any information that I have missed? Is there even just one weak point? Its ability is only used to restore its own body. Then, is the scope of the ability limited to itself? Based on what we are aware of in our time period, his research had failed¡­ So what¡¯s this in front of us?¡¯


    Desir¡¯s brain began to run wild. Hebined all his past research, his theoretical discussions with Zod, what he had observed from the Homunculus, and searched for somemon thread to serve as a basis for theoretical weaknesses.


    After a few moments, he realized that the Homunculus¡¯s power andbat style contradicted each other.


    ¡®Why did it need to avoid my attacks?¡¯


    The Homunculus did not need to evade Desir¡¯s attacks, as long as it could eliminate all of the resulting damage.


    On the contrary, it was a valid judgment to take advantage of its merits and just take that damage in exchange for being able to dish out damage of its own.


    ¡®If it really can control causality, it should disregard its wellbeing in order to deal more damage. Something isn¡¯t adding up.¡¯


    Desir followed this train of thought and arrived at the logical conclusion. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve spent a lot of time here. Let¡¯s finish things up.¡±


    As soon as Pureus bounced his finger, the Homunculus stopped moving and ced its legs firmly on the ground. It was as if it was putting down roots.


    *Creak*


    The sound of the muscles and bones twisting and tearing could be heard. The shape of the Homunculus, which was originally in a humanoid form, began to gradually shift.


    These changes soon reached a level where the creature could hardly be recognized as a human. After a while, the atmosphere around where the Homunculus stood was greatly distorted. Desir and Romantica¡¯s bodies stung and all of their senses were signaling that they were in imminent danger.


    Desir, who was much more sensitive to mana than Romantica, felt an enormous amount of it gather around the Homunculus in just an instant. He couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised.


    In order to unleash magic, it is necessary to collect mana and arrange it into a spell. Depending on the magic system used, the way these steps were performed may be different, but these steps were not something that could be skipped.


    However, the Homunculus which manipted causality was different. It produced only the result of collecting the mana and focused all of that resulting energy in front of itself without going through any process.


    ¡°Sh*t¡­ Romantica!¡±


    Desir immediately started running toward Romantica.


    Pureusughed.


    ¡°Hahahaha! It¡¯s no use running away!¡± *Bing*


    Pureus stood proudly, his eyes in awe at the power of the Homunculus.


    It was because the magic that the Homunculus developed in front of his eyes was not at the level that a Third-Circle wizard could block.


    Up until now, it had not used this ability as it had been used to suppress the wizards forter use as experimental material; something that couldn¡¯t be done if their bodies were obliterated.


    But Pureus changed his mind as it became hard to suppress Desir after Romantica joined. Pureus looked in the direction Desir had headed.


    To reach the surface, one had to leave through the single hallway that led to this room. There was no way to escape the attack.


    No, it didn¡¯t really matter even if they escaped. ¡®I¡¯ll blow up the city.¡¯


    He had reached the point where he had already created such a fuss that people would flock to this city, and it was impossible to continue research here any longer.


    The city was of no value to him anymore.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s make the uncivilized realize their helplessness.¡±


    As he made his deration, the enormous energy that was condensing in front of the Homunculus was released.


    In an instant, the entire area flickered with a blinding white light. *Bing*


    The energy summoned by the Homunculus, equal to Fifth-Circle magic, ripped through theboratory and the surrounding areas.


    A momentter, when Pureus opened his eyes, all he could see was a dark night. Hisboratory was gone, leaving no trace behind at all.


    Pureus, who had been smiling, suddenly noticed something and his face turned stone cold. He realized that the Lord¡¯s castle and all of the other mansions were fine, with the exception of his own.


    After a minute, the dust around Pureus began to settle. The st had only been partially effective; something had clearly blocked his attack. When he looked around for the source, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. ¡°This is impossible¡­ !¡±


    Before him was a huge shield emanating a dazzling brilliance, with two people standing behind it without even a scratch on them. Naturally, they were Desir and Romantica.


    Pureus could hardlyprehend the situation.


    There was no way a Third-Circle wizard could block such an attack. It was impossible. ¡°What the hell did you do!?¡±


    ¡°Do you actually expect me to answer that?¡± Desir sighed to himself.


    ¡®If we took out the Aurora System just a little bitter, there wouldn¡¯t have been any trace of us left.¡¯


    The Aurora System, a project significantly elerated due to Desir¡¯s advice, had already reached the point where it could be put into practical use as a portable, but consumable, shield. And Desir had brought it into the Shadow World this time.


    The magic stone in the device that Desir held crumbled into ash. At the same time, the Aurora System¡¯s shield also disappeared.


    ¡®I can¡¯t stop it now if it attacks again.¡¯


    To make a portable Aurora System required a tremendous amount of money. It was impossible to bring multiple copies of it, even for Desir.


    ¡®I have no choice but to do it now.¡¯


    With the loss of a safety, it was impossible to remain on the defensive anymore. Thus, he now had no choice but to attack.


    Desir, without any further hesitation, began to prepare the best spell he had avable.


    A veryplicated spell arranged itself in front of him. It was a maximum powered spell that only Desir could perform. Naturally, it used his new magical system.


    Pureus shouted as he noticed the unusual atmosphere. ¡°O-One more!¡±


    Ignoring all of the usual steps in casting a spell, mana gathered rapidly in front of the Homunculus. And it was soon fired at Desir.


    At the same time, Desir¡¯s magic waspleted.


    A huge me storm painted the sky red. The magic that Desir had spent a long time finding the optimal arrangement for showed power iparable to before.


    The energy fired by the Homunculus was swallowed up by the huge mes and disappeared. These huge mes did not diminish in the slightest and mmed into the Homunculus directly.


    *BANG*


    The fire zed, as if threatening to burn down the entire world, before quickly fading away and eventually disappearing.


    The maniption of causality had made it as if Desir¡¯s magic had never appeared.


    Desir realized this fact and his anxiety shot through the roof. If even this was blocked by the Homunculus, then there was no way left for him to survive.


    The intense heat subsided and revealed the Homunculus standing on melting ground. Its body was heavily burnt and its limbs were shattered.


    Obviously, the power of causality maniption had been activated, but the body of the Homunculus had not been returned to its top condition.


    Desir realized that there was an abnormality in the body of the Homunculus.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t it a power that can be used indefinitely?¡¯


    ¡®If I only had the material from a Third-Circle wizard, my research will beplete!¡¯


    Desir remembered the conversation with Pureus. Pureus said that the experiment was unfinished, apparently because he couldn¡¯t get his hands on the right experimental subject matter.


    ¡®The reason why he needed a wizard¡­ ¡¯


    Pureus was an alchemist handling both magic and alchemy. It was inevitable that his study also included magical elements.


    Desir looked closely at the Homunculus, which was wrecked beyond repair. Moving was impossible for it.


    And he could detect something in the Homunculus¡¯s body.

 Chapter 136. The Pinnacle (4)

    <h4>Chapter 136. The Pinnacle (4)</h4>


    ¡®So it was in a hurry.¡¯


    Desir realized the source of the unpleasant feeling that had been gnawing at him ever since he saw the Homunculus.


    ¡°Damn it! Why is this great truth unable to handle such petty magic?!¡±


    The Homunculus had a mana circle embedded within its body. Actually, it had multiple mana circles. By drawing on these mana circles, it could both utilize it¡¯s heaven defying ability and enhance the power of its regr attacks.


    However, the dozens of mana circles in its body were only of the First-Circle. There was no way they couldpete against a beyond-top-tier powered spell of a higher circle.


    ¡°Is it no longer possible for it to recover?¡± ¡°It has reached its limit.¡±


    Desir answered Romantica¡¯s question while heavily breathing.


    Desir had used up most of his mana with thatst attack. He wouldn¡¯t be able to cast any more spells, let alone defensive ones, if the need arose.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. The recovery ability of the Homunculus seemed to be out ofmission. The once terrifying Homunculus had been reduced to the point where it could easily be handled by Romantica.


    Romantica aimed at Pureus. ¡°Should I kill the Alchemist first?¡±


    ¡°No, I have something to ask him. Please attack just the Homunculus.¡± Romantica nodded and aimed at the Homunculus.


    *Crack*


    The Homunculus¡¯s leg was sniped and exploded in a terrible mess of gore.


    In an instant the leg recovered. However, there was still a deep prating wound through which blood poured out of.


    ¡°Kiaaaaaaaak!¡±


    Energy once again gathered in front of the Homunculus, but Romantica¡¯s sniping speed was much faster.


    *Bang*


    A wind bullet pierced the Homunculus¡¯s forehead.


    It was truly beyond restoration this time. The Homunculus did not so much as twitch after falling over.


    ¡°Phew¡­ ¡±


    Romantica lowered her rifle and let out a long sigh. After wiping off the cold sweat that had formed on her brow, she pointed at Pureus.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s still alive.¡±


    Desir and Romantica passed by the Homunculus. There was an alchemist lying on his back in the middle of the oldb room.


    ¡°Sigh, if only I had managed toplete my experiment, it wouldn¡¯t have been nearly this easy to defeat me. My deepest regret is dying without being able to¡­plete it.¡±


    While the Homunculus was able to erase casualty on damage it had received, this ability did not extend to the area, or people, around itself.


    Pureus had been severely burnt by Desir¡¯s magic and had even lost one of his legs. It was a serious injury. It was a miracle that he even managed to survive this long.


    ¡°Any experiment created through such inhumane methods would never receive approval from the Association of Alchemists.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ will never understand¡­ ever.¡±


    Pureus¡¯s face was scrunched up into a frown from the severe pain he was in. Desir asked Romantica to stand back for a moment before addressing Pureus.


    ¡°There is one thing I want to know. No matter how good of an alchemist you are, it¡¯s impossible to conduct this kind of experiment by yourself. Who helped you?¡±


    ¡°Why¡­ should I answer that¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ll end your life as painlessly as possible.¡± Desir stomped on his remaining leg.


    ¡°Kaaaaaaaah!¡±


    Pureus shrieked in pain, but Desir¡¯s face did not betray the slightest intention of lifting his boot.


    However, Desir eventually relented and lifted his boot slightly. Pureus stared at him fiercely while gasping in pain. His face, that seemed to be stuck in a perpetual frown, was entuated by the burns. Children would cry in fright if they saw him in this pathetic state.


    ¡°I¡¯m already¡­ dying anyway. I can¡¯t trade the name¡­ of my benefactor.¡± ¡°So you have someone behind you after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    Pureus realized that he had been misled by Desir. His eyes snapped open and his breath soon ceased.


    A notification sounded.


    [Rare Hero, Pureus Niftion is dead.]


    [You havepleted the quest ¡°The Truth of Eternal Life.¡±]


    [-As you have freed the city from the grasp of evil alchemists, the city lord will hear out one request.]


    [You have dealt with the threat brilliantly. However, the danger to you has not yet subsided.] [Pureus Niftion was executed, but you have discovered an unknown force behind him, supporting his experiments.]


    [-Exterminate them to foil their dastardly plot.]


    * * *


    Witnessing the copse of the mansion, soldiers of the fief rushed in. Identifying the fallen bodies of Pureus and one other person, they arrested Desir and Romantica. To the soldiers, they had caught criminals red-handed.


    For them, Pureus was a savior often referred to as a sage.


    However, survivors from the experiments quickly exposed the misdeeds of Pureus. Their stories were supported by the wounds that remained on their bodies.


    Subsequently, traces of the battle soon revealed that the entire city would have been blown away if not for the Aurora System deployed by Desir.


    Desir and Romantica were treated as heroes who fought on behalf of the city, and the Lord of the Desert Flower City invited them to the castle in an expression of gratitude.


    ¡°Wizards, thank you for saving the city. Thank you on behalf of the Desert Flower City. As a reward, I will do my best to answer any request you may have of me. Is there something you want?¡±


    ¡°Please allow us to use the teleportation gate.¡±


    Desir answered the Lord¡¯s question without any hesitation. ¡°A request that simple? I¡¯ll prepare it for use right away.¡± The work was conducted swiftly.


    While waiting for the teleportation gate, Desir and Romantica changed outfits and packed away their damaged Clothes Lines.


    Romantica, never one to ruminate on something for too long, voiced her concern.


    ¡°Desir, isn¡¯t it strange that the story of this Shadow World is different to the actual history we studied?¡±


    It was as Romanica had surmised: In the real world, Pureus¡¯s study of eternal life never saw the light of day.


    Desir could not recall any story of a Homunculus, let alone one that powerful, being created in his previous life.


    However, this made it clear that Pureus had almost finished his research into eternal life. There had never been a Shadow World that showed a false past. Only byparing what they knew to what they had found here, could the real history be discovered. It was through this method that historical inuracies were corrected and gaps in recorded history filled¡­ However there wasn¡¯t any precedent of a Shadow World uncovering an alternative past.


    ¡°The quest we received in this Shadow World was to defeat the Homunculus. This should mean that the quest would be cleared after the Homunculus was eliminated. However, the follow-up quest indicates that someone hid this research in the real world.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know why, but it¡¯s impossible to say that it was hidden for a good purpose.¡±


    The Homunculus¡¯s power to manipte causality was truly in the realm of God. It was a stage that human power could never reach.


    The Homunculus they had just dealt with was overwhelming, despite being an iplete product. If it had a higher level mana circle or two, it would be unimaginably stronger.


    ¡®We have to reduce the number of variables.¡¯


    Desir had been held up with another problem that originated from an unexpected ce. ¡°But finding the shadowy supporters of this¡­ I don¡¯t know where to even begin.¡±


    ¡°I have a clue.¡±


    Desir revealed something he had stowed in his sleeve. It was a piece of a broken crystal. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The initial form of a mana circuit. It was used as a tool to store mana in the past. It was one of the things that I saved from the remains of the Alchemist¡¯sb. I¡¯m sure he used this in his experiments.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°At this time, there was only one country in the world that could make mana circuits. And that country strictly forbade the export of mana circuits to prevent their technology from leaking. That country was the Magic Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°You mean, the Magic Kingdom¡­ !¡±


    As the gears seemed to visibly turn in Romantica¡¯s brain, it didn¡¯t take too long for her to realize something. The initial destination of the main quest was the Magic Kingdom too!


    ¡°We may have some clues as we progress through the first main quest.¡±


    Both wizards felt a sense of foreboding, intimating that things likely wouldn¡¯t turn out as nned.


    After organizing their thoughts, they turned to the teleportation gate that had been activated.


    * * *


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    Five days had passed since they had entered the Shadow World. It was an afternoon filled with the splendorous sight of wonderful sunlight.


    The soldiers loitered on the ship¡¯s deck, soaking up the sunshine. ¡°Don¡¯t neglect the maintenance!¡±


    ¡°Is engine no.4 still unstable?¡±


    ¡°I definitely finished inspecting it. It looked fine to me.¡±


    The soldiers were all excellent and thanks to them the journey continued smoothly.


    Monsters had attacked from time to time, but these were all minor skirmishes and before too long the frequency of monster attacks had decreased dramatically. After passing through this rough patch, the voyage had been nothing but stable.


    Adjest looked at the unupied chair. It was the ce Desir had sat in before.


    When Desir jumped out of the airship to follow Romantica, she was worried at first, but she knew they were safe as there had been no special notification.


    Adjest was relieved that they were alive, but as time passed, she began to worry again.


    Desir and Romantica had jumped out and presumablynded in the middle of a desert. It was practically impossible for them to rendezvous again on the airship.


    This meant the quest had to be cleared by just Adjest and Pram. The already difficult Level Three Shadow World had just increased in difficulty again. However, Adjest was optimistic that this set back was only minor, and that they still had the power to progress and clear the main quest.


    The problem was whether Desir and Romantica were able to remain safe until the quest waspleted.


    With limited options, the only thing Adjest could do was to focus on clearing this quest as quickly as possible to facilitate their escape. Desir and Romantica¡¯s lives hinged on it.


    With her mind now set, she hardened her resolve toplete the escort mission to the best of her ability.


    Pram, who fully trusted Desir, focused on honing his sword skill without any care in the world.


    Kei appeared to enjoy assisting Pram in polishing his sword skill. He spent most of his free time with Pram and even sparred with him on asion.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Kei.¡±


    ¡°No problem. This has been beneficial to me too.¡±


    Naturally, practicing with Kei, a Grand Master of the Sword, improved Pram¡¯s ability by leaps and bounds in a short period of time.

 Chapter 137. Tracing the Attack (1)

    <h4>Chapter 137. Tracing the Attack (1)</h4>


    They had been traveling smoothly for six days now.


    The airship had arrived in the city of Grinpell, close to the border between the Magical Kingdom and the Hebrion Empire. Theyover was mandatory as they were required to clear the screening process of Grinpell, since they passed through the Empire.


    The airship gently descended. Grinpell was a fairly busy city, thanks to it being somewhat of a trading hub between the two countries.


    When Adjest went out to the deck, she saw Pram already peering down while leaning on the railing of the airship.


    His reaction was unusual. Normally he would be amazed by the scenery of a new city and bounce around everywhere. But today he showed such a subdued reaction.


    ¡°If I could have seen this with Master Desir, it would have been great¡­ ¡±


    Pram had been extremely loyal to Desir for such a long time. Ever since they had enrolled in the academy, they had never left each other¡¯s side. Rather, it was almost surprising for him to not show any change of expression until now.


    Adjest spoke to Pram. ¡°Do you miss Desir?¡±


    Pram flinched and looked back.


    ¡°¡­ Um, how long have you been there?¡± ¡°For some time.¡±


    Pram buried his face into the railing and every part of his face not covered, including his earlobes, turned crimson.


    ¡°I feel a little-A little embarrassed.¡±


    Adjest walked towards the railing and stood next to Pram.


    ¡°Once we finish clearing this Shadow World, everyone who participated will return to the original world. If we clear the Shadow World quickly, you¡¯ll see him soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Adjest continued.


    ¡°So what I mean is, you don¡¯t need to be so gloomy.¡± ¡°What?¡±


    Pram stared at Adjest in shock.


    After taking a moment to recollect himself, he smiled. ¡°Of course, Master Adjest.¡±


    The airship started to shake and rattle as itnded on the airfield after receiving clearance from the control tower.


    There were many other airships on the airfield, so theirs didn¡¯t stand out at all.


    Here in the border town, there were a lot of merchants who interacted with the Magical Kingdom. There was a gigantic river dividing the two countries and they often crossed the border with airships to prevent getting attacked by monsters. It was mostly merchant ships on the airfield, but there were also a few military ships from the Hebrion Empire too.


    In the modern age, such a sight was rare to behold. Teleportation gates had been widely deployed and usage of airships had beenpletely phased out.


    Kei went through the required formalities and paid the docking fee fornding at the airfield. Afterward, he gathered all of his men and ordered them to go have fun while staying within the city; it would take about three days to get through the screening procedure.


    After such a long time sailing, a three-day break was truly a breath of fresh air. The sailors disembarked, their excitement was palpable.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s our turn to disembark.¡±


    Kei assisted Aldin, who was mumbling incoherently. Adjest and Pram took their time climbing down. They expected all the sailors, who departed the ship well before them, to have disappeared by now. Instead, they were all just standing there.


    Their eyes were fixed on the same ce, eyes bulging as if they had just seen a ghost. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Adjest and Pram turned their gaze upon what the sailors were looking at.


    ¡°¡­ Do you have any idea how tedious it was for me to wait for you to catch up?¡±


    And there were the two people they thought they would not see before clearing the Shadow World.


    * * *


    ¡°¡­ So I did the Lord a little favour, and was able to use the teleport gate.¡±


    Desir and his party, along with Kei and Aldin, booked themselves into a cozy inn.


    At the inn, Desir described their journey to Kei, Pram and Adjest; filling them in on how exactly they had arrived via the teleportation gate. Of course, he omitted a few key parts of the story.


    In his version of events, they killed an evil alchemist at the Lord¡¯s request. They made sure to tweak anything rted to the Shadow Worlds in particr.


    Nobody noticed how they slyly tangled the truth with lies.


    After listening to the story, Kei spoke up.


    ¡°That must have been a challenging journey. I shouldn¡¯t say this as your employer, but wouldn¡¯t it have been easier for you if you didn¡¯te back? It¡¯d still be considered a sessful missionplete, even if you hadn¡¯te back, since that unsavoury incident took ce while you were on duty.¡±


    ¡°Well, our peers are all here, and we thought we¡¯d do as much as we can, as we had already been paid. I believe that¡¯s the right attitude for a mercenary.¡±


    Kei did a double-take as he re-evaluated Desir. ¡°¡­ Admirable.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I deserve apliment; that¡¯s simply what is expected of us.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised. Many mercenaries think it¡¯s over once they get paid.¡± ¡°Our mercenaries also despise those people very much.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very different from the mercenaries that I know. I hope we meet again after this.¡± ¡°We look forward to it. Having more clients is never a bad thing.¡±


    The notification sound appeared in the middle of the conversation between Desir and Kei. [Kei Hazumaryun thinks you are useful.]


    [Kei¡¯s likeability for you has increased to ¡°Trust on condition¡±] That was an unexpected earning.


    The trust with condition meant his likeability rating had increased to a point where he could be trusted to a certain extent.


    Obtaining Kei¡¯s favour could be helpful in the future.


    After recounting their journeys, they split up and started to head back to their respective rooms. Kei and Aldin shared a room, while Desir and his party would stay in a different room. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m going to be away for three days. I¡¯d like you to protect Aldin properly during that time.¡±


    Before retiring for the night, Desir¡¯s party was given the order to guard Aldin.


    [Main Quest, ''Guard in Grinpell'' has started.]


    [Kei Hazumaryun will be doing an important task for three days. His guarding range has been greatly weakened.]


    [-A strong enemy is seeking Aldin Cepheus. Protect him at all cost.] [-You fail this quest if Aldin dies.]


    Desir gathered his party and briefly told them what truly happened instead of the fake story that he shared while Kei was present. He filled Adjest and Pram in on the detail of their second main quest.


    ¡°So this means we must get rid of the power behind the Homunculus.¡± ¡°Yes. We need to stop the research involving the creation of Homunculus.¡± ¡°It feels like this is a lot tougher than our previous main quest.¡±


    It was just a in guarding quest and it had now expanded into foiling some group¡¯s plot. Adjest spoke up.


    ¡°But it¡¯s simply too broad of a scope to find this unknown group. Do we have any clues to go off, Desir?¡±


    ¡°We only have one, but it¡¯s a good start. It¡¯s the mana circuit I took from theb.¡±


    He took out and held the mana circuit he had stowed in a pocket near his chest. This was a piece of old technology used to store mana. The kind used before mana stone technology was developed.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t those supposed to be made in the Magic Kingdom? What is it doing way out in the middle of the desert?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Someone in the Magical Kingdom provided him with a mana circuit for his illegal research.¡±


    ¡°mana circuits were made using a highly developed manufactory system. Every mana circuit has a unique serial number. We can trace this mana circuit back to the factory which manufactured it based on this.¡±


    ¡°And the factory must have the record of who bought it.¡± Romantica said.


    ¡°Correct. We will track down the unknown backer with this.¡± ¡°In that case, we¡¯d better get to the Magical Kingdom first.¡± Adjest concluded.


    ¡°In order to do that, we need to guard Aldin well for the next three days.¡±


    * * *


    Their quest ¡®Guard in Grinpell¡¯ ended three dayster. ¡°That was so hard.¡±


    These were Desir¡¯s first words after they re-boarded the airship on thepletion of the inspection.


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone more unlucky than him.¡±


    Adjest and Romantica strongly supported hisint.


    It was like three days in hell.


    Even though the quest only involved protecting a crazy old man for three days, it ended up being a very challenging ordeal.


    The crux of the main quest in progress was protecting him.


    Protecting him up until that point had been a breeze. After first finding themselves on an airship in the Shadow World, they hadn¡¯t had to do much directly with him. They were just passengers, like he was, on the airship. However, for the three days that they were protecting Aldin, there were numerous misfortunes. It was as if all the misfortunes for the journey had alle together.


    A street light falling out of the blue, a beast that escaped the circus, a signboard falling onto his head, the number of incidents was truly too many to count.


    It seemed as though every element in the world was trying to eliminate him. Even Desir, who had vast experience dealing with Shadow Worlds, did a double-take.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I almost got sucked into one of the engines that was acting up on the airship.¡±


    Pram¡¯s eyes were sunken.


    ¡°Oddly enough, we were attacked too many times by monsters.¡± Romantica rubbed her sleepy eyes, yawning.


    They ended up focusing all of their effort on protecting Aldin, leaving no extra time for sleep. They ended up not leaving the inn at all after the first day.


    Usually, a trading city had a lot to see and enjoy, but they couldn¡¯t even afford to dream of such a luxury.


    Desir¡¯s party worked hard, so Aldin was kept safe and sound as a result of their diligence. On the airship, there was Kei. They wouldn¡¯t need to struggle like they just had. Meanwhile, the final quest in the first main quest line started.


    [Quest ¡®Last Hurrah¡¯ hasmenced]


    [You have excellently protected Aldin Sepius from unfortunate disasters. Please do your best to guard him until the end.]


    [-You are in the middle of a hidden quest at present. His life or death affects that quest greatly.]

 Chapter 138. Tracing the Attack (2)

    <h4>Chapter 138. Tracing the Attack (2)</h4>


    It only took two days for the airship to reach Altea, the capital city of the Magical Kingdom from Grinpell.


    When Altea finally appeared through the window, Kei gathered everyone from Desir¡¯s party. ¡°We will arrive in the capital shortly. Let us terminate your contract at this point. Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    Kei signed their contracts, designating them as apleted mission.


    The mercenary contract would be fully terminated once they submitted their signed contract to the mercenary guild in the Magical Kingdom. They would also receive the bnce of the bounty.


    The first main questline would be cleared with this.


    After saying bye to Kei, Pram spoke up, as they headed back to their rooms. ¡°This quest was quite simple for a Level Three Shadow World."


    ¡°It¡¯s not over, so you can¡¯t quite rx yet, Pram.¡± Pram nodded at Desir¡¯s sage advice.


    If things went smoothly, the Shadow World would have been cleared. However, they were forced to enter the hidden second main questline.


    Desir¡¯s face was filled with anxiety since even he didn¡¯t know anything about these series of events. It wasn¡¯t even recorded in the history books they had studied up on.


    Desir nced at the room where Kei and he had held a conversation.


    ¡®Under normal circumstances, the first quest and the second quest tend to be rted in a major way. I wanted to collect as much information as possible¡­ ¡¯


    Sword Grand Master, Kei Hazmaryoon was not one who was easily befriended.


    Though his likability with Kei had sufficiently increased, he still didn¡¯t say anything beyond what was necessary.


    He was never loose-lipped, even when he was chuckling affably. If anyone attempted to delve into a sensitive topic just a little bit, he¡¯d block them by changing the topic.


    As a result, Desir had to give up on getting information out of him.


    Leaving his disappointment behind, he loitered around for a while. The airshipnded on the field soon enough.


    Altea had a lifeless atmospherepared to lively Grinpell.


    The skyline was blocked by skyscrapers. People wore dark-colored clothes and were very quiet.


    As Desir¡¯s party descended onto thending field, someone walked towards their airship. It was a middle-aged man with a big scar on his cheek.


    Desir secretly ascertained their mana circle. He was roughly a Fifth-Circle. Even for the Magic Kingdom, which had an iparably stronger magical force than other kingdoms, to be a Fifth-Circle mage was no simple feat. This man was powerful.


    *Thump*


    *Thump*


    Soldiers saluted him in unison as they saw him.


    But he frowned as if seeing something utterly unpleasant. He saluted Kei who was standing on the deck half-heartedly. ¡°Good job, Major Kei Hazmaryoon.¡±


    ¡°Commander Darren Aleph, we sessfully obtained ingredients, so you don¡¯t have to visit us like this.¡±


    ¡°Well done forpleting this mission with such a body that is utterly devoid of magic.¡±


    ¡°¡­ It was definitely not easy. It would be the same for magicians.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°Do not make a mistake of equating swords and magic, Grand Master. While we magicians split the ocean and blow away mountains, you¡¯d slice with your sword through a few mere obstacles at most. Even though you¡¯re referred to as the Grand Master, you¡¯re no exception.¡± He jabbed his finger at Kei¡¯s chest. His attitude was certainly very rude.


    However, Keiughed and brushed his hand away.


    ¡°So, what did you visit us for? I don¡¯t think you came all this way here just to tell me that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to check if all the ingredients arrived safely. It¡¯d be very troublesome to have any issues before wemence the experiment. Anywho, who are those people?¡±


    He gestured at Desir standing on the side.


    ¡°They¡¯re the mercenaries that I hired to guard the airship.¡± Guards for the airship.


    Desir did not miss it, even though it was only made as a passingment. ¡®We were hired to guard Aldin though.¡¯


    Desir realized Kei was hiding the existence of Aldin Sepius. He didn¡¯t know why, but it was certain that Aldin couldn¡¯t be exposed here.


    ¡°That¡¯s unusual. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d hire mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because we lost too many subordinates to carry out the order of his majesty.¡±


    ¡°In some ways, it¡¯s a natural consequence. Why do you operate soldiers with weapons in this day and age? You are the only unit that uses weapons now.¡±


    He looked around the soldiers, then spoke with a wide smile.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s very easy to get soldiers with weapons. Your management is worth considering, in the sense that what you work with is always avable in great supply.¡±


    ¡°Commander, I would appreciate it if you would avoid speaking as if my subordinates are expendable.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you offended?¡± There was a long pause. Kei stared at Darren quietly.


    ¡°Well, anyway, I want to see the ingredients.¡± ¡°¡­ This way.¡±


    Kei spoke, but he looked incredibly subdued. He nced at Desir¡¯s party and gestured at one of the officers.


    ¡°Officer Penen, please take the soldiers to the guild carefully. They wouldn¡¯t know their way around here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    * * *


    Officer Penen was quite an interesting man. He had introduced Desir¡¯s party to Kei right at the beginning. He grabbed a carriage and joined Desir¡¯s party.


    Desir looked back at the airship.


    ¡°That man¡­ However high his rank may be, he¡¯s way too rude.¡± Penen shook his head from side to side.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what it is like. Magic skill is the standard for everything in the Magical Kingdom.¡±


    Just as he had said, everything was decided by magic skill in the Magical Kingdom. The most excellent magician became the king.


    ¡°As you¡¯ve seen in person, nobody can reach Major Kei¡¯s sword skill, but people in the Magical Kingdom are overly proud of their superb magic skill. They detest and are ashamed of soldiers that wield weapons. I consider it a miracle that Major Kei got promoted to the rank of major at all.¡±


    His title of Sword Grand Master suited him perfectly, seeing his piercing energy he employed while cutting down that Transcendent Wyvern.


    But his rank was only a major. The most powerful swordsman of his times. It was unthinkable for a man with his skills to be treated like this.


    ¡°You must respect Kei very much.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Not just me, everyone in the unit must feel the same as I do. Major took care of and trained people like myself who have no talent in magic. He made our lives livable. I would do anything for him.¡±


    Penen¡¯s voice was very dignified, evidently filled with pride.


    ¡°There was hardly anyone who could keep up such a rude attitude in front of him until now, due to his majesty¡¯s favor. But since his majesty began to favor some magician from a foreign country, things like that have be increasinglymon.¡±


    Penen finished with a sigh.


    They arrived at the mercenary guild while chatting away.


    Penen bowed his head slightly when all of Desir¡¯s party got off the carriage. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    The officer closed the door and went away.


    Desir felt he had gained some small details that mighte in handyter.


    ¡®I¡¯ve got great information.¡¯


    Desir¡¯s party handed the receptionist their mercenary contracts from the Sword Grand Master in the mercenary guild.


    As expected, they got a system message. [-¡®Thest hurrah¡¯ Quest has beenpleted.] [The main quest in progress remains.]


    [Pleaseplete the remaining quest to receive a full clear.] [Rewards will be added up after clearing the remaining quest.] Desir stretched his arms.


    ¡°So we have onest quest.¡±


    The remaining quest was the elimination of the power backing Pureus.


    Their clue was a fragment of a mana cluster they had obtained after killing the Alchemist. Desir pulled out the mana cluster. There was a serial number on its backside.


    3-BYET_


    Thest letter of the serial number was illegible.


    Desir pondered aloud.


    ¡°Mana clusters were only manufactured in the Magical Kingdom. They were managed very securely to prevent the technique from leaking.¡±


    In order to make magical artifacts, a catalyst was required to gather the mana.


    In the modern days, mana stones were created by an enchanting method designed by Zod, whereas the only way to mass-produce a simr tool in these times was making something like the mana cluster they held a piece of.


    It was obvious how valuable mana clusters would have been.


    People were only allowed to purchase them after a strict background investigation. Romantica spoke up.


    ¡°As mana clusters are thoroughly managed, there must be records of people who bought them. We need to check those and find out who purchased the mana cluster matching this serial number.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll show such records to outsiders like us, is there?¡±


    Pram¡¯sment was absolutely correct. There was no way an outsider like them could look at such sensitive internal records.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose so. But, just because they aren¡¯t willing to show us, doesn¡¯t mean that we cannot see them.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Desir turned to Pram.


    ¡°You don¡¯t always have to use gentlemanly means.¡±

 Chapter 139. Tracing the Attack (3)

    <h4>Chapter 139. Tracing the Attack (3)</h4>


    In order to better manage the construction and distribution of mana circuits, there¡¯s just one factory that produces them¡­


    With howte it was, the factory would normally be stark empty. Instead, a keen eye could discern a pair of shadows strolling around thepound. Naturally, it was Desir and Pram. They had hidden their faces with masks and concealed their tracks as much as possible with recognition reduction magic as well soundproof magic.


    [While I understand that this is the best method, why did Desir choose me instead of Romantica or Adjest?]


    Remaining as cautious as possible, they only conversed through the texting feature on theirmunication pads.


    [First of all, we¡¯re the perfect match. You and me.] Pram abruptly came to a stop.


    [Ma-Match!?]


    [Yes. You¡¯re a swordsman and I am a magician. It¡¯s the perfectbination to fight any enemy.]


    [¡­ I guess so.]


    [What did you think I meant?]


    Resuming their previous pace, they soon found themselves face-to-face with a giant door, warded by nearly a dozen security spells.


    [One second.]


    Desir touched the door with his hand. Within moments, all of the techniques protecting the door started shining little by little before shattering and scattering like snowkes.


    Desir¡¯s spell inversion incapacitated the security in less than 10 seconds. If the wizards who ced those spells were present, they wouldn¡¯t be able to believe their eyes. With the obstructions dealt with, the door simply swung open.


    Unfortunately, their path was barred with more than just the few measly security spells set up on the door. Although every trap and barrier was meant to block intruders from entering, Desir was able to thoroughly disarm and destroy them as they steadily pushed forward.


    Pram typed out a message that made his disappointment known. [This is pretty sloppy for a state-managed facility¡­]


    [This would have been reasonably secure back then, all things considered.]


    This factory was fitted with state of the art devices and techniques. It would have been nearly impossible to intrude, even with decent skills.


    However, that was if you judged it based on the standard of that time.


    ¡®The problem is that these techniques are so old-fashioned by today¡¯s standards.¡¯ This technology was over 100 years old.


    Whether it was cutting edge or mainstream for its time did not matter much; whenpared to modern magic techniques, the defenses set up were more obnoxious than effective.


    Above all things, Desir¡¯s true talenty in the field of spell inversion. No magical security system was able to demonstrate even a fraction of its capability against Desir.


    ¡®If they had used physical security systems too, I wouldn¡¯t have broken through this as easily as I had.¡¯


    Encountering physical defenses would have drastically slowed Desir down. That was why he had chosen to bring Pram with him, but since there had yet to be any, Pram did little more than walk beside Desir.


    ¡®Such a one-dimensional defense¡­ If only the Magic Kingdom had an ounce of humility. ¡¯


    The Magic Kingdom¡¯s anti-magic bigotry was their theoretical downfall. Their misced pride in being the leaders of magical engineering left thempletely vulnerable to someone who specialized in deconstructing magic.


    Their arrogance and vanity allowed Desir to force his way through easily. [This way, Pram.]


    The purely magical security system had ended up backfiringpletely. It waspletely dismantled by Desir and also happened to give him a massive lead on where to find what he was looking for.


    By deliberately taking the path protected by stronger security spells, it wasn¡¯t too long before they found themselves in a room filled with thousands of bookcases spaced out length-ways. Each shelf housed documents that appeared to be the records on delivered mana circuits.


    Desir and Pram started searching for their serial number, scanning each book page by page. [I found it, Desir.]


    Thanks to the documents being properly sorted and ssified, it took them a lot less time than expected to locate the serial numbers, matching what they had, in a book.


    Thest digit of the serial number found on their mana circuit had been worn away. While this greatly narrowed down the scope of their search, it meant there would probably still be quite a few circuit boards that matched their search criteria.


    Fortunately, their final list consisted of four people in total.


    3-BYET1: Krue Panier, 27 years old, Lord of the Panier Province.


    3-BYET2: Feuni Raffelraff, 45 years old, Army of Sun-Frost-Light.


    3-BYET3: Kefsi Jen 31 years old and Loka Tropias 32 years old, Trading Conglomerate.


    3-BYET4: Lan Pjen Akenios 88 years old, magician of Society Five.


    Desir recorded their details into hismunication pad.


    They then swiftly retreated to minimize their chance of being detected. While doing so, Desir didn¡¯t neglect to restore all the security systems he had disabled or destroyed on his way in. The chance of being caught was now incredibly low.


    * * *


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    With their now narrowed list of suspects that had purchased the mana circuit obtained from Pureus¡¯sb, they could afford to properly investigate the four remaining suspects.


    It was certain that one of these people had given the mana circuit to Pureus, even though it was a tightly controlled export.


    Knowing who this person was would surely be helpful in clearing the quest. ¡°Let¡¯s each investigate one of these people.¡±


    Desir¡¯s party decided to split up and start simultaneously investigating the suspects.


    Desir was in charge of Lan Pjen Akenios, a magician of Society Five. He was aplete recluse, never leaving theb that he was director of. His diligent focus on research was admirable.


    This situation certainly increased the difficulty of any normal investigation. Realizing this, Desir obtained a job in theb after demonstrating his strength in numeracy. Desir needed to be the direct assistant of Lan Pjen Akenios in order to have even a chance at observing him closely, so in order to make this happen, he kicked out the previous assistant and took his ce.


    After close observation, he determined that Lan Pjen Akenios was innocent. He saw the mana circuit matching the serial number recorded in the book from the factory firsthand, making it impossible for that circuit to be the one supplied to Pureus. ¡°OK, time for our regr report.¡±


    Desir contacted his party via hismunication pad at the time they had pre-arranged. The first response was from Romantica.


    [Panier Province seems like a normal province. I¡¯ve found nothing special here.]


    Romantica monitored every action of this Krue Panier using detection and wiretap magic, before concluding that he was innocent.


    The two people that Adjest and Pram observed were also not the one they were looking for. [I checked the serial number of their mana circuit, but it matched what was listed.]


    [Mine too.]


    There was no oue whatsoever. However, they couldn¡¯t just ept this oue. They started discussing the direction of the investigation moving forward.


    [One moment. Be quiet everyone.] Romantica¡¯s demand stopped the conversation. [What¡¯s wrong?]


    [I¡¯m going to revise the report I just submitted. I think I have the answer. I¡¯ll send through a live video feed, so take a look at it.]


    Desir stared at hismunication pad. The screen made some static noise before clearing up and ying the video feed.


    Desir grinned after seeing it.


    Krue Panier and someone else were talking, and that person was someone Desir recognized.


    It was Commander Darren Aleph, the Fifth-circle magician who had ¡®greeted¡¯ them at thending dock.


    [I¡¯ll do some wiretap magic.]


    [He¡¯s an excellent magician. Be very careful not to get caught.] [Just leave it to me!]


    Boastful Romantica invoked wiretap magic very, very cautiously. After training with Desir, her magical prowess had reached the stage of magnificence. Darren had no chance of detecting Romantica¡¯s spell.


    ¡°Is the research going well?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, there¡¯s been no progress. The research that was running in the Desert Flower City was nearlypleted, but theb was destroyed due to an unsavory incident. A newb is being prepared now.¡±


    ¡°On thend you told me to buyst time?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The reason why I came here today is that I need some more ingredients to restart the research.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost at the breaking point for pocketing mana circuits. Anything more than this will be discovered by the investigator.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the investigators. They¡¯re already our people. What you¡¯re worrying about is not going to happen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­ Commander, I need you to hurry up a little bit more. There isn¡¯t much time left for my daughter.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush. I was going to do that anyway. You¡¯re not the only one waiting for thepletion of this research. The theory is alreadypleted, and all that¡¯s left is the execution. If you provide me with the ingredients correctly, I will meet the deadline without any problem.¡±


    ¡°I believe in you, Colonel.¡±


    Krue went away for a while and brought out mana circuits from somewhere before handing them over to Darren. These were probably freshly made mana circuits.


    Darren left immediately afterwards. Romantica broke the silence. [What are you going to do, Desir?] ¡°That man is rted to the attack¡­ ¡± Desir interjected.


    ¡°Wait right there Romantica. I¡¯ll get ready and meet you over there.¡±

 Chapter 140. Tracing the Attack (4)

    <h4>Chapter 140. Tracing the Attack (4)</h4>


    ¡°Mmmm! Mmmmmmmm!¡±


    Inside the room of a secluded, quiet inn.


    Four masked people surrounded a single man. He was tied to a chair with rope, mouth gagged, and his eyes blindfolded with a piece of ck cloth.


    The masked people exchanged nces and the cloth blinding him came off. He was the Lord of Panier, Krue Panier. Once the gag was removed from his mouth, he started yelling loudly. ¡°You-You lot! What do you want! Why are you doing this to me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use raising your voice. We¡¯ve already invoked soundproofing magic.¡±


    The masked man spoke with a voice distinctly recognizable if someone from Desir¡¯s party were to hear it. It was Desir¡¯s voice. Desir had kidnapped Krue Panier.


    ¡°Who the hell sent you?! Which faction sent you?! Ah, if you¡¯ve kidnapped me, then you must want to ransom me! If you let me go right this instant, I¡¯ll pay you double of what you were offered. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°So noisy. You¡¯re pretty talkative for someone who¡¯s about to die soon.¡±


    ¡°A-Are you an assassin? Okay. I¡¯ll pay you three times, no four times what you¡¯ve been offered to kill me. No, I can give you up to five times the amount. That should be enough to satisfy you¡­ ¡±


    Desir cut him off.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we value honesty the most. No matter how much you offer us, the result won¡¯t change.¡±


    Once he finished speaking, Desir raised his hand. As he did, a strong chill started to form around Krue.


    *Crack*


    The air froze and started to crystalize. At the same time, Krue¡¯s arms and legs started freezing up.


    His face instantly drained of all color and he started yelling in desperation.


    ¡°N-No! I can¡¯t die now! I can¡¯t die yet! Please, please, just give me a bit of time! I¡¯m begging you!¡±


    ¡°Is it because of your daughter?¡±


    At Desir¡¯s words, Krue¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°How did you--!¡±


    ¡°How unfortunate for the soon to be orphan. I wonder if it¡¯d be better to let her go with you, rather than have to live out the rest of her life suffering from the pain of losing her father?¡± ¡°W-Wait! I¡¯m the only one you want! Leave my daughter out of this!¡±


    ¡°What a touching disy of fatherly love.¡±


    Krue clung desperately to Desir, covered in his own snot and tears. As expected, he was a father that loved his daughter dearly.


    Desir¡¯s heart was heavy, but he had no choice.


    He feigned indifference as he spoke.


    ¡°From what I know, your daughter doesn¡¯t have much time left to live anyway? She¡¯s going to die soon, so instead of hurting her feelings again, wouldn¡¯t it better for her to die with you?¡± ¡°No! My daughter won¡¯t die! She¡¯s going to live forever! So please spare my daughter.¡±


    Krue had already lost his sense of judgement. He had even said something that should have remained unspoken.


    Everything was proceeding ording to Desir¡¯s n. ¡°Forever? I¡¯d like to hear more.¡±


    ¡°No, I-I mean¡­ ¡±


    Coming to his senses, Krue stammered. He realized that he had made a fatal mistake, but it was already toote.


    Desir invoked First-Circle electric magic that traveled up his spine. Sparks flew. ¡°Aaarrggghh!¡±


    A hideous scream filled the room.


    ¡°We don¡¯t care about money, but when ites to increasing life expectancy, we¡¯re very interested.¡±


    ¡°Urghhh.¡±


    Krue moaned in pain.


    ¡°Consider yourself lucky. We may even save your life.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll save my l-life?¡±


    Desir caught his attention before speaking solemnly.


    ¡°Of course. From now on we¡¯ll be asking some questions and all you need to do is answer them sincerely. If we¡¯re able to get some valuable information out of you, we¡¯ll spare your life. If you value the information more than your daughter¡¯s life, then you can keep your mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything! Ask me anything!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by your daughter living forever?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s through the creation of a Homunculus. And by applying that technology, they promised that even regr people like us would be able to live for an eternity!¡±


    Starting with the existence of the Homunculus, Desir managed to get a hold of various pieces of information and confirm several suspicions that he had held for some time now.


    These ranged from the fact that the Panier faction actively traded with the Hebrion Academy and had used this as cover to stop by the Desert Flower City on the way, allowing them to hand over the research material to Pureus without suspicion, to the fact there were other factions who were a part of the n, responsible for supplying materials, to finally the fact that Colonel Darren was leading this effort and managing everyone.


    ¡°From what I know, there are people even more powerful than Colonel Darren who are involved.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you be a bit more specific? Who¡¯s leading the n?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either! I was just following orders. I don¡¯t know anything more than that!¡± That was all he could find out. He wasn¡¯t able to find out the identity of the organizer like he¡¯d originally intended to.


    ¡®Well, I wasn¡¯t exactly expecting to discover their identity after finding one clue anyway.¡¯


    He had unveiled all he could from this source. Now, all that was left were the final questions. The most important ones.


    ¡°So, they¡¯ve built a newb and are in the process of creating a new Homunculus. How much longer will it take them to finish it?¡±


    ¡°I heard that they¡¯re expecting to meet their original deadline. All the materials have been gathered, and the theory has beenpleted, so it shouldn¡¯t be impossible.¡±


    ¡°When¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Three days from now.¡±


    The moment Krue finished talking, an rm rang out.


    [You¡¯ve discovered the ns of the forces that supported Pureus Niftion.]


    [When the originalboratory was destroyed, they poured their heart and souls into preparing to continue their original n. Pureus haspleted the theory of Homunculus creation, and there are sufficient materials as well. Unless there is a disturbance, they willplete the homunculus in three days.]


    [You¡¯ve found out the failure conditions of the eradication quest.]


    [-If you are unable to interrupt their ns, the quest will be deemed as a failure.] [Remove them to stop thepletion of the homunculus.]


    * * *


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    The newly built Homunculus researchb was built onnd that had recently been acquired by the Panier faction. Theb looked like a clean residence, no different to any other, but its identity was betrayed by therge amounts of mana that Desir could feel permeating the area.


    ¡®So we fail the Shadow World the moment the Homunculus ispleted.¡¯ Desir felt his blood run cold.


    If they hadn¡¯t found out where the research was taking ce, they would have failed the quest without even getting a chance to react.


    Failing to clear a Shadow World meant immediate death.


    As he came back to his senses, he reproached himself for looking down on this Shadow World. No matter how easy the main quest was, they were in a Level 3 Shadow World after all. It was not something that could be looked down upon.


    ¡®We almost died in vain.¡¯


    ording to Krue, the residence-like appearance was just a cover, and the Homunculus was being created inside the building at this very moment.


    ¡®A rather high level of defensive magic has been set up.¡¯


    After lifting the defensive magic and entering, Desir confirmed Krue¡¯s information.


    The inside of the residence was totally unlike a normal home, more like aboratory. The atmosphere was extremely grotesque.


    A massive test tube that held an unknown liquid was on disy front-and-center. Inside it was deformed bits of what vaguely resembled a human figure.


    Ordinary humans had been contained in other tubes on the sides of the room. ¡°How cruel.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In the end, the base that they required to create Homunculus were still humans after all. All research into Homunculus had an extremely hical side to it.


    Krue had been aware of this, but chose to stay silent and support it. Desir¡¯s torturing had also served to condemn him for his portion of the me.


    ¡®I¡¯d been expecting this to some extent since I heard they¡¯ve been experimenting on humans, but even so, this is too much.¡¯


    For them to have gone all-in and invested so much in this particr experiment andb was a clear sign that they were confident that their research would seed this time.


    If things proceeded ording to the quest guideline,pletion of the Homunculus was only a matter of time.


    Even though it was built after Pureus¡¯b got destroyed, the fact that they¡¯d already managed to upgrade their facilities to this level gave Desir¡¯s party an estimate of how strong their enemies were.


    ¡°So-Someone¡¯s still alive!¡±


    Pram yelled. Just like he said, a girl inside a tank was staring at them with her eyes wide open.


    She seemed to be a Third-Circle magician and it was apparent that she had already gone through multiple surgeries.


    What looked like fish scales had sprouted from her back and shoulders. ¡°Should we smash the ss?¡±


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t know what the case is for, so opening it right away is too dangerous. We have to check it first¡­ ¡±


    ¡°W-Wait! The girl, she¡¯s saying something¡­ ¡±


    The girl opened and closed her mouth. Air bubbles rose.


    She only said one thing.


    Kill me.


    As if the temperature of the room had plummeted, Desir¡¯s party members all shivered. The excitement in finding a survivor turned into something more devastating than anything and it struck them deeply.


    Adjest slowly readied her sword. ¡°¡­ Desir.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Desir nodded. Pram and Romantica turned away. Adjest thrust her sword into the tank with a single strike.

 Chapter 141. Tracing the Attack (5)

    <h4>Chapter 141. Tracing the Attack (5)</h4>


    ¡°How did you manage to break in? The defensive magic on this facility isn¡¯t that simple.¡±


    They sensed somebody¡¯s presence on the other side of the room. A woman strolled out of the darkness.


    ¡°Another research group? Or a spy sent from abroad? Hmm, you guys look too young for such a violent mission.¡±


    It was a woman with bobbed hair.


    Wearing a longb coat that reached her calves, every time she walked, there was a clicking sounding from her high heels striking the floor. She looked at the cylinder in which the subject was contained.


    ¡°Given the fact that you killed valuable data producing material, you guys are clearly not part of the research industry. So who the hell are you guys?¡±


    ¡°Are you the general manager of this facility?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who will be asking questions, not you. You should know your ce.¡±


    As she spoke, the nearby mana changed subtly for just a moment. Desir sensed a spell on the level of the Fifth-Circle based on the amount of mana she was using.


    ¡®At this time, Fifth-Circle wizards are unlikely to bemon, even in the Magic Kingdom.'' Desir guessed that she must hold a rather high position in this n. Given her demeanor, it wasn¡¯t particrly difficult to guess, and wasn¡¯t far from the truth.


    The director of the research institute, Totlina, spoke while reaching out towards Desir. ¡°Oh well, guess I can just drag you over and perform my own investigation.¡±


    Her spell was finally invoked. The whole building shook as hundreds of earthen spears rose up out of the ground. They descended on Desir¡¯s party like waves.


    [Burst Fire]


    *Boom*


    Dozens of fire bolts were instantly invoked by Desir and collided with the ground. None of the hundreds of stone spears retained their shape. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Totlina invoked magic again.


    [Stctite Rain]


    Sharp stctites began to form on the ceiling and soon poured down on Desir¡¯s party. *Boom*


    *Boooom*


    She had invoked this spell at a tremendous speed. However, Desir¡¯s response was almost instantaneous.


    [Sigh of Kizard]


    Totlina whistled, betraying her slight admiration for Desir, since he had managed to stop two consecutive attacks.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re pretty good.¡±


    She spoke with a rxed smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put my heart into this just a little bit more.¡±


    Totlina beckoned and the walls of theb began to wriggle like a bunch of living creatures.


    As the research conducted here was dangerous and uncertain, theboratory was not only equipped with defensive facilities; the building itself was constructed out of solid stone and concrete. This made it the best battleground for Totlina, an earth attribute wizard. She held the utmost confidence in beating any enemy with her home-field advantage.


    *Swish*


    The development speed of a Fifth-Circle wizard is always very high. Her magic was no exception to this, as it devastated the ce Desir had been standing just moments before. Desir deployed defensive magic, blocking such spells, and shouted out amand to Pram.


    ¡°Pram, open the way.¡±


    As if expecting thismand, Pram dashed forward towards Totrina. He flitted along a path, as if enhanced with speed and reflex magic, narrowly dodging the numerous spells that Totlina flung out. Tortlina snorted.


    ¡°What a riot!¡±


    [Scream of Wriggling Earth] Fourth-Circle magic.


    Totlina was powerful enough to invoke Fourth-Circle spells in just five seconds. *Crack*


    Parts of the stone walls and floors werepressed into the shape of whips, and within a few moments, dozens of them could be seen. It was clearly a powerful magic. Any ce the whip passed was destroyed, leaving nothing but a gaping hole¡­ Countless whips blocked the way forward while the rest rushed forward towards Pram directly.


    ¡°Haah!¡±


    Pram did not slow down in the slightest, even as the menacing whips bore down on him. His rapier shed brilliantly and several whips fell to the ground. However, they regenerated in an instant. It was impossible to clear the way by removing these whips one by one.


    [Scream of Wriggling Earth] was a notorious spell among swordsmen. The infinitely regenerating whips gave a wizardplete control over the battlefield, limiting the movement and actions of their opponents. For swordsmen who need to close distance and fight directly, the spell was infamous for just how oppressive it could be. Truly a spell that yed into the ego of wizards of the Magic Kingdom.


    ¡®It¡¯s said that earth attribute wizards that reach the Fourth-Circle must develop magic like this in order to deal with swordsmen.¡¯


    Pram recalled the things he had learned while training with Desir. The most important thing he had learnt from the training was how to remain calm and cope with unexpected situations. He had to rely on the hard work he had put into honing his swordcraft.


    ¡®This magic has a mechanism in which every whip attacks enemies charging the caster from head on. But, if an opponent were to attack the wizard from arge enough distance¡­ ¡¯


    Pram was not afraid of getting swarmed with whips and approached Tortlina without thinking further. It was an act that could only be pulled off due to his full trust that he ced in his party members.


    Approaching a certain distance, Pram pulled his sword back as if drawing a bow. With an explosive burst of power, he stepped forward andunched his nk?um rapier towards the wizard with all of his power.


    As he did this, Aura gathered at the tip of the rapier and was concentrated into a single point. It was the technique of concentrating Aura until the durability of your sword reached its limit. It was one of the techniques that Pram learned from Professor Hersaint-nc to control the strength of one¡¯s Aura.


    A nk?um sword is strong enough to hold all the Aura a user could possibly pour into it. This was the reason why it was often referred to as a material with infinite durability. As a result of this, the power of the sword that Pram had chucked far exceeded Fourth-Circle magic.


    Thanks for reading this on patreon/maldfrogsclub


    *Baaaam*


    The whips burst apart in all directions as the rapier shed by. A path had momentarily opened.


    ¡°Adjest!"


    Right on queue, as he called, Adjest kicked off against the ground and leaped forward. Totlina quickly attempted to deploy a spell as Adjest swiftly narrowed the distance to closebat length.


    All that Totlina could do was defend herself. She had thoroughly lost the initiative. [Dancing Thorns]


    Up from the ground sprang a thorned rose, surrounding Totlina in an attempt to buy her breathing room.


    *Kagang*


    Adjest¡¯s sword struck the stone thorns, showering the room in sparks.


    Totlina barely managed to fend off Adjest¡¯s attack, but Adjest had already gained the initiative, allowing her to pressure Totlina. Eventually, her relentless attacks gave her the opening she needed.


    [Ice Speaker]


    A flood of magic attacks wereunched by Adjest.


    It took a bit longer topute and invoke upper tiered magic, and Adjest did not allow Totlina any opportunity to reverse the tables.


    *Kagagang*


    Totlina¡¯s magic and Adjest¡¯s sword shed fiercely. Enough sparks had been generated at the contact point between the two parties that there was sufficient heat to even start a fire.


    In this brief confrontation between the two forces, it was already clear that the situation was favorable for Desir¡¯s party. No, rather, Totlina found herself being pushed back little by little. ¡®Who the hell are these guys?¡¯


    With her skills, she thought she could quickly subdue the enemy without causing much damage to the research facility.


    But it was purely her delusion. Desir¡¯s party was not at a level that could be handled withposure and restraint.


    Totlina was forced to gather the magic she was spending to keep the others in check. She wanted to invoke higher tiered magic to see if she could win.


    [Stone Break]


    While Adjest responded to the magic just sent, Totlina suddenly widened the distance between them before invoking another spell.


    [Vindell Earth] Fourth-Circle defensive magic.


    As the magic was deployed, the stones and rubble lying around the room were lifted up andpressed around Totlina.


    A cube-shaped wall was soon formed.


    It was magic that was developed with one purpose in mind¡­ defense. No matter how strong a de filled with Aura was, it was not easy to break through this magic. As Totlina breathed deeply in relief and tried to calcte a Fifth-Circle spell, they pierced the wall.


    *Bang*


    *Bang*


    *Bang*


    A series of loud shes rang out and cracks appeared on the wall of the cube. A long time ago, Romantica had encountered this magic when fighting against a leader of the Outsiders who was attacking the Magic Tower. For her, it used to be a magic strong enough that she couldn¡¯t even conceive the idea of breaking it, but things had changed.


    Romantica now had the ability to prate even Fourth-Circle defensive magic. Totlina, who saw the wall of the cube beginning to copse, shouted urgently. ¡°Wait¡­ Wait!¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to buy time with such ame trick?¡±


    Adjest approached Totlina immediately. Piles of stones and debrisy scattered around Adjest. ¡°What a waste of five circles.¡±


    Desir¡¯s party had been harshly trained by Desir for the past year and had received all kinds of experience as a result. They were now too much for a lone Fifth-Circle wizard to deal with on their own.


    Seeing the approaching Adjest, Totlina crawled backward in fear. Her previously rxed appearance was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Sh*t-!¡±


    Totlina tried to invoke magic out of sheer desperation, but the magical array in front of her scattered instantly. It didn¡¯t take her long to realize that it was magic inversion.


    But Totlina couldn¡¯t believe it. There was certainly no wizard here who possessed a higher circle than herself. It was impossible.


    She traced back the mana to figure out who was blocking her spell invocation, and soon realized it was the boy.


    Totlina, who looked at Desir, could inly see that he had blocked her magic with tremendous


    putational speed. ¡°You little bastard¡­ !!¡± Tortlina cried out.


    But her consciousness was reaped. ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Before she knew it, Adjest, who had still been approaching Totlina, punched her in the stomach.


    ¡°¡­ !!!¡±


    Totlina immediately copsed into a heap.


    No matter how strong Fifth-Circle wizards were, their bodies were no different from ordinary people. Adjest looked down in contempt at the fallen Totlina.


    It took less than five minutes to subdue the Fifth-Circle wizard. The result showed that they had achieved considerable growth, but no one was happy about it.


    ¡°This is a Shadow World, which means it actually happened.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±


    It was clear that people would flock here shortly, after having caused quite a ruckus in their fight. Desir began to destroy theb by invoking various spells before the interruption could arrive.

 Chapter 142. Tracing the Attack (6)

    <h4>Chapter 142. Tracing the Attack (6)</h4>


    Desir¡¯s party had gathered in a hotel room.


    The windows were covered with ck cloth, allowing no sunlight to enter, and soundproofing magic had been deployed to prevent the sound of the interior from leaking out. The furniture had also been pushed against the walls already.


    Desir sat in a chair and watched the Fifth-Circle wizard from theb, Totlina.


    She was tied up tightly to the chair by rope and red at Desir with a venomous look. She had already abandoned all further attempts at resistance against them.


    Aftering back to her senses, she originally made a few attempts. She had even attempted to use magic, but every time she tried to, Desir just inverted her spell. A wizard unable to invoke magic was simply helpless, so she couldn¡¯t do anything else to resist. The spells inversions also served the purpose of breaking her spirit.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot I¡¯d like to ask you.¡± Desir spoke softly.


    ¡°If you want to live, you¡¯d better answer the questions without a hitch.¡± Totlina still had a cynical look on her face.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to answer?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have no choice but to resort to torture.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think you can open my mouth using such a crude method like torture?¡± ¡°That¡¯s something you¡¯ll have to see for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just kill me? You won¡¯t get any information from me, boy.¡±


    The thought of confessing due to ordinary torture didn¡¯t even cross her mind. She was an army figure. From the onset of their career, once they demonstrated a certain amount of ability, defense against torture had been drilled into them.


    ¡°Then, I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    Desir strolled around Totlina stopping behind her without any further words. He then tightly re-bound the rope that was restraining her. She would not be able to shake even the slightest in the chair now.


    Totlina spoke afterughing maniacally.


    ¡°You know what? You¡¯ve touched a force you shouldn¡¯t have touched. You¡¯ve made a very big mistake.¡±


    Instead of responding to her words, Desir put his hand on her back, after putting a gag in her mouth. These actions were performed swiftly and urately, almost professionally.


    ¡°I¡¯ve experienced this situation hundreds of times. They were all like you at first.¡±


    Desir had experienced this situation hundreds of times. The Shadow Labyrinth was different from the Shadow Worlds that humanity had started to get a good grip on, and the information regarding it was very scarce.


    In an environment where intelligence gathering is of paramount importance, the act of interrogating prisoners soon became a routine.


    To survive in the Shadow Labyrinth, to protect one¡¯spanions, there was no room for mercy on the enemy. So the interrogation techniques developed over a decade in the hell of the Shadow Labyrinth were iparable to those avable in modern times.


    Through Desir¡¯s hand resting on her back, Totlina¡¯s mana circle began to resonate with his mana. Totlina felt her mana move uncontrobly. Her mana circle trembled little by little.


    The fine tremor began to grow little by little before eventually raging beyond containment. Her mana rotated like mad, threatening to cause her body to blow up.


    ¡°¡­ Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    Screams came from Totlina¡¯s mouth. She had noticed what was happening to her. The moment she realized it, her eyes turned bloodshot.


    Circle Break.


    A phenomenon in which a mana circle fails to ovee the excessive use of mana and is destroyed.


    Desir was controlling the mana circle of Totlina, forcing the phenomenon to be induced. Blood flowed out of her mouth as she screamed. An unimaginable burst of rage consumed Totlina.


    She cried out.


    Everything she had umted in her lifetime was being destroyed right now. Desir spoke, as if knowing how she felt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t feel the pain properly if I destroy it right now.¡±


    Her mana circles were resonating and causing tremors at the maximum frequency, just short of where they would explode. Desir kept her mana circle under tight control. The pain of the process was simr to one¡¯s heart being torn apart.


    ¡°¡­ Argh¡­ !¡±


    ¡°This is probably the most pain you¡¯ll experience in your entire life. Right now, one of your mana circles is about to blow up.¡±


    Unable to ovee the pain, Totlina¡¯s eyes rolled up. But Desir would just leave it at just this much.


    [Awaken]


    Totlina¡¯s mind snapped back into rity. [Concentration]


    Her sense had been reactivated and heightened. Tortlina struggled, but her body was tightly bound to the chair. In the face of such physical pain, no matter how much the mind of a wizard was trained to withstand it, this was a pain she had never experienced an equivalent to in her life.


    Desir removed his hand off her back and loosened the rope a bit. He then posed a question to her.


    ¡°Who led the study on Homunculus?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡­ It¡¯s¡­ ¡±


    Totlina hesitated.


    Desir, however, did not hesitate in the slightest. He immediately gagged her again and began manipting her mana circles again.


    ¡°No¡­ !¡±


    The screams resounded again. Desir looked down at her dryly. It was a very businesslike look with no emotion at all.


    It seemed to show that if he put his mind to it, he could repeat this forever. He eventually stopped the torture after a little while. While the actual time he could spend bringing her mana circle to a frenzy without having them explode was not too long, it felt like an eternity to her.


    ¡°Who led the study on Homunculus?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you¡­ I¡¯ll tell you, so please¡­ stop¡­ stop.¡± Desir gave her a moment to recollect herself.


    Totlina was eventually able to pull herself together. When she was barely able to speak normally, she opened her mouth.


    It was as if she was in a hurry to speak and not be involved anymore.


    ¡°It¡¯s the King¡¯s orders. The production of Homunculus is under the order of the King. The army just carries out the King¡¯s orders.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way he suddenly ordered the production of Homunculus without being given motivation to do so.¡±


    ¡°The beginning of the n came from a man that arrived from abroad.¡±


    Totlina began recollecting the series of events. A man from a foreign country arrived carrying arge fortune. He offered the King of the Magic Kingdom a promise at eternal life and asked for a private audience to discuss the finer details of the n.


    In the private meeting, the man became a faithful vassal of the King and proposed a n to manufacture Homunculus.


    ¡°The creation ofplete life. At first, no one believed the crazy story, but he showed us all the research he¡¯d done so far. This proved the possibility of his work seeding as well as its potential. The problem was that it was damn difficult to get the materials.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how the Homunculus manufacturing n was implemented. Of course, experimenting with human life isn¡¯t exactly ethical, so we carried out our research in secret¡­ ¡±


    ¡°As a result, only a small number of people in the military know of the exact information.¡± [You have significant information behind the homunculus manufacturing n.]


    Hearing the quest rm sound served as confirmation that what he heard was true. The truth of the information had been understood to some extent. The mysterious man had already reached the very core of power in this kingdom.


    Unfortunately, it seemed that he already had full control over the Magic Kingdom, ruling it from the shadows.


    Knowing this much, Desir had one question remaining that had been bothering him for so long now.


    ¡®How is such an important figure not known to the world?¡¯


    He has never heard of such a person in his previous life. It was hard to know exactly what happened when the leadership of a country was seized within a short period of time, and the existence of such a huge leader in the n had not been publicly revealed at all.


    ¡°Tell me everything you know about that person.¡±


    ¡°The prophet. He made others refer to him as that. And he is excessively rich. He¡¯s also very unpleasant to look at, at a nce. I don¡¯t know any other information besides that.¡±


    He asked for various other things, but she didn¡¯t know anything else important about the Homunculus. The only things she learned while running a research institute were rted to the daily operation of theb and things she had learnt through her own research while reaching the Fifth-Circle.


    ¡°How did the Homunculus gain the power to ignore causality?¡± Totlina opened her eyes wide.


    ¡°¡­ You already know that much?¡± ¡°Answer my questions.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact reason. It requires cooperation between an alchemist and wizard to make a Homunculus. The power to ignore causality stems from the alchemy side.¡±


    Ruling out possibilities one by one, a sudden thought cropped up in Desir¡¯s head. ¡°What does Kei Hazmaryun have to do with the manufacturing of Homunculus?¡±


    ¡°Kei Hazmaryun? Do you mean that sword-wielding jerk? Why are you curious about him?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡±


    ¡°No, wait a minute! Don¡¯t put your hands on my back! I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯ll tell you!¡±


    She shouted, her body shaking as if she were having a fit, as Desir removed his hand. After a moment she gulped before answering.


    ¡°Kei Hazmaryun is a courier that delivers us material. They leave on expeditions to find rare material under the King¡¯smand. He doesn¡¯t even know what he¡¯s looking for.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s looking for materials without knowing what to look for¡­ ¡± ¡°By the King¡¯s order.¡±


    Desir recalled the conversation he heard uponnding in Altea¡­


    * * *


    ¡°Commander Darren Aleph, we sessfully obtained ingredients, so you don¡¯t have to visit us like this.¡±


    ¡°Well done forpleting this mission with such a body that is utterly devoid of magic.¡±


    * * *


    Only then did Desir understand what the conversation between Kei and Colonel Darren signified.


    He was relieved. If he were the enemy, he would certainly have been the worst and the strongest foe they could likely encounter.


    ¡°Was the original main quest to carry the research materials of Homunculus? I guess this means both main quests revolved around the same issue after all.¡±


    While Desir was organizing his thoughts for a moment, Totlina spoke again. ¡°I told you everything I could. Stop asking me questions now.¡±


    ¡°No, I still have one more thing to ask.¡±


    Desir, who had organized all of the information he had heard, spoke to Tortlina one again.


    ¡°The information you¡¯ve been sharing so far, let¡¯s go through it again from the beginning.¡± Desir asked Totlina again to confirm everything he had heard so far. Asking his questions again to determine the truth of the information, by ensuring that it was consistent with the previous answers.


    As a result, slight differences emerged in parts of Totlina¡¯s previous answers. ¡°I knew it.¡±


    ¡°No, wait! It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s a¡­ !¡±


    Desir tortured her again whenever such a discrepancy appeared between her current answer and the first one.

 Chapter 143. Tracing the Attack (8)

    <h4>Chapter 143. Tracing the Attack (8)</h4>


    Desir called out and gathered hispanions before sharing the information he had obtained from Totlina.


    Adjest was the first to respond.


    ¡°To clear this quest, we have to kill that foreigner.¡± Romantica followed up.


    ¡°And in order to get rid of the man, we must break through the castle defenses where he is staying.¡±


    Excluding Adjest, who always maintained an expressionless face, everyone looked dejected at the scale of this uing task. Everyone knew just how difficult it would be.


    Although Desir¡¯s Party had so far raided several facilities, most of them being known for extremely tight security, they were on a whole different level to a royal pce.


    The ce where the king of a country stayed. It was clear that such a ce would be so strong that it would be iparable to anywhere they had ventured in Shadow Worlds before.


    They were only four people, regardless of how strong their party was. It was absurd to even imagine contending with an entire country¡¯s culmination of power.


    ¡°Since we blew up theb a few days ago, the patrols have been greatly tightened. It¡¯s almost as if these are the defenses they would deploy during times of war. Look at the soldiers walking around all the time. Outsiders like us can¡¯t even freely move.¡±


    Romantica nced out the window.


    She could see a cold street. Soldiers patrolled in pairs and the citizens walked the streets carefully, ncing sideways at anyone they crossed paths with. The number of soldiers on patrol seemed to be triple the usual amount.


    ¡°Get off me!¡±


    They could hear a faint voice from an alleyway on the other side of the street. Romantica locked the window, clicking her tongue in annoyance.


    ¡°Altea has changed a lot in just the short period of time, obviously, since we destroyed theb.¡±


    ¡°I feel responsible.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re imaginary beings after all. You don¡¯t have to feel guilty about the people here.¡±


    After the secondb was destroyed, the Magic Kingdom began arresting and locking up wizards for various reasons.


    If someone showed any sign of disobedience, they would immediately be overpowered and taken into custody. After losing their experimental test subjects again, they were now abusing their power as a country to collect other test material by force.


    This was a country of wizards. Wizards were numerous and there was no better ce to collect subjects than here.


    ¡®The problem is that we¡¯re mercenaries.¡¯


    Most of those who were taken into custody were socially disadvantaged and the weakestrgely chose to be mercenaries.


    Desir theorized that mercenaries were often targeted since they had no one to vouch for their identity and most of them would not be missed by others. As a result, foreigners like themselves could not venture out recklessly. The city had be so quiet that even the airships that could usually be spotted flying overhead every ten minutes had disappeared.


    ¡°In addition, they¡¯ve blocked all borders with neighboring countries. Inside the city, they¡¯re checking everyone thoroughly and the encircling is narrowing down. They¡¯ll find us here soon.¡±


    They paid the innkeeper a small fortune to keep their secret, but frankly they couldn¡¯t tell how long such an arrangement wouldst.


    Pram seemed a little worried.


    ¡°It¡¯s really violent. Even if they¡¯re a mercenary, if anyone is even the smallest bit suspicious, they¡¯ll be taken into custody. Thanks to that, the mercenary guild is starting to form a resistance movement. There must be a lot of tension brewing.¡±


    ¡°Which means it¡¯s not time to show an indecisive attitude.¡±


    Desir drank the water on the desk. The lukewarm water had a disgusting taste.


    ¡°It¡¯s so obvious. Taking as many mercenaries away as possible gives them arge selection to pick the best test subjects from.¡±


    Wizards over Third-Circle were not thatmon. Pureus had not even been able to find an experimental test subject at a level of at least the Third-Circle, even after conducting his research over such a long period of time.


    But that¡¯s because Pureus had been limited to working on his research in secret. With a nation state backing him openly, he would have definitely gotten his hands on such material. He would have discarded a safe future though.


    But the person who now led the Homunculus manufacturing effort no longer seemed willing to conduct their research from the shadows. They were hauling in experts from the mercenary guilds without any pretext what so ever.


    Adjest didn¡¯t understand the behavior.


    ¡°If it¡¯s done in this manner, there¡¯s definitely someone who will find it suspicious. A Homunculus may be exposed to the outside world as a result.¡±


    ¡°There must be a reason why they have to take such a risk andplete the Homunculus in five days.¡±


    ¡°No matter what they think, what we have to do isn¡¯t going to change. So, how are we going to proceed with the quest in this situation?¡±


    Desir answered Romantica¡¯s question. ¡°The only way forward is to get Kei¡¯s help.¡± Grand Master, Kei Hazmaryun.


    He was a very powerful warrior and a senior member of the army. He also led quite a few troops directly.


    This current situation would be a bit easier to manage with his help. But Romantica immediately expressed skepticism towards such an option.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for Kei to help us. What would you think from his point of view if we, who are foreigners, suddenly asked for assistance in entering the royal castle? He¡¯d rather take us in for questioning.¡±


    Romantica¡¯s opinion was absolutely right. As she said, a hasty approach would have led to rousing Kei¡¯s suspicion.


    ¡°Yes, but he is by no means a man that would ept the present situation.¡±


    It was Kei¡¯s holy spirit that Desir banked on, after witnessing it for himself during his stay on the airship.


    ¡°We¡¯ll contact him as mercenaries in the name of protecting the citizens. He¡¯s more than neutral in terms of favor with us. He won¡¯t refuse and he won¡¯t have any reason to doubt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good n. And then?¡±


    Adjest responded.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s never toote to think about our next move once we hear what he thinks of the current situation.¡± Desir concluded.


    ¡°For now this is the best path we can take.¡±


    * * *


    Thanks for reading this on patreon/maldfrogsclub ¡°I know of the situation you are faced with.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that difficult to find the mansion that Kei was staying at. He was a very prestigious figure and most inhabitants of the capital knew where his mansion was.


    On the contrary, it was more difficult to avoid being caught as mercenaries while traveling to the Grand Master. In fact, they were almost caught twice.


    ¡°It is true that soldiers have recently arrested wizards like you in the country. Under the royal edict, innocent mercenaries are arrested, and all those who help them are severely punished. It¡¯s obviously unfair. And I don¡¯t think that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking for protection. We¡¯re facing a serious threat and we need help.¡± When Desir asked him for protection, he agreed without hesitation.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll help you. I truly know that you guys are innocent.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Please stay here until things calm down. The soldiers won¡¯t approach my mansion. But I don¡¯t know when this will end.¡±


    Desir felt relieved in his mind. Up to this point, it was as expected. Now he had to check the authenticity of his assumption about how Kei truly felt.


    Just as Desir was about to open his mouth to test Kei, Kei spoke first.


    ¡°But you can make a choice. Whether you¡¯re just going to wait for this to end, or follow me and end this mess yourself.¡±


    Desir questioned Kei¡¯s sudden suggestion. ¡°I don¡¯t quite get what you mean.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m currently gathering people to correct this wrong situation.¡±


    Kei was speaking calmly, but what he said was not just a simple matter. ¡°Do you mean to provoke rebellion?¡±


    ¡°In a way, that¡¯s what it would be. But I understand that you are mercenary and mercenaries don¡¯t care about the right or wrong of a given task.¡±


    ¡°Of course you¡¯re right, but I don¡¯t think this is a simple matter to be reckoned with. Why would you ask us for help?¡±


    ¡°Because I trust you guys very much as mercenaries.¡±


    Kei had once been impressed by the return of Desir and Romantica. He didn¡¯t know them personally, but he felt he could trust them as mercenaries.


    ¡®This is an opportunity.¡¯


    There was no need to make excuses and persuade them. Kei had originally nned to attack the castle.


    With his aide, they could attempt to clear the Shadow World naturally. Desir nodded assiduously.


    ¡°No matter how much mercenaries are driven by money, they don¡¯t ept requests that are destined to fail. What¡¯s the exact request?¡±


    ¡°To protect Your Majesty and punish those who call themselves prophets and mislead him.¡± Exactly in line with the purpose of Desir¡¯s party. There was no reason to refuse.


    ¡°Please be prepared for a reasonable price.¡±


    Kei, who had received Desir¡¯s reply, spoke with a delighted look covering his face. ¡°You¡¯ve made a good choice. I¡¯ll make sure to bring you guys back alive.¡±

 Chater 144. Tracing the Attack (9)

    <h4>Chater 144. Tracing the Attack (9)</h4>


    The carriage rumbled down the jagged street.


    There were buildings on the verge of copse. Looking out through the curtains, Romantica blocked her nose.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gloomy ce. Smells weird too.¡±


    It was certainly as she had said. The background of this Shadow World, the 100-year-old Altea, was clearly not a vibrant city. However, Desir felt a darker feeling lingering around. The streets were dirty and a disgusting smell was emanating from somewhere.


    Kei shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°There is a dark side to every ce.¡±


    This was the slum of Altea. In the Magic Kingdom, where magic talent determined everything about a person, citizens had to step on each other to climb the social hierarchy.


    And this was a ce where the group of people trampled by others lived. ¡°But there¡¯s nowhere better to hide than here.¡±


    Desir was very sympathetic to the remark. Altea¡¯s slums were one of the mostplex ces. A perfect ce to blend in and disappear.


    ¡®Kei¡¯s judgment ismendable.¡¯


    The width of the narrow streets made it difficult for the army to enter, and a maze-like structure made it possible for them to deal with any pursuers one by one, even if an entire army were to invade.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    While talking about this and that, the carriage stopped at its destination. It was in front of a bar with a picture of beer on it. Romantica and Adjest got off first, followed by Desir and Pram then Kei.


    When they opened the door of the bar, countless eyes fell on them. A myriad of people were there; wearing shabby casual clothes, they truly looked like residents of the slums.


    Among them, a man with a giant body and a beard covering his chin addressed Kei. He looked very fierce.


    ¡°What brings the noble lord here? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any alcohol here that suits the taste of a noble like you.¡¯


    ¡°Well, maybe apple rum will suit my taste. I¡¯m here for just three sses of apple rum.¡± ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±


    ¡®Strawberries pickled in sugar for four days.¡±


    Then the furry young man¡¯s expression became very warm. ¡°He is our Major.¡±


    As soon as he dropped such words, everyone in the bar stood up and saluted Kei, each person taking a step forward and entering a rigid stance. They were soldiers led by Kei.


    ¡®He has set up the bar as an assembly area.¡¯ Kei nodded, and they sat down again. ¡°That¡¯s pretty thorough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learnt from past experience.¡±


    Kei¡¯s men sat down again, eating and chatting. The quiet pub quickly became noisy. A middle-aged man approached Kei.


    ¡°You look great, mister.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still the same.¡±


    He fist-bumped Kei, showing great pleasure in doing so.


    ¡°This troublemaker in the back alley has grown so big that he is now leading this many soldiers.¡±


    ¡°I''ll pay my rent, so don¡¯t worry. What about the other soldiers?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. If you signal for them, they¡¯ll be here in two minutes.¡±


    ¡°Okay. By the way, is there a better ce to talk? I¡¯d like to speak with the new recruits.¡± Kei pointed at Desir¡¯s party.


    ¡°I¡¯ll set up a private room.¡±


    * * *


    Thanks for reading this on patreon/maldfrogsclub


    The owner led them to a separate room inside the bar. This ce was designed to keep sound from leaking out of its thick walls.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, so I¡¯ll give you a brief exnation.¡±


    Kei¡¯s story began. Through it, Desir and his party began to match up the missing pieces of the puzzle from the new facts they obtained from Kei.


    ¡°After the prophet came, I traveled all over the continent under His Majesty¡¯s orders. We visited Eretion¡¯s Ice Lake, uncharted territory within the southern continent, and even the ruins of a civilization that copsed a long time ago. And we collected valuable material.¡±


    The story was simple.


    To sum it up simply, Kei had endured such adversity and collected material calmly, although it was such a difficult journey.


    ¡°But the king¡¯s condition became strange. At one point, he showed symptoms of obsession. He wanted to collect these ingredients as soon as possible.¡±


    Desir noticed the strangeness of it.


    ¡°And before too long, I couldn¡¯t find any semnce of the man he used to be, the man who was once the greatest sorcerer. We haven¡¯t even spoken in the past year.¡±


    He naturally held suspicion that the prophet had done something, but there was nothing he could do alone.


    ¡°Are you saying he has been controlled?¡±


    ¡°That expression would be more urate. I¡¯ve never heard of magic that governs the mind.¡± ¡°He¡­ has been controlled¡­ ¡±


    Desir intoned the words over and over again. Kei quenched his throat. Romantica, Pram, and Adjest waited quietly for Kei to continue with his story.


    ¡°Your Majesty lost control, and a man called the Prophet took that control. From then on, the Magic Kingdom went the wrong way. The vast national budget was squandered on personal matters and the people were taxed to cover the shortfall. As a result, the Magic Kingdom faced a recession. How was the atmosphere like on the street?"


    ¡°It was depressing. It became very quiet and people became afraid of the soldiers.¡± ¡°Citizens are anxious, suffering. And the cause is simple. It¡¯s all because of that prophet.¡± So Kei created his group and waited for an opportunity. And this led to the current situation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but the Prophet is moving with great urgency. If we miss this chance now, we may never have another.¡±


    The suppression of wizards in the Magic Kingdom, which valued wizards above all else, proved that they were currently on the precipice of disaster.


    The current situation was not favourable, but it was hard to say if it had gone too far yet. When a door closed, a window typically opened. This newly opened window had enabled Kei the opportunity to make a decision and act, which in turn allowed Desir¡¯s party a chance to gain Kei¡¯s cooperation in their quest.


    After finishing his story, Kei pulled out a contract for Desir. And when Desir finished signing the contract, an rm sounded.


    [You¡¯ve signed a mercenary contract with Kei Hazmaryun. Kei Hazmaryun has be your helper. This contractual rtionship will be maintained while your objectives are aligned and remain in effect while you still prove yourself reliable to his cause.]


    Kei then handed a map to Desir. It was a map detailing the geography of Altea. The map showed that the royal castle was divided into outer and inner parts. It even showed where the troops were ced.


    ¡°This n begins with us entering the castle. After entering the pce, we must secure and protect His Majesty. I can¡¯t let him be manipted by them anymore.¡±


    Desir nodded. It was not important to Desir whether the king was alive or not, since he was a virtual figure in a Shadow World anyway, but Kei¡¯s opinion could not be ignored.


    ¡°Our forces are currently overwhelmingly inferior, and we can¡¯t win head-on against the wizards that are protecting the entire capital. Before theye, we have to break into the castle and kill the Prophet.¡±


    Kei marked the airfield on the map.


    ¡°The units deployed at the airfield are skilled, butck experience. It¡¯s not going to be a problem to break through there.¡±


    Kei continued to borate on the finer details of the mission. He had ess to information about the units deployed to the royal castle. Desir could see that he had been preparing thoroughly for this day.


    ¡°The only problem is on the King¡¯s aide. There are many troops guarding the castle, but the most difficult amongst them is the Rose Brigade.¡±


    The Rose Brigade. Desir didn¡¯t hear an exnation about them from Kei, but everyone present knew its name. The Rose Brigade, under the direct control of the king, was the elite group of the Magic Kingdom. Each unit was so talented and possessed such a high level of skill that they would each be recorded in history for their prowess.


    ¡°The Rose Brigade is divided into the Red Rose and the Blue Rose battalions. We¡¯re going to break through the south gate, the less popted entrance.¡±


    Desir confirmed, after inspecting the map.


    ¡°It¡¯s the territory that the Red Rose are in charge of. What does their troop formation look like?¡±


    ¡°Their troop arrangement consists of about 2,680 Third-Circle wizards, 200 Fourth-Circle wizards, and several Fifth-Circle wizards that direct them all.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What about the knights?¡± ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°Are there no archers?¡±


    ¡°They think they can do everything with their magic. That¡¯s what all wizards here think.¡±


    It was as it had been recorded in the history books. Surely, they had the skills to justify such confidence.


    But that was it. There was no problem if that was all they had. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±


    Kei questioned Desir who had been smiling to himself.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Things seem to be going easier than I thought.¡± ¡°This is easy?¡±


    ¡°Yes. No matter how confident they are in their skills, it is just too absurd.¡±


    Desir snorted quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather show you than tell you.¡±

 Chapter 145. Twisted (1)

    <h4>Chapter 145. Twisted (1)</h4>


    The light faded as the sky rapidly dimmed. It was now somewhere between twilight and darkness.


    As the streetmps lit up one by one and the contours of the street were gradually eaten away by the night, if one looked up into the sky they would see an airship heading towards the pce.


    Those standing on top of the airship were able to hear various noises. The sound of the wind whistling by, the sound of the ship creaking as well as the roaring of the magic engine. *Whoosh*


    The soldiers stood with faces painted in utter determination. The airship felt like it was tearing through the air at warp-speed, the air slicing by them like a sword. Their cheeks stung and earlobes felt as though they were being torn off.


    But they all remained upright. They preserved their formation. ¡°You are all proud soldiers of Kuma Merilson, Magic Kingdom.¡±


    Kei Hazmaryoon. His voice wasn¡¯t loud, but his distinct voice was not buried under all of the different noises.


    ¡°We were not blessed with the mana that the wizards proudly boast of. We use the edged tools that this Kingdom looks down upon. If we were to die in the field of duty, no one would remember us. History may portray us as evil traitors. But none of that matters. No matter what people say, no matter what future generations may say, no matter if we win or lose, we are standing here at this moment for the sake of the Kingdom.¡±


    The crowd was silent. *Thud*


    He brought his weapon downwards in a simple motion to strike against the deck of the ship.


    ¡°We may be holding the swords of the Kingdom, but these swords are for the removal of evil! In the name of His Majesty, I pray that we remove the evil of this Kingdom!¡±


    *Thud*


    Weapons struck the deck in unison. The soldiers shouted. They shouted together as one. ¡°Our hearts are your swords; your will is the purpose of our lives!¡±


    All of these soldiers had been saved by Kei.


    They were people who devoted their lives to him alone. Their fervor was such that it seemed likely that they would even take their own lives if instructed to.


    ¡°Commander, we¡¯ll be entering range of the pce¡¯s anti-air defense soon.¡±


    The twilight had almostpletely faded. The pce, located in the center of the capital, was slowly consumed by the darkness.


    Kei Hazmaryoon gave his firstmand for the mission. ¡°Prepare for entry.¡±


    Desir nodded. As he took the lead of the soldiers, he looked down.


    On the surface of thend, there were many sorcerers waiting. They were soldiers who were guarding the Magic Kingdom.


    They numbered six-hundred strong.


    He could also make out a magic cannon aimed at the airship and several strong looking sorcerers busy calcting and formting spells.


    As the airship entered their effective range, an unbelievable number of spells were released in their direction. Countless flowers of mana came into full bloom with stalks of mana seemingly nted on the ground below.


    These spells were powerful, as one would expect from the defense invoked by the country with the strongest and most advanced magic on this continent at this point in history. *Bang*


    There were fire spells, ice spells, and even thunderbolt spells.


    The sorcerers worked together and fired everything they had at the airship from all sides. The scene was impressive, somewhat reminiscent of a festival¡¯s fireworks.


    ¡°¡­ What a feast for the eyes.¡±


    The sheer number of spells was overwhelming.


    The airship had advanced in secret and traveled at high speeds to reach the pce. It did not take more than ten minutes for the airship to take off and arrive at the pce. It was quite impressive that the pce defense had already prepared to this extent and mounted a defense capable of intercepting them at this level within such a short period of time. Furthermore, the spells that the soldiers of the Magic Kingdom invoked in order to protect the pce were good enough to annihte a whole legion of any other nation.


    All of these spells that currently filled up the sky, descended on the lone airship like a flood. Desir closed his eyes and stretched his arms out towards the ground below. He confirmed the spell techniques that were used to form the various spells hurtling at them.


    He couldn¡¯t help muttering to himself. ¡°Such poor quality.¡±


    Those were spells widely used 100 years before the era that Desir lived in. The power of them was different and form varied greatly too. Theycked in every department and were far behind their equivalent modern versions.


    The techniques used here had a mountain of development left in order to approach what wasmon in modern times. During that era, the power of a wizard was determined purely by the strength of the spells they could deploy. With such a narrow focus on what strength meant, techniques to invert spells by digging into their weaknesses had not even been discovered or applied yet. They were simply not prepared in this field in the slightest.


    Inparison to the modern spell techniques that encoded the spell calctions inplicated and obfuscated spell arrays to protect against spell analysis and inversion, their spell techniques were honest to a fault.


    ¡°Spells that are not prepared adequately are no more than easy prey.¡±


    It would take only a minimal amount of effort from Desir to invert all of the spells that were pouring towards them. He wouldn¡¯t feel any threat from hundreds of such spells shooting towards him.


    Desir opened his eyes. *Crack*


    The fastest spell approaching the airship was inverted. It disappeared without a trace, leaving faint fragments of mana particles behind.


    That was just the beginning. *Crack*


    *Crack*


    Many spells shooting towards the airship started to disappear.


    Within mere moments, the flood of spells had been significantly culled. The night sky had started to return to its original, dark state.


    A second flood of spells poured in once again. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s no use.¡±


    The result was the same. However, this time, the spells were neutralized much faster. Even before the spells were fully invoked, the spell techniques were interrupted and turned into mana particles.


    Those on the ground were left astonished.


    This phenomenon was a kind of strength that was entirely out of their league and outside of anymon sense. There was no one who could manage to carry out such an attack, if it could even be called that.


    ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t block every attack by just inverting it¡­ ¡±


    Following the flood of many spells, the magic cannon was fired at the airship, leaving a streak of light as it surged at them.


    Because a magic cannon functioned by firing a st of pure mana, inverting it was impossible. Normally, it was necessary to deploy defensive spells, but there was no need to on this airship. Kei strode up to Desir and swung his sword at the magic cannon that had just fired.


    The mana that had beenpressed to such a high density was split into two streams due to Kei¡¯s sword technique.


    Those who witnessed this overwhelming power were left speechless.


    There was no fourth attempt.


    They had realized that they could do nothing to stop the advance of this airship. There was simply nothing they could do at all while the airship glided past their line of defense. To continue to attack would be a waste of mana; they could only watch in frustration.


    * * *


    The Rose Brigade


    It was a unit consisting of the best sorcerers who lived in the Magic Kingdom.


    Being affiliated with it was enough to prove a magician¡¯s skills. Serving in the unit would be an honor for anyone.


    Colonel Daren was the leader of the Red Rose battalion, a section of that unit. His office was one of the most luxurious ces in the pce.


    Daren was reading a report and drinking coffee; somewhat of a daily routine for him. In front of him was a lovelydy wearing a military uniform.


    ¡°So, themunication spells won¡¯t be operational until tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, sir. There¡¯s an issue with themunication arrays that are installed everywhere in the pce. The restoration is expected to bepleted tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. I thought there would be no issues for a while after we did such extensive repairsst year.¡±


    After themunication arrays were installed, the kingdom¡¯s reporting system relied heavily on the use ofmunication spells. Due to their extreme dependency whenever there were problems with thesemunication arrays, they would be almostpletely cut off from theirmunicationwork.


    Daren flipped to the next page of the report. Reading it line by line, his face creased further and further into a frown.


    ¡°¡­Well, there¡¯s no good news here at all. The sentiment of the citizens is the worst.¡±


    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s clear that there are innocent amongst them. I feel a little bit troubled by the fact that they are detaining them without a formal trial.¡±


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Daren harshly enquired.


    ¡°Look here, lieutenant. Sympathizing with them, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, sir!¡±


    The lieutenant quickly shook her head.


    With a slightly softer tone, Daren spoke again.


    ¡°No, you should be sympathetic as a human, of course. But you are a lieutenant. If you forget where you belong, that would make things difficult. You¡¯re a soldier after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, sir.¡±


    ¡°Right. Just follow orders given by the authority. Just adhere to your orders, retire, and live with the pension you receive. You can sympathize, but do not cross that line. That¡¯s not too hard, is it?¡±


    It was at that moment¡­ *Bang*


    An explosion resounded throughout the pce ground. Even the table shook as if there were an earthquake.


    Someone hurriedly opened the door and entered without even knocking. He was a wizard under themand of Daren.


    ¡°My apologies for this misconduct, Colonel.¡±


    He saluted towards Daren, but Daren just frowned in obvious distaste for the grant breach in etiquette.


    ¡°I¡¯m a busy person. I¡¯m not some minor person to whom a petty person like you could just report to without observing due formality.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. Get out. Let¡¯s have a proper conversion after suitable procedure has been adhered to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible, Colonel. I am truly sorry for my misconduct, but the pce is being attacked.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What?¡±


    ¡°Currently the force ced in the outer bailey is responding to the attack, but the soldiers are being neutralized at arge scale. Same goes for the Red Rose battalion that is stationed there.¡±


    A heavy silence sank down on them. Daren put down his cup. The liquid in the cup shook slightly, indicating a great disturbance somewhere on the pce grounds. This lent credibility to the report, even if the sound and earthquake were to be ignored.


    ¡°Is it the Hebrion Empire invading? They haven¡¯t issued any promation of war.¡± ¡°It is not a war. There is only one airship approaching the pce.¡±


    He then added, as if it were an afterthought.


    ¡°It¡¯s an airship that the Grand Master of the Sword, Commander Kei, operates.¡±

 Chapter 146. Twisted (2)

    <h4>Chapter 146. Twisted (2)</h4>


    There was only one location in the pce where the airship couldnd. It was located at the Wolfgang Tower, the tower nearest to the south gate out of the six towers that lined the outer bailey. It was also thergest of them all.


    Landing on the Wolfgang Tower went very smoothly. Desir¡¯s inverting of spells hadpletely neutralized an entire toon. This was only possible due to their force consisting of just wizards.


    This removed the need for excessive violence and loss of life.


    The airshipnded on the Wolfgang Tower with ease.


    The unit that Kei led and Desir¡¯s party disembarked off of the airship and proceeded down the tower.


    ¡°Formation!¡±


    The soldiers quickly leapt into formation.


    In order to enter the inner bailey, one had to pass through the bridge that connected the outer bailey to the inner bailey. Out of all fifteen floors of the Wolfgang Tower, the bridge was located on the 8th floor.


    ¡°W-Wait, Commander Kei?¡± ¡°Block them!¡±


    ¡°Keeukk!¡±


    The guards who were guarding the tower were terribly rattled. They could notprehend the fact that they were under attack by a force simr to them.


    The unit that Kei was leading consisted of those who dealt solely in weapons and arms. Even though there were just a few enemies, it was no easy task to respond to the sorcerer¡¯s overwhelming firepower.


    However, the guards suffered helplessly in front of Kei¡¯s unit. For some reason they were not able to properly arrange spells in-time; this was due to Desir¡¯s spell inversion.


    Wizards who could not use spells could be considered as no more than ordinary people. ¡°The pivotal point is how fast we prate into the inner bailey.¡±


    Before entering this ce, Desir destroyed themunication arrays that were installed everywhere in the Altea Pce.


    During this point of history, they had not managed to develop technology that could allow deployment of emergencymunication arrays, or keepmunication arrays in reserve to deploy at a moment¡¯s notice. As a result, Altea¡¯smunication system had totally copsed.


    This had the domino effect of copsing their entire system ofmand. If themand system copsed, it would be impossible to unite and coordinate forces properly and effectively, even if they were in possession of thergest army or the world¡¯s greatest soldiers. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t drag this out any longer.¡±


    No one would have thought that the Magic Kingdom could be this fragile. Fragile to such a degree that it could copse so easily to a vastly inferior force.


    Due to themotion being raised as they passed through, even without the system ofmand in ce, it was obvious that soldiers stationed nearby would eventually flock towards Wolfgang Tower.


    ¡°If that happens, we¡¯ll lose our chance of winning.¡± *Vrummmmm*


    Desir simply swung his hands about and the spell techniques of three nearby wizards, busily preparing Third-Circle magic, disappeared with a poof. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kei¡¯s soldiers leapt forward and subdued them.


    ¡°We are no match for them if we look at how many people they have in total.¡±


    If they were to deal with the enemy one at a time or even two at a time, they would have no trouble taking down as many people as were thrown at them. However skillful Kei and the members of Desir¡¯s party were, even they would eventually struggle under the might of the military supporting a whole nation.


    They had to prate the inner bailey swiftly before a proper response was formed. ¡°Everything worked out as nned until now.¡±


    The spirit of the soldiers that Pram and Adjest were leading was vigorous.


    ¡°Thanks to you, everything is going very well. I didn¡¯t know you possessed skill on that level.¡±


    In response to Kei¡¯s indirectment, Desir answered without slowing his pace down.


    ¡°I told you it would be easier to just show you. Besides, I need to be good at something, since I¡¯m at such a low circle.¡±


    Not too long after, they reached the bridge on the 8th floor where they could prate the inner bailey.


    ¡°Finally, you¡¯re here. I was looking forward to meeting you.¡± A sonorous voice was heard.


    They were clearly wearing different uniforms unlike the rest of the sorcerers they had encountered till now. Their uniforms were dyed red and had insignias of a rose on them.


    Desir figured out their identity at a nce.


    The Red Rose Brigade.


    The mana pressure they could feel exuding from them was extraordinary. They were simply nothing short of exemry. They were certainly suitable to be referred to as the Magic


    Kingdom¡¯s greatest trump card.


    Even worse was that there were approximately 600 of them gathered. Even by sheer numbers, Kei¡¯s troop of soldiers were no match.


    Kei responded.


    ¡°So, you were aware of our n.¡±


    ¡°Well, there is only one spot where the airship that passed the gate couldnd.¡±


    The person to respond first was a middle-aged man equipped with an extremely long mustache. Colonel Daren was a sorcerer of Fifth-Circle Magic and also the leader of the Red Rose Brigade.


    ¡°It¡¯s very unexpected. I considered you as a very loyal man. Didn¡¯t you ultimately carry out all the difficult missions for such a long time due to that loyalty?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. And I am here right now because of that loyalty. If you are loyal to His Majesty, please stand back.¡±


    ¡°Hm. I¡¯m not really sure whether loyalty really has any meaning in this situation.¡±


    Daren was wearing the same uniform asst time, with the only difference being the staff that he was now holding.


    ¡°On the contrary, I¡¯m quite d to be able to stand and fight against you.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡±


    They both moved almost simultaneously. *Swish*


    Kei drew his sword. At this signal, his soldiers charged towards the frontline. ¡°Squad One, prepare for spell calction.¡±


    Red Rose unit magicians started calcting. Third-Circle wizards formed groups of five and arranged a Fourth-Circle spell that demonstrated a considerably high-level technique, for this time period.


    *Vroooom*


    Approximately a hundred Fourth-Circle spells were invoked.


    Even though the Fourth-Circle spell was from a hundred years ago, the level of its calction was not at all that simple.


    These Red Rose unit magicians were different from the other magicians that Desir had confronted so far.


    ¡°Argh¡­ !¡±


    Desir did his best to invert the spells, but it was impossible to destroy all of the spells invoked in front of him in time.


    [Ice Crown]


    Adjest quickly arranged a defensive spell to block the stray spells that Desir wasn¡¯t able to invert, but even she was not able to block these remaining spells.


    *Crrrrrash*


    Some of those charging to the front fell off the bridge.


    ¡°Wow, good resistance. I didn¡¯t know you guys had an Anti-Mage.¡±


    Colonel Daren was surprised that his enemy did not suffer as much damage as expected. However, the situation still favored the Red Rose unit. Colonel Daren calmly ordered the soldiers.


    ¡°Block their approach.¡±


    The Red Rose unit was divided into squad one, two and three. Each invoked spells continuously to prevent Kei¡¯s unit from approaching them.


    The wide clearance between the two troops in an open area such as this was definitely favorable for the Red Rose unit.


    ¡°Squad Two.¡±


    The Red Rose unit¡¯s spells were arranged once again. *Crrrrrash*


    ¡°Squad Three.¡± *Crrrrrash*


    The Red Rose unit¡¯s constant barrage did not give any leeway to think.


    After rotating, it was Squad One¡¯s turn to take action again. Kei took to the front line in no time.


    ¡°I will withstand it.¡±


    It was only one sentence, but its impact was great. ¡°Waaarghhh!¡±


    All the soldiers who had shrunk back due to merciless bombardment charged to the front once again with a roar.


    Kei wrapped his sword in Aura. A blue spark covered his sword.


    That alone was incredible, but even the manner in which he carried the sword was extraordinary. It was not simply being wielded. It was being wielded with some kind of purpose.


    At that moment, Desir doubted his eyes.


    The Aura remained strong and dense as it followed the trajectory of his strike, producing a distinct form.


    The [Flower of the Sword] bloomed.


    It was clearly a sr sword form devised by Kei Hazmaryoon, the Sword Grand Master.


    Desir was astonished at the sight of Kei not just using the sword, but handling the sword so delicately.


    Many wizards shed with the [Flower of the Sword], but no one was able to leave a scratch on it. On the contrary, they were the ones that were crumpled, destroyed and scattered as a result of being in its path.


    During that brief moment, Kei¡¯s soldiers quickly broke through the bridge. ¡°Keukkk!¡±


    The tables had turned.


    Most of the attacks were now focused on Kei, but he blocked them all easily.


    Pram and Adjest took the lead of the soldiers and each took care of the left and the right side respectively. Romantica sniped at the magicians who were busy arranging spells in an attempt to reduce their focus on attacks.


    Daren¡¯s face was slowly filled with uneasiness. Atst, he ventured forth to the front line. Daren was a Fifth-Circle wizard. An upper circle wizard, supported by others, was far more dangerous than such a figure acting alone.


    Kei quickly approached Daren. [Aqua Storm]


    [Answer of Sea]


    Powerful spells were invoked in an instant, but they were helplessly dispersed.


    The storm formed by water was totally vaporized and waves that were rushing in from the front just passed through as they were shed and deflected by Kei¡¯s sword.


    The divine dignity of a man with the title of Sword Grand Master was great beyond words. One man, depending on one sword, vanquished numerous spells. Daren¡¯s magic was no exception and was ruthlessly struck down by Kei.

 Chapter 147. Twisted (3)

    <h4>Chapter 147. Twisted (3)</h4>


    ¡°Keukkk¡­ ¡±


    Daren stepped back.


    ¡°Everyone, focus on attacking the bridge support pir!¡±


    As Daren felt the flow of battle leaving his control, he started targeting spells at the bridge itself, instead of the enemies in front of him.


    The supporting pir was very solid, but under sustained fire, it soon started to show signs of failing.


    ¡°He¡¯s thinking of just cutting down the bridge.¡±


    Desir read Daren¡¯s mind, but didn¡¯t dare take any action. It would take just a split second for the bridge to crumble down if he used his inversion negligently.


    Kei also was not in a situation that allowed him to act rashly. He had to protect his soldiers. This left them with a single option.


    ¡°Adjest!¡±


    He only called her name, but Adjest knew immediately what had to be done.


    She stepped back from the frontline, hid behind the soldiers before striking her sword into the ground. Various spell arrays started unfolding in front of her.


    However, Daren¡¯s spell waspleted just one step faster. [Death Stays in the River]


    It was a Fifth-Circle spell.


    An enormous amount of water suddenly appeared around the bridge. These waves inundated the bridge, indiscriminately shaking it like powerful seismic waves.


    A spell on the level of a natural disaster. It was a spell of such magnitude and power that it could easily be described as such.


    As Daren¡¯s spell continued to wreak havoc, a significant portion of its power was suddenly aimed at the nine pirs supporting the bridge.


    *Craaash*


    One of the pirs supporting the bridge copsed in an instant. The spell didn¡¯t end there though. Its trajectory suddenly twisted and swept towards the second pir.


    The gigantic pirs supporting the bridge eight-stories high couldn¡¯t withstand the force and crumbled instantly in the face of such unmitigated violence.


    Subsequently, the third pir was destroyed in a mere split second. This third pir proved to be the harbinger of destruction, as the bridge began to shake intensely after its disappearance. Fortunately, the torrent that Daren invoked disappeared after destroying the third pir. However, having lost one-third of the pirs, the bridge was already on the verge of copsing.


    Rocks and dusts started to rain down from the shaking bridge. It seemed to be a miracle that the bridge had not yet copsed.


    [Winter Crystal]


    Adjest¡¯s spell was finally invoked.


    An extreme cold swept through arge area. This enormous cold front rampaged through the lower part of the bridge.


    The cold air that quickly gathered around the damaged pirs crystalized into enormous ice pirs shortly after. By forming into these pir-like shapes, they served as reinforcement to the bridge that was at risk of imminent copse.


    Adjest could be regarded as an entity loved by mana since birth. Even though the actual amount of mana she had was at just the Fourth-Circle level, she was nearing Fifth-Circle level.


    Having such an unbridled level of talent would leave any hard-working magician envious of her. After all, with their dedication, imagine what they could aplish!


    However, Adjest was dedicated too. By making use of her talent instead of letting it fall to squalor, she was able to endure many tragedies and grand battles in Desir¡¯s previous life; surviving until the veryst moment, Adjest became the most powerful Magical Sword Grand Master.


    However, even considering the magnitude of her talent, the consequence of channeling that much mana into a single spell had not been small. Adjest staggered as her face visibly paled. She had to use a considerablyrge amount of mana to build pirs that could support such a gigantic bridge. Since she had spent an enormous amount of mana in a short amount of time, it seemed like she would not be able to participate in the battle, while she took the time to recuperate.


    Colonel Daren took a step back subconsciously.


    The unit that Kei led had almost broken through. Their blockade was no longer effective.


    Kei and Desir steadily confronted the spellsunched at their side while the soldiers calmly advanced. At this point, their movement was almost unhindered.


    The Red Rose battalion was gradually pushed back before finding that they had no further space to retreat to.


    ¡°Squad Three, aim your spells at the Sword Grand Master!¡±


    After shouting out hismand, Daren started to prepare his own spell. He felt that his best bet would be to end everything with a grand Fifth-Circle spell. Judging that if he could bring down the pirs again, the enemy would likely suffer significant losses in terms of military strength.


    However, there was one point that Daren overlooked.


    The Red Rose battalion had already entered into Kei¡¯s range of attack. ¡°Umph!¡±


    Kei unleashed his signature ranged sword strike into the area where the Red Rose battalion had been backed into.


    *Bang*


    Pieces of rocks flew in all directions as clouds of dust billowed up.


    After a while, when the dust settled, there was no one left standing on two feet.


    The floor had sunken as if bombed and the magicians had disappeared without a trace. With just one strike, dozens of extremely precious Fourth-Circle magicians had died. ¡°Keeeeuuuk.¡±


    Daren was lying helplessly on the ground, he appeared to be hanging on by just a thread. His body was covered with scratches while both of his arms were gone.


    ¡°How, how could this happen? How could this be¡­ ¡±


    It seemed that Daren couldn¡¯t understand the situation he found himself in. While he was dazed, Kei¡¯s side continued to break through the bridge at a steady pace.


    ¡°Charge!¡±


    Under Kei¡¯smand, all of the soldiers advancing behind him rushed forward while roaring at the top of their lungs.


    ¡°Waaaaaghhhh!¡±


    The only thing preventing them from breaking through now, were the Red Rose battalion¡¯s swordsmen trainees. (Note: The past chapters referred to the Rose Brigade and theirposite battalions as a mage-only unit, but it appears the author either forgot or changed his mind.)


    A closebat brawl ensued.


    *ng*


    The sh of weapons produced heavy sounds.


    The soldiers, led by Sword Grand Master Kei Hazmaryoon, had all achieved a minimum level in swordsmanship. With the uncertain futures due to theirck of skills in magic, they had dedicated their lives and energy into honing their skills and learning as much as possible from Kei¡¯s instruction.


    They ughtered the Red Rose battalion remnants, as if venting their anger on them for all of the magic that they had suffered under to get this far.


    ¡°Keuuk!¡±


    The battle unfolded in a lopsided manner. The Red Rose battalion were renowned for both their skills on the battlefield and their experience inbat. No matter if they were assaulted by a unit farrger than theirs or by a smaller unit of elite soldiers, they were well equipped to handle the situation. What they couldn¡¯t handle, however, was the relentless assault from Sword Grand Master¡¯s unit in close-quarterbat.


    ¡°Da-Damn¡­ ¡±


    What was worse, as Daren had lost his arms, he had also lost his mind and was not able to continue his role as amander. His adjutant supported him and they attempted to flee in order to distance themselves as much as possible from Kei.


    The battle flow had decidedly leaned towards Kei¡¯s side. ¡°Clear the way towards Colonel Daren!¡±


    Kei clearly stood out in the battlefield. He didn¡¯t even need to call forth his Aura. He just had to swing his sword around and his enemies would find themselves overwhelmed. Whenever his sword was swung, more than one person would lose their life without fail.


    It was not an overstatement to say that he was a one-man army. He had such a dignified and overwhelming presence.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone near the Colonel!¡±


    The Red Rose battalion resisted strenuously, but it was no use.


    Kei approached Daren while taking down all those who obstructed his path. The distance shortened in a blink of an eye and in the end, the head of the adjutant supporting Daren also fell. There was no longer anyone who could resist Kei.


    ¡°Everything is over now.¡±


    Kei pointed his sword at Daren whoy haphazardly on the ground.


    ¡°W¡­ Wait! Spare my life. I¡¯m not a figure that can die like this. Information. I could give you information! The Prophet. I could give you information on him. How does that sound?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you know a lot of information. It may be a rash decision to kill you here.¡±


    For a moment, Daren¡¯s face lit up. *sh*


    And at that moment, Kei shed his neck.


    ¡°But those who sacrifice their soldiers in vain are unworthy of life.¡± Kei grabbed and lifted the now decapitated head.


    ¡°The war is over!¡±


    Kei¡¯s resonant voice echoed. The sounds of weapons shing gradually subsided and then finally stopped.


    The Red Rose battalion was in a situation where they were close to total annihtion. From nearly six-hundred soldiers, there were now but a handful of them left.


    ¡°Any more resistance would be futile. If we continue to fight here, it would only cause unnecessary deaths.¡±


    Compared to them, Kei¡¯s side did not suffer much damage. It was thanks to Pram, Romantica, and Adjest who actively yed decisive roles in the battle.


    ¡°Please open the way to the inner bailey. We will spare the lives of those who remain.¡±


    The soldiers of the Red Rose battalion were walking on eggshells while looking at each other. Then a man, possibly with the highest rank amongst them, stepped up.


    ¡°We appreciate your concern, Commander. However, whatever the reason, your actions are clearly treason. And surrendering to a traitor means death for us.¡±


    Surrendering to a rebel army. It would be considered an extremely serious crime and the penalty would be death.


    ¡°We will win.¡±


    ¡°¡­ The chance of that happening is very slim, Commander.¡± He hesitated for a moment, then spoke as he sighed.


    ¡°Soon enough, the Blue Rose battalion will arrive here. Colonel Daren anticipated which route you would take and prepared for all eventualities.¡±


    Daren was wary of everything and used all avable military might to face Kei.


    ¡°That matter is for me to deal with. So all of you will not surrender and take a firm stand until theye?¡±


    The man who stepped up to talk turned around.


    The survivors looked at each other and then nodded.


    ¡°We know that resisting against you is useless. But we want to die as loyal subjects who kept their oaths, rather than being executed as dishonorable cowards.¡±


    ¡°That is a shame¡­ ¡±


    His words were sincere. He really admired their unit for both their skill and unwavering loyalty to the King.


    Kei frowned. However, soon enough, he became determined and gestured towards the soldiers.


    Then, Kei¡¯s subordinates all drew out their swords. ¡°Anyst words?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The Red Rose battalion no longer resisted and Kei¡¯s subordinates ended them as painlessly as possible. Momentster, there were no survivors left among them.


    The total annihtion of the Red Rose battalion.


    Kei turned around and opened the door to the inner bailey.

 Chapter 148. Twisted (4)

    <h4>Chapter 148. Twisted (4)</h4>


    Magicians.


    The number of magicians born each year was always low. In order to be a magician, one had to be born with an extremely rare ability known as the Blessings of Mana.


    They were small in number, but they had the power to achieve results impossible through human power alone.


    It was no surprise that they became precious existences and regarded as valuable military strength for a country.


    The Magic Kingdom quickly became a hotspot for magicians who wanted to innovate and improve upon their magic power. The gathering of like minded magicians had cultivated major advancement in terms of magic technology and spell research. It didn¡¯t take long for the Magic Kingdom to take great pride in their magicians. With time, this had resulted in national confidence that magic was the be-all and end-all of any civilized nation.


    This confidence inevitably ended up festering into a belief in magic supremacism that quickly established itself and took root in all levels of the Magic Kingdom.


    ¡°Advance.¡±


    However, today, that confidence was shattered.


    It had been a while since Kei had prevailed against the unit of soldiers and magicians on the bridge. They had faced off and won againstpetent knights who protected magicians from their frontline position, while being supported by spells cast from the rear.


    The unit that Kei led continued to advance forward while quickly subduing any enemies encountered.


    The swords and spears that had been despised by so many, marchedrgely unabated towards the very heart of the Magic Kingdom.


    ¡°The significance of the inner bailey¡¯s defense was lost the moment the Red Rose battalion was destroyed.¡±


    They were finally able to arrive at the royal bedchamber where the King normally stayed.


    ¡°I am Kei, the loyal servant of His Majesty. Would you allow me to enter your bedchamber?¡± Kei courteously requested to enter the bedchamber, but there was no response even after waiting for some time.


    Because they could not afford to waste any more time, Kei opened the door. ¡°¡­ ¡±


    He was greeted with the sight of the King copsed on the floor, his mouth wide open as if he were screaming.


    His body was stained with bright red blood that continued to flow from his wound and seep into the bed cover.


    The King was dead.


    Kei turned to Desir.


    ¡°Is this an illusion spell to confuse and deceive us?¡± Desir shook his head.


    ¡°There are currently no spells operating in this room.¡± ¡°Then this is real.¡±


    ¡°¡­ That is correct.¡±


    Desir answered calmly, but could not conceal how flustered he was. ¡°Who would¡¯ve known that the King was dead.¡±


    Seeing the King lying there without his eyes closed, it was almost as if one could feel the pain he was feeling, just from seeing his tormented visage.


    Even with this terrible sight, Kei followed the trace of the blood and climbed up. The injury on the abdomen was revealed. The shape of the wound was diamond-like.


    ¡°This¡­ ¡±


    Desir, who had been watching from a short distance away, sighed. The shape surprisingly matched the mark that Kei¡¯s sword would leave.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    They used their brains well.


    With this, Kei and Desir¡¯s party would be branded simply as rebel forces who invaded the pce and killed the King.


    And now, with the blood of the King on their hands, they would have to face both the elite Rose Brigade, as well as the whole military strength of the Magic Kingdom.


    Kei lifted the King, now lying unceremoniously on the ground, andid him on the bed. He closed the King¡¯s eyes and whispered something to him, like a prayer.


    It was too short to be a eulogy.


    That was all. He did not not look agitated, he did not express any anger or sorrow. Kei spoke to Desir with a calm expression.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go find that Prophet. If we find him, we can charge him as the one who assassinated the King.¡±


    Desir was troubled by Kei¡¯s reaction. Normally, people mourn the loss of a friend, yet Kei was calm and reserved. Perhaps it was his way of coping? He quickly distanced himself from the thought; if he didn¡¯t focus on their current situation, their death was inevitable¡­


    They hurriedly left the King¡¯s chamber and headed towards the ce where the true enemy, the Prophet, would likely be. In order to get there, they had to pass through an enormous hall in the center of the inner bailey.


    It was not difficult to reach their destination: the ¡°Hall of Knowledge¡±.


    The hall they arrived at was colossal. It was big enough that it could even be regarded as a symbol of the power of the Magic Kingdom.


    As the hall was sorge, a substantial number of military personnel would likely be positioned there. Since they had to pass through that area in order to advance towards the Prophet¡¯s location, Kei predicted that there would likely be some form of resistance gathered there to intercept them.


    However, only half of his prediction was correct. ¡°Graaaarghh!¡±


    A horrifying cry echoed.


    Therge number of personnel they had guessed would be assembled there, were strewn across the floor as chunks of meat.


    Instead of being greeted by an elite military unit, they were greeted by hundreds of monsters. Desir was able to specte without difficulty that these monsters had brutally ughtered the soldiers. They had ughtered the humans and were eating to their hearts¡¯ content. This sight was absolutely horrifying, and the creatures themselves were terrifying too.


    They were the kind of monsters that no one could forget. ¡°Chimeras¡­ ¡±


    Chimeras were savage beasts thatcked self-consciousness. Due to its method of production and the danger they posed, the creation of these life forms was banned.


    As risky as it was to create these creatures, they were extremely powerful. The risk in flouting naturalw had a corresponding reward.


    They were assembled by extracting the strengths of many different monsters, therefore they were naturally powerful as a result. The strength of each individual entity was exceptionally great, beyond allparison.


    Even Kei¡¯s unit, having faced off against all sorts of adversity, saw most member¡¯s faces paling as they took in the sight of the monsters in front of them.


    Making an already bad situation worse, was that the number of Chimeras in front of them was far greater than the number Desir and Romantica had faced in Pureus¡¯sb.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they created this many Chimeras and kept them in the inner bailey.¡±


    This demonstrated the power of the man, referred to as the Prophet, upying this pce. ¡°I guess he doesn¡¯t intend to hide them any longer.¡±


    ¡°He probably couldn¡¯t afford to consider other options now.¡±


    The fact that he sent out the Chimeras that couldn¡¯t distinguish between friend and foe meant that he was running out of patience in such a situation. It also meant that he had no other options. That is to say, if they broke through this ce, then they would be able to close the gap with the enemy quite quickly.


    ¡°Kreeuuk?¡±


    One Chimera sensed something and turned around to look. Then, one by one, other Chimeras started to turn around to re at Kei¡¯s unit.


    *Thud*


    The bone that one of the Chimeras was gnawing on dropped to the floor and echoed around the hall. This served as a signal, after which all of the Chimeras sprung towards them. ¡°Kraaaarrghh!¡±


    Kei calmed down the soldiers who panicked and quickly ordered them into an all-round defensive formation.


    ¡°Do not step back!¡±


    As the sounds of the Chimeras¡¯ shrieks and steps got louder, the soldiers¡¯ tension increased as well.


    Before too long, the Chimeras crashed into their round formation like a wave against a beach. Swords cut and sliced skin while Chimera teeth dug into and ripped out flesh.


    The sound of slicing and flesh rending apanied by the sound of blood gushing out; these were the sounds of a life-and-death battle.


    The few magicians in Kei¡¯s unit arranged spells and invoked them at the Chimeras.


    Desir and Romantica joined them in an attempt to reduce the number of Chimera approaching them.


    The Chimeras here weren¡¯t as sophisticated as the Chimeras that Pureus created, but they were made from extremely powerful monsters. Seeing this, one would know that a good portion of the national budget had been invested into this.


    Thanks to Kei¡¯s excellent battle sense and ability to employ effective strategum, their unit was able to endure against these powerful Chimeras.


    This was not the case for the Chimeras, those who lost their hunting sense and were rampaging recklessly. These Chimeras would never be able to prepare a proper formation and Kei¡¯s unit wasn¡¯t weak enough to be overwhelmed by Chimeras that didn¡¯t use any formation.


    Or so they thought. That mindset swiftly faded. As the fight waged on, it became clear that the Chimeras¡¯ unnatural stamina greatly outpaced what Kei¡¯s unit was capable of. Slowly but surely, they lost the advantage and the tide of battle turned.


    As the soldiers reached their limits due to exhaustion, and gaps in their shield formations started to appear, the Chimeras would use their ws to rake at the soldiers and pull them out of the formation.


    The soldiers that were dragged away were eaten alive in front of the remaining soldiers. Some of these people were familiar faces that Desir¡¯s party had seen several times during their journey on the airship.


    The current situation was much more dire than the previous battles these soldiers had faced up until now, and there was no end in sight.


    ¡°Arghhhh!¡±


    One of the soldiers screamed.


    After shredding a soldier, a Chimera that looked a lot like a lion stretched out its ws towards the soldier making a fuss.


    [Burst Fire]


    Dozens of fireballs materialized in front of Desir before shooting forward like meteors and shattering the ws while pushing away the lion-like Chimera.


    The soldier saved by Desir thanked him with a slight nod and rejoined the battle once again. Even though he did an admirable deed, Desir¡¯s facial expression was not good.


    Desir was feeling miserable.


    ¡°This is much more difficult than I expected. The level of difficulty has increased several-fold.¡±


    No one could have expected a man referred to as a Prophet would be managing a legion of Chimeras of this magnitude.


    When Desir joined Kei Hazmaryoon, the strongest swordsman of this generation, and heard the detailed n that Kei had proposed, he was certain that clearing this quest would be straightforward with Kei¡¯s aid.


    But when faced with the situation unfolding in front of his eyes, he was honestly not as confident in this quest being as straightforward to clear as initially anticipated.


    ¡®This level of difficulty corresponds to the highest tier of Level Three Shadow Worlds.¡¯


    This was even after considering the fact that Kei was there as an aide to the quest. If Kei wasn¡¯t there, the level of difficulty of this Shadow World would have easily been Level Two. Furthermore, the situation was rapidly deteriorating as time passed. It was even more clear that the situation would only deteriorate further from here.


    ¡°¡­ I could feel a lot of mana signatures heading towards here. Since there is a significant number of them, I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s the Blue Rose battalion.¡±


    Kei¡¯s unit was exhausted from facing the Chimeras. The chance of Kei¡¯s unit achieving victory against the Blue Rose battalion was extremely slight.


    They had to quickly figure out a strategy.


    Desir broke away from his frontline and moved towards the frontline that Commander Kei was at. Pram and Adjest were also battling nearby.


    ¡°The Blue Rose battalion will arrive here in around ten minutes.¡±


    After hearing Desir¡¯s words, Kei had a stern look on his face. From his extensive experience in such situations, he knew that they would have no chance of winning once the Blue Rose battalion arrived.


    Penen, who had been listening from the side, shared his thoughts with Kei. ¡°Commander, please consider transferring yourmanding rights to me.¡± Kei¡¯s face fell when he realized what this meant.


    ¡°¡­ Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°I believe it is better than ending all of this without achieving anything. I hope you can fulfill my earnest wish.¡±


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    Desir felt something strange. When Kei faced the death of the King, he was calm. For the first time, Kei had revealed a bit of emotion.


    It was a subtle difference, but Desir didn¡¯t miss it. Kei was not able to suppress his emotions. He had exposed his emotions openly through a small change in his facial expression, different from the time he faced the King¡¯s death.


    However, he knew that this was the only way forward, so he decided to proceed without further dy. He knew that this would put him squarely on the path of ughter.


    ¡°Right now, I transfer all of mymanding rights to you, Ensign Penen.¡± ¡°It is my honor. I will do my best.¡±


    After clearing up three nearest Chimeras in one blow with a burst of Aura, Kei stepped back from the frontline.


    ¡°¡­ I will not forget you all.¡±


    ¡°We pray for your sess in this war.¡±

 Chapter 149. Twisted (5)

    <h4>Chapter 149. Twisted (5)</h4>


    Penen split up the soldiers that were part of the formation, assigning a portion of them to the Sword Grand Master¡¯s unit.


    ¡°Techi, Kais, Soluna, you guys follow the Commander.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Kei, who was confirming the formation, momentarily stopped and looked at Desir. ¡°What are you guys going to do?¡±


    ¡°We will follow you as well.¡±


    If Desir¡¯s group remained here and faced the enemies, Kei¡¯s unit would be spared from annihtion.


    There was a chance that Penen would be able to lead the remaining soldiers to join Kei after eliminating the enemies here. However, Desir was not about to gamble like that. He decided to join Kei without any hesitation.


    ¡®We must not mix up our priorities here.¡¯


    For Desir, the most important thing was the safety of his party members and clearing the quest. Remaining here and blocking the enemies was too risky. Furthermore, in order to clear the quest, it was a better choice to stay with Kei and eliminate the Prophet.


    Even if the other soldiers were sacrificed here, they were still virtual characters. There was no reason to put himself at a disadvantage out of concern for their well-being.


    In the chaos of the hell-like battlefield, Desir motioned to Adjest, Pram, and Romantica to fall back and regroup with him. Adjest and Pram, who were holding their own in one of the frontlines, were drenched in blood.


    When all of the members of the Kei detachment had gathered, Penen cried out. ¡°We will open a path temporarily in ten seconds!¡±


    He gave the orders and the soldiers started to move.


    Kei, the few soldiers assigned to apany him, as well as Desir¡¯s group, readied themselves behind the front line.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    Kei shouted his final order to the group of soldiers. They used their shields to shove the nearby Chimeras to the side and create a momentary gap in their relentless assault. The magicians swiftly invoked spells and sted the now clumped up groups of Chimeras.


    *Boooom*


    The path in front of them was clear. With the explosions acting as their starting shot, Kei and Desir¡¯s groups seized the opportunity and booked it out of the Hall of Knowledge as quickly as possible. A few of the Chimeras broke off from the assault on Penen¡¯s formation to attack Kei, but they were able to eliminate the Chimeras nimbly.


    They ran. Once they got far enough away, the remaining Chimeras gave up their pursuit and turned back towards Penen.


    The Hall of Knowledge served as the focal point of the pce, connecting each section of the inner bailey. Six different passageways branched out from the one room, giving the impromptu party five areas to explore. Kei motioned towards the third passage on the left, and the party followed.


    Luckily for them, Kei seemed confident in where the Prophet could be found.


    As they made their way down the curvy corridor, Desir took the opportunity to ask Kei about their situation.


    ¡°Does the end of this passageway connect to anywhere else?¡±


    ¡°Nope. If the Prophet wants to escape from the pce, he¡¯ll need to pass through this passage.¡±


    Desir nodded after hearing his answer.


    The Prophet was no different from a rat in a trap.


    Desir deduced that they were currently headed towards the Prophet¡¯s researchb, where all his Homunculus research material and notes would be gathered.


    Desir wasn¡¯t sure why, but the Prophet definitely had a new sense of urgency when it came to finishing his research. He had grown much more aggressive in gathering research materials, even with the risk of exposing himself. As this was the case, it was impossible for him to simply give up on his research and retreat; he had to be in hisboratory.


    Upon nearing the end of the corridor, they came across an area that appeared to be a garden, once upon a time.


    The atmosphere was sombre, dead. There wasn¡¯t a single flower blooming.


    All of the water seemed as though it had been forcibly dried out, and the greenery had been wilted and ckened. It was as though all of the vital force had been sucked dry.


    It wasn¡¯t just the appearance of the area that made it so unsettling. ¡°The mana here¡­ It¡¯s vile, Desir.¡±


    Romantica murmured.


    Adjest and Desir also felt the mana in the area. It carried with it a foul sewer-like odor, just like Romantica described. As they ventured forward into the garden, the concentration of vile mana grew thicker and coated the area.


    ¡°I¡¯ve felt this kind of mana before. Crow Mask used it against me in our fight.¡±


    A Sixth-Circle magician, something rare on the continent, and one of the leaders of the Outsiders.


    ¡°That is impossible. Crow Mask can¡¯t be alive now if he existed here.¡± It was as Adjest pointed out.


    The Shadow World that they were currently participating in was a ce from over a hundred years ago. It was impossible for a man who exists at the present moment to be in this ce. ¡°Right. But other than that, we know there¡¯s a group who has ess to this kind of mana.¡± ¡°The Outsiders¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Even though Desir answered her, he started to doubt his own conviction on this matter. The Outsiders didn¡¯t form until after the invention of the Magic Crystal.


    Zod wouldn¡¯t develop the [Enchant] spell for another fifty years. The Outsiders, along with their tainted mana, had no reason to exist now.


    ¡®But it must be connected to the Outsiders in some way.¡¯


    No matter how many questions they had, they wouldn¡¯t get any answers until they met the Prophet.


    They kept moving forward diligently. They had no time to rest; to do so was a waste of the time bought by the soldiers currently holding out against the Chimeras for them.


    When they finally reached the center of the garden, they came across a small dome. From it, bursts of mana were ring out, the concentration so intense it was difficult to breath.


    When Kei made a gesture, his subordinates hurriedly got into formation. Desir followed hismand as well.


    ¡®Three Rook ss swordsmen.¡¯


    The three soldiers Kei brought with them had attained mastery in materializing aura.


    Including Desir¡¯s group, all of the people present had outstanding individual ability, but due to extreme exhaustion, their actual fighting strength had been greatly diminished. Between the fights on the way here, along with the constant assault of the mana tainted air around them, it was a wonder that they were all still standing.


    ¡®Still, we have no choice but to do something, one way or the other.¡¯


    While they contemted over their next action, something began to emerge from the dome. They quickly realized that that something was actually someone.


    His hair was pure white and his face was filled with stitches here and there. His eye bags were sagging well below his eyes and his lifeless form was reminiscent of a corpse.


    He was sitting nonchntly next to a ss tube, appearing to contain a Homunculus. ¡°Really. This timing couldn¡¯t be worse.¡±


    His voice slightly quivered. Yet he didn¡¯t seem weak. If anything, thebined effect of his voice and appearance, made him seem all the more monstrous.


    ¡°So you are the Prophet.¡±


    ¡°And you are the Sword Grand Master. You really managed to make it this far. This is as unpleasant as when I encountered the descendants of the Great Man.¡±


    Kei lifted his sword.


    ¡°After you came to this country, everything started to crumble.¡± ¡°And I aplished something remarkable.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in what dastardly creature you¡¯ve created. What I do know, is that arge number of people have suffered because of you.¡±


    ¡°You are holding onto insignificant things. You only look at what¡¯s in front of you.¡± ¡°For me, that is everything.¡±


    There was no need for words. This kind of confrontation would only result in both parties talking in parallel to each other.


    ¡°So what exactly are you going to do? You¡¯re the one with the most exceptional swordsmanship in this era, yet you are a mere soldier of the Magic Kingdom. A kingdom where ironically, magic is the only standard of judgement for everything.¡±


    Kei ignored his taunting and started to pour his strength into his sword. When his King ss aura was fully materialized, the air around his de began to vibrate.


    ¡°You will be executed under the crime of manipting this country and the crime of assassinating His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Executed?¡±


    He spoke with a hint of a smile. He responded as though trash had gained sentience and told him how to live his life¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t get in over your head. Even if you¡¯re a Sword Grand Master, you¡¯re merely one human being.¡±


    The Prophet got out of his seat. At the same time, he took out a skull-shaped mask from his chest.


    As soon as the Prophet began to move, Kei shifted his stance so that his sword strike would be within reach of the Prophet.


    Kei drew his sword in a sh.


    No one was able to follow the trajectory his sword made.


    However, the sword never made contact with the Prophet. It was as if there was an invisible barrier blocking Kei¡¯s de.


    *Crack*


    The brooch hanging from the Prophet¡¯s clothes cracked in response to Kei¡¯s de. Desir realized that it was an Artifact.


    ¡°Quite impatient. Right. Don¡¯t think you¡¯re the only one in a hurry.¡±


    The Prophet held his hand out into the air, and something began to take shape within it. Within a moment, the Prophet had generated a spear out of thin air.


    It was not an ordinary spear, either. The shaft and the spearhead were all made up of nk?um.


    [Brionac Offensive] *Crack*


    At that moment, a bright, blinding light suddenly poured out of it. The spear shattered into dozens of thinner des, which began to circle around the Prophet.


    Desir was caughtpletely off guard.


    Despite having cleared several Shadow Dungeons and having lived within the Shadow Labyrinth for a long time, he had never heard of an artifact like this one.


    Not only did he have an artifact this powerful, but he also had the artifact that he used to block Kei¡¯s attack.


    Desir judged that he may have more artifacts and started to take precautions against this fact. Kei raised the intensity of his aura and spoke towards Desir¡¯s group.


    ¡°My subordinates and I will attack him head-on. Please work together to surround him and attack from the sides¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you think it would be that easy?¡±


    One of the spear fragments pierced the ss tube that was containing the Homunculus. *Crack*


    Shards of ss sprayed outwards. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a choice.¡±


    The Homunculus that was inside the ss tube fell to the floor, but it raised itself up soon after.


    ¡°The eternal truth that alchemy seeks or the mythical weapon that has murdered countless heroes of humankind. Choose one of these two. Whatever you choose, it will be an honorable death for you.¡±

 Chapter 150. The King of Puppets (1)

    <h4>Chapter 150. The King of Puppets (1)</h4>


    Kei firmly grasped his sword as he stepped back to take in the change of conditions. His eyes settled on the Homunculus.


    The Homunculus stared back at Kei, instinctively aware that Kei was the most dangerous person here.


    Feeling the Homunculus was an unusual being, Kei took his time to size up his opponent, rather than rush forward blindly.


    ¡°That monster seems to be something quite dangerous.¡± Desir replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s a monster made through Alchemy. I dealt with a Homunculus when I fought off an evil Alchemist in the Desert-Flower City. But, that thing in front of us¡­ it looks even more powerful than the one that I fought.¡±


    Standing next to the Prophet, the Homunculus looked rather human, unlike the iplete Homunculus manufactured by Pureus.


    It had distinct facial features and its skin and skeleton did not seem to be much different from that of any other human.


    ¡®Most importantly, the mana I can feel from it is at the Second-Circle level.¡¯


    Pureus¡¯ Homunculus wielded monstrous ability with just First-Circle mana. Given that, he could reasonably expect that the Homunculus in front of him would be many times stronger than that one.


    ¡°I have an idea on how to get rid of it.¡± ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°While I¡¯m fighting with it, I want you to deal with the Prophet.¡±


    The ability that the Prophet had disyed in just the brief skirmish earlier proved that he was no ordinary being.


    Desir spected that he still had a hidden trump card or two and decided to leave handling him to Kei. Kei surely had the power to prevail in a straight-up duel.


    Kei nodded.


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll handle the Prophet.¡±


    Kei bowed lightly, then approached the Prophet. *Rumble*


    A thunderp rang out from the Brionac, which circled the Prophet. ¡°Hmm, I see. So you are the one who decided to die at my hands?¡± ¡°It will be clear in a little while, just who will die.¡±


    Kei once again pointed his sword at the Prophet. *sh*


    For the second time, Kei¡¯s sword was blocked by the invisible barrier, but the Prophet¡¯s brooch, which was likely an artifact, couldn¡¯t ovee Kei¡¯s power and shattered as it disintegrated.


    Kei and the Prophet made their move before the debris of the brooch could even hit the ground. Kei kicked harshly against the ground, while the shards of light hovering around the Prophet formed a spear and shot towards Kei.


    *Baaam*


    A multitude of shes ensued. The Homunculusunched an attack at Kei, in defense of its master, and the building trembled in response. No matter how strong Kei was, it was too much for any person to face off against both the Prophet and Homunculus at the same time.


    Desir and his party rushed into action.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you instructions.¡±


    Desir hastilymanded Kei¡¯s men.


    ¡°Commander believes in you, so we will also ce our trust in you and follow your orders.¡± ¡°Romantica.¡±


    Romantica used her rifle tounch several sniping spells at the Homunculus, as if she had been waiting for Desir¡¯s signal.


    *Bang*


    It sounded like iron colliding with iron. Romantica¡¯s magic couldn¡¯t prate the Homunculus¡¯ skin at all. Although she hadn¡¯t put her full might into that attack, things did not look good.


    Romantica was shocked at what she had just witnessed.


    With its head bent at a strange angle, the Homunculus looked away from Kei and focused on Desir¡¯s party. While it didn¡¯t suffer any damage, the attack was enough to draw its animosity. The Homunculus judged Desir¡¯s party as being an immediate threat, and engaged them. It had not yet had a chance to adapt to its body, so its speed was still very slow. It slowly started to lift itself off of the ground it had fallen on to after attacking Kei.


    In the meantime, Desir shared what information he had on the Homunculus with Kei¡¯s men and his party.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t attack it rashly. The Homunculus I fought before had the power to recover all of its wounds. Its recovery functionspletely differently to regeneration, so it¡¯s no use just destroying its body¡­ even if we destroyed its entire body in a single strike.¡±


    As Desir finished his exnation, one of Kei¡¯s men spoke up, his face showing a quizzical expression.


    ¡°Then that means this thing can¡¯t be killed!¡± ¡°I thought so, too.¡±


    Desir also thought the power was invincible when he first confronted the Homunculus.


    ¡°But if you just follow my directions, we can win. Please don¡¯t do anything rash in the meantime.¡±


    *Thump*


    The Homunculus suddenly kicked against the ground and sprung towards the party, apparently somewhat morefortable moving around. The speed of its movement was now beyond the level of a Bishop ss.


    Perhaps because it still hadn¡¯t fully grasped its capabilities yet, the Homunculus¡¯ charge seemed somewhat reckless, but none-the-less remained extremely threatening. Desir gave his firstmand while looking at the approaching Homunculus.


    ¡°Block it, Pram.¡±


    Pram was a swordsman at the level of a Rook ss. His eyes were able to catch the movement of the Homunculus without difficulty. Pram¡¯s sword pierced its shoulder. Pram¡¯s strong aura prevented the Homunculus from using that arm anymore.


    It didn¡¯t take long, however, before it invoked the force of causality and returned to its former condition.


    ¡°Chase it, Adjest.¡±


    Adjest kicked against the ground while spreading a spell along her sword. [Magic Sword: Ice Wave]


    As her frosty sword sliced deeply into the body of the Homunculus, it gradually began to freeze.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    Desir signalled Kei¡¯s men.


    They didn''t miss the opportunity. They used their aura and immobilised the Homunculus by cutting off one of its legs. But it took three men rushing in together to only break one leg.


    As expected, the being in front of them was far more powerful than the Homunculus he had previously dealt with.


    The Homunculus once again invoked the force of causality.


    But, this was Desir¡¯s intention.


    Desir realized that the force of causality was limited to returning the Homunculus to its best condition, based on the amount of mana it had left.


    There was no time for the Homunculus to run away. As soon as its body was restored, its hand was cut off at the wrist before it even knew it by the approaching Pram.


    The cycle of restoration and destruction continued several times.


    Cut.


    Restore.


    Cut.


    Restore.


    On and on it went, as a barrage of attacksnded on it. ¡°Don¡¯t give it a break!¡±


    Another scary thing about Homunculus was that they quickly learnt how to fully utilize their abilities, even while being pummelled. The Homunculus in front of them was not yet able to fully utilize all of its abilities, so now was the best and only opportunity for Desir and his party.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    Desir was distinctly aware of this and desperately attempted to settle things as quickly as possible.


    ¡®Even its ability to control the force of causality is limited right now.¡¯ This was the keystone of his n.


    The Homunculus used its umted mana whenever it empowered itself to deal or defend against an attack.


    ¡®So the key is not how much damage it takes, but how much we get it to reinforce itself.¡¯


    Desir and his party were able to urately figure out how much damage they needed to inflict as the battle continued. With minimal effort, they induced the Homunculus to reinforce itself using its limited power.


    Desir¡¯s strategy worked. He could feel the mana inside the Homunculus gradually decreasing.


    * * *


    Brionac. An artifact belonging to the mythological age. It was a weapon that separated into several strands, moving freely in all directions as if each had their own will. Seeing it in action, one would feel that they were looking at arge army of lights. Even the material it wasposed of was nk?um, a metal considered to be the best of the best for weapons on this continent.


    Each spear de emitted an immensely sharp energy before firing at a person each in unison. Sword Master, Kei Hajmaryun.


    The most powerful swordsmen of this age.


    Kei¡¯s sword was a thing of legends, enough even to be referred to as a ¡®Great Sword¡¯.


    However, it was not made from material as good as nk?um.


    It was easy to predict that if Kei¡¯s ¡®Great Sword¡¯ and the Brionac made out of nk?um were to collide, Kei¡¯s sword would shatter.


    *Kaang*


    However, his sword was fine even after confronting Brionac head-on. The de shone brightly and warped the air around it; due to Kei¡¯s strong aura, the sword de was unharmed His movement was graceful yet sharp; a paradox of something that was beautiful and rough. Countless sparks scattered everywhere like an afterglow, as the tip of his sword moved.


    The spear of light divided itself into dozens of shards, but more than half of them had to be used to just defend against the sword wielded by Kei.


    The remaining spears were free to press Kei little by little.


    Instead of just being flung as projectiles, each and every one of these shards continuously fired beams of light powered by mana.


    The problem was that unlike ordinary magic, their attacks fired nonstop. The shards seemingly gathered their own mana.


    When an insurmountable number of beams poured down on Kei, he finally took a firm step and spread his aura around himself.


    Following the trajectory of his sword, the now dispersed aura hung in the air before soon forming into a certain shape.


    Their form started to resemble flowers in full bloom.


    The whole building vibrated once again when the reformed spear of light collided with Kei¡¯s flower-shaped aura.


    Their fight was a transcendent battle beyond theprehension of most human beings.


    ¡°Your swordsmanship has really reached the top level.¡±


    The Prophet did not stop moving while expressing his admiration of Kei¡¯s swordsmanship. *Ka-ang*


    *Ka-ang*


    ¡°But why do you still wield your sword? Your king is dead, and your soldiers will all be hanged as rebels. Even if you seed in this rebellion, no one will pardon you.¡±


    There was no break in fighting as he talked. ¡°Maybe you have a purpose I¡¯m not aware of.¡± *Ka-ang*


    The fight between the two was even.


    Neither side had the upper hand, as they both fought while concealing their trump card, not daring to reveal their real skills.


    It was the Homunculus who changed the circumstances of the battle. ¡°Kraaaaaaaaaaaa!¡±


    It shrieked loudly and all present felt something change imperceptibly.


    Somehow, it felt like time had slowed down for just a moment. This wasn¡¯t just the imagination of one or two people. Everyone gathered here felt it.

 Chapter 151. The King of Puppets (2)

    <h4>Chapter 151. The King of Puppets (2)</h4>


    The Prophet turned his head and looked in the direction of the sound. On the other side of the battlefield, the Homunculus was beingpletely overpowered.


    When the Homunculus was unterally defeated without offering any kind of decent resistance, and after it felt like it was useless exercising its power any further, it finally snapped and went on a rampage using up all of its power in the one go. It was an act that put itself at a distinct disadvantage and would certainly lead to ruin.


    The Prophet spoke with a look of surprise.


    ¡°¡­ there¡¯s a man here aware of the power of a Homunculus.¡±


    His eyes turned to Desir, who had clearly been leading the battle. Desir¡¯smand had certainly piled up pressure on the Homunculus. In fact, they had almost knocked it down for good.


    Without further thought, the Prophet mobilized about half of the fragments of the Brionac and aimed them at Desir¡¯s party. Feeling enormous power rocketing towards him, Desir ordered his party to hurriedly retreat.


    ¡°Your opponent is me!¡±


    In an attempt to regain the attention of the Prophet and reduce his interference in Desir¡¯s battle, Kei made full use of the gap in the Prophet¡¯s defense and made a bold offensive.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take even a moment to look away.¡±


    As the situation changed, the Prophet decided he could not afford to use his power elsewhere. He even gave up attacking Kei, only using the Brionac for defense.


    ¡°Urgh!¡±


    After consolidating all of his power into defense, even Kei could not easily break through the Prophet¡¯s shield. In the end, Kei was forced onto the back foot.


    Taking this opportunity, the Prophet revealed another item. It was a huge bow made out of what looked like wood.


    ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t let them destroy it.¡±


    Strangely, however, the arrow presumably nocked in the bow it was not visible. Moreover, the bow started to float in the air as if it had been lifted by an invisible hand.


    [Load a Branch of Yggdrasil]


    The bowstring drawback in response to the voice of the Prophet. At the same time, raw mana began to gather in front of the bow, forming an arrow.


    Feeling grave, Kei tried to stop it somehow, but it was no easy feat to break through Brionac, which had been dedicated solely to defense.


    Despite Kei¡¯s best efforts, Yggdrasil¡¯s branch umted its strength.


    By then, Desir, who had been busy dealing with Homunculus, was able to grasp the situation. Feeling the amount of mana now concentrated on the bow, Desir shouted as his face visibly paled after measuring its power.


    ¡°Deploy defensive magic! Right now!¡±


    It was toote to use a spell that could offset its attack right now, and it was also impossible to avoid it somehow.


    [Sigh of Kizard]


    Adjest invoked the spell with the highest defensive capabilities that she knew.


    Desir and Romantica also rushed to gather as much mana as possible to deploy their own defensive magic.


    Two ice barriers formed in front of them and a strong air current swirled to create a wall. It was a triple strength barrier.


    The Yggdrasil¡¯s branch was released at the barrier. It dissipated everything in the vicinity of its trajectory.


    It was truly a tremendous power.


    The triple defense magic shattered without enduring against its power for even a second. They had managed to alter its trajectory slightly though, saving their lives.


    But Kei¡¯s men were not fine. Desir¡¯s party ran to hide behind their barrier and barely made it in time by just a hair''s breadth. The soldiers, unfortunately, were swept away by the silver arrow, disappearing without even leaving a trace behind.


    Kei¡¯s face distorted at the sight. A violent rage consumed him.


    He clenched his lips and rushed at the Prophet.


    Dozens of aura flowers bloomed from all sides. Kei deployed aura to the absolute maximum of his ability, as if holding nothing back.


    The Prophet, now freed of the worry for the safety of the Homunculus, turned his full attention back to Kei. He fired part of the Brionac towards the sky.


    The ceiling copsed with a loud noise. Moonlight poured down from the perforated ceiling. *Woooooooong*


    The moonlit Brionac howled. Each of its fragments that were previously emitting a faint glow, began to emit dazzling light as the moonlight shone on them.


    At the same time, the des became more corporeal. This was the grand reveal of the hidden card that the Prophet had concealed until now.


    *Crash*


    Even though it was just light shining off the shards, the ground and walls were crushed, as if unable to withstand the force. The roof of the building copsed too. Everything, stone or iron, was parted by the light.


    But Kei didn''t mind all those things and approached the Prophet. With each step he took, a stronger force struck him.


    The armor he was wearing began to distort and countless lines of blood were drawn on Kei¡¯s body. Soon after, his left arm burst, unable to withstand physical force, but Kei refused to back down.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhp!¡±


    Kei, who had reached the Prophet¡¯s, struck a blow.


    Kei¡¯s alluring de, which emitted a light no dimmer than that of the light pouring out of Brionac, diagonally intersected the Prophet¡¯s body. The extreme swordsmanship of a man who reached the top as a sword master pierced the most valuable treasure of the mythological era.


    Kei¡¯s ability was far above what the Prophet expected. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    *Cuarang*


    The Yggdrasil¡¯s branch, which had been busy reloading all this time, lost its light and ceased functioning.


    The Prophet was still alive, even though he was not able to get up properly due to the sudden attack.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ It was too shallow.¡± Kei frowned.


    The Prophet shouted, wiping the blood flowing from his mouth. ¡°Free yourself!¡±


    Numerous treasures then appeared. They were all priceless artifacts.


    Desir could recognize two or three of them. From what he remembered. They were all artifacts known to have been long lost.


    He couldn¡¯t understand how one person could possess so many artifacts. ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­ How many artifacts does he have?¡±


    There was no time for admiration though.


    Artifacts are, despite what they saw in front of them, things that were hard to obtain. Dozens of artifacts began to operate simultaneously.


    *Boom*


    The ¡®Wind of Leroy¡¯, crushed everything in its vicinity after being injected with mana.


    The ¡®Crystal Ball of the Rotane¡¯ that supported other artifacts by responding to any reaction of someone approaching.


    In addition, dozens of other artifacts poured out their capabilities at the same time. Theirbined power was beyond any bombing that a magic unit could perform.


    *Booom


    *Boom*


    If Kei hadn¡¯t stood in front of them, Desir¡¯s party would have died.


    The situation was urgent.


    There was no time left to focus any more on the Homunculus.


    The Homunculus had already consumed all of its mana and was unable to even move its arms and legs properly anyway.


    ¡®I¡¯ll finish it upter¡­ ¡¯


    Right now, the first priority was to deal with the Prophet in front of them. Desir decided to use a spell with the highest power he was capable of producing.


    Desir began to arrange ¡®that¡¯ magic.


    Beautiful figures appeared in front of him as he wove intricate spell arrays. [me Storm]


    Desir unveiled a spell at the maximum power he could currently use. *Booooom*


    A storm of intense mes burned not only the dome but also everything in front of it.


    The Prophet, who had not been able to properly walk due to the wounds he received from Kei, was swept away helplessly.


    The mes, which had surpassed the power of the numerous artifacts, ended up consuming everything without restraint.


    What emerged when the mes stopped was the scenery of the multitude of artifacts that had been vanquished and a half crushed Prophet. Judging from the number of artifacts stretched around him, he seemed to have fought back with defensive artifacts.


    The Prophet¡¯s body was a wreck, but he was still breathing. Desir attempted to arrange onest spell, to end this without letting his guard down, but soon found himself falling down in exhaustion.


    The Prophet muttered with an expression of disbelief. ¡°How do you know thenguage of the Sun-ju people¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡± The Sun-ju people.


    A tribe of people otherwise known for being an exclusive club of mald frogs (patreon/maldfrogsclub).


    While he couldn¡¯t quite ce where he knew this from, Desir could vaguely recall this being the word used by a draconic tribe to describe themselves.


    Doubts about his identity grew bigger as the Prophet possessed a lot of artifacts and even knew about draconguage.


    ¡°Soul, I never thought you¡¯d be able to burn it to power a spell. Although it hadn¡¯t worked perfectly¡­ ¡­ I can see this is the end for me.¡±


    The Prophet¡¯s body crumbled like pottery cracking in a kiln.


    He spoke to Kei and Desir.


    ¡°Congrattions. You¡¯ve performed a feat much greater than you could ever realize.¡± The skull mask worn by the Prophet cracked before crumbling.


    ¡°There has never been a man in my very long history, who has driven me this far.¡±


    When the mask was removed, the Prophet¡¯s face was different to what they had seen when first meeting him.


    ¡°The Dwarves, who were dexterous, were blinded by greed and their bodies melted into the magma. The Elves fell into eternal sleep due to their faith in a far-off prophecy. And the believers of the Goddess offered their whole country as a sacrifice. But I¡­ It¡¯s like being destroyed by the most poorly treated beings in the kingdom of magic.¡±


    The Prophet had a very adrogenous face, leaving one unable to tell whether he was a woman or a man.


    ¡®I think I¡¯ve seen this face somewhere else¡­ ¡¯


    Desir, who had been agonizing for a long time, was finally able to recall the frame hanging in Wilhelm Evernatten¡¯s office, when he participated in the Shadow World testst year.


    He was shocked at this revtion.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ I remember seeing your face. Izmael, thest pope of the Holy Kingdom of Artemis.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was once referred to by that name.¡±


    Desir was confused. It was hundreds of years ago that the Holy Land copsed. It was impossible for figures from that era to still exist in this time period.


    ¡®Maybe one or more of his artifacts have an ability that allows that.¡¯


    Artifacts all had powers that exceededmon sense. Even if there was an artifact with that kind of ability, it would not be a huge surprise.


    Desir spoke to the Prophet after calming himself. ¡°I have a question.¡±


    ¡°You may ask as much as you like. You guys deserve it. I¡¯ll answer for as long as time permits.¡±


    His body was bing more and more fragmented. There was clearly not much time left. ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of creating Homunculus?¡±


    ¡°The purpose¡­ is simply to fulfill the promise. To fulfill the promise¡­ I need it¡­ ¡± ¡°What the hell is that¡­ ¡±


    ¡°The great¡­ Goddess¡­ of all¡­ ¡±


    The Prophet was out of breath even before he could finish speaking. His body copsed into dust that soon spread in all directions. It was a death that left countless questions.


    Desir was overwhelmed with a wave of fatigue at the thought of this finally ending, but the Shadow World did not close just yet.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to finish things.¡±


    After eliminating the copsed Homunculus, the quest should be cleared. Desir stepped towards the Homunculus.


    Suddenly, someone stopped Desir.


    It was Sword Master, Kei Hazmaryoon. He had lost his left arm in his fight with the Prophet, and at a nce seemed very tired.


    Bet he was pointing his sword at Desir. [You have entered the final quest.]


    [Sword-master, Kei Hazmaryoon has killed the mastermind. Kei Hazmaryoon needs a homunculus for his true goal. He would do anything to achieve this goal. Kei Hazmaryoon has been revealed as the true mastermind.]


    [Kill him and destroy the Homunculus. This is the only remaining clue to the manufacturing of Homunculus left in the world.]

 Chapter 152. The King of Puppets (3)

    <h4>Chapter 152. The King of Puppets (3)</h4>


    Kei looked very pale from excessive blood loss, but his fighting spirit appeared no different from the start of the battle.


    Desir instinctively felt that he could not afford to lower his guard around this newly unveiled Kei for just a second, even if he was an opponent that had lost an arm.


    Desir took a step back and threw out his usation in an attempt to buy time to make sense of these circumstances.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ you¡¯ve been looking for the Homunculus from the start.¡±


    Something just wasn¡¯t right about the way these events had unfolded. It was too unnatural. The biggest red g was probably the fact that Kei got angry at the death of his men, but remained very calm when the King he had served for a long time was found dead.


    All he did was fix up the body without any words of mourning. Now that he thought about this again, it was hard to see Kei acting out of a sense of loyalty.


    ¡®But how does he know about the Homunculus?¡¯


    Kei was ostracized within the Magic Kingdom, failing to hold any kind of significant position and being well and truly out-of-the-know when it came to schemes like this Homunculus creation.


    Desir had confirmed through Totrina, the magician he tortured earlier, that Kei had not received any information about the research. It was for this reason that Desir had been willing to trust Kei to such an extent. He surely wouldn¡¯t know anything about Homunculus.


    At that time, a memory suddenly came to the forefront of Desir¡¯s mind.


    [As you are a mercenary hired by Kei Hazmaryoon, you must escort Aldin Sepius. Aldin Sepius has a very important clue that is needed to achieve Kei Hazmaryoon¡¯s goal. The life and death of Aldin Sepius will have a significant impact on the quest process.]


    ¡°Aldin Sepius¡­ ¡±


    Desir realized what information Aldin had that Kei needed.


    Aldin Sepius had something to do with alchemy. If he had handed over information pertaining to the Homunculus to Kei, then it meant he was not any ordinary alchemist. It meant he was an alchemist who matched Pureus in terms of skill and tant disregard for natural order.


    [You¡¯ve correctly guessed Aldin Sepius¡¯s role in this quest line. He is one of the first people to conceive of Homunculus creation. He went mad after using his own body to experiment on, miraculously conducting many experiments and pioneering an entire field of alchemy on his own. Within his tortured mind is valuable information about his life¡¯s work, especially in the field of Homunculus creation. He is guarded by the Sword Master, Kei Hazmaryoon, and has provided him all of the information he is in possession of.]


    Desir¡¯s guess was correct. It was unclear how he obtained the information from the insane Aldin, but it became clear that the information truly did originate from Aldin.


    With his desire to obtain possession of a Homunculus, Desir could tell that Kei was trying to achieve something using Aldin¡¯s knowledge.


    *Crash*


    The walls of the ceiling copsed and dust rose. This ce was copsing entirely. It was now aplete ruin.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Sensing the strange atmosphere, Pram, Romantica and Adjest began to move. There was a full-blown confrontation between Kei and Desir¡¯s party.


    While there were far more people in Desir¡¯s party, Kei was not pressured or pushed back at all.


    A man referred to as the Sword Master of his generation had the power to overwhelm his surroundings simply by standing there.


    Kei spoke to Desir in a matter-of-fact manner.


    ¡°My request is now concluded. Of course, I will pay you the promised amount. I¡¯ll make sure to take care of that.¡±


    If Desir¡¯s party were real mercenaries, there would have been no reason to stand up against Kei, but they were not mercenaries in the real sense of the word.


    If they didn¡¯t destroy the Homunculus, this Shadow Realm wouldn¡¯t end. Even if they needed to make an enemy out of a Sword Master, they had no room to retreat. As Desir signaled his party members, they nodded with determination.


    Kei, who figured out what the action meant, could help expressing something akin to frustration.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re taking this form of action. If you want to interrupt me, I¡¯ll knock you down.¡±


    An aura rose around Kei¡¯s sword. After seeing this, Desir and his party members began to feel nervous.


    ¡®So we have no choice but to fight¡­ ¡¯


    Desir hade to the conclusion that the quest for this Shadow World was to prevent even the slightest possibility of this Homunculus being studied. If so, unless Kei gave up on the Homunculus, they had the unenviable task of knocking him down.


    Fortunately, Kei¡¯s aura was somewhat dimmer than before and had a somewhat hazy form; it was certainly a lot less substantial than usual.


    It was obvious that he had considerably taxed his strength in the battle with the Prophet.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to make it much easier for us to win, but¡­ ¡¯


    Desir confirmed the status of his party members. They had also fought all this time as they made their way here and had long reached their limits since facing the Homunculus.


    Thank you for reading on patreon/maldfrogsclub


    As Desir let down his guard just for a brief moment while grasping the situation, Kei took advantage of this opening and charged forward.


    Romantica fired a spell as soon as Kei moved, not failing to miss Kei¡¯s sudden movement. Her shot flew precisely at Kei¡¯s forehead.


    *Kaang*


    Kei lifted his sword and simply deflected the high-speed attack. This was a feat that required superhuman reflexes.


    Kei kicked against the ground once again. In a mere instant, the distance between Kei and Desir narrowed. Desir and Kei¡¯s eyes met.


    He was aiming for themander, Desir. Pram hurriedly wielded a sword and blocked Kei¡¯s approach.


    ¡°Ooop!¡±


    As soon as Pram faced Kei¡¯s aura-infused sword, Pram felt the extreme pain of the muscles in his arm tearing as they reached their limit. He barely managed to hold Kei back, letting loose a scream that pierced the otherwise silent atmosphere.


    If Kei¡¯s body had been in prime condition, Pram would have been torn asunder with that sword strike.


    Just one attack was all it took for Pram to realize that he could not face Kei¡¯s sword directly in a frontal attack.


    ¡®But I can¡¯t retreat.¡¯


    Behind Pram, there was Desir. He decided not to send Kei to Desir, even if he ended up cut apart.


    Pram used all the skills he had mastered, and poured them into a concentrated volley at Kei. *Kagang*


    *Kagagang*


    Pram¡¯s swordsmanship relied heavily on speed over might.


    Pram had always possessed considerable talent, and that talent was heightened and honed much faster through meeting Desir.


    However, the talent he possessed fell short of Kei; he casually defended Pram¡¯s all out attack. Pram hadunched a volley of attacks at tremendous speed; but Kei threw him off bnce in a simple counter-movement that felt almost reflex-like. While his movement looked incredibly simple, it was anything but that. To the trained eye, this was an inhuman move.


    ¡°Urgh!¡±


    Pram felt like it was a miracle in itself that he was even able to block just one of Kei¡¯s attacks, let alone two.


    Each time he blocked an attack, Pram had tomit his utter best¡­ no, beyond his best. However, eventually an unguarded point was finally revealed.


    *Kaang*


    Pram was pushed back by a heavy blow and Kei lowered his posture while pulling his sword back to perform a finishing move.


    At that moment, Pram felt his body split into two. His intuition told him that this was not just a hypothetical, but an inevitable situation he would find himself witnessing in just a moment.


    A strike that was impossible for him to deal with.


    Pram judged that no matter what he did, he could not confront this attack with his own strength.


    As if the very heavens themselves had seen the dire circumstances he was in, two spells streaked past him to interrupt Kei¡¯s attack. They were from Desir and Romantica.


    [Burst Fire] [Wind Bullet] *Bang*


    The huge explosion caused smoke to spread out in all directions.


    Adjest, who had recovered a little bit of mana while Pram endured, dashed into the smoke. After a while, mes erupted among the hazy-looking figures between the smoke.


    As the gale that followed the trajectory of a sword parted the smoke, the scene of an equally determined Adjest and Kei locked in mortalbat were revealed.


    Adjest was being pushed back. With just sword skills alone, unable to use magic to reinforce her sword and body, she was merely a Knight ss swordsmen. She stood her ground against the frantic Kei, barely defending herself.


    In the meantime, Pram, who took a short breather, poured all of his strength into the hand he tightly gripped his sword with, and drew back his arm as if drawing a bow. A flurry of stabs washed over Kei. These stabs were so fast, they looked like beams of light.


    *Kagagagaaang*


    It was in this manner, someone tying up Kei¡¯s footwork while another took on Kei head-on, that the tide of battle gradually started to turn in favour of Desir¡¯s party.


    Desir¡¯s party had exceeded Kei¡¯s expectations. The situation was starting to get difficult now.


    Kei, who made this snap decision, suddenly stepped back and sheathed his sword.


    Desir knew well that he couldn¡¯t afford to let off the pressure and give him a break, but none of Desir¡¯s party could afford to chase him.


    A lull in battle naturally formed.


    After catching his breath, Kei was the first one to break the silence.


    ¡°Did you guys get a request from someone else? I¡¯ll pay more than that, so please withdraw at this point.¡±


    Kei seemed to think that the Desir¡¯s party was obstructing his work at someone else¡¯s request, since they were mercenaries after all.


    Desir replied, shaking his head.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need money. Of course, we were not given a request by anyone else.¡± Kei shouted in a fit of rage.


    ¡°Then why¡­ !¡±


    ¡°Then why do you need a Homunculus? You know better than anyone else what this has caused.¡±


    Kei hesitated for a moment before breathing deeply, sighing, and then opening his mouth in response.


    ¡°It¡¯s to change this world in which people are discriminated against due to magical ability.¡± Desir¡¯s party, who had managed to get this far, struggling through various situations along the way, could easily understand the meaning of Kei¡¯s words.


    ¡°Magic is a privilege that is only afforded to a small number of people. No matter how hard they try, it¡¯s impossible for those who aren¡¯t blessed by mana to exceed their limits.¡±


    Unlike swordsmanship, as Kei had pointed out, magic was an area of ability where one¡¯s limits are set at birth.


    Desir knew this more than anyone else.


    When he was born, his body failed to ept mana properly, so he was only able to reach the First-Circle. He could only achieve a mana capacity that barely qualified as Third-Circle by relying on the artifact ¡®Toa¡¯s Sentence,¡¯ even while experiencing a life and death crisis in his previous life.


    The current Desir could be described as one that had exceeded their predetermined limits. However, in reality, this was all due to the coincidence of him bing a returner. If that hadn¡¯t happened, he wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to break through the wall known as aptitude either.


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that magic is great. I also know that it has contributed greatly to the development of civilization. And I am also aware that magicians are going to y a bigger role in the future.¡±


    Kei started speaking in a gentle tone, but as he continued, he gradually became more and more furious.


    ¡°But as the continent is developed by such magic, those who have not been blessed with mana will continue to be ostracized! It¡¯s obvious in this Magical Kingdom. Before too long, everything in the world will be decided by one¡¯s talent in magic. And I¡¯m not going to let that happen.¡±


    Kei seemed to believe that the existence of magic was the main culprit behind the Magic Kingdom¡¯s current situation.


    ¡°I will erase the existence of magic in this world.¡±

 Chapter 153. The King of Puppets (4)

    <h4>Chapter 153. The King of Puppets (4)</h4>


    It was absurd. It was simply too absurd. ¡°That isn¡¯t possible¡­ ¡±


    Desir said that, but deep down he felt it might actually be possible with that unique ability. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible if we utilize that power to manipte causality.¡±


    Kei looked at the Homunculus.


    ¡°Right now, it can only harness the power of causality on itself, but if we were able to utilise that power on an external target instead, it bes possible enough.¡±


    Desir shivered in horror at hearing Kei¡¯s scheme.


    The impact of erasing the existence of magic in the world was easily predictable without having to think too deeply.


    It would cause as much confusion as the arrival of the Shadow Labyrinth.


    ¡°Even if you have that kind of ability, there¡¯s no guarantee that you¡¯ll be able to control it properly.¡±


    ¡°I know. Maybe it¡¯s an impossible wish. Something unachievable even if I were to devote an entire lifetime in pursuit of it. But I can¡¯t give up if there¡¯s even a possibility of iting true.¡±


    Romantica raised her voice to a shrill tone.


    ¡°If you get rid of magic, all of the societies based on magic will copse! There¡¯s going to be all kinds of chaos! And how are you nning to clear Shadow Worlds without magic!?¡±


    ¡°My unit is proof enough that we are okay without magic. In fact, my men were notcking at all in our fight against the Red Rose Battalion, the so-called elite of the Magic Kingdom.¡± Romantica frowned. As Kei had said, his unit had never been pushed back against the Red Rose Battalion.


    ¡°Even so, if you were able to harness that power, there are plenty of better ways to use it. Getting rid of the Shadow Worlds would be better, for example¡­ ¡±


    Kei shook his head.


    ¡°The Shadows Worlds are a necessary factor for the unity of mankind. Moreover, what I want is to remove the privilege that only a select few enjoy from the world. This is the best way to achieve it.¡±


    Kei changed his stance as if to demonstrate his firm will.


    Desir felt sorry for Kei. He too decided that further conversation was unnecessary at this point.


    Sword Grand Master, Kei Hazmaryoon, would have prepared for this event over a long period of time, but the fact that magic still existed in modern times meant that his n had ultimately failed.


    In this Shadow World, Desir¡¯s involvement had greatly weakened the Prophet, even though his n was on the verge of sess. However, no matter how hard they struggled here, it was just a virtual world. All extra work was in vain.


    Utterly meaningless.


    Even though a heroic character of note was heading down the wrong path, there was no use in trying to correct them.


    The only thing that mattered now was the inevitable fight.


    Understanding that Kei had no intention of giving up on the Homunculus, it was dangerous to give him any more time to regain his strength.


    Desir made a deration to Kei. ¡°I will stop you at any cost.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ then I regard you as my enemy.¡±


    After recovering just a little during this short respite, Kei¡¯s sword threw out an aura more acerbic and vivid than in their previous skirmish, but clearly nowhere near his prime condition. This fight would be harder than before.


    Kei sliced the air several times, his weakened aura lingering in the air, eventually forming the shape of a flower. This was his signature move. It demonstrated a skill level beyondparison that was incredibly delicate and refined, yet rough and strong.


    It was effective both offensively as well as defensively. It had yed a critical role in defending against the bombing from the mage unit, and could be deployed at a moment¡¯s notice while remaining effective at close range.


    These flowers of pure swordsmanship don¡¯t just look pretty; they indiscriminately shred anything they touch.


    Pram and Adjest rushed at Kei without the slightest hesitation, ultimately failing to react in time. Their attacks uselessly bounced off Kei¡¯s deadly flowers.


    Blood sshed across the floor.


    Within a fraction of a second, Kei had stomped against the ground to hurl himself at someone. His aura once again red up around his brandished sword, sharpening it many-fold. This brilliantly shining sword was aimed at Desir.


    ¡®I expected you toe at me.¡¯


    No matter how strong Kei was, the number of options he had to deal with thebined force of Desir¡¯s party was limited. Losing an arm and having already exhausted most of his strength onlypounded the difficulty, ultimately making it an impossible feat.


    The only strategy he could rely on was to separate their forces and attempt to deal with each party member one by one. His hand had been forced. Desir, who had expected Kei to do this, devoted all of his effort and time into invoking a magic spell.


    Kei could see Desir busy arranging a few small but fast-invoking spell arrays. A sinister smile crept onto his face.


    Desir was not the only one attempting to predict their opponent¡¯s n. Kei¡¯s experience during his lifetime of work ultimately culminated in reaching the lofty position of Sword Grand Master, and was by no meanscking inparison to Desir¡¯s experience in the Shadow Labyrinth.


    Thank you for reading on patreon/maldfrogsclub


    Kei, who had witnessed Desir¡¯s magic several times already, had already finished estimating the preparation time, spell scope and spell power from the spell arrays he could see in front of him.


    Kei moved into a position that was just outside Desir¡¯s attack range. He then released a ranged sword strike. Desir could surely feel his impending doom, but did not seem to be reacting to it. The strike had almost reached him.


    *Woooooooong*


    Kei instinctively sensed something was wrong. Desir had not ceased invoking his spell.


    Desir was an excellent magician. Kei realized that his attack must have failed and preemptively started to take a defensive stance while preparing to evade the attack if things looked dicey.


    ¡®Why would he still¡­ ¡¯


    He did not get a chance to finish that thought. His instincts moved faster than his mind, and Kei turned abruptly while putting all of his strength into his legs to leap out of the way.


    *Crack*


    His leg bones, which had been far overworked, could not handle this sudden bout of strength as well as the significant stress ced on them during the battle up until now, cracked in several ces. An injury of this severity would take a normal soldier out ofmission for months.


    The pain he experienced as his nerves and muscles tore was severe, but Kei couldn¡¯t afford to mind that. He realized that what Desir was aiming for was none other than the Homunculus. Kei, who hadpletely avoided the attack, headed back into the range of the attack on his own volition.


    [me Storm] *Boom*


    The mes of fire seemed to consume everything before Desir. They removed all darkness and painted the surroundings in a multitude of crimson shades.


    *Blow*


    Kei was swept away by the tremendous momentum of the oing storm of mes.


    As the main body of mes swept past and died out, the figure of Kei appeared amid a zing crater. The mes that remained around him continued to burn and melt the floor around him. Kei was unable topletely block the magic and there were burn marks all over his body. But even with such a scarred body, he refused to relinquish his grasp on his sword.


    Kei gave Desir a fierce look. His spirits were still sharp, even though he was not even able to hold himself properly.


    He took a step toward Desir.


    Desir had no more magic left to develop. If Kei approached unchallenged, there were no further means to stop him now. *Kaang*


    A shot of super-condensed wind bounced off Kei¡¯s sword. *h*


    Romantica clicked her tongue.


    A strong current was sweeping around her. *Bang*


    *Bang* ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡±


    Kei deflected and sliced apart Romantica¡¯s shots, even with his body in such a wretched state. However, Kei could no longer afford to only care about attacks on himself.


    Romantica persistently aimed for the Homunculus, and Kei¡¯s radius of action was severely limited as a result. Leaving the Homunculus alone was a sure recipe for defeat.


    It was a confrontation that devolved into a war of attrition. Neither party could advance nor retreat.


    However, such a stalemate could not continue forever. There was a suddenmotion heard approaching the garden.


    Desir made his deration triumphantly. ¡°It¡¯s your loss.¡±


    Appearing a momentter were many magicians each wearing a cape bearing the illustration of Blue Roses. They surrounded Kei and Desir¡¯s party.


    ¡°¡­ you aimed for this all along.¡± Kei¡¯s voice shook in anger.


    ¡°What in the world are you¡­ ¡­ why did you do this to me¡­ ?¡±


    He came so close to achieving his long-cherished desire. Before he could take thatst step, he had been interrupted by those that he had tried to use. People he had shared a sense ofradery with.


    He could not handle the Blue Rose Battalion in his current condition. It was also impossible to protect the Homunculus. He couldn¡¯t run away either; he would never have another chance at obtaining a Homunculus¡­


    Kei felt like he was going to lose all sanity, faced with this iprehensible situation. Themander of the Blue Rose Battalion walked out. He nced up and down at Kei, then smiled.


    He then took out something and threw it at Kei. *Thud*


    Kei could hear the sound of the flesh dully bouncing off the ground. Kei¡¯s eyes opened wide after seeing what it was.


    It was the head of the second lieutenant Penen. His face was distorted in pain and his eyes were sewn open. Overall, he looked incredibly miserable.


    Kei spoke in a trembling voice.


    ¡°Commander Lergen¡­ Did you have to do this?¡±


    ¡°This is the fate of rebels. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll soon follow in the footsteps of your men.¡±


    It was a decisive moment. Kei, who thought he had prepared himself for the death of his subordinates, could no longer maintain his sanity upon seeing their tragic deaths.


    *Click*


    Kei spared Desir one nce but soon turned away. From his point of view, Desir and his party were figures who would be treated as rebels anyway and were fated to die either way.


    Kei¡¯s anger soon descended fully on Lergen, who had brutally murdered his men. As the angry Kei took one step forward, the countless magicians surrounding him began to arrange spells aimed at him, as if they had been waiting for him to move.


    The Blue Rose Battalion were only concerned with Kei. This was because he was perceived as the greatest threat here. As a result, there was no one keeping an eye on Pram, who had been busy crawling into a corner out of sight.


    Kei poured all of his remaining energy into his de and leaped at Lergen, themander of the Blue Rose Battalion.


    The physical technique and raw power on disy was formidable.


    All of the magic aimed at Kei cut through the air. Kei, who had leapt at a speed that exceededmon sense, cut Lergen¡¯s head off in a single moment. Lergen couldn¡¯t even scream.


    But as a result of doing this, Kei couldn¡¯t move any more. He had totally exhausted his energy. The magic spells that were mid-flight continued to descend on him.


    Just before the countless spells pierced his body, Pram leapt out and removed his head in a single blow. That was the greatest courtesy he could afford to a fellow swordsman, let alone one he regarded as a mentor or teacher.


    [You have prevented all future manufacturing of Homunculus. You have removed all of the masterminds involved in this conspiracy. Research into Homunculus has caused a lot of chaos and confusion in the dark, unrecorded in history.]


    [-You have cleared a series of hidden quests which has raised the reward ratings.]

 Chapter 154. The King of Puppets (5)

    <h4>Chapter 154. The King of Puppets (5)</h4>


    The northern ins of Adenia.


    Two groups stood facing off against each other on one of the vastest ins on the continent. Amongst the forces on one side, seven distinct gs were proudly flown, each representing a unique faction. Amongst them, there was an eagle holding a sword, another with a spear oveid with an axe, as well as one with two crossed shields. These gs were national emblems that soldiers would fight to the death for.


    Troops from Adenia, Divide, and the Western Kingdoms as well as a force from the Hebrion Empire had assembled on the same side of a battlefield. It was thergestbined force ever recorded in history.


    And the group opposing them, lined up discordly on the other side of the soon-to-be battlefield, were the Outsiders.


    The forces on the Outsiders side consisted of sinners, magicians who had vited taboos and were either exiled, on-the-run with substantial bounties on their heads, or otherwise bandits, rebels and other diverse groups of no-goods. Amongst their numbers, there were also giant monster soldiers and Chimeras, the product of illegal experimentation.


    This was normally a group that would never be able to cooperate with each other. These criminals and defective goods of society had always moved independently due to their ideological differences and distinct goals. Collectively though, they were the Outsiders.


    Theck of cohesion and leadership amongst their forces was the biggest reason why the allied forces had been able to rout the Outsiders so easily. No matter how good the Outsiders¡¯ individual skills were, the tyranny of numbers, especially in the form of a well-trained and highly disciplined military force, was unstoppable.


    However, the Outsiders were not ones to give up. After being driven up against a wall, they had finally united and set aside their differences. Additionally, they had set up a chain ofmand and started to implement strategy and tactics in their skirmishes.


    The flow of battle, which had initially been overwhelmingly in favor of the allied forces, had drawn to a stalemate.


    *Woosh*


    The harsh wind seemed to drain all life out of those buffeted by it. The coldness of the Adenia ins, adjacent to the north, had an arctic touch to it, as if threatening to freeze the world.


    A steady snowfall coated the ins, leaving a sleek winter coat across the battlefield. The intensity of the wind also ratcheted up, threatening to cleave flesh from the bone.


    This stalemate had persisted for almost two months.


    Taking advantage of the momentary distraction of the Shadow World emergency, the Outsiders had gotten the jump on the allied forces and managed to rally thest of its military might. The result of that was this current stand-off on these god-forsaken ins.


    *Boo-Woong*


    A rich and magnificent trumpet sounded from the allied force¡¯s side, heralding themencement of battle.


    The frontline of the allied forces began to move. While lethargic in taking their first five strides, they quickly found themselves charging at full speed.


    And their enemy, the Outsiders moved as well. The ground shook. The armies of the two sides rushed at full speed at each other. They didn¡¯t slow down in the slightest. They took up arms and collided into each other.


    And¡­


    *Bang*


    The two huge waves met and soon began to mingle together. The battlefield became noisy as people shouted and screamed, the air was palpable with adrenaline.


    The sound of shouting, the sound of soldiers duelling against each other, as well as a multitude of screams and death throes had filled the in. They wielded weapons with the intent of killing their opponent. No half measures were allowed.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    At the center of the most fierce part of the battle, there was a group of people holding their space to such an extent that the Outsiders refrained from throwing more bodies at them.


    They were Adenia¡¯s elitencemen corp.


    They had effectively repelled the oing Outsiders.


    The battle was fierce. The Outsider¡¯s resistance was irond. The average height of the troops facing off against the Adenians was well above average. It was likely that most of them were born of mixed-race, part barbarian.


    They refused to retreat, even when struck and pierced with spears. They repeatedly used their full might to swing their axes down and split the heads of Adenia¡¯s soldiers, even in the few cases where doing so would use up the entirety of their dying breaths.


    *Crack*


    *Crack*


    A portion of the Adenian army soon copsed, red blood sprinkled liberally over the snow. The blood-stained Outsiders smiled hellishly at Adenia¡¯s soldiers.


    Lupin, a soldier who wasmanding this frontline of the allied forces, grabbed a nearby spear. He was afraid but could not back down; if they fell, their formation would copse and their centralmand could even end up exterminated.


    All of a sudden, a loud noise drowned out all other noise on the battlefield. *Flutter*


    Lupin¡¯s gaze was pulled towards the sky.


    Dozens of light streams had been drawn in the sky above them. Some were intercepted by others mid-flight, but othersnded on the ground causing mass devastation. This was the artillery magic from magician troops on both sides. A battle for magical supremacy.


    But amongst them, there was something that stood out. It was different from ordinary magic. It was something special. Even the otherwise magically ignorant Lupin could recognize something was abnormal.


    The sky darkened.


    Sparks indiscriminately rained down from the sky. They weren¡¯t powerful enough to deal damage to either side, but they were certainly bright enough to be distracting.


    *Rumble*


    The dark sky was quickly dyed white again by a sh of light. A huge thunderbolt struck down amidst the Outsiders. The mighty current of electricity burned everything in its path to a crisp.


    It didn¡¯t end with just a single shot. *Rumble*


    Like a dragon roaring, a deafening st reverberated throughout the vast ins.


    Once again, huge thunderbolts rained down on the Outsiders. Countless people instantly died without a chance to scream.


    Lupin, a helpless onlooker, felt as if this were God¡¯s divine punishment.


    They were leftpletely defenseless. The allied forces were able to make massive gains on the battlefield. Eventually, the Outsiders managed to mobilize wizards to respond, but it was already toote.


    The flow of battle, which had been hard to read, had been greatly simplified. The situation had been entirely settled with a single spell.


    There were few wizards on the continent that could invoke this level of magic. ¡°Zod Exarion¡­ ¡±


    One man¡¯s name, which someone murmured in a low voice, spread amongst the allied forces like a wildfire.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Great Sage!¡±


    ¡°Zod Exarion, the Master of the Tower, is with us!¡±


    Zod¡¯s name alone raised the morale of the allied forces more than anything else. It was exhrating; knowing that the strongest magician on the continent had their backs made the weary soldiers feel invincible.


    ¡°Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    A battle cry rang out across the sky. Lupin thrust his spear into the neck of a nearby Outsider. While the Outsiders had copsed into shambles, Adenia¡¯sncemen regrouped and pushed forward.


    With their troops in formation and pushing forward, the ground once again began to shake under their feet stomping in unison.


    And advance they did. *Boom*


    *Boom*


    *Boom*


    The allied forces now moved enthusiastically due to their overflowing levels of confidence and high morale. The Outsiders were gradually pushed back as a whole. Even the giant monster troops fell without being able to properly demonstrate their power. Lupin shouted with conviction.


    ¡°We can win!¡±


    The subsequent situation was simple.


    Zod Exarion¡¯s might waspletely beyond themon sense of the average magician. The Outsiders had tomit several high-tier magicians just to offset a single one of Zod¡¯s spells. Allocating these key strategic-level resources to offset the actions of a single person had a massive effect on the oue of the battle. The initiative had well and truly been seized by the allied forces. The Outsiders, realizing this, turned tail and fled.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The allied forces raised their gs; this was the signal to give chase.


    The knights who led the right nk charged to deal the first finishing blow. The Adenian army, which Lupin belonged to, also advanced rapidly to pursue the fleeing enemy and deal a decisive blow.


    It was an all-out war that mobilized the full might of both sides with no-holds barred.


    The Outsiders, who had gathered all their strength here, had no chance ofter making aeback if they were defeated in this battle. This would be the tomb of the Outsiders. It would bring an end to the long war.


    *Booom*


    A sudden explosion urred amongst the formation of the allied forces.


    The instincts of the battle hardened veterans, currently charging, red up in warning. This was different from any old magical artillery. What was it?


    Before that question could be pondered further, a second explosion followed.


    As panic set in, the sound of the explosions ripped through the battlefield. The situation had once again been reversed. Their formation started to copse.


    The allied forces were unable to respond in time. The knights leading the charge attempted to form a defensive formation, but when the unidentified object approached, they were instantly shredded and consequently wiped out.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Adenia¡¯s defense, which had been so solid, crumbled. Lupin had no choice but to watch his colleagues die. He couldn¡¯t do anything.


    Lupin looked at this crumbling formation.


    A great sense of helplessness overwhelmed him. Something caught his eye, as it rapidly approached his location.


    *Shwing*


    His consciousness cut off there.


    * * *


    The war situation was being transmitted directly to themanders situated in their respective countries throughmunication magic.


    With Zod Exarion joining the fight, the battle had gradually flowed in favor of the allied forces. Victory was just around the corner.


    The Outsiders were on the retreat as their formation copsed and scattered, and if the allied


    forces chased them back, they would surely be able to seize a big victory. [-Adenia, 50 percent of the Phnx Division is nonbat ready.]


    Shortly after themanders from the various countries had ordered the pursuit of the Outsiders, a status update could be heard via themunication magic.


    [-Adenia, 50 percent of the Phnx Division is nonbat ready.]


    At first, no one took it seriously, thinking it was just a small sacrifice. The Outsiders they were dealing with were a formidable enemy, and the loss of a few troops was bound to ur.


    But that was just the beginning.


    [-The Order of the Phoenix in Remton has been annihted.] [-The 3rd Army Commander is dead. ]


    [-Divide Infantry Division 41 is dead.]


    [-The right nk has copsed and suffered irrecoverable damage.]


    It was a flurry of reports detailing their losses. So many reports poured in at once that themunication system was overloaded and paralyzed for a moment as the messages were being processed. Some kind of unknown object had appeared and was massacring the soldiers and formations of the allied forces.


    Zod clicked his tongue in displeasure.


    He couldn¡¯t take control of the allied force¡¯s response. The multiplemand systems were confused and could not respond quickly to the unfolding disaster.


    The union of the Western Kingdoms and Hebrion Empire was unprecedented. So theirbinedmand system couldn¡¯t mesh together, especially since they had not yet had much time to work together yet.


    Moreover, it was a long time ago that even the Western Kingdoms themselves had joined forces to create abined military presence. So far, the war had been favorable, thus the importance of a unified chain ofmand had been undervalued.


    However, such a fragile chain ofmand copsed when faced with an iprehensible variable.


    [-Everybody calm down.]


    A solemn voice took control of the situation.


    Zod knew the voice. He was the chief of the Royal Knights Division of the Adenia Kingdom. He had a vast amount of experience and was sopetent that he once served asmander-in-chief of the Avalon Army, the most elite unit in the Western Kingdom Union.


    [-Our first priority now is to prevent further damage to the soldiers. All forces are to stop pursuing the Outsiders.]


    This was a much better situation now. Zod, who believed he could handle such a situation, decided to take matters into his own hands.


    ¡°This speed¡­ it¡¯s very likely that it¡¯s a Chimera with an ability that lowers its weight and heightens its reflexes.¡±


    But it also had a ridiculous amount of firepower to be considered some simple Chimera. Zod felt it must be a secret weapon of the Outsiders. Zod received a message viamunication magic.


    [-The unidentified object has suddenly left the battlefield at a rapid speed!]


    It was a mere instant, but it had changed its trajectory and was moving lightning quick towards Zod.


    *Bang*


    A river of blood trailed behind it as it collided violently with everything in its path. The soldiers near Zod were all swept away. He managed to withstand the shock due to the defensive magic he managed to deploy in the nick of time. A considerable amount of mana had been consumed, indicating just how absurdly strong the attack was.


    The snow that had piled up on the ground was flung far and wide.


    In its ce, there was a girl flying through the snowstorm. She had white hair, like snow, as well as disturbingly gruesome silver eyes. Like two portals leading into an abyss, there appeared to be nothing behind such dead-fish like eyes.


    She slowly lifted herself up and stared at Zod. ¡°You¡¯re not human.¡±


    It had the appearance of a human being, but he couldn¡¯t feel any trace of humanity in it.


    Zod knew this instinctively. He knew it was an indisputable fact that it had been the cause of the massacre of countless soldiers so far.


    As it continued to stare at Zod, it radiated an almost transcendent presence.

 Chapter 155. The Ruler of the North (1)

    <h4>Chapter 155. The Ruler of the North (1)</h4>


    [A MASSIVE POWER HAS BEEN DETECTED AT LAGRIUM MEADOW]


    A battle between the Allied Forces and Outsiders took ce at the Lagrium ins, in the northern kingdom of Aldeina. Although small encounters were frequent there, a massive battle on this kind of scale had never urred before. However, as the Shadow Worlds appeared simultaneously across different countries, the Outsiders seized this opportunity to start their own invasion.


    They aimed for the exact moment when the Avalon Army, which was responsible for arge portion of the central troops, left the front lines to respond to the Shadow World incursion. Thus, the Allied Forces had to fight against the Outsiders with a core part of their military strength absent. The devastation that urred wasn¡¯t limited to the significant casualties on both sides; from this battle, the Lagrium ins had been so severely destroyed that thend almost needed to be remapped.


    [Is this the Outsider¡¯s secret weapon?]


    On the 24th, there had been a massive battle between the Allied Forces and Outsiders. At the beginning of the battle, the Allied Forces had gained the upper hand. The situation was likely to be andslide victory, but no one could have predicted the swift change in the tide of battle with the arrival of just one person.


    This person demonstrated an invincible power and destroyed the Allied Force¡¯s knight units easily. Thankfully, Zod Exarion was part of the Allied army and managed to stop the battle before every single knight was in. Being one of the best wizards on the continent, Zod was something of an international treasure. That¡¯s why, when he disappeared after the battle, the Alliance kept an iron grip on all information concerning him, and handled the situation with the utmost secrecy.


    * * *


    In the northern subcontinent where the Aldeina Kingdom was located, snow was all but umon. In the bleak terrain, snow melted within moments of falling to the ground and dissolved into grey mud, coloring the whole continent in sadness.


    Apopis University Hospital in the north of Aldeina.


    Zod Exarion sat on a hospital bed looking thoroughly exhausted. Physically, he didn¡¯t look to be severely injured. Mentally, however, he was locked in a devastating battlefield. His eyes were locked on the chessboard in front of him, his face scrunched in vexation. His eyes canvassed the board, acknowledging all the pieces and their potential moves. His face finally rxed when he got to the white knight; he lifted his left hand in response to make his move.


    *Tak*


    ¡°Truly, it¡¯s a Homunculus? ¡­ If what you said is true, that a Homunculus controls the principle of causality, then that would exin it all.¡±


    ¡°The Shadow World I just returned from urred 100 years ago. Not much of the history, at least as we know it, matched with what we saw in there. Who knows what¡¯s happened since?¡± Desir Arman moved his Bishop and defended against Zod¡¯s meticulous attacks in an almost casual manner.


    ¡°Yeah, certainly, there are some differences. Its mana for one. It had power equivalent to the Sixth-Circle.¡±


    *Tak*


    As they took turns, they discussed the situation they had found themselves in while not neglecting to progress their game of chess.


    ¡°The frontline should remain as-is to maintain our standoff.¡±


    ¡°With the Homunculus¡¯s influence, the damage that our forces received puts us in an untenable situation. Though, the Outsiders have no remaining strength. Taking out the Homunculus will allow us to finally finish them off.¡±


    Zod had a one on one battle with the Homunculus at Lagrium in, and was severely injured as a result. In fact, his injuries were so severe that he couldn¡¯t even move his body. The Homunculus got bruised up brutally, too.


    Zod seeded in fending off the Homunculus, a being that could easily manipte casualty and managed to barely drive it off.


    As a result, the Outsiders quickly retreated with the Homunculus in-tow, and the Allied Forces had to back off as well. It was a temporary lull in their battle, while both sides licked their wounds like beaten puppies.


    ¡°And as you said, the Prophet is still alive and actively fighting as an Outsider.¡± The Prophet.


    The one who had destroyed numerous kingdoms by deceiving countless people. He was definitely a threatening figure, looming in the shadows.


    Desir discovered him as a key yer in the Shadow World they had just cleared, located in the Magic Kingdom under the alias of Kuma Merilson, 130 years ago. He was also a central figure in the Shadow World based on the Artemy Kingdom, 500 years ago.


    The Prophet possessed countless artifacts and Desir believed that he was extending his longevity through the use of one of those artifacts.


    ¡®The stamina of the Outsiders is way higher than I expected.¡¯


    Desir felt that the utility of the artifacts had been limited to making the Outsiders unite, since there had not been any significant Outsider activity in his previous life. Before he had returned, he hadn¡¯t thought that there were many experts hiding in the woodwork with abilities as strong as Crow Mask.


    However, since discovering that the Prophet was amongst the Outsiders and that they had apleted Homunculus at their disposal, Desir ced the elimination of the Outsiders as a top priority. Clearly, the Outsiders would be an obstacle when it came to the clearing of the Shadow Labyrinth.


    ¡°The Hebrion Empire has started to move in earnest against the Outsiders. Our party too, is heading to the north toplete a mission rted to them.¡±


    The Starling Party had achieved the qualification that was equivalent and as honorable as knights, by sessfully clearing a Level Three Shadow World on their own. The territory of activity for their Starling Party had consequently grown from beyond the empire and into foreignnds.


    In a perfectly timed coincidence, the Emperor of Hebrion, Guiltian Zedgar F Rogfs had assigned Desir to a specific mission.


    ¡°Completing our mission should prove valuable in oveing this current situation.¡± ¡°I wish you the best of luck You said you were heading north, correct?¡±


    Zod¡¯s eyes scanned over Desir¡¯s outfit.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop by the Magic Tower nearby? I have some gifts for you.¡±


    * * *


    The Starling Party was heading to the northern part of the continent, more specifically the most northern part of the Aldeina Kingdom. As the train they were on continued travelling, the scenery they witnessed out their window had progressively grown whiter. Desir rested his head on his hand and watched thendscape blissfully as he lost himself in his thoughts.


    After clearing that Shadow World, Desir originally intended on continuing the training regime of his party members. However, things didn¡¯t proceed as nned.


    The principal of Hebrion Academy, Justin, decided to close the school due to the extended skirmishes and all-out battle between the Allied Forces and the Outsiders. Being tied to an empire at war with a terrorist group left the academy exposed to outside attacks, and the Outsiders have already proved that they aren¡¯t against attacking the Academy.


    Desir sensed that something was up and sent out his own feelers to retrieve what brief information about the situation that he could; namely from his connection to the esteemed visitor, Hersaint-nc.


    This was what he got from him:


    The Allied Forces had to retreat, after what can only be regarded as a significant blunder in the battle of the Lagrium in. The Master of the Magic Tower, Zod, was also injured dreadfully. Almost snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, the Allied Forces were now in the midst of recovering their military strength, and the Hebrion Empire had decided to contribute, even if that meant sending mere students, barely possessing the qualification of knighthood.


    Oddly enough, the Starling Party was assigned something different than the other parties. Desir was surprised to hear that Zod had ended up injured, but could rx when he heard that it was very minor and nothing life-threatening.


    ¡°The King has tasked you with gaining the favor of the Northern Barbarians.¡±


    The Barbarians were huge humans in possession of monstrous power. They usually lived in cold regions, far apart from the other northern cities. Only recently had they begun to interact with their neighboring countries, but it was never an easy task to obtain their partnership and cooperation.


    However, if anyone could get their support, there was little that couldn¡¯t be aplished. ¡°It¡¯s important to understand that the Emperor is assigning this mission as a request. If necessary, you can refuse. His Majesty was generous enough to understand what a great feat it was, defeating a Shadow World on your own.¡±


    Like he said, from the Level Three Shadow World, Desir, Adjest, Romantica, and Pram were extraordinarily stressed and exhausted. It was dangerous to ept a mission that might have some kind of danger that they weren¡¯t aware of, especially when they weren¡¯t in peak condition. But Desir epted the task without hesitation.


    ¡°No, our party will proceed with this mission.¡± Desir felt this was his chance.


    Sessfullypleting this mission would bring an excellent opportunity to bolster the military might of the Allied Forces for the final battle against the Outsiders. And there was a secondary motive behind epting this quest too.


    Thend of the Barbarians, Harrowind.


    The home of Donape An. One of six who survived to the end of the disastrous Shadow Labyrinth.


    The strongest warrior who smashed and cleaved all enemies who blocked his path, wielding a huge axe. His brave army of Barbarians was strong enough to form the vanguard in their ill-fated expedition.


    If a rtionship with his army was diligently forged with trust, this time around, it would be a great opportunity to prepare not only for the immediate battle with the Outsiders, but would also serve as ground work for the eventual invasion of the Shadow Labyrinth.


    ¡®This is a great chance.¡¯


    Desir had been working behind the scenes to set up some kind of opportunity to connect with Donape, but frankly, it was difficult to meet the King of the Barbarian tribes as a mere student. Luckily, Desir would now be able to see him as an imperial emissary. If Desirpleted this mission sessfully, he could get one step closer to the sessful clearing of the Shadow Labyrinth, while preserving the vital strength required to do so in the process.


    Desir quickly worked through his possible options to sessfully convince Donape. ¡®Adjest¡­ ¡¯


    Desir decided that Adjest would be someone who would solve this problem. ¡°Desir, I see a city! I think we are here!¡±


    Desir was woken from his reverie by a delighted squeal from Pram. When he looked outside the window, he saw a beautiful city covered by snow approaching quickly.


    * * *


    The Starling Party finally arrived in the city. The tall walls surrounding the castle (and the obligatory moat that a castle needed to even be considered such) wereced with snow. These rugged and functional defensive structures were evidence to the city¡¯s history of countless battles against the barbarians. The designers of this city had to consider the practicality of design and the inevitability of having to fight from this city.


    The party had decided to stay here, a city famous for its beautiful scenery.


    After a light dinner at the inn, Desir briefly exined the mission.


    ¡°The Barbarians live on Mt. Calcarus, which you can see out the window from here.¡±


    Desir pointed to the range of mountains. This snowy mountain is incredibly harsh to visitors and foreigners, and is big enough that it can even bepared to other countries in terms of sheer size.


    ¡®Approaching it from the Lagrium in would be far easier, if only it weren¡¯t a battle field right now¡­ ¡¯


    There were well-trodden paths along the mountainside, terminating in the Lagrium in. However, it was arge battlefield right now, making it quite impossible to take any of those paths. Therefore, the party had to take a long detour. It was the second best option that came to Desir¡¯s mind; The route was fast, but unfortunately, never safe to use.


    Mt. Calcarus was always engulfed in blizzard-like conditions near the summit, and the terrain was very steep. In order to maintain public safety, travellers were barred entry. It was an informal restriction though. Most people had no desire to get any closer to the mountain due to the unpredictable nature of its weather, and those that did were told they were crazy.


    Desir was short on time. He knew that it would likely be dangerous, but he had to rush. ¡°People are prohibited from entering this mountain for a reason. This mountain is full of unknown danger. We need to be careful when climbing it.¡±


    Desir tried to share as much he could about the mountain and finished this conversation with a warning.

 Chapter 156. The Ruler of the North (2)

    <h4>Chapter 156. The Ruler of the North (2)</h4>


    At the teau in the blue sky.


    The seemingly never-ending blizzard finally stopped on the second day of their journey. Mt. Calcarus stood tall and proud, heavily dusted in snow. Its magnificence was overwhelmingly beautiful and majestic. Four tracks of footprints could be made out, stretching a considerable distance along the snowy surface.


    ¡°Werewolf in front of us.¡±


    Desir informed his party as he looked far ahead of them. Just as he had said, there was a pack of half-human wolves slowly making their way to them. The Starling Party armed and readied themselves for battle against these monsters.


    Before anyone else was ready, Adjestunched a spell at the group of wolves. [Ice st]


    Spheres of ice froze most of the wolves approaching the party. Adjest walked up to the frozen wolves and sliced them apart with her sword. None of the monsters could offer any resistance when their bodies were frozen stiff.


    *Ssh*


    The blood of werewolves dyed the snow a slick crimson red.


    The battle had pretty much been finished in one blow. As the party let their guard down to continue traveling, Pram suddenly shouted:


    ¡°Adjest!¡±


    Arge werewolf, probably one of the biggest in their pack, leaped out from the rear of the pack and lunged at Adjest¡¯s exposed back. It all happened in an instant. Adjest attempted to defend herself, but it didn¡¯t seem like she would make it in time.


    At that moment, a shadowunched through the air, leaving a wave of snow in its wake along with a resounding aftershock when it impacted the werewolf¡¯s head. *Pachang*


    The werewolf fell onto the ground with a portion of its head left concave. The silver marble that had caused all of this damage quickly returned back to its owner. This marble spun around Desir, asionally surging outward and piercing the bodies of any werewolves that neared Desir.


    With the presumed pack leaderying dead on the ground, it was easy to knock the rest of the group down. The silver marble gracefullynded on Desir¡¯s hand when the battle had finally concluded.


    ¡°I knew that marble was a great artifact.¡±


    Romantica spoke in a casual tone as she was walking over towards Desir. ¡°Well, you deserve it! You worked so hard for it.¡±


    Desir looked at the artifact that was gently resting on his hand. The soft light was radiating throughplicated patterns and symbols that had been printed onto its surface. This was the artifact that Desir earned from clearing the Level Three Shadow World.


    Runel.


    An A ss artifact that was made out of the strongest metal, nk?um.


    It was able to sense any danger to its owner and freely move around on its own ord. It was a terrific shield and also a powerful weapon at the same time. It attacked any hazard based on the owner¡¯s recognition as well as onmand from the owner.


    Runel was the perfect defensive artifact for magicians that fought from medium and long range, yet might still fight themselves in closebat with enemies. It was the perfect artifact for both Romantica and Desir. However, since Romantica could cast some spells without an incantation, everyone agreed that the artifact should go to Desir. ¡°There are so many of them.¡±


    Adjest noted. Romantica nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Yeah. Well. This is an untouched wilderness. Nobodyes here, so there¡¯s no one to keep the poption in check.¡±


    The harshness of the mountain environment was well known. The party expected this journey to be tough, but actually, it was beyond what they had imagined. Because there were no hikers, there was no path. They had to explore and find their own path. They were surrounded by monsters at all times, and even frequently had to battle them. This constant state of alertness really drained their stamina. On top of that, the harsh blizzard sapped them right down to their souls.


    Their energy level had hit rock bottom. If they didn¡¯t have Zod¡¯s gift, they would not have survived until now.


    Before embarking on their journey north, Zod gifted Desir and his party members a Clothes Line; the new third generation Clothes Line, hot off the press. Although it had not been enhanced much in terms of power, a few functions had been added, including a thermal heating function. The party didn¡¯t have to prepare anything special due to this ability alone. They couldn¡¯t imagine climbing the mountain without this version of the Clothes Line. If the current situation could be rated difficult, then traversing the mountain without the thermal heating could be considered impossible.


    ¡°Desir, how long do you think it will take?¡±


    Pram enquired as he trudged forward, step-by-step.


    Desir looked around and tried to gauge how far they had walked so far.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re almost there.¡±


    Around noon of the same day, they finally felt their journey ease in difficulty as the slope itself began to ease.


    Romantica panted heavily, but managed to squeeze out some words regardless. ¡°Are we finally here?¡±


    In front of them was the first road they had seen since setting out on their journey. All of the pebbles andrge rocks had been pushed aside to form a road wide enough for a couple of people to pass through side-by-side. Compared to the unmarked mountainside, it was a lot easier to traverse. Roads indicated that civilized people lived close by. If the party followed this path, they would probably find a barbarian settlement.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Pram muttered as he stared at something in the distance.


    In the direction of Pram¡¯s gaze, there were huge pirs and ruins that had previously supported something in an age long past, the Golden Age of the Barbarians.


    It was a rare insight into the history of a great civilization, led by the long-deceased Melger Khan.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you reveal yourself now?¡±


    Adjest spoke up as she stared at one of the pirs.


    A momentter, someone walked out from behind a pir. Half of her face had been heavily marred with ck marks.


    ¡°I knew you would find me. Hiding was never really my thing.¡±


    The stranger voiced her thoughts in a somewhat exaggerated manner as she walked down the hill.


    ¡°What¡¯s brought you here, noble mainders? I can¡¯t let you go if you don¡¯t have a good reason.¡±


    Though she spoke lightly, her voice dripped with hostility. With every step she took, her body oozed a dominating energy. Her posture and stance seemed to indicate that she was ready to pull out the spear on her back at a moment¡¯s notice if the situation deteriorated.


    Desir knew her.


    Yuria Graves.


    A warrior given the title of ck Wolf. In his previous life, she made a name for herself as an incredibly famous mercenary. At the time the Shadow Labyrinth appeared, she had found a good position for herself on Donape¡¯s side, which was how Desir came to know her.


    Desir spoke politely.


    ¡°By the order of the Emperor of the Hebrion Empire, His Majesty Guiltian Zedgar F Rogfs, we are here to speak with the esteemed Donape An.¡±


    ¡°And do you have anything to prove that you are an official emissary?¡±


    Desir took out the gold medal and handed it over to ck Wolf. She observed it carefully, as if validating its authenticity. The medal had the symbol of the Hebrion Empire, an eagle, engraved into it. This golden medal was only given to people who the Emperor trusted.


    The averageyman might not be aware of the significance of the medal; getting an official medal from the Emperor himself was an incredibly rare and sacred event. But Desir, who was well aware of Yuria¡¯s past career as a soldier on the maind, knew that she would recognize them as legitimate emissaries for the Hebrion Empire.


    Yuria nodded her head.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re not lying. Come this way.¡±


    Desir gave a quick signal to his team that everything was okay.


    Yuria pushed the big stones nearby to the side and guided the party to the hidden steps that led somewhere deep underground.


    ¡®Soon¡­ ¡¯


    Soon they would meet Donape An.


    * * *


    When the party finally re-emerged outside, their eyes stung as they re-adjusted to natural light. After a few seconds, they could see again and recognized what they were surrounded by. ¡°Woww!¡±


    Pram shouted in glee.


    They had finally arrived at Harrowind. The city was full of both nature and man-made structures melded together in harmony, creating a view of sheer beauty¡­ The harmony created a strange charm that was unpolished, delicate, and above all else, authentic.


    The unfamiliar patterns carved into the building heightened their attractiveness, while the patterns and color schemes that formed the basis of their design werepletely different to that of the vibrant buildings on the maind.


    As Yuria guided the party to a certain ce, she opened her mouth and briskly instructed Desir¡¯s party.


    ¡°Wait over here.¡±


    She brought them to a ce that had an opened dome in its ceiling. The light rays shone down through it, making this ce even more mysterious.


    Inside, a couple of people sat around a huge fire pit. Every one of them had great physiques, and all of them seemed exceptionally strong. Amongst them, there was a throne made out of stones.


    Yuria knelt in front of this throne and showed her allegiance to the person on the throne. The party followed suit.


    ¡°Raise your heads.¡±


    Desir raised his head and faced the person speaking.


    Just like the others they had seen, the body of this person on the throne was as strong as solid rock and his lips were tightly closed, making him look even firmer. He was wearing a golden earring, adorned with ruby. There was only one person who could wear this kind of essory in the barbarian tribes.


    The red ruby represented the Ruler of the North.


    ¡°People from an empire. What made youe here to see me?¡±


    Desir was slightly ovee with sentimentality upon facing an old friend he hadn¡¯t seen for such a long time. However, he soon freed himself from the surge of emotion. He had a mission to aplish.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we are here to propose an alliance under themand of the Emperor of Hebrion, Guiltian Zedgar F Rogfs.¡±


    ¡°You are here to involve us in the battle.¡± Donape caught onto what Desir meant instantly.


    The people who sat around them did not show any reaction to this conversation. Desir knew that they expected this already. They expected it before he even arrived.


    The battlefield where the Outsiders and allied forces were fighting right now was not too far south from Harrowind. It was impossible for them to be unaware of this.


    If the person had already figured out your real face, you had no need to conceal it any longer. ¡°You are right, Your Majesty. The Emperor is hoping that you can support us in this battle.¡± ¡°We also know what the maind is dealing with right now. If the Outsiders win this war, of course, the continent will fall in chaos.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and the Outsiders will do anything to achieve their goals. If we can¡¯t block them this time, they will surelye after you too.¡±


    Desir was right. The Outsiders would serve as an apocalypse to the barbarians and all other life on the continent. Donape also knew this and it was a good enough reason to support the allied forces.


    ¡°I agree with you. We should get involved and fight against them.¡± *Tak*


    *Tak*


    The mes in the fire pit surged and strengthened. ¡°But I will not ept this request.¡±

 Chapter 157. The Ruler of the North (3)

    <h4>Chapter 157. The Ruler of the North (3)</h4>


    This was a story that didn¡¯t exist in this world.


    But the story still survived in a certain someone¡¯s memory.


    It was ten years after the Shadow Labyrinth had appeared.


    ¡°Our people were bound by the oaths our forefathers made and could not leave thatnd.¡± Ahead of the final battle at Praynople, Donape An, the Barbarian king also known as the Ruler of the North, began to tell his story.


    No oneined or questioned it.


    It wasn¡¯t strange. Everyone did this. When you thought you could die, you told someone else your story. It didn¡¯t mean that he was afraid of death. He just wanted someone to remember him.


    Everyone shared this sentiment, so they willingly listened to each other in times like this. ¡°Are you saying that you have kept the oaths that your ancestors made up until now? It¡¯s hard for me to understand why you would do this¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something that we can¡¯t disobey. Words can¡¯t convey the importance oaths hold in the tribe¡­¡±


    Donape stroked his earring. It was an earring with a red ruby.


    ¡°In the past, there was a man who made our people¡¯s life shine brighter than ever before.¡± Donape¡¯s voice was filled with more self-esteem and pride than usual, as he referred to that man.


    "Melger Khan. He unified a great number of tribes under his banner to drive out the enemies of the Gilgarus Mountains, and founded our homnd, Harrowind."


    The story of Melger Khan, praised as a hero and still talked about to this day, was famous not only for his wildness but also for being able to bring his people to glory.


    ¡°But there was a man who helped him.¡±


    Somehow or another, the story of the man who helped Melger Khan was never handed down. The man appeared in other legends as well, but no specific stories about him existed. Historians used to consider the man to just be an amalgamation of supporting characters used to simplify the narrative.


    But Donape didn¡¯t seem to think so.


    ¡°This man was a great person; the foundation he created for Harrowind is a massive factor in why it still stands today. In return, he asked Melger Khan for a favor.¡±


    From this point on, this story was only passed down to and retold by barbarians.


    ¡°The man handed a sword to Melger Khan, saying it would save the world from disaster one day. He left Harrowind, asking him to take care of the sword until someone who could handle it correctly appeared.¡±


    ¡°So the request was¡­ ¡±


    After hearing the story, Desir was able to gain a shallow understanding of the oath that Donape had mentioned.


    ¡°Yes, there is a sword left by that man of legend in Harrowind, our hometown. We call the area where the sword is located in ¡®The Chamber of Extreme Ice¡¯.¡±


    Donape continued to talk.


    ¡°We waited in Harrowind for a long time, for the true owner of the sword to appear, to fulfill the oath made between that man and Melger Khan. Of course, we also tried to wield that sword ourselves¡­ But in the end, no one ever managed to pull it out.¡±


    ¡°Well, there must be some kind of requirement, right? Is there a powerful spell ced on it? Or is it guarded by an outstanding guardian?¡±


    ¡°If there was just a guardian, the sword would have been pulled long ago. ¡®The Chamber of Extreme Ice¡¯ emmenates a tremendous chill, and does not allow anyone to even approach it casually. Many great barbarians have coveted the sword¡¯s ability, some even making countless attempts to wield it, but all who have taken the challenge have failed.¡±


    The barbarian recounted the story of a man who had entrusted the sword to Melger Khan, and the tribe that lived their lives in Harrowind to keep the oath.


    However, they had no choice but to abandon their oath in the face of a disaster that threatened the entire human race. The Shadow Labyrinth had appeared.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, I might have to find them myself. I shouldn¡¯t just wait for the owner of the sword to appear.¡±


    Donape¡¯s gaze, sighing at the end of the story, focused on a particr ce. Permanently cold eyes.


    Fluttering tinum-colored hair.


    Even after a fierce and protracted battle, this woman still remained lofty and beautiful to the end.


    This is where his gazey.


    ¡°If I had met you a little earlier, maybe we would have found ourselves in a different future ¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    * * *


    Adjest, Romantica, and Pram, who were sure that the barbarians would ept the alliance based on the flow of the conversation, were left obviously embarrassed. But Desir, who knew Donape would give such an answer, seemed calm inparison.


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave here for any reason. So¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Would you ept the alliance if I fulfilled Melger Khan¡¯s oath?¡±


    Those who had been quietly watching the conversation until now began to chatter. Desir didn¡¯t miss the moment when Donape¡¯s expression changed. And through that reaction, he was convinced that he had got it right.


    ¡®The history of the barbarians remains the same as it was in my previous life.¡¯


    Desir was aware of the circumstances in which the barbarians rejected the Empire¡¯s offer of cooperation. Desir had not forgotten what Donape had shared about his tribe, during that very short moment in his previous life.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fulfill that oath.¡± ¡°Hahahahaha.¡±


    As soon as he said it,ughter burst out. It came from one of the chiefs of a barbarian tribe. He then angrily shouted as the smile fell from his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you know about it, but this is the legacy that the great Khan left us. How dare a mainder like you make a reckless remark about it?¡±


    Donape silently raised his hand to restrain him.


    As soon as it became quiet, Donape spoke solemnly to Desir. There were deep traces of doubt evident in his voice.


    ¡°Before you mention the proposal, answer how you know about the oath.¡±


    ¡°We have met a direct descendant of Melger Khan in a Shadow World. I heard about the oath from him.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Desir had shared this story with his party. No one doubted it then, and Donape couldn¡¯t find any reason to distrust them.


    In the Shadow Worlds, historical facts that were hidden or covered up by others and concealed from the epted historical record, were revealed from time to time.


    By using Shadow Worlds as a cover-up for his knowledge from his past life, most people would be unable to raise any further doubts.


    Donape nodded, as if convinced, and soon smiled. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    As he seemed likely to ept Desir¡¯s offer, embarrassment covered the faces of each tribal chief who was watching.


    ¡°They¡¯re from the maind!¡±


    ¡°For many years none of us has managed to make it. It¡¯ll be okay for these guys to try.¡± Donape didn¡¯t appear to give the slightest damn for their cries.


    ¡°However¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid they¡¯ll do what we haven''t done?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    The tribal chiefs could not speak any more due to their pride.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been restrained by the oath and itching to fight for a long time. If we¡¯re freed of the oath, there¡¯s nothing to stop us from cooperating with the Empire. But not everyone can challenge the oath. You must be qualified.¡±


    Desir had never heard of any qualifications. Concealing his surprise at this obvious turn of events, he steeled his resolve. He couldn¡¯t afford to back down anyway.


    Donape continued to talk.


    ¡°And I will test their qualifications myself.¡±


    Desir quickly understood what Donape meant. To test one¡¯s qualifications as a barbarian meant to win a duel. ¡°Who will challenge me?¡±


    Desir looked back. He had already decided who woulde forward. ¡°Adjest, please.¡±


    Adjest nodded unhesitatingly at Desir¡¯s call. She walked one step forward and boldly confronted Donape.


    ¡°I¡¯ll challenge you.¡± ¡°Good. Follow me.¡±


    As Donape headed outside, leaving behind the tribal chiefs whose eyes betrayed their insecurity, the now chipper party followed.


    * * *


    It was in the middle of a huge snowfield that the now lively party followed the barbarians to. While the ground could not be called slippery as a result of the thick snow coating it, it was definitely going to be difficult to perform normal movements due to the restriction snow ced on footwork.


    The ce that they found themselves in was used as a training ground for the barbarians, and quite a few barbarian fighters happened to be present, training with informal spars.


    When Donape appeared, they ceased training and bowed their heads towards him in a show of respect. Desir could feel an unusual fervor leaking out from each of them.


    Desir realized that, amongst the trainees, there were many barbarians who wouldter be active in the Shadow Labyrinth.


    Yuria chose a swathe ofnd and cleared it of trainees, designating that area for the duel.


    The people already present soon gathered around the dueling area one by one. Before too long, the area was filled up. They had gathered to watch the martial arts of Donape, the Ruler of the North and their king.


    Of course, Desir, Romantica, and Pram were also in the crowd watching Donape and Adjest. The twobatants did not say a single word to the countless people in the audience. Instead, they only had eyes for each other.


    *Shing*


    Adjest drew her sword and Donape hefted the huge axe onto his shoulder.


    The silencested for several minutes.


    It was the Donape who broke the tense silence first. When he kicked against the ground, the snow around him exploded.


    In a mere moment, Donape, who had narrowed the distance with the Adjest, swung his axe horizontally.


    Adjest read the trajectory and turned to the side to dodge the attack.


    The axe seemed to tear through the air in a show of unrestrained violence. Seeing it wouldn¡¯t connect, Donape rotated his body in an agile fashion thatpletely betrayed the expectation one would have of a giant physique like his. A giant fist flew right at Adjest¡¯s face.


    She raised her sword reflexively. *Kagaang*


    In the midst of a single exchange of attack and defense, a flood of thoughts passed through Adjest¡¯s head. She felt a splitting pain in her wrists holding the sword and almost dropped it. Donape, on the other hand, seemed to be okay after the collision of sword and fist, and swung his giant axe at Adjest again.


    After defending against the ensuing attack, Adjest took advantage of the force of it and bounced back to increase the distance between her and Donape.

 Chapter 158. The Ruler of the North (4)

    <h4>Chapter 158. The Ruler of the North (4)</h4>


    Adjest quickly judged that she couldn¡¯t face Donape head-on.


    Against the King ss Donape, the Knight ss Adjest didn¡¯t have a chance of winning. [Ice Orb]


    Adjest unleashed a flurry of ice bolts towards Donape.


    As soon as she attacked, Adjest also invoked defensive magic in preparation for Donape¡¯s axe. [Sigh of Kizard]


    Making up for insufficient swordsmanship with magic. Adjest¡¯s method of fighting with magic assisting her swordsmanship increases her fighting power by several magnitudes. By dealing damage with magic, she could avoid colliding with Donape.


    "Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    But Donape wouldn¡¯t let Adjest maintain her distance. He doggedly chased her down and readied his axe for another swing.


    As skilled as she was, with her physical abilities, it was impossible for Adjest topletely repel Donape. His axe easily shattered Adjest¡¯s defensive magic, and swung towards her arm *Boom*


    *Boom* ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The training ground vibrated as ice columns ruptured forth from the snow. What started as a few columns quickly soared and reached the dozens!


    [Forest of Crying White Crows]


    Donape quickly found himself surrounded by ice columns, imprisoning him. Compared to the t and open arena they had a moment ago, his movement was now extremely limited.


    This didn¡¯t seem to phase Donape much, as he simply punched at a column blocking his way.


    *Boom*


    Even with Donape¡¯s fist, which exerted considerable force, the ice column that Adjest created was only slightly cracked and didn¡¯t copse under the pressure.


    Adjest had poured her unnaturallyrge mana pool into the spell, resulting in extraordinarily resilient pirs. Yuria, who had been watching the duel up until now, was impressed. .


    "She is stronger than I thought."


    Adjest wasn¡¯t limited to using her pirs to restrict Donape¡¯s movement. By retracting the ice columns as sheunched her attacks, she was able to employ hit-and-run tactics to whittle down Donape¡¯s stamina.


    By employing strategy to build an environment that benefitted herself and was detrimental to her opponent, Adjest had demonstrated the keen battle sense required in order to defeat an opponent that was effectively more powerful than her.


    But Donape wasn¡¯t a pushover. He was one of the strongest barbarians of all time, and he had also reached his peak level of performance. There was a reason he would eventually go on to reach the end of the Shadow Labyrinth. He swung his axe with all his might and knocked down six columns in the one motion.


    Adjest leaped back and began invoking magic, shooting the shards of the shattered ice columns at Donape. In response, Donape¡¯s eyes narrowed on Adjest in disappointment. Though he used no words, it was as if he was asking Adjest, ¡®Is that all?¡¯


    Rather than deflect, dodge, or defend against Adjest¡¯s attack, Donape took it head on and used the opportunity to yet again swing his axe at Adjest.


    Judinging that impact would be unavoidable, Adjest swung her sword in front of her in ast-ditch effort to deflect the attack.


    *Kaang*


    As soon as the axe and the sword collided, a huge explosion rang out everywhere. Donape didn¡¯t stop there, but instead continued to swing his axe.


    *Kaannggg*


    Adjest was unable to withstand the attack, and her knees buckled under the pressure. Her sword wasn¡¯t in much better condition; a few more hits like that, and she¡¯d be left with naught but a shattered de.


    [Crown of Regret]


    An enormous crown of ice formed overhead Donape. The magical chill that Adjest had desperately invoked was tremendously potent. Even Donape, who had lived in the savage north his whole life, barely endured against the sheer cold unleashed by Adjest¡¯s attack.


    Donape had no choice but to withdraw his relentless onught. Adjest, barely escaping with her life, used the opportunity to catch her breath and assess the situation¡­


    When she took in Donape¡¯s condition, she was shocked. Despite him taking a direct attack from her spell, he appeared to have sustained no serious injury.


    An overwhelming difference in power and ability.


    Most people would give up and fall to helplessness; it was only rational to give up in the face of such an overwhelming gap in strength. But Adjest¡¯s resolve never flickered; instead, it only grew stronger.


    ¡®Desir trusted me to win this fight, I can¡¯t let him down.¡¯ She kept her cool and maintained focus on her goal: victory.


    Donape, who had been observing her reaction, acknowledged her strong resolve. ¡°I like the look in your eyes. But can you see this, too?¡±


    Despite therge distance between the two, Donape lifted his huge axe back, and drew himself into a pose to strike. At that moment, a ferocious spirit began to spring forth from him.


    The pressure alone made it hard for Adjest to breath. His killing intent was so powerful the air itself was scared to move. At that moment, Adjest¡¯s instincts switched into overdrive.


    ¡®This is dangerous!¡¯


    Donape mmed the raised axe straight into the ground! *Boom*


    A fissure opened up beneath them and a terrifying sound resounded across the entire mountain range. That wasn¡¯t all; the smashed earth began to soar into the air, and began to be imbued with a reddish aura.


    The mouths of those watching the battle unconsciously dropped open. Even for those unfamiliar with the way of the sword and the power rankings that measured one¡¯s skill, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess that Donape was at the apex of power.


    Out of the entire crowd, only one man was analyzing the situation with an unnerving calmness.


    ¡®Mountain Stamp¡­ ¡¯


    Of course, the man was Desir, one of the few people in the world who was well aware of the technique that Donape had just used. The fact that Donape was willing to go as far as using [Mountain Stamp] meant that he was sincere in testing Adjest¡¯s skill.


    The chunks of frozen ground, imbued with Donape¡¯s blood-red aura,unched themselves at Adjest. She frowned at the sight of a hugendslide flying through the air, aimed exactly towards her. It was an iparable level of aggression rtive to what she had dealt with so far.


    If Donape was going to hit her with all his power, she was going to respond in same. [Frozen Pce]


    The atmosphere froze. The snow, which had been driven everywhere, began to gather unnaturally under Adjest¡¯s control.


    A splendid and shimmering ice pce,pletely unsuitable for the rugged mountains, appeared in the middle of the battlefield.


    Adjest employed her visionary technique, something that only she could use, tobat Donape. Now, instead of individuallyputing and invoking each spell, Adjest couldplete hundreds of spells at the same time.


    Dozens of quickly made ice walls were thrown up in front of Adjest in the blink of an eye, followed by a huge crash a momentter.


    *Boooom*


    Theyered ice wall was rebuilt even faster than it could be broken, andpletely negated Donape¡¯s attack. The blizzard whipped up by the two powerful spells acted as cover for Adjest and Donape, and the outside surroundings became calm in contrast.


    Eventually, the impromptu blizzard began to settle down. As soon as visibility was restored, those who were witnessing the epic duel also bore witness to a bizarre phenomenon, one that made their jaws drop yet another inch.


    Though the weather hadn¡¯t changed much, the snow around Adjest began to freeze into ice, starting with the sword Adjest was wielding.


    The searing cold of the north bowed its head to Adjest and united with her de. [Magic Sword: Ice Blessing]


    This was a magical swordsman¡¯s unique magic, a spell that allowed her to meld both her magical prowess and physical strength into a unified attack.


    After lifting the walls of the [Frozen Pce], Adjest pointed her sword at the King of the Barbarians and once again challenged him head on with her greatest offensive technique.


    But Donape unleashed an attack at the same time. Even as sheunched her attack, containing an rming amount of mana, Donape began to smile. Heunched his axe towards Adjest with both hands. A surge of red aura shot out of his body.


    His aura was as ferocious as a beast. Rather, after witnessing this aura first hand, people would likely im that beasts tried their best to mimic the ferocity of Donape¡¯s aura.


    *Boom*


    When Adjest made contact, she felt as if she was striking the core of the mountain itself¡­ "Arghhhhhh!"


    They were equally matched. However, the chill of Adjest¡¯s magic sword began to freeze Donape¡¯s body, despite his aura¡¯s best efforts to shield him.


    As Donape¡¯s posture and force gradually copsed, Adjest poured all of her remaining mana into her [Ice Blessing] without missing a beat.


    *Koogoogoogong*


    The atmosphere reverberated. ¡®It¡¯s not enough.¡¯


    No matter how hard she tried, it was impossible for her to make a fatal blow through the red aura that enveloped his entire body.


    Realizing she needed a new strategy, Adjest stepped back after releasing her magic sword. Donape was immediately suspicious. She definitely had an opportunity to win; even if the attack didn¡¯t work, stepping down from the assault wasn¡¯t the right choice.


    Did she forfeit the duel?


    That said, however, Adjest¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t contain a trace of defeat in them.


    While Donape was lost in thought, the chill of the snowfield began to converge towards Adjest as though it had a will of its own.


    Her hair, which normally shone like polished gold, quickly shifted into a frozen white, and a silver light began to emanate from her.


    In response to the phenomenon in front of him, Donape felt something unusual stir within him. His expression, which had always felt at least partially rxed, slowly began to harden.


    ¡°Kun Lona.¡±


    Donape¡¯s axe lost its finesse and dexterity it once disyed. Instead, it was imbued with raw power and concentrated aura.


    However, when a powerful barbarian who had reached the King ss of martial arts wielded his aura, the resulting power was almost like a natural disaster.


    At the same time, Adjest¡¯s sword was headed for Donape, drawing a silver trajectory in its wake.


    The moment the two shed, the ground shook as though there had been a massive seismic quake, and the soaring snow swept everywhere like a tidal wave. Adjest was swept away by the aftermath and buried in the snow.


    ¡°Pant¡­ Pant¡­ ¡±


    Bursting forth from her temporary snow coffin, Adjest leapt to her feet. She eagerly caught her breath and wielded her sword, now broken in half.


    Adjest pointed her newly broken sword at Donape, ready to continue the duel, but dropped her de when she realized it was meaningless.


    The winner and the loser had been decided.


    Donape wiped the blood from his cheeks with the back of his hand.


    For a moment he looked at Adjest with astonished eyes, but he simply recovered his axe and left.


    It was apparent that Adjest had lost, yet many of the tribal chiefs looked at her in shock; they couldn¡¯t believe that she had endured that much against Donape¡­


    As soon as Donape was out of sight, Adjest fell over, as the adrenaline that was keeping her upright left her system.


    Desir, Romantica and Pram hurried to her at the sight.


    Adjest apologized to her party members.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could win, but I had no idea there was such a huge difference in our ability.¡±


    Desir smiled, helping her to her feet.


    ¡°He said Kun Lona. That means he fought with you as a warrior. It means that he acknowledged you as a true warrior, and that we¡¯re entitled to pull out the sword.¡±


    ¡°Alright. That¡¯s a relief.¡± Adjest finally let herself sigh.


    Yuria approached the rattled party, and looked down as she addressed Adjest.


    ¡°I admit you¡¯re pretty strong, even for a person from the continent. But the oath we swore to Melger Khan is what has allowed Harrowind to persevere this long. You trying to pull the sword is a futile effort.¡±


    She continued to talk.


    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for a ce for you to stay. When you¡¯re well, I¡¯ll show you to the sanctuary.¡±

 Chapter 159. An Empress of Ice (1)

    <h4>Chapter 159. An Empress of Ice (1)</h4>


    The party was ushered by Yuria to an empty house and instructed to stay put for the time being. In a reflection of the utilitarian nature seen in the design of the building from the outside, the interior looked tacky but was designed to utilize every single inch of avable space. It wasn¡¯t home, but it wasn¡¯t too ufortable either.


    Pram spotted Adjest resting at a corner. ¡°Thank goodness you are not hurt.¡±


    Like he said, Adjest had just fought a huge battle, and managed toe out uninjured, especially considering the breadth of the gap in power between Adjest and Donape. It was truly an almost impossible feat to overpower an opponent in a life and death duel without the stronger party hurting the weaker one.


    Desir predicted the result of this battle. He thought it was obvious that things had unfolded in this manner. Donape An was a strong opponent who had climbed through all of the stages of perfecting his martial arts, mastering each rung of thedder as he climbed to King ss. On the other hand, Adjest was still developing. It was going to be a different story when Adjest matured and reached her peak, but as of now, it was impossible for her topete against Donape. Despite Adjest¡¯s loss, Desir still felt that the duel had gone well for Adjest. It was a necessary battle in order to win the right to attempt to fulfill Melger¡¯s oath, something that few people across the continent had the right to. And in the end, she won it.


    Winning the duel was a fundamentally impossible feat.


    ¡®The purpose of the duel was to simply test her ability in the first ce.¡¯


    Desir had a gut instinct that they could obtain the qualification regardless of whether they won or not. And he was right.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t expect there to be a need to obtain a qualification, but she still got something out of this.¡¯


    The battle with Donape had given Adjest an unbelievable amount of practical experience; she could now take another step towards her destiny of bing the most powerful Magical Swordsman.


    * * *


    It took about a day for Adjest to recover. She didn¡¯t get injured physically, instead suffering from extreme fatigue due to consuming too much mana.


    Yuria came to greet them on the second morning after the battle. She addressed Adjest. ¡°Can you move?¡±


    Adjest nodded. She had recovered most of her mana after resting, and hadn¡¯t suffered any debilitating injuries.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll lead you to the sacred ce. Come.¡±


    As Yuria got up and was about to step outside to guide them, Desir stopped her. ¡°Um, can you give me a second? Pram, Romantica, you guys stay here.¡±


    Desir decided that it was not necessary for the entire party toe to the sacred ce. He felt the rest should stay here and work on things that they needed to work on, excluding Adjest, whose task in fulfilling the mission would be critical to the sess of this mission.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Romantica whined.


    Desir ignored her and spoke to Yuria again.


    ¡°These two are very talented. They are every bit as talented as Adjest is. If you don¡¯t mind, I would like them to work on sparring with your soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is our pleasure to train with experts. I¡¯ll let them know.¡±


    Romantica and Pram were unhappy about continuing their training, even when they were away from school. However, they eventually relented and epted Desir¡¯s suggestion to stay put.


    * * *


    Desir and Adjest finally arrived at the foot of a temple made out of stone. When Yuria gently ced her hand on the temple door, it slid open.


    *Whooz*


    Cold air rushed out as soon as the door opened. It was freezing cold inside the temple. Desir felt as if his lungs were getting torn apart every time he breathed.


    ¡°I¡¯lle every sunrise to check whether you are still alive. I¡¯ll bring food as well.¡± Yuria stated as she turned on her heel and left.


    Since there was only one way to get into the deep part of the temple, they no longer needed a guide. Desir and Adjest pulled their Clothes Lines further closed, in a vain attempt to keep warm, and trudged deeper into the temple.


    As they walked into the building, the cold air immediately reached the freezing point. Even though they were wearing Clothes Lines, the thermo function didn¡¯t seem to help in the slightest. The cold air sliced to the very bone.


    After walking for about an hour, they finally came to a stop. They found themselves in the middle of a great room, located near the end of the temple. As if it were a centerpiece, there was a sword stuck firmly in the ground before them.


    This room certainly was the ¡®The Chamber of Extreme Ice¡¯, containing the sword that Melger got from that unknown man, making an oath to find its rightful owner. The sword was the source of the frigid cold temperature pervading the temple.


    Adjest noticed chunks of ice scattered around ¡®The Chamber of Extreme Ice¡¯, carved into the shape of human figures. They all looked slightly different, but the one thing they had inmon was their pose:


    They were all reaching out to grab the sword -- the Center of Ice. ¡°These people have all failed¡­ ¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    They were the various barbarian warriors who had attempted to pull the sword out. They were all amongst the bravest and the mostpetent warriors in their generations, but all of them failed to release the sword, and instead turned into a big chunk of ice.


    ¡°You think it¡¯s really possible?¡±


    Adjest asked with a voice clearly betraying her uncertainty.


    There was only one chance. If she failed, only death awaited her. The inevitable consequence would leave anyone trembling in fear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You will do it. Just don¡¯t forget to do it as you¡¯ve practiced it.¡±


    Desir spoke with confidence. His tone was even and firm, showing that he had no doubt at all. Adjest felt the faith radiating from his eyes.


    ¡°I trust you, Desir.¡±


    Adjest moved closer to the sword and began casting magic immediately.


    All of the surrounding moisture started to gather around Adjest. This was exactly what had happened during her battle with Donape. Her frozen silver blond hair waved in the air.


    Desir looked at the back of Adjest who was steadily walking towards the sword and had a momentary shback.


    * * *


    The frozen moisture from the air that she had barely just collected, suddenly dispersed. Adjest looked visibly disappointed.


    ¡°I understand your theory, but I can¡¯t do it so easily.¡±


    Desir approached Adjest as soon as he found out that his party was assigned to go to Harrowind. He wanted to teach her a specific technique, something quite different from what Adjest had used in previous battles. It was a magic technique based on mental imagery centered on a new formation. Adjest, for now, could only cast [Frozen Pce] with this technique, but she would be able to create many different forms of vision magicter.


    Desir strongly believed that this magic was the key to pulling out the sword in Harrowind. As they neared Harrowind, Desir came to a decision. If Adjest couldn¡¯t master the magic, he was going to give up on the cooperation with the barbarian warriors, along with the Center of Ice. He didn¡¯t want to lose his friend as a sacrifice in a gambit to achieve something greater - but that didn¡¯t mean he would give up easily.


    ¡°You are doing great. Don¡¯t rush, Adjest. Let¡¯s take it slowly.¡±


    After encouraging Adjest, Desir continued to exin the theory behind the spell.


    ¡°The image at the center of your visionary technique is about using cold air to create your ¡®territory.¡¯ And you cast [Frozen Pce] as you are expanding your territory.¡±


    [Frozen Pce] was a spell that created a castle out of ice and maximized the speed, power, and absorbance of other magic cast from inside it.


    ¡°You already know how to handle the cold air. The next step is to bring all of the cold air that escapes from the [Frozen Pce], back inside it. Trust me, it¡¯s possible.¡±


    Desir recalled the Adjest from his previous life. When she was known as the best magician of them all. When she was known as the Knight of Dawn. She not only skillfully manipted cold air, but had reached such a mastery that she could effortlessly y around with it. She certainly had aplished this before, and earned a title for it to boot. She absorbed the cold air into her body and created her ¡®boundary¡¯, activating the absorption of all cold air. This maximized the physical power of her body, elevating her to a levelparable to King ss martial artists.


    The current Adjest simply couldn¡¯t imagine this. With Desir in the mix, guiding her in terms of visualizing what he knew she was capable of, she was bound to figure out how to achieve this far quicker than in his previous life.


    ¡°When you sessfullypact all of the cold air, take it into your¡­ ¡±


    Adjest had seeded before Desir had even finished describing it. This was how Adjest normally learned. She promptly put things into action when she gained a sudden burst of inspiration.


    She imed all of the surrounding mana around her.


    * * *


    [Ice Empress]


    Silver light rays sshed out, lighting up the entire room within the temple. Adjest¡¯s hair also seemed to freeze into a shade as white as frost. All the surrounding cold air began to congregate within her body.


    *Crack*


    The bone chilling, extremely painful, cold air in ¡®The Chamber of Extreme Ice¡¯ violently collided with the cold air that Adjest gathered around herself. The conflict between the two currents of cold made a hugemotion, akin to two huge icebergs had smashed into each other.


    This was a live or die situation. Adjest could die in a second if something went wrong, but she kept her cool and rxed in the face of this adversity.


    Adjest slowly assimted the cold air in the temple into her body and used it as a fuel to strengthen her power. Desir was surprised; Adjest hadpletely exceeded his expectations. Desir smiled, knowing this was only the tip of the iceberg of what she was capable of. She was a genius. Before too long, Adjest walked through the powerful chill and reached her hand out towards the handle.


    The air around them began to respond to Adjest¡¯s actions.


    The two different cold fronts that had been violently crashing into each other started to mix. Desir could tell that the control of the cold air emanating from the Center of Ice was now in Adjest¡¯s hands. Adjestpressed thebined cold air into her body.


    ¡°Wh¡­ !!¡±


    Adjest grabbed the sword tight but almost lost the strength in her legs. She almost fell. The cold air from the Center of Ice was not an easy thing to assimte and what Adjest was trying to do now had never been done before. Nobody had ever done this, which meant nobody knew what would happen when the sword was removed. Even Desir waited with bated breath. One thing Desir was certain of though, was that Adjest would handle whatever would happen.


    ¡°Unh!¡±


    Adjest continued pushing and pulling against the cold air pressure, as if she were part of some kind of tug of war with an invisible opponent. She felt an increasing amount of pain in her body. The cold air constantly attacked her from both outside and within, but she was persistent in her struggle against the sword.


    ¡°Uuuugggghhhhh!!¡±


    Adjest¡¯s jaw continued to mp down, trying to suppress the pain, but an involuntary groan escaped from her tightly sealed lips.


    Desir couldn¡¯t watch any longer. He was going to interfere, but suddenly felt the cold air needling his bones slowly fade away¡­

 Chapter 160. An Empress of Ice (2)

    <h4>Chapter 160. An Empress of Ice (2)</h4>


    Adjest gripped the sword tightly, still firmly lodged in the icy floor, and used it as support to keep herself upright¡­ Desir rushed over to her. Her frozen silver hair was slowly returning to her original color.


    ¡°Are you okay, Adjest?¡± ¡°Uhhhh.¡±


    Adjest barely opened her lips. Her lips had turned blue. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m fucking dying here.¡±


    ¡°Here, lean on me.¡±


    Adjest didn¡¯t reject his offer and leaned into him. With something else to support her weight, she began to breathe more easily. Frankly speaking, she looked to be in a far worse condition than she was after her battle with Donape. Her face was incredibly pale and she looked as if she had tapped all of her energy reserves, right down to her very soul. For some reason though, there was not a trace of pain visible on her face. There was only satisfaction.


    After taking a moment to recover slightly, she spoke with a rare trace of excitement. ¡°I think I did it.¡±


    Desir looked at the sword in Adjest¡¯s hands.


    The Center of Ice no longer emitted an intense arctic chill. Adjest had managed topletely dominate the de sped tightly in her hands; something that gave Adjest limitless potential to surpass her top-tier abilities that Desir witnessed in his previous life. Adjest had already reached the upper echelons of the power scale before taking on this challenge; not just anyone could hold out as long as she did against Donape. Desir couldn¡¯t help being amazed at how much potential Adjest possessed.


    Adjest finally pulled the sword out with some support from Desir. Despite its fame, the sword looked disappointingly simple. In fact, it was nearly unremarkable. The length of the sword was simr to what Adjest was used to, and it didn¡¯t have any obvious features making it unwieldy. She should be able to use it without any modifications to her fighting style. The only thing that was different about the sword was the de; it was forged out of solid, unmelting ice. The carving of the de was so incredibly smooth, it seemed more akin to a crystal jewel than metal. A slight breeze swirled around the sword, weak but betraying traces of its barely concealed, wild nature.


    ¡°This is the Center of Ice.¡±


    Adjest swung the sword around lightly. *Shing*


    Even though Adjest exerted no direct control over the cold air, she couldn¡¯t stop the energy surging out of the sword. It was too powerful.


    ¡®Is this also an artifact?¡¯


    The energy oozing out from the de was extraordinary. If this was the energy it exerted in response to an effortless swing, then its power at full strength should easily be equal to an S-Tier artifact.


    Adjest directed her attention back to Desir. ¡°Now we can go convince the Barbarians.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Adjest. Great job.¡±


    Desir honestlymended her, everything had gone wlessly thanks to her efforts.


    They had pretty much guaranteed a sessfulpletion of the mission this time. There was no reason to rush now. Desir supported Adjest as they walked back together, slowly but steadily.


    *Drop*


    *Drop*


    Something dripped down from the ceiling andnded on Desir¡¯s shoulder. He looked up and discovered that the icicles were slowly melting.


    ¡°¡­ water?¡± *Crack*


    Desir and Adjest followed the source of the sound and looked behind them. The ground where the sword had been housed all these years had cracked and water had already filled the seams. It only took a moment for Desir to realize what was going on.


    ¡°¡­ Oh no.¡±


    Thinking about where the temple had been located¡­


    It was ake. The cold energy that emanated from the Center of Ice had frozen the entireke, and the temple had been built on top of that ice.


    ¡°Hang on tight.¡±


    Desir slung Adjest over his shoulder. ¡°Wa¡­ Wait!¡±


    Adjest attempted to say something, but Desir was already running. ¡°¡­¡±


    Pieces of ceiling began to fall and water began to quickly rise, but Adjest wasn¡¯t nervous at all. The warmth from Desir¡¯s shoulders and back made her calm.


    * * *


    Thank you for reading on patreon/maldfrogsclub


    Adjest and Desir managed to escape just before the templepletely copsed. They were both soaked from head to toe and decided to head back to their room for some much needed rest and rxation. Desir wanted to talk to Donape right away, but he knew that it would be impossible to meet someone of his status, the King of the North, anytime he wanted.


    The next opportunity that Desir got to talk with Donape wasn¡¯t until two days after obtaining the sword. They stood in the same ce they originally met him on the first day. However, the mood was subtly different from that first meeting. As long as the Center of Ice existed in Harrowind, the barbarians would be tied to their oath in finding an owner for it and refuse to leave this ce.


    With such a situation, rejection to any requests for cooperation was the expected result. For that reason, thest meeting had been conducted in ackadaisical manner. Any diplomats appealing to the barbarians for aid could be ignored, as their oath took priority. But this time, the situation waspletely different.The many tribal chiefs were confused; they never expected that a party of mainders would be able to pull out the Center of Ice. Donape, who appeared to be the calmest amongst the barbarians, opened his mouth first.


    ¡°Did you really harness the power of the Center of Ice?¡± Desir respectfully answered.


    ¡°We did, your honor. We have sessfully retrieved the Center of Ice and would like to present it to you as proof.¡±


    Desir signalled Adjest and she unsheathed the Center of Ice: the sword that wasposedpletely of ice. The one and only sword in the world of its kind.


    ¡°Unbelievable.¡±


    The barbarians believed that they were the ones chosen to fulfill Melger¡¯s promise. They had never even entertained the thought that someone who was not a barbarian would be able to pull the sword out. The chiefs could not ept that Adjest held the Center of Ice in her hand. It was just a few muttering under their breath in the beginning, but gradually more chiefs voiced theirints.


    ¡°We cannot ept this.¡±


    One of the chiefs, taking it upon themselves to represent the rest, spoke up.


    ¡°The Center of Ice represents the promise that Melger shared with his friend. We cannot let mainders like you vite its sanctity.¡±


    The crowd let loose a roar in agreement. The cacophony continued before eventually reaching a crescendo. One person couldn¡¯t hold their cool any longer and walked up to Adjest. Right after him, a few of his soldiers followed and surrounded Desir¡¯s party.


    ¡°They know me as Lodelis, the chief of the Bears. I, as a guardian of the Center of Ice, politely request that you return it to us.¡±


    ¡°What if we decline?¡± Adjest enquired.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take it from you.¡±


    Desir smirked as he responded.


    ¡°This is really funny. We properly followed all of the procedures and freed the Center of Ice after officially receiving permission. On what grounds can you say that you will take it from us, let alone use force?¡±


    ¡°The Center of Ice has been passed down to us from Melger himself. We have guarded this sword for an endless amount of time. You can¡¯t evenprehend the absurdity of the situation. If anyone is toy hand on this sword, it must be one of us.¡±


    Adjest added her thoughts.


    ¡°So what if we give you the sword? Do you think you can take it from us? Can you even hold it?¡±


    Adjest loosened her control over the sword and let a bit of its furious cold energy leak out amongst the crowd. People who were unfortunate enough to stand near Adjest were assailed by an arctic gale that felt as if it sliced to their very bones.


    ¡°Screech!¡±


    Donape noticed that the situation was deteriorating and stepped in to ameliorate the situation. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything.¡±


    Lodelis shouted back at Donape.


    ¡°Are you saying that it¡¯s okay for them to take the Center of Ice?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not happy about it either.¡±


    Donape continued after a short pause.


    ¡°¡­ But answer me, Lodelis. What was the oath that we have kept until now?¡± Guard the sword until the person who is able to retrieve it appears.


    This was what Melger had asked his friend to do, as he left behind the Center of Ice. He never intended for it to belong to those guarding it, let alone Melger himself.


    ¡°But¡­ but¡­ ¡±


    Lodelis understood what Donape was intimating, but it was so hard to ept the fact that he needed to give up the sword, that he and his ancestors had guarded with their lives, to outsiders. It was not easy. But Lodelis couldn¡¯t say anything, and lowered his head.


    Donape¡¯s authority was absolute. Donape referred to the oath and wrapped up this matter by epting Adjest as the new owner of the sword. There was nobody left who dared to question who the rightful owner of the sword was.


    With the problem of ownership of the Center of Ice solved, Desir moved onto the next issue, the main reason for the meeting.


    ¡°It is great that your oath to Melger¡¯spanion has been fulfilled. I am now ready to hear your answer in regards to our joint cooperation against the Outsiders.¡±


    Donape stood up and looked around.


    ¡°My greatest warriors, we have buried our teeth and ws in the cold snow, all for the sake of keeping the oath made in times long past. Due to this oath, we have looked away from injustice.¡±


    Originally, the barbarians were fair and trustworthy. They were the bravest warriors who were the first step forward to help the poor and uphold righteousness.


    Donape wielded his axe and swung it heavily into the ground.


    ¡°Our sacred mission is now aplished. In front of us, we have a stage to prove that we are the soldiers who inherited the greatest warriors¡¯ blood. My chiefs, go and tell your soldiers that it is now the time to reveal our teeth and ws! It is now the time to punish injustice!¡± ¡°Yaaaaaaaah!¡±


    All of the barbarians brandished their weapons and shook them in the air as they shouted loudly. Most of them were active and loudmouthed. Truthfully, many of them had felt suppressed by the oath, forced to iste themselves from the world. It wasn¡¯t easy for them to hide and live like wanted men. The people who had previously beenining loudly, were once again shouting together in unison.


    Donape An didn¡¯t climb up the social hierarchy to reach this throne relying on just his authority and lineage. Donape understood how to rally people and get them fired up. Desir admired his longtime friend.


    ¡°Listen, lions of the Empire. Return to your emperor and tell them that the greatest warriors of Harrowind will be there to help you in your time of need.¡±


    The barbarians had officially joined the alliance.

 Chapter 161. Going to War (1)

    <h4>Chapter 161. Going to War (1)</h4>


    After forming an alliance with the barbarians, the Starling Party descended Mt. Calcarus with a light heart. Luckily, unlike when they were climbing the mountains, they were able to descend easily with Yuria¡¯s guidance.


    ¡°This is the city you were talking about.¡±


    The city that they arrived at per Desir¡¯s request was Pirium, a barbarian city located below Mt. Calcarus.


    It was an area open to other countries as well, which exined the numerous foreigners that mingled in the streets.


    The barbarians sold goods like durable stone handicrafts and ores of high quality, so many merchants frequented the area.


    ¡°Thank you for the guidance, Yuria.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll see youter on the battlefield.¡±


    Yuria bid the Starling Party farewell and went her own way.


    Pram examined the city as he spoke.


    ¡°But unlike what we¡¯ve heard, it¡¯s not that lively.¡±


    As he said, the mood was oddly somber. This was another side effect of the war between the Allied Forces and the Outsiders.


    ¡°Go ahead, rest at the inn. I¡¯ll go report on thepletion of our mission.¡±


    The ce Desir headed to was the embassy of the Hebrion Empire. As the only barbarian city open to other countries, each nation had their own embassy within the city walls.


    At the embassy, Desir verified his identity with his gold que and used the embassy¡¯smunication device to contact Hersaint-nc.


    ¡°Seven thousand barbarian soldiers that can be mobilized. And all of them are skilled enough to be knights?¡±


    The news of their sessful alliance with the barbarians had excited Hersaint-nc greatly. ¡°That much power alone is equivalent to an entire nk of the troops provided by the Western Kingdom Union. It¡¯s beyond my expectations.¡±


    ¡°How is the current situation?¡±


    At Desir¡¯s question, Hersaint-nc murmured to himself. ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡¯s too good.¡±


    He continued speaking.


    After the battle between Zod Exarion and the homunculus, now known as the Battle of Lagrium, themanders of the Allied Forces determined that the war would enter a lull. Everything seemed to point to that being the truth. That is, until the Outsiders took advantage of the situation andunched an unexpected attack on the Allied Forces.


    Normally, tounch such an attack while being so severely outnumbered, would be to hand victory to your enemies. But the reason they carried out the attack was simple.


    The homunculus had returned to the front lines.


    ¡°It went exactly ording to your party¡¯s observations in the Shadow World. The homunculus¡¯s recovery was truly extraordinary. It should have beenpletely destroyed during its fight against the Master of the Magic Tower, yet it had already made a full recovery and rejoined the front lines.¡±


    Desir¡¯s face hardened. The homunculus¡¯s extraordinary regenerative power was something he was already well aware of.


    However, its speed was beyond his expectation.


    ¡°Having experienced the full brunt of its power once, the Allied Forces have established a Special Forces unit to eliminate it, but they¡¯re already busy just trying to keep it in check.¡± ¡°It would be hard to stand up to it unless we¡¯re as strong as Zod.¡±


    The mere presence of the homunculus was enough to force opponents to change their strategy, and it alone had the power to turn the situation upside down.


    However, the homunculus was by no means an invincible creature.


    The Allied Forces,posed of the strongest forces on the continent, weren¡¯t weak enough to copse due to a single being.


    Confirming that the alliance between the Western Kingdom Union and Hebrion Empire was progressing rather smoothly, Desir determined that the current situation wasn¡¯t too terrible. ¡°You should hurry up and take your party and join the ranks at the Lagrium ins as well.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± *Beep*


    With that, theirmunications ended.


    Having finished his report, Desir located the inn using hismunication bracelet and left the embassy.


    When he arrived at the inn, Pram was waiting for him outside. ¡°How was it?¡±


    Seeing Desir approach, Pram ran up to him like a puppy and greeted him. Seeing Pram act cutely like always, Desir let out a smile, but it was no time to be chatting casually.


    ¡°Pram, could you call the others over?¡±


    Sensing the concern within Desir¡¯s tone, Pram hurried to call the other party members over. Once everyone had arrived, Desir started recounting the news he had heard; that the situation wasn¡¯t very good, and that the Starling Party would have to join the war effort.


    When he finished talking, the air felt heavy with tension. Feeling anxious was only natural. Regardless of how many battles they had undertaken in the Shadow Worlds, the weight that the term ¡®war¡¯ held was something entirely different.


    But no one was scared.


    Riled up, Romantica spoke energetically.


    ¡°Wars disgust me, but if my opponents are the Outsiders, I¡¯ll do whatever I need to. I won¡¯t let them get away with something like ¡®that¡¯ again.¡±


    Desir, Adjest, and Pram knew immediately what she was talking about.


    Last summer, the Outsiders hadmitted an act of terrorism on a grand scale in Deltaheim, the capital of Prillecha. Romantica¡¯s hometown.


    As a result, the city had been destroyed, and many lives had been lost. The shock she must have felt at the time would be indescribable.


    Adjest agreed with her opinion.


    ¡°The Outsiders¡¯ indiscriminative terrorism is unforgivable.¡±


    The Outsiders had also manipted the Hebrion Academy¡¯s Party Competition, aiming to eliminate as many parties as possible, each filled with all of the young promising talent in the Empire. Through that incident, several students had lost their lives.


    They were more than likely to continue carrying out such indiscriminate acts of terrorism. Pram too had something to add.


    ¡°If we¡¯re able to prevent future damage by stopping them, I think that we must fight too.¡± Everyone was in agreement. Then there was no reason to hesitate.


    Desir nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end this war as soon as possible.¡±


    * * *


    A bathtub filled to the brim with red blood.


    Walls of ck blood, blood that had long since dried and lost its original color.


    In the room decorated with sttered red and ck blood, a man sat in the corner.


    He had a gag in his mouth, and his limbs were tied down with ropes to prevent him from moving.


    His eyes were full of fear.


    And next to him stood a woman wearing a mask embellished with feathers and jewels. The mask covered more than half of her face, yet her beauty still spilled out.


    Unlike the man who was frozen in terror, she was far too calm. Despite being in a room that would scare anyone, she lookedfortable, as if she were at home.


    Feather Mask smiled lightly as she approached the man. Her smiling lips overflowed with sensuality.


    ¡°How long will you hold out?¡± *Stter*


    Blood gushed out from the slit drawn on the man¡¯s throat. He widened his eyes in agony. ¡°Mmph! MMMHPHH!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too scared. I won¡¯t kill you that easily.¡±


    In Feather Mask¡¯s hand was a dagger dripping with fresh blood. Sheughed as the man struggled.


    ¡°No need to think of it as a waste. Your blood will be valued greatly.¡±


    Feather Mask bent down and licked the blood that flowed down the man¡¯s throat.


    ¡°MMMMPH!¡±


    Her lips, once very captivating, terrified him as they were stained with blood.


    The man only stopped breathing once he had bled so much that the carpet couldn¡¯t soak up any more.


    Her eyes that had been filled with so much excitement just moments ago went dull. As she wallowed in disappointment, someone opened the door and entered.


    It was a man with a muscr body.


    He was Mountain King Raden, the leader of a group of bandits that had conquered the five mountains in the central area of the continent. A man who had reached Bishop ss.


    The moment he saw the state of the room, he frowned. ¡°I got a call from Crow Mask.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    Feather Mask followed Raden to the hallway.


    They were located in an ancient castle that was originally built by the previous kingdom to fight against the barbarians.


    As the war ended, the castle became useless and was now being used as the Outsiders¡¯ base.


    It was when they had been walking for some time, Raden looked at the bloodstain on Feather Mask¡¯s shoulder as he spoke.


    ¡°How about you stop that disgusting hobby of yours?¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s just some light entertainment before the battle begins. Can¡¯t I even do that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going too far. I¡¯m tired of sacrificing my men for that perverted hobby of yours.¡± Forty-five people.


    That was the number of people Feather Mask had sacrificed in the past week.


    In order to satisfy her needs, Raden had handed her captives, deserted underlings, and even innocent men when that wasn¡¯t enough.


    Feather Mask¡¯s brutal indulgences were enough to make even her allies sick. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare insult my artwork.¡±


    ¡°Art? Please, give me-¡±


    In an instant, the nigh-unbearable thick scent of bloodlust wafted off from Feather Mask. Raden felt as though his whole body was being squeezed.


    Beneath the mask decorated with feathers and jewels, an alluring smile blossomed.


    ¡°You should be grateful I¡¯m not feasting on you. If I didn¡¯t restrain myself to these small-scale splurges, I would¡¯ve woven your intestines into ribbons and decorated this castle weeks ago.¡± Feather Mask turned back to the front.


    *Thud*


    Once the pressure around his body ceased, he subconsciously fell to his knees.


    Feather Mask ignored Raden and climbed the stairs as he stilly on the floor in shock, his body unresponsive after experiencing the skill difference between them first-hand.


    Amunication came through, connecting to one of the top rooms of the castle. [-How¡¯s life in that ce?]


    It was Crow Mask¡¯s voice.


    ¡°How much longer do we have to do this? Holding the fort is suffocating. This job doesn¡¯t suit me at all.¡±


    [-It¡¯ll be over soon. Are things going as nned?]


    ¡°They¡¯re all moving like you said. There¡¯s nothing that will interfere with the n.¡±


    Crow Mask¡¯s n was extensive yet detailed. Feather Mask admitted that his resourcefulness was a trait that required acknowledgement.


    ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t call just to tell me that, so why did you call me this time?¡± [-To tell you that now that the time is ripe, you¡¯re free to run wild.]


    At those words, Feather Mask¡¯s lips drew into a thin line. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to say that.¡±

 Chapter 162. Going to War (2)

    <h4>Chapter 162. Going to War (2)</h4>


    On the eastern side of the Lagrium ins flows the Mahayu River, running through the center of the continent.


    The Mahayu River was wide and deep enough to allow big ships to travel.


    The Hebrion Empire¡¯s military forces were stationed near the border of the Ioleta Kingdom, overlooking the mouth of the Mahayu River.


    The Ioleta Kingdom, part of the Western Kingdom Union, readily allowed the Hebrion Empire to station itself on its border once the Outsiders suddenly became their enemy.


    Given their new battlefield, the Hebrion Empire constructed a new temporary Imperial Military Headquarters.


    There, Desir was face-to-face with a monocle-wearing, middle-agedmander. Lieutenant Paian, he was the squadron leader thatmanded the Imperial Military.


    Paian had a rather slim figure that made him look weak, but Desir remembered that unlike his physical features would lead you to believe, he was quite apetent man.


    He had led troops in the Shadow Labyrinth, making notable achievements, and even reached the rank of lieutenant colonel just before his death.


    Paian¡¯s gaze was fixed on the documents before him.


    ¡°ording to the document, out of the twenty-five members in your party, four members including yourself will participate in the war. Is this correct?¡±


    To make up for the loss of their troops during the battle with the Outsiders, the Hebrion Empire had enlisted help from the Hebrion Academy as well.


    But that didn¡¯t mean that all students would be deployed in the war.


    From each party, only those who were skilled enough to contribute meaningful firepower were drafted into the army.


    And the members that were mobilized from the Starling Party were Adjest, Romantica, Pram, and Desir. All four members of their main force.


    Desir had determined that other than the four of them, including himself, no one else was fit for battle yet.


    Paian was lost in thought as he examined the documents.


    ¡®A party with skills levels higher or equal to knights that have cleared a Level Three Shadow World by themselves huh¡­ But there are only four of them¡­ ¡­ ¡¯


    The Starling Party¡¯s reputation was widespread in the Hebrion Empire, and even Paian had heard about them.


    Heroes that had foiled the Outsiders¡¯ terrorism in the Prillecha Empire and saved the kings of the Western Kingdom Union.


    A futuremander who had led the academy¡¯s students, including many prideful single rankers, in the Party Competition to interrupt the Outsiders¡¯ heinous n.


    Not to mention having the ability to clear a Level Three Shadow World with a mere four people.


    There was no doubt that the Starling Party was filled with very skilled individuals. But Paian couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    He turned his attention towards Desir.


    ¡°As you have sessfully cleared a Level Three Shadow World by yourselves, your party now has the right to move independently, just like the knights. However, it may be dangerous with only the four of you.¡±


    Without even having to mention the numerous groups of knights, the Starling Party was still significantly smaller than the academy¡¯s other parties of the same level.


    No matter how outstanding they were individually, with small numbers, even a single mistake could be fatal to them.


    That was what Paian was worried about.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you I could recite it by heart. I know how skilled you are.¡± Desir lowered his head in gratitude.


    ¡°But young people sometimes can¡¯t control themselves. Someone like you is absolutely necessary for the Empire¡¯s future. What do you think about renouncing your right to move independently and joining the army?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for thinking of us favorably. However, I¡¯ll be turning down your offer.¡± Paian narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°I doubt that four people will be enough to produce any tangible results¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°That would usually be the case. On the contrary, I am confident that we¡¯ll produce good results if we use a strategy that takes advantage of our small number.¡±


    Excitement shed in Paian¡¯s eyes. He soon regained hisposure. ¡°How would you do that?¡±


    ¡°We will use a smaller unit that has more freedom of mobility thanrger groups, and has strong singr firepower to attack the enemy from the rear.¡±


    ¡°Your party doesn¡¯t have to be the one to carry out this operation.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re a party that has sessfully cleared a Level Three Shadow World with a mere four people. When ites to strategies carried out by smaller numbers, there are no other troops that can match us in terms of quality.¡±


    ¡°Even still, taking up the position of rear infiltrator is extremely risky. Do you think you¡¯re capable ofsting on your own, with risk of the enemy turning at any moment??¡±


    Paian expected Desir to be flustered at the question, but his response waspletely unexpected.


    ¡°If you leave that to us, we¡¯ll do it.¡± There was no hesitation.


    ¡°It¡¯s just as I¡¯d heard.¡±


    Paian seemed to be quite satisfied with Desir¡¯s answers so far.


    ¡°Desir Arman, leader of the Starling Party. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re as good as the rumors say.¡±


    * * *


    Thank you for reading on patreon/maldfrogsclub ¡°The famous Starling Party is here.¡±


    ¡°I heard that they recently cleared a Level Three Shadow World?¡±


    There was a hot topic making the rounds amongst the soldiers. It was news of Hebrion Academy¡¯s Starling Party joining them.


    Hebrion Academy was the continent¡¯s best educational institution, the pride of the Hebrion Empire. Many of its graduates were well-known names throughout the continent.


    Of course, current students like Radoria von Dorice, leader of the Red Dragon party, and Nipleka Kelt, leader of the Blue Moon party were already quite popr, even before they graduated.


    But between the numerous students, no one was unaware of the newly formed Starling Party that stood shoulder to shoulder with pre-existing prestigious parties, as they continued to rack-up countless notable achievements.


    As they became the center of attention of the soldiers at Lutria castle, the Starling Party couldn¡¯t help feeling ufortable.


    If they had to pick the worst moments, it was during meals. Meals at the camp were held in one big ce where all of the soldiers gathered, and many of them frequently snooped around trying to catch a nce of the prestigious party, or loitered around waiting for a chance to introduce themselves.


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s ufortable eating here. At this rate, I¡¯m going to get sick.¡± Romantica puffed up her cheeks as she spoke.


    The others hadn¡¯t said anything, but they were all in agreement.


    They were thankful for the attention, but they didn¡¯t appreciate how excessive it had be. As they sat thereining, someone called out to them in a cheerful voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s some attention you guys are getting.¡± ¡°Should I be asking for your autographs too?¡±


    Turning around at the familiar voices, Pram¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Radoria! Kelt! Long time no see!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if we sit here too?¡± There was no reason to refuse them.


    Radoria and Kelt sat at the table the Starling Party had parked themselves at. The leaders of Hebrion Academy¡¯s most famous parties had been gathered in one ce.


    The attention that had been garnered due to the presence of just the Starling Party, ended up ratcheting up a few more notches.


    ¡°We got used to it pretty quickly. You¡¯ll be fine in a week.¡±


    Radoria and Kelt, as leaders of longstanding famous parties, were well used to the attention currently troubling the fledgling Starling Party.


    Kelt spoke as he seasoned his soup.


    ¡°Try to eat a lot, even if you don¡¯t have an appetite, since today¡¯s meal is actually pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Is it normally not this good?¡±


    At Romantica¡¯s question, Radoria let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°The menu is determined by expiry, whatever is going to go bad first is what we eat next. Wait and see. Soon you¡¯ll be eating so much jerky, hardtacks, and raisins that you will be sick of them.¡±


    At Radoria¡¯s words, the members of the Starling Party nodded their heads.


    ¡°Well, the eastern front using the railway says that their situation is a bit better than ours.¡±


    The Allied Forces¡¯ supply routes had been divided in two. One went through the railway while the other went by ship.


    The railway that had been set up for trade with the barbarians was being used by the Allied Forces of the Western Kingdom Union stationed on the western and central sides of the Lagrium ins.


    Meanwhile, the Hebrion Imperial Army that was stationed on the eastern part of the Lagrium ins had to be supplied by ship through the Mahayu River, and there was no doubt that it took longer than using the railway.


    Consequently, the food that was being consumed by the Hebrion Imperial Army was mostlyposed of foods that were easy to store.


    As they continued talking to Kelt and Radoria, the Starling Party eventually forgot about the attention they were receiving and concentrated on their conversation.


    *CLANG*


    The sound of a shrill bell rang out.


    When the bell rang three times, the soldiers seated in the hall hurriedly leaped into action and headed somewhere at break-neck speed.


    Three bells.


    The Starling Party had familiarised themselves with a few signals prior to arriving. And three rings of a bell meant¡­


    ¡®An enemy attack.¡¯


    There was nothing more to say. Everyone dropped the food they were eating and got out of their seats.


    ¡°See you at the centralmand area.¡±


    Radoria and Kelt bid the Starling Party farewell before hurriedly returning to their respective parties.


    Desir spoke as he examined his party members. ¡°We should start moving too.¡±


    Romantica looked upset.


    ¡°It¡¯s barely been a few hours since we¡¯ve arrived and we¡¯re already going to battle. Just my luck.¡±

 Chapter 163. Going to War (3)

    <h4>Chapter 163. Going to War (3)</h4>


    The Starling Party was organizing the supplies that had been provisioned for them. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, nkets, military boots, and any other misceneous tools they needed for the night. It was all military standard-issue gear.


    Desir was reading the documents that were passed to him as he had already finished packing his share.


    ¡°One of the front-line units for the Outsiders is said to be the Kashuka Knights.¡±


    The Kashuka Knights were a well-known name in the Divide Nation. For unknown reasons, they had left the country and joined the Outsiders.


    ¡°Not to mention the fact that they¡¯re armed with thetest equipment they obtained after raiding the Prion Company¡­ We can¡¯t take them lightly.¡±


    Unlike the Magic Tower that was active in several industries, Prion was a munitionspany that focused its efforts solely in the military industry. Though they were dwarfed inparison to the Magic Tower, their military-grade technology could go head to head with the Magic Tower¡¯s best¡­


    Having robbed ab like that, there was no doubt that their magical armor was powerful.


    The enemy that was already known for being notoriously dangerous, had grown and be even harder to defeat.


    Romantica spoke, barely concealing her anxiety.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a mistake to have the Imperial Army withdraw from the eastern front to reinforce the eastern nk?¡±


    Adjest responded.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have had a choice if they wanted to deal with the homunculus.¡±


    Confirming the Outsiders¡¯ attacks were concentrated on the eastern front of Lagrium ins, the Imperial Army hurried to assemble its forces.


    And as they were about to request for reinforcements from the Western Kingdom Union¡¯s Allied Forces stationed at the western and central front, something unexpected happened.


    The forces at the central front had requested aid from the eastern front.


    Not only were the Outsiders advancing from the eastern front, but they were also closing in from the western and central fronts.


    During the first war, both the Allied Forces and Outsiders had suffered considerable losses, so their numbers this time were smaller than before, but they were still big enough that they couldn¡¯t be treated lightly.


    The Outsiders seemed to be trying to bring an end to the battle before the Allied Forces¡¯ greatest weapon, Zod Exarion, returned to the front lines.


    The Outsiders¡¯ numbers were concentrated towards the western and central fronts, while the forcesing towards the eastern front wereparatively small.


    ¡®The problem is that the homunculus is a part of the Outsiders¡¯ forces heading towards the central front.¡¯


    In the end, the Hebrion Imperial Army determined that the right tactical move was to send their troops to the central front, only sending enough forces to rece the ones that had been injured maintaining the eastern front.


    Having finished organizing his supplies, Pram looked towards Desir.


    ¡°Desir, does that then mean that the number of Imperial troops guarding the eastern front isn¡¯t too different from the number of Outsiders?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And since our main forces have been sent to the center, it won¡¯t be an easy fight.¡±


    The troops sent to the central front were made up of the strongest parts of what could be referred to as the main forces of the Imperial Army.


    ¡®This feels too much like we¡¯re being dragged around by the Outsiders¡­ ¡­ ¡¯


    Operating the troops in response to the Outsiders¡¯ movements was a natural thing to do, yet Desir couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious.


    ¡®Am I thinking too deeply into this?¡¯


    He had no choice but to do what had to be done anyway. Desir pushed down his anxiety as he shook his head.


    * * *


    Thank you for reading on patreon/maldfrogsclub ¡°Invoke your spells. Launch the artillery!¡± *BAAAAANG*


    At themander¡¯s order, countless magical arrays filled the sky and spells began raining down on the enemies. The fire created by the Hebrion Imperial Army was borate and powerful.


    ¡°Red Dragon party, full mobilization of artillery magic to push the Outsiders back!¡± ¡°Blue Moon party, work with the regr artillery corps to provide further support!¡± The flow of the battle was simple.


    Magicians of the Fourth Circle or higher, those able to utilize artillery-level magic, acted as the primary source of firepower.


    As they slowly cut through the enemy troops, relying heavily on the tactical deployment of their magical supremacy, they made way for the infantry troops to cut down the survivors with the support of the lower leveled magicians.


    That was the situation.


    On a battlefield, the artillery troops¡¯ role was crucial. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that the flow of the battle depended on their performance; on whether they could gain the upper hand or not.


    As a matter of fact, it could be said that whoever gained victory was being determined by each sides¡¯ Fourth Circle magicians.


    However, Desir led his party members not to the artillery troops, but towards the infantry at the frontlines.


    Inside a deep, long trench.


    A toonmander in charge of one of the primary units spoke to Desir as if he thought it was strange.


    ¡°Why are you joining the infantry troops when you¡¯re so skilled? I¡¯d assumed that you¡¯d be joining the artillery troops for sure.¡±


    ¡°The artillery has enough power for now. Therefore it¡¯s natural for us to join the troops where we¡¯re needed more.¡±


    Upon hearing Desir¡¯s reply, the toonmander seemed to be moved.


    ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s the natural thing to do, but it¡¯s also not easy to do so. We¡¯ll do our best to assist


    you.¡±


    At his unexpected fighting spirit, Desir smiled bitterly before turning back to the front. *BANG*


    *CRASH*


    There was an explosion to one side. It was the enemy¡¯s magical shelling.


    Even though they had been prepared for the shelling by digging trenches, the damage done was significant.


    Arge-scale battle broke out as the artillery troops from either side acknowledged each other. The Starling Party began to initiate their counter-attack.


    Romantica¡¯s magic, which had reached a considerable level of strength for a Third Circle magician, along with Adjest¡¯s Fourth Circle magic, did not fall behind the artillery troops. [Whisper of Winter]


    The magic invoked by Adjest fell right into the middle of a group of Outsiders. It exploded and produced a haze of smoke. That smoke then seemed to crystalize, freezing numerous soldiers.


    [Heavenly Spear]


    The Outsiders who had been locating the Allied Forces by tracing the trajectory of their shelling magic were thrown into chaos.


    When artillery-level magic wasunched from the infantry¡¯s area unexpectedly, they were utterly helpless.


    But the Outsiders weren¡¯t ones to continue taking this lying down.


    Desir stared at the Outsiders¡¯ shelling magic that soared through the sky. It held incredible amounts of destructive power.


    *CRRRAACKLE*


    The shelling magic was headed straight towards the Imperial Army¡¯s artillery troops. Shelling magic that had been invoked at the Fourth Circle.


    Confirming their location and trajectory, Desir reached out to the sky and began to circte his mana.


    It took him a mere moment toplete his calctions.


    About 30% of the shelling magic heading their way was instantly inverted and rendered harmless.


    Nullifying almost a third of the spells at that scale was in itself impressive, but that was only the beginning.


    The scope of Desir¡¯s calctions grew bigger and bigger. *CRASH*


    *CRAAACKLE*


    More than half of the Outsiders¡¯ second shelling attack was inverted. The countless magic spells that had been invoked to strike down the Imperial Army had dissipated before it even had a chance to disy its power.


    *BANG*


    The shelling magic from the Outsiders¡¯ side that barely managed to impact the ground was patheticpared to the uncontested firepower of the Imperial Army¡¯s magic.


    It was the infantry at the frontlines that felt themselves gradually gaining the upper hand. They were overjoyed once they realized what Desir had achieved.


    Desir¡¯s ability to invert magic truly showcased its absurd power inrge-scale battles like this. ¡°¡­ ¡­ I swear, the opposing magic troops must have no idea what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Adjest was once again astonished by Desir¡¯s abilities.


    Any magician would have reacted the same way after witnessing that level of skill.


    Before too long, more than 80% of the Outsiders¡¯ magic was being inverted in every volley. Their attacks were now practically useless.


    The Outsiders were taken aback to the point of being visibly agitated.


    Thanks to Desir ying an active role, the Imperial Army was able to gain an overwhelming magical supremacy in the artillery battle, which could be regarded as the core part of anyrge-scale battle.


    At the moment, the situation seemed to be heavily favoring the Imperial Army. However, the Outsiders didn¡¯t back down and instead charged at the Imperial Army.


    Now that the Imperial Army¡¯s artillery troops had taken control of the battlefield, the Outsiders had their hand forced. The only thing that awaited them if they retreated was death. The Outsiders¡¯ frontline soldiers were reinforced by their Second and Third Circle magicians, and they charged with their infantry unit leading the way.


    ¡®Are they nning on turning this into a brawl?¡¯


    Desir immediately figured out the enemymander¡¯s ns.


    If the infantry units got mixed together in an all-out brawl, it would be hard to fully utilize the Imperial Army¡¯s artillery troops. In other words, it was a strategy to reduce the impact of their inferior artillery power.


    ¡°Charge!¡±


    To return fire, the Imperial Army also ordered a charge.


    The two sides collided.


    Screaming and the sounds of weapons shing against each other spread and covered the battlefield.


    ¡°They¡¯re all over there!¡± ¡°Attack over there first!¡±


    Even amid a brawl, the Outsiders targeted the Starling Party. Since they were the only ones amongst the infantry using magic, it was natural that their location would be easily discovered.


    ¡°Hrragh!¡±


    Pram stood at the front and protected the party members. He cleanly cut down any enemies that came towards the trenches.


    As the brawl continued on, even Adjest gave up on invoking magic and instead helped Pram guard as part of the vanguard.


    asionally, enemies targeting Desir came in from gaps on the side.


    But Desir never paid them any attention and focused on inverting the shelling magic. The Outsider yelled and swung his sword at Desir, who was standing still.


    ¡°You stupid fool, d¡­ ¡­ !¡± *sh*


    He didn¡¯t get a chance to finish his words.


    The enemies that were headed towards Desir copsed with the sound of a sword shing through the air.


    Runel.


    The silver sphere hovered around Desir and dealt with all the enemies that tried to threaten him.


    Then it happened. *Rumble* *Rumble*


    The ground began to shake. Desir turned towards the direction of the sound. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Arge number of cavalry troops came into sight. Not only were the people heavily armed with magic armor, but so were the horses they were riding.


    [Fire Lance]


    They used the magic embedded in their weapons as they charged. ¡°Arrrrgh!¡±


    ¡°HRRAAGH!¡±


    The Kashuka Knights.


    The sight of them charging while armed with the newest equipment from the Prion Company made them look less like a cavalry unit, and more like an armored train.


    The Imperial Army¡¯s infantry was trampled and their formation began to copse in short order.

 Chapter 164. Going to War (4)

    <h4>Chapter 164. Going to War (4)</h4>


    *Rumble*


    *Rumble*


    The ground shook with the sound of the horses¡¯ hooves.


    The Kashuka Knights turned around after sweeping through the Imperial Army¡¯s entire infantry.


    ¡°Aagh!¡± ¡°Help me!¡±


    Any Imperial Army soldiers in their way would be swept to the side under the might of their charge. This was the tactic that they had employed to great effect.


    ¡°Stop them! Enter the tortoise formation to stop the cavalry!¡±


    Following themander¡¯s orders, the Imperial Army moved in unison. A momentter, their shields and spears came together to form a solid wall around them.


    But such a formation was useless when their opponents were heavily armed with magic weapons. Their formation would have been effective against regr cavalry, but this was anything but that.


    ¡°AAAAGH!¡±


    They forcefully broke through once again.


    In the face of such a reckless charge, the Imperial Army broke down.


    The Imperial Army¡¯s spears couldn¡¯t pierce through the enemy¡¯s armor, and the shields they wielded broke easily.


    Their shield wall crumbled easily and many soldiers were trampled by the enemy horses¡¯ hooves.


    The Kashuka Knights soon broke through the center and began heading towards the artillery.


    At this rate, the artillery troops were going to be left exposed and defenseless against the enemy¡¯s attacks.


    As a result of their efforts to sustain shelling magic on the Outsiders, they were starting to run low on mana. They didn¡¯t have enough energy to deal with the cavalry¡¯s approach.


    Despite being plunged into crisis, Desir didn¡¯t panic and slowly examined the enemy. His two eyes were looking for the Kashuka Knights¡¯ nned route.


    ¡®For cavalries that can¡¯t make sharp turns, they¡¯re dead the moment their nned movement is discovered.¡¯


    Having finished organizing his thoughts, Desir gave Romantica an order. ¡°Romantica, aim for the one third from the front.¡±


    The enemy that Desir was pointing at was armed with particrly good weapons inparison to the rest of the cavalry.


    Romantica, too, had noticed the superiority of his gear through the difference in the flow of mana and soon went into sniping mode. And the moment the target entered her line of sight¡­ *BANG*


    The bullet pierced straight through the head of the Kashuka Knights¡¯ leader, and he tumbled off his horse like a rag doll.


    Using a weapon called a rifle to concentrate a significant amount of her power into a single bullet, Romantica¡¯s shot far surpassed her mana¡¯s limit in terms of strength.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡±


    ¡°Continue carrying out the leader¡¯s orders!¡±


    The Kashuka Knights turned a blind eye to their leader¡¯s death and continued charging. Desir¡¯s orders continued.


    ¡°Adjest, freeze the enemy¡¯s movements.¡±


    As soon as he finished talking, Adjest¡¯s calctions appeared in the form of a multitude of magical arrays in front of herself.


    [Forest of Crying White Crows] Fourth Circle ice magic.


    Hundreds of pirs of ice surfaced along the trajectory that the Kashuka Knights were following.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Their movements immediately slowed. The wall that had appeared out of nowhere forced them to quickly change their route.


    But without a leader to makemands, there was no way they were going to make a quick and unified decision.


    Desir raised his hand towards the hesitant Kashuka Knights. [me Storm]


    A spell that would normally be ssified as being of the Third Circle surged towards the Kashuka Knights with the force of a Sixth Circle spell.


    And as their silver armor dyed itself red¡­ *BAAAAANG*


    A huge firestorm erupted with a deafening roar. ¡°Th¡­ there¡¯s no way¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Regardless of which side they were on, everyone that was watching the scene had the same thought.


    There was no one that could survive in such mes that still continued to burn fiercely.


    The Kashuka Knights that had been at the center of the explosion, as well as assisting enemy troops surrounding them, were wiped outpletely.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t told about any of this! How could a magician of this level be mixed in amongst the infantry!¡±


    Having witnessed overwhelming magical power, the Outsiders fell into a panic. The Imperial Army didn¡¯t miss the opportunity.


    ¡°HRAAAAGH!¡±


    A multitude of battle cries sounded.


    The momentary upper hand that the Outsiders had imed swiftly returned to the Imperial Army.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve done enough.¡± It was like Pram said.


    The Starling Party had neutralized the enemy¡¯s attacks, andpletely annihted their main troops.


    They had created the current situation.


    The Outsiders resisted desperately. The situation had already turned against them, yet they remained persistent.


    Desir spoke to the party members as he gasped for air.


    ¡°Like Pram said, we¡¯ve done enough¡­ so let¡¯s leave the rest¡­ to the infantry¡­¡± At his orders, Romantica questioned him.


    ¡°We¡¯re not seeing it through to the end?¡±


    ¡°This is enough for now. This won¡¯t be thest battle anyway.¡±


    A magician¡¯s management of their mana was more important than a knight maintaining their fitness. A magician out of mana was no different than an ordinary person with no training.


    But that wasn¡¯t the only reason why Desir ordered a retreat. ¡®Something isn¡¯t right.¡¯


    Despite his overwhelming victory, he didn¡¯t look very happy.


    Going to the rear where themand center was located, the Starling Party was able to join up with Radoria and Kelt who had been active within the artillery troops. They had retreated to themand center after the Blue Moon and Red Dragon parties finished aiding the artillery unit, as well as their personal mana stores beingrgely depleted.


    Noticing the Starling Party, Radoria approached them.


    ¡°You guys are doing great. Thanks to you, the artillery battle was really easy. There¡¯s a tent at the back so you should rest up a bit.¡±


    Adjest, Romantica, and Pram hurried to the tent that Radoria was pointing at.


    But Desir was different. With a stiff expression, he continued examining the battlefield. When Desir didn¡¯t immediately join his party members to rest, Radoria spoke to him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Desir?¡±


    ¡°Things seem to be going easier than I expected it to. Since our main forces were sent to the central front to provide support, I¡¯d expected the situation to be difficult¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Radoria spoke as if she didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s obviously because you guys have done so well.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean.¡±


    The questions Desir had weren¡¯t about the current situation. They were more about the fundamental situation itself.


    The Outsiders, created by groups of criminals all over the continent, currently possessed enough power to be called the strongest on a battlefield.


    It was enough to go head-to-head with the forces provided by the Western Kingdom Union. And the current force of the Imperial Army that was mobilized for this war was only a fifth of the Allied Forces¡¯ power.


    Sensing the tense atmosphere flowing between Radoria and Desir, Kelt approached them.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange. Even though the troops that were sent to the western and central fronts were considerablyrge, when thinking about how powerful a force they have, the number of troops they sent here is far too little.¡±


    Kelt seemed to have realized that something was off as well. ¡°¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s certainly the case.¡±


    ¡°Is it because they don¡¯t want to take the risk? If they go all-out and lose, then that¡¯s it for them.¡±


    At Radoria¡¯s guess, Desir shook his head.


    The troops they¡¯d mobilized this time were far too big for them to have been preparing for next time.


    If the Outsiders lost this battle, they did have the homunculus as a wildcard, but it would be near impossible for them to overturn the situation.


    ¡®The Outsiders aren¡¯t in a position to save their power.¡¯


    He could only assume that they had something else they were aiming for.


    What could their goal be?


    Desir quickly reached a conclusion. ¡°¡­ ¡­ The supply routes.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If the homunculus at the central front was to tie down the Allied Forces¡¯ main forces and the supply routes in the western and eastern fronts were their main goals¡­ ¡±


    Radoria and Kelt turned pale.


    The Allied Forces that wereposed of the continent¡¯s greatest nations were truly enormous. If the supply routes were seized by the enemy, it would be impossible to maintain all those troops.


    They would lose without even getting a chance to fight the enemy properly. Radoria spoke urgently to Desir.


    ¡°We¡¯d better send a scouting party. I¡¯ll tell themand immediately.¡± ¡°We have no time for that. Romantica!¡±


    Surprised by Desir¡¯s call, Romantica jumped out. ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡±


    ¡°Romantica, I need you to invoke detection magic around the port¡¯s supply route.¡± Flustered, Radoria spoke.


    ¡°Desir, even if it¡¯s Romantica, using detection magic at such a distance¡­ ¡­ ¡± ¡°We¡¯ve always practiced within that range so it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Romantica cut off Radiora¡¯s words and began invoking detection magic.


    The wind blew around her, and soon it concentrated onto one point and stretched out.


    As the wind searched every nook and cranny of the battlefield, Romantica¡¯s eyebrows flinched.


    ¡°This is¡­ ¡±


    Desir hurriedly asked.


    ¡°Are you getting a response?¡±


    ¡°Around two thousand armored people are heading towards the supply route.¡±


    At Romantica¡¯s response, the expressions of Hebrion Academy¡¯s party leaders hardened. Kelt murmured.


    ¡°This entire assault was a ruse¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    The once heated atmosphere turned cold in an instant.

 Chapter 165. Going to War (5)

    <h4>Chapter 165. Going to War (5)</h4>


    It became readily apparent that the Outsiders were targeting the supply routes.


    In response, Desir hurriedly informed a nearby officer about the current situation and dered that he would be stepping forward to defend the supply routes.


    However, the response he got was tepid.


    ¡°I can¡¯t move that many troops just by listening to you. For now, I¡¯ll report it to the superiors.¡± Maintaining the frontlines would be impossible if they lost control of the supply routes. There was no way someone who¡¯d been promoted to officer wouldn¡¯t know that.


    However, any and all problems that arise from a personal judgment to move the troops would be his responsibility.


    ¡®He just wants to avoid responsibility and follow the system.¡¯


    Desir ryed the same information to the other officers, but the responses he got were all the same.


    Deciding that he couldn¡¯t dy this any longer, Desir spoke to Radoria and Kelt.


    ¡°I think that at least we, as people that have the right to act independently, should start moving first.¡±


    Radoria and Kelt expressed their agreement as they nodded.


    They had been thinking the same thing as Desir, so they quickly began gathering their party members.


    In no time, the number of people they gathered neared a hundred.


    Looking at their skills individually, the quality of their troops was rather high, but they could hardly be called arge group. With these few people, dealing with the two thousand people heading towards the supply routes was an impossible task.


    Just then, someone approached them.


    ¡°Are you Desir Arman?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°I am Lieutenant Colonel Yuta of the Imperial Army. Our infantry battalion will join you in supporting the supply routes.¡±


    Hebrion Academy¡¯s party members let out a sigh of relief.


    The infantry battalion had around four hundred troops. Even whenbined with the Hebrion Academy¡¯s party members, their entire force would only consist of five hundred people, but it was still a much better situation than before.


    ¡°Colonel Ranphell thinks quite highly of you.¡±


    Colonel Ranphell was the regimentmander that led the 1st Infantry Regiment stationed on the eastern front.


    He had heard about Desir¡¯s achievements on the frontlines, leading him to entrust his troops to him.


    ¡®So they do have amander with good judgement.¡¯


    They didn¡¯t have a second to waste. They immediately made their way towards the supply routes.


    It was about twenty minutester, as they were making their move. *Bang*


    *BANG*


    As they got closer and closer to the harbor, the sounds of explosions got louder and louder. ck, ashy smoke was billowing up.


    The magician in charge of surveince informed everyone. ¡°Large amounts of mana are being unleashed at our destination!¡±


    Hearing that, everybody looked towards the harbor that was slowlying into sight. And once they saw the Outsiders surrounding the harbor, they were lost for words.


    The equipment the Outsiders upying the supply routes were equipped with was identical to what the Kashuka Knights were armed with at the front lines. But the weapons weren¡¯t the only problem.


    ¡°That g¡­ Isn¡¯t that Raden, the King of Mountains?¡±


    ¡°The rumors that the Lion¡¯s Mane Magic Corps and the Gandel Institute¡¯s expelled magicians joined the Outsiders¡­ Were they true?¡±


    Among the members of the Outsiders¡¯s forces busy attacking the supply routes, were groups so infamous that it would be surprising if there was anyone that didn¡¯t know their name.


    It wasn¡¯t a surprise that the Imperial Army was struggling since the group was made up of talented individuals that could evenpare to the Allied Forces¡¯ strongest troops. It was amazing that they had even managed to hold out this long without knowing if they had reinforcements.


    Each of the factions within the Outsiders proudly held up their own gs.


    Looking at the Outsiders shouting in glee as they rampaged, they looked more like they werepeting against each other, more than as if they were fighting with their lives.


    Desir¡¯s gazended on the Outsiders¡¯ magician troops that were busy firing at the city¡¯s walls from the hill facing the main gate of the harbor city.


    ¡®The first target we need to take care of is the Lion¡¯s Mane Magic Corps.¡¯


    The Lion¡¯s Mane Magic Corps includes three Fifth Circle magicians. They were a notable group even within the Outsiders.


    A Fifth Circle magician was a fearsome being, on the level of being a strategic-level weapon in their own right. For the Lion¡¯s Mane to have three of them, it went without saying that they were extremely dangerous.


    ¡°Kill them! Burn them all!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll create gusts of wind with magic so invoke some me magic.¡±


    With the magic of the three Fifth Circle magicians, the Empire was umting more and more fatal damage.


    Desir spoke to Lieutenant Colonel Yuta.


    ¡°I think we should put off joining the garrison for now and deal with their artillery troops first.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. I¡¯ll instruct the troops to do so.¡±


    After witnessing the force of Fifth Circle magic firsthand, Yuta had no choice but to agree with Desir.


    ¡°When I give the signal, I¡¯ll start attacking the troops stationed on that hill immediately.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be invoking shelling magic.¡±


    Other parties that had realized Desir¡¯smand abilities during the partypetition also followed Desir¡¯s orders.


    ¡®Right now, while they still haven¡¯t noticed us, is our golden opportunity.¡¯


    After giving his instructions, Desir started inverting the magic that the Fifth Circle magicians were invoking.


    Compared to the magicians he¡¯d been dealing withtely, it was certainly a more difficult task.


    ¡®But it isn¡¯t hard.¡¯


    In Desir¡¯s eyes, they were all about the same.


    Unfortunately, everything didn¡¯t go perfectly this time around. *Whip*


    ¡°There are enemy reinforcements at the back!¡±


    It was a stroke of bad timing. Of all the people, it was the magicians invoking detection magic that noticed their presence.


    For Desir¡¯s unit, which had been preparing tounch a surprise attack from the rear, it was a rather troublesome situation.


    One of the Fifth Circle magicians leading the Lion¡¯s Mane Magic Corps reached out to Desir with a sneer covering on his face.


    ¡°Hah, such fools. If you thought closebat was worth a try, you¡¯re sorely mista¡­ ¡­ ¡± ¡°Be quiet.¡±


    With a flick of Desir¡¯s hand, the magic that was being invoked by the Fifth Circle magician scattered like an illusion.


    ¡°Huh¡­ ¡­ ?¡± ¡°Now!¡±


    While the Lion¡¯s Mane Magic Corps couldn¡¯t hide their bafflement, the Red Dragon party opened fire with their magic with Radoria in the lead.


    [Fire Cannon] [ze]


    The me magic raged uncontrobly right in the middle of the Lion¡¯s Mane¡¯s formation. Unprepared for enemy attacks from the rear, they were utterly exposed to the unexpected attacks and left in an utterly defenseless state.


    ¡°Hrrugh!¡±


    ¡°Aaarghhh!¡±


    With firepower as their specialty, the Red Dragon party¡¯s shelling was remarkable. In an instant, the enemy¡¯s formation began to copse.


    The Lion Mane magic knights immediately tried to fight back, but the group made of magicians were helpless in front of Desir.


    Two Fifth Circle magicians, with powerparable to strategic weapons on their own right, died without even getting a chance to fight back.


    Thanks to Desir, most of the Lion¡¯s Mane¡¯s forces were neutralized, and even what was left of it had been severely damaged by the Red Dragon party¡¯s shelling.


    The Imperial Army¡¯s infantry followed suit and charged at the enemy. ¡°Do anything necessary to stop the enemy from getting closer!¡±


    The Lion Mane magic knights fought back desperately. [Fire Burst]


    But having lost too many of their troops already, their actions looked like a futile struggle of a writhing, disgusting insect.


    In the end, the magicians that could not offer much real resistance had allowed the enemy to approach and ended up being ughtered mercilessly.


    Determining that they had done enough, Desir yelled out. ¡°We must regroup quickly before we¡¯re surrounded!¡±


    They had seeded in neutralizing the force of the Fifth Circle magicians, but that had exposed their presence to the rest of the Outsiders.


    ¡°Stop the enemies before they join together!¡±


    The Outsiders hurried to move to prevent the garrisoned forces in the town and Desir¡¯s reinforcement force from joining up. They surrounded the castle and began sending troops to reinforce the gate.


    From the number of troops alone, the Outsiders were at an advantage, but fortunately, they had deployed their infantry troops in a round formation surrounding the harbor.


    It wasn¡¯t impossible to break through such a formation, so long as they focused their efforts and cut through at a single spot.


    Hebrion Academy¡¯s magicians invoked magic inrge doses to stop the Outsiders¡¯ troops from gathering.


    *BANG*


    The magic invoked by the promising magicians of the continent¡¯s best institution did not fall behind in power inparison to the magic invoked by the Outsiders¡¯ magicians. If anything, they were superior.


    Someone from the Imperial Army called out to Desir. ¡°The enemy is invoking magic at us!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with it so focus on running!¡± [Tales of Water]


    [Ice Whisper]


    With Desir¡¯s inversions and the Hebrion Academy students¡¯ magic, the magic being shot towards the reinforcements could mostly be stopped.


    ¡°Hrrgh, ugh!¡±


    Though the magic that couldn¡¯t be stopped caused some casualties, they had no time to hesitate. They had no choice but to leave them behind.


    ¡°I can see the end!¡±


    As the reinforcements neared the gate, the garrison that was protecting the city started to respond.


    ¡°Open up! We must open the gates now!¡±


    The garrison started opening the castle gates. At the same time, they also sent out troops to help the reinforcements get inside safely.


    [Burst Fire]


    [Sand Ground]


    Thanks to the garrison¡¯s support, the reinforcements began to enter the castle smoothly. ¡°Hurry!¡±


    Desir remained outside the castle until the end and did his best to invert the Outsiders¡¯ magic that was being sted at them.


    It was right then.


    Desir suddenly sensed tremendous bloodthirst. At the same moment, Runel, which had been concealed within his sleeve, popped out.


    *ng*


    The hatchet heading straight for Desir¡¯s head collided with Runel, causing a shrill cry to reverberate throughout the battlefield.


    The hatchet was extremely small, but it seemed to be carrying a powerful aura. The fact that Runel, an A-ss artifact, was shaking violently was proof of its power.


    Desir looked towards the direction the hatchet came from. There stood a man who seemed rather disappointed.


    The power of his aura told him that the man was at least skilled enough to be in the Bishop ss.


    A Bishop ss that was nearing the King ss at that.


    Someone as skilled as whoever threw the hatchet wasn¡¯t thatmon on the continent. Desir could easily deduce the man¡¯s identity.


    ¡®So he¡¯s probably Raden, the King of Mountains¡­¡­¡±


    Lined up behind him were others that showed the same amount of vigor. They were the true main troops of this raid.


    Desir felt his gut tighten. He had a premonition that this would now be a tough fight. ¡°Desir, please hurry!¡±


    Desir could hear Pram¡¯s voice by his ears. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    He turned his gaze away from Raden and headed into the castle.


    * * *


    Countless people died and an ocean of blood was spilt.


    The massive harbor was dyed red with blood.


    On thend littered with corpses stood one person, alone.


    Not a single breathing creature remained around the woman adorned with a mask decorated beautifully with jewels and feathers.


    Even her allies stared at her from afar with eyes full of fear.


    Feather Mask smiled as she watched the Imperial Army¡¯s reinforcements join.


    She didn¡¯t know how important that ce was, nor did she know what the current situation meant.


    No, she didn¡¯t want to know.


    There was only one principle that made her move.


    A simple principle. It was frightening due to its sheer simplicity.


    Desire.


    A desire for blood.


    But she only looked at one ce, paying no attention to the ground soaked in blood. ¡°So that¡¯s the boy Crow Mask wouldn¡¯t stop thering about.¡±


    She smiled sensuously with a slight hint of excitement. ¡°What is the color of your blood?¡±

 Chapter 166. Blood Princess (1)

    <h4>Chapter 166. Blood Princess (1)</h4>


    The castle gates roared shut. What remained from the five hundred men were safe within the castle walls.


    After entering the castle, the reinforcements were immediately greeted with the overwhelming cries of relief from the supply route¡¯s garrison.


    ¡°God did not abandon us!¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯re even skilled enough to beat the Lion¡¯s Mane¡­ ¡± They weren¡¯t expecting any reinforcements toe.


    The outsiders had employed a tactic where the minority used the majority as the bait.


    The supply route garrison had all but given up. Once they realized what the Outsiders had done, they knew the supply route was as good as lost. Highmand wouldn¡¯t realize and their lives would be forfeit.


    But when reinforcements had arrived miraculously, the soldiers who were drowning in their hopeless situation felt an overwhelming surge of relief.


    But as soon their bodies began to grow ck from the tension of the situation fading, an angry roar resounded throughout the castle¡¯s halls.


    ¡°Everyone, take your position and hold down the fort! There is still an enemy in front of our eyes!¡±


    The man who let out the angry roar was an old man with a long, white beard.


    Desir felt extremelyrge amount of powerful flow of mana circte within the old man. He was apetent Fifth-Circle magician.


    After the garrison¡¯smander gave the order, he approached Colonel Yuta and saluted him. ¡°Thanks to you, we¡¯re saved. I am Commander Gereon, and I¡¯m leading the unit here.¡±


    Like all the other soldiers, Commander Gereon was extremely exhausted, but a resolute smile spread across his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m Colonel Yuta. If we hold out a little longer, the main force will soon arrive as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    Gereon¡¯s sigh of relief was cut short, however, when a spell wasunched at the castle and immediately demolished a few of the surrounding buildings.


    There was no time to have a leisurely conversation.


    ¡°Our unit will be under yourmand and we will follow your orders.¡±


    Geron reported to Colonel Yuta in detail and, after being briefed, Colonel Yuta gave thebined force their new orders and positions.


    The Imperial Army moved like a perfect machine.


    Of course, the students of the Hebrion Empire weren¡¯t just resting. They offered their assistance wherever it was needed, since they were volunteers within the Imperial Army as well.


    The Imperial Army steadily began reconstructing the line of defense.


    The garrison wouldn¡¯t be able to shift the tide with just their increase in numbers. After all, the Outsiders still had more troops in the first ce.


    It was because even though the number of reinforcements was smaller than average, the troops that had arrived were vastly superior in quality.


    Above all else, one could say that a unit consisting of the Hebrion Academy¡¯s parties - which contained less than one hundred people - was an elite unit within the Imperial Army.


    * * *


    [Ice Flower]


    [Fire Bolt]


    The Imperial Army waspletely able to turn the tides. They had gone from being crushed to subtly gaining the upper hand. When Desir¡¯s reinforcements arrived, theypletely annihted the Lion¡¯s Mane Magic Corps - the Outsider¡¯s main force.


    [Giga Tryce]


    Desir continued to unleash a volley of spells until he ran out of mana. He would then pull back, recuperate, and rejoin the defense. With his assistance, the Outsiders werepletely blocked from assaulting the ramparts.


    The Imperial Army slowly moved into a higher gear and the Outsiders, who were attacking without hesitation, began to drop in numbers even faster.


    However, Desir judged that they should not lower their guard just yet.


    ¡®There are still too many of them to getfortable. The troops we¡¯re fighting with now have juste from the front line and are exhausted, it won¡¯t be long until we¡¯re forced to slow down our assault.¡¯


    Right now, the Imperial Army was high in spirit as a result of their reinforcements joining them, but war was not a beast fickle enough to be won by spirit alone.


    If the Outsiders regrouped and decided to turn the siege into a battle of attrition, the situation would quickly be grim.


    Desir, who was gauging the battlefield in front of him, suddenly realized one thing. Raden, the King of Mountains.


    He was not seen anywhere.


    Desir frowned in concern when the greatest military asset the Outsiders currently had leading their siege, was nowhere to be found.


    ¡®Where did he go?¡¯


    Raden was one of the most dangerous pieces on Desir¡¯s mental battlefield. If he couldn¡¯t be monitored, the situation could be dire at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Unfortunately, it was at that moment¡­


    A messenger rushed to kneel in front of Gereon, nearly stumbling, and gave his report while still gasping for breath.


    ¡°Commander! I believe the rampart at the harbor will soon be lost!¡± ¡°Report! What is the situation?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m unsure what the reason is, but the soldiers who were responsible for guarding the ramparts have devolved into an internal conflict. The Outsiders assaulting have taken advantage of the situation and there¡¯s no one stopping them from climbing the ramparts.¡± Colonel Yuta¡¯s face turned deadly pale.


    ¡°Did you just say we¡¯re losing the harbor¡­ to an internal conflict?¡± Internal conflict.


    At a time when they were locked in a critical fight against the Outsiders, the men stationed there had chosen to pick fights with each other.


    Colonel Yuta could not believe this was happening.


    ¡°It¡¯s imperative we find out what¡¯s going on down there, immediately. If it¡¯s true that there¡¯s a conflict, suppressing that takes the utmost priority.¡±


    He was evidently flustered at the absurdity of the situation, but he organized the unit and took action with the calmposure you could expect from a veteran.


    Desir spoke to Colonel Yuta.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about what¡¯s going on down there. My party and I will head towards the harbor as well.¡±


    After Colonel Yuta thought for a brief moment, he nodded soon after. ¡°Understood. Then, I¡¯ll leave you in charge.¡±


    The Starling Party went towards the harbor with approximately 70 soldiers that had been quickly organized by Yuta.


    They were able to acutely feel the horrors of the war as they were heading towards the city center. At the city, which probably used to be a ce full of vitality, only darkness was present.


    ¡®We need to end the war without a moment¡¯s dy.¡¯


    It was not long before the Starling Party reached the inner part of the city and were able to witness the internal conflict that the soldier was talking about.


    Before them were tworge groups of soldiers, wearing the same armor, fighting with each other in the center of the city.


    ¡®What the hell¡­ ¡¯


    It was not what one could typically consider an internal conflict. ¡°W-Wait!¡±


    ¡°Stop! It¡¯s me!¡±


    One side was still rational and tried to make a conversation, but the other side seemed to have gone totally mad.


    Those who were attacking their allies didn¡¯t just lose their ability to reason. Rather, it was as though they had lost their humanity, as though they had been reduced to bloodthirsty beasts. ¡°Kraaaarghh!¡±


    They were extremely powerful. They easily crushed the irond pieces of armor that their fellow soldiers were wearing.


    ¡°Is that the price one has to pay for grasping power in their hands?¡±


    Whenever they moved, whether they simply took a step or tore apart steel te with their bare hands, the blood vessels within their bodies burst out in response to the pressure.


    Despite the enormous amount of bleeding, the rampaging soldiers seemed to show no signs of stopping. They ignored the soldiers attempting to stop them and continued to rampage like madmen.


    It was simply impossible for normal soldiers to resist those who were exhibiting a power above their limits.


    What remained of the rational Imperial Army was seized up in a state of confusion, and as a result, was slowly retreating.


    But there was another problem.


    A soldier, who had rolled his ankle while retreating, fell down and began crying out while desperately dragging himself across the ground, trying desperately to get away from the approaching monstrosities.


    ¡°H-Help me!¡±


    However, it was impossible for his cry to be heard by those who had lost their faculties of reason. A mad soldier gnawed on his ally without any hesitation.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±


    The soldier, who was being gnawed at, struggled for a while as he cried out for help. Momentster, he stopped moving just like a marite who suddenly had its strings cut¡­


    Then, the Starling Party witnessed a horrifying sight. ¡°Kurghhh! Kuurrghh!¡±


    The face of the gnawed soldier started to be a bloodshot face. Then, instead of shouting for help, he let out a horrible shriek.


    When he stood up on both of his feet, he was in a mad state just like the one who had gnawed on him.


    * * *


    It was infectious.


    This unidentifiable condition was contagious and was spreading throughout the impromptu battlefield.


    Romantica, bewildered, murmured to herself. ¡°¡­ Is this magic as well?¡±


    Never had she seen a spell able to exert such a powerful influencing effect. Not even Desir had ever encountered this kind of magic.


    A man, who was an ally a moment ago, began to attack others in order to infect them and eventually get killed by his own friends. How many soldiers would be able to keep their wits in this mysterious situation?


    The Imperial Army was under attack from their very own forces, without being able to properly take action and the number of soldiers losing their rationality was increasing exponentially.


    Desir shouted towards those who were panicking.


    ¡°If possible, suppress them instead of killing them! If it is a spell affiliated with mind control, then we should be able to break it by destroying the channel or demolishing the magician¡¯s spell.¡±


    He ended hismand by invoking a spell.


    [Bind]


    The restriction spell that Desir invoked was aimed at some soldiers who were preupied, attempting to infect a group that was still sane.


    Those who had been resigned to just watching the disastrous scene absent-mindedly started to move as well. The soldiers paired up. Then, they started to face those who were tackling them. Pram was the first person to take the lead.


    He held his rapier and headed towards the back of the mad soldiers.


    A mad soldier noticed Pram¡¯s existence and ran towards him with a spear, rushing forward at near-literal breakneck speed. This kind of speed was impossible for any normal soldier. *Swish*


    But he wasn¡¯t good enough to keep up with Pram, who had refined his skill and speed in order to reach the Rook ss.


    Pram quickly read the trajectory of the spear, dodged it, and then kicked the soldier, bringing him to his knees. He then hit the scruff of the soldier¡¯s neck with his hilt, with the intention of knocking him out.


    *Wham*


    ¡°Kruuaaarrgh!¡±


    However, it was no use. The soldier tried to skewer Pram once again.


    The soldier straightened up while Pram backed off to dodge his attack. He wasn¡¯t affected in any sort of way.


    ¡®He doesn¡¯t even pass out. This is difficult.¡¯


    If it was difficult for a Rook ss like Pram, then it would be even more difficult for the regr soldiers.


    ¡®Then there is only one way¡­ ¡¯ Pram gave Desir the look.


    After Desir caught his eyes, he sighed and nodded as if it was inevitable.


    When Pram got his answer, he turned to look at the soldier in front of him. The soldier was running up towards Pram just in time.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    Pram got in position, as if strengthening his resolve. He then sliced down towards the legs of the soldier running towards him.


    *Crrraaack*


    A terrifying sound echoed everywhere.


    Pram broke the legs of the mad soldiers without a moment of hesitation.


    Romantica¡¯s response was the same. After controlling the power of the spells, she only aimed at the legs.


    *Baang*


    ¡°Kraarrghh!¡±


    The soldiers, having lost their legs to Pram and Romantica, let out horrible shrieks as their movements were forcibly halted.


    Within the Starling Party, the one with the best ability to handle issues in this kind of situation was Adjest.


    Her Ice Magic was very suitable for restraining her opponent¡¯s movements. [Frost Fog]


    Chilly fog was spread everywhere.


    Under Adjest¡¯s control, the fog froze all of the soldiers who had gone mad.


    The soldiers around her began to freeze, starting from their legs before it spread to their lower half, before totally freezing them.


    Under the expert direction of the Starling Party, the situation in the city center was quickly resolved.

 Chapter 167. Blood Princess (2)

    <h4>Chapter 167. Blood Princess (2)</h4>


    Desir approached the soldiers who had lost their rationality, and ced his hands on their heads. He attempted to invert the magic currently possessing them.


    ¡®So that¡¯s why.¡¯


    Desir spoke to the members of Desir¡¯s group. ¡°I¡¯ve figured out why we can¡¯t invert the spell.¡±


    The first thing Desir had tried when he saw the soldiers was to invert the spell. There was no other usible exnation for the infection other than magic.


    No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t invert the spell. No matter how hard he searched, he just couldn¡¯t find any spell on them to invert in the first ce.


    After examining the soldiers, he was able to realize why he was unable to detect any magic. . ¡°The soldiers weren¡¯t individually possessed by the mind controlling spell. They were connected to the spells that the magician was arranging from a remote point.¡±


    Desir pointed towards the blood that was running down from the soldiers¡¯ face.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t ordinary blood. It¡¯s a conduit for the magician to arrange his spells through.¡±


    This formless magic was well beyond human knowledge and ignored several theories that were the foundation of magic, as they knew it.


    Undoubtedly, it was a form of Vision Magic. *Boom*


    When the sound of an explosion came from somewhere nearby, Desir raised his head and looked around.


    ck smoke billowed up from another location in the outskirts of the city. The Outsiders were still continuing their assault.


    Desir didn¡¯t hesitate in giving orders to Romantica. He needed information in order to urately grasp the situation.


    ¡°Romantica¡­ can you confirm the direction of the flow of the ck smoke for me?¡± ¡°Understood.¡±


    Romantica, busy invoking the spell, didn¡¯t seem very happy.


    ¡°The Outsiders have entered the castle and are now heading towards the harbor. The number of infected people is increasing and if this goes on¡­ ¡±


    Desir gave orders to a nearby soldier.


    ¡°Please hurry andmunicate the current situation to Colonel Yuta. We should give up on the defense of the rampart and go defend the harbor.¡±


    The harbor was the focal point for the supply route. No matter how hard they tried to hold the rampart, if the harbor was destroyed, then none of their efforts would matter.


    Desir spoke towards the remaining soldiers.


    ¡°There are two ways we can resolve this situation. The first way is to pull the blood out of their body. The blood that is the catalyst of the spell.¡±


    To do so, however, was impossible. It would mean death for the soldiers. ¡°The second way is to get rid of the magician who is performing this spell.¡±


    Desir was thinking that if they directly confronted the magician, they would definitely be able to stop the spell.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t invert the magic, if they could get rid of the magician, the spell would be broken.


    ¡°If we follow the trail of manaing from the catalyst, we can find the magician and put an end to all this.¡±


    * * *


    The room was filled with the thick, pungent smell of blood.


    Raden looked down from the top of the church spire.


    He saw a crowd of people, numerous beyond count, who were shuffling around. No, to call them people wasn¡¯t right. After all, they weren¡¯t human anymore.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    It had a close resemnce to a tidal wave.


    An army of the dead.


    A spell that had started with a single individual was now dominating the entire Imperial Army, and had sessfully forged a new army.


    The undead army was flocking towards the location of the next skirmish between the Imperial Army and the Outsiders. As soon as they arrived, theyshed out indiscriminately, transforming both Imperial soldiers and members of the Outsiders alike.


    This indiscriminate magic was unstoppable.


    Even Raden had no choice but to watch the marching of the mad men.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t my army magnificent? An artistic parade, filled with those who thirst for blood. I must admit, I¡¯ve really outdone myself this time. I¡¯ve sculpted this beautifully!¡±


    Sculpted.


    Feather Mask would usually use that expression to refer to the cruel treatment that she has ced upon others. She referred to herself as an artist.


    ¡®¡­ Turning the Outsiders, our own soldiers, is unnecessarily cruel.¡¯


    Raden kept his thoughts to himself. He was acutely aware of Feather Mask¡¯s ability. ¡°It¡¯s almost time.¡±


    ¡°Time for what?¡±


    ¡°For us to achieve our goal, of course!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Isn¡¯t our goal to destroy the harbor, the enemy¡¯s supply route?¡± Feather Mask just smiled in silence, not responding to Raden¡¯s question.


    It was a smile filled with pure excitement and thrill. *Crash*


    There was a sound of an explosion and the building shook violently.


    At the same time, sounds of weapons shing and sounds of people screaming echoed through the building.


    One of Raden¡¯s subordinates rushed in and reported. ¡°G-General, the Imperial Army has¡­!¡±


    He could not finish his words. A pure white sword has prated his chest.


    His body slumped, and revealed the Starling Party behind him, along with a few apanying soldiers from the Imperial Army.


    Raden recognized Desir and was startled. ¡°That man¡­ ¡±


    He remembered Desir, because even though he didn¡¯t use all his strength to strike him, Desir was able to easily block his hatchet, which he had infused with his Aura.


    ¡°I knew you would be able to reach here.¡± Feather Mask greeted them while pping.


    Even though Desir expected the magician to be aware of their arrival, since he had been following her flow of mana, he was suspicious of how they were greeting them in such a rxed state.


    ¡°Were you waiting for us?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Desir Arman, I wanted to get the chance to meet you.¡±


    Desir didn¡¯t think it was strange that the Outsiders would know his name after the incident at Prillecha.


    ¡°I¡¯m ttered.¡±


    Raden¡¯s subordinates started to surround the Starling Party.


    Desir smirked as he looked around him, taking note of the number and power level of the soldiers surrounding them.


    There were approximately thirty of them.


    Feather Mask spoke Desir.


    ¡°All right. I would like to reward you since you managed toe here. Is there anything you want? How about a kiss?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice, but I was thinking maybe you could stop the spells that are wreaking havoc outside.¡±


    ¡°That may be a little difficult. It was a very tough spell to arrange, after all. Besides, I couldn¡¯t cancel it, even if I wanted to. Hmm, if you don¡¯t want the kiss, let¡¯s see¡­ What choice do we have here?¡±


    After thinking for a while, she pped.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You should probably see the face of the artist that will be sculpting you, right?¡± She took off her mask.


    Behind the mask was a captivatingly beautiful woman. Her eyes and hair were redder than blood. Her lips were upied by a smile which seemed like it could bewitch men.


    She lifted her dress slightly to curtsy at Desir.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, I am Dracul Labutte Elkaera. I¡¯m the only surviving Blood Magician in this world, and an artist beyond anything you¡¯ve seen before.¡±


    There was an intense, pungent smell of blood. At the same time, a red ghastly energy started to swirl around Dracul¡¯s body.


    She was almost certainly invoking a spell.


    There was a faint sound of wailing mad men outside the window.


    An explosively dangerous situation had developed.


    *BANG*


    A single gunshot signaled a deration of war. A wind spell came out of nowhere andpletely blew up the rooftop.


    Before the Starling Party charged in, Romantica had positioned herself in a neighboring building. A sudden attack from an unexpected direction hit harder than imagined. One of Raden¡¯s soldiers was killed in a blink of an eye.


    ¡°Everyone, attack.¡± ¡°Waaarrghh!¡±


    The Imperial Army charged towards Raden¡¯s bandits, disconcerted from the sudden loss of theirrade. The initiative had been seized by Romantica¡¯s quick thinking, and even quicker bullet.


    Leading the Imperial Army¡¯s charge was none other than Pram. ¡°Keukkk!¡±


    One of the bandits who was blocking his advance had a long red mark carved into his chest. He wasn¡¯t able to dodge. Before too long, a few soldiers had fallen and the bandits continued to rue damage. Raden wasn¡¯t going to let his men fall needlessly, and joined the battle. He drew a hatchet and imbued it with his Aura. ¡°How dare you¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Your opponent is me.¡±


    Adjest blocked Raden, preventing him from joining the battle. [Frozen Pce]


    Dozens of ice spells were shot out from the gigantic pce. Raden wasn¡¯t able to break through the walls of ice easily. With the number of spells flying towards him, he couldn¡¯t join the main force of the battle, and was forced to focus on Adjest first.


    He stole an opportunity to assess the situation outside.


    ¡°Krodin! North-East! The two-story building! You handle the sniper!¡±


    He was able to identify the location of the sniper in an instant through the trajectory of the spells.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Communication within a well-trained team could be extremely fast. Three subordinates started to head out in order to deal with the sniper.


    When the Imperial Army couldn¡¯t instantly crush Raden¡¯s bandits, they began to enter formation while counter-attacking any oing blows.


    Raden¡¯s bandits were well-trained and masterfully controlled under hismand. Their forces wereposed of skilled soldiers ranging from the Pawn to Knight sses.


    Despite the huge numerical advantage the Imperial Army had, it wouldn¡¯t be an easy battle to win.


    When the cover that Romantica was providing them was cut off, the advantage had fallen to the Raden Bandits.


    Pram made a strenuous effort to seed, but he eventually resigned himself to preventing soldiers from dying rather than taking out the bandits.


    Adjest¡¯s situation was not all that great either.


    Raden quickly adapted to the Frozen Pce. He was able to calmly deflect all the spells Adjest fired and slowly advanced.


    Through tactical responses to the spells she invoked, Raden had turned this into close-quartersbat in no time.


    Raden¡¯s swordsmanship was far greater than Adjest¡¯s. With each swing, he gained a greater advantage.


    [Magic Sword: Ice Breath]


    Adjest invoked her Magic Sword in order to gain the upper hand.


    However, her trajectory was easy to read.


    Raden parried Adjest¡¯s Magic Sword with his right hatchet before it could even reach half way towards its intended destination.


    While she was off-kilter, from the counter-attack, Raden swung his axe from the left side towards her neck.


    Adjest barely raised her sword in time. *aang*


    The impact of Raden¡¯s Aura-imbued hatchet was too great for Adjest. She wasunched backwards, but before Raden could take advantage of this, she formed ayer of ice to prevent his approach.


    All of Adjest¡¯s attacks were being read.


    Adjest has experienced something like this before. It was just like when she faced off against Donape.


    Raden was not an ordinary man either.


    A man known as the King of the Mountains.


    A strong man who dominated numerous battlefields with his ferocious bandits.


    He didn¡¯t just have overwhelming Aura¡­ His swordsmanship was almost King ss.

 Chapter 168. Blood Princess (3)

    <h4>Chapter 168. Blood Princess (3)</h4>


    Unless they were supported and protected, high-level magicians did not recklessly use their strongest spells. In order to invoke high-level magic, one would need to use a lot of mana, and the casting time would inevitably be long as a result.


    This was the reason why the speed of spell arrangement and the technique used to invoke magic was important during duels between two magicians at a simr level.


    The magical duel between Desir and Dracul was intense. [Blood Beast]


    [Sigh of Kizard]


    The speed of their spell arrangements was neck and neck.


    As a blood-red beast opened its gigantic mouth and rushed towards Desir, a circr ice shield materialized in front of him.


    *Crashhh*


    The beast was not able to prate the shield and returned to being a blob of blood.


    Dracul invoked two spells one after another, as if anticipating that Desir would be able to defend against the first one.


    [Blood Explosion]


    [Red Edge]


    After the blood exploded and flew in all directions, it rejoined into one puddle due to her second spell and rained down.


    However, Desir had long jumped out of the way. *Craaashh*


    Being able to read the flow of her mana and deal with the spells before they even formed almost looked like a precognitive ability.


    Although Desir was managing the situation, he didn¡¯t seem too happy at the moment. A magical duel.


    Desir felt quite confident that he wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone during a one-on-one magical duel. His ability to invert and neutralize, even before his opponent could invoke a spell, made him a magician¡¯s natural enemy.


    But the situation he found himself in was different. ¡°You¡¯re very determined.¡±


    ¡°This is a gift I prepared for you. I do hope you like it. I put so much work into this. If you were able to handle it easily, I would¡¯ve been quite upset.¡±


    She contorted the spell arrays that she was invoking.


    Her spell arrays were getting drastically twisted and deformed, obviously in preparation for Desir¡¯s inversion techniques, but what she did waspletely overkill.


    Other than the basic spell techniques that could barely be modified, she contorted all of her other spells two to threefold. It was difficult to even figure out the original form of the spells, based on their grotesque manifestation.


    ¡®Even so, she¡¯s only at the Sixth-Circle level. If I just focus on inverting those spells, I should still be able to pull it off.¡¯


    *Craashh*


    Desir was not able to focus on just the inversion. He had to focus on every little detail in a magical duel.


    [Blood Tail]


    It was very fortunate that Runel was there to support him.


    It moved around Desir at high speed, defending him from the whips that flooded their way, thereby buying Desir some valuable spell calction time.


    When the blood whip bounced back, it split into two whips and attacked Desir from the front and the back. Desir¡¯s spell was barelypleted in time.


    [Gravity Control] Third-Circle gravity magic.


    The effect of a spell that manipted the effects of gravity. The whips that were about to take shape again were pinned to the ground due to the overwhelmingly strong gravitational pull. [Iron-Blood Thorn]


    A drop of red blood turned ck. *Crrak*


    It solidified into an iron-like form.


    Due to the protracted length of this battle, blood had been scattered everywhere. As a result, the sheer amount of solidified blood droplets blocked most of Desir¡¯s vision.


    [Wind Bullet]


    Desir invoked a wind spell and dispersed all traces of the solidified blood. The ground around him disintegrated, excluding the narrow piece of ground he was standing on.


    Subsequently, Dracul invoked a spell. The scattered blood started to move once again, gathering around her.


    Her actions had started to reveal a pattern.


    This was the preparation stage of her spell casting cycle. Desir used the opening in this timing to counterattack. [Summon Lightning]


    There was a pure white sh of light.


    An intense arc of lightning coursed through the blood and flooded out towards her. *Kaboom*


    But there wasn¡¯t any sort of noise, or death wail. He had clearly managed to invoke his spell before she even had the opportunity to defend herself. There was no way to avoid it.


    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed. Is this all you¡¯ve got?¡±


    The voice was located behind him. Desir spun around.


    Ady¡¯s figure formed out of a puddle of blood before turning into Dracul¡¯s figure. ¡°Ssh¡­ ?¡±


    Fourth-Circle water magic.


    It was a spell where one could liquidate themselves and neutralize an enemy¡¯s attack. ¡®No, it¡¯s a step ahead of that level of magic.¡¯


    At that moment, she opened her mouth. ¡°Apologies. I started to get a little bit bored.¡±


    The spell that was invoked was clearly different from the spells she had deployed until now. The amount of mana that was gathered was on an entirely different level.


    [Out Blood Break]


    Dozens of spheres, consisting entirely of blood, formed at the same time.


    Desir¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Seeing this, Draculughed cheerfully.


    ¡°You were mistaken about something. You secretly judged that I wouldn¡¯t be able to arrange high-level spells, am I correct? And so you thought that you would stand a chance by using low-level spells to figure out how to invert my own, step by step. Right?¡±


    She unhesitatingly dered something based entirely on her own conjecture. Without any hard proof, she still seemed confident in her theory on what Desir¡¯s goal in the duel was.


    The modern spell system, used by practically every mage, worked off of an algebraic, deterministic system. The stronger the spell was, the more mana would be consumed.


    The limitation of that system lead Desir to believe that Dracul wouldn¡¯t be able to arrange higher-level spells. Arge amount of her mana was being siphoned off to power the mad men spell that she currently had deployed¡­ the spell serving as the sole cause of the apocalypse outside.


    It was clear that an enormous amount of her mana had been exhausted. Yet she was still able to invoke a high-level spell. Her brows weren¡¯t even furrowed in concentration or exertion. Desir invoked [Fire Bolt].


    At that moment, all of the scattered blood enveloped Dracul, who was still invoking her spell, forming a protective shield around her.


    It was probably a defensive measure that she had consciously deployed to give her this opportunity.


    However, the shock that Dracul expected did not eventuate. Desir instead smashed a nearby wall.


    *Crash*


    The wall had copsed. ¡°¡­ !¡±


    Desir, who smashed the wall, fled the dueling arena. [Wind st]


    He invoked a wind spell at the same time.


    Desir threw himself towards a building on the opposite side.


    Dracul was only startled for a moment, before smiling. Desir was running away, and she loved a good hunt.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in escaping.¡±


    She targeted the area outside the window.


    ¡°This is the strongest Blood Magic spell, renowned for its incredible range and scope of effect.¡±


    The spell wasplete.


    Suddenly, the surrounding area was smeared in a shade of red.


    It was an immense explosion of blood.


    In every battlefield, it was inevitable for there to be blood everywhere. This kind of spell should have blown Desir to bits.


    [Fire Storm]


    However, Desir was also making his own preparations. It was a spell with the power of a typical Sixth-Circle spell. A spell that relied on the use of his new magical system, as well as the draconguage.


    An intense fire storm shed with her spell.


    The windows of the surrounding buildings were blown out from the ensuing shockwave. After invoking such a strong spell, she smiled with amusement.


    ¡°Ah, so you did have a secret move. Yes, that¡¯s more like it.¡± Desir couldn¡¯t hear any of her words.


    His head was too preupied with assessing his situation.


    ¡®What principle is behind this? How in the hell is she able to use high-level spells so easily?¡¯


    The march of the mad men continued below. Even if she was a Seventh-Circle magician, there was no way she would be able to control humans with this kind of scope and invoke Sixth-Circle spells at the same time.


    ¡®Finding out the answer would be the key to this battle.¡¯


    The reason why she could invoke spells to her heart¡¯s content. The first step would be to analyse this.


    She spoke towards Desir, who was still busy pondering.


    ¡°Sorry, Desir, but you¡¯ll die before you figure it out. Oh, how am I going to sculpt you¡­ ¡± She did not invoke low-level spells anymore.


    She invoked the highest-level spells as though everything until now was just a prelude to what would happen next.


    [Crimson Sonata]


    Of course, Desir didn¡¯t stay still either. [Paria Arunde]


    Spells of the highest-level collided continuously. Enormous shockwaves rampaged through everything.


    All of the surrounding environment was swept away as an aftereffect of this magical duel that had been brought to the next level.


    Even the ground itself shook as the sky trembled.


    Indeed, it was a battle between magicians of the highest-level.


    Whenever spells collided intensely, Desir found himself increasingly cornered, forced further and further into defensive actions.


    ¡®¡­ I don¡¯t have too much mana left.¡¯


    Before fighting with her, Desir had participated in two other battles and used a great quantity of spells.


    For that reason, he had far less mana than usual, in what could already be considered more of a mana puddle than a pool.


    ¡®Think. Think, Desir.¡¯


    What sets her apart from other magicians? ¡®Blood.¡¯


    She was a magician who utilized blood.


    However, fundamentally, the technique of normal spells and the technique of spells that relied on the property of water were not so different.


    Then how was this supposed magical element, known as blood, functioning through her spells?


    It had to be Imagery Magic, like Adjest¡¯s Frozen Pce. But what was the mental image that served as her base?


    Desir continued to ruminate.


    He had toe up with something.


    Desir was able to feel it. The trail of blood that was spread out everywhere.


    Extensive spell arrays arranged themselves in front of her, aimed at Desir¡­ who was still wrapped up in thought.


    ¡°Sh*t.¡±


    The spells collided once more.


    Desir suddenly looked at the building that she was standing in, realizing something. He seized a very small amount of inspiration. Desir Arman arrived at a conclusion.


    He intended to find out the reason behind why she could just casually overuse spells. ¡°I have a question, Dracul.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Ask away. I will consider it yourst words and answer.¡± He cleared his throat before posing his question.


    ¡°How many people¡¯s blood do you have?¡±

 Chapter 169. Blood Princess (4)

    <h4>Chapter 169. Blood Princess (4)</h4>


    As Desir and Dracul were locked in fierce battle, there was a simrly fierce battle on the top of the spire as well.


    The floor had sunken in ces. Broken pirsy strewn everywhere.


    The traces of battle here and there told the story of just how fierce the fight had been up until now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like people like you, those referred to as magical swordsmen.¡±


    Raden spoke as he looked at the Frozen Pce, half of which had been destroyed.


    ¡°Those bastards who couldn¡¯tmit to either side and ended up just snooping around both. They just don¡¯t have pride as a magician or as swordsmen.¡±


    He raised his head.


    ¡°That is why you will lose.¡±


    It was quite the deliberate provocation.


    Most people tend to lose it and desperately try to attack, when their skills are looked down upon and their pride is assaulted. Naturally, if that person was a good magical swordsman, they would hold immense pride in themselves.


    Adjest set her foot on top of a pir made of ice and looked down at Raden.


    It was as if she was looking down all humans, as if it was a natural thing to do. A queen.


    An empress of ice who looked down upon everything. ¡°Ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°Talking condescendingly with such pride. You are just a leader of bandits at best. Why don¡¯t you be more aware of your character first before rambling on like that?¡±


    Raden¡¯s eyebrows curved into a frown. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand. We are¡­ ¡± ¡°You are a piece of sh*t.¡±


    Adjest cut him off.


    ¡°I¡¯m not at all curious about your business. Do you want me to understand you? You want me to show you some sympathy? Ridiculous. You¡¯re a criminal. Whatever circumstance you may find yourself in and whatever purpose you may have, is a product of your own doing. You¡¯re still a criminal after all.¡±


    Raden was flustered. He was not able to refute the unexpected remark from someone many times younger than himself.


    ¡°Enough with your nonsense. What a waste of time. Just bring it on.¡± Raden stormed out, feeling humiliated beyond his endurance. *Clomp*


    *Clomp*


    But he had to halt his charge.


    A chilly storm bore down upon him.


    Raden felt the arctic gale pouring out of the sword that Adjest had raised.


    She had tapped into the power of her sword, the Center of Ice.


    It exuded an enormous amount of chill that seeped out and froze everything nearby. *Crraaaack*


    The chill continued to spread without slowing. With just a simple opening move, the temperature of the room had lowered by several dozen degrees.


    Adjest¡¯s previously invoked ice spells were of noparison to it.


    ¡°Keuukk!¡±


    Raden felt his body stiffening. He did all he could to pull out his Aura and shroud his entire body in it, but he still felt the chill reaching his bones.


    However, this was only the beginning. Following this, Adjest invoked a spell. [Ice Empress]


    She shone in a blinding ball of silver light.


    It was her Imagery Magic.


    A secret weapon that rapidly increased the physical ability of the wielder, by absorbing and utilizing the surrounding chilly air.


    *Vrooooom*


    When the magical power emanating from Adjest¡¯s body and the cold released from the Center of Icebined, a transcendental power emerged.


    Her radiant golden gleam lost its tone and was soon dyed white. A powerful cold air raged forth like a storm and cloaked Adjest. ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Raden subconsciously shivered slightly. His whole body was chilled just by standing here near Adjest.


    Feather Mask.


    Not too long ago, Raden felt this kind of sensation from her.


    Knowing what this meant, Raden shook his head as if he was trying to rid himself of his anxiety.


    ¡°¡­ What a foolish effort!¡±


    Raden¡¯s head was filled with rage at the fact that he was momentarily afraid of the young girl standing before him.


    The Aura on the hatchet that he held shimmered like a me.


    Even though the icy-cold air was wing at his body, Raden did not think that he would lose. He was confident in his own skills.


    The next moment, that very thought disappeared as though it had been washed away by a tsunami. Adjest¡¯s presence disappeared before his very eyes.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !?¡±


    Raden instinctively swung his weapon towards his back. *aang*


    There was a massive explosion.


    tinum hair billowed in the breeze. Before he knew it, Adjest had approached him from the rear and was swinging her sword at his unguarded back.


    ¡®I missed?¡¯


    Raden was appalled at the fact that Adjest momentarily left his sight, due to her abrupt increase in speed.


    Lucky¡­


    That was the only word for it.


    His body, which has been through countless battlefields, moved instinctively and thanks to this, he had been able to barely escape death.


    Adjest kept pushing Raden back without a break. *C-ng*


    *C-C-aang*


    Adjest¡¯s chained attacks were all weighty and swift.


    Raden could not believe the situation he now found himself in. She belonged to the Rook ss, but was exceeding his power and speed.


    It was hard to believe that she was even the same person from before. ¡®That¡¯s impossible.¡¯


    As he found himself stuck on defense, his blood rushing toward his head seemed to have instantly froze.


    ¡®I was too fast to judge.¡¯


    He regretted a little toote and the lost time could not be returned.


    Raden barely was able to endure Adjest¡¯s frenzied attacks, since he still had the upper hand in the technical aspect of sword y.


    He would predict the enemy¡¯s way of thinking and identify the trajectory of the approaching sword.


    However, he was barely coping.


    Raden was slowly falling behind regarding power and speed.


    Slowly but surely.


    Little by little.


    This forced him into a difficult situation.


    It was an unpleasant, defensive battle. As time passed, his face slowly distorted. *Crackkk*


    On the other hand, Adjest had aposed expression on her face.


    ¡®I already have experience fighting against a person with more advanced skills than me.¡¯


    It was her battle against Donape. An experience of facing off against one of the strongest people in the whole continent.


    But there were two things that differed from back then.


    ¡®Firstly, this person is much weaker than Donape in regards to power and speed.¡¯ Raden, King of Mountains, was clearly a strong swordsman.


    However, he was obviouslycking inparison to a transcendental being like Donape An.


    Above all, she did not feel the presence of an overpowering wall, like she felt from Donape. ¡®Secondly, I am much stronger now than I was before.¡¯


    Adjest took a step and struck a blow with all of her might. *aang*


    The hatchet¡¯s de that shed against the Center of Ice broke off, and pieces of shrapnel flew in all directions.


    Raden quickly took a step back. There was no time to panic. He quickly pulled out a new axe from a pocket near his chest.


    Raden calmly concentrated in order to read Adjest¡¯s sword trajectory.


    ¡®Block the lower right corner of the sword trajectory, then catch her off guard with a counter attack¡­ ¡¯


    *aang*


    However, things didn''t work out as Raden expected.


    Adjest moved slightly faster than him.


    It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t able to read the trajectory. ¡°Keeeuuuk!¡±


    His body had slowed down for some reason.


    Just by sharing an exchange of blows with Adjest, and from standing near her¡­ Damage was slowly umting.


    Raden¡¯s Aura was continuously being consumed and the unrelenting chill burrowed deeply into his bones. His body was not moving like he wanted.


    His body started to be unresponsive to his thoughts. ¡°Sh*ttttttt!¡±


    *Crashhh*


    *ng*


    Another axe shattered into pieces, not being able to withstand Adjest¡¯s blow.


    He had no more spare weapons left. Raden tightly gripped thest hatchet he possessed. His decision was fast and precise.


    Raden started to scrape together the leftover Aura from the ground. Being pushed to his very limit, he prepared to unleash the strongest attack that he was capable of¡­ and for death.


    The desperate effort of a near King ss swordsman who was going to invoke a technique using every fiber of his being.


    The moment Raden took a step in order to swing with everything he had. *Pkkkhht*


    Adjest¡¯s sword prated his heart.


    Raden¡¯s body, which was currently skewered by the Center of Ice, slowly started to freeze over¡­ starting with his heart.


    The Aura that Raden gathered with all of his effort dispersed harmlessly into the air. He spoke in disbelief.


    ¡°Became¡­ Faster¡­ ?¡±


    If he attacked with the thought of mutually assured destruction, then the situation wouldn¡¯t have turned out like this.


    Even for Adjest, who was strengthened by her vision technique, there was no guarantee that she would be able to handle such a blow from Raden¡­ a being only one step away from King ss.


    Adjest took that situation into ount and intentionally exerted a level of force that would be a step ahead of Raden, preventing him from executing his dying blow.


    In the end, by consuming his power little by little, it was not difficult for her to employ her best effort to handle Raden¡¯s power, which had already been weakened.


    ¡°Damn¡­ ¡±


    He seemed to have realized that fact from Adjest¡¯s impassive face. ¡°You¡­ won.¡±


    His body froze totally into a statue-like form. *Crasshhh*


    When Adjest pulled out the sword from his body, he broke apart like a ss and pieces scattered across the floor.


    ¡°Ha¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    After seeing the scattered pieces, Adjest let out a sigh. She then cancelled the spell that she was invoking and reasserted control over the power within the Center of Ice.


    As Adjest¡¯s hair returned to its former golden appearance, the surrounding temperature returned to normal.


    Even though she just ended a battle, she took stock of her exhausted mana and examined the remaining duration of her Imagery Magic.


    The battles that continued around them seemed to be ending as well. *Baaang*


    At that moment, there was a sound of explosion not too far from them.


    Adjest turned around to look towards the location where the explosion was heard from. ¡®Desir¡­ ¡¯


    Now, there was only the battle between Desir and Dracul left.

 Chapter 170. Blood Princess (5)

    <h4>Chapter 170. Blood Princess (5)</h4>


    *Thud-d-d-d-d*


    The shockwaves radiating out ceased and the ground soon stopped shaking. The after-effect of Desir and Dracul¡¯s arranged spells demolished the surrounding area and reced it with a dense cloud of dust. From all the debris in the air, the two struggled to locate each other, and the battle fell into a momentary lull.


    The moment the dust settled down, Desir was found standing on top of arge mound of rubble from a copsed building. His body was scarred here and there by the shrapnel.


    ¡°I see, you were over there.¡±


    Desir looked up towards the source of the voice. Dracul was seated with her legs crossed, looking down upon him from the rooftop of a building that looked about ready to crumble. It was the only building in the surrounding area that still looked vaguely like a building should.


    ¡®It¡¯s a good thing that we evacuated all the citizens.¡¯ Desir looked around.


    As far as his eye could see, there was only ash and rubble. The city had beenrgely destroyed in less than ten minutes.


    This terrible scene of naked destruction had been caused by just two people. ¡°Kwarghhh!¡±


    A faint, horrible shriek was heard from afar.


    The march of the madmen continued despite the explosions caused by the two. This amalgamated army, consisting of soldiers from both the Imperial Army and the Outsiders, continued to grow in size.


    Despite the intense destruction, the army of madmen continued to grow. Both Desir and Dracul had fought while deliberately avoiding damaging the growing mob, though both of them with a different reason.


    Dracul wanted the madmen to destroy the harbor. This goal would be fulfilled as long as she maintained the spell, and was not forced to retreat.


    The defense of the harbor was the most important objective for the Imperial Army. Having one of their two supply routes destroyed would be a devastating blow. In order to defend the harbor, they had to block the madmen, but Desir did not do so.


    ¡®They can return to normal if I break the spell.¡¯


    Desir bore in mind that there remained a possibility that they could be returned to normal.


    The Imperial Army¡¯s fate was resting on Desir¡¯s ability to defeat Dracul and stop the mad men peacefully before they could destroy the harbor.


    Though the reasons differed, their purposes were the same and so they both avoided harming the madmen, gradually moving the battlefield further away. Eventually, they reached an area where they could no longer affect the madmen.


    Dracul stepped forward and criticized Desir¡¯s aspiration.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t given up hope, have you? Even in this desperate situation?¡± ¡°You never know.¡±


    Desir¡¯s voice was icy. He was like this whenever he was facing those whom he judged as evil. ¡®Her mana is not infinite.¡¯


    Desir judged that the secret of Dracul¡¯s endless amount of mana was the umtion of blood.


    If her Imagery Magic allowed her to control blood, it wasn¡¯t strange to assume that she was umting blood and utilizing it when needed.


    However, this did not mean she had an absolute or infinite amount of mana.


    ¡°Ah, right. I have an idea! Why don¡¯t you try using your most powerful spell? The spell which defeated Dadenewt in one blow. Maybe you could ovee this situation with that?¡± Dracul spoke with a twinkle in her eyes.


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s only if you have the time to cast a spell.¡± Blood started to gather in front of Dracul.


    [Blood Astarue]


    The gathered blood circled around and tens of thousands of blood circles were created. Those circles then spread out in all directions.


    This enormous power had formed so rapidly. A spell, reaching the Fifth-Circle, had an overwhelming might that threatened to sweep away everything.


    Desir invoked a spell without dy in order to respond to it. ¡°You are not even worthy of using a spell of that level.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can keep up with that nonsense.¡± Both of their spells were invoked almost simultaneously. The level of their power was equal.


    Both spells canceled each other out and disappeared.


    Dracul had heard about Desir from Crow Mask, but was astonished at the fact that a Third-Circle magician could exhibit this kind of ability.


    After facing him head-on, she couldn¡¯t help admitting that there was probably no one else that could handle mana as effectively as him.


    But that was it.


    Dracul thought to herself.


    ¡®There¡¯s no changing the fact that I will win.¡¯


    The difference in amount of mana between magicians in a duel was considered to be the absolute deciding factor that dictates who wins. It was not an easy factor that can be ovee. It was the absolute difference between a normal magician and one with a natural gift.


    She thought that in the end, Desir¡¯s mana would be exhausted first, even if he eked out all of the efficiency that he could.


    As she grew more and more confident in her victory, she started to press Desir by arranging a variety of offensive spells. It was almost as if she was boasting.


    Blood swirled and exploded around her.


    However, Desir remainedposed. It was indeed questionable how he could maintain that kind of tranquility.


    Her confidence began to falter, leaving her slightly anxious. [Out Blood Break]


    ¡°How¡¯s this?¡±


    She arranged a spell, almost as ifpensating for her anxiety by channelling it all into an overwhelming show of strength.


    *Baaang*


    Desir neutralized it once again. The situation repeated itself, even though Dracul arranged a stronger spell.


    The same went for the following spells.


    Dracul felt strange about this repetitive, bizarre situation.


    ¡®Wait¡­ How could he match her level of power and arrangement speed like this?¡¯ However, she realized it toote.


    ¡°¡­ !?¡±


    The spells that she was currently arranging shattered and scattered in the air in front of her eyes. The encoded spell techniques that she specially designed to use against Desir were inverted.


    At that same moment, Desir¡¯s spell materialized and flew towards Dracul.


    She attempted to invoke her own offensive spell in order to neutralize it, but the spell failed to form.


    It was blocked.


    It was now impossible for her to arrange any offensive spells. No matter what spell she began to invoke, it just ended up inverted.


    [me Storm]


    A storm of me split the sky. The me, which threatened to swallow up everything, bore down on Dracul.


    This was different from all the spells he had used to neutralize Dracul¡¯s attacks until now. It was a spell at the maximum power that Desir was capable of. It was not an overstatement to say he had put his heart and soul into it.


    *Crashhhhh*


    There was a massive collision.


    The building Dracul had been sitting on disappeared without a trace. Molten rocks pooled around the crater, forming a strange sight.


    At the center of this scene, she was panting.


    Wings had sprouted out of Dracul¡¯s back. It was a defense spell that she barely managed to invoke before taking on the attack.


    However, she was not able to totally block Desir¡¯s attack with just that defensive spell. Her wings, made from blood, were left tattered and half destroyed.


    ¡°Cough, cough.¡±


    Dracul threw up blood intensely with an extremely distorted face. It seemed like she was suffering from severe internal injuries. Though it wasn¡¯t clear what kind of internal damage she had sustained, she was also terribly burned along her arms and legs due to the sweeping me.


    Her aloof beauty had been reced by a sight and smell reminiscent of burnt toast. ¡°How long did you think you would be able to rely on those types of spell techniques?¡± Dracul¡¯s encoded spell techniques were worthless inparison to draconguage or the tesseract style of forming spells, like Crow Mask¡¯s artifact.


    It was not a difficult task for Desir to invert them.


    After the battle started, Desir seeded in inverting one or two, but he chose not to reveal that. He waited and waited for Dracul to reveal all of her offensive spells, meanwhile biding his time and managing to fend off her attacks. He waited until he was confident that he could invert all of her spells.


    All this effort for that one, crucial blow.


    Dracul, being overly confident, revealed her hand without any care. All due to her pride in her Blood Magic; her belief that Desir would be unable to invert any of her spells.


    It was at that moment that the winner was decided. ¡°You neglected the basics of a magical duel.¡±


    Dracul had been oblivious to the basics of basics: that one should not indulge in pride and reveal everything from the outset.


    She was no longer smiling. She seemed to be in a state of shock. Her singed lips were trembling.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Dracul cradled her right arm, which now looked hideous due to the burn, and red at Desir in silence.


    *Vroooom*


    Blood began moving again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give up on the thought of sculpting him.¡±


    She felt her blood igniting. She was filled with an impulse to rip apart the man in front of her and kill him right away.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, right now!¡± Her attitudepletely changed.


    A ghastly, red aura started emanating from Dracul¡¯s entire body.


    But Desir still had aposed attitude in this situation. It seemed like he didn¡¯t feel anything. All of the blood in the surrounding area started to gather around her.


    However, she fell into a momentary state of confusion not too long after. ¡°There''s not much blood left, is there?¡±


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    Dracul¡¯s Imagery Magic, based on the concept of blood, was worthy of being referred to as the strongest of all magic on any typical battlefield, where blood would usually flood the ground. If two soldiers sh against each other, one of them is bound to bleed. And that would be Dracul¡¯s source of power.


    However, Desir did not think that this power was invincible. Tactics were definitely required


    in order to beat it. Thankfully, thinking was an area Desir excelled in.


    The ce they had found themselves in was remote from the ferocious battlefield.


    In this ce, where thendscape was untouched by battle other than their own, the strongest Blood Magic had be a paper tiger.

 Chapter 171. Blood Princess (6)

    <h4>Chapter 171. Blood Princess (6)</h4>


    Dracul felt miserable and sore from all of the burns covering her body.


    She now understood the reason why her defensive spell hadn¡¯t beenpletely effective. There was ack of blood in this area.


    She felt a strong desire to rip apart and kill Desir; but all she could do right now was arrange sub-optimal defensive spells.


    ¡®Calm down.¡¯ ¡°Kwarghh!¡±


    A faint, eerie shriek was heard far away.


    The Outsiders¡¯ objective was to destroy the harbor, the supply route of the allied forces. Dracul no longer had any means to continue her offensive against Desir nor the means to beat him outright. Though it was an unfortunate situation, it wasn¡¯t a big loss; all she had to do was buy enough time for the mad men to destroy the harbor.


    Even though she found herself in a situation where she could no longer go on the offensive, her defensive spells remained intact.


    ¡®That¡¯s right. I have a chance. Even he can¡¯t invert Imagery Magic.¡¯


    Apart from theplicated way in which Imagery Magic was invoked, it existed in a category which was fundamentally impossible to be inverted.


    Desir couldn¡¯t invert the Tesseract used by Crow Mask, nor Adjest¡¯s Frozen Pce. He could only invert the spells invoked as a result of them.


    It was no longer possible to pull in the blood from the surrounding area and use it, but because Dracul had the upper hand in terms of raw amount of mana, she judged that she still had more than enough at her disposal to stall for long enough.


    [Blood Desire]


    Thousands of hands, made out of blood, stretched out of Dracul¡¯s back.


    It was a spell without any blind spot, able to to defend against all iing attacks. Desir watched her invoke her defensive spell before speaking.


    ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of buying time, you better give up now. Even for someone of your caliber, it would be impossible to face all of us alone.¡±


    *Baaang*


    Just as he finished speaking, a wind bullet flew in from somewhere towards Dracul¡¯s head. The defensive spell that she invoked was a powerful spell belonging to a high-rank circle. It had no blind spots at all. The hands made out of blood contorted unnaturally to block the bullet.


    But that wasn¡¯t the end of things. *Crrraaack*


    Ady fluttered her lightly sparkling, tinum blonde hair as she flitted towards Dracul.


    With every step she took, ice pirs shot up from the ground. Soon enough, their cement took the form of a pce.


    [Frozen Pce]


    At that moment, hundreds of ice spells were simultaneously invoked and hurtled towards Dracul. The spells incessantly continued to pressure her, limiting both her options and her movement.


    And amongst them, there was a streak of light that rushed straight towards Dracul, who was preupied arranging further defensive spells to block the endless barrage.


    A rapier filled with Aura pierced towards her.


    Dracul, who barely fended off the attack, was helplessly flung backwards.


    Desir, Romantica, Adjest, and Pram.


    All of the members of the Starling Party were now present.


    What this meant was clear. It meant either Raden and his soldiers had been totally annihted or captured.


    The continuous flow of attacks from the Starling Party were perfectly coordinated and powerful.


    Shots made from a distance, which one required inhuman reactions to respond to, swords that pierced out at high-speeds in difficult to parry trajectories, as well as the countless number of invoked spells.


    *Crack*


    The absurd number of hands made out of blood, which had barely been enough to keep up with all their attacks, started to gradually decrease in number.


    It seemed as though her defensive spell would notst much longer. ¡®Where is that bastard?¡¯


    Dracul did not forget about the most dangerous enemy and took precaution, even when she was under heavy attack.


    She managed to spot Desir.


    He was not arranging any spells.


    However, that¡¯s not to say he wasn¡¯t doing anything.


    S-s-s-sss!


    Several of the hands began to lose their form and fell apart as gravity pulled the blood back to the ground.


    It was an inversion.


    ¡®Already inverted!?¡¯


    It had barely been a few minutes since she arranged the defensive spell.


    Dracul heeded Crow Mask¡¯s advice and took her time encoding and preparing heavily encrypted defensive spells just like she did with her offensive spells.


    Nheless, this high-circled defensive spell was inverted within just a few minutes.


    One could say the speed of this inversion was exceptionally fasterpared to the inversion of her offensive spells.


    However, it was expected as the current situation was different from that time. Desir was focusing only on inversion without minding the duel itself.


    As he did not have to concentrate on other things, but only on the analysis of her spells, the speed of his inversion was faster beyondparison.


    [Crimson Heart]


    Dracul invoked another defensive spell as fast as she could.


    However, she soon realized her fate. The oue had already been decided. It was a checkmate.


    *ng*


    When her second and third defensive spells were inverted, Dracul realized the inevitable conclusion.


    ¡®At this rate, I¡¯ll die.¡¯


    She no longer felt uncontrobly angry. Instead, she started to feel a strong sensation of fear. It was an emotion she had never felt in her entire life.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Keukk.¡±


    Dracul had no remaining defensive spells at her disposal. She now had to escape somehow.


    [Bloody Rain]


    The sky reddened and bloody rain started to pour down. After a while, there were puddles of blood everywhere.


    Dracul¡¯s body melted into blood.


    This was the high-circle evasion spell she had used previously.


    Depending on the amount of mana used, one was even able to transfer to far away ces, as long as there was blood on both ends.


    If she consumed all of her remaining mana, then it wasn¡¯t impossible for her to transfer to the old castle she had been staying at.


    However, this spell had a major drawback. Dracul was well aware of it.


    She had previously used this spell in front of his eyes near the start of the duel, just to boast about him being unable to harm her.


    ¡®Well, I can¡¯t help it.¡¯


    She was aware of the possibility that this spell would be inverted, but still pushed ahead with the arrangement of the spell.


    She no longer had any other options. [Bloody Stream]


    And after invoking her spell¡­ nothing happened.


    Her body, which was about to transfer to another blood puddle, materialized again. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    ¡°Pghh!¡±


    Dracul felt a sharp pain in her chest. Her body started to break down.


    She pressed on the wounded area as if she was trying to stop the blood pouring out of her chest. However, it was not enough to stop it from gushing out. *Plop*


    The blood flowing out of Dracul formed a puddle and her body copsed into it. ¡°I want to li-live¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    She moved her lips slightly a few times, then the light faded from her eyes.


    * * *


    Adjest, who had decided to check Dracul¡¯s pulse, announced her death.


    It was the obvious conclusion, even if no one had checked her pulse. There were no longer any horrible shrieks from the mad men who had been driven insane by Dracul¡¯s Imagery Magic. Desir looked at Dracul in silence.


    ¡®The influence of the Outsiders will greatly decline since they were defeated in this battle.¡¯ The Outsiders gathered a significant number of their elite forces in order to destroy this supply route.


    The Knights of Kashka, Lion¡¯s Mane, and Raden¡¯s Bandits.


    Above all, she was here.


    Dracul Labutte Elkaera.


    She was a powerful enemy who had almost single-handedly destroyed one of the two supply routes. If she had seeded, the Alliance would have been brought to their knees.


    ¡®She was definitely acquainted with Crow Mask.¡¯


    Crow Mask was clearly in a high position within the Outsiders. He was leading a substantial number of soldiers and his skill reached the level of Sixth-Circle.


    Dracul too was a Sixth-Circle magician and seeing her rtionship with Crow Mask, she must have been a high-level figure within the Outsiders as well.


    Since she was defeated, the influence of the Outsiders would likely have suffered a heavy blow.


    ¡®Though of course, there was a choice to save her¡­ ¡¯


    If he had not killed her and captured her alive, then he may have been able to obtain a lot of valuable information regarding the Outsiders.


    ¡®Killing her was probably the right thing to do.¡¯


    However, Desir chose to kill Dracul instead of capturing her alive. It was clear she nned to escape, and after that they wouldn¡¯t be able to stop her Imagery Magic.


    He chose to save lives in the present moment than to choose information that may be useful in the future.


    Pram asked as he put away his sword. ¡°Is everything over now?¡±


    By handling Dracul, the mob of mad men had stopped and the supply routes had been safely secured.


    But that did not mean that the battle was over.


    ¡°Not yet. There are a number of Outsiders within those mad men.¡±


    The core problem was solved, but it was only safe to say everything was over after handling the mad men who had regained their senses.


    It was at that moment. *D-d-d-d-d*


    Suddenly, the ground started to vibrate.


    The Starling Party knew immediately what the vibration was. A considerable number of soldiers were approaching.


    It could be another group of Outsiders. *Shwwing*


    Adjest and Pram unsheathed their swords. Their stances showed just how cautious they were. At that moment, Romantica spoke with a smile.


    ¡°Why are you guys worrying so much? They¡¯re our allies.¡± Even after hearing that, Pram still looked uneasy. ¡°Are-Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°I confirmed their g was the Hebrion Empire¡¯s with a detection spell.¡± Hearing her answer, Adjest let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Pheww.¡±


    They were soon able to confirm the g, one that symbolised the Hebrion Empire, with their own eyes.


    A battle that took ce in Mahayu Harbor, located at the Lagrium in Eastern Front.


    This battle, which will be known as one of the great battles with the Outsiders, ¡°The Bloody Battle of Mahayu,¡± was now over.

 Chapter 172. Celebrity (1)

    <h4>Chapter 172. Celebrity (1)</h4>


    The King of Divide, rather, Pierrot mask, who was imitating the appearance of King Divide, looked up from the status report documents he had busied himself with.


    There were fivemunication screens on the spacious ck table.


    It was a high-endmunications system that employed ultra-long distancemunication magic when operated. A symbol for each the five nations that made up the Western Kingdom Union was inscribed on themunication ports.


    Whenever a voice could be heard from one of themunication ports, the country¡¯s engraved symbol glowed, making it possible to distinguish who was speaking at any given time.


    ¡°The enemy¡¯s military force is considerable, but their power has already beenpletely curtailed.¡±


    The symbol for Adeina had glowed, indicating that the speaker was likely the King of Adeina. The Adeina Kingdom was famous for its medical prowess and its peaceful stance. It was symbolized by a pigeon.


    ¡°I think it was because the barbarians joined and attacked the rear of the Outsiders. Outsider forces are scattered on both sides and can¡¯t defend against our advances.¡±


    The symbol of the Prillecha Empire, which boasted thergest number of traders and merchants, was a sailing boat. The Prillecha Empire was a nation built on trading, and were considerably wealthy as a result.


    ¡°The only thing left is figuring out how to end this war.¡±


    A symbol that was three swords facing each other, lit up. The person speaking was the President of Arunbeth.


    When the Western Kingdom Union formed, it was originally a kingdom, but Arunbeth had since changed into a republic. As the only republic within the Western Kingdom Union, they took great pride in their regime.


    ¡°Our pay-back for their act of wanton terrorism a year ago is finallyplete.¡±


    The symbol of Lemton, the nation possessing the second most powerful military force after the Divide Kingdom, was the scale.


    Lemton valued bnce and had always been on the side of the weak, acting as a coordinator and peacekeeper for the entire continent.


    ¡°It was a long and difficult affair.¡±


    Pierrot Mask brought the conversation to a conclusion. Not only his appearance, but his voice also mimicked King Divide¡¯s.


    The symbol of the Divide Kingdom was a dragon. A great mythical being. The citizens of this nation expressed great pride in it.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to our overwhelming victory at the Mahayu Harbor.¡±


    The atmosphere in this meeting was remarkably different inparison to the usual great councils. There were many other groups beyond just the Western Kingdom Union that participated. Naturally, with so many powers in attendance, there was pressure to broaden the agenda of the meeting and discuss other issues. However, this meeting had been set up with one purpose in mind: military. The only topics approved for discussion were those that directly dealt with battles against the Outsiders and military operations.


    ¡°Yes. Our victory there dramatically affected the war.¡±


    No one disagreed with the fact that the battle at the Mahayu Harbor became a watershed moment in the war against the Outsiders.


    ¡°At Mahayu Harbor, Outsiders employed frighteningly sophisticated tactics. The mobilized troops were also close to the highest level.¡± King Adeina added his thoughts.


    ¡°Rather than cower in fear, people are expressing amazement that we managed to thwart their assault on our supply lines. Ourmanders expressed their respect for the capability of the Imperial Army.¡±


    With a myriad of battlefronts across such arge area ofnd, numerous situational strategies and varying scales ofbat had to be managed. There was no single person that hadplete insight into all of this data. A single battle standing out and deserving mentioning in this meeting indicated just how important it was.


    ¡°I think they are wrong people to pay homage to.¡± King Prillecha spoke up.


    ¡°I heard that there was a single person in particr who made a great contribution to the victory of the battle.¡±


    There could only be one person that came to people¡¯s mind when referring to The Bloody Battle of Mahayu.


    ¡°You must be referring to Desir Arman.¡±


    There was no one who didn¡¯t know that name in the Western Kingdom Union, ever since the Prillecha terrorist attack.


    At that time, he participated in the council as a technical adviser to the Magic Tower and demonstrated his abilities when he protected the kings in attendance. Since then, he had contributed greatly in the fight against terrorism, ruing merit after merit.


    ¡°First of all, he noticed the n of the Outsiders, and realized that their true goal was the supply route. ording to our intelligence, he took out the 13th strongest Outsider force, the Lion¡¯s Mane Magic Corps; he then defeated Raden¡¯s Bandits, the 3rd strongest force that has been dominating the central mountain range for ages; and most crucially of all, he averted an imminent disaster when a powerful Sixth-Circle magician got involved personally. This magician appeared to have been a reasonably senior leader in the Outsiders.¡±


    These were all achievements of one person alone. Desir Arman.


    There were a few seconds of stunned silence.


    It was the King of Lemton who broke the silence.


    ¡°Marvelous. I heard that he yed a key role behind the scenes, but I didn¡¯t know he had done this much.¡±


    He was very surprised.


    ¡°In addition to all of this, he didn¡¯t just distract the Sixth-Circle magician. He duelled against them and was victorious. ording to the informant, he unleashed a spell at the Sixth-Circle level during thebat.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! He¡¯s just a student after all. There is no way he can arrange a Sixth-Circle spell! The supreme tier of magic.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of witnesses. Moreover, there are still traces of the sh between him and that Sixth-Circle magician in what remains of the port city.¡±


    ¡°Did he truly obtain mastery of magic before the age of twenty?¡±


    Desir Arman quickly became a hot topic in this conference. In short order, they ended up with more discussion on him than on any other agenda item.


    They had previously recognized his great talent, but they never realized his efforts had amounted to this much.


    ¡°The Empire really is lucky.¡±


    ¡°He appeared like a meteor.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s exceptional. It would be nice if he joins the Western Kingdom Union in any capacity.¡± ¡°I heard a rumor that he was not born in the Empire. I have to make contact with him.¡± Desir Arman had already be a coveted talent in the Western Kingdom Union.


    ¡°Was it the Starling party? I have to give them some gifts this year.¡±


    ¡°We have to make our best impression. Arunbeth is hosting a festival soon, and I¡¯ll personally send them invitations!¡±


    ¡°I heard that he is conducting quite the intensive training regime for his party members in the Hebrion Academy. I guess he is passionate. We should also consider doing the same, and sponsor high-tier training instructors.¡±


    How they could bring Desir to the Western Kingdom Union.


    Despite it strictly being a military meeting, they had managed to leave the topic at hand and run off on a tangent.


    ¡°I think the military meeting is over. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± *Tap*


    The Pierrot Mask pped lightly. At the same time, all of themunication screens ckened. A voice came from behind him.


    ¡°It¡¯s sad that Feather Mask died.¡± *Swishhhh*


    Crow Mask appeared behind him.


    He had been listening to the meeting from the beginning, hiding his presence with an invoked invisibility spell.


    ¡°Sad indeed. She was a very pleasant woman to be with.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a loss far greater than losing tens of thousands of footmen. She shouldn¡¯t have died there.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ So the n was a failure?¡±


    Pierrot Mask leaned back in his chair. ¡°It can¡¯t be written off as a total loss.¡±


    The tone of Crow Mask didn¡¯t change in the slightest.


    ¡°The best result from this war would be the Outsiders seizing victory. If the Outsiders dealt a devastating blow to the Western Kingdom Union, we could have won without things getting tooplicated.¡±


    The first step in such a strategy, the upation of the Mahayu Harbor, had spectacrly failed.


    In the process, the Outsiders had suffered a considerable blow.


    Moreover, the barbarians had joined the fray.


    It wouldn¡¯t be illogical to believe that the Outsider¡¯s defeat had been set in stone.


    But this was all within the realm of expected results that Crow Mask had nned for.


    ¡°Our next best option is for Outsiders to cause as much damage to the Allied Forces as possible. At the same time, the Divide Kingdom will strengthen its position by increasingbat forces deployed within the Western Kingdom Union. As a result, it will be a major country that can lead the Western Kingdom Union.¡±


    Their second best option had all but seeded.


    Crow Mask was able to hear about their tactics inside the Western Kingdom Union and actively engaged in manipting information and redeploying troops.


    He controlled the Outsiders and the Western Kingdom Union from the shadows while using an artifact that could overlook the entire situation at a nce. Commanding troops.


    This was an easy task for him.


    He had consolidated hismand over the majority of armed forces in the Divide Kingdom with minimal resistance.


    He prolonged the war and maximized the damage to the Western Kingdom Union.


    He also inted what the Divide Kingdom had gained from the spoils of war. It contributed to him being able to field thergest number of troops among the Alliance.


    Those who calmly enhanced their powers eventually gained the strongest right to speak up in the Western Kingdom Union.


    ¡®There¡¯s no such thing as having too much power.¡¯


    ¡°In fact, even if the Outsiders were eradicated right now, that is no loss to us.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. With this in mind, what are you going to do now? Defeat is all but guaranteed. Will you make the Outsiders forces retreat and n some kind of counter-attack?¡±


    ¡°The Outsiders are a pawn that is already dead. I can¡¯t save them. But the real problem now is how should we kill them to maximise their usefulness?¡±


    Crow Mask approached the window.


    A hot summer breeze drifted into the room. The strong sunlight poured in as he pulled the curtain aside.


    ¡°The priority of risks has changed. Desir Arman is now the biggest obstacle to our n.¡± They still had some left.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to use the homunculus.¡±


    A biological weapon that ignored the effects of causality.


    A mighty power equivalent to that of a Seventh-Circle spell.


    ¡°The key is how to capitalize on this situation. Defeat is certain for the Outsiders, but somehow we must earn the most profit possible from this.¡±


    ¡°I like that way of thinking.¡± Pierrot Mask smirked.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the n?¡±


    ¡°Mobilization of all of the remaining Outsiders troops and a Homunculus. Kill Desir Arman without fail, at all costs.¡±

 Chapter 173. Celebrity (2)

    <h4>Chapter 173. Celebrity (2)</h4>


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ A medal?¡±


    In response to Desir¡¯s question, Colonel Yuta smiled.


    ¡°Yes. At the end of the war, the award ceremony will officially take ce.¡±


    Yuta was an excellentmander who had seeded in several difficult operations, and was strongly admired by the soldiers who served under him.


    There were powerful influences following him within the Imperial Army, so it could be said that, within the Imperial Army, he was an actual power in his own right.


    He was also the onlymander who had assisted Desir by sending troops in response to his request.


    ¡°It was approved unanimously by themanders from all of the forces on this continent. It¡¯s the first time I have seen these people, who usually just quarrel with each other, being on the same page. I¡¯ve spent forty years of my life in the military, and this was a first for me.¡±


    Yuta approached Desir.


    ¡°I hope to take this opportunity to keep a good rtionship with you in the future.¡± He tapped Desir¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°If you are willing to join the military after graduating from the academy, please feel free to contact me. Talented people like you are always wee.¡±


    Desir bowed his head.


    ¡°It is my honor. I will consider your offer carefully.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and I hope you don¡¯t feel too bad about themanders who refused your request for support. They are also poor soldiers bound by a strict hierarchy.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I fully understand that.¡±


    ¡°Happy to hear it. So, that¡¯s all from me. You should go rest now, you must be beyond exhausted.¡±


    Desir left the room after bidding farewell to Yuta. Before he could take a second step, hismunication pad rang.


    [-Saint visit! Come back ASAP!] It was a message from Romantica.


    Desirughed at the urgency apparent in her text. ¡®Has she already arrived?¡¯


    Prisci Haicilkite.


    She was one of the final six in the Shadow Labyrinth from his previous life, currently admired as the Saint of the Artemis Church, thergest religion in the continent.


    She was also referred to as the sixth king of the Western Kingdom Union made up of five countries.


    She was a dignified person, beyond the reach of almost everyone, no matter how many contributions they made. However, Desir and her had been in a good rtionship ever since the incident in Deltaheimst summer.


    ¡®Well, I think I¡¯ve now got in contact with almost all of my colleagues that survived up to thatst level in the Shadow Labyrinth.¡¯


    Adjest Kingscrown.


    Zod Exarion.


    Prisci Haicilkite.


    Donape An.


    Raphaello Cheriger.


    And Desir Arman.


    Desir had met up with four of the final six, besides, of course, himself, and had seeded in building a good rtionship with each of them.


    The foundation for clearing the Shadow Labyrinth had been prepared. He could feel that his ns had gradually bore fruit.


    ¡®Now, there is only the Sword Grand Master, Raphaello remaining.¡¯


    Desir hurried to his amodation. However, long gone were the days where things went exactly as Desir had expected.


    ¡°Salute!¡±


    Every soldier he encountered while passing by saluted him.


    Desir responded to them every time. Inevitably, the time taken on each salute added up and caused him to bete.


    ¡®Their eyes are focused on me again, but with a different feeling this time.¡¯


    Desir made the greatest contribution in defeating the Kashuka Knights and Lion¡¯s Mane. Above all else, he almost single-handedly protected the supply route by defeating the Sixth-Circle wizard, Dracul Labutte Elkaera.


    Unlike when he had defeated Dadenewt in Prillecha, many people were able to witness this battle with their own eyes.


    The battle was enough to morph the gazes of the people; from something that someone would use when seeing a celebrity, into something much closer to unadulterated admiration.


    Officers of the Imperial Army weed the birth of a young hero and actively promoted it. It was because there was nothing as good as a hero to boost the morale of soldiers.


    Desir knew this as well. This was the only reason why he put up with this never ending loop of saluting, even though his arm hurt. He thought it was worth pushing through the pain.


    ¡®If such hospitality continued, it might not be so bad joining the army after all.¡¯ There was now not much time left before the Shadow Labyrinth arrived.


    Feeling his way through his options, Desir felt that it might not be such a bad idea to clear the Shadow Labyrinth as part of the army, leading soldiers as far as possible.


    After finally arriving at the building where his Starling Party was lodging, Desir found himself face-to-face with knights who were most likely charged with protecting the Saint of the Artemis Church.


    They were lined up in front of the building, their imposing disy attracting the attention of all that passed by.


    As he entered the room, he was greeted with the scene of Romantica and Prisci having tea, the room shrouded in an awkward atmosphere.


    ¡°Desir!¡±


    Romanica¡¯s pale face finally flushed with color, as she noticed Desiring in. She leaped over to Desir and whispered in a hurried tone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡±


    Romantica bade Prisci farewell and scurried out.


    Desir smiled bitterly while looking at her.


    Prisci greeted him when the door closed. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Desir.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for taking the time to visit in person.¡± Desir sat down opposite to Prisci.


    ¡°So, for what important matter am I presenting myself for today?¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m going to recount now is probably a huge weakness that must be dealt with internally within your Holy Land.¡±


    With that, Desir began describing what he experienced in the Level Three Shadow World they had just recently cleared.


    He mostly talked about the person referred to as the Prophet.


    Desir added his own thoughts and analysis to his recount of events.


    ¡°He may be thest pope of the church. Considering that he had lived for hundreds of years and was associated with the creation of homunculus, he is likely to be part of the Outsiders at the moment.¡±


    Prisci¡¯s voice trembled as she listened to Desir. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I confirmed his face myself.¡±


    Prisci¡¯s face was clouded with aplicated expression. ¡°So why are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°Because I need hard information about the senior members of the Outsiders. He surely knows a great deal, yet there is absolutely no information recorded about him. I need to get any information I can about him.¡±


    It was another threat that existed separate from the Shadow Labyrinth. Some small part of Desir was convinced that he must investigate this matter.


    ¡°It may be better to request information from the Magic Tower rather than me. He appeared rtively recently in the Magic Kingdom, so you can surely get more information from them than from me.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I have already asked the Magic Tower. However, I need more detailed information. I have to try every route, every person, to know exactly who we¡¯re up against.¡±


    ¡°Detailed information¡­ ¡­ ¡± Prisci pondered for a moment.


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll do my best to investigate. There will also be descendants who lived in the Holy Land at that time. But don¡¯t ce too much hope in this line of enquiry.¡±


    ¡°Any information is fine. Thank you, Saint.¡±


    The conversation pertaining to the topic of the Prophet ended on that note. ¡°Before I go, I have something to share too.¡±


    It was Prisci¡¯s turn now.


    ¡°I was asked to recruit you by the Western Kingdom Union.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you came so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes. They asked me as they know I am close to you.¡±


    ¡®On behalf of the entire Western Kingdom Union? Have I be known to that extent?¡¯ ¡°Are you here to sway me?¡±


    ¡°I was asked to do that. But I have no intention of doing so. I hope you choose whichever path you want.¡±


    ¡°Would you mind if I ask you the reason?¡±


    ¡°As I said, I believe you are on the good side. Whichever side you find yourself on, the Temple of Artemis will support you. This was determined from the moment you sacrificed an eye for us.¡±


    As soon as Desir heard that, he touched his left eye with his hand subconsciously. It was the one he had lost vision in.


    It had been quite a long time since he had lost it now, but it hadn¡¯t really had any major effects yet. He had put in considerable effort to ensure that.


    ¡°Living with one eye may not be ideal, but that¡¯s why I trust you.¡± Prisci spoke with a tone of mncholy.


    ¡°It is evidence of the sacrifice you made for the sake of us all. I don¡¯t know what is driving you, but I can trust you because of that act.¡±


    That was Prisci¡¯s honest opinion.


    ¡°That¡¯s my reason. I hope you make the choice you want. Of course, I would be very happy if you joined us.¡±


    Desir smiled.


    ¡°I think so too. I¡¯ll review it as positively as possible.¡±


    ¡°These are the conditions set out by each kingdom of the Western Kingdom Union. They told me to send the paperster and discuss them in detail then.¡±


    It had already progressed to the point where official documentation had been written up. Desir really felt as if there was a target painted onto his back. The Western Kingdom Union was apparently aiming for him with all their might.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Then I hope to see you againter¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    After that, the Saint left the room. Desir leaned back in his chair and contemted what had transpired throughout the day.


    ¡®Am I bing famous?¡¯


    Desir appreciated his newfound status immensely.


    ¡®This is a good thing that will allow me to achieve my goals more easily.¡¯ His goals.


    His first goal was a coalition of the Western Kingdom Union and Imperial Army, as well as the other few loose forces.


    In his previous life, despite encountering the enormous disaster the Shadow Labyrinth posed, there was still a lot of meaningless loss since each force inevitably distrusted each other.


    Desir rallied the forces in war against the Outsiders to prevent the recurrence of such events. It was sessful so far.


    ¡®And this is just the beginning.¡¯


    The problem was how long would this alliance be maintained for and how strong is it really? ¡®And I must act as an arbitrator between those two.¡¯


    Desir had also gained significant credibility from the Imperial Army while being looked upon very positively by the Western Kingdom Union.


    His goals were all the more achievable now.

 Chapter 174. Celebrity (3)

    <h4>Chapter 174. Celebrity (3)</h4>


    The cold air flowing from Mt. Calcarus created a tranquil atmosphere across the Lagrium ins.


    A horrorous rumbling was spreading amongst the hordes of Outsiders. ¡°¡­ ¡­ What is that?¡±


    ¡°Awooooooo!¡±


    Deep and majestic howls filled the Lagrium ins. They sounded like direwolves, violent monsters whose very howl curdled the blood of all those who heard it.


    The northern battle line of the Lagrium ins.


    Soldiers in heavy armor, riding direwolves, advanced towards the Outsiders. A blue aura seemed to cling to their armor. The steel of Calcarus was characterized by this soft blue glow. The sight of them advancing with blue glowing armor felt like a great wave one might see at a shoreline by the sea.


    Their fierce eyes bore holes into their enemies.


    At the forefront of the group, there was a warrior with a massive physique that stood out amongst them.


    Donape An, the King of the North.


    The force he exuded overwhelmed everyone near him. ¡°Do-Donape An!¡±


    The name began to spread like wildfire amongst the Outsiders.


    There was no one who could match up against Donape An¡¯s military prestige. Despite his tribe¡¯s seclusion, there was no one on the continent that didn¡¯t know his name.


    However, it was hard to believe that a king would willingly lead his troops from the incredibly dangerous frontline¡­ even if their ability was excellent.


    Outsiders were embarrassed at falling into confusion due to a trifling issue, like where the enemy King decided to fight from, as well as falling prey to the stifling aura Donape exuded. ¡°D-Don¡¯t be afraid! They don¡¯t have any magical artillery supporting them! Pour magic into this attack so they can¡¯t reach us!¡±


    ¡°Once we pick up his head, the battle will fall in our favor!¡± The Outsiders¡¯mander shouted in anger.


    The barbarians did not have artillery units. Even theirmander had to stand at the forefront to make up for theirck of ranged fire power.


    These strategies defiedmon sense. It seemed like they were eager to get killed. ¡°Artillery units, unleash your spells at the enemymander!¡±


    A plethora of spells were unleashed on the barbarians.


    Spells, far too many to count, blotted out the sky.


    The magic got closer and closer to Donape. However, he didn¡¯t seem to even acknowledge these spells rapidly approaching him. Instead, choosing to draw his weapon in utter calmness. *Briiiiim*


    Aura red up and covered the axe like fire.


    Donape swung it in front of him.


    The action was simple, but the result was anything but. *BAMMM*


    A storm of aura surged out of the axe and fanned out through the ground, counteracting the spells aimed at him.


    With only one swing, the ground shook and a mix of aura and soil burst upwards like a geyser. Donape himself pierced through the cloud of dust and dirt, quickly reaching the Outsiders¡¯ infantry unit. ¡°What? What?!¡±


    They were all fixed in ce out of shock.


    The axe shrouded in ming aura carved out ten Outsider soldiers at a time.


    Donape held the axe, still dripping with blood, forward in a deration of dominance. ¡°Advance!¡±


    A towering amalgamation of aura surged sky-high as the armored wolf riders followed him. There was not a single one of them that was not at the Bishop ss. They all had mastery of aura. They were the elite of the elite amongst the barbarians, known as the hunters.


    ¡°Khaaaa¡±


    ¡°Aaaak!¡±


    The Outsiders knew that all of the barbarian soldiers were very skilled. That was why they focused on defense rather than offense. They tried to prevent their advance by taking defensive formations that made the most out of their spears and shields.


    But it was to no avail.


    The hunter army, led by Donape, cleaved through their formations like a hot knife through butter.


    ¡°Oh my gosh.¡±


    The spears were broken and the shields were smashed into shards.


    They were crushed, ground, and ripped apart.


    No one could open their mouth in front of the overwhelming disparity in power. They could only tremble silently in fear.


    *BAAAAMM*


    And amongst all of this, there was a presence that overwhelmed the battlefield with its sheer violence.


    Donape An¡¯s axe was a catastrophe unto itself for the Outsiders.


    It smashed and broke through the standard tactics that form the modern understanding of war. All of this with the power of a single person.


    ¡°S-Stop them!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t let him break through! Do not allow them to approach artillery units!¡± *Booom*


    In just a few moments after the crash, Donape had reached the artillery unit at the rear of the Outsiders formation.


    The infantry troops were useless in front of his unashamed violence. You could draw a straight line between his position at the start of the battle, and the artillery unit he was currently located at.


    The barbarian hunters were not too far behind and began to ravage these remaining artillery units.


    In a fight at close quarters, a magician is just helpless prey. ¡°Khaaaaak!¡±


    The Outsiders artillery units were trampled thoroughly.


    The barbarian hunters didn¡¯t allow them the opportunity to arrange any spells. ¡°Rodelis, you lead half of the troops and take the right nk.¡±


    Rodelis, the chieftain of the Bear Tribe, led a portion of the troops under themand of Donape and headed to the right nk.


    ¡°Uria, take the left nk with the rest of the forces.¡±


    The best hunter, Uria nodded.


    The hunters unit split and surrounded the Outsiders¡¯ infantry units. In the meantime, the barbarian infantry units were also slowly advancing towards Outsiders¡¯ vanguard.


    The Outsiders were crushed simultaneously in the front and rear.


    After confirming this, Donape moved towards the unit where themander of the Outsiders wasst reported.


    A few strong looking soldiers intercepted him in an attempt to stop him. They were notorious, known as the elite members of this Outsider force.


    Donape hardened his face after encountering them.


    But there was the slightest bit of tension present on their faces.


    ¡°Howe troops as strong as yourselves were assigned to protect thismander? Does the person leading you even understand anything about battle at all?¡±


    This situation was iprehensible to him.


    ¡°What can a King, who survives alone, do after their soldiers are all dead?!¡±


    He led the soldiers by standing at the forefront. Not only that, he defeated more enemies than anyone else.


    He didn¡¯t use the soldiers for himself. He used himself for his soldiers.


    That was the creed of Donape.


    However, the Outsiders had assigned the strongest to defensive positions in the rear to protect themander.


    Donape got off the direwolf he was riding. And he shook his head as if looking down on them as being pathetic.


    ¡°It¡¯s pathetic.¡±


    A swordsman with a greatsword shouted out of humiliation.


    ¡°How dare you speak about us. You¡¯re just a beast of the mountains¡­ ¡­ !¡± *Slice*


    However, he couldn¡¯t finish his thought as he was split into two by Donape¡¯s axe. Donape sighed and pulled the axe out of the ground to his side.


    [Heaven¡¯s Aura]


    The axe, that red like a me, drew a long trajectory and shredded everything in its path. The bodies of assassins, who had been lurking at the rear of the army, lunged at Donape and were instantly cleaved apart. ck Wave, the assassination organization which had a considerable reputation, waspletely wiped out with the single blow.


    Donape swung his axe down with all of his might. [Mountain Stamp]


    *CRACK*


    As the ground cracked, an eerie sound leaked out from the cracks. Subsequently, the ground was infused with a reddish aura and rose into the air.


    The wicked deeds of Rogiref¡¯s Knights, which had killed countless innocent civilians and were even un-knighted, ended with this strike.


    He swung his axe in the air, freeing it of the blood and gore that had umted on it. No one else dared rush at Donape after that.


    ¡°This-This¡­ ¡­ is not a human.¡±


    One or two people turned tail and ran away.


    As one or two people gripped with fear fled, the fear began to spread like a contagion, and before too long, many others joined them.


    He had single-handedly overwhelmed hundreds of people.


    This was the power of the King of the North.


    One of the strongest humans to have evere from the north was Donape An. He didn¡¯t chase those who ran away.


    It was a meaningless struggle. Either way, they wouldn¡¯t be able to leave this ce.


    With the warriorscking confidence all gone now, the leaders of this Outsider force were left shocked.


    One of them drew their sword and wrapped it in aura, swinging it at Donape. But he didn¡¯t avoid the blow. No, there was no need to avoid it.


    *CRASH*


    The moment the aura-wrapped sword hit Donape, it shattered. It couldn¡¯t prate the aura wrapped around his body.


    Donape grabbed the head of the person who swung the sword. *Crack*


    The head he caught exploded.


    His face utterly devoid of emotion, he began to ughter all of those who remained.


    Donape, who destroyed the Outsidermanders in charge of the northern battle line, confirmed his surroundings.


    The battle was rapidly drawing to an end.


    The Outsiders, who were overwhelming in force at the beginning, suffered without even being able to put up a proper fight.


    It was the barbarians¡¯ third great victory.


    They had never been defeated in battle.


    ¡®These enemies are weaker than the first ones.¡¯


    As the Outsiders continued to lose, their remaining battle forces were weakened with every battle.


    Donape turned his gaze to the side. In the distance, the castle currently under control of the Outsiders caught his eye.


    The Outsiders¡¯ base, Jormungand Citadel.


    The pitiful remains of the Outsiders forces were all that was left of the terrorist organization that took on the entire world.


    ¡®This war wille to an end soon.¡¯


    It was as he was thinking about the future, that Donape frowned. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡±


    A strong flow of mana could be felt from the Jormungand Citadel. A stream of mana that was so powerful that it was beyondprehension.


    A light briefly twinkled.


    However, it was a momentary phenomenon.


    When he sensed danger and tried to react, a dazzling re filled his sight. A beam of light streaked towards him, burning everything in orbit. *BAAAAMMM*


    There was a huge explosion on the battlefield where the battle had not quite concluded. A huge crater formed, as if a giant had scratched out a big chunk of the ground.


    The white sh indiscriminately ended the life of both enemy and allies.


    It was a disaster.

 Chapter 175. Celebrity (4)

    <h4>Chapter 175. Celebrity (4)</h4>


    Just a day ago, the war seemed to be practically over.


    After losing their main forces, the Outsiders were forced back to Jormungand Citadel. They could only hole up and attempt to prolong the inevitable. The Allied Forces had it surrounded. As the Outsiders lost their supply routes, they grew more and more desperate. The Allied Forces had victory in their grasp, just by continuing the siege.


    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the Allied Forces were superior in both numbers and quality of troops. The Outsiders had no chance of winning in a direct conflict either.


    However, the situation had changed dramatically.


    A white light shed from Jormungand Citadel. It swept through everything in its path.


    Its effective range and power was immense. The biggest problem, however, was that it was impossible to predict where it would shoot next.


    Twelve hours. That was the apparent cooldown between shots. The Allied Forces suffered immense damage every half day.


    In an unexpected situation, the Allied Forces held an emergency meeting. ¡°This is the third time already.¡±


    Themanders of the Imperial Army gathered at the hastily prepared conference hall.


    In front of them was amunication station with symbols representing the five nations of the Western Kingdom Union.


    [-This bombardment severely damaged the armies of Arunbeth and Lemton] Its first attack was aimed at the barbarians.


    Their troops, having won back to back victories while pushing deep into enemy territory on the northern battle line, suffered an instantaneous defeat due to that white sh.


    Since then, the beam of white light had been aimed at the Western Kingdom Union.


    Twice. Just two attacks had wreaked significant and devastating damage to the Western Kingdom Union.


    The Allied Forces had no counter-measures and had to just endure these unprecedented attacks, fearing that their next moment may be theirst. They had no way of determining where and when it would attack next.


    Even if they could manage to predict these things, in the face of such overwhelming power, they would still be helpless in front of it.


    Typically, the power of a spell fell off sharply as the distance it travelled increased. This wasmon sense; spells traded their destructive power in exchange for additional range. However, the concentrated beam of light from Jormungand did not appear to diminish at all, despite originating from such an immense range.


    ¡°The white beam looks to be of at least the Seventh-Circle or higher.¡± A sorrowful atmosphere filled the conference hall.


    Seventh-Circle magic.


    The only one known to be capable of performing such spells was Zod Exarion. [-There is only one Seventh-Circle wizard on the continent.]


    [-He¡¯s in the hospital in the Adeina Kingdom now.]


    [-Then we can only try and figure out what that white beam is.] ¡°A homunculus.¡±


    The Outsiders¡¯ strongest weapon and the only weapon that had managed to threaten the status quo of battle.


    [-To sum up, Jormungand Citadel fires a Seventh-Circle spell. And it is impossible to respond to it. The preparation time required to format magic with such power is about twelve hours.]


    The King of Adeina, who had suffered immensely due to the white beam, spoke with a trembling voice.


    [-I insist on preemptive strikes rather than maintaining a siege and attempting to pressure the Outsiders.]


    ¡°Launching an all-out assault risks our advantage. Are you suggesting we give that up and take on additional risk?¡±


    [-It is dangerous to stall for time now. No matter the cost, it¡¯s much more realistic to engage in a decisive battle than continue taking massive casualties every twelve hours.]


    [-I agree. We can¡¯t let them continue to st us forever.] [-Then we have reached a conclusion.]


    At some point, the King of Divide had begun to lead the meeting.


    [-Before the enemy¡¯s attacks ughter all of the soldiers of our Allied Forces, let¡¯s attack the enemy first and defeat their homunculus.]


    Many participants agreed with King Divide¡¯s opinion, and before too long, they reached a consensus.


    They decided tounch a preemptive strike.


    ¡°The remaining time until the next beam attack is ten hours.¡±


    [-The goal is to defeat the homunculus located somewhere within the Jormungand Citadel before that time limit runs out.]


    Once the goal had been set, the discussion moved on to how it could be achieved.


    Fortunately, the Allied Forces had already surrounded the Outsiders from all sides. It was possible for them to send elite guerri units from any side.


    However, it wasn¡¯t that simple in practice. Any gueri unit attempting to break through the


    southern front would need to make their way past the elite forces of the Outsiders. These elite soldiers had retreated to this position after being pushed back from the central battle line.


    On the other hand, the barbarians still remained on the northern battle line.


    Donape An, who had lost arge portion of his men to the first strike, was entirely consumed by rage. He had thrown himself into non-stop battle ever since. This ruled the northern battle line out too, since he was beyond allied control now.


    As a result, the growing consensus was to just leave the northern battle line to Donape and maintain the status quo at the southern battle line. This would leave the eastern and western nks open for hit-and-run tactics.


    ¡°So the problem is who we will dispatch?¡±


    All that remained was deciding who would make up the gueri units.


    The discussion continued for a long time before King Divide opened his mouth.


    [-On our side, some of us are of the opinion that we should use the Starling Party of the Hebrion Empire.]


    [-The Starling Party has already proved their ability by performing excellently on several asions. They are a student party with knighthood qualification, but their skills can be said to be beyond that.]


    The officers of the Imperial Army felt the conversation bing increasingly inconvenient. They had lost the initiative, and desperately looked for a way to steer the conversation to safety. They didn¡¯t want to consign such precious talent to almost certain death.


    [-Definitely, Desir of the Starling Party has enough skill to take on this mission.] [-There are few people who can produce more firepower than the Starling Party.] However, the opinions of the Western Kingdom Union were sufficiently overwhelming.


    There was no choice but to ept this proposal unless the officers of the Imperial Army could quickly figure out something with a better chance of sess.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Okay. I will inform them of this mission.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    They were in Colonel Yuta¡¯s office.


    Desir looked at the picture held out in front of him. It was a picture of a terrible scene of destruction. The aftermath of the white beam.


    In the ce where the light swept through, there were marks left behind as if a huge w had gouged out the ground.


    Desir studied the photo carefully. ¡°It¡¯s the work of a homunculus.¡±


    An immediate conclusion. It was the only being that could cause misery beyond allmon sense.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. The attack is fired every twelve hours, so we guess they need some time to recover power. The strength of the attack is exactly as depicted here.¡±


    Yuta tapped the picture. His light tap seemed to be infused with a variety of unpleasant emotions.


    ¡°The Allied Forces are in a hurry tounch a full-scale war before any further damage is incurred. While the main forces are pushing up the battle line quickly, they n to also form guerri units to infiltrate the Jormungand Citadel.¡±


    It was quite a wise judgment. As it turned out, there was no better way to end this fast. It was better to make a quick offensive.


    ¡°The guerri troops will be divided into two groups, one will infiltrate from the east nk, and the other via the west nk. And we would like the Starling Party to join the guerris that will infiltrate from the east.¡±


    ¡°You hold us in high regard.¡±


    ¡°Because no other unit has achieved as good of results as yours. Above all, I don¡¯t think there is a more suitable group of candidates for guerri units. We need to move with as few people as possible, and they must be the cream of the crop.¡±


    Desir nodded. He also felt there was no one else as capable as they were, when working as a small group of elites.


    ¡°We have decided to leave themand of the eastern guerri units to you. We evaluated your ability to lead and issuemands in prior situations, and decided such¡­¡±


    Up until now, Desir was constrained by the chain ofmand. Whenever he required the cooperation of anyone in the military, he had to ask the right people who would then escte the issue up the hierarchy of seniority.


    This became a critical weakness in urgent situations. The attack on Mahayu Harbor was a key example; they could have instantaneously lost the war as a result of wasted time¡­


    However, this kind of problem was solved by joining the chain ofmand directly at a senior level.


    Yuta turned his full attention on Desir. ¡°Defeat the homunculus and end this war.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Desir Arman, leader of the Starling Party. I will be leading this eastern unit.¡±


    The east unit had forty people in total, including the Starling Party members.


    The average power level of its participants was very high. The swordsmen were at least at the Rook ss and the magicians were all at least at the Fourth-Circle.


    ¡°Our mission is to defeat the homunculus hiding in the Jormungand Citadel. I will divide this group into four units to increase the efficiency of this mission.¡±


    The power of the east guerri unit was high enough that it wouldn¡¯t be a mistake to refer to them as the core of the Imperial Army deployed on the eastern battle line.


    These people were all hand-picked for this specific mission. Combined, they offered the idealposition to get the job done.


    The other unique aspect of this detachment was that quite a few of the members were from the Hebrion Academy.


    It seemed like centralmand had kept Desir in mind, and tried to give him a unit that would ideally already know him.


    ¡®Argeria is also here.¡¯ Argeria G Rogran Nimbias.


    Amongst his cohort, he was the top single ranker in his third-year ss, and was also known as the strongest swordsman of the academy. To top it all off, he was the leader of the Blue Moon Party.


    Argeria had attempted to slow down Desir in the Party Competition, but when things went awry, he was also the first person amongst the arrogant nobles to acknowledge Desir¡¯s capability and put their lives in his hands.


    ¡®I guess we will fight together again, as soldier and student this time.¡¯


    Argeria had joined the military and was currently a cadet candidate. After judging his ability, he seemed to have attracted quite a bit of attention as a hopeful prospect.


    When his eyes met with Desir¡¯s, he nodded. This gesture indicated that he acknowledged Desir as themander, and didn¡¯t feel the need to express it openly.


    After a short briefing, the squad members scattered. There seemed to be noints amongst them even though Desir, who was younger than them, had assumed control.


    ¡°This battle should be rather easy, for a change.¡±


    Romantica expressed her opinion in a casual manner, as if announcing a foregone conclusion. ¡°If it all goes to n, it may be possible to defeat the homunculus without any problem.¡± Desir could only respond wryly to Romantica setting such a death g. Deep down though, he expected that this mission to eliminate the homunculus had a high chance of sess, since the force at his disposal was incredibly high-spec for such a mission.


    As the two exchanged such frivolities, someone else interjected. ¡°Desir Arman. The great hero of the Empire.¡±


    Desir looked in the direction of the voice. A young man with slicked-back hair approached.


    ¡°I am very pleased to be able to join such a magician as you in battle. It¡¯s especially awesome since we are both from the Hebrion Academy. There are very few people that have achieved anything near what you have, especially while in their junior years at the academy.¡±


    Sardek Genoisa.


    He was a Fifth-Circle magician in his mid-thirties, and an alumnus of the Hebrion Academy. He drew close to Desir with a friendly smile stered onto his face.

 Chapter 176. Celebrity (5)

    <h4>Chapter 176. Celebrity (5)</h4>


    ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that good of a magician, since I don¡¯t recall his name, even though he¡¯s at the Fifth-Circle.¡¯


    At the very least, Desir went out of his way to remember the name of everyone he worked together with in the Shadow Labyrinth. Especially those that were capable.


    However, he couldn¡¯t recall the name Sardek Genoisa at all. This was evidence enough that he hadn¡¯tsted that long and died early in the Shadow Labyrinth.


    Sardek smiled, but now that Desir had a chance to scrutinize him, he realized that it was slightly sarcastic.


    ¡°I know that my junior, still attending the Hebrion Academy, is excellent. But can that excellent soldier also demonstrate simr skill in the role ofmander?¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting that I¡¯m not suitable to be amander?¡± Sardek spoke with exaggerated gestures.


    ¡°What could you possibly mean by unsuitable? Who could possibly say that you¡¯re unsuitable for that? I¡¯m just saying that there¡¯s someone else with more experience that may be a little bit more suitable for such an important mission.¡±


    Desir understood what Sardek was trying to say. ¡°Are you nominating yourself?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Sadek¡¯s facial expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest. He apparently had very thick skin, able to conceal such barefaced impudence without the slightest hint of it leaking. Reaching this far in the interaction, he hadn¡¯t directly said anything that could bebelled arrogant, however, his actions and gestures told a different story altogether. It was if he was waiting for and baiting the other party into voicing his intention on their own ord.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been leading the homunculus Response Forces before these guerri units were even conceived. I think I¡¯m more suitable based on my experience leading arge number of personnel as well as the fact that my experience will likely y a key role in the battle against the target, the homunculus. What do you think?¡±


    Desir cut him off.


    ¡°I will decline if you are offering to takemand. Please take advantage of your abundant experience and y an active role in the fighting.¡±


    Not only was this a matter already decided on by the warmittee, Desir decided that it would be better to lead the operation himself if the one to take control was not someone he could entrust it to.


    But Sardek didn¡¯t take no for an answer. His tone changed to something slimy and greasy.


    ¡°I graduated from the Hebrion Academy and reached the Fifth-Circle. But my rank is still only Major for some reason.¡±


    He suddenly took the conversation in apletely different direction.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think the elite of the Hebrion Academy should get some special treatment? I must be promoted to avoid dishonoring the reputation of the Hebrion Academy.¡±


    Desir didn¡¯t feel there was any more point entertaining this fool, as he drifted further and further away from his original point.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to be a topic worth discussing now. Our n of action has been decided on, and time is of the essence. Please start preparing to head off, now.¡±


    ¡°I know that this operation is important. If I seed in leading it, I will definitely be promoted.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    He was persistent. Too persistent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s help each other out, since we¡¯re from the same Hebrion Academy.¡± Desirughed.


    ¡°¡­ That means, since you are a more senior member of Hebrion Academy, I should hand overmand to you?¡±


    Sardek was a supposedly dignified Fifth-Circle magician.


    Desir, on the other hand, was a supposed Third-Circle magician, and young to boot. It would be strange for him to be considered experienced, due to his age.


    He could, therefore, understand some of Sardek¡¯s persistence on this matter, since he had simply written Desir off as unreliable. There was nothing worse than being led into a battlefield of life and death, following themand of an unreliable leader. Desir had experienced this far too many times himself.


    Because of this, Desir had given him some leeway in making a case. ¡®However, after letting him talk, this is clearly not the case.¡¯


    Sardek demanded the transfer ofmand, not due to the merit of his own abilities, but due to being a more senior alumnus of Hebrion Academy.


    In a situation where thousands of people¡¯s lives were held in the bnce. ¡°I don¡¯t think you have what it takes tomand this unit.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If the homunculus Response Forces had done its job, this unit would not have been created.¡± Desir turned his back mid-sentence and started to walk away.


    ¡°Wait, wait! Do you think you¡¯ll get my cooperation if you act like that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your cooperation. You are hereby excluded from this operation.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Sardek¡¯s eyes opened widely.


    He didn¡¯t think Desir would be this unreasonable. He had only dared to act like this since he was certain that Desir wouldn¡¯t drop him from the team.


    ¡°You¡¯re insane. I am a Fifth-Circle magician. You would exclude such a magician from the operation!?¡±


    Obviously, the power of a Fifth-Circle magician would be a great deal of help in such an operation.


    However, Desir knew all too well that an ipetent ally would be much scarier than any enemy.


    ¡°I¡¯m eager to see you achieve good results elsewhere. I truly hope you get the promotion you deserve.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Sardek turned on his heel and hurried off, his face cemented into an ugly expression.


    Desir watched his back with a hard expression that revealed how he felt about such a pathetic excuse of a human.


    ¡®Even though he has the skills of a Fifth-Circle, he can¡¯t be promoted any further with behavior like that.¡¯


    It was exactly as Sardek had said to Desir; a good soldier is not guaranteed to be a goodmander. In the end, Sardek ended up describing himself.


    * * *


    Meanwhile, on the eastern battlefront.


    A fierce battle was underway between Outsiders and Imperial Forces on a nearby hillock. The battle waged on with the Imperial forces taking an advantageous position.


    Various spells were fired by the artillery unit, streaking through the sky andnding amongst the opponent¡¯s defensive position.


    There were explosions, and a smokey fog billowed across the battlefield.


    At the forefront of the siege on Jormungand Citadel, a lone low-circle mage stood distinct from the artillery group exchanging blows with the Outsiders. He rapidly inverted oing fire, protecting both the artillery mages and the group of cavalry stationed to the side. The soldier was, of course, none other than Desir, and his elite unit was currently mounted on horseback, ready to charge the enemy at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Desir looked down on the unfolding situation of the battle.


    The war was currently in favor of the Imperial Army. Their lead wasn¡¯t overwhelming, but they continued to press the Outsiders back, and further this slight advantage.


    As the artillery force gained the better position, the Imperial Army was able to continue whittling away the Outsiders¡¯ strength without incurring significant losses.


    ¡®If this situation continues, we can end the war with minimal loss.¡¯ Anyone who believed that was naive.


    When the homunculus attacked again, the Allied Forces would suffer greatly. Themander of the artillery unit spoke to Desir.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a path for you shortly!¡±


    Desir looked at the members of his unit.


    Everyone was nervous, but the Starling Party members were especially tense.


    The weight of this operation seemed to bear down on them in particr. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly and head back to school.¡±


    With his encouragement, Pram and Romantica seemed to slightly rx. ¡°For sure!¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡±


    Desir tried to stare forward again, but suddenly felt a person appear next to him. He turned and saw Adjest suddenly standing there.


    ¡°Well¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    She, who rarely spoke, hesitated¡­ leaving her mouth hanging open.


    This was strange, since she would usually speak confidently without a shred of hesitation whenever there was something she wanted to say.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Adjest stared at Desir, until he returned eye contact with her. The interaction via eye contact onlysted a moment, but stretched to eternity between the two.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Do not get hurt this time.¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    Adjest appeared a little flustered.


    ¡°Whenever something happens, youe back hurt, sometimes almost dead.¡± She was clearly worried for Desir.


    ¡°You too, Adjest. Be careful.¡± Desir smiled slightly.


    Just then, the voice of the artillerymander could be heard. ¡°Thirty seconds left! Guerri unit, prepare!¡±


    It was time.


    Themander of the artillery unit gave his order. ¡°One shot shelling! Open the way for the guerri unit!¡±


    Numerous magicians started calcting their spells. With dozens of spells forming, each beyond the Third-Circle, the flow of mana gushing through the air was enormous.


    Like a flood of water breaking free of a dam, spells shot out simultaneously, crashing against the Outsider¡¯s battle formation.


    *BANG*


    ¡°Kaaaaaah!¡± Screams rang out. That was their signal.


    Desir grabbed his reins and shouted. ¡°Advance!¡±


    On the same mark, the eastern guerri forces began to move. Around forty people charged towards the devastated and confused enemy.


    They headed for a gap in the citadel¡¯s defenses, a spot where there was ack of trenches. The Outsiders noticed the group slicing through their defensive line, but it was far toote. ¡°Don¡¯t let them pass through!¡±


    They could hear the anguished cries of the Outsiders behind them, as they continued their charge.


    Some of the Outsiders were better positioned to attempt an interception. They hurried into a make-shift formation, while their magicians readied a few hastily crafted spells.


    The problem was that Desir had anticipated this situation. He inverted their spells before they could offer any threat.


    As long as Desir was present, spells of this level were useless. ¡°Stick at it!¡±


    Those who made up the guerri unit were the most elite amongst the Empire¡¯s forces. *Crash*


    The guerri unit effortlessly broke through the Outsiders that had scrambled into position to stop them.


    The Outsiders held nothing back, immediately moving some infantry units to defend their artillery that was under threat from Desir¡¯s unit.


    All of their movements betrayed how urgently they treated this situation.


    Their hastily repositioned infantry managed to just reach Desir¡¯s cavalry. Conventional wisdom held that cavalry was rtively weak to infantry attacks on any nk.


    However, such wisdom was useless in the face of Adjest¡¯s magic that she had formatted one step earlier.


    [Winter Crystal]


    This spell created high-intensity ice in the spell caster¡¯s desired shape.


    An icy bulkhead soared to the sides of the unit advancing. It was quite scaled.


    The strength of the bulkhead was significant. It was impossible to pierce it in a short time.


    The Outsiders had no remaining options to stop the guerri unit. They had no choice but to watch Desir¡¯s unit soar away.


    This skirmish took all of a few moments. The unit that had broken through such a fierce battle line instantly picked up in speed before disappearing out of sight¡­

 Chapter 177. Evolution (1)

    <h4>Chapter 177. Evolution (1)</h4>


    8 A.M.


    The boundless cold air of the snowfield, thick with morning fog, permeated deep into their lungs.


    The magicians of the guerri group, including Desir, constantly invoked detection magic, in order to gather information about the soldiers around them.


    ¡°There are threerge-scale enemy units in front of us.¡±


    The first to notice the enemy was Romantica. Her detection magic, trained by Desir, was superior to most.


    ¡®Did they predict our movements and have soldiers deployed?¡¯


    Desir raised his right hand up. The simple action was actually a signal to quicklymunicate within the unit. All of the gueris turned their heads in unison towards their right.


    Romantica shouted once again.


    ¡°Morerge-scale enemy units on our right!¡± There were two units.


    Desir responded quickly.


    ¡°Please check if there are any enemies between the unit you sensed earlier and the unit you saw now.¡±


    Romantica, who had already begun arranging detection magic before Desir finished his sentence, invoked it where he had asked.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ There¡¯s nothing there.¡±


    As soon as the words had left Romantica¡¯s lips, Desir lifted his left hand slightly and pointed to their left.


    ¡°toon Two, ready for camouge magic!¡±


    Before the start of this operation, Desir had divided the unit into four toons ording to their individual skill sets. toon Two had magicians that were specialized in support magic rather than raw firepower.


    Desir gave the order, and in a demonstration that attested to just how well they were trained, they held their spells at the ready. It was imperative that their magic was invoked just before the sound of the horses¡¯ hooves could reach the Outsiders.


    ¡°Invoke!¡± [Cat¡¯s Curtain] [Frost Cloak]


    Several high circle camouge spells were simultaneously invoked and quickly coated the entire regiment.


    At that exact moment, the Outsider¡¯s detection magic invoked. A sinister breeze whipped its way through the gueri unit¡¯s ranks.


    Yet the detection magic had found absolutely nothing. The camouge magic invoked by toon Two had worked perfectly, andpletely invalidated the Outsiders¡¯ detection magic. Furthermore, the thick morning fog made it very difficult for even a keen pair of eyes to locate the gueris that had infiltrated their ranks¡­


    In other words, it was impossible for the Outsiders to pinpoint the position of Desir¡¯s unit. ¡®If we attack the enemy now, it could cause considerable damage, but¡­ ¡¯


    Desir knew the enemy¡¯s position, his unit was inside their encampment, and they werepletely undetected. It was the best possible situation tounch a raid.


    But the Outsiders weren¡¯t a naive group.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve prepared for this kind of situation.¡¯


    Though they couldn¡¯t be seen, and detection magic couldn¡¯t reveal them, nothing could mask their presence if they bumped into an enemy patrol head-on.


    Unlike those seen at the front-line, these Outsiders seem well-trained enough to be able to react to a surprise enemy attack.


    For these reasons, Desir did not intend to attack. His unit was put together for a more important mission than dealing with the rank and file Outsiders.


    ¡®Simply passing through is difficult enough as it is.¡¯


    He maintained course, stopping to let enemy patrols harmlessly pass by them when necessary. As a result, the guerris were able to slip past numerous enemy squadronspletely unnoticed


    In the end, the Outsiders had beenpletely unable to make a move until it was already toote.


    ¡®We¡¯ve managed to avoid all unnecessary fighting.¡¯


    Their unit¡¯s primary objective was to find the homunculus. And the most important thing for them was to prevent the homunculus from firing again and increasing the damage dealt to the Allied Forces.


    Romantica yed a big role in helping lead the gueris to the homunculus as quickly and efficiently as possible.


    Her detection magic had located the homunculus¡¯s location from a considerable distance, and thanks to it, the unit was able to head straight towards Jormungand Citadel without any loss of time or engaging the enemy inbat.


    Suddenly, the number of Outsiders that were in front of them exceeded two battalions worth. Desir had assumed that, by now, information about their unit that had prated the frontlines would have reached all of the Outsider forces. But up until now, there had been no sign of increased resistance.


    ¡®They must know what we¡¯re here for, then.¡¯


    Given that no one had stopped them fromunching a raid earlier, the Outsiders must have realized that the unit¡¯s true goal was the homunculus, and had been attempting to sneak their way into the Citadel.


    Though their location hadn¡¯t been exposed, it would now be impossible topletely avoidbat.


    As Desir¡¯s unit approached the halfway point on their path towards the Citadel, Desir could see that his prediction had been correct.


    ¡°An enemy unit ahead. It¡¯s lined up sideways.¡±


    A defensive line created using thergest number of troops they had encountered so far.


    It would be an impossible task to sneak through this defensive line the way they had avoided enemy patrols. No, even if they could, it would take too much time.


    The guerri group, which couldn¡¯t afford to rest for even a moment, was now forced to change tactics, exchanging stealth for might.


    Desir gave the troops a signal to ready for the charge. ¡°Giddy-up!¡±


    The guerris re-formed into their respective toons at the instruction of Desir.


    toon One, a magician unit with excellent firepower, took the role of the primary source of firepower.


    toon Two, primarily dedicated to support magic, was also capable of aiding the first toon with follow-up spells.


    toon Three,posed of soldiers renowned for having outstanding defensive capabilities, took towards the front.


    toon Four, handling light weapons and capable of rapid movement, an auxiliary unit would rapidly relocate to defend the nks of toon One and Two in response to the situation. Desir folded his straightened finger to confirm that all the troops had moved into their set positions.


    It was also the signal to charge. [Fire Wall]


    [Thunder Break] *Boom* *Boooooom*


    The artillery fire magic carried out by toon One was unleashed in the direction of the enemy¡¯s defensive line.


    A wall of unbearable heat, made of devastating fire, soared up and lurched towards the Outsiders. Severalrge arcs of lighting splintered into the sky and crashed towards the ground. The Outsiders were caughtpletely defenseless to the unashamed shelling from Desir¡¯s unit of elite forces.


    Despite the impressive disy from the gueri unit, they had little in the way of numbers. Only a small portion of the defensive formation in front of them copsed, despite the awesome demonstration of firepower.


    But Desir ordered the charge without hesitation. The guerri force¡¯s vanguard dug into the gap in the Outsider¡¯s wall, piercing it deeply and widening it within moments.


    Even though it was thergest unit the gueris had seen in their excursion so far, it wasn¡¯t difficult for them to break through. The individuals thatprised the elite force were excellent, make no mistake, but that wasn¡¯t the reason why such arge group had been swiftly neutralized.


    The Outsiders had constructed their line of defense such that the guerris would be unwilling to make a detour and be forced to engage them in battle.


    But in the end, that was why they had lost.


    In order to increase the area that a limited number of troops can cover, the density of the troops had to decrease. If the goal was to prevent a weak spy unit from infiltrating, it would have been a sess. But such a tactic could never prevent the advance of a high-quality gueri charge.


    ¡®They gave us the chance to break through without actually having to stop our advance.¡¯


    The Outsiders attacked with all their might, and finally inflicted the first instance of damage to the unit.


    Desir was able to invert a majority of the iing magic though, so few losses urred.


    Everything was going as well as Desir had predicted. They had nearly made it through, and sessfully reached the edge of the outer perimeter.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The magicians on the battlefield all felt the flow of an incredible amount of mana. At the top of the Jormungand Citadel, the mist half-cleared and the sky was now visible to the soldiers on the ground below.


    Everyone present felt the color drain from their face.


    A white sh began forming in front of their eyes.


    It was a powerful artillery attack, capable of destroying a wide area in a single attack. Someone muttered while looking at it.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t there be five hours left¡­ ?¡±


    The homunculus¡¯s attack had been fired off every twelve hours. So far. This cooldown between attacks had been so precise that it couldn¡¯t possibly be inurate. Those who were there were perplexed at the sight of the growing mass of mana. Perplexion grew as this attack was going to be fired much earlier than scheduled.


    Desir was quick to grasp the implications of the situation. ¡®We¡¯ve been fooled. The twelve-hour cooldown was a trick¡¯


    The previous rounds of artillery fire were carried out every twelve hours, which led to the illusion of there being a significant cooldown between attacks. Humans are quick to find patterns and specte on why such patterns exist. Obviously, if twelve hours were required between attacks, it must be because the enemy needed time to gather the necessary amount of mana for the attack. In hindsight, this was a foolish assumption.


    How could a spell that requires twelve hours to calcte,nd in the exact spot that would deal maximum damage every time?


    How could a spell that requires twelve hours of gathering mana, not be detectable at such range?


    The white light turned towards the Outsiders currently on the defensive line, before turning further inwards towards the guerris trying to break through.


    There was amotion among the Outsiders, quick to realize what was about to happen. ¡°No, wait!¡±


    All of the Outsiders, who had been swarming to stop the guerris, stopped dead in their tracks. They didn¡¯t understand why this was happening to them.


    They were unwilling martyrs, used to stop the gueris lead by Desir for only a single moment.


    A deadly trap, designed to kill Desir no matter the cost.


    The light began to intensify.


    *p*


    As the re from the light became so bright that the troops on the ground became unable to see, a single p could be heard.


    *Boom!*


    Both sides were instantly enveloped by the overwhelming light of the super-massive spell that had been unleashed. The white sh disintegrated the surroundings and devoured all that dared to stand before it.


    Yet when the light faded, there were still a few people left standing.


    Huge shields of structured geometric forms surrounded the survivors. The cracked shield shattered as the impressive-looking equipment in Desir¡¯s hand shattered.


    ¡°I brought four, just to be safe, and three of them were smashed in a single blow¡­ ¡±


    It was the Aurora system, the strongest defensive system created by mankind, created by Desir when he provided Zod with his future knowledge.


    Desir had brought several portable Aurora systems with him for use against the homunculus. However, his thorough preparation could only withstand a single blow. He did not lose hisposure under such nerve-wracking circumstances, but simply recovered what remained of his broken equipment and gazed up towards the source of the attack.


    ¡®What a disgusting way of doing things.¡¯

 Chapter 178. Evolution (2)

    <h4>Chapter 178. Evolution (2)</h4>


    The Outsiders could no longer stop the advance of Desir¡¯s forces. After all, they had no troops left to block them with.


    ¡®Theypletely eliminated their own troops.¡¯


    Desir couldn''t possibly understand their behavior. A feeling of disgust grew inside him.


    As a result, the guerris were able to quickly reach Jormungand Citadel. At first nce, the imposing fortress looked nearly invincible.


    Desir looked at the top of the fort where the white sh was fired from.


    ¡®It may not take twelve hours to re-arm, but it certainly takes time to gather that much mana.¡¯ After the attack had beenunched, wiping out the Outsiders and attempting to level the guerri forces, no more attacks left the Citadel. Desir was certain that the homunculus needed time to recharge.


    The homunculus, which seemed omnipotent inparison to human beings, had to have a limit.


    ¡®Homunculus were born from the efforts of man, after all.¡¯


    Despite his thoughts, Desir couldn¡¯t cast aside the nervousness that had burrowed into him. After all, it would be foolish to underestimate the Homonculus¡¯s ability to control causality. Desir preferred to analyse his opponent¡¯s fighting style, gauge its strengths and weaknesses, and then engage in battle.


    Upon his return, thanks to his countless experiences in the Shadow Labyrinth, there were few asions where he fought against a truly unknown enemy. After a bit of work, most of his foes were interpretable.


    However, a homunculus¡¯s ability to manipte causality was far beyond the realm a human can casually understand. He couldn¡¯tprehend how such powers were capable of being invoked.


    ¡®But ording to Zod, it isn¡¯t impossible to beat it inbat. We can surely deal with it with this unit.¡¯


    Desir had finally reinstilled confidence within himself, when it was time to head back into action.


    The voice of a guerri member came from behind Desir. ¡°We¡¯ve entered firing range.¡±


    Desir ordered the second toon members to identify the enemy¡¯s forces inside Jormungand Citadel using detection magic.


    ¡°There are still troops within the fortress.¡±


    Upon receiving the report, Desir had a question.


    When he saw the homunculus¡¯s attack, regardless of the coteral damage it would cause; Desir witnessed just how genuine the panic of those Outsiders was. They ran away; the obvious behavior of someone witnessing their trap card turned against them.


    Nevertheless, there were those who did not back down and had remained to protect homunculus.


    Desir spected that they might be troops under direct control of the senior ranking members of the Outsiders; the Crow Masks and the Feather Masks of the group.


    ¡®Storming the fort will be difficult.¡¯


    Their group wasposed of the most elite troops within the Allied Forces. Their ability alone was considered top of the line, but the number of troops they had with them was small inparison to those guarding the citadel.


    ¡®It would have been much easier had the West¡¯s guerris arrived.¡¯


    The original n was a feint operation. It was the coalition¡¯s n to send guerris from the east and west to eliminate homunculus simultaneously.


    The numerical inferiority would have been lessened if the Western guerris had arrived, but they were nowhere to be seen.


    Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t waste even a moment waiting.


    It was quiet now, but it was unclear when that wide-area attack would ur again. Desir made a snap judgment.


    He looked back at his guerris.


    ¡°We need to split up. The Starling Party will continue with the original goal of eliminating the homunculus. Everyone else, please take care of the troops within the citadel.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. Unless we¡¯re sure of the enemy¡¯s strength, we need to stick together and make a steady push through the citadel.¡±


    That was a reasonable counter-point. The fortress of Jormungand was thest remaining base of the Outsiders. It was impossible to know just how many traps were waiting for them.


    But Desir was adamant.


    ¡°If the homunculusunches another st at us, it¡¯ll be impossible for us to stop it.¡±


    It had now been a few minutes since thest attack. All they could do was wonder when it would be fired again. After that, it would all be over; they didn¡¯t have enough Aurora systems to block the white sh a second time.


    All of the guerris nodded in agreement.


    Desir¡¯s gaze scanned over the men and women in front of him until his eye locked onto one individual in particr.


    ¡°While I¡¯m away, Argeria will takemand of the eastern guerris.¡±


    Argeria felt his jaw drop as he stared bug-eyed at Desir. ¡°Me, me? I willmand the people here?¡±


    The pr opposite of his usual cool-headed demeanor, Argeria waspletely embarrassed by his surprise nomination.


    His reaction was understandable. Many of the soldiers around him were more talented and renowned by the military atrge. Though he was acknowledged for his time leading the Blue Moon Party, at the moment, he was merely a fresh cadet.


    ¡°Good soldiers and goodmanders are different.¡±


    Nevertheless, Desir judged that he was making the right call and that Argeria could be trusted to lead.


    ¡°You have experiencemanding and have done so admirably in the past. I know you¡¯ll do well.¡±


    Argeria had the experience of leading the members of the Blue Moon party andunching numerous expeditions into difficult Shadow Worlds. Though the Eastern guerri group also consisted of individuals with outstandingbat skills, few of them had any experiencemanding troops, let alone organizing and conquering multiple Shadow Worlds.


    ¡°C-Commanding a student party and a military operation is totally different! Besides, it¡¯s not as if¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Mr. Argeria.¡± ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I chose you.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Argeria realized what an asshole he had been. Desir had believed in Argeria¡¯s skill and given him a chance, but he hadpletely fumbled it. ¡°Can you do it?¡±


    Upon hearing Desir¡¯s words, Argeria snapped back to his senses. ¡°Of course. I would never let you down.¡±


    ¡°Okay then.¡±


    Desir gave his final orders, pointing towards the outer walls protecting the Jormungand Citadel.


    ¡°Prepare to breakthrough.¡± The operation was carried out.


    * * *


    *Boom!*


    The explosion rang out.


    Jormungand Citadel shook once, as though a heavy object fell and jostled a nearby table. The aftermath was severe, even though the fortress was surrounded by considerable defensive magic.


    ¡°Everyone! Defensive positions!¡±


    Those who detected the source of the shaking rushed towards where their walls were under fire.


    The soldiers were dressed head to toe in ck, the hue and design of the outfit bearing a striking resemnce to a bird.


    A crow. A bird of bad luck that also symbolized death and misfortune.


    These were the elite soldiers of those loyal to Crow Mask; the soldiers who shared sympathy with his ideals, who shared his will, those who devoted their all to his cause.


    They stood within Jormungand Citadel after all the other Outsiders had fled, resolute in their mission to guard the homunculus.


    Whether the war ended in victory or defeat now was of no consequence to them. They were simply tools left to fulfill Crow Mask¡¯s wishes.


    *Boom*


    A second explosion resounded.


    The walls started to crumble. No matter how solid the fortress was, it could not withstand the sustained assault of an elite Allied Force.


    Through the copsed wall, the guerris began to enter.


    Crow Mask¡¯s troops waited in anticipation for the order to attack.


    Both groups prepared magic as they locked eyes with each other. There was a tense atmosphere that threatened to devolve into conflict at any moment.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    The leader of Crow Mask¡¯s forces made a quick assessment of the group in front of him. Though they were all quite powerful, their numbers were pitiful.


    He was confident in his advantage. Even if they couldn¡¯t win, with the homunculus on his side, all he had to do was drag the fight out.


    It was a usible n because he was determined to die alongside his enemies in the homunculus¡¯s attack.


    As long as he was able to ensure the death of Desir Arman, leader of the Eastern guerris, it didn¡¯t matter if he sacrificed himself.


    But¡­ ¡°¡­ ?¡±


    No matter where he looked, Desir was nowhere to be seen.


    For a moment he thought he was faced against the Western guerris instead.


    That thought was quickly put to rest, however, when he saw individuals he knew were a part of the Eastern guerri group.


    ¡®Then¡­ No, he couldn¡¯t be¡­ !¡¯


    His head quickly swiveled backward towards where the homunculus was being kept. Without giving him a chance to think further, he heard the enemy.


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    At the moment Argeria gave his order, the guerris under hismandunched their assault. Magic filled the air alongside the sound of swords shing¡­


    As each individual¡¯s ability was considerable, he didn¡¯t have the option to lower his guard for even a moment.


    The leader of the ck-robed troops gave orders after chewing his lips. ¡°Repel them as quickly as possible and head for the top floor!¡±


    Now he had no choice but to finish this battle as soon as possible and help the homunculus to ensure the death of Desir Arman.


    Argeria, who was leading the army in ce of Desir, felt the same way. He ughtered the ck-robed Outsiders approaching him one after another¡­


    * * *


    The Starling Party was filled with a growing sense of dread as the density of the mana around them slowly grew as each step they took, brought them closer to ¡®it¡¯.


    They headed to the top of the fort with a stiff look. And when they arrived at the top floor, an overbearing iron gate blocked their path.


    Desir took a deep breath, strengthening his resolve. ¡°Is everyone ready?¡±


    Romantica took out her rifle and settled behind the other party members. Adjest and Pram both drew their swords and took their ces on either side of Desir.


    Confirming his party¡¯s resolve, Desir pushed the iron gate open, ready to confront their enemy.


    An eerie squeak sounded.


    At the peak of Jormungand Citadel, cold wind and snow blew freely.


    In the center, there was a girl. She was perfectly still, her silver hair fluttering in the wind.


    For a second, one might think she was dead. Her hands were on the ground, her eyes closed, everything about her eerily drained the viewer¡¯s psyche.


    Her thin face, her ghostly-white skin, her unresponsive eyes.


    She was the spitting image of the expression ¡°doll-like.¡± Rather, it wouldn¡¯t be weird to describe her as a doll itself.


    Desir felt a dark presence emanating from the girl. It was likely the same feeling that Zod had felt when he confronted her.


    The girl¡¯s inside was swirling, swarming, with a multitude of different kinds of turbulent mana.


    Desir quickly realized the true nature of the mana before him. The increasingly dense mana that they had felt during their trek to the top floor of the citadel.


    The girl was preparing her infamous attack, preparing to destroy everything in front of her with a white sh. ¡°Attack! Right now!¡± [Abarossa Storm] *Bang!*


    As soon as Desir signaled the attack, Romantica¡¯s shot was fired.

 Chapter 179. Evolution (3)

    <h4>Chapter 179. Evolution (3)</h4>


    The spell took the form of a small storm as it swept through everything in its path towards the homunculus. The stone pirs and floors were disintegrated and scattered by the sharp wind. But even as she took the spell head-on, the homunculus only received light scratches across her skin.


    Desir¡¯s forehead crumpled in dismay. It wasn¡¯t just the homunculus¡¯s defense was terrifying. ¡®¡­ She isn¡¯t fighting back?¡¯


    The homunculus had yet to move even an inch. All the while, she had continued to gather mana and imbue it into herself.


    Desir had figured out the homunculus¡¯s intention.


    ¡®She is going to rely on her defensive ability, and eventually counter-attack with that super-massive spell¡­ if you can even call such an attack a spell?¡¯


    The homunculus was apparently that confident that Desir¡¯s party would be unable to cause her any substantial damage.


    These white sh attacks were apparently the result ofpressing an enormous amount of mana into a ball, and lobbing it at the target like some kind of crude missile.


    Desir measured the concentration of mana within the homunculus. Instantly, he felt the blood drain from his face; the homunculus would likely have the required mana within a few minutes.


    ¡®This is dangerous.¡¯


    As long as the required amount of mana was present, the homunculus was able to circumvent causality and fire off the spell immediately; without the need to calcte, form, and invoke the spell. There was no time left. Desir felt a sudden sense of urgency in his mind.


    ¡°Adjest!¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡± [Ice Empress]


    The cold air from the Center of Ice began to converge on Adjest, sharply lowering the surrounding temperature. At the same time, her hair was dyed white.


    Adjest approached the homunculus in an instant. The physical abilities of Adjest, who had invoked her imagery magic and one of its derived forms, Ice Empress, was above the level of a Bishop ss.


    [Magic Sword: Ice Wave]


    The homunculus grabbed the sword that arced down at her neck, using only her bare hand. Although her attack had been blocked so simply, there was no agitation visible in Adjest¡¯s expression.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !?¡± *Freeze*


    The hand of the homunculus, still grasping the de, began to freeze. From its left hand to its shoulder, in a mere moment, had frozen solid.


    There was a slight change in the homunculus¡¯s indifferent face.


    The homunculus attempted to seize control of the sword.


    But Pram was one step ahead of her. *Crash*


    Pram¡¯s rapier pierced through its frozen arm.


    Even though one arm was nearly shattered, the homunculus did not stop preparing to fire its magical attack.


    With a little more patience, the white sh would beplete, ready to blow away the entire guerri army before it.


    However, the chained attack of the Starling Party was more powerful than the homunculus anticipated.


    Romantica sniped off the homunculus¡¯s entire left arm, or at least the part of it that Pram had left behind. It didn¡¯t even have a chance to defend itself. As it raised its other arm, the swords of Adjest and Pram smashed into the remaining right arm of the homunculus.


    Next up was the neck. Adjest and Pram¡¯s swords, along with Romantica¡¯s rifle, aimed for the neck of the homunculus.


    It was at this point that the movement of the homunculus changed. Realizing that theirbined attacks exceeded her own defense, the homunculus stopped preparing its wide area attack and began to deal with them in earnest.


    It controlled causality. Eliminating the consequences of injury, she returned to the state she was in before taking on those attacks.


    With its arms restored, the homunculus took a step back, dodged the iing attacks, and stared at the Starling Party. In the time it took one to blink, she had formed a shining sphere right in front of them.


    Desir knew very well what this was.


    A mana storm.


    An attack that omitted all of the required steps of invoking a spell, and skips right to unleashing a fully formed attack that was more a wave ofpressed mana than any normal kind of spell.


    This one had far less power than those white shes that had decimated so much of the Allied Forces¡¯ troops, but it was still not something negligible.


    ¡®I expected you to use that attack.¡¯


    In preparation for the homunculus using that attack, Desir had been stealthily calcting his own spell since the start of the skirmish. Desir had seen other homunculus using this attack, from his most recent excursion into a Shadow World.


    [me Storm]


    Desir¡¯s spell that had the power of a Sixth-Circle spellpleted instantly.


    Desir¡¯s magic and the homunculus¡¯s mana storm wereunched at each other at the same time. *Boooooooom*


    There was a deafening explosion; shockwaves spread out in all directions. The ceiling of the upper part of the fortress in Jormungand, famous for its robust construction, started to crumble and copse.


    ¡°What a shame. I would havepleted it in just another minute or two.¡±


    As Desir tried to invoke his next spell, a clear, resonant voice came from the dust cloud. ¡°You are a few times stronger than the greenhorns I¡¯ve been dealing with up until now.¡± Desir was greatly embarrassed.


    ¡®It can talk?¡¯


    That was amazing.


    The homunculus they had faced a hundred years ago was just a mindless monster. But the agitation onlysted a brief moment.


    ¡®¡­ The fact that the monster in front of us is our most threatening enemy remains unchanged.¡¯ Desir finally invoked the spell he had been preparing.


    Something like scales had begun to sprout from both hands of the homunculus. Mana at the scale of a Seventh-Circle magician, which had only been used in artillery-styled strikes previously, was now being weaponized in its battle against the Starling Party.


    ¡®We¡¯ve achieved the desired oue of halting its wide-area attacks. All we have to do now is hold out until our allies arrive.¡¯


    The homunculus kicked against the ground. The floor hollowed out under the force of that kick. Its speed and range of movement was transcendent. In a mere moment, it had massively shortened the distance to Desir.


    *Kaaang*


    Adjest stood in the way of it. Her sword collided with its fist. Surprisingly, it was Adjest who was pushed back.


    She was pushed back, even though she had improved her physical ability to the absolute limits of humanity, through the use of Ice Empress.


    And that wasn¡¯t the end of it. The homunculus kicked the sword, then pivoted mid-air and sent a barrage of kicks that would connect with Adjest from top to bottom.


    Adjest read their trajectories and managed to deftly avoid them.


    At the moment itnded on the ground, the homunculusunched another kick towards Adjest¡¯s right side.


    Adjest stopped the kick by bringing her sword into a vertical position, and bracing it with her other hand.


    The homunculusunched these devastating attacks purely using the power of her own body. The sheer force it could produce was simply overwhelming.


    A Second-Circle spell bought a short reprieve. The top floor had been trashed in no time at all. Adjest¡¯s appraisal of the homunculus could be defined in a single word.


    ¡®Strong.¡¯


    It was iparably strong inparison to the homunculus she had fought in the Shadow World.


    Come to think of it, the homunculus at that time was just a mere monster with a strong physical ability. Therefore, it was enough to dispose of it before it managed to gain experience.


    But in front of her was a homunculus that had mastered human martial arts as well as gained significant experience from many battles. All the shorings of the past had been addressed.


    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡±


    Had the other party members not assisted her, Adjest would have been overpowered by the homunculus in no time at all.


    The strategy the Starling Party employed to deal with the homunculus was simple.


    Pram and Romantica would assist from the side, while Adjest, who was now the strongest member of the party, faced the homunculus head on.


    And Desir would asionallyunch massive attacks in an attempt to over power it. [Parie Arund]


    The magic he developed was cleverly decided upon when Desir was pondering the existence of the homunculus¡­ The homunculus had to be controlled by a power stronger than itself. Otherwise, there was nothing stopping it from running wild.


    The party¡¯s strategy relied on a clever, yet delicately formed bnce.


    But that was all it was, in the end. Although Desir¡¯s party was doing well, it was not enough to beat the homunculus.


    In order to kill the homunculus, it was necessary to destroy the homunculus¡¯s body and force it to use the power of causality, but it was so strong that they could not do any significant amount of damage to it.


    It was a fight where it seemed neither side had a clear advantage.


    But Desir remained positive.


    ¡®Of course, as long as we can just hold out, we can still win.¡¯


    If they dragged things out, the Western Guerri Forces would arrive to reinforce them.


    Desir calmly attacked the homunculus, trying desperately to analyse and figure out the pattern behind its behavior. Figuring out why it blocks some attacks, defends against others, and ignores the rest. Analyzing what exactly it is thinking.


    This was Desir¡¯s forte, and although the situation sounded grim, Desir had a slight advantage. He had received a small hint from Zod about how it responded in face of a power stronger than itself.


    Based on thebination of Zod¡¯s hint, his own analysis, as well as copious amounts of practice, contingency ns had been derived.


    [-Pram, to the right.]


    Desir deliveredmands to Pram viamunication magic. *Crack*


    Pram¡¯s sword shattered the right half of the homunculus¡¯s rib cage.


    Pram¡¯s attack managed to slip through its defenses, since it was in the middle of an exchange with Adjest. The homunculus was simply not able to respond to such a well timed and ced attack.


    As expected, the homunculus restored its condition through its control over causality.


    Desir¡¯s instructions continued. [-Adjest, frontal transverse cut.]


    He calmly grasped the behavior of the homunculus. The homunculus had no choice but to continue restoring its body, relying on its innate ability to meddle with causality.


    The rate at which the homunculus was forced to invoke its power over causality was growing faster and faster.


    The flow of attacks from the Starling Party also became smoother and smoother. What started off as an unsteady and undignified reactionary cooperation had gained a deadly and devastating rhythm.


    Pram¡¯s sword cut the homunculus¡¯s shoulder again. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    The homunculus was trying to say something.


    The mouth that drew the outline of words, moved incredibly slowly. They couldn¡¯t hear it too well, since it used such a small voice, almost muttering. All of the Starling Party members stopped moving and watched the homunculus. The tension in the air increased as it slowly mouthed additional words.


    ¡°¡­ time to take one of them out¡­ ¡±


    Adjest began to recite what few words she lip read.


    The Starling Party felt a brief sensation, as if time slowed to a crawl.


    And¡­


    *Clink*


    The defense capacity of their Clothes Lines was instantly halved. At the same time, Pram¡¯s little body was unnaturally lifted into the air. Before the Starling Party couldprehend the situation, Pram was forciblyunched through the air. His body skipped across the floor like a rock and plunged deeply into the wall behind him.

 Chapter 180. Evolution (4)

    <h4>Chapter 180. Evolution (4)</h4>


    ¡°Pram!¡±


    Desir ran over in an instant and checked Pram¡¯s condition.


    He had been knocked unconscious by a strong shock. His body was covered from head to toe in abrasions.


    Desir paid particr attention to Pram¡¯s abdomen. Besides the clearly broken ribs, he was losing a substantial amount of blood at a concerning rate. It seemed like there wasn¡¯t much time before this deteriorated into fatal injury.


    *sh*


    The sound of Adjest¡¯s sword striking the homunculus pierced Desir¡¯s contemtion. Desir rushed to administer first aid.


    ¡®What the hell was that?¡¯


    Obviously the situation had been favorable for the Starling Party. It was enough to say that it was going smoothly.


    At some point though, Pram was struck by the homunculus.


    The injury was the result of a bizarre attack. It wasn¡¯t as though they had lost sight of the homunculus, nor did it feel like the homunculus had suddenly elerated. There was only the injury left on Pram as proof of the assault; no one had seen the homunculus move.


    Desir was confused.


    ¡®Zod didn¡¯t say anything like this happened during his duel.¡¯ *Bang*


    There was a loud noise.


    Adjest was slowly being pushed back.


    Desir clenched his teeth and moved Pram to a safer location before forming a spell aimed at the homunculus. [Lightning Strike] [Gravity Control]


    The level of magic he was invoking had increased by one circle.


    Up until now, he had been conserving mana in anticipation of a long battle. He was hoping to stall for reinforcements, but he now couldn¡¯t afford to.


    He had to fill the support role that Pram left vacant. Adjest urgently needed assistance. ¡®This is bad. We won¡¯t be able to endure for nearly as long as I had nned.¡¯


    ¡®My mana consumption has increased exponentially too.¡¯ His mana reserves were rapidly depleting.


    With just Pram out of the battle, the difficulty had soared. If someone else were to be taken out by that attack, then truly, all hope would be lost.


    ¡®And we can¡¯t afford to move too aggressively.¡¯


    They now focused solely on defense and evading the homunculus¡¯s attacks.


    While Desir didn¡¯t know how the homunculus¡¯s attack worked, they couldn¡¯t afford to take any additional risks.


    This was a huge obstacle.


    [-Adjest, it¡¯s about to shoot a beam. Run left.] *Baaang*


    This change in tactics wasn¡¯t without benefit though. The homunculus quickly lost control of its emotions and had begun to rampage. Obviously thoroughly enraged, it now dedicated all of its resources on going on the offensive, and put its entire might into pressing the Starling Party.


    However, all it took was an unguarded instant. Avoiding a critical strike from Adjest, the homunculus used the force behind her strike to bounce over towards Desir.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Did you think I would ignore you?¡±


    In a sh, the homunculus approached Desir. It punched down on the floor, instead of attacking Desir directly.


    *CRAASH*


    The floor had umted too much stress as a result of the all-out battle conducted on it. Desir and the homunculus were in the center of the copse, both falling out of sight of Adjest and Romantica.


    [Raise Wall]


    A wall of mana was projected below Desir, soaring up from the floor below to break his fall. Desir rolled away, feeling an oing wave of killing intent. A limb of the homunculus smashed down where he had been just a moment prior.


    *Boom*


    The wall burst apart.


    Desir looked around. The aftershock rumbled through Jormungand Citadel, shaking the castle at its foundation. Thankfully, Desir¡¯s Clothes Line was able to absorb the shock and eased the impact.


    ¡®It managed to get me into a one-on-one situation¡­ !¡¯


    Desir, who immediately rose up, deployed detection magic. It was drastically inferior to Romantica¡¯s, but it was able to pinpoint the opponent¡¯s approximate location.


    ¡®She¡¯s on my right!¡¯ *Boom*


    Desir chained several spells in quick session. [me Vortex]


    [Wind Press]


    [Fire Spear]


    The chain of attacks were more than capable of dealing serious damage to the homunculus, no matter how powerful it was.


    ¡®I¡¯ve bought myself some time. While it¡¯s dealing with those spells, I can back up and begin to prepare a new strategy.¡¯


    Desir had made a prediction of how the homunculus would behave, and formed a strategy based on that.


    *Boom*


    *Crash*


    But the homunculus moved beyond Desir¡¯s expectations. It crossed its arms and took the attacks head-on without avoiding them.


    ¡®Seriously? If it¡¯s taking my attack directly, it must want to end the fight quickly.¡¯


    With this shift in tactics, any attempts to buy time in order to invoke a strong spell would be meaningless.


    Desir stopped shooting randomly and poured all of his concentration into invoking a single spell. The homunculus drew closer to engage him head-on.


    [Parie Arund]


    Originally a Third-Circle spell, but now with the power of a Sixth-Circle spell after his effort re-working it.


    For a moment, in the small area around Desir, the atmospheric pressure rose as though gravity had increased several fold.


    The homunculus¡¯s body was torn away before it had a chance to react. Its blood sshed onto Desir.


    ¡®This sense¡­ !¡¯


    At that moment, he felt like time was slowing down. He recognized the feeling, and dread filled his heart.


    This was the signal that the homunculus was doing something heaven-defying. He had a brief opportunity.


    He calcted defensive magic without dy. At the same time, he stared at the broken body of the homunculus.


    He couldn¡¯t begin to imagine what its n was. [Sigh of Kizard]


    A mere momentter. *Crack*


    Desir felt violent pain in his upper body. Shards of ice exploded everywhere. The Clothes Line was torn asunder without even giving off a warning rm.


    He managed to pull himself together. *Cough*


    Desir vomited several mouthfuls of blood. Along with the iron-life taste of blood, his mouth soon filled with bile as his body forced him to throw-up.


    His arm seemed to have dislocated, but the good news was that miraculously, he didn¡¯t seem to have any open wounds. It was all thanks to that defensive magic he invoked just in time. Desir looked forward.


    Clearly, his spell hit the homunculus and destroyed its body. It would have needed to recover using its power over causality.


    But at some point or another, it had perfectly recovered and attacked in a single instant. It was a situation that defied allmon sense.


    It is an entirely unreasonable result. ¡°How in the world¡­ ?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t remember thest time he had felt this kind of powerlessness before. He cast his mind back, and recalled feeling something simr, but far more overwhelming, when he faced Dadenewt.


    If he felt like an ant facing off against an elephant when dealing with Dadenewt, he now felt like an ant against a sparrow.


    Not as overwhelming as an elephant, but he still couldn¡¯t find a way to cope. ¡°Give up. You don¡¯t understand the meaning of controlling causality.¡± Desir desperately put his brain to work.


    There was too little information to work from. If he had any clues to deduce what was happening, he could have continued struggling onward somehow, but¡­


    ¡®This is nonsense.¡¯


    Desir could only attempt to get back up on his feet, while swearing against the heavens. His entire body was in a disgraceful state.


    It was hard for him to even stand up properly, let alone walk. He coughed and found more blood mixed in it, as well pieces of internal organs.


    It was when Desir was about to spread his hands to wipe the blood off and start invoking more spells, when he suddenly noticed something strange.


    ¡®There¡¯s no blood?¡¯


    There was no blood on his clothes.


    Of course, the wounds he suffered at the hands of the homunculus were not external, but internal. Other than the blood he had coughed onto the floor, seeing ack of his blood was only natural. But it wasn¡¯t ack of his blood that made him suspicious.


    Something was wrong.


    Desir had been drenched in the blood of the homunculus. ¡®Why?¡¯


    This was a vital clue.


    The homunculus wouldn¡¯t stand by idly any longer, now moving to finish him off.


    ¡°You should feel honored. I have done everything within my power. I didn¡¯t even use this power when dealing with Zod Exarion.¡±


    As it finished gloating, a sword appeared out of nowhere as it pierced its abdomen. The body of the homunculus began to freeze on the spot, and rapidly copsed.


    Adjest fell in from the ceiling between the homunculus and Desir, forming a division between the two. At the same time, ice columns burst forth from all around them.


    [Ice Empress]


    [Frozen Pce]


    It was Adjest Kingscrown.


    A sovereign pce of ice formed around her. This was thebination of both Adjest¡¯s Ice Empress and her Frozen Pce, her two signature techniques working perfectly in harmony, two imagery spells being invoked simultaneously, each amplifying the ability of the other. This was Adjest¡¯s full power.


    She struggled desperately to protect Desir.


    It was a struggle that indicated the willingness to throw away her future to protect the present. Numerous spells poured down on the homunculus. Though the homunculus desperately attempted to reach Desir, the exchange between her and Adjest had quickly put a wrench in her ns.


    ¡°Hmm, I was a little bit too slow.¡±


    The homunculus and Adjest began to sh. Tapping into her future potential through a stronger than normal Ice Pce, she instantly reached the level of strength that the homunculus possessed.


    Using the Ice Empress to engage in closebat with her strengthened body, and at the same time firing countless spells with the Frozen Pce, she persevered.


    She desperately fought back, doing all she could to attack the homunculus while defending both herself and Desir.


    Desir clenched his teeth and stood up. [Summon Lightning]


    *Boom*


    There was a massive impact.


    Desir invoked spells and began to defend Adjest. Moreover, Romantica also took up a new position and was once again able to support them. For the moment, they had the upper hand. Desir again felt as if time were slowing down. Desir knew what catastrophe it heralded.


    Only the result of this action would exist. It was impossible to respond to it by any means.


    Yes, it was impossible to cope with it, no matter the cost.


    But now it was strange.


    *Boom*


    In an instant, the homunculus jumped over and attacked Adjest, but Adjest sessfully fended it off. Of course, it was still a powerful attack with both terrifying speed and precision,, and Adjest¡¯s posture copsed as a result.


    ¡®It didn¡¯t attack straight away¡­ ?¡¯


    The homunculus rushed toward Adjest again. Dozens of defensive spells had been deployed through the Frozen Pce in front of Adjest.


    In the gap between it and the spells, the homunculus threw a punch, crushing the walls of icepletely.


    Desir approached with an unsteady gait. [Parie Arund]


    Desir¡¯s magic quickly homed in on the homunculus¡­


    Magic with the power of a Sixth-Circle spell, magic that was even capable of crushing the homunculus¡¯s body in one hit.


    But the homunculus was seemingly unphased.


    It continued its assault on Adjest.


    Desir¡¯s attack hit the mark and smashed the homunculus¡¯s body into smithereens. ¡®¡­ It¡¯s not enough.¡¯


    It quickly controlled causality and reversed the damage. In an instant its appearance returned to normal.


    And one more time.


    A sphere of pure energy formed in front of the homunculus. It omitted the gathering process and produced a ball of mana that could instantly unleash a powerful force.


    ¡°Urgh!¡±


    *Boom*


    A huge shock swept through everything. Adjest¡¯s Frozen Pce and Ice Empress were cancelled in the aftermath.


    Adjest copsed on the floor, unconscious.


    The homunculus then looked over to Desir. At that very moment, an incredibly powerful spell hurtled towards its face.


    Without the assistance of any imagery magic, it was a spell that Desir had developed on his own.


    Once again, the form of the homunculus copsed, but soon recovered.


    ¡°You had better save your power, Desir. Your mana pool can¡¯t keep up with all these high-tier spells.¡±


    Desir¡¯s anger red up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Adjest is still alive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you first, Desir. Then, I¡¯ll take care of the rest of your friends after. You deserve that much mercy as the enemymander. It¡¯s obvious that all of your party members are going to die anyway.¡±


    Desir sneered in response.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bluff. You don¡¯t have much mana left, do you?¡±


    It was as he said. The homunculus¡¯s mana, which seemed to have no end in sight, had been used to such an extent that only a fifth of it remained, at least inparison to the beginning


    of their fight. The homunculus nodded, beforeughing, seemingly unconcerned. ¡°It certainly is. I¡¯ll have to make my escape after dealing with you lot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you need a huge amount of mana to use that ridiculous ability.¡±


    ¡°Just because you¡¯ve noticed, doesn¡¯t mean anything has changed. I still have more than enough mana to continue manipting causality. The amount of mana I have left is still more than enough to kill the two of you.¡±


    The homunculus took up a battle stance once again. Its mana began to move. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    There was surely no hope left for Desir. But he didn¡¯t give up. He began to operatemunication magic while swallowing a mouthful of blood.


    [-Focus on my instructions from now on.]

 Chapter 181. Evolution (5).

    <h4>Chapter 181. Evolution (5).</h4>


    The floor was covered in pools of half-melted ice. The floor and pirs bore the traces of fierce fighting.


    At the very center of the room stood the homunculus. She looked at Desir, who defiantly stood before her, the corners of her mouth pulled back into a sneer.


    ¡®This was definitely a tricky opponent.¡¯


    The only other time she had consumed this much mana in a battle was when she faced off against Zod Exarion. The Starling Party had thoroughly analyzed her patterns of attack, and had adapted superbly throughout the battle.


    Being pressured to continue using her ability to control causality, her weakness had been exposed. While it may seem like she had infinite mana, this was not the case. Had it not been for ¡®that ability¡¯, she would have most assuredly been defeated.


    ¡®But no matter how hard they try, it¡¯s impossible for a human to figure out how it works.¡¯ The homunculus was convinced that her ability could not beprehended by mere mortals. This conviction was grounded in reality.


    It was the sole reason behind the creation of homunculus, requiring research that consumed immeasurable quantities of rare material as well as eons of research. Their true purpose could only be realized after gaining a precious ability, a sub-ability only avable to those that could manipte causality.


    She was certain there was no human alive that could understand even a fraction of her power. It was certainly a power far beyond the level of technology in the present era.


    ¡®I¡¯ve won.¡¯


    For this reason, the homunculus was confident in her certain victory.


    The dominance of the homunculus was obvious. All of the Starling Party¡¯s front line fighting force had been neutralized. The remaining members had no way to respond to close-rangebat.


    Just as the homunculus stopped internally gloating, and lifted her left leg to sprint toward Desir¡­


    A spell was instantly aimed and invoked at her. [Wind st]


    A bullet of wind pierced towards the homunculus. Since it wasn¡¯t a powerful spell, the homunculus chose not to avoid it and simply crossed her arms in defence.


    But before she could react, another spell was invoked. [Pierce of a Thousand Wings]


    Romantica had once again instantly invoked another spell, aimed at holding the homunculus in position.


    This spell resembled that of a bird with a thousand wings. It had no blind spot and descended on the homunculus from above.


    [Wonder Twilight]


    This time it was Desir¡¯s turn.


    Then Romantica¡¯s.


    They continuously unleashed a barrage of magic on the homunculus.


    With the uninterrupted chain of attacks, no matter how hard the body of homunculus may be, it would be hit hard enough that it would have to restore itself using its power over causality. ¡®I could ignore this attack and close the distance with him, but¡­ ¡¯


    The homunculus had used this kind of tactic when she overpowered Adjest and Pram. Simply restoring her body with the power over causality when required.


    But at this time, such a strategy could not be used hastily. ¡®I don¡¯t have much mana left¡­ ¡¯


    The homunculus had relied on her ability to manipte causality a considerable number of times, buying time until she found an opportunity to overpower Adjest and Pram.


    She had also used ¡®that ability¡¯ three times. That ability transcended all concepts of power, but required an enormous amount of mana to pull it off. If she acted hastily here, her consumption would greatly exceed what she would be capable of recovering.


    If she allowed her mana to be exhausted, she would definitely be killed.


    For these reasons, the homunculus did not rush out, but stepped back and waited for an opportunity.


    [Avarosa Storm]


    [Wind Bullet]


    But Desir and Romantica¡¯s continuous chain of spells didn¡¯t show any signs of ending. *Crack*


    As a result of the non-stop barrage of spells from those two, the Jormungand Citadel started to disintegrate.


    Looking at their indistinct figures amongst the rising plumes of dust, the homunculus smiled. ¡®Are they trying to kill themselves?¡¯


    Desir and Romantica seemed to have gone berserk and were spending all of their mana to cause as much destruction as possible.


    *Boom*


    *Boooom*


    The sound of explosions rung out constantly.


    There was no chance of them winning a close-range battle with the homunculus, so they were attempting to block its path to reach them.


    However, the homunculus would not stand idly by and let their strategy go as nned. While she was desperately trying to limit mana consumption, it wasn¡¯t as though she hadpletely run out yet. She could still recover her body a few more times.


    ¡®Are they just struggling out of desperation¡­ ?¡¯


    It was clear that the situation was growing more and more advantageous for the homunculus, even if she did nothing.


    ¡®But they¡¯re really lucky.¡¯


    She had sensed the approaching movement of something.


    The Eastern Guerri Force.


    They had just emerged victorious after battle against Crow Mask¡¯s men. Under these circumstances, if they were to reach her, it would be difficult to even retreat.


    Before they found the opportunity to entrap her, she had to get rid of Desir and flee.


    ¡®Worry about the amount of mana, but with ¡®that ability¡¯, I can win before my mana runs out.¡¯ With new-found determination, the homunculus dashed forward.


    Soon after, attacks from Desir and Romantica, attempting to block the homunculus''s approach, washed over her like a tsunami.


    *Boom*


    *Crash*


    She focussed all of her effort into moving faster, without bothering to defend at all. One of Desir¡¯s spells hit her and her neck snapped. Romanticaunched many precise shots that destroyed her arms, knees, and evenrge chunks of her torso.


    But the homunculus just smiled.


    She had already invoked her ability.


    An ability that no one else could recognize.


    And the world changed. Beyond recognition.


    Her body, that was in full flight towards Desir, disappeared.


    And in its ce, in this unrecognisable world, was the homunculus in full condition. The homunculus took steady steps and approached Desir.


    Desir did not react in the slightest.


    There was no defensive magic in sight.


    Not even a trace of that spell he seemed to be able to invoke through pure muscle memory. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯


    The human body, without any form of defense, and without the ability to act, was an incredibly weak object.


    The homunculus reached out towards Desir¡¯s heart. Suddenly, the homunculus could feel all of the mana in his body circting.


    [Parie Arund] *Ssh*


    The homunculus¡¯s body exploded without a single piece of flesh remaining. It sshed in all directions.


    Utterly decimated. There was not a single recognisable chunk remaining.


    The forces of causality began to twist and bend around the homunculus.


    Again, the homunculus returned to her best condition. Immediately after, the homunculus kicked against the ground.


    As if nothing had happened, she withdrew from Desir. Romantica continued sniping at the now stationary homunculus. The homunculus was overwhelmed with emotion and didn¡¯t even bother dodging.


    ¡®What the hell happened?¡¯


    The pupils of the homunculus shook violently.


    Her face was frozen into an expression of pure astonishment.


    For the first time in its life, it was strongly agitated.


    ¡®What happened? What was going on? What was it? What happened? What, how¡­ how?¡¯


    By using her ability, she had guaranteed invincibility and would be able to reap the life of any foolish being that dared stand against her. For someone to be able to react was fundamentally impossible¡­ even if they knew how her ability worked and could anticipate where they would move and what they would do.


    ¡®It¡¯s a coincidence.¡¯


    It must still be theirst struggle. Somehow, they were able to recognize the moment right before she used the ability, and implemented some kind of dyed defence.


    This was her special power. The one thing that she could do, that guaranteed utter dominance. Something that no other human coulde close to replicating.


    This was herst resort, a trump card. A fool-proof way ofing out on top of any battle, no matter how strong the enemy was.


    She couldn¡¯t ept this miserable feeling.


    Thus, it was dismissed as a coincidence.


    Thinking that they were somehow extremely lucky, and managed to somehow hit her, she reached the only logical conclusion and assuaged her doubt.


    ¡°You-You were extremely lucky. But next time, I¡¯ll really end you.¡±


    Desir was still. He rubbed his palm against the blood of the homunculus that had sttered onto his clothes.


    Red blood, just like his.


    Desir looked at his enemy, who had incapacitated two of his colleagues, with very cold eyes. ¡°No luck, I¡¯m afraid. After that attack, I¡¯m now certain about how your ability works.¡± ¡°Lies.¡±


    The homunculus strongly denied his assertion.


    She had no choice but to deny it.


    Desir voiced it, even though he knew she would deny it. He still chose to do it, knowing that it would inflict more damage than any of the spells he had cast so far. A kind of damage that could not easily be restored.


    The homunculus continued to deny his words, re-positioned herself, and readied to charge. Desir Arman had grasped the ability of the homunculus. He had worked it out, step-by-step, using the meagre hints presented as well as the pool of knowledge he had assembled after beating two of these abominations.


    He first focused on identifying the limit of her ability. No matter how absolute it may seem to be, there would always be weaknesses in any given technique.


    ¡®First of all, the homunculus¡¯s abilities are not invincible.¡¯


    The proof of that, was in the fact that the use of them still hadn¡¯t brought about the results that the homunculus wanted. Desir was still alive, and she was unable to deal with him in a single blow.


    ¡®The range of its ability is limited to that of a conventional impairment recovery spell.¡¯ And there was another thing.


    When the homunculus and Desir fell downstairs, there was a time when Desir had used [Prarie Arund] to destroy the body of homunculus. The blood that had sshed onto Desir from that explosion disappeared after it used its sinister ability.


    Inparison to when it restored itself by meddling with causality, instead of the result of an action being erased, it was as if the action itself had never urred. It was a subtle difference, but this was the key to understanding her ability.


    These two pieces of analysis were enough to allow Desir to reach a preliminary conclusion. ¡®The homunculus can return to the past, briefly.¡¯


    It was a ridiculous conclusion. Utterly dumbfounding that anyone could believe such nonsense; however he couldn¡¯t figure out any other way it could achieve what he had witnessed three times now.


    Ruling out the logical, all that remained was the illogical.


    Armed with this knowledge, the impossible had be possible. ¡®If we know what its abilities are, we can formte a counter.¡¯


    The final piece of evidence to confirm his theory had fallen into ce as a result of the measures he had taken when they re-engaged the homunculus after Adjest was incapacitated. Desir had instructed Romantica to use her magic to cause as much damage to the room as possible, regardless of whether she hit the homunculus or not. She used wind magic to shatter and copse the supporting columns and walls as much as possible and Desir did so as well. As a result, the room was filled with stone powder.


    The attack trajectory of the homunculus had be visible.


    When the homunculus finally leapt towards Desir, he put all of his concentration into following that trajectory. When the homunculus invoked its ability, he saw how its trajectory suddenly shifted and lookedpletely different to what he had been tracking just a second ago.


    With the three pieces of evidence, Desir was now confident in his analysis of the homunculus¡¯s ability.


    ¡®The homunculus can definitely move within the past, for at least five seconds.¡¯


    That is, the homunculus can return to the past, dodge any spells she was hit by, and then have free reign to close the distance and nimbly kill her opponent.


    After doing so, it will seem as if she has instantly moved, as well as instantly been restored to her perfect state.


    As Desir felt assured in his analysis of the situation, he began to feel time slow down again. He started preemptively circting his mana, readying himself to cast a spell.


    This was presumably the feeling of experiencing the past changed by the homunculus, being superimposed onto his reality.


    As a result of this time distortion, a trail would instantly appear in the dust, revealing a movement pattern different to the one Desir had tracked.


    ¡®It¡¯s only visible for a single moment.¡¯


    The single moment when the changed past would overwrite reality. That was the only opportunity he had to respond to whatever changes the homunculus made.


    The movement in dust would reveal five seconds of movement all at once.


    Based on this, he could analyse and invert the behavior of the homunculus. He had to find out


    what part of the past the homunculus had changed.


    He focused his all, anticipating the moment when the past and present would join, dictating how the homunculus would move and act.


    Desir heightened his concentration to a level he had never reached before. Based on the speed he was processing everything around himself, there was no difference in time between perception and conclusion.


    *Snap*


    He figured out the location within the instant.


    And Desir, within that instant, invoked a spell he only needed a moment to develop. [me Storm]

 Chapter 182. Evolution (6)

    <h4>Chapter 182. Evolution (6)</h4>


    [Fire Storm]


    A raging mass of mes washed over the homunculus. *Booom*


    Desir¡¯s concentrated spell held unimaginable power.


    The fire devoured everything. All of the parts of the citadel that the mes licked began to melt. All it took was an instant for these molten parts to begin to lose their shape.


    The homunculus was no exception. Its body zed like a torch amongst these intense mes. She was burnt to ashes before even getting the chance to scream.


    A few momentster, the me storm began to clear. The homunculus began to regenerate from its horrendous burns.


    *Drip*


    *Drop*


    However, the restored limbs did not return to perfect condition. She did not have enough mana to properly harness the power of causality. The homunculus red at Desir, as her grotesque body swayed slightly.


    She barely managed to open her now trembling lips. ¡°D-Did you really figure out¡­ my ability?¡±


    The ability to alter the present by returning five seconds into the past.


    It was a lethal move, capable of turning the strongest warriors of mankind into harmless puppies. This ability allowed a homunculus to manipte causality beyond themselves, and onto the very world itself.


    However, the ability had been analysed and exploited by just a few young students. This was the absurd reality that the homunculus found itself facing.


    If she had found herself possessing just a little bit less mana, she would have died as a result of that attack.


    No, she was still on the verge of death.


    If she allowed Desir to cast more spells, she would have no choice but to die.


    As Desir took a slight step forward, the homunculus subconsciously took a step back. She was terrified of him.


    It was the first time she had felt something like this, the first time she had felt fear since she had first gained consciousness.


    She concentrated on Desir¡¯s actions.


    An awkward silence extended. Neither side did anything. The homunculus no longer had the ability to restore herself.


    This was a golden opportunity for Desir. But Desir didn¡¯t move.


    The homunculus opened her eyes, as if realizing something. Her terrified eyes slowly began to steady, as she recovered her initialposure.


    ¡°You¡¯re almost out of mana too, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The homunculus had thoroughly exhausted all of her mana, so it was no longer possible to manipte causality, but it looked like Desir was also no better. Since he wasn¡¯t attacking, he likely didn¡¯t even have enough mana to invoke even First or Second-Circle spells.


    ¡°Hahahaha. This is hrious.¡±


    The homunculusughed raucously. Desir was now nothing but a weak human, iparable to a homunculus built to fight.


    Her body was powerful, even without mana or ess to her abilities. No matter how worn out her body was, it was more than enough to squash a hapless magician; no, a human unable to invoke spells could not even be referred to as a magician.


    This was the chance to demonstrate the overwhelming superiority of a homunculus. Initially faced with despair, she had regained her spirit.


    ¡®Everything you¡¯ve done ended up being in vain.¡¯ The homunculus began to approach Desir slowly.


    Desir¡¯s facial expression did not change in the slightest, even though the moment of his demise was clear. He just continued to observe her.


    It was as if he was waiting for something.


    After the homunculus narrowed the distance considerably, Desir finally opened his mouth. ¡°It seems like I have no other option.¡±


    Unable to understand what he was saying, the homunculus furrowed her brows. Desir took something out of his bosom.


    It was aplex looking piece of equipment.


    The moment Desir took it out, waves of the dense mana gushed out, spreading everywhere. *Wave*


    The source of the waves of mana was the power source for the Aurora System. In his hands were four Third-ss mana stones.


    The homunculus was dazed for a moment. ¡°Oh¡­ ¡±


    She was transfixed in ce, eyes wide open, staring at Desir and the spell formations that appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±


    The near-insaneughter soon turned into that of a madman¡¯s. The homunculus gave up on approaching Desir. She didn¡¯t move at all. She hadpletely lost her fighting spirit.


    ¡°Truly, that was perfect. I¡¯ve beenpletely beaten.¡±


    Desir knew better than anyone about his biggest problem, the limit of his mana pool. For this very reason, he came prepared.


    It may not be a solution to fix his fundamental problem, but he could use such a solution to ovee his limits, albeit at great expense and only in an emergency.


    The Aurora System was a shield designed to prevent a lethal blow, as well as a tool that can be used as a weapon in case of emergency; as a backup mana source for Desir.


    [Lightning Vortex]


    Several spheres of lightning shot towards the homunculus.


    The leg of the homunculus, already in a half-wrecked condition, could not withstand the shock. It was destroyed and her body then copsed onto the floor.


    [Burst Fire]


    Dozens of fireballs surged at the homunculus. After sessive attacks, she was no longer capable of moving.


    That was it.


    Desir approached the homunculus, unsteadily lowering himself onto the floor, to confirm that homunculus waspletely incapacitated.


    *Sigh*


    He felt a surge of exhaustion wash over him, now that the battle was over. The homunculus managed to move her mouth, expressing her doubt at the situation she found herself in. ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Howe? I tried to kill your party members, your friends. Why don¡¯t you want to kill me?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯d like to kill you right now, if I could. Even if you were simply following someone¡¯s orders, what you¡¯ve done is monstrous.¡±


    The homunculus took the lives of countless soldiers. They were all equally valuable resources required in clearing the Shadow Labyrinth, even though their individual contribution may be unequal.


    Desir¡¯s n had been badly screwed up by her. Most importantly, the homunculus had harmed his party members, his treasured colleagues. She had inflicted wounds great enough that they could have easily died.


    But Desir was not swayed by his emotions. He couldn¡¯t afford to miss out on such a powerful tool just to assuage his immediate feelings.


    He hadmitted to doing anything within his power to achieve his goal of saving the world. ¡°But you¡¯re worth using.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What?¡±


    ¡°You are not allowed to die, even if you want to.¡± The homunculus momentarily met Desir¡¯s eyes. Deep ck eyes, like an abyss void entirely of light.


    The homunculus felt an eerie sensation and involuntarily shuddered.


    Desir turned away from her. Countless footsteps echoed from the stairway. ¡°This way!¡±


    Romantica¡¯s shrill voice could be heard,ced with despair and mourning.


    Shortly after, the Eastern Guerri Force rushed in. They immediately hurried over to assist


    Desir, Pram, and Adjest.


    Only then, could Desir finally rx, now that the war was finally over.


    * * *


    The criminal group, the Outsiders, had used a biological weapon called a homunculus to wage a fierce war against the Allied Forces, made up of most of the countries spanning the continent.


    The Outsiders had put up a surprisingly strong resistance, considering the fact that this had urred during peaceful times, where the allied nations had rtively little incentive to work together.


    However, their resistance did notst long after the barbarians had joined the Allied Forces.


    In the end, the Outsiders used the homunculus as bait to attract the coalition forces to the central front, while aiming for the eastern front¡¯s supply route.


    The Hebrion Empire¡¯s Imperial Army, which was in charge of the eastern front, had limited forces to utilise, after sending most of them to the central front.


    But even in such a favorable situation, the Outsiders failed to capitalize. Someone saw through their meticulous ns and foiled them.


    It was Desir Arman of Hebrion Academy. His timely reinforcement of the troops guarding the supply route, as well as his fighting prowess, signaled the annihtion of the Outsider¡¯s deployed forces. He single-handedly protected the supply route.


    This battle would be referred to as the The Bloody Battle of Mahayu, and it was the first real battle in which the Starling Party had gained the attention of the world atrge.


    When even their secret operation failed to deliver any results, the Outsiders found themselves cornered.


    The allies pushed their advantage, and the Outsiders were forced to continue retreating while taking losses. The cornered Outsiders managed to cause considerable damage though, when they used the homunculus tounch long-range, wide-area effect attacks. With no choice but to bring the fight to them, the allies sent two elite forces to invade behind enemy lines and eliminate the homunculus.


    One of these elite guerri units was built around Desir Arman of the Starling Party. The Eastern Guerri Force, led by him, prated the enemy lines while taking minimal damage. They managed to stop the homunculus¡¯s ranged attacks, and even attained the spectacr achievement of defeating the homunculus in what turned out to be a fierce battle.


    The reason why the Outsiders were even able to put up this much of a fight with inferior forces was purely due to the overwhelming might of their homunculus.


    The Outsiders were helplessly routed by the Allied Forces after their morale plummeted to rock bottom, seeing their homunculus defeated. This brought about an end to the long war. With the continent now in a state of peace, one topic was on the tip of everyone¡¯s tongue. There was no one who did not know his name, and everyone praised him.


    Desir Arman, the Hero of Victory.

 Chapter 183. Evolution (7)

    <h4>Chapter 183. Evolution (7)</h4>


    [Desir Arman, the Hero of Victory who made outstanding contributions towards winning the war. He is a student of the Hebrion Academy who has been in the spotlight ever since his entrance examination¡­]


    Desir turned the pages of the newspaper with his left hand, the other being in a cast.


    In front of him, there was a pile of newspapers from various countries spanning the continent. Common amongst all of them was the name Desir Arman, written on the front page of each. Desir smiled bitterly.


    ¡°This reporter has investigated me thoroughly since the entrance exam. I¡¯m scared to death at this point.¡±


    Romantica, sporting light bandaging on her arms and legs, stretched a hand towards him. ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    Desir shrugged and handed her the newspaper. ¡®It¡¯s all going as nned.¡¯


    Desir had been aiming to win the public¡¯s attention for his role in the war from the start.


    Of course, his primary purpose had been to remove the Outsiders, who had clearly distinguished themselves as an obstacle to his n. However, if there was anything else he could gain while doing so, to not take it would be foolish.


    Unlike when Dadenewt was defeated in Prillecha, Desir now had enough connections to assist and protect him while he furthered his goal.


    He no longer had to operate from the shadows.


    Rather, this fame was a necessary condition to proceed with his future ns.


    Desir put down the newspaper and plopped himself down next to Pram¡¯s bed. He stroked the light blue hair wrapped in a bandage. Pram was sleeping.


    ¡°It¡¯s a real relief that Pram recovered safely.¡±


    Turning away, Desir¡¯s eyes met Adjest¡¯s, who was lying in a bed next to him. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Adjest, like Pram, had suffered severe injuries that would render her unable to move for quite a while.


    ¡°Much better. It¡¯s rather stuffy in here, though. I¡¯d like to move, even if only for light exercise¡­ ¡±


    Desirughed, feeling that was a rather Adjest-like answer.


    ¡°Stay put for the time being. The saint herself has treated you, so you¡¯ll be back to normal soon.¡±


    Saint Prisci.


    She cured all of the serious injuries of the Starling Party using her holy healing ability.


    Adjest lifted her right arm gingerly. It had been set in ce in a cast; she ended up breaking her forearm defending against an attack from the homunculus.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d be quite strong after obtaining the Center of Ice. But in this battle, I realized that I am stillcking.¡±


    ¡°Just because you have a weapon doesn¡¯t mean you have improved your core ability.¡± ¡°I have to devote myself to improving mypetency.¡±


    ¡°You must never rely too heavily on any weapon. It¡¯s amon trap that can cause the strongest to bezy.¡±


    Desir noticed that she was trying to avoid meeting his gaze. ¡°What the matter?¡±


    ¡°You keep staring at me like that¡­ I¡¯m a little bit embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Desir tilted his head. He couldn¡¯tprehend what she meant.


    Adjest yed with her tinum blonde hair, which reached down to her waist.


    ¡°You know¡­ I asked you not to return injured. Now look at me. You¡¯ve got light wounds while I¡¯m confined to a bed¡­ So it¡¯s¡­ a little¡­ embarrassing¡­ ¡±


    She was ashamed of herself. ¡®Cute.¡¯


    He couldn¡¯t help thinking so subconsciously. She was a very different person from the stoic Adjest Kingscrown he got to know in his previous life.


    ¡°It was a considerably tough battle, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    When Desir changed the subject, Adjest responded immediately.


    ¡°Oh, yes it was. Honestly, right before I lost consciousness, I was very worried. You managed to fend it off, as well as beat it, even though you didn¡¯t have the back-up to prevent that homunculus from getting into close-range.¡±


    It was certainly a difficult fight.


    If Desir had not grasped its ability, it was clear that the homunculus would have easily ughtered them all.


    ¡°If I had been alone, it would certainly have been too much. But Romantica stepped up and yed a major role in beating it. Thanks to her, I was able to hold out for a long time.¡±


    It was very slight, but Romantica¡¯s expression hardened very briefly. But no one noticed since she was covering her face with newspapers.


    ¡°It was a good n. Isn¡¯t that right, Romantica?¡± Romantica lowered her newspaper, and spoke casually.


    ¡°Oh, of course! Desir, if I wasn¡¯t there, we would have needed three beds in this room.¡± She replied while throwing the newspapers onto the table in a hurry.


    All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. The party members whipped their heads towards the sound.


    The Saint, Prisci, popped her head through the doorway. ¡°Nice to see you all.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Saint.¡± ¡°Wee.¡±


    Sometimes Prisci would visit the Starling Party. Officially, she woulde to check-up on their condition and treat their seriously injured members, but the real reason she visited was to keep Desir abreast of the behind-the-scenes happenings in the Western Kingdom Union.


    The Saint, after exchanging brief pleasantries, turned to Desir.


    ¡°Within theing week, the West will officially dere the fall of the Outsiders.¡± ¡°It¡¯s clear that the copse of the Outsiders is certain.¡±


    The copse of the Outsiders.


    ¡°The Outsiders''s core organization has been wiped out, and the remaining members are now fugitives. Targets that are being tracked by intelligence agencies across the continent. You can say this is practically the end of it.¡±


    That was the best result the war could have had. The reason why the Outsiders could grow so powerful was because they gathered forces and entrenched themselves in many locations across all of the countries.


    With their main force now wiped out, only remnants remained to be cleaned out.


    ¡°A lot of the key metrics across therge cities are improving now. The rate of crime is


    declining, and even the underground market is shrinking.¡±


    ¡°In addition, therge quantities of goods they obtained are being repossessed by their respective kingdoms, bolstering the financial health of all countries.¡±


    ¡°And we, humanity, have found ourselves new friends.¡±


    She, of course, was referring to the barbarians. Northern warriors who had settled in the Calcarus Mountains.


    The fact that these people, who had only ever been known to remain recluse in the mountains, fought on the side of mankind against the Outsiders, had quickly be a hot topic. Since they didn¡¯t allow many people into their settlement, very few people were aware of just how awe-inspiring their strength was.


    Their participation in the war had made things a lot easier.


    ¡°And in fact, the reason I¡¯m here today is to connect you with such a friend. Looks like he just arrived.¡±


    Prisci¡¯s observation was indeed correct.


    *Thud*


    *THUD*


    A faint tremor could be felt on each footstep. Then the door opened once again and a man came in. He was so tall that he had to stoop down to fit through the door.


    Donape An.


    ¡°Nice to see you again.¡±


    Desir bowed politely while voicing his greeting.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to see you too.¡± Donape chose to sit by the window.


    The iing sunlight was immediately obscured, plunging the room into semi-darkness. Donape took a peek at the pile of newspapers, before speaking to Desir.


    ¡°I knew you were unusual. You are a warrior after all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ttering me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so humble. The Great War has finallye to an end. As a fellow warrior, I pay my respects to you.¡±


    Donape nced outside once.


    ¡°We participated in this war at your request. The war is over and our people have undergone considerable change.¡±


    In the distance he could make out the faint outline of various tributaries from the Calcarus Mountains.


    ¡°The Western Kingdom Union has offered us the Jormungand Citadel and its surrounding ins.¡±


    The Saint added her thoughts immediately after Donape.


    ¡°The West has proposedplete peace. We¡¯re trying to form an alliance.¡± It was a good deal for everyone.


    Jormungand Citadel was built to defend against the barbarians. Since it was built on infertile and non-tnd, it was not a major loss for the Western Kingdom Union to give it up as a symbol of good faith.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made a tough decision.¡±


    Of course, the decision to givend to the barbarians could not have been easy in itself.


    The Saint sighed.


    ¡°It was very hard to persuade everyone involved. But the northern warriors joined forces with us for the sake of humanity. They are reliable allies.¡±


    ¡°If I ept the request for an alliance, there will be an alliance of unprecedented size formed across the continent.¡±


    Yes. If an alliance between the barbarians and Western Kingdom Union was established, a coalition of all of therge powers, its members ranging from the wild barbarians in far north and spanning all the way to the Western Kingdom Union and the Hebrion Empire, would be formed.


    ¡°But before I say yes, one thing remains to be solved. It involves the existence of the homunculus, captured and handed over to the Magic Tower at your request.¡±


    A monster capable of controlling causality.


    Donape¡¯s tone increased in pitch and strength.


    ¡°It killed Northern warriors, my brothers in arms. Therefore, we must avenge them by killing the homunculus. But you took it away without even asking us.¡±


    One of the Barbaric traditions was vengeance.


    ¡°You¡¯ve overpowered it, and I know what value the homunculus has from a magical point of view. That¡¯s why I ask very politely for the transfer of the homunculus for the sake of forming the alliance.¡±


    The atmosphere in the room froze in a sh. Donape had just threatened to end all talk of an alliance, if Desir made the wrong decision here.


    ¡®Even so, I can¡¯t afford to hand over the homunculus.¡¯ Desir had reason to avoid it. He had to make use of it.


    ¡®Of course, we cannot give up on the alliance with the barbarians either.¡¯


    If they joined, the first great union would bepleted two years before the Shadow Labyrinth¡¯s appearance.


    However, revenge was all that mattered to them right now. They were a people that would pay back every slight they suffered. And their code of honor dictated that they must be the ones to do so.


    They were thoroughly beaten up by the homunculus, thus they had an obligation to exact their revenge.


    ¡®¡­ It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯


    The solution was simple. Desir lowered his head.


    ¡°First of all, I apologize for not thinking about you, and for retrieving the homunculus without saying anything. I can promise that I¡¯ll never ignore the traditions of the North.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the right thing to do. The solution is simple.¡±


    ¡°¡­ But I can¡¯t give you the homunculus.¡±


    ¡°You would threaten our alliance over one homunculus?¡±


    ¡°No. The King¡¯s revenge should not be limited to just the homunculus.¡± Desir added quickly.


    ¡°Did you know that there is a mastermind behind this?¡±

 Chapter 184. Evolution (8)

    <h4>Chapter 184. Evolution (8)</h4>


    Desir began to describe what he had been through to Donape.


    The terrorism incident in the capital of Prillecha, Deltaheim, that he yed a major role in solving.


    Crow Mask.


    The human experiments carried out by the alchemist he encountered in the Shadow World. The homunculus research.


    Skull Mask, a person acting from the shadows who had assumed multiple aliases including that of the Pope of the Artemis Church and the Prophet of the Magic Kingdom.


    ¡°He¡¯s beguiled many and has been the cause of the downfall behind countless countries.¡±


    ¡°This is all hard to believe.¡±


    Donape expressed skepticism, a natural reaction to hearing just what Desir had been through. ¡°While I managed to destroy the homunculus in the Shadow World set a hundred years ago, they ended up being manufactured in our reality. The appearance of it now indicates that there is a link between what we saw and the Outsiders.¡±


    An entity that controlled the group known as the Outsiders, formed by a mass of criminal gangs and thugs.


    Another person popped into Desir¡¯s head.


    Crow Mask.


    The Outsiders were mostly wiped out through this war, but he had still not made an appearance.


    Desir kept himself abreast of news rting to the Outsiders and how the war progressed. He had to keep track of the bigger perspective. If a Sixth-Circle magician capable of using imagery magic appeared on one of the battlefields, it would be a big deal and news of it would travel quickly.


    But in the end, no one matching the appearance or abilities of Crow Mask had surfaced.


    ¡®He didn¡¯t even show up when the homunculus fell. He mustn¡¯t have been near the Lagrium ins.¡¯


    Crow Mask utilized space magic. Even if he was not at the Lagrium ins, it wouldn¡¯t have been difficult for him to appear, as long as he was somewhere nearby.


    This indicated that he never intended to make an appearance in the first ce. ¡®What the hell is he nning?¡¯


    Desir did not believe that Skull Mask and Crow Mask would relegate themselves to simply cowering behind the Outsiders. He had to work on the assumption that there was a greater purpose behind their actions, orck thereof.


    ¡®We need more clues to track them down.¡¯ Desir continued speaking.


    ¡°So we can¡¯t simply say that the homunculus has only hurt the warriors of the North. We must use the homunculus to reach the mastermind behind all this.¡±


    ¡°The mastermind¡­ Indeed, this is true. But that¡¯s not enough reason why we can¡¯t be given the homunculus as well.¡±


    Donape¡¯s eyes shed cold.


    ¡°We have very few clues with which to chase them down. Now is the time to gather any information we can. Any clue could mean the difference between finding them, or not.¡±


    ¡°¡­ So you mean to say that the homunculus is the clue that will allow us to capture the mastermind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Therefore, we cannot oblige your request.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Donape¡¯s expression suddenly lightened and his face broke out into a big smile. ¡°In the end, you intend to draw me into the fight ahead.¡±


    Donape saw through Desir¡¯s intentions. ¡°Did it look like that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s clever, but I like it. I believe you. Let¡¯s not raise any more questions about the homunculus.¡±


    He looked at Prisci.


    ¡°Prisci, I will ept the Western Kingdom Union¡¯s request for alliance.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your wise decision.¡±


    ¡°And Desir, we will maintain our alliance with the Empire. Even so, we can¡¯t give up on avenging our men, so I have one condition.¡±


    ¡°If you find the mastermind, let us know immediately. That¡¯s the condition. I want to avenge them by my own hand.¡±


    Desir¡¯s face brightened.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯d be more than happy to do so.¡±


    Just as Donape had begun to throw a wrench in his ns, Desir used his outstanding wit and leveraged the crisis he was faced with to provide a foothold to gain further help from the barbarians in future battles.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to let you know when I have a lead.¡±


    Though their talks looked as though it would jeopardize everything Desir worked for, in the end, they came to an amicable result for everyone.


    Donape looked at the Saint, and then the Starling Party, before smiling.


    ¡°If you and your friends visit ournd, I will share the wine I have made myself.¡± Desir knew that this was how barbarians typically expressed favor.


    And so the meeting with Donape An, a closepanion in his former life, ended.


    * * *


    ¡°So that¡¯s how you soften the barbarian king up.¡±


    Zod looked perfectly healthy now, unlike when Desirst saw him at a hospital in Adeina. ¡°He just decided that this was the right thing to do, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Desir and Zod talked as they walked down several hallways towards the main tower of Altea, which in modern times had be the center of magic engineering.


    The staff of the tower were amazed to see the only Seventh-Circle magician on the continent and the Hero of Victory together.


    As if suddenly remembering it, Zod posed a question to Desir. ¡°Was the Aurora System useful?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m still alive. But all four of them are now broken.¡±


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about that too much. Thanks to its potential being unveiled in this war, there¡¯s now a lot of ordersing in. Let¡¯s just write them off as demonstration expenses.¡±


    The power of the Aurora System, a defensive equipment Desir had used to block the white bombardment of the homunculus, became known to all as a result of this war.


    As they continued to converse, they eventually reached a remote ce amongst the facilities. There was no one else present nearby.


    Zod stopped in front of a pot. When he pulled the petals of the pot, the nearby wall opened and a hidden staircase appeared.


    They started down the stairs.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re being awarded a Silver Lion medal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amon practice amongst these countries. There is always a need for heroes during times of war. It serves as great propaganda to drive public sentiment and increase the rate of army recruiting.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s such a great honor. It¡¯s very rare for a student to be awarded a medal of that level.¡±


    ¡°Well, it would be a lie if I said I wasn¡¯t happy to receive it.¡±


    Desir nodded.


    ¡®There are many ways to use fame and celebrity status.¡¯


    Receiving the award brought him both personal joy, as well as allowed him to further scheme. ¡°When is the awards ceremony?¡±


    ¡°Right after the Hebrion Academy resumes activity. We have about two weeks left.¡±


    ¡°The Academy¡­ ¡±


    Zod¡¯s feet came to a stop, for a brief moment.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay in the academy anymore, do you? It¡¯d be nice for you to start looking elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. But I still have work to do there, for now.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t pay much attention to the happenings inside the academy, since he spent all of his energy and time on the greater continent, the Hebrion Academy was a funnel that attracted numerous talented people from all corners of the continent. When the semester began again, he was nning to cultivate the talent of the Hebrion Academy in earnest.


    ¡°Also, there¡¯s not much of a drawback in staying there for the time being.¡±


    Desir was beloved by the Emperor, and was also in a technical advisory role for the Magic Tower, so even if he remained at the academy, he would not suffer much of a loss in terms of freedom and personalfort.


    ¡°I see where you¡¯reing from.¡±


    They soon reached the bottom of the stairs. This secretb was deeply hidden inside the tower. It was a room that Zod had built with all of his heart and soul; a ce no one else even knew existed, with exception of Zod, the chairman of the Magic Tower.


    Desir looked around.


    Theb was filled with delicate and expensive equipment, proof of the energy and care invested into it.


    And at its center was a long, silver-haired, beautiful girl whose eyes were firmly closed. Her whole body was restrained with chains; chains that interfered with the cirction of her mana. She was also held in ce firmly by dozens of other specialised pieces of equipment, besides just the chain subduing her


    Thisb had been fitted out to study the homunculus.


    ¡°Now that she¡¯s the only clue we possess, we must get what we can from her.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Zod manipted some of theboratory¡¯s tools and studied the screen in front of him intently. ¡°I¡¯ve personally spent a bit of time studying it. As a result, I can definitely say that this homunculus was made using technology far beyond our understanding. So called high technology.¡±


    ¡°How good is it?¡±


    ¡°It goes far beyond the limits of technology we have avable today. It¡¯s unbelievable. The knowledge you¡¯ve shared before has been immense, but this is beyond allparison.¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s difficult, we must interpret what we can from it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s going to be a tedious task, but I¡¯ll try my hardest.¡± Desir couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the homunculus.


    He felt strange. The details of their fight shed through his head. ¡®It could return to the past, five seconds ago.¡¯


    Returning to the past. This kind of ability had a different meaning for Desir. ¡®I¡¯m a returner, too.¡¯


    Until now, he had acted rtively casually, simply epting things as they came. He had no reason or method to investigate what caused him to return, so all he could do was simply ept the fact that it had happened. But now that there was a way to manipte the past,ying on an experiment table right in front of him, this was no longer a matter that could be overlooked.


    ¡°And there¡¯s one more thing we need to find out.¡± The homunculus. A valuable, hard-earned resource.


    Desir stared intently at the area surrounding its heart. A set of six circles should be hovering around the homunculus¡¯s heart, capable of storing a stupendous amount of mana.


    ¡°As far as we are aware, we know that the amount of mana we can safely gather is determined from birth. And for hundreds of years, the limits of a magician¡¯s growth have been determined since before they started their career.¡±


    This was a reality that Desir faced daily, and was always harshly reminded of during any battle. In his case, his body could ept up to three circles, with the aid of an artifact.


    ¡°But this high-tech homunculus shattered thatmonsense.¡±


    ¡°This homunculus, which only had three circles when I encountered it in the Shadow World, now has mana six circles.¡±


    ¡°This means that we should be able to artificially imnt additional circles to expand an individual¡¯s mana capacity¡±


    Desir and Zod were aware of what the other was intimating.


    They were great colleagues and above all else, magicians of high caliber.


    ¡°If we can figure out how to replicate this, we¡¯ll be able to attain power greater beyond what mere talent allows for.¡±


    ¡°How interesting.¡±


    His voice was slightly excited. Zod couldn¡¯t help getting excited when someone brought up an interesting topic, regardless of how old he was.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s going to be rather difficult to analyse its ability to manipte causality, I think it would be better to focus on studying the homuculus¡¯s circles for now.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get to work right away.¡±

 Chapter 185. Enlightenment (1)

    <h4>Chapter 185. Enlightenment (1)</h4>


    ¡°The Empire has made peace with the Western Kingdom Union, a long time nemesis, and contributed greatly towards defeating the Outsiders. The continent is now in a state of unprecedented peace.¡±


    Lena Donner.


    This was a ce that only opened for events of the highest historical importance within the Hebrion Empire.


    The marble floor shone brightly under the glittering light, and the ornate marble lions seemed so vivid that they could practically leap down and maul anyone who passed.


    The walls were adorned with portraits of emperors past, each highlighted equisistely by their respective golden frame.


    ¡°There was someone who has given a great deal of dignity and serves as a spectacr source of pride for this empire due to his outstanding achievements. He has saved the lives of countless soldiers as a result of his outstanding capability, and his contributions were arge factor in the swift end of this war.¡±


    In Lena Donner, there was an unusuallyrge crowd of people. No matter where one looked, they would be able to recognize numerous famous people.


    Vang Zar from Ayuls News was one of them.


    ¡®The capital of the Empire, Dresden, had fully returned to normal within two weeks of the war ending.¡¯


    As the Empire regained normality, the imperial family opened Lena Donner to hold an awards ceremony.


    Opening Lena Donner for the sake of just one person meant that the imperial family valued this young hero enormously.


    Vang was busy taking in as much of the happenings around him as possible, vigorously scribbling down every minute detail with his pen and paper.


    Ayuls News, the news house he was here on behalf of, was the most famous media house in the Empire. And he was one of the most talented reporters they had.


    His hyper hand, which had been furiously put to work filling his notebook with ink, came to a dead stop when a certain person passed by.


    ¡°That¡¯s Desir Arman!¡±


    A thunderous apuse sounded. ¡®Our Shy Hero has finally arrived.¡¯ The Shy Hero.


    Reporters loved to overhype the people they reported on, and Desir was no exception. Everyone they reported on received a tagline, though Desir¡¯s situation was different from most.


    Desir Arman was thergest contributing factor in the Allied Forces¡¯ victory over the Outsiders, and the publicity value of featuring a piece on him was enormous. He was a proper celebrity now.


    However, he had remained hidden, refusing to show his face after the war ended. That is, until today¡¯s ceremony.


    It was no surprise that many journalists were climbing over each other to get an exclusive interview with him.


    But he was nowhere to be found. He had concealed himself to such an extent that it was almost as if he had vanished from this world.


    Numerous reporters were getting anxious as the hero of the century refused to show his face.


    ¡®I thought he was trying to increase his worth by drawing this out¡­ ¡¯


    The Desir who had appeared in front of Lena Donner looked nothing more exceptional than any other boy who couldn¡¯t hide their excitement. He was the very image of an ordinary boy, the exact opposite of what Vang had been expecting.


    His very demeanor betrayed any theory that he was deliberately manipting the media by being coy with them.


    ¡®His injuries must have been bad.¡¯


    Vang made an assumption and decided to drop the issue.


    ¡°The great Sun of Hebrion, Guiltian Zedgar F Rogfs. His Majesty the Emperor is here.¡± Everyone stood up.


    Guiltian stepped into the room, his majestic and extraordinary aura immediately filling it to the brim. His broad shoulders betrayed his diligence in training. It was clear that despite maintaining the responsibilities of an Emperor, he still found the time to keep at it.


    Vang¡¯s pen started gliding across his notebook once again.


    ¡®The guardian of the Empire, Guiltian Zedgar F Rogfs, is still hale, hearty, and able to continue protecting the Empire.¡¯


    It took just a moment for Guiltian to begin his speech.


    His speech was filled with glorified expressions, dripping with sophistication and grace. However, the meaning behind them was simple.


    It was praise for Desir, with added emphasis on how his achievements would not be forgotten as a nation. He piled on the pathos to highlight just how loyal Desir was to this country.


    He finally concluded his speech, expressing his high anticipation towards Desir¡¯s growth. It was now time to award the medal.


    Guiltian himself pinned the medal, iid with silver and rubies, onto Desir¡¯s chest.


    The Silver Lion medal was amongst the upper echelon of prestigious awards; it was the kind of honor that could only be presented by the Emperor himself.


    Another round of apuse filled Lena Donner.


    * * *


    Guiltian disappeared shortly after the conclusion of the medal ceremony.


    The attendees followed his lead, and started to trickle out too. Desir was no exception.


    Vang tried to approach Desir quickly, but was a step too slow. Desir was already surrounded by a hoard of reporters and admirers.


    ¡°Mr. Desir, could you give us a short interview¡­ !¡±


    ¡°No, do it with us¡­ !¡±


    Multiple reporters were screaming for interviews, some going as far to physically block him from leaving.


    Even though causing such an uproar over a mere boy in histe teens was a bit much, securing an interview with Desir was well worth it.


    Vang skillfully burrowed into the crowd and approached Desir. ¡°¡­ !?¡±


    However, it was all unnecessary. Desir instead approached him through the crowd. Desir spoke to Vang.


    ¡°Are you the reporter Vang Zar, from Ayuls News?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Do you know me?¡±


    ¡°I am very interested in your articles. The feature article you wrotest time about me was quite impressive too.¡±


    Vang was embarrassed, but he wouldn¡¯t be a pro if he missed an opportunity that fell into hisp like this.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored, but there¡¯s still room for improvement. I¡¯d like to have an interview to rectify this.¡±


    ¡°I see. Sure. Come this way please.¡± Desir led him to a private room.


    Vang internally cheered as things appeared to be going so smoothly for him. The two people left, leaving the remaining journalists deeply disappointed. ¡°What would you like to drink?¡±


    Vang flipped open his notebook and took out his pen.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯d rather do the interview as soon as possible.¡± He put his hand into his bosom and pulled out a recorder.


    ¡°Is it okay if I record our interview?¡±


    ¡°No. Not yet. I¡¯d like to say something before we start the interview.¡± Desir sped his hands together and smiled, sitting across from Vang. Vang shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    He was a veteran journalist. He wasn¡¯t about to do something like putting his interviewee in a bad mood, and spoil his hard-earned opportunity.


    Desir started talking first. ¡°I knew you¡¯d be here.¡±


    ¡°It was as if you were waiting for me to approach you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Desir¡¯s answer flustered Vang.


    ¡°There are loads of reporters who want to interview you. But why me¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are. But I don¡¯t have the time to sit through interviews with all of them. I have a lot to do. So, I¡¯m going to have an interview with one news corporation. And I thought it should be the media with a reporter who knows me very well.¡±


    What he said, in a nutshell, indicated that he was offering an exclusive interview. It was an amazing opportunity for Vang.


    ¡®It¡¯s a scoop.¡¯


    Interviewing the Shy Hero, Desir Arman, was already a huge boon for his career, but now he would also bending it as an exclusive!


    A smile broke out on his lips. ¡°Right. I understand thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I hope you understand what I¡¯m about to do.¡±


    ¡°What? Gah!¡±


    Vang¡¯s pen dropped out of his hand. It had suddenly increased in temperature, lightly scalding him.


    *Thud*


    *Bang*


    There was a small explosion from the fallen pen. A small amount of mana escaped the pen and scattered before disappearing.


    Vang¡¯s face stiffened. His dted pupils stared at Desir.


    Desir returned his gaze in the same manner he had before. That of a naive boy¡¯s face. Sweat ran down Vang¡¯s back.


    ¡®How did he know?¡¯


    That pen was a piece of magical equipment that had recording magic enchanted into it. Vang had been covertly attempting to record using it.


    Before Vang even had the chance to process his newfound joy, the seemingly-innocent boy sittingfortably in front of him had easily detected it and destroyed it.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Vang finally realized just who he was dealing with. ¡®¡­ a hero.¡¯


    An individual cunning and strong enough to identify the enemy¡¯s n and deflect their attempted sabotage on a critical supply route. The person who had dominated the enemymander in The Bloody Battle of Mahayu. The hero who smashed the homunculus, the Outsiders¡¯s secret weapon, and crushed their organization in a final raid on Jormungand Citadel.


    These were all the achievements of one individual. The boy sitting right in front of Vang¡¯s eyes.


    His naive face could lull you into a false sense of security, but he was not one that you could afford to ever underestimate.


    Vang asked Desir calmly. ¡°What is it that you want?¡±


    The exclusive interview with Desir Arman, the most popr celebrity right now.


    He had been offered the sweetest fruit for journalists, so Vang was sure that he wanted something in exchange.


    ¡°ording to your articles, your take on the rtionship between the Empire and the Western Kingdom Union is very positive.¡±


    Vang Zar nodded.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s obvious. The war with the Western Kingdom Union is something that happened long ago. I think it¡¯s time to normalize peaceful rtions with them now.¡±


    ¡°Yet, there are still a lot of people that remain antagonistic towards the Western Kingdom Union.¡±


    The Hebrion Empire and the Western Kingdom Union had been enemies for such a long time, people naturally harbored negative feelings towards them.


    When the alliance against the Outsiders was formed, there was a fair number of malcontents. Desir spoke with a bitter smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to quickly change someone¡¯s viewpoint on a situation. It¡¯s like breaking an old habit. People who had fallen for the Empire¡¯s chauvinism opposed sending troops without realizing just how serious the war was. They insisted on using this opportunity to attack their ¡®sworn enemy¡¯ while their military was preupied elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°They cannot foresee the true threat. For example, if we didn¡¯t assist the Western Kingdom Union this time, the entire continents would have been engulfed in mes by now.¡±


    Desir nodded to Vang¡¯s opinion. A smile broke out on his lips.


    ¡°I agree. I am going to advance a view supporting the alliance between the Hebrion Empire and the Western Kingdom Union through this interview. And I would like your editing direction to be the same as my idea.¡±


    Vang opened his eyes wide. He said in a very excited tone without hiding his feelings.


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll do my best to write a good article.¡± Desir held out his hand.


    ¡°I look forward to your help from now on.¡± From now on.


    Vang did not realize the full weight of what this phrase entailed. He grabbed Desir¡¯s hand without any trace of hesitation.

 Chapter 186. Enlightenment (2)

    <h4>Chapter 186. Enlightenment (2)</h4>


    In the early morning, one girl was training alone in the wind attribute training ground. Romantica Eru.


    Around her were ten tes of iron in a loose circle formation.


    Romantica reached her hand out. As a breeze blew, the iron tes floated in the air.


    She then flicked her finger and the iron tes started rotating around her at a steady speed. Romantica bit her lip, adjusting the atmospheric pressure.


    One particr scene came to mind as she did so.


    It was the battle against the homunculus at Jormungand Citadel.


    Her colleagues faced one crisis after another.


    Pram fell, Adjest copsed, and Desir ended up in critical condition. ¡®I couldn¡¯t do anything at all.¡¯


    Even though she cast her spells non-stop, against a creature as powerful as the homunculus, she was useless.


    Putting her all into a single strike only served to make the homunculus falter for a single move. Her frantic efforts barely amounted to anything at all.


    ¡®It¡¯s awfully pathetic.¡¯


    She couldn¡¯t do anything when her colleagues, her friends, were in danger.


    But she was no longer able to bear being so powerless. She couldn¡¯t help choking up slightly, recalling that battle.


    There was a distinct ng of iron.


    The moment Romantica clenched her hands, all of the iron tes began to crumple into the shape of balls.


    The sound of iron tes being crushed by increased atmospheric pressure filled the training ground and created an unholy cacophony.


    Considering the fact that doing this to just one te was too much for her a year ago, it was an incredible improvement.


    Yet still, Romantica anguished. ¡®I am merely a Third-Circle.¡¯


    Romantica reached the Third-Circle a year ago, and hadn¡¯t had any significant progress since. Still, it took astounding talent and dedication to achieve that much that quickly.


    In the Hebrion Academy, where talented people gathered from across the entire continent, it was usual for most to only reach the Third-Circle just before graduating.


    But Romantica remained unconceited. This was not because she was modest. ¡®Adjest Kingscrown.¡¯


    Magic and swordsmanship. A true genius who had significant talent in both. There was nobody who could be conceited while standing next to Adjest.


    A girl with much more overwhelming talent than anyone else.


    After gaining her new weapon, the Center of Ice, she would be nearing the most elite individuals on the continent, let alone almost all of the professors at the academy.


    ¡®Howe I¡¯m¡­ ¡¯


    Adjest, who would swing her sword, causing her flowing white-blond hair to whip behind her, looked so dazzling that Romantica felt she couldn¡¯t even look at her directly. She was the Sun. Whenever Romantica felt that dazzling sensation, her darkness only deepened.


    ¡®I want to be strong.¡¯ I want to be strong.


    She eagerly wanted it.


    But the deeper she thought about it, the darker she felt. She felt like she was in a free-fall of despair.


    *Boom*


    A st echoed abruptly in the calm training ground. It was the iron tes exploding and scraps of iron falling to the ground.


    Romantica fell onto the ground, her hair swept back by the st.


    It took her a moment to conclude that the explosion was caused by her subconsciously injecting an excessive amount of mana.


    ¡°¡­ Annoying.¡±


    Romantica looked up at the sky while lying on the ground.


    The Sun was shining gloriously in the clear sky, without a cloud in sight.


    She stretched her hand out towards the Sun.


    Understandably, she couldn¡¯t reach it. The Sun was so high up that she couldn¡¯t reach it no matter how far she stretched.


    * * *


    Summer in Dresden was hot and humid.


    The Hebrion Academy returned to normal. sses were boring, as per usual, and piles of assignments were given.


    Students would normally moan about the assignments, but they now seemed strangely excited. Every time they got together, they chatted about the war between the Allied Forces and the Outsiders.


    When it came to the war, they talked about students from the academy who had volunteered to join the military. Of course, Desir Arman was the most popr topic.


    It was exceptional for a student to get awarded a Silver Lion medal. They couldn¡¯t help but feel excited about the fact that the hero came from where they attended.


    ¡°Did you see the interview? The one from Aylus News with Desir.¡±


    Whenever they talked about Desir, they also mentioned the interview from Aylus News. The two names went hand in hand; Aylus was the only newspany where Desir had been featured publicly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a big fan of the interview though. It¡¯s a fact that the Western Kingdom Union got military aid without any cost, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I disagree. Imagine those white shesnding in Dresden.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ It¡¯s a decent strategy in terms of insurance.¡±


    After Desir¡¯s interview went public, a considerable number of people among those who had opposed the alliance between the Hebrion Empire and the Western Kingdom Union began to change their view.


    Desir¡¯s interview wasn¡¯t particrly persuasive enough to change their minds. However, a fair number of people that were against it realized they had no particr reason for being against the alliance. It was just a lingering nationalistic feeling from the time when they were at odds with each other. Convincing someone with an opposing opinion was hard, but swaying those who had no real opinion wasparatively easy.


    As soon as Desir had presented a reason to support the alliance, public sentiment shifted drastically.


    ¡®The rtionship will improve as time goes by.¡¯


    Desir could now pivot in a different direction as he achieved one of his goals. He issued summons for his party after ss that day.


    Students gathered one by one in the Starling Party¡¯s office. Freechel and Takiran warmly weed the party members. ¡°How have you been everyone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Freechel and Takiran joined the Starling Partyst fall. Their skills were decidedly poor back then. However, they quickly developed after receiving one-on-one instruction from Desir. They could now be assessed as having a decent level of skill.


    Following that, there was someone else they were d to see. ¡°Brother, sister, it¡¯s been a long time. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Long time no see.¡±


    It was a boy with red hair like zing mes, Ronde Fizzlebang.


    His signature explosion type magic was well known for its outstanding firepower.


    In Desir previous life, Ronde quit the academy as a result of his arrogant personality creating a downward spiral of personal problems.


    He now was the first year leader of the Starling Party, responsible for leading quite a few people.


    ¡®It¡¯s a good thing he¡¯s doing well.¡¯


    Desir thought it was quite a nice change.


    Once all of the party members gathered, they started talking. ¡°From now on we are going to be doing more practical training.¡±


    The party members were excited for the new training regime he announced, but anxious at the same time. It was Desir¡¯s training after all.


    ¡°If you¡¯re thinking this will be something akin to sparring, you¡¯re sadly mistaken. It¡¯ll be a mock battle that¡¯s as close as possible to reality. It¡¯ll consist of battles between members of the Blue Moon, Red Dragon and Starling parties in rotation.¡±


    The faces of the first-grade party members paled.


    The Starling Party, the Blue Moon Party and the Red Dragon Party were the best in the Hebrion Academy.


    The core members of those parties had all achieved great things in the war against the Outsiders. Their battle experience wasn¡¯tparable to that of first years in the slightest. They all looked at Desir in despair.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry. The mock battle will be held in the Shadow World for training. You don¡¯t have to worry about dying. The day after the mock battle, we will improve on our shorings; the next day, we will study the theory and strategy based on that.


    The room instantly filled with amotion.


    The existing training was already quite tough. It was cruel to increase the intensity for students who needed to juggle both their academic schedule and party training.


    Someone among the first graders raised their hand before speaking. ¡°T-That¡¯s too cruel, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It cannot be helped because you guys are weak.¡± Weak.


    The first years who recently joined the Starling Party did not understand at all. The Starling Party was the best in the Academy.


    ¡°We are the number one party in the Academy though?¡± Desir stared at him with frigid eyes.


    ¡°Do not mistake the power of the party for your own power. If you were to face them one-on-one, you couldn¡¯t win a battle against the first years of either the Blue Moon Party or the Red Dragon Party.


    For getting into the Hebrion Academy, they were already reasonably talented.


    Compared to the Blue Moon Party and the Red Dragon Party, which only chose the most talented students, they couldn¡¯t hope to keep up.


    ¡®For now, we will keep losing the mock battles.¡¯


    There was also an easier method. Without this get-tough policy, Desir had ways to help them grow. But Desir preferred this way because they had to grow quickly in a short period of time. After all, Desir wasn¡¯t aiming to be the number one party at Hebrion Academy.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult at first. You¡¯ll keep losing for a while, but I am certain that this will force all of you to grow.¡±


    Desir was confident that these people would be the core of the Shadow Labyrinth Expedition that would be formed soon.

 Chapter 187. Enlightenment (3)

    <h4>Chapter 187. Enlightenment (3)</h4>


    The hub of magic engineering, city-state Altea.


    Desir could easily move between Dresden, the capital city of the Hebrion Empire and Altea. He was able to use the teleportation gates freely thanks to the golden que bestowed by the emperor.


    Desir examined theb Zod had secretly built.


    Theb had changed greatly in the span of just a few days. The number of devices restraining the homunculus had doubled and panels detailing various readings from the homunculus had been installed.


    Desir sighed as his eyes drifted across theb. ¡°Progress on the research hasn¡¯t been great.¡±


    Zod stopped operating equipment near the homunculus, dropping it and sighing. ¡°Yeah. No progress at all.¡±


    He continued, pointing at the screen in front of him.


    ¡°This is just the top-level observations of the homunculus¡¯s body.¡± Desir took a closer look at the screen.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ ¡±


    It was convoluted even at first nce. Even Desir, equipped with knowledge from the future, found most of it difficult to understand.


    ¡°¡­ I see why there has been no progress.¡±


    As Zod fiddled with the screen, the information changed from a generalized overview to individual detailed elements about the homunculus.


    ¡°The more I research, the less I find myself understanding it. There is far more here to understand than I thought. This is well beyond the current technological capabilities of the Magic Tower.¡±


    He smiled in a self-deprecating fashion.


    Desir felt anger creeping into Zod¡¯s voice.


    It was a natural reaction. Zod Exarion was the most powerful magician in this day and age as well as the best magic engineer. His pride was wounded significantly, admitting that there was something beyond his ability to understand.


    ¡°At this rate, we¡¯ll never make any substantial progress. As much as I hate it, the best choice of action would be to build a team to work on this¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand your frustration, but this project requires the utmost secrecy. We can¡¯t afford to allow their evil hands to interfere.¡±


    By their evil hands, Desir meant the mysterious power leading the Outsiders, most likely Skull Mask and Crow Mask. Zod understood what he meant, and smiled faintly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hire reliable helpers. Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    ¡°There was one sess though.¡±


    He sounded a little excited, but still too calm for it to be anything major.


    On the screen, circles near the heart area of the homunculus were disyed. They were the mana circles of the homunculus.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe my theory was right. It really has artificially imnted mana circles.¡± Each magician carried a unique set of mana circles. This was a truth that never changed. ¡°I had prepared myself for this after hearing your theory, but I still cannot believe it.¡±


    Desir had seen evidence of the Alchemist extracting mana circles from humans and imnting them into the homunculus¡¯s body. That was why Desir was confident that the homunculus had mana circles taken from various magicians.


    These imnts served as an important key to the homunculus¡¯s power. ¡°Have you figured out how the Alchemist imnted them?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Though trying to understand how the homunculus maniptes causality seems to be impossible, I have however, figured out how the mana circles were imnted.¡±


    Desir sincerely admired him. Getting these kinds of results after only a few days was something only Zod Exarion could achieve.


    Desir felt his heart fill with anticipation. ¡°¡­ Finally, I can reach the Fourth-Circle.¡±


    Desir had long hit a wall. An impassable barricade that stood between him and the Fourth-Circle.


    ¡®I never thought I could ovee my poor manapatibility.¡¯ Manapatibility.


    It was the primary measure for the potential and talent of a magician. Those with superb manapatibility could achieve higher circles than those who were cursed, like Desir.


    All other aspects of a magician, whether it be calction speed or situational judgment, could be improved with training and experience. However, it was impossible for one to surpass the limitation of their manapatibility. The size of a magician¡¯s most valuable resource, their mana pool, essentially determined how gifted they were as a magician.


    As a result, the Desir who had long given up on reaching the Fourth-Circle, was now presented with this heaven-defying opportunity. He couldn¡¯t help feeling utterly delighted.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t imnt a mana circle into your body carelessly.¡±


    With Zod¡¯s warning, his heart emptied in an instant. Desir was covered by ice-cold despair. ¡°Will extracting a mana circle from the homunculus hamper your other research?¡±


    ¡°No. The mana circles only allow it to mobilize its power. It has many other circles too. If I extract one of them, it shouldn¡¯t pose too much of a problem to further research.¡±


    ¡°Then what is the issue?¡±


    Desir didn¡¯t understand why Zod was hesitating.


    ¡°Imnting the circle isn¡¯t the hard part. It¡¯s what happens after, that bes the issue.¡± Zod leaned back in his chair.


    ¡°The mana circle imnted will fundamentally be someone else¡¯s.¡± Desir realized what he was trying to say.


    ¡°Of course. The mana circles will have a different resonant frequency.¡±


    Every set of mana circles has their own unique harmony, built from the mana circles within the body.


    When Desir had taken mana out of the mana crystals in both his Clothes Line, as well as the Aurora System, he had used them as batteries, allowing him to make use of more mana than he was theoretically capable of harnessing. All of this mana, since it wasn¡¯t directly produced by Desir, had to have the same unique frequency as Desir¡¯s circles if he wanted to use it.


    The only way he was able to use the mana crystals was by harmonizing them to the same frequency as his own mana flow when he invoked whatever spell he needed.


    ¡°Unlike with a mana crystal, it will be incredibly difficult for you to synchronise your existing mana circles with an alien mana circle.¡±


    A magician¡¯s mana circles are incredibly important to their ability to spell cast. Mana circles are created by a magician¡¯s body for the purpose of gathering and storing mana. As a magician slowly depletes their internal mana supply, it is their mana circles that draw in mana from the area around them in order to restore that supply.


    As fantastic of a system it is, it posed a huge problem for someone who wanted to artificially boost their mana supply. Each individual mana circle within a magician¡¯s set draws in mana at a different frequency. Luckily, mana circles generated by the body naturally stabilize with each other. It¡¯s impossible for them to not be in harmony.


    The task of ensuring that mana circles stay in harmony is truly meticulous. A mana circle¡¯s resonant frequency will naturally react to changes in the mana around them as well as what is absorbed. When all mana circles are from the same source, a magician¡¯s mana circles run like a perfectly oiled machine, whether there were few like Desir¡¯s or many like Zod¡¯s. If a magician wanted to introduce a foreign mana circle, they would have to continually adjust the mana circle¡¯s frequency in order to ensure it was in harmony with the rest. As such a procedure had not been sessfullypleted before, it was impossible to tell whether the magic circles would eventually remain synchronized without conscious effort from the magician, or whether this would be a life-long struggle for them to maintain.


    ¡°Theoretically, controlling a mana circle wouldn¡¯t be impossible.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think you can do it, given enough time.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ?¡±


    A look of puzzlement crept onto Desir¡¯s face. Why was Zod making such a big deal out of this, if it was something he ultimately believed Desir could manage?


    ¡°The mana circle will explode if you fail.¡±


    The answer he desired came from an unexpected source.


    The homunculus opened its eyes, its face consumed in utter maldness. As it quivered in rage, it managed to choke out a few words.


    As if it were all a dream, some kind of plug for the group chronicling his life, Desir snapped


    back to reality¡­


    The homunculus¡¯s eyes fluttered open, ring at Desir and Zod. To call the homunculus alive was only a partial truth. Chunks of its flesh and organs were interconnected with tubes for blood flow and wires for nerve stimuli. The beeping and pumping of machines was the closest thing it had to signs of life. The sight was gruesome, inhumane; were it actually human, Desir and Zod would likely be charged with war crimes.


    ¡°You¡¯re not unconscious?¡±


    ¡°I stayed still because there was no need for me to talk, but I heard something interesting. You¡¯re nning to imnt one of my circles?¡±


    *ng*


    The chains ttered.


    ¡°If you imnt a mana circle that exceeds your body¡¯s natural production, your manapatibility will be forcibly increased to amodate it. It¡¯d make you very happy, if that was the only side effect.¡±


    The homunculus giggled.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not going to end that simply. When your manapatibility is forcibly increased due to the imnted mana circle, it won¡¯t be long until it disintegrates and floods your body with mana¡­¡±


    ¡°But you seeded.¡±


    Even though Desir spoke confidently, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I did seed. After using my ability ny-eight times, to be exact.¡±


    When it mentioned its ability, it was probably referring to its ability to control the principle of causality.


    And by ny-eight times, it must have meant that it was on the verge of death ny-eight times.


    Zod sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s right. The risk of imnting a mana circle is too big. The homunculus only seeded due to its ridiculous abilities.¡±


    It was an incredibly slim chance.


    At stake was his very life. If he failed¡­ he would die. ¡°You¡¯ll live out the rest of your life as you currently are.¡±


    The homunculus snarled out, but Zod didn¡¯t move to dispute what it said.


    There is nothing more precious than life. Risking his life on such a remote possibility was foolish to the extreme. Giving up on it would be the choice ten out of ten magicians would choose.


    However, Desir chose differently.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be possible if it¡¯s me. My ability to control mana is far better than the homunculus.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of your skills, but I¡¯m not going to change my view that the risk is too great.¡± To be able to control the mana before the explosion destroyed the body, you would have to finish everything in an extremely short amount of time. Both the analysis, calctions, and the maniption of mana.


    This was on an entirely different dimension to interfering and inverting someone else¡¯s spell. Zod¡¯s concern was natural.


    Even then, Desir could not back down.


    He had found a method to reach the Fourth-Circle atst. It was a realm he thought would remain beyond his reach in this life as well.


    ¡°I cannot give up this hard-earned chance.¡±


    Zod inhaled deeply. He adjusted his posture as if preparing himself for a long conversation. ¡°You¡¯re strong enough already, Desir.¡±


    Zod looked genuinely worried about him.


    ¡°Yourbat strength isparable to a Sixth-Circle¡¯s. How many people do you think can face off against you in a magic duel?¡±


    Desir shook his head.


    ¡°But I¡¯m already facing walls. I felt my limits when I fought Feather Mask. I cannot stop here.¡±


    Zod¡¯s voice was more serious than ever.


    ¡°All humans have limitations. That¡¯s why we form parties. You have your party members, the Hebrion Empire, the Western Kingdom Union, the barbarians from Harrowind, the Saintess of the Artemis Church, and the Master of the Magic Tower, me. You¡¯ll have full material and emotional support from everyone.¡±


    This could be considered a list of Desir¡¯s most important achievements.


    Harmony.


    All the groups in power across the continent had started to unite as a result of his effort. Desir knew the importance of this better than anybody.


    ¡®It¡¯s still not enough to stop the Shadow Labyrinth.¡¯ Zod continued.


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about the remaining Outsiders, don¡¯t worry about them.¡±


    Nothing he said hit home with Desir.


    ¡°With this current climate, we can easily deal with any disaster. Even a Level One Shadow World would mean nothing before us.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯d think that is the case. However, you know nothing about the Shadow Labyrinth.¡¯ ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not that. I must be stronger for other reasons.¡±


    Desir hesitated, choosing not to reveal his true motive. ¡°Let¡¯s find a different method.¡±


    ¡°A different method? I can¡¯t afford to be carefree and wait for years¡­ !¡±


    It was at this moment that he felt something deep inside him tumbling down. His thoughts were interrupted.


    *Thump*


    It sounded like something had fallen. ¡°Desir!?¡±


    It was Zod¡¯s voice.


    At some point or another, Zod was lying on the ground looking up at Desir.


    Desir¡¯s mind snapped back into rity. Zod¡¯s chair had fallen down. He btedly realized that he was the cause of this, that he had pushed the chair.


    ¡°Urm¡­ ¡±


    Desir could not believe his behavior. ¡®Why am I so angry?¡¯


    Zod was simply worried about him. He was trying to help Desir out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡­ I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Zod dusted himself off and assisted Desir in righting the chair.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something we can decide right now in a hurry. Let¡¯s talk again in a week. I hope you think it over.¡±


    Zod beat around the bush but Desir knew what he meant. He had deferred the decision to ater date.


    Desir couldn¡¯t reject this offer.

 Chapter 188. Enlightenment (4)

    <h4>Chapter 188. Enlightenment (4)</h4>


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    The core Starling Party members were fighting against their rookie members as part of their practical battle training.


    It was being held in a virtual Shadow World.


    The setting was tropical forests, with numerousrge clusters of trees impairing their vision and movement.


    If it was hot and humid in Dresden, the weather in this Shadow World was closer to a fire to say the least. Everything was left warm and damp due to the extreme humidity and heat mixing together. Overall, it was rather unpleasant.


    Even though enduring the extreme heat was hard enough, to top things off there were many poisonous insects and violent animals inhabiting the Shadow World too.


    Remaining vignt at all times in the sweltering heat was not an easy feat.


    Desir calmly, but firmly, spoke to the first year party members who had been caught by one of his spells.


    ¡°I apud your ambition, but think carefully about what advantages you have. Remember, only you guys can use themunication function of your bracelets.¡±


    Thunder and lighting struck a first year party member, his shape quickly bing indistinct and disappearing as he was pulled into the outline of the Sun.


    [-One person was eliminated. Twelve people remain.]


    Desir agonized over how to remedy the students¡¯ weaknesses after analyzing the ones he had already knocked down.


    ¡®If we increase their spell casting speed, it should help them be a lot stronger.¡¯ Strong, that word reminded him of what happened yesterday.


    ¡®Six days left now.¡¯


    Zod gave Desir one week for him to calmly think things over.


    Desir continued to think over the mana circle imnt while conducting the training session for the party.


    ¡®Making a decision on the spot was definitely a clueless thing to do.¡¯


    Normally Desir would have realized this immediately, but he was inexplicably consumed by rage, on a subconscious level, that day.


    As a result, he ended up doing something rude to Zod. ¡®Was I too hasty?¡¯


    *Crunch*


    Desir felt the trace of mana at the same time as he heard the person step on the leaves. He quickly invoked a spell.


    However, the other personpleted their spell before Desir, even though he started first. A bullet of wind hit the center of the tree behind Desir.


    But Desir did not counterattack.


    He had already long let go of his spell, allowing its formation to copse.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t fight back?¡±


    ¡°I knew it was you.¡±


    It was a coincidence that Desir and Romantica had encountered each other.


    Detection magic andmunication magic had been banned for the core party members during the training session. As a result of pure coincidence, Desir and Romantica ended up together before the rest of the core party members could gather. ¡°How are they doing?¡±


    Romantica shrugged her shoulders at Desir¡¯s question.


    ¡°I think their basic skills are good enough, but they¡¯re all working separately.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Maybe this is something too hard for them to realize on their own. I gave them enough time to discuss though.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just tell them directly?¡± Desir shook his head.


    ¡°I can help them make up for their weaknesses, but they need to learn situational decision-making skills by themselves. It¡¯s hard to forget what you learnt on your own.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than not realizing at all.¡±


    ¡°Give them a little more time. They¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    *Boom*


    There was an explosion in the distance.


    Desir decided to focus on the training without thinking any more about the circle imnt. [-One person was eliminated. Eleven people remain.]


    He figured it would be more efficient to agonize over his decision and weigh his options afterwards as the training session was rapidlying to an end.


    ¡°Where is Pram and Adjest?¡±


    ¡°I think Pram is in the East, ording to mymunication wiretap.¡± Desir heard her answer and shook his head.


    ¡®He¡¯s not even properly equipped, failing to keepmunication security in mind.¡¯


    He was full of ws.


    ¡°The st we just heard might be Pram.¡±


    ¡°No, I doubt it.¡±


    As they approached the direction of the st, Desir and Romantica noticed a sudden drop in the temperature of the surrounding area.


    It was chilly, as if the sweltering heat they left behind was a lie.


    As the temperature plummeted further, entering the range of ufortably cold, the pair sensed the movement of very strong mana ahead. The cold breeze that washed over them was definitely the work of ice magic.


    Desir and Romantica hid themselves behind a giant tree.


    Other enormous trees copsed around them, and some parts of the tropical forest froze and shattered due to the ice magic.


    Romantica let out a short exmation as she took in the scene unfolding around her. ¡°Woah.¡±


    Six of the first year party members stood face to face against Adjest.


    Those first year party members were different to the ones Desir and Romantica had encountered so far.


    There were three swordsmen at the front and three magicians in the rear. They had made a formation to maximize the strengths of their respective roles.


    Adjest hadn¡¯t drawn her Center of Ice. She had faced off against them with a normal steel sword and her usual ice magic.


    Ice gathered and formed a sphere near her head. It then flung out ice bolts in all directions. ¡°Spread out and attack! She¡¯s using our numbers against us!¡±


    The one leading the first year party members was Ronde Fizzlebang.


    Desir spoke with satisfaction.


    ¡°I think they¡¯ve figured out the purpose of this training.¡± They deserved every bit of Desir¡¯s praise.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue observing.¡±


    Desir and Romantica decided to continue spectating the battle.


    This training had nothing to do with winning, but everything to do with remedying their inexperience in handling different and unexpected situations. Joining up with Adjest would be too much and likely hamper their growth.


    *Crack*


    The ice scattered.


    The first graders struggled against the onught of Adjest¡¯s spells. ¡°She¡¯s fighting and manually controlling her spells too.¡± Romantica spoke without taking her eyes off the battle.


    Adjest was not using her best technique, imagery magic. She was, instead, relying on just her normal spell usage and sword mastery.


    ¡°If she exerted herself, it wouldn¡¯t be training for them.¡±


    Even though she was holding back, Adjest was still winning by far. [Burn-out]


    A fireball from the sky ttened the spot Adjest had been just a moment before. *Bang*


    It was Ronde¡¯s bombing magic that boasted overwhelming firepower.


    But Adjest was intact. Ice pirs had soared up around her. Even though everything else had been swept away around her, the ice pirs remained intact. ¡°Strong, as expected.¡±


    ¡°Adjest? Yes. You couldn¡¯t find anyone stronger than Adjest in this continent.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡±


    Desir turned his head to look at Romantica. Romantica also looked at Desir. Their pupils reflected each other¡¯s faces, like two mirrors aimed towards each other.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think so? Adjest defeated a swordsman at the Bishop Level, using her Center of Ice and imagery magic.¡±


    You¡¯re strong enough.


    Desir choked those words back. He knew that she wouldn¡¯t want that kind offort. ¡°As long as Adjest is here, I guess I¡¯m not really needed.¡±


    Her voice deepened gloomily. ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Desir knew how she felt right now.


    ¡°You felt pathetic when you couldn¡¯t do anything as your party members fell one by one.¡± *Crack*


    The sound of ice rupturing echoed out.


    ¡°You were frustrated after finding a wall that you couldn¡¯t climb, no matter how hard you need to, in order to protect your colleagues.¡±


    Romantica replied with a shaky voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re in my head. How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Because I was the same.¡±


    Romantica opened her eyes wide.


    ¡°Lies. You¡¯re strong enough to defeat Adjest.¡± Desir chuckled.


    ¡°I mean it.¡±


    There was no trace of falsehood in his tone.


    ¡°I once med myself for my colleagues falling too.¡±


    Desir rted to the Romantica in front of him today. He looked at her deeply. His position in his previous life wasn¡¯t all that different from hers.


    The Shadow Labyrinth.


    The disaster that destroyed the continent and flipped his life upside down.


    As part of the expedition formed, his job was to block the enemy¡¯s attack while staying in the rear.


    Desir was exceptional at neutralizing the attacks of enemies. However, he needed a fair amount of time to analyze their spells before inverting them. At the start of the expedition, this time was bought by the sacrifice of his colleagues. Some of them even gave their lives to save his life.


    Desir reproached himself thousands of times as he sawrade afterrade die before him. He was always the one being protected. Desir repeatedly inverted the enemy¡¯s spells for the sake of his colleagues¡¯ sacrifices.


    As time went by, he was numbed by the sacrifices. It had be the norm. Desir was well aware of the fact that it was bound to continue happening. He got used to it, but he did not forget.


    Feelings that weren¡¯t worn down still smoldered within Desir. ¡®Maybe that rage red up towards Zod because¡­ ¡¯


    Desir finally worked through how he felt the previous day.


    He wanted to be stronger.


    He could not stop there.


    It wasn¡¯t only because he wanted to exceed his limit by reaching the Fourth-Circle. He wanted to protect his colleagues that stood next to him.


    Desir spoke, staring straight at Romantica.


    ¡°As someone with the same experience, I¡¯ll tell you this. Don¡¯t rush.¡± That was what he told himself as well.


    ¡°Simply rushing won¡¯t do you any good. If you move forward while maintaining yourposure, you can always improve.¡±


    ¡°¡­ even if you say that, my talent amounts to a mere Third-Circle.¡±


    Desir shook his head from side to side. He knew exactly what Romantica was capable of. ¡°Do not dictate your own limitations. You can do much better.¡±


    Romantica frowned.


    ¡°B-But you haven¡¯t told me how. You haven¡¯t assured me that I can really reach the Fourth-Circle. Like when I achieved the Third-Circle¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I believe in you.¡±


    Desir spoke with an assertive tone.


    ¡°Just like how I didn¡¯t say anything to Ronde Fizzlebang. I believed he¡¯d figure out my intention. Just like I did with him, I believe you can achieve Fourth-Circle by yourself.¡±

 Chapter 189. Enlightenment (5)

    <h4>Chapter 189. Enlightenment (5)</h4>


    Romantica shifted her gaze to the bus window and rested her chin on her hand softly. On the other side of the window was the scenery of the Hebrion Academy covered in the early morning fog.


    Reflected in her pupils was the Starling Party¡¯s dormitory.


    As she stared out the window, she couldn¡¯t help thinking about the conversation she had with Desir during the party training session.


    * * *


    ¡°As long as Adjest is here, I guess I¡¯m not really needed.¡±


    * * *


    Romantica¡¯s face blushed a deep crimson.


    She quickly looked away from the dorm and fixed her eyes firmly at her feet, as if intent on hiding her reddened face.


    ¡®What was I thinking to say such a thing?¡¯


    Romantica couldn¡¯tprehend why she had done that, no matter how much she agonized over it.


    Romantica was prideful to a fault. She hated beingforted or pitied.


    This was why she always put on a brave front and hid her ws, never revealing her weaknesses to anyone.


    ¡®Whatever the reason was, what I said was just the pits.¡¯


    ¡®Why did I even mention Adjest? Depending on how they looked at it, someone might even think I dislike Adjest.¡¯


    If possible, Romantica wanted to return to the past and stop herself.


    But the frustration left as quickly as it came.


    * * *


    ¡°You were frustrated after finding a wall that you couldn¡¯t climb, no matter how hard you need to, in order to protect your colleagues.¡±


    * * *


    Desir didn¡¯t reproach her in her time of weakness; heforted her. He saw through her and pinpointed what Romantica could not realize on her own.


    -We are now stopping at the Training Grounds. Please gather all your belongings and make your way towards the exit.


    Romantica was rudely awakened from her reverie by the announcement.


    She was weed in front of the bus stop with the all too familiar ivory marble statue of a swordsman.


    She slowly started to climb the stairsid out before her.


    The wind attribute training ground was on the top floor of this training facility. She strangely had a spring in her step as she made her way there.


    ¡®Was it normally this easy to get up these stairs?¡¯


    Just a few days ago, she could recall being left tired climbing the endless stairsst time she took them. She was left drained both mentally and physically.


    However, her steps were surprisingly light now.


    * * *


    ¡°I believe in you.¡±


    * * *


    She had always believed in herself, even if that faith had wavered slightly since the battle with the homunculus.


    Desir¡¯s simple expression had changed everything though. ¡®Desir believes in my potential.¡¯


    Even when Romantica had doubted her own capabilities, Desir believed in her all the way. Knowing this truly made Romantica happy. The one simple string of words nearly washed away all of the anxieties that had been weighing down so heavily on her.


    ¡°Heh heh¡­ ¡±


    With the memory shing before her eyes, Romantica smiled without realizing.


    Walking while wrapped up in her thoughts, she arrived at the wind attribute training grounds in no time.


    There was nobody at the training grounds at such an early hour. She was used to having no one there to bother her.


    There were iron tes in the corner of the field which she had brought in advance.


    With a flick of a finger, the iron tes started floating and wereid out in a circle in the middle of the field.


    ¡®Desir told me there¡¯s no need to hurry.¡¯


    That¡¯s what Desir had said, while also saying that he believed in her potential. His advice was spot on. She was impatient in reaching the Fourth-Circle.


    ¡®¡­ It¡¯s true that I can see my problems when I¡¯m not rushing.¡¯


    The reason why she couldn¡¯t attain the Fourth-Circle was due to herck of mana control.


    In order to achieve the Fourth-Circle, very precise control over mana was essential. The amount of mana she possessed and could call on was more than enough, and the image she had developed was clear. Once she was able to precisely control her mana, forming an additional circle woulde naturally.


    ¡®It was so simple.¡¯ *ng* *ng*


    She heard the grinding of iron crumpling. She could only handle ten tes just a couple of days ago. If she had continued training with just ten tes, she would only polish and maintain her current level of skill.


    The number of iron tes now present on the training field easily exceeded ten.


    This was the result of putting her heart and soul into her training. She now had a new goal and the necessary impetus to achieve it.


    She quietly sat with her legs crossed in the center of the iron tes that she arranged into a perfect circle around herself.


    One thing came to mind amongst the peaceful silence. ¡®How did Desirpletely understand how I felt anyway?¡¯


    It was a thought that distracted her from focusing on mana maniption. However, she couldn¡¯t let it go. She had to make sure. She recalled what Desir told her.


    * * *


    ¡°Because I was the same.¡±


    * * *


    Desir said he was left frustrated at his powerlessness in front of his dying colleagues.


    She realized what he said wasn¡¯t out of an attempt tofort her. No, she had to realize it. His words were sincere with a lot of feelings mixed in.


    A talented merchant was supposed to be able to read someone¡¯s feelings proficiently.


    When it came to bargaining, reading a customer¡¯s emotions was very important. Growing up and being trained strictly as the first daughter of the leader of a great merchant association, she was sensitive to other people¡¯s feelings.


    Hence, she knew it.


    * * *


    ¡°I once med myself for the sacrifice of my colleagues too.¡±


    * * *


    Romantica could read a lot of things from it.


    An expression, devoid of all emotion.


    A profound and deep sadness.


    ¡®What kind of past did Desir experience to be affected like that?¡¯ Come to think of it, yesterday was the second time.


    Desir had shown Romantica the same kind of emotion one other time.


    By the Eastakar Sea at the golden sunset before the Prillecha terrorist attack happened.


    * * *


    ¡°I want you to survive.¡±


    * * *


    Profound gloom.


    Eyes that clearly expressed a huge sense of loss.


    Back then, Desir had the same eyes as he had yesterday. ¡®I have a pile of things I want to ask him.¡¯


    She couldn¡¯t help thinking that what she knew about Desir must only be the tip of the iceberg.


    ¡®I won¡¯t, though.¡¯ Romantica shook her head.


    As Desir believed in her, she decided to believe in Desir.


    He wasn¡¯t the type of person who would deceive others to serve his own greed. When the time was right, he would tell her.


    ¡®And while I wait for that time toe, I need to get stronger.¡¯


    The time wille where Desir opened his heart to Romantica and relied on her. And at that time, she decided she would wholeheartedly support him.


    ¡®To be of help to him, I must get much stronger.¡¯ Romantica started circting her mana gradually. A breeze picked up in the room.


    ¡®They reason why I must get stronger is simple.¡¯


    She stuck her hand out. Floating around her were numerous iron tes the size of her palm. The number of tes floating kept increasing, and before too long all of the tes were floating. In mere moments, they numbered a hundred.


    ¡®The first reason is to protect my colleagues.¡¯ The iron tes started rotating around her.


    Her forehead was beaded with sweat. It wasn¡¯t easy, even for Romantica, to control the airstream that moved all of the iron tes.


    ¡®The second reason is to support Desir.¡¯ She clenched her hand into a fist. *ng*


    *ng*


    The training ground was filled with the sound of iron tes crumpling.


    * * *


    Desir¡¯s room was a mess. Numerous books were strewn across the floor. They were mainly about mana circles and resonant frequency.


    Right in the center of the mess, Desir sat with his legs crossed. *Pant*


    As he breathed heavily, blue particles fluttered around him, in sync with his breathing. ¡®I will get the homunculus¡¯s mana circle imnted.¡¯


    Desir made up his mind. While talking with Romantica, he realized why he needed to be strong.


    He wanted to protect his colleagues that stood next to him. For that purpose, he had to be far stronger.


    Desir did not take this decision lightly. In preparation for it, he had done two things. The first was what he was doing now.


    He had reinforced his mana circle, ensuring it was as solid as possible.


    This had nothing to do with improving his skills. Generally speaking, reinforcing mana circles had no benefit and made it more difficult to develop additional circles in the future.


    He continued to do what other people would find iprehensible. This was all so that he could endure a little longer if the mana flooded his body.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it for today.¡±


    Desir rxed his posture and took out a mana stone from his set of drawers. He had purchased arge number of them using a significant chunk of his savings in the process.


    He closed his eyes, holding the mana stone in his hand.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    After about three minutes, some disparate noise resounded from the mana stone. The distinct frequency inside the mana stone slowly started resonating with the frequency of Desir¡¯s mana circle.


    It was a form of practice to adjust another distinct frequency to match the frequency of his mana circle.


    There were five days left until he saw Zod again.


    By continuing in this manner, he readied himself to the full extent of his ability for the circle imnt.

 Chapter 190. Enlightenment (6)

    <h4>Chapter 190. Enlightenment (6)</h4>


    Theb in the Magic Tower.


    Zod looked at Desir with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°I was going to plead for you to stop just one more time, but it doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯ll change your mind.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately not.¡±


    Desir stared at Zod with a determined expression. Zod could feel his firm will from just seeing his eyes.


    ¡®I thought he had made his decision impulsively¡­ ¡¯


    That was why Zod gave Desir a week to think things over.


    ¡®I never thought he¡¯d train for a solid week for the sake of the imnt.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t dissuade him anymore. Zod decided to respect his resolve.


    ¡°Just wait here for a second while sitting back to back with the homunculus.¡±


    Desir went to where the homunculus was. It red up at Desir, bound in a kneeling position. ¡°So you willingly chose to bring a catastrophe upon yourself.¡±


    She didn¡¯t look as ghastly as she did before. Long gone were the machines keeping her alive, and her body had regained its structure, not to mention her beauty. Nobody had allowed her to manipte causality, nor was any medicine used; it was the homunculus¡¯s natural resilience that allowed it to recover. It made them realize one more time that she was not a human but a homunculus. No human could recover this quickly.


    Although her body had recovered, the homunculus was still not a threat.


    Strong skillspletely prevented it from manipting mana. Her remarkable body was also tied up in specially manufactured chains, so she could not move in the slightest.


    The girlpletely incapable of movement bore no resemnce to the monster who had reaped so many lives during the war.


    Looks were deceiving though. It was the most powerful enemy imaginable, with the godlike power of manipting the principle of causality. This homunculus had put Desir and his colleagues, the Starling Party, in mortal danger.


    Desir, without any hesitation, chose to improve himself at his enemy¡¯s expense. He did not feel any guilt from doing so.


    *Flop*


    Desir sat down back to back with the homunculus.


    As he did that, he could feel several mana circles inside the homunculus. However, he couldn¡¯t sense any trace of mana from within the empty circles.


    Desir studied Zod. He was getting ready for the circle imntation procedure, running around theb preparing equipment and materials. A littleter Zod approached him, signaling he was ready to start.


    Desir nced at the object Zod was holding. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°It is a safeguard that keeps you and the homunculus aligned during the transntation, so that the mana circle doesn¡¯t fall apart. I¡¯ve also put together an anciry device to help you harmonize with the mana circle. I made these for you.¡±


    Zod listed off various things to consider and avoid while binding Desir and the homunculus together tightly with a huge band of some kind.


    ¡°You cannot detach from the homunculus, no matter how painful it is. If you bleed, just throw up the blood; you can¡¯t afford to lose focus. Sadly, paralysis magic isn¡¯t an option.¡±


    Desir nodded.


    Paralysis magic could be detrimental when it came to fast and precise mana control.


    ¡°The most important thing is that everything has to be done quickly. Even though we may seed in imnting the mana circle, it could get damaged and break if you don¡¯t immediately harmonize it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    Zod strapped the two of them together, signifying his preparation wasplete. He nodded at Desir.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start at the count of three. One¡­ Two¡­ Three!¡±


    Zod started circting his mana while cing his hands on the chests of Desir and the homunculus. At the same time, the huge band-shaped device started glowing.


    Desir could feel the homunculus¡¯s mana circles more intensely than before. He could see them so clearly that he could tell exactly where each mana circle was positioned and what frequency it was currently at¡­


    Amongst all the mana circles present within the homunculus¡¯s body, Zod took notice of a particr circle close to its heart. It was closest in frequency to Desir¡¯s own mana circles, so Zod began prodding it in preparation for the transnt.


    However, this mana circle was a Sixth-Circle.


    Zod could not imnt a Sixth-Circle with his current level of skill, and Desir had no chance of handling it.


    Zod began injecting mana in order to attack the homunculus¡¯s circles directly and break it down.


    From Sixth-Circle to Fifth-Circle. From Fifth-Circle to Fourth-Circle.


    The homunculus was shaking in pain as its mana circle was ripped apart, but her body seemed otherwise intact.


    Luckily for the homunculus, not only was Zod operating with extreme precision, but its body was well beyond that of a human¡¯s. No regr magician would be able to withstand the pressure exerted on the homunculus¡¯s manawork.


    Finally, the Sixth-Circle was a Fourth-Circle. That was good enough to transnt and something Desir could manage.


    However, Zod didn¡¯t stop breaking it down there. Instead, he split the circle into four separate pieces. In doing so, Zod made it much easier to transnt the circle into Desir¡¯s body, but greatly shortened the amount of time Desir had to integrate it.


    Zod controlled his mana with an even higher level of precision and delicacy as he divided it into four pieces.


    ¡°Get ready.¡±


    Disassembled mana circle pieces started shifting from the homunculus to Desir one by one. With two pieces transferred, the operation seemed to be going smoothly. However, Desir¡¯s body started showing an adverse reaction as the third piece arrived.


    ¡®The limitation of his manapatibility¡­ ¡¯


    The repulsive force was massive. If Zod¡¯s attention wavered for even an instant, it would be flung away within a second.


    Even without an operating manual or practice doing this kind of operation before, he instinctively knew what must be done.


    Zod wrapped the piece with his overwhelming Seventh-Circle mana and forcefully pressed it into Desir¡¯s body.


    He did this in a confident manner only possible for Zod Exarion, the only Seventh-Circle magician in the continent.


    Soon, all of the mana circle pieces were transferred into Desir. *Twitch*


    Desir felt a pain great enough that his heart nearly stopped¡­ It felt like something had grabbed his heart and was trying to smother it. The foreign mana circle was putting his body into shock. The pain ended there though, as a result of his thorough preparation over thest week. He did not, could not, allow the pain to distract him any further.


    *Bleugh*


    Eventually, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    Zod, still watching over him, instinctively raised his eyebrows in concern, but continued to work in silence.


    The mana circle pieces that were divided by Zod startedbining into one overtop of Desir¡¯s existing Third-Circle.


    The pieces fused together, soon forming a Fourth-Circle, imnted no different from a natural addition to his set.


    After finishing his part of the procedure, Zod gathered back his mana. ¡°The rest now depends on you.¡±


    Zod carefully studied Desir.


    Once Zod¡¯s mana, the force that had been restraining the repulsive power, hadpletely faded, the imnted Fourth-Circle started rioting. The mana circle quickly became unruly and pushed and pulled mana chaotically around Desir¡¯s body.


    Although the pain right now was bearable, it would quickly grow too strong to bear if he didn¡¯t finish his job in a hurry.


    The mana circle began to absorb mana from its surroundings to fill itself, since it was no longer being quelled by the mana suppressing equipment affecting the homunculus.


    Desir hurried to read its frequency, knowing it would quickly change if he took any longer. Zod looked at him in admiration.


    ¡®He¡¯s fast.¡¯


    Zod remembered watching Desir control distinct frequencies a few times in the past.


    Today¡¯s Desir was significantly different. He was doing it far faster than Zod recalled him being able to do so.


    All it took was a second for Desir to read the new frequency and force his own mana to begin resonating with the imnted circle¡­


    A disparate noise echoed. *CLING*


    This part of the process was also faster than Zod assumed it would take.


    The movement of the mana circle that looked like a wild horse rushing down a hill at breakneck speed seemed to die down, albeit only by a little bit.


    However, it wasn¡¯t going entirely smoothly. ¡®Its frequency is changing too early.¡¯


    The color drained out of Zod¡¯s face.


    As the imnted mana circle had absorbed a little bit of Zod¡¯s mana, the frequency had changed quicker than expected.


    It was a necessary step to imnt the circle and they were prepared for it, but even Zod did not expect just how much it would affect the proceedings.


    They were simply unlucky.


    After trying to regain control, Desir eventually gave up and restarted the process once again. Starting from zero, once again at the frequency reading stage.


    ¡°¡­ Darn it.¡±


    Zod¡¯s palms were sweaty.


    Unlike Zod, who was growing increasingly nervous, Desir was entirely unperturbed; even though it was on him to seed, and even though he knew the price of failure, he remained entirely resolute.


    He calmly went back to reading the frequency once again and controlling his mana. However, the frequency of the circle changed once again.


    Desir was about to read the frequency again, not giving up. ¡°Bleugh!¡±


    Desir coughed up a mouthful of blood. The circle that was in the process of copsing affected his body and dealt him a severe internal injury.


    ¡®The big change, in the beginning, was impactful.¡¯


    The mana was rampaging much more chaotically than they imagined it would. The upper portion of the Fourth-Circle, which had been difficult for Zod to re-bond, now had a crack in it. While it was a minor crack now, nobody could foretell when that little crack would grow and destroy the circle.


    Zod wanted to help Desir, but he couldn¡¯t do as he pleased here. Someone else¡¯s interference in the process would only cause more problems for Desir.


    Desir had to solve this on his own. ¡®¡­ if Desir cannot solve it, then¡­ ¡¯


    Zod carefully gathered his mana. If the situation got any more dire, if Desir¡¯s life was truly in danger, he resolved himself to step in and break Desir¡¯s mana circle with his own hands. When a circle is destroyed due to a mana deluge, that magician dies in nine cases out of ten. Before it got to that point, if he broke Desir¡¯s mana circle under his exquisite control, he was far more likely to survive.


    This was a fate better than dying, after all.


    Zod was going to approach Desir for the final resort.


    Desir suddenly lifted his hand towards him.


    ¡®How is he so rxed¡­ ?¡¯


    He was surprised for a moment, then realized Desir¡¯s expression had noticeably lightened.


    At the same time, Zod felt that the movement of mana within Desir¡¯s body, the mana which had been rushing so crazily just moments ago, had certainly died down. He soon found out why.


    Desir had halfway seeded in harmonizing with the mana circle. In order to buy himself more time, he restrained the unruly circle using his mana, the same way Zod had done when he was imnting it.

 Chapter 191. Enlightenment (7)

    <h4>Chapter 191. Enlightenment (7)</h4>


    ¡®Did he learn after seeing me do it?¡¯


    The rapid flooding of mana was dying down. He didn¡¯t have a moment to waste; Desir calmly began to control the frequency of the Fourth-Circle.


    When the frequency changed again, he analyzed it once again, adapting to the change.


    The difficulty had substantially decreased, and the time limit had a subsequently huge increase.


    After bringing the circle under his control, Desir¡¯s head tilted forward from exhaustion. ¡°¡­ I¡¯d like to believe that I have seeded.¡±


    Desir spoke towards Zod, who was now approaching him. Zod observed his condition while maintaining hisposure. ¡°As far as I know, you¡¯re the first human to do this.¡±


    Zod stated in a matter of fact tone.


    ¡°On top of increasing your manapatibility, congrattions on advancing your circle.¡± Desir could not hide the smile that emerged on his lips.


    He had finally gotten stronger, surpassing the limitations he faced in his previous life.


    * * *


    Students of the Hebrion Academy were required to report their performance to the academy on a monthly basis. Professors at the academy collected the reported performances, evaluated each student, and decided on their overall educational path.


    ¡°This makes no sense.¡±


    The professors at the academy after getting the reports were all shocked. It was understandable they were shocked because something really ridiculous happened.


    ¡°Just a few months after Adjest Kingscrown, there is now another Fourth-Circle magician.


    Two more of them, in fact.¡±


    From the Fourth-Circle onwards, anyone achieving such a rank would be considered a high-ranking magician. Very few people were able to attain such a stage, let alone students who were still furthering their magic. Even at Hebrion Academy, the focal point for a majority of the blossoming talent across the continent , there were only three other people to have done so in total.


    ¡°So¡­ Who are they?¡±


    ¡°The first is Desir Arman.¡±


    ¡°We hear his name often these days.¡±


    One of the magicians that had achieved the Fourth-Circle was Desir Arman. There was no professor who didn¡¯t know of him, an individual renowned across the continent for his war contributions.


    One professor spoke in amazement.


    ¡°I thought it would¡¯ve been impossible for him to achieve the Fourth-Circle ording to thepatibility result we got from him at the entrance exam¡­ ¡±


    Desir¡¯s manapatibility was abysmal. It was impossible for him to achieve Fourth-Circle based on what they held to be true.


    While everyone was left confused, Hersaint-nc added one more thing. ¡°But it¡¯s Desir, after all.¡±


    As if jolted out of their thoughts, the atmosphere at the professor¡¯s meeting changed starkly. ¡°Well, there must have been an error in the result.¡±


    Finding an excuse to minimize their cognitive dissonance, the professors all agreed on Desir¡¯s manapatibility test being inurate, instead of doubting histest performance report.


    The suspicion had subsided in an instant. Rather, the professor meeting began to take on a slightly celebratory mood due to Desir reaching the Fourth-Circle.


    ¡°Please pass along congrattions on my behalf, Professor Bridgette.¡±


    ¡°I hope to have a talk with him someday.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Wasn¡¯t there something else I had to share too? I can¡¯t seem to remember what it was.¡±


    On that note, the professors¡¯ meeting ended shortly thereafter. The news that Desir had achieved the Fourth-Circle spread throughout the academy immediately.


    It didn¡¯t take long for such news to reach the Starling Party and Blue Moon Party, who were busy preparing for their joint training session with the Red Dragon party.


    This was the scheduled day where the three parties would face off in a three-cornered battle. The Starling Party, Blue Moon Party, and Red Dragon Party had prepared in earnest for it. ¡°You caught me all the way here.¡±


    This virtual Shadow World had been set to be a sea world.


    Three vessels floated in this open sea.


    The leaders of each party Desir, Radoria, and Kelt were watching over the party members'' training.


    Kelt shook his head.


    ¡°You overwhelmed us when you were Third-Circle, now that you¡¯ve reached the Fourth-Circle, I¡¯m honestly afraid. How did you grow that rapidly?¡±


    Desir spoke without taking his eyes off the battle. ¡°Well, nothing is impossible through hard work.¡±


    As the mana circle imnt had been done in secrecy, he couldn¡¯t afford to tell them exactly how he had grown stronger.


    Instead, he came up with a roughly usible story, and Radoria and Kelt ended up buying it. Radoria shrugged her shoulders lightly.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not surprising for you. But Romantica achieving the Fourth-Circle as well is a little surprising.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You have no idea how surprised I was with the news.¡±


    The other magician who made it to the Fourth-Circle was Romantica Eru. The gloom that used to cloud her expression hadpletely disappeared. [Avarosa¡¯s Storm]


    *BAM*


    Although she reached the Fourth-Circle, she couldn¡¯t quite handle Fourth-Circle magic yet. She still mainly used Third-Circle magic.


    But it was clear to all that looked that something major had changed within Romantica. Even when she performed the same magic as before, the power differential between when she was Third-Circle and now was astonishing.


    Romantic bing a Fourth-Circle magician was also a hot topic at the academy.


    Her speed of growth that resulted in her achieving the Fourth-Circle within a year of achieving the Third-Circle was unprecedented.


    ¡®Romantica will grow further and further.¡¯


    Romantica was growing at a devastating speed inparison to the Romantica of his previous life, thanks in no small part to Desir¡¯s assistance.


    Desir was sure that her talent would bloom more brilliantly than what he remembered of her.


    ¡°What¡¯s your secret for sess?¡±


    ¡°Just that, a secret. If you join my party, I might let you know.¡± Radoria blinked her eyes and burst intoughter.


    ¡°If the rumors about your training regime are to be believed, that¡¯s a rather terrifying offer. I think I¡¯ll stick to getting stronger at my own pace.¡±


    Kelt spoke with a gentle smile, listening to the conversation next to them.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just you and Romantica, but your entire party, on the whole, is growing very fast. Their skills are better than ever before.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! They¡¯ve be quite tough. In the past, your first years didn¡¯t evenst half an hour.¡±


    There were times in the past when the three parties did a three-cornered battle training. But the first years of the Starling Party couldn¡¯t withstand the vigorous attacks of the other two parties. However, it was a different story now. The first years of the Starling Party were capable of keeping up with the academy¡¯s prestigious parties.


    ¡°Their teamwork is quite good too.¡±


    Nobody would have thought they were the same people who helplessly iled about in previous battles.


    After furtively improving their weaknesses and strengthening their advantages under Desir¡¯s guidance, they no longer looked like ipetent freshmen¡­


    *Bam* *Ba-Bam*


    Kelt opened his mouth with a serious face.


    ¡°No professor is able to help students develop this much.¡±


    He then pointed at Adjest.


    ¡°When Adjest reached the Fourth-Circle, I thought it was because of her talent; how else would she grow so quickly?. But the way all your party members are growing, and how quickly Romantica achieved Fourth-Circle, I can¡¯t help but feel that your impact on them is a big part of it.¡±


    Kelt took a deep breath and continued.


    ¡°So I¡¯m wondering¡­ Would you teach us as well?¡±


    Desir was surprised, hearing something he did not expect in the slightest. He turned and faced Kelt.


    Radoria seamlessly followed up after Kelt, as if this was a y they had nned in advance. ¡°Through sparring.¡±


    The leaders of the parties that represented the academy, had asked a student, their junior even, to teach them.


    ¡®¡­ They seem very determined.¡¯


    Radoria and Kelt were excellent magicians who reached the Fourth-Circle faster than Desir, managed to obtain positions of leadership within their respective parties, and were also Desir¡¯s seniors¡­


    It certainly wasn¡¯t easy for them to swallow their pride and ask him for help. Desir took the situation very positively.


    ¡®That¡¯s an unexpected gain.¡¯


    The Blue Moon Party and the Red Dragon Party were the core power of theing Shadow Labyrinth raid. Increasing their strength would directly trante into improving the preparation of the Hebrion Empire. If the Hebrion Empire could rely on them, and not just the


    Starling Party, that would be for the better. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Radoria seemed startled, as if she was expecting a rejection. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°You two conducted these joint training sessions. Think of it as payment for that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°I also appreciate it.¡±


    Radoria and Kelt respectively thanked Desir. *Bam*


    There was another st.


    As they gazed at the battlefield, they could tell it was nearing a conclusion. The core members of each party now entered into the fray.


    ¡°Desir, have you tested how much stronger you are since reaching the Fourth-Circle?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t yet.¡±


    Desir did not have time for himself while taking care of his party members and increasing the intensity of their training.


    Radoria¡¯s face lit up brightly.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we test that right here, right now?¡± Radoria and Kelt stood in ce and faced Desir. ¡°It¡¯ll be worth a try against us two.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re underestimating us. We weren¡¯t just idling, Desir.¡± Kelt stretched his hand forward and some noise echoed out.


    *Rumble*


    The amount of mana being circted was unbelievable.


    Kelt had improved so much that it wasn¡¯t evenparable to what Desir had witnessed him able to dost year.


    The waves began to roll. He started handling the water.


    This ce was the sea. It was the best battlefield for a water attribute magician.


    Radoria also started invoking her own magic. A simple flick of her hand made the air in the area begin to boil, and soon the railing of the ship ignited.


    Only after seeing them start to move in earnest did Desir get into position and prepare his own magic.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a go.¡±


    Radoria and Kelt were diligent in increasing and protecting their ranks in the academy. They were superb magicians whosted quite far into the Shadow Labyrinth in his previous life. Desir called forth his mana. His newly formed Fourth-Circle started rotating.


    He could feel an amount of mana avable to him that was totally beyond what he was capable of before. Spell arrays formed around him covering an area far greater than he had ever been capable of before.


    He truly felt that he became stronger. ¡°Here we go.¡±


    Shortly after, spells collided and created an ungodly cacophony. *Boom*


    Enormous explosions resonated all over the battlefield.

 Chapter 192. The Beginning of a Plan (1)

    <h4>Chapter 192. The Beginning of a n (1)</h4>


    The Kingdom of Divide, a key nation in the Western Kingdom Union.


    It was a powerful country that once directlypeted with the Hebrion Empire for world dominance. Divide had ess to perfect soil and boasted the most powerful army among the Western Kingdom Union. Its citizens never forgot the mighty country¡¯s past; they had no doubt they would one day reim its glory, topple the Hebrion Empire, and dominate the world.


    Aaron was a man who shared this sentiment. He believed in the Kingdom of Divide¡¯s power. ¡°The day will soone when we crush the cocky Empire.¡±


    Recently, the Kingdom had started to show signs that their gaudy ambition may have more merit than a naive wish. Their once lecherous and extravagant king had turned over a new leaf, allowing the nation to flourish once more.


    After the shocking terrorist attack in Prillecha, their king had radically changed. As though baptised by the evil of the world, he began making sweeping reform. Corrupt officers were removed, exploitative nobles were outed, and new policies were put in ce to make efficient use of thend¡¯s bountiful resources, which had long been squandered. All the while, he diligently trained the Kingdom¡¯s soldiers and brought the military up to modern standards. The newly reformed force was overpowering, equal in strength, if not outright better, than any other member of the Western Kingdom Union.


    Citizens and government officials had nothing but praise for the current king. The people of Divide were confident that the present Divide was stronger than ever.


    Given that the King was a national hero, Aaron was d when he received a summons from him.


    Aaron stepped into the pce and was escorted to the throne room.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been expecting you, Sir Aaron.¡± Inside the magnificent pce.


    At the end of the hallway, with a floor concealed by a tiger skin rug, was the King that he now proudly served.


    Aaron kneeled to show his respect.


    The King of Divide, Clora Ars F. Baldershu, addressed Aaron.


    ¡°As a result of our efforts, Divide was able to y an important role in the war and established its position as the de facto leader of the Western Kingdoms. ¡±


    He was referring to the battle against the Outsiders.


    ¡°Amongst the Western Kingdoms, Divide led thergest army, devised ingenious strategies, and our tainted reputation has been rectified as a result.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve finally reached a reputation and a power that once again matches the Hebrion Empire. All of these blessings are thanks to the Janissaries, which you have led excellently. In the name of the King, I acknowledge everything you¡¯ve done for the royal family.¡±


    The Janissaries.


    They were Divide¡¯s elite armed organization.


    Even before the King¡¯s reforms, they were widely known and referred to as one of the most powerful armed groups, not just in Divide, but across the entire world.


    The Janissaries wereposed of talented individuals raised together from birth, trained for the sole purpose of serving the royal family. They, who willingly sacrificed everything for the royalty, were loyalty incarnate. Their sheer strength was awe-inspiring as a result of their constant relentless training.


    And Aaron was the Janissaries¡¯s leader.


    ¡°Our raison d¡¯etre is solely for the royal family.¡±


    Aaron, rather than allowing the King¡¯s praise to move him, simply pawned off their aplishments as nothing more than the Janissaries doing their job. He was the epitome of an honor-bound knight.


    ¡°We did our duty; there is nothing more to it.¡±


    ¡°Very trustworthy.¡±


    The King nodded his head, seemingly satisfied by Aaron¡¯s answer.


    Aaron thought it was peculiar.


    ¡°I suppose the Prillecha incident really was shocking.¡±


    Aaron noticed the King¡¯s subtle difference from his past summons. The King, who expressed nothing but frustration and anger in the past, was now emanating an odd sense of tranquility. It was a subtle difference in the atmosphere that was hard to pinpoint. Or so Aaron thought. ¡°The reason I summoned you here is rather simple.¡±


    At this moment, someone entered the throne hall. They wore a mask that concealed their entire face. ¡°You are aware of it too.¡±


    ¡°Yes I am, Your Majesty.¡±


    Aaron sized up the mysterious man.


    The Janissaries were formed to protect the King. Naturally Aaron knew all of the Kingdom¡¯s affairs, inside and out.


    ¡°So, this is the person interfering in the King¡¯s affairs.¡± No one knew his identity.


    Rumors floated that he was someone from out of the country. Yet despite this, he had earned the King¡¯s favor and had begun swaying his views, interfering with the country¡¯s private affairs. To say Aaron didn¡¯t trust the man was an understatement.


    So why was he summoned?


    ¡°You have tirelessly worked for the royal family up until now. It¡¯s time to rest.¡±


    Aaron felt a pit form in his stomach. An unnatural sense of unease began to burden him¡­


    ¡°It would be better for you to travel down to the Longort region. You will be carrying out simple missions there.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°From now on, the Janissaries will be under this man¡¯smand.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, excuse my rudeness.¡±


    Aaron raised his head, fully aware of it being an utter breach of decorum and an offense to the King, and addressed the King directly.


    ¡°I would willingly throw myself into fire if it was Your Majesty¡¯smand. But the Janissaries are an organization that only exists for the royal family. Our members are trained from birth for absolute loyalty. I cannot let a man of unknown pedigreemand it.¡± Despite all the loyalty he had for the King, to give up leadership of the Janissaries to someone who wasn¡¯t even a member of it, let alone a foreigner, was a bridge too far.


    ¡°What does Your Majesty hope to achieve?¡±


    It was equivalent to denying the very authenticity of the Janissaries that had served the royal family for centuries.


    ¡°Many things have to change for the sake of the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, this man is just a foreigner. I have many doubts about your trust in him. What if¡­¡±


    The King interrupted Aaron.


    ¡°This is not a request, but amand. Do not neglect your duty, Aaron.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The atmosphere didn¡¯t allow any further objection.


    Aaron knew he had no other choice but to ept.


    He kneeled, clenched his teeth and answered.


    ¡°If that is the will of the son of Sorin, the almighty King.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°It might have been too sudden.¡±


    The two men remained in the throne hall after Aaron left.


    ¡°But it was a necessary task. At this crucial moment, as we aremencing our n, there is a chance he might look into our true identities.¡±


    Pierrot Mask, who had taken over the identity of King of Divide, stood up from his seat. With dramatic movements, he spun around before idly looking up and down the pce hall.


    ¡°Well, whatever. The Divide Kingdom ispletely in our hands now.¡± One year.


    They had thoroughly devoured the Kingdom of Divide over the span of just a year. Officials who were wise or opposed the King had been secretly murdered or exiled. They filled those positions with powerless figureheads.


    Furthermore, they swayed the provincial lords in their favor and cleverly manipted them into suppressing those who opposed their absolutism. All of this was for the sake of strengthening their control over the country.


    There were people who held suspicion towards them, but the number of people who did so were now miniscule.


    Crow Mask stirred up hatred against the Empire amongst the citizens. He drew up the deration of war and published it in the newspapers.


    Historic enemy, an old rival.


    A mon enemy¡± was born.


    The general public were all shook up. Crow Mask¡¯s cleverly conducted political work was perfectly concealed.


    It would not be an exaggeration to say that the current Divide Kingdom waspletely in their hands. Now that thest cause for future concern, the Janissaries¡¯s Aaron, was evicted, there was no longer a force that could keep them in check.


    ¡°Not just Divide. We hold the key to all the Western Kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°Your talent really is amazing, whether it¡¯s political skill or public provocations¡­ ¡±


    Topletely usurp control of a kingdom without starting from a privileged position within that kingdom was pure lunacy. It wasn¡¯t just impossible, it was so far-fetched that it wasn¡¯t even worth considering. Yet Crow Mask attempted, and seeded.


    ¡°I¡¯m only proceeding ording to the n.¡± The n.


    All of their work was done with indifference with the sole objective being to further the n. But this was but a single step in the true objective Crow Mask wanted to achieve.


    ¡°There are still a few variables left.¡±


    Pierrot Mask reminded Crow Mask. To this criticism, Crow Mask let out a sigh.


    ¡°Desir Arman.¡±


    He was a recurring thorn in their side.


    He was an entity that left a taint on an otherwise wless n. ¡°First of all, Desir Arman achieved Fourth-Circle recently.¡±


    ¡°He probably reached it through analyzing the ability of the Homunculus.¡± The Crow Mask immediately reached a conclusion.


    The homunculus that was tasked with killing Desir Arman turned out to be an opportunity of growth for him.


    He took a few deep breaths.


    ¡°No need to rush. The opportunity to eliminate Desir Arman will certainlye again.¡± Pierrot Mask stood in front of Crow Mask.


    ¡°Is that it? Is he the only remaining variable in your n?¡±


    Crow Mask gave Pierrot Mask a sideways nce. He responded after a brief moment of contemtion.


    ¡°He is still walking the same path as us.¡±


    ¡°But we know almost nothing about him.¡± Skull Mask.


    Everything about him was concealed or obscured. No one knew his real identity. Not even Crow Mask and Pierrot Mask, who were on the same side as him.


    Come to think of it, there were an infinite number of questions about him.


    He had a strategic weapon with a level of power that matched what a homunculus was capable of. He had ess to an unimaginable number of artifacts with utility that defiedmon sense. All these tools would be impossible for a human of the modern era to umte and maintain possession of.


    ¡°What¡¯s more, he never once talked about what his true goal was.¡±


    ¡°¡®Only for the sake of Artemis¡­¡¯ - or so he said.¡±


    ¡°His actions have been even more irregr recently.¡± Pierrot Mask pointed outside the window.


    There was some sort of structure outside. It was releasing dusty smoke as if it were some kind of machine. It was a bizarre-looking giant sculpturepletely made out of steel.


    ¡°He ordered the collection of magic stones from all over the country in order to build that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware. He didn¡¯t even tell us what it¡¯s for.¡±


    ¡°He clearly has a different goal from what we have in mind. By using us as his pawns, he is steadily making progress on his own n. And whatever his n is, it is most definitely not in our favor.¡±


    It certainly was concerning.


    In his own mysterious way, Skull Mask was clearly progressing some n that he kept to himself. It was highly likely that, if he continued uninhibited, he would end up destroying their own n in the process.


    It was true that it was perturbing. Despite the unsettling feeling, Crow Mask could only sigh. ¡°Whatever his goal is, we have no choice but to follow him.¡±


    Crow Mask¡¯s choice wasn¡¯t out of anything vain like loyalty.


    ¡°Making use of the resources he provides far outweighs any risk he poses.¡±


    ¡°Willing to take any risk for the goal, huh? I like that attitude.¡±


    Pierrot Mask looked back at him.


    ¡°But it still feels really dangerous to me.¡±


    *Thud*


    There was a dull sound of something heavy crashing.

 Chapter 193. The Beginning of a Plan (2)

    <h4>Chapter 193. The Beginning of a n (2)</h4>


    *Swoosh*


    The sound of a sword piercing through the air left a piercing howl lingering in the area. Powerful aura imbued into the de increased the sharpness of each attack many-fold.


    Pram repeatedly thrust his sword every few seconds, squeezing every bit of his muscle into each strike. His de couldn¡¯t be any deadlier.


    From a stranger¡¯s point of view, it might have looked like a normal training session, but a keen eye, well versed in the de, would be able to see a stark difference.


    *Fwoosh*


    The moment the de reached the end of its strike, the aura hiding within it suddenly burst and coiled around the sword!


    The azure glow emanating a sharp, intense aura glittered in the air.


    And by the time the sword was sheathed again, the glow had already vanished without a trace. A thrust that had minimized aura consumption and maximized its strength meant that Pram¡¯s ability to control aura had maturedpletely.


    While learning swordsmanship from Hersaint-nc, he learned theories, skills, and greatly improved his ability in adapting to unfamiliar situations. He had reached the apex of Rook ss; ready to ascend to the next level.


    However, after teaching Pram for half a year or so, Hersaint-nc told him that he had nothing left to teach him


    But this didn¡¯t mean he was perfect as a swordsman.


    Pram clearly remembered the talk he had with Hersaint-nc.


    * * *


    ¡°This is all I can teach you.¡±


    ¡°B-But, I¡¯ve yet to reach Bishop ss!¡±


    ¡°Bishop ss is not something that can be taught. It¡¯s a path you need to figure out on your own.¡±


    * * *


    Bishop ss.


    The threshold that differentiated those with talent from those who didn¡¯t. A wall that couldn¡¯t be ovee through hard work alone.


    A state beyond just imbuing one¡¯s weapon with aura, but being able to release it too.


    Those who reached such a level could cut steel with a leaf and sh an enemy from meters away.


    Such phenomenal power was not something one could reach by simply having excellent physique and skills, and being able to manipte aura with ease.


    ¡°For now, this is all I can do.¡±


    Though tired from repeated movement, Pram did not stop.


    Simply thrusting his rapier forward was a technique so simple that Pram¡¯s execution of it could already be considered as almost perfect. It didn¡¯t seem like it could improve any further. But Pram diligently practiced the most simple and impactful skill over and over again.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just stop practicing just because I don¡¯t have a pathid out for me to reach the next level!¡±


    Pram stopped thrusting and looked at the grip of his sword. ¡®May my little bird not lose his way.¡¯


    He had no idea what he needed to do to reach Bishop ss.


    But he didn¡¯t give up. He didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I can do now.¡±


    * * *


    Desir had always been busy, but ever since reaching Fourth-Circle, his daily life became even busier.


    Despite his packed schedule, he still made time to participate in every party training session, which were now rapidly increasing in intensity.


    ¡°Kelt and Radoria are definitely motivated.¡±


    They tried their best to challenge Desir, and Desir gave his all to defeat them every time.


    Even for Desir, fighting against both at the same time was not an easy job. Giving constructive criticisms on their weaknesses and teaching them the application of different spells was also a rather tiresome job.


    But Desir always set aside time to duel them, since Desir could also get some much-needed practice with Fourth-Circle spells.


    ¡°Why is it so difficult to adapt to Fourth-Circle spells?¡±


    Having two lifetimes of experience, Desir had an easy time picking up most things.


    But directly using the Fourth-Circle was apletely unknown realm, even for him. Despite his outstandingputing ability, his manapatibility was an impossible wall that he couldn¡¯t ovee until now. Learning more advanced spells had never been an option before.


    It wasn¡¯t simply the spells bing more powerful; the biggest differencey in the sheer number of spells he could now use.


    Duels with Kelt and Radoria were extraordinarily beneficial towards helping him learn. It only took Desir about two weeks to start to get used to having a Fourth-Circle.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m getting the hang of it, it¡¯s time to change up the techniques.¡± Desir still had his unique ultimate skill.


    His hybrid spellcasting system, derived from the ancient Draconic Tongue, theputational pattern of the Tesseract, and finding the optimal pattern based on the harmony of spells like that fortune teller¡¯s song. His spell system allowed him to vastly increase the power of existing spells.


    Now that he had Fourth-Circle spells under his belt, why wouldn¡¯t he do the same with them? Desir suspected that his empowered Fourth-Circle spells would easily top the Sixth-Circle, and begin to reach into the Seventh-Circle.


    Since Desir could already match Sixth-Circle¡¯s power with Third-Circle spells, it wasn¡¯t impossible.


    ¡°It¡¯s not nearly as simple as the Third-Circle¡­ ¡±


    Building his spell technique to modify Third-Circle spells wasn¡¯t even remotely simple. While assisting Zod at the Magic Tower, Desir had poured arge amount of his limited time and an insane amount of resources into perfecting just one Third-Circle spell. But the effort he put in then seemed minisculepared to modifying Fourth-Circle spells.


    Modifying Fourth-Circle spells was several times more difficult than with Third-Circle ones. Not only were the spells far moreplex, but the spell arrays themselves were also incrediblyrge in the first ce.


    It seemed like perfectly modifying Fourth-Circle spells would need a tremendous amount of time.


    But Desir believed the effort invested would be well worth it. ¡°I could reach Zod¡¯s level.¡±


    Seventh-Circle. A rank only one person in the entire world had been able to reach. Desir couldn¡¯t hide his excitement whenever the possibility of him reaching it crossed his mind. Regardless, Desir couldn¡¯t solely focus on his magic. He was still keeping a pulse on the Outsiders. To be urate, it was on those who lead the shadow organization.


    With no clear leads on what their goal was, all he could do was be vignt while exploring various hypotheses with little to show for his effort.


    Desir, ever wary of them, had enacted a n. His goal? To obtain even the slightest clue to their ns.


    * * *


    Desir had picked out a secluded cafe, nestled deep within the suburbs of Dresden.


    Desir was sitting in the corner of that cafe, waiting for someone. When he finally couldn¡¯t endure the boredom and let out a yawn, a man who was wearing his hat low slid into the seat across from Desir.


    ¡°You seem really tired.¡±


    It was Aylus News¡¯ Vang Zar.


    After scoring the exclusive interview with Desir, Vang received constant praise within the office and was rumored to be the next editor-in-chief.


    Desir adjusted his posture and nonchntly responded. ¡°It¡¯s been busy recently.¡±


    Ever since the medal ceremony, Desir had made it a priority to form a deep rtionship with Aylus News.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re busy, shall we get right to the point then?¡±


    Vang heaved arge clump of documents from his bag and dropped them on the table with an audible thud. Desir quickly began examining it, skimming for anything of use.


    ¡°Our editor-in-chief was amused when you were willing to trade information for more exclusive articles.¡±


    Desir had offered to provide information about himself exclusively to Aylus News in exchange for them providing any information he wanted.


    Aylus News had no idea what Desir wanted the information for, but was grateful for any information they could publish about the Shy Hero.


    ¡°Considering that Aylus News currently has the entire market captivated thanks to Mr. Arman, it would have been fair to request something more¡­ valuable?¡±


    ¡°Depending on the perspective, seemingly worthless information could be more valuable than treasure.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true but¡­ ¡±


    The documents that Desir was scouring over contained thetest articles and rejected pieces for each country¡¯s paper. The information was gathered exclusively by Aylus News and had yet to be published. There were also various photos included too.


    ¡°As expected from the best press in the Empire.¡±


    Ayers Communication was Hebrion Empire¡¯s most famous media house, and every one of its journalists was top ss. Their information gathering ability wouldn¡¯t be behind any other organization or individual.


    Until now, Desir had been restricted to publicly avable information, as well as whatever he could learn through being friends with leading authorities like Zod and Prisci.


    But the variety and quantity of information he had ess to was still limited.


    Nevertheless, the information Desir gained through Aylus News was excellent in terms of both quantity and quality.


    As he skimmed over some of the less important articles, a dark thought that Desir had been suppressing weaseled its way into the forefront of his mind.


    ¡®Too much has changed.¡¯


    There had been a world war between the Outsiders and the Allied Forces.


    History hadpletely diverged. Everything that Desir had known about theing months was bing less and less relevant..


    More and more of his memories failed toe to fruition, and the news began to document events that Desir had never lived.


    Of course, a majority of those changes were positive oues, as a result of the Outsiders¡¯ disappearance.


    Desir calmly read over the articles once more. He thoroughly confirmed every work, taking every detail in andmitting it to memory, whatever could give him a grasp of this unfamiliar world.


    Again and again he checked for any information rted to the Outsiders.


    But no matter how many times Vang brought him unadulterated ess to Aylus News¡¯ best reporters, there was never anything that seemed rted. There was still crime taking ce, but it was clearly different from the Outsiders that Desir knew.


    ¡°Not much today either¡­ ¡±


    Just as Desir was about to give up hope, Vang mentioned something that piqued Desir¡¯s interest.


    ¡°There¡¯s been some interesting happenings in the Divide Kingdom recently.¡±


    ¡°Divide?¡±


    Desir flipped through the documents. The information about Divide Kingdom was on the veryst page.


    ¡°Allegedly, hostility against Hebrion Empire is growing by the day.¡±


    The document contained an organized list of all the rumors currently spreading within Divide about the Hebrion Empire


    ¡°Realistically, the Kingdom of Divide is the current leader of the Western Kingdom Union. If this tension continues¡­ ¡±


    ¡°It could be a serious roadblock to making peace.¡± Desir felt a throbbing in his head.


    ¡°They were already the biggest issue¡­ ¡±


    Throughout their long history, it was the Divide Kingdom who had waged the most wars against the Hebrion Empire, and the rtionship between the two was as twisted as could be. Just when Desir thought Hebrion Empire and Western Kingdoms had be somewhat closer, rising tension between the two troubled him.


    ¡°Though concerning, it shouldn¡¯t be a big problem right this moment.¡± It was definitive that the public was still supportive of a peace talk.


    ¡°Aylus News is tracking this as well, I¡¯ll continue to monitor the situation as per our agreement.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks in advance.¡±


    Vang left after a light nod as farewell.


    Desir put down the documents and immersed himself in thought as he stayed alone in the cafe.


    He tried to think of a solution for some time but nothing immediately came to mind. His head started aching.


    ¡°Let¡¯s put this off for now.¡±


    Just as Desir left his seat, something written in the corner of the documents about Divide caught his eye.


    Desir narrowed his eye and closely read the segment. ¡°Aaron was evicted from the capitol?¡±


    Desir was well aware of Aaron¡¯s existence.


    Rather, it would be impossible for him to not know Aaron. Though not a part of the final six, he was a great hero who had yed a key role within the core of the Shadow Labyrinth expedition.


    His power would match that of Raphaello. ¡°Why would he be evicted?¡±


    Even though history was changing dramatically, this was something that was out of the realm of usibility.


    Aaron had sworn absolute loyalty to the royal family. Someone as loyal and capable as him to be evicted?


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Something is wrong.¡±


    Desir felt perturbed by the growing list of unresolved mysteries.

 Chapter 194. The Beginning of a Plan (3)

    <h4>Chapter 194. The Beginning of a n (3)</h4>


    It was evening. Street lights turned on and smoke was billowing out of the chimneys. Dusk was falling and it was the time people would gradually head back home.


    Desir was also hurrying his steps back to the academy dormitory. He wasn¡¯t alone, however, someone was casually following him.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a stalker. For a stalker, the person was far too confident, brazen even, This individual clearly wanted their presence to be noticed.


    The person who was walking behind Desir had a smaller build than him. Their face couldn¡¯t be seen due to their hood.


    ¡®How did I not notice them sooner?¡¯


    Desir was always on alert, monitoring his surroundings for anything suspicious. Though such a habit would make anyone else seem paranoid, Desir¡¯s alertness was a result of necessity; anyone forced to live in the Shadow Labyrinth for ten years would be the same.


    Even still, Desir had been caught with his pants down. Somehow, some way, someone was walking right next to him and he didn¡¯t notice.


    Furthermore, they were exuding an overwhelmingly potent aura. His instincts told him that this person was strong, even stronger than Hersaint-nc.


    Nervous to his core, Desir held hisposure and maintained his pace.


    ¡°Privately meeting a journalist in a rural area like this, aren¡¯t you acting a bit too suspicious for someone praised as a hero?¡±


    *Thump*


    Desir stopped walking, not because the voice was that of a female, nor because his meeting with Aylus News was exposed.


    He had recognised the voice. He had definitely heard it a lot in the Shadow Labyrinth, but he couldn¡¯t quite ce it¡­


    ¡®The stature of a smaller female, Southern ent, someone from the Empire, and this intense aura¡­ ¡­ ¡¯


    ¡°No need to worry. I¡¯m not interested in others¡¯ private lives.¡± As if to dance, she did a full spin and blocked Desir¡¯s path.


    The hood uncovered and her face was shown. She was good looking and had distinct facial features.


    Desir got undeniable confirmation that his guess was correct. But he couldn¡¯t show that, not in front of her.


    ¡°Is there anything I can help you with? You seem to know a lot about me, but I can¡¯t say the same about you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough.¡±


    She didn¡¯t reveal who she was, but Desir already knew about her in detail. He recalled her identity as he kept his smirk to himself.


    ¡®Swan Katerina, Queen ss Archer.¡¯


    Swan was criticized for her rash behaviors, but she was amazing in the sense that she could cover up all of her shorings with her level of skill.


    ¡®And one of the Royal Guards.¡¯


    The direct bodyguards for the Hebrion Emperor, the Royal Guards.


    Despite only having four members, they were regarded as the most elite force within the Hebrion Empire.


    ¡®Why would a Royal Guard look for me?¡¯


    As though she could read Desir¡¯s mind, the answer was quickly given.


    ¡°Hm¡­ ¡­ I thought you¡¯d be a potato since you were hiding your face and all. I guess I was wrong?¡±


    ¡°I doubt you came just to see my face, so what¡¯s the deal here?¡± Swan shrugged.


    ¡°Too bad. I dide all the way just to see your face.¡± Desir was lost for words.


    It probably wasn¡¯t a lie. She had a fairly impulsive personality.


    Thanks to her personality, the captain of the Royal Guards often struggled to clean up after her. She was probably here to merely satisfy her curiosity.


    ¡°We¡¯ll meet again soon.¡± *Whoosh*


    Swan backed off with a smile, and soon blended in with the darkness of the night street.


    * * *


    Romantica was slouching on the couch in the party office.


    And it wasn¡¯t just to escape the suffocating heat, albeit that was a good reason.


    Romantica had long grown bored of the book she was reading, and had been swinging it around her fingers. Desperate for a distraction, she voiced her thoughts, breaking the silence. ¡°The weather is already exhausting enough. The test is just adding fuel to the fire.¡± Realizing she wasn¡¯t going to get the break she craved, she turned back towards her studies and began casting a spell. Suddenly, a stream of wind blew into the office.


    The stream of wind maintained its strength without affecting the documents Desir was studying, nor the book Romantica was reading.


    Achieving an impressive level of control and maintaining the strength of the spell wasn¡¯t an easy task, but Romantica managed it all while resuming her book.


    The sight brought a smile to his lips. ¡®She really has improved.¡¯


    Desir yawned as he skimmed the interior of the party office. There were only two of them in the office. The academy¡¯s Promotion Battle had been postponed as a result of the war, but now that normal life had resumed everyone was out training in preparation.


    Since the academy had been forced to close, the Promotion Battle was serving not only as their midterm exam, but also their final.


    It was already a crucial exam to begin with, but the circumstances made the exam exceptionally important.


    Desir¡¯s mind drifted to the rest of the Starling Party¡¯s members.


    Despite all the pressure, the party members managed to maintain their confidence¡­


    It wasn¡¯t overconfidence either; they had all undergone significant growth as a result of Desir¡¯s training regimine. They were able to firmly hold their ground against both the Blue Moon Party and the Red Dragon Party.


    After surviving Desir¡¯s spartan training, there was nothing left in the world capable of scaring them.


    Romantica suddenly let out a sigh.


    ¡°Hah, I wish I could go back to when I was a first year.¡±


    Herint was reasonable. Unlike the first years, second and third years didn¡¯t have all their exams reced by the Promotion Battle and had to take multiple written exams at the same time.


    In the end, there was no way, other than diligently studying, to avoid failing. No exceptions, even for Single Rankers.


    Nevertheless, the reason why Romantica was stuck studying in the party office was because the others had been diligently practicing all along and thus didn¡¯t need any additional cramming.


    ¡°So, Pram¡¯s practically living in the training area trying to reach Bishop ss, and Adjest is working on controlling the Center of Ice, huh?¡±


    Desir put his pen down and yawned. ¡°I guess that¡¯s it for today¡¯s work.¡±


    Desir copsed right into the couch that was opposite from the one Romantica was sitting on. A cool breeze gently greeted his face.


    Romantica broke the silence while maintaining focus on the book. ¡°Wanna go shopping together, if you got time?¡±


    Desir gave it some thought and epted her offer.


    ¡°Sure, why not. I have some equipment I¡¯ve been meaning to pick up.¡±


    Just as Desir got up from the seat, hismunication bracelet began to buzz. It was Professor Hersaint-nc calling.


    [-Desir, are you busy right now?]


    As Desir gave Romantica a nce, she let out a disappointed sigh and shrugged. ¡°No, I just got some free time.¡±


    [-Great. I have something urgent to tell you, so pleasee to my office.]


    *Beep*


    The call was over.


    ¡°Sorry. Let¡¯s go shopping sometimeter.¡± Romantica shrugged.


    ¡°Oh well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    She acted as if she was fine, but her disappointment was apparent. ¡°We¡¯ll definitely go next time.¡±


    ¡°When? A year from now?¡±


    Desir smiled at Romantica¡¯s teasing¡­ ¡°This week.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a promise, right?¡±


    Leaving a delighted Romantica behind, Desir headed to Professor Hersaint-nc¡¯s office.


    * * *


    ¡°You will meet the Emperor.¡±


    It was a rather matter-of-fact statement from Hersaint-nc, given that Desir had barely stepped through the door.


    Hersaint-nc was a close advisor to the Emperor, even though one may not expect it. They had kept this rtionship on the down-low while in public.


    Ever since Desir had begun working for the Emperor, he had taken up the role of liaison between the two¡­


    ¡°Unlike the private meetingst time during the masquerade ball, this time it¡¯s an official summons.¡±


    Until now, conversation between the Emperor and Desir had been a national secret. It was crucial to the Emperor that their rtionship be kept secret from the nobles who still pushed for the divide betweenmoner and noble.


    But the circumstances had changed.


    It was true that until now, it was better to keep Desir hidden. But thanks to Desir making an international name for himself, the Emperor had decided it would be best if they revealed that the Empire was working with Desir.


    Desir, upon hearing this, quickly came to this conclusion. ¡°So he wants to take advantage of my reputation.¡±


    For anyone else, that could¡¯ve been considered offensive, but Hersaint-nc had long learned to simply ept it.


    ¡°Probably, yes, since you¡¯re an important figure in the country now.¡± Desir got lost in his thoughts.


    ¡®At this rate, the public will believe I¡¯m on the Emperor¡¯s side.¡¯


    If that happened, Desir would lose all sway with any nobles who held disdain for the Emperor. But that was a sacrifice Desir was more than willing to make. Most of those nobles were also the ones who despisedmoners, and many of them would consider Desir to be a threat. Chalking up changing their minds to be a lost cause, Desir had no reason to reject the Emperor¡¯s offer.


    Desir bowed and said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get ready as quickly as I can.¡± But a question came to his mind.


    If the Emperor wanted to publicly establish their rtionship, why would he choose a private meeting? If that was his goal, why wouldn¡¯t he host a public event?


    Suddenly, yesterday¡¯s event came to Desir¡¯s mind. ¡®Swan Katerina¡­¡¯


    The Royal Guard was an organization that belonged to the royal family, not the Empire. They were the Emperor¡¯s sword that swung for him alone.


    Desir had a suspicion that his encounter with Swan might be rted to this private meeting with the Emperor.

 Chapter 195. The Beginning of a Plan (4)

    <h4>Chapter 195. The Beginning of a n (4)</h4>


    Desir arrived at Leonhardt Pce in a carriage with Hersaint-nc. He got out of the carriage where he spent a few seconds taking in his surroundings before following his escort. Leonhardt Pce wasn¡¯t as luxurious as Edark¡¯s Pce, where the masquerade ball had been held, but it elicited a sense of nobleness that was hard to describe.


    ¡°So this is the royal pce¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    The country that upied the mostnd in the world, the Hebrion Empire, and its pce made for the exclusive use of the Emperor.


    Despite theck of extravagant decoration, Leonhardt Pce overwhelmed anyone that stepped within its bounds, due to its sheer existence.


    *Thump*


    Desir and Hersaint-nc stopped in front of an enormous door.


    One of the knights guarding the door challenged them.


    ¡°Are you Desir Arman?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. I¡¯m here to answer the summons of His Majesty.¡± The knight nodded and opened the door.


    ¡°Only Mr. Desir Arman is allowed past here. Mr. Hersaint-nc Tistachia is to stay here and wait.¡±


    Desir nced at Hersaint-nc and walked through the door. After walking along the hallway for a while, he was faced with yet another door.


    The knight guarding that ce requested Desir to leave any weapons he may possess in his care. He pointed at a red line on the floor and warned Desir.


    ¡°Walking past this line while possessing a weapon will be considered treason. Not even magic can guarantee your survival at that point.¡±


    Desir had to go through an inspection process before getting past this checkpoint. He handed something to the guard and mentally prepared himself for the meeting. The moment he walked past, he understood what the guard meant by magic being useless.


    The atmospheric mana wasn¡¯t flowing, almost as if it had been hardened into a substance simr to a rock. Not being able to concentrate mana meant that casting magic was impossible through normal means.


    ¡°An artifact¡­ ¡±


    The power to create this kind of abnormal phenomenon indubitably belonged to an artifact. It was obvious at this point how heavily guarded the pce was.


    After passing two more doors and reaching the end of the hallway, Desir could finally meet the Emperor of the Hebrion Empire, Guiltian Zedgar F. Rogfs.


    ¡°It is an honor to meet the Emperor and the Guardian of this great empire.¡± Desir conducted himself properly in front of the Emperor.


    ¡°Feel free to make yourselffortable.¡± They sat down facing each other.


    The Emperor offered a cup of tea by waving at the cups on the table. The first to break the silence was Guiltian.


    ¡°Stories about you have reached me from many different sources. I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re focusing on training students from the Hebrion Academy.¡±


    The Emperor added shortly after.


    ¡°Even people from partiespeting with your own.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because everyone has to grow together. I wouldn¡¯t exclude them just because they are fellowpetitors.¡±


    ¡°Quite thoughtful. And I¡¯ve heard you reached the Fourth-Circle while training them? I like your diligence.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for yourpliments, Your Highness.¡±


    It was a simple exchange of banter. Your run of the mill, day-to-day pleasantries. ¡°Every human being has their own worth.¡±


    The atmosphere suddenly tensed when the Emperor brought up the main topic.


    ¡°In all honesty, I considered your worth as limited. An outstanding mage from amoner background. A medium to earn the support of themoners. That was about the extent I considered you as being worthy of.¡±


    It was to be expected.


    The rtionship between the Emperor and Desir was exactly like the Emperor described. A temporary rtionship that was only built on the mutual benefits it provided.


    The Emperor offered his hand to Desir in order to earn the support of themoners, and Desir took up the offer in order to get some privileges out of having a connection with the Emperor.


    That was the extent of it.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve discovered your true worth from this war. And that is why I¡¯ve requested to meet you privately.¡±


    On the carved sandalwood table was a gigantic lion, in a roaring stance. The symbol of the Hebrion Empire.


    ¡°The Royal Guard. You¡¯ve probably heard of them.¡±


    Sitting below the roaring lion were four weapons, supporting its weight and allowing it to stand tall and proud.


    A sword, a bow, a shield, and a staff. The Emperor identified each weapon in order. ¡°From what I know, it is the single most powerful organization in this empire.¡±


    ¡°It must stand at the pinnacle.¡±


    The Emperor continued to extol their virtue.


    ¡°They are the very apex of the millions of warriors that toil to defend this nation. The Royal Guard only has positions for those who have mastered their art.¡±


    Traditionally, the Royal Guard had just four members. He gestured at the sword.


    ¡°The sword, Jean Euremrin. The bow, Swan Katarina. The shield, Raphaelo Cheringer. All of them have achieved such status.¡±


    The judgement was urate.


    They survived till the veryst part of the Shadow Labyrinth. They killed more enemies than anyone else and held the line right to the end. Raphaello Cheringer, who was the current ¡°shield,¡± for example, survived until the end and served as the leader of the expedition group.


    ¡°But there hasn¡¯t been a mage in the Empire that has achieved such mastery of their craft.¡±


    Guiltian pointed at the painting of the staff.


    ¡°As such, this position has been left vacant since the revolution. There hasn¡¯t been a single mage who could reach the Seventh-Circle.¡±


    The only person to have reached the Seventh-Circle was currently living at Altea, well and truly outside of the Empire¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°I¡¯m referring to Zod Exarion.¡±


    The Emperor¡¯s standard for a peak-level magician was Zod Exarion. It was logical that the staff had been left empty as a result.


    An entity that was simply beyond the level of any Sixth-Circle magician, of which there were less than ten of in the entire world.


    Who would darepare themselves with Zod Exarion?


    The Emperor raised his finger.


    The hand that had been pointing at the staff now pointed at Desir. ¡°But you defeated the homunculus, a feat not even Zod could achieve.¡± Desir shook his head.


    ¡°That was because there were many variables involved. It simply doesn¡¯t make sense to assert that I am at a higher level than Zod.¡±


    ¡°But you certainly aren¡¯t at a level below him.¡± Guiltian countered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you defeated a Sixth-Circle mage, who used Blood Magic, in the battle at the port.¡±


    ¡°That was¡­ ¡±


    Dracul Labutte Elkaera, thest practitioner of Blood Magic.


    She would easily be able to overwhelm any other Sixth-Circle magician in terms of sheer power.


    ¡°A mage in the royal family told me that there might be mages who are ahead in terms of circles, but there is not a single one who could stand their ground against you. If there were a single mage who could, it would be Zod Exarion.¡±


    This meant that Desir met the Emperor¡¯s standard.


    ¡°Does that mean Your Highness is offering me the position of a Royal Guard?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    There was no other exnation to what Guiltian had said. What did it mean to be a Royal Guard?


    It wasn¡¯t just a simple militant organization. It was an honorable position that had a long and distinguished history of serving right beside the Emperor. And the Emperor wanted amoner to take up such an honorable role.


    ¡°Desir Arman. I have a few missions of great importance that I would like you to take on in my name. And to do that, I need you to be one of the Royal Guards.¡±


    Looking at Desir¡¯s hesitation, Guiltiannded the critical blow. ¡°There are three main privileges of being a Royal Guard.¡± Privileges as a Royal Guard!


    Desir had heard a few pieces here and there about the splendid privileges thate with the title of Royal Guard. But since he hadn¡¯t heard much formally about it, he mindfully listened to what Guiltian would confirm for him.


    ¡°Firstly is the privilege of using artifacts held by the Royal Family. You are allowed to borrow any artifact that you need. If there¡¯s something you want in particr, I will grant it.¡±


    It was an astonishing offer.


    The Hebrion Empire, which took great pride in its long history, owned more powerful artifacts than any other country.


    But there were still two privileges remaining.


    ¡°Secondly, you will be considered as my representative in this country. You will receive treatmentparable to that of a Duke. This privilege will be applicable in any country that has diplomatic rtions with the Empire. Of course, you will not need a golden emblem either, since your very being will be proof enough of identity.¡± It meant authority and power in the Empire.


    ¡°Thirdly, I will grant you anything you desire. If you want money, I will grant you the equivalent to the yearly budget of an entire city. If you wantnd, grab a map and point.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Desir let out a sound of deep consideration.


    It really was an incredibly persuasive offer. It meant being granted authority and power that amoner would not even dare to imagine.


    He could immediately think of dozens of ways to take advantage of these privileges. ¡®But it means being officially under the Emperor.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t on the same scale of the simple cooperative rtionship they had maintained thus far. This was an official title granted by the Emperor. It meant being officially recognized as a faithful servant of the Emperor.


    ¡®The fact that I have to take on missions is a bit concerning, but the privileges are overwhelmingly persuasive.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t just that.


    ¡®Finally¡­ ¡­ an opportunity to meet the only one I haven¡¯t so far¡­ Raphaello Cheringer.¡¯ Desir made up his mind.


    ¡°Even though I¡¯m stillcking in many aspects, I will put my best effort into serving Your Highness.¡±


    The Emperor smiled gracefully. ¡°Good. So you epted the offer.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m a Royal Guard now? I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s not that straightforward.¡±


    ¡°Considering the importance of the position, there are a few official procedures left for the appointment of the Royal Guard. For instance, more than half of the Royal Guard members need to agree to the appointment.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    It meant that the news of Desir being recruited was already known to the Royal Guards. It made sense that Swan Katarina paid him a visit. She wanted to see the face of a potential new member.


    ¡°With all the extraneous and boring steps out of the way, there is one ceremonial procedure left.¡±


    Ceremonial?


    Desir felt some difort from that word for some reason. ¡°If it¡¯s merely ceremonial¡­ could we not omit it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an old tradition. It would be difficult to simply omit it.¡± The Emperor said.


    ¡°All new members of the Royal Guard, after gaining the Emperor¡¯s approval, must be again approved by the leader of the Royal Guard directly. Desir Arman. You will have to face the captain of the Royal Guard, Raphaello Cheringer, in battle.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Please get ready for the battle. He¡¯s probably already waiting.¡± Raphaello Cheringer.


    The man praised as the Sword Grand Master of the current age, and Desir¡¯s partner in the past. Desir nned to approach him gradually after joining the Royal Guard.


    But now Desir got to meet him right away. In the form of battle, at that.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think I would get to meet him this quick.¡±

 Chapter 196. The Beginning of a Plan (5)

    <h4>Chapter 196. The Beginning of a n (5)</h4>


    ¡°Nice to meet you. Remember how I said we¡¯d meet again soon?¡±


    Hersaint-nc was nowhere to be seen when Desir came out after the meeting, and instead there was someone who Desir had met yesterday waiting for him.


    It was Swan Katarina.


    She casually offered a handshake.


    ¡°My name is Swan Katarina. I¡¯m the archer of the Royal Guard.¡± Desir replied as he reached out to her hand.


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m Desir Arman who will serve as the mage.¡± To his reply, Swan looked at Desir with surprise.


    ¡°I like your confidence. I¡¯ll directly guide you to the drill hall where the battle will be held so follow me.¡±


    They walked the Pce¡¯s hallway side by side.


    ¡°You know, sometimes I just don¡¯t understand what His Majesty is thinking. Not even in my dreams could I imagine him recruiting amoner student as the Royal Guard.¡±


    Swan turned back.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t take that the wrong way. It¡¯s not that I have any doubt in your capability. It¡¯s because a student joining the Royal Guard has never happened before.¡±


    Desir understood what she meant.


    The title of Royal Guard was just as heavy and significant as the privileges it offered. The fact that a young student, amoner at that, was joining the Royal Guard, was something that could cause a lot of conflicts.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why there was also some internal debate within the Royal Guard about whether to ept you. We agreed since Your Majesty was so stubborn about it, but Raphaello¡­ ¡­


    still has his own opinion about it.¡±


    Passing back through the security gate, the guard returned an object to Desir. He quickly inspected it, and slipped it back into his pocket, where it fit snugly.


    ¡°He must want topletely verify me. He¡¯s a really thorough person after all.¡± Swan looked at Desir with a pair of sharp eyes and asked.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ do you know Raphaello personally?¡± Desir yed dumb.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t anyone who doesn¡¯t know about the Sword Grand Master Raphaello after all. He¡¯s also well-known in the media too.¡±


    ¡°Good point. That guy¡¯s definitely just as famous as you are.¡± Swan continued on.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t think it¡¯s just a superficial match held for that kind of reason. If you fail to get his approval, it¡¯s better to think that even if His Highness wills it, joining the group would be impossible.¡±


    Shortly after, they arrived at a gigantic drill hall.


    Desir got a rough sense of the scale of privilege the Royal Guard had from the fact that they were able to use a ce thisrge inside the royal pce.


    ¡°This is the ce where the captain and you will have a match.¡±


    Desir could feel arge surge of mana surrounding the drill hall. It was an incredibly powerful defensive spell.


    ¡®There¡¯s an Aurora system set up here.¡¯


    Desir had heard from Zod that the Hebrion Empire was also implementing an Aurora System, but he didn¡¯t imagine it would be set up in a ce like this.


    The Aurora system was a defensive device designed to protect against spells above the Sixth-Circle.


    Furthermore, when it was used in a fixed instation like this, it demonstrated even superior defensive abilitypared to the portable version.


    Just when he thought that implementing such a defensive system in a mere training hall was overdoing it, Desir discovered many scars of battle left on it.


    ¡°Seems like you Royal Guards train really intensely¡­ ¡­ ¡± Swan shrugged.


    ¡°Cause everyone¡¯s so capable, they¡¯re reallypetitive about it.¡± *Thump*


    *Thump*


    Following the footsteps of someone arriving at the drill hall, a voice could be heard. ¡°You got here first, Swan.¡±


    Desir turned around.


    A man with golden hair as bright as the sun entered the drill hall.


    The man¡¯s jade eyes met with Desir¡¯s.


    Raphaello Cheringer.


    The current Sword Grand Master, and captain of the Royal Guard.


    He looked so much younger than Desir remembered. His hairstyle was different and his face was clean and scarless.


    The memories he shared with him briefly shed by as Desir stood there staring nkly. ¡°And you are Desir Arman?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Raphaello Cheringer.¡±


    But those memories now only belonged to Desir. They were created in a timeline that never urred here. No matter what happened now, those memories would never manifest, not with how much Desir¡¯s actions had changed the world. That thought made Desir a bit sad.


    Casually, just like he had done to everyone he met up to now, he greeted Raphaello, pretending as if they had never met before.


    Raphaello smiled and shook the hand Desir offered. ¡°Same here. It¡¯s an honor to meet the Shy Hero.¡±


    Desir thought that despite the difference in his appearance, his humorous personality stayed the same.


    ¡°I assume you¡¯ve heard from His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that I need your approval in order to join the Royal Guard.¡± ¡°So, do you have the confidence to gain my approval?¡±


    Desir shook his head.


    ¡°Truthfully, no. If we were to fight here, it would end in my defeat.¡±


    Even among those who reached King ss and stood firmly outside the realm of mankind, Raphaello was praised as the Sword Grand Master for his supernatural mastery over the de. In a drill hall without anywhere to conceal himself, it was apparent that Desir would be shed without a chance to even cast his magic.


    It was reasonable, but Raphaello pointed something out.


    ¡°If we fought ¡®here¡¯? Meaning you could win if we fought some other ce?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    As Desir stayed silent, Raphaello smiled as if amused.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. I wouldn¡¯t be so unfair to demand one-on-onebat with you. Let¡¯s take it easy, shall we?¡±


    Raphaello picked up one of the steel bars piled up in a corner of the drill hall, and nted it deep within the center of the room.


    ¡°Try to break this bar, and I will protect it. If the bar breaks in under ten minutes, it¡¯s your victory. How about it, simple enough?¡±


    Raphaello served as the shield of the Royal Guard. It meant that he was approved by the Emperor as the single best person in the entire Empire at defending.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth trying.¡±


    While protecting the steel bar, Raphaello¡¯s movement would be significantly restrained. He would be able to perform his role as the shield but would struggle to go on the offense.


    Desir nodded before speaking again. ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s get started then.¡±


    Raphaello took out his sword and shield as he positioned himself in front of the metal stick. Desir stood slightly away from him.


    As the atmosphere of battle set in, Swan tapped on Desir¡¯s back and whispered in his ear.


    ¡°Do your best to serve him right. I¡¯ll treat you good if you manage to wrinkle that smug face of his.¡±


    ¡®So they¡¯re in a rivalry.¡¯


    As Swan walked out of the drill hall, Raphaello spoke as he stretched.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to use whatever means you have hidden up your sleeve. After all, being a Royal


    Guard means doing anything for the Emperor, no matter the cost.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t hold back.¡±


    Desir reached into his pocket and once more fished out an object.


    Runel.


    An A-Tier artifact made out of the strongest metal, nk?um.


    Desir¡¯s shield and weapon that detected any danger to himself and moved without his conscious guidance.


    The silver sphere hovered around him.


    Spontaneously, Desir began calcting a spell. It unfolded immediately in front of him. [Giga Lightning]


    Desir hadpletely adapted to his new Fourth-Circle, in no small part due to the training with Radoria and Kelt.


    Static electricity arced everywhere and lightning bore down inside the drill hall. *Pzzzzzt*


    As one of the higher tier spells amongst the Fourth Circle, Giga Lightning had the power to easily melt steel.


    But Raphaello didn¡¯t seem to dodge the attack. By simply raising his shield while firmly nting his feet, he easily defended against Desir¡¯s spell.


    ¡®That wasn¡¯t even close, huh?¡¯ Desir¡¯s calction continued.


    Combinations of various types of elemental magic rained down on the steel bar.


    But no magic could pierce through Raphaello¡¯s shield;his defense couldn¡¯t be any sturdier. Every attack was nullified by a simple repositioning of his shield.


    Just when Desir was about to continue casting his magic. *aang*


    A sharp noise spread throughout the drill hall. It was the sound of a shockwave from Runel and Raphaello¡¯s aura colliding.


    Solely focused on defense until now, he switched gear and started making his own moves. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be fair if I just stood here taking hits, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Raphaello¡¯s attack continued.


    His sword emanated a powerful aura that continually battered Desir.


    It was the only attack he could use while restrained, but it had the power to break the limit of what Runel could handle.


    [Binder of Earth]


    A spell that had the best defensive ability amongst the Fourth-Circle spells. The ground twisted and formed a wall around Desir.


    But the wall couldn¡¯t block the attack at all and was instantly cut open. *Swish*


    *ng* *C-C-ng*


    A Fourth-Circle defensive spell could only reduce the power of the sword aura Raphaello was wielding. Runel was barely able to block such an attack, despite having its power significantly reduced.


    Once Raphaello switched to offense, Desir was unable to cast any offensive spells. Raphaello spoke with an immensely disappointed voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? A whole three minutes spent on defending?¡±


    At this pace, Raphaello¡¯splete stomp was guaranteed.


    Just when Raphaello became confident of his victory and lowered his guard slightly, something entered his vision.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡±


    There was a silhouette of something forming on the other side, only visible due to the cracks in the wall.


    ¡°A magic¡­ ¡­ spell?¡±


    It was different from any spells Desir had cast thus far. It had an iparably sophisticated form and was both elegant and beautiful.


    As he spaced out looking at the magic unfolding before his eyes, the spell was about halfwaypleted.


    Raphaello¡¯s face stiffened.


    ¡°It¡¯s still too early to be disappointed, Mr. Raphaello.¡± ¡®This one¡¯s dangerous.¡¯


    Having determined that, Raphaello concentrated all of his aura in covering his whole body to prepare for the impact.


    No, that wasn¡¯t nearly enough. He raised his shield. All his aura flooded towards the shield, forming a turbulent sphere around it. Soon after, the aurapressed and took form in the shape of three runes.


    *Chiiing*


    It was a unique defensive skill possessed by just the current Sword Grand Master, Raphaello Cheringer.


    He, who hadn¡¯t put in his best effort until now, finally began to use his full power to seriously focus on defense. [Fire Storm]


    An intense wave of me churned around Raphaello, and unbearable heat radiated throughout the drill hall, threatening to spill into the rest of Leonhardt Pce.


    *Smash*


    After a very long few seconds, the storm died down and Raphaello appeared amongst a cloud of dust.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    The metal stick was still in good shape, but there was noposure left on Raphaello¡¯s face. On the contrary, Desir seemed to be rxed.


    ¡°This is just the beginning.¡±

 Chapter 197. The Beginning of a Plan (6)

    <h4>Chapter 197. The Beginning of a n (6)</h4>


    [Thunder Spear]


    His vision went white. At the same time, five spears materialized and fired at Raphaello. There were no differences in the mana consumption or invoking speed in the magic that Desir had modified the calctions of, but their power was unrivalled.


    Raphaello hid himself and the steel rod behind his shield as he began to concentrate his aura. A wheel of aura formed on the front of his shield and started to spin.


    *Whirrrrr!*


    Two additional wheels appeared and interlocked with the original. The three spinning in conjunction with one another was enough topletely disperse the raging wind.


    Desir¡¯s magic did no damage to Raphaello, but of course, he didn¡¯t stop at just that.


    Not even pausing to catch his breath, Raphaello began to brace with his shield. At the same time, Desir finished calcting yet another spell.


    Attacks with the force of Sixth-Circle magic relentlessly poured down on Raphaello. *Bang*


    *BANG!*


    Desir¡¯s attacks were increasing in power and intensity; he clearly hadn¡¯t been giving it his all. ¡°N-No way. How can he invoke such powerful magic over and over? So quickly too!¡± Swan¡¯s screams of despair from watching the two battle was a perfect copy of Raphaello¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡®I can now understand why His Majesty rmended him.¡¯


    Desir¡¯s attacks felt like they had the power of a Sixth-Circle spell, something thatpletely defied Raphaello¡¯s immense experience. Even though he was taking his opponent seriously, the fact that Sixth-Circle spells wereing from a Fourth-Circle magician hadpletely caught Raphaello off guard.


    But what had truly surprised him was how quickly Desir was invoking his spells. As far as he knew, Sixth-Circle magic took a considerable amount of time to be invoked. But by the time one spell ended, Desir was already done calcting the next. How was Desir, a Fourth-Circle magician, capable of these two impossible feats?


    ¡®I¡¯ve never met a magician who could invoke magic like this before¡­ ¡¯ Desirpletely shattered Raphaello¡¯s perception of magicians.


    Honestly speaking, Raphaello acknowledged Desir. Out of the countless magicians he had battled, he was by far the most threatening.


    ¡®But now isn''t the time to reminisce over past battles.¡¯ *ang!*


    Contrary to how impressive Desir¡¯s magic was, the steel rod had yet to suffer any damage. Raphaello Cheringer.


    The simplicity of this exercise was the perfect opportunity to exemplify the prowess of one of the Hebrion Emperor¡¯s Royal Guardsmen. He wasn¡¯t recognized as the Empire¡¯s strongest shield for nothing.


    His aura, embodying the shape of wheels, were capable of neutralizing any attack with the dispersive force generated by their rotations.


    Even spells of the Sixth-Circle didn¡¯t pose a substantial threat to Raphaello.


    The fact that a Fourth-Circle magician was using Sixth-Circle magic was impressive, to say the least, but it was something he had already experienced countless times. The only advantage Desir currently has was his calction speed.


    *Craack!*


    Having blocked the rush of magic again, Raphaello spoke in a triumphant voice. ¡°You have five minutes left.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Desir invoked his magic again. [Parie Arund]


    Violent winds surged towards Raphaello, tearing up the inside of the drill hall as it bore down on him.


    Raphaello instantly gathered his aura to prepare for the impact, but the purpose of the magic was not to strike him down. Raphaello was knocked far back, but the rod was left unharmed. [Fire Storm]


    Desir quickly followed up with another spell. Though Raphaello had protected it the first time, the steel rod had been leftpletely exposed, doomed to be swept away by the newly invoked storm of mes.


    ¡°Your strategy isn¡¯t bad.¡±


    A veil of aura stretched out all around Raphaello.


    The amount of aura required to create the veil was much greater than what he had been using so far to cover himself and reinforce his shield.


    The aura once again began topact into a circle shape, but this time it stretched out dozens of meters across the drill hall. The steel rod waspletely protected, and the wheels began to rotate once again.


    *Whirrrr!*


    Just like that, both of Desir¡¯s spells were nullified by the massive rotations of the wheels. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s not quite enough.¡±


    Watching the sight, Desir smiled bitterly.


    ¡®Who knew he¡¯d been able to control his aura this well even back then?¡¯


    Desir had already surpassed the limits of his previous life, alongside having a unique magic system that greatly amplified his power. He was sure he would be able to beat an innocent Raphaello, undefiled by the terror that waited for him within Shadow Labyrinth.


    But Desir¡¯s attacks couldn¡¯t prate Raphaello¡¯s shield.


    His aura wheel was a power worthy of granting the user the title ¡®Strongest Shield in the Empire.¡¯


    ¡®I need an opening, which I won¡¯t be able to get unless I force Raphaello to make another attack. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to scratch that steel rod, let alone break it.¡¯


    Desir changed his strategy.


    An array of formations began forming in front of him again. But theplexity of the magic circles was even more absurd than before.


    Having moved up to the Fourth-Circle, the amount of mana Desir could use at once had increased.


    Having arger pool was a great boon for Desir. Not only could he increase the power of his spells, but it also gave him a much wider variety of options when it came to strategizing.


    He was about to give Raphaello a prime example of what his new mana pool was capable of. ¡®Multi-casting!?¡¯


    Raphaello immediately recognized what Desir was doing.


    Multi-casting itself wasn¡¯t a very impressive skill. Though it had an increased mana drain and required adept magical arrangement, it wasn¡¯t a rare skill by any means.


    But what if the magic being invoked had the power of Sixth-Circle magic? ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Raphaello, who had bounced back from the wind magic, was still quite far away from the steel rod.


    Raphaello hurried to get off from the ground.


    Unfortunately for him, Desir¡¯s first spell was alreadyplete.


    [Binder of Earth]


    Raphaello immediately grew suspicious. Why had Desir invoked defensive magic? *Craack!*


    Therge chunks of stone created by [Parie Arund] began to hover in the air. After a brief moment, they all flew towards a central point at the top of the hall and began forming a sphere.


    Every piece of independent rubble (of which there were many) flew towards the stone sphere, allowing it to quickly grow in size.


    Eventually, it grew big enough to engulf the entire hall in its shadow. [Gravity Control]


    The moment Desir¡¯s second spell unfolded, the ground howled.


    A spell that was normally only strong enough to subdue humans, made the ground below them churn. It was powerful enough to force Raphaello to his knees.


    *CRAAAACK!*


    Desir didn¡¯t miss this opportunity.


    Though the gravity greatly hindered Raphaello¡¯s movements, it also meant that the speed of everything around them increased.


    The massive sphere that was floating in the air started to move. It was as if a meteor was falling.


    As Raphaello watched the sight, the corners of his mouth turned up. ¡°Impressive.¡±


    Raphaello, who had been stuck defending against an onught of attacks ever since his opponent had gotten serious, raised his sword in retaliation.


    A blinding aura began to emanate from his sword before it took the shape of several wheels in front of Raphaello. The wheels flew into a cone of increasing size; the closer to the meteor, therger the wheels grew.


    *Whirrrr!*


    Three massive wheels began to roar throughout the hall as they spun faster than any of the previous wheels.


    That in itself was already impressive, but it didn¡¯t stop there. A momentter, another wheel was added on.


    Four.


    The number of wheels only increased by one, but the aura glowed even more blindingly. Unsatisfied with that, Raphaello summoned yet another wheel.


    Five.


    As the five wheels rotated, they created strong winds capable of hurling anything or anyone that approached them far away¡­


    Raphaello remained firm as he withstood the increased gravity that was weighing down on him.


    That itself took up enormous amounts of aura and energy, but it wasn¡¯t enough to be a problem for him. *Craaack*


    As he raised his arm, the steel on his armor cracked.


    Raphaello thrust his sword at the massive object falling from the sky. Soon, the immovable wall and unstoppable object collided *BAAAANG!*


    Desir¡¯s magic, which had effectively doubled in power thanks to the increased gravity, quickly overwhelmed Raphaello¡¯s aura.


    Raphaello was slowly getting pushed back by the overwhelming mass. ¡®When was thest time I fought against such powerful magic?¡¯


    The initial purpose of the fight had long been erased from Raphaello¡¯s brain.


    All that remained was a desire to beat the powerful opponent in front of his eyes. That primal desire dominated him.


    ¡°Hraaagh!¡±


    Sword Grand Master Raphaello, praised as the strongest swordsman of the current era, summoned all the power he had.


    In an instant, his aura burst out explosively. *Whirrr!*


    The wheels that were on the verge of destruction were restored in an instant. No, they didn¡¯t just get restored; they shone even more blindingly as they elerated in speed.


    And a sixth wheel materialized.


    It was the culmination of all the power that Sword Grand Master Raphaello Cheriger could wield.


    He could only maintain it for a short period of time, but the effects were monstrous. The meteor started to crack little by little.


    Capitalizing on the meteor¡¯s structural weakness, Raphaello clutched his sword and struck the meteor with all his might.


    *CRAAASH!*


    The impact of the aura created a violent explosion,pletely shattering the meteor. Fragments of the meteor were flung across the drill hall.


    ¡®Did I barely block that¡­ ¡­ ?¡¯


    As the weight of gravity on him lifted, the wheels of aura also disappeared. ¡°Haah¡­ ¡­ Haaah¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Raphaello panted heavily.


    He was exhausted but he couldn¡¯t rest yet.


    There was still one minute left.


    Having poured out all his power, he no longer had the energy to block a spell like that again. It was checkmate.


    ¡®If that¡¯s the case¡­ I only have one option.¡¯


    He had to get closer and stop the magic from getting invoked at all.


    Faced with no other option, Raphaello shot up from the ground at the speed of light. *Crack*


    Traces of fatigue still remained on Raphaello when he reached Desir. As he raised his sword towards Desir, he noticed the calm expression on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re toote, Raphaello.¡±


    Suddenly being reminded of the battle¡¯s victory conditions, Raphaello hurriedly looked behind him.


    The steel rod was broken.


    In disbelief, Raphaello mumbled. ¡°When did you¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I figured that once you blocked that, you¡¯d be running on fumes, and force me into close-quartersbat.¡±


    Desir continued speaking in a calm voice.


    ¡°At that point, there was no need for me to invoke a high-level spell.¡±


    Raphaello hade up with the best course of action and carried it out instantly. But Desir had predicted Raphaello¡¯s actions before he even had the idea.


    The inevitable gap that urred as Raphaello was moving towards Desir.


    Desir had aimed for that gap and invoked a low-circle spell that could be invoked instantly.


    ¡®I was able to block such absurdly powerful magic, but in the end it was a single lower level spell that beat me.¡¯


    Raphaello chuckled ruefully.

 Chapter 198. The Beginning of a Plan (7)

    <h4>Chapter 198. The Beginning of a n (7)</h4>


    Desir let out a sigh. ¡°Haah¡­¡­¡±


    Desir had modified some magic spells to maintain their normal level of mana consumption while increasing the attack power and range to the highest efficiency, but the resulting spell arrays had beplicated and massive.


    This was why modified magic was a bigger burden than regr magic, and after multicasting such spells, it was no surprise that he was left exhausted as a result.


    As Desir was overwhelmed with exhaustion, an excited woman¡¯s voice reached him. ¡°Seems like the renovation fees will be quite expensive this time!¡±


    At Swan¡¯s words, Desir examined his surroundings. Only then did he notice the terrible state the drill hall was in.


    ¡®Did we go too far?¡¯


    The floor had been utterly shattered and the aftermath from the battle had even broken through the drill hall¡¯s defensive system to the point where it could be felt outside. What remained could no longer be referred to as a drill hall.


    Swan started patting the distressed Desir¡¯s back.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about it. Having to repair the drill hall after it¡¯s been destroyed is amon urrence. Right, Raphaello?¡±


    Raphaello smiled slightly as he nced around the drill hall.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure his Majesty will tolerate this much. I should use this chance to properly revamp it for battles that involve magic.¡±


    In the past, this rendition of the Royal Guard had never included magicians as an element in their nning. After all, until Desir stepped into their drill hall, they only had to focus on mitigating damage from physical attacks and aura. The fact they had changed their tune and acknowledged the need to amodate magicians¡¯ destructive power spoke volumes about the oue of the battle.


    Raphaello reached out.


    ¡°Wee to the Royal Guard, Desir Arman.¡± ¡°Thank you Sir Raphaello.¡±


    As the head of the Royal Guard, Raphaello Cheringer, had acknowledged Desir¡¯s skills, the procedure to join had now beenpleted.


    ¡°Is that it? Why don¡¯t you give a speech or something after beating the Sword Grand Master?¡± Desir shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve won. You were fighting at a clear disadvantage during this battle.¡±


    Maybe if they were fighting under the same conditions he would have felt differently, but the battle was structured so that the attacker had a far greater advantage.


    If it had been a simple battle of knocking the other down, Desir might have been syed across the drill hall¡¯s floor by now.


    That wasn¡¯t all.


    Desir nced at the sword Raphaello was holding. The sword was so cracked that it was a surprise it hadn¡¯t broken yet. A mere iron sword wasn¡¯t enough to hold a Grand Master¡¯s aura.


    ¡®If he had used his usual weapons¡­ ¡¯


    Raphaello normally wielded a weapon that could handle Desir¡¯s full power with no problems. If he had used that today, the result may have been different.


    In truth, Desir already felt rewarded. The results of his hard work hade to fruition; he was able to match Raphaello. ¡®Have I reallye this far?¡¯


    Desir was overwhelmed that he had progressed so much. He was already able to give his all and battle against the greatest swordsman of his era.


    But he didn¡¯t intend to stop here. He still felt that he had more room to grow even stronger. ¡°Someday I hope we canpete on equal terms.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee anytime. If it¡¯s you, I should be able to have some fun.¡± Swan pulled Desir¡¯s arm as she spoke.


    ¡°So, is there anything you want to eat?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°I promised I¡¯d treat you grandly, remember?¡±


    Right before Desir and Raphaello¡¯s battle started, Swan did say something like that. Desir had taken it as a joke, but apparently, she was being serious.


    But he didn¡¯t want to eat anything right now. Desir shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t have anything in particr I want to eat either.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want anything to eat, something else is fine too. Think of it as a reward for showing me a good fight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really oka¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Just as he was about to decline, Desir abruptly cut his words.


    Swan Katarina.


    He frequently forgot due to her light tone and carefree actions, but she was also a talented individual that had reached the King ss.


    Desir determined that it would be a good opportunity to resolve the problems he had been keeping to himself thus far.


    ¡°In that case, I have one request.¡±


    * * *


    After Swan and Desir left, Raphaello remained alone in the drill hall.


    The drill hall that had been devastated by terrifyingly powerful magic.


    Looking at the damage, Raphaello got lost in his thoughts.


    ¡®I managed to stop him this time¡­ ¡­ ¡¯


    At the end, Raphaello had managed to cut down what was likely Desir¡¯s strongest spell. If this had been a battle to the death, Raphaello surely would have been the victor.


    But even so, he felt that he wascking.


    ¡®If he bes even stronger than he is now, will I be able to stop him again?¡¯ Raphaello had participated in the battle without any of his usual weapons. But a question lingered at the front of his mind.


    If he wielded his usual weapons and showcased his full power, if hepeted without any conditions set on him, would he be able to beat a Desir that has had more time to grow? Raphaello shook his head.


    He imagined that in the near future, Desir was sure to surpass him, bringing him to his knees for failing to stop his magic.


    ¡®So far, I¡¯ve thought that there was no reason to get any stronger.¡¯


    Raphaello had been bestowed the title of Sword Grand Master. A title only awarded to the best swordsmen of an era, and he had also been acknowledged by the emperor as the strongest shield in the Empire.


    No one could surpass him one-on-one.


    There was no shield he couldn¡¯t pierce through, and there was no spear that could pierce his. At such a ridiculous level of strength, with no one that could face him equally, his life had be somewhat tedious. Years had rolled past. Today, he finally met someone who had the potential to surpass him.


    And that meeting had brought about a huge amount of change within him. ¡®I must not remain idle.¡¯


    Raphaello clenched his fist.


    He resolved himself to go further than ever and reach what had been impossible.


    * * *


    ¡°Thest man to hold the position of staff amongst the Royal Guard was killed during the revolution.¡±


    Desir¡¯s guide, Alfred, was an elderly man. He belonged to the Side Guard: a group formed to support the Royal Guard.


    ¡°Since then, the position has been vacant. It¡¯s been thirteen years since someone new has appeared. I¡¯m deeply moved that all of the Royal Guard¡¯s positions have been filled.¡±


    The Side Guard supported the Royal Guard¡¯s missions and their overall activities. The repair of the drill hall was also taken care of by the Side Guard¡¯s magicians.


    ¡°Congrattions on joining the Royal Guard, Sir Desir Arman.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Sir Desir, I¡¯ll give you a brief exnation of the Royal Guard.¡± Alfred sat Desir down and started his exnation.


    The history of the Royal Guard.


    The Royal Guard¡¯s course of action.


    It was all basic knowledge.


    Other than the fact that it was a fancy title carrying a great deal of honor, it was safe to say that there were very few restrictions that would be ced on him after joining the Royal Guard. This was because as long as the Royal Guard continued to aplish their missions, they had the right to act however they wanted to.


    But Raphaello was an exception to this. As the shield, his main duty was to escort the Emperor. He had to always remain in the imperial pce.


    ¡°The most important part of your role is to remain loyal to His Majesty. The Royal Guard must obey only the Emperor¡¯s orders and take care of anything hemands. His Majesty is looking forward to your loyalty, Sir Desir.¡±


    From Alfred¡¯s exnation, his strong sense of loyalty to the Emperor could be felt. ¡°Sir Desir, one thing that you must pay special attention to is your conduct.¡± ¡°Because of the nobles.¡±


    ¡°That is correct. Many nobles will pay attention to you, Sir Desir, as the firstmoner to join the Royal Guard. Please keep in mind that even a small action could undermine His Majesty¡¯s dignity.¡±


    It could have sounded offensive, but as Desir was already aware of this fact, he was not affected by Alfred stating what was simply a fact. He nodded his head in response.


    ¡°Alright. Now let me exin the Royal Guard¡¯s privileges. First, I¡¯ll guide you to the imperial warehouse where we store the artifacts. I¡¯ll finish exining on the way.¡±


    Alfred guided Desir to the imperial warehouse. As they walked down the hallway, Alfred listed and exined each and every privilege of the Royal Guards. Desir had already gotten a rough overview from the Emperor, so what he was hearing now was just supplementary information.


    It took them quite some time to reach the imperial warehouse. This was due to the tight security they had to go through on their way.


    The constant stream of security almost seemed too excessive. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, Sir Desir.¡±


    But the moment Desir set foot into the warehouse, his mind changed instantly. The moment anyone saw the vast array of artifacts in this room, they would have no choice but to acknowledge the necessity of such security.

 Chapter 199. The Beginning of a Plan (8)

    <h4>Chapter 199. The Beginning of a n (8)</h4>


    ¡®I¡¯d heard that it was amazing, but I didn¡¯t know it would be this good.¡¯


    With his mouth agape, Desir¡¯s eye darted around the room, hisposure was like that of a child entering a candy shop.


    In front of him was an immeasurable number of artifacts that filled every corner.


    The countless artifacts were a testament to the immense number of Shadow Worlds that the Hebrion Empire had cleared over the centuries of its existence. And they were also testament to their power as a nation.


    Desir approached slowly and began to look around.


    There were many different types of artifacts including weapons, armor, essories and many others that couldn¡¯t be ssified so simply. Each of the artifacts were marked with their name, performance, and grade.


    ¡®They¡¯re all at least B-Tier artifacts¡­ ¡­ ¡¯


    Desir could not see any C-Tier artifacts. The majority were B-Tier, and asionally he would spot an A-Tier artifact as well.


    Desir was not necessarily someone greedy for wealth, but even he couldn¡¯t help being interested after seeing many artifacts that he had only heard about from rumors.


    ¡°His Majesty lends up to three of the imperial family¡¯s artifacts to members of the Royal Guard.¡±


    Desir gulped audibly. He came to understand how much of a boon being in the Royal Guard was.


    ¡°Are there no limits to their usage?¡±


    ¡°Of course. How you use them will be up to you, Sir Desir.¡±


    Desir walked around the warehouse as he started picking out his artifacts.


    Only three artifacts could be taken out.


    With an expression more serious than even his fight against Raphaello, Desir carefully checked each artifact.


    As he was examining them, one caught his attention.


    It was a hairpin with blue petals.


    * * *


    <Blue Rose>


    Grade: A-Tier


    Ability: Allows the use of invisibility magic that removes the user¡¯s presence. Blocks the flow of mana to nullify detection magic.


    * * *


    Desir picked it up with no hesitation after reading its ability. ¡®This would be pretty good for Romantica.¡¯


    Desir nned on giving the artifact to Romantica. If he was free to use the artifacts any way he wanted to, there was no problem in letting his party members use them.


    As Desir was examining another artifact, Alfred helped him choose by giving him supplementary exnations from the side.


    ¡°How about something like this? It was used by the staff of the Royal Guard during the 3rd Greenhalt War. He made great contributions as a result of it.¡±


    Alfred¡¯s exnations were detailed and insightful and helped form Desir¡¯s choices.


    As he was listening to Alfred¡¯s exnations while examining the artifacts, he saw an empty space and stopped in his tracks.


    * * *


    <Memorize> Grade: S-ss


    Ability: Allows the wielder to cast up to five spells in advance that canter be instantly invoked.


    * * *


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ The artifact that Crow Mask used.¡±


    Alfred noticed what Desir was looking at and started speaking.


    ¡°It was an artifact that the previous staff of the Royal Guard used. As he was killed by the leader of the Revolutionary Army, it has since been lost.¡±


    Desir couldn¡¯t help but panic when he heard the story. He knew the man that was currently using the artifact.


    Crow Mask.


    He was one of the people suspected to have been controlling the Outsiders from the shadows. ¡°The revolution ended in failure and the leader died, but you were unable to retrieve it?¡±


    ¡°The Revolutionary Army¡¯s forces that upied the capital were executed, but their remnants fled to ces throughout the continent. We assume that one of them is holding on to it.¡± Desir had already assumed that Crow Mask was one of the Revolutionary Army¡¯s remnants. But this information introduced another possibility.


    ¡®Was Icarus Quirgo, leader of the Revolutionary Army, the real identity of Crow Mask¡­ ¡­ ?¡¯ One of the rare Sixth-Circle magicians on this continent.


    A man willing to kill countless innocents in his attack on Deltaheim, the capital of Prillecha. Crow Mask was too strong to regard as a simple remnant. Someone like that wasn¡¯t verymon in this world after all.


    ¡®There¡¯s no clear evidence. However¡­ ¡­ ¡¯ Desir was certain.


    That he, Crow Mask, was Icarus Quirgo, leader of the Revolutionary Army. Making a mental note in his head, Desir started examining the artifacts again. ¡®For now, let¡¯s focus on this.¡¯


    Attaining high-ranking artifacts wasn¡¯t an easy task. He couldn¡¯t afford to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity by being distracted with other thoughts.


    Desir soon found the perfect artifact amongst the sea of them. An artifact suitable for his own use.


    * * *


    <Mana Hole>


    Grade: A-Tier


    Ability: Concentrates mana to quickly restore the wielder¡¯s mana.


    The ability is more effective therger the user¡¯s mana circle is.


    * * *


    ¡®It¡¯s really the perfect artifact for me.¡¯


    For Desir, whocked mana, the artifact had an extremely useful ability. By reducing the recovery time (as opposed to increasing his mana pool), his stamina during battles would surely increase drastically.


    Desir put the Mana Hole into the dimension pocket in his Clothes Lines. And as he was about to look for the next artifact.


    *Rumble*


    Something caught Desir¡¯s attention.


    It had significantly more security than any other artifact. Surrounding it was a strong defensive spell that ran constantly.


    A ghastly red energy trickled out from the artifact. Even at a nce, he could tell it was dangerous.


    He recognized its form after approaching it. ¡°¡­ ¡­ a spear?¡±


    It was a spear.


    Something flowed out endlessly from the tip of the spear. Like the ghastly energy, it was red. Unlike the other artifacts, there wasn¡¯t a description for it.


    But intuitively, he knew that it was stronger than any other artifact he had seen. ¡°Alfred, what in the world is this?¡±


    ¡°This is the Spear of Longinus. It was used by the first emperor of Hebrion. It is the only thing that can¡¯t be taken out of this warehouse. Not even the Royal Guard is exempt from this rule.¡± ¡°Is there a reason for that?¡±


    ¡°This is a weapon that one man gave to the first emperor of Hebrion. ording to the records, it cut the sea in half with a single blow and cleaved mountains with ease. That being so, the imperial historians say that it was bestowed to Hebrion by the God of War.¡±


    In any case, he meant that taking it out would be impossible due to its close rtionship with the foundation of the Hebrion Empire.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Desir gazed at the Spear of Longinus.


    Even at a nce, it seemed to be swelling up with power as strong as the Center of Ice that Adjest now possessed.


    ¡®Didn¡¯t they also say that it was a foreign man that entrusted them with the Center of Ice?¡¯ A man that had appeared in countless legends.


    He thought it was just an embellishment to the legend that was the Center of Ice, but he didn¡¯t expect a simr appearance of a mysterious man to present itself once again in a ce like this.


    ¡®How strange. In countless nations¡¯ founding myths, there¡¯s always this unknown man that entrusts an artifact into their care. To write it off as mere legends¡­ ¡­ There are a lot of things that seem a little off about it.¡¯


    ¡®But what was the reason behind this?¡¯


    He knew neither the reason nor the motivation behind it. What was clear was that traces of him remained everywhere.


    ¡®It does bother me, but¡­ ¡­ ¡¯


    There was nothing else he could do about it right now, and he didn¡¯t have enough additional information to work with.


    He decided to move on after making mental note of it. ¡°I¡¯ll look for myst artifact.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a wise decision.¡± They stepped back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you some other rmendations. If you look at these shoes here¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    The conversation continued. As Desir got farther and farther away, the spear continued to radiate a ghastly red glow.


    * * *


    Hebrion Academy¡¯s Starling Party office.


    There, Romantica, Adjest, and Pram were gathered.


    Romantica addressed Desir in a huffy tone.


    ¡°So, why did you call us?¡±


    ¡°There are some things I want to give to you.¡± ¡°Are they presents?¡±


    Pram excitedly asked Desir. He looked up at Desir expectantly. ¡°Why presents all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°The truth is, I recently joined the Royal Guard.¡± ¡°Wait, ¡®the¡¯ Royal Guard!?¡±


    Romantica couldn¡¯t hide her shock. But she wasn¡¯t the only one. Pram¡¯s jaw dropped so hard it practically fell off and needed to be surgically reattached.


    The Royal Guard was incredibly famous. It would be no exaggeration to say that a good portion of those with a decent amount of power strived to join their ranks. However, most would eventually give up on the notion after seeing just how far short they fell of deserving such a title.


    Desir gave them a brief exnation of how he became part of the Royal Guard.


    The fact that the Emperor had been watching him during the war, and how that eventually led to him taking over the position of the staff that had been empty until then.


    Listening to his story, the party members were all impressed with the exception of just one person.


    Adjest had a particrly unusual reaction. Her eyes wavered slightly. But Desir was too busy talking to notice such a subtle detail.


    ¡°And as a Royal Guard, I had the privilege of taking some artifacts from the imperial warehouse.¡±


    Desir invoked the dimensional pocket of his Clothes Line.

 Chapter 200. The Beginning of a Plan (9)

    <h4>Chapter 200. The Beginning of a n (9)</h4>


    Rays of light gathered in Desir¡¯s hand before transforming into a petal-shaped hairpin tinged with blue.


    No one could take their eyes off the beautiful blue hue and the elegant design. It was truly a beautiful hairpin.


    ¡°It¡¯s an artifact called the Blue Rose.¡± Desir handed it to Romantica. ¡°Take it, Romantica.¡±


    ¡°Are you giving it to me? R-Really?¡± ¡°Try putting it on.¡±


    No matter how many times she looked at it, it was beautiful. Romantica examined it thoroughly before putting it on.


    ¡°Injecting mana will activate its ability.¡±


    As soon as Desir finished talking, Romantica injected her mana into the hairpin. And soon, her body started disappearing as if she was a drawing that was getting erased.


    A momentter, Romantica emerged behind Desir. She had moved right in front of their eyes, but no one had picked up on her movements.


    ¡°It¡¯s invisibility magic that hides your presence. Not only will your appearance and the sounds you make be hidden, but so will the flow of your mana. This will prevent you from being caught by detection magic. It¡¯ll be very helpful to you as you support from the rear.¡± Romantica absolutely loved both its ability and design.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Thank you so much Desir.¡±


    Romantica tried not to show it, but she couldn¡¯t hide the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.


    Desir, who had been watching her with a warm smile, took out the second artifact.


    As the dimensional pocket activated, a pair of leather boots materialized in front of Desir. They were painted in a stylish checkered pattern.


    ¡°This artifact is a pair of boots, they¡¯re called the Cloud Walkers. They allow you to instantly teleport short distances up to a meter away.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be useful for those in the vanguard.¡±


    Just from Desir¡¯s short exnation, Adjest had figured out who would benefit most from the artifact.


    Short-distance teleportation was useful even to magicians fighting from long distances during critical situations, but it was even more useful to swordsmen who needed to move around quickly.


    ¡°I picked them since they¡¯re a very useful artifact, but I haven¡¯t decided who to give it to yet. They could be helpful for all of you.¡±


    Desir took it out and looked back and forth between Adjest and Pram. ¡°But in Pram¡¯s case, I already have another present for you, so¡­ ¡­ ¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to give it to me for the sake of being fair.¡±


    Adjest spoke.


    ¡°The artifact will be more useful to Pram, as he¡¯s a pure swordsman. If Pram is okay with it, I¡¯m willing to give it to him.¡±


    ¡°Is that really okay with you?¡±


    Adjest nodded slightly at the sword on her belt. ¡°It¡¯s fine since I already have the Center of Ice.¡±


    With Adjest¡¯s generous decision to yield the artifact, Pram became the owner of the Cloud Walkers.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Ms. Adjest. And thank you so much Mr. Desir for the nice gift.¡± Thanking the two, Pram put the boots on immediately.


    Once he put them on, the boots shrunk to fit Pram snugly.


    The Cloud Walkers were an artifact that was activated onmand. *Zooom*


    Pram activated them a couple of times. His body teleported about a meter away each time. Even with continuous usage, there was almost no dy between activations.


    It was a great artifact that was very versatile, but there was one problem.


    Once he had used the Cloud Walkers a few times, Pram figured out their limitations. ¡°¡­ ¡­ They can only be used up to five times in a row.¡±


    After a while, the Cloud Walkers regained their ability. ¡°But I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be useful in battle.¡±


    With that, the second present had been taken care of.


    Desir looked around at his party members before speaking.


    ¡°The two artifacts I gave you and the one that I¡¯ll be using are the three artifacts that I was allocated for joining the Royal Guards.¡±


    ¡°The title of Royal Guards is respected greatly for a reason¡­ ¡­ to give them free ess to three artifacts, none of them being low-tier, is unbelievable.¡±


    At Pram¡¯s exmation, Desir chuckled.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the end of it. She should be on her way by now¡­ ¡­ ¡± ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Pram was starting at Desir in confusion, wondering what else could being, when he got his answer.


    ¡°Nice to meet you all.¡±


    A woman suddenly opened the door and entered the office. She gave a slight wave of her hand, indifferent to the bewilderment of the others.


    As the party members¡¯ gazes turned back to him, Desir¡¯s mouth curled up.


    ¡°Let me introduce her to you. This is Sir Swan Katarina, who holds the position of the bow within the Royal Guards. Sir Swan, these are my party members.¡±


    ¡°Mm, sure. They seem well trained.¡±


    Showing no particr interest, Swan flopped down next to Desir. ¡®No surprise she finds it bothersome.¡¯


    Despite being busy with her personal work, Swan hade to fulfill Desir¡¯s request. ¡°So which one¡¯s Pram Schneider?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the one sitting at the far right.¡± ¡°The far right¡­ ¡­ hmm? Ehh?¡±


    As her gaze moved towards where Desir was pointing to, Swan sprang up from her seat with an unintelligible scream.


    Her indifferent attitude from moments ago was nowhere to be found, and her eyes burned with passion.


    ¡°Desir. When you ask for a favor, you mustn¡¯t leave out the most important information.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Excuse me?¡±


    Swan slowly approached Pram.


    ¡°For real, I thought this would be a hassle, but had I known he was such a cute kid, I would¡¯vee more prepared.¡±


    Pram felt a chill run down his body. He trembled. *Whoosh*


    It happened in a sh. ¡°Can I bite your cheeks?¡±


    Swan, who had approached Pram from behind at some point, spoke in a sweet voice. ¡°Excuse me!?¡±


    ¡°Fufufu. I¡¯m just kidding. You¡¯re so cute even when you¡¯re embarrassed.¡± She almost looked like a cat ying with a mouse.


    As Pram sat there flustered, Romantica approached Desir. ¡°Is that person really a Royal Guard?¡±


    ¡°Well, for now¡­ ¡­ ¡± ¡°What a letdown¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Romantica was visibly disappointed.


    The Royal Guards¡¯ aplishments were well-known, even outside the Empire through the various media tforms. Through that, she had been harboring an idealistic view of them. Her fantasy had been utterly destroyed though.


    ¡°So why is she here?¡±


    ¡°Sir Swan will being here frequently, for the time being, to train Pram.¡± Swan Katarina¡¯s teachings. That was the present Desir had prepared for Pram. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Seemingly having overheard Desir and Romantica¡¯s conversation, the color in Pram¡¯s face drained as he soon looked as white as a sheet.


    * * *


    The next day, at the training hall.


    Pram and Swan were readying themselves and entering into their respective stances. Pram held a wooden sword while Swan circled around, eyeing him up and down.


    ¡°Oh adorable Pram. Nice to meet you again. As you already know, I¡¯ll be teaching you from now on.¡±


    Pram anxiously looked around. Noticing his nervous gaze, Swan smiled.


    ¡°Desir asked me to train you for a week, but I¡¯ve decided to help you until you reach the Bishop ss. Fufu. I look forward to working with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Pram thought she was an extremely scary woman. The sight of her eyeing him like prey was enough to send a chill down his back.


    But her skills were guaranteed.


    Desir had barely managed to arrange this opportunity. Despite every bone in Pram¡¯s body telling him to run and hide, his faith in Desir remained resolute, and he decided to train diligently.


    ¡°So we¡¯re going to go straight into training how to control your aura, but before that, do you have any questions?¡±


    As Pram nodded, Swan gestured at him to start talking.


    ¡°Professor Hersaint-nc who previously taught me said that one can only be a Bishop on their own. So how will you be teaching me?¡±


    Swan, who had been smiling mischievously just moments ago, suddenly turned serious.


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly teaching you to help you be a Bishop. However, there must be some hints you can get from me.¡±


    epting her exnation, Pram nodded.


    ¡°To reach the Bishop ss, you must first learn how to control your aura in your own way. This isn¡¯t a skill that can be taught to you by others, or copied from someone. Should we first start off lightly with some theory?¡±


    Swan put out her hand.


    ¡°There are several basic ways to control aura, and that depends on the individual. One of the mostmon ways to do so is through reinforcement. It not only enhances attack by surrounding the body, but it also protects you. A prime example of this is Donape An from the Northern region.¡±


    Pram had once watched Donape fighting in person.


    Adjest and Donape¡¯s battle.


    Even after Adjest¡¯s attacks, he had emerged unscathed. And whenever he swung his axe, the ground itself even trembled.


    ¡°Another method is through materialization. It¡¯s a way to embody the aura through various objects. As a prime example, we have Sword Grand Master Raphaello Cheringer who summons wheels with his aura.¡±


    Pram had never seen Raphaello in action, but he had seen swordsmen who materialized their aura.


    Sword Grand Master Kei Hazumaryoon.


    The flower of aura that he would summon seemed to still glimmer in his mind¡¯s eye. ¡®Aura flower.¡¯


    A technique that embodied aura in the form of a flower.


    ¡°For now those are the two most basic forms. Other than those two, aura can be used in other forms depending on the individual. In my case, I focus on umting aura.¡± ¡®umte?¡¯


    Unable to understand, Pram tilted his head. ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    Swan picked up a small pebble and tossed it towards the floor. *BANG*


    The pebble struck the floor, creating a tremendous explosion. A massive hole appeared on the training hall¡¯s floor.


    It was an incredible amount of power that couldn¡¯t have possibly been caused by a small pebble.


    ¡®She charged a mere pebble with that much aura?¡¯ Pram couldn¡¯t help but be aghast at Swan¡¯s ability.


    ¡°Well, since there are so many ways to control aura, you have no choice but to look for the one that works for you to reach Bishop ss.¡±


    Swan¡¯s teachings had been a significant help to Pram. Through them, he was able to organize the experiences he had gone through without realizing what was going on around him.


    He felt like he had progressed towards his goal. However, her hint didn¡¯t end with a simple exnation.


    ¡°Now, raise your sword. Afterall, swordsmen train through battles. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡±


    At Pram¡¯s excited answer, Swan smiled and pulled out a dagger.


    ¡°Those who have reached King ss sometimes control their aura in several ways. And I can handle my aura in three ways. Use this battle with me as experience.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    ¡°No reason to be surprised. I¡¯m one of the few King ss individuals in this continent. Isn¡¯t that much a given? Be thankful that you have the chance to battle someone as powerful as me.¡±


    ¡°Th-Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Send your gratitude to Desir for making this opportunity, instead of me.¡± Pram felt truly grateful towards Desir.


    At first, he was a tad reluctant about undertaking this training, but thinking about it, this was a really big opportunity for him.

 Chapter 201. The Beginning of a Plan (10)

    <h4>Chapter 201. The Beginning of a n (10)</h4>


    The Promotion Exam, one of the most notable tests that took ce at the Hebrion Academy, had begun.


    Thepetition was the first test that the first-years would face. It was also a chance for new students to experience a Shadow World for the first time, albeit virtually.


    For the first-years, it was undoubtedly their most important test, so every year, the students would enter this test full of vigor. However, until now, this had only been the case for the Alpha ss.


    This year, due to Desir¡¯s influence, the Beta ss was also filled with enthusiasm. Romantica sighed as she spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried if they¡¯re doing well.¡±


    The Starling Party¡¯s new students had been guided personally by Desir. As a result, they weren¡¯tcking in terms of skill, but as their senior, she couldn¡¯t help but worry nheless. Desir let out a chuckle.


    ¡°They¡¯ll do fine, just like we did.¡±


    ¡°True¡­ ¡­ they did go through such strict training.¡±


    Romantica shrugged proudly. At the same time, a magic spell was arranged in front of her. *Bang*


    Following the gunshot, a scream rang out from afar.


    [-One person has been eliminated. There are twenty-four people remaining. ]


    The second years were also in the middle of a Promotion Exam like the first-grades. The contents of their exam differed though.


    Each party was assigned a fortress without knowing who was assigned to each one.


    To upy the opponent¡¯s fortress, each party required fierce psychological warfare and a high level of skill in strategy.


    But not a single member of the Starling Party showed signs of nervousness. ¡°I hope this ends quickly.¡±


    Having taken care of one person, Romantica stretched exaggeratedly. She was beyond the point of being rxed and closer to being outright bored.


    That wasn¡¯t a surprise since the Starling Party¡¯s opponents were second-year students from the Hebrion Academy. Although the school was popted with the continent¡¯s most promising young talents, they were still no more than diamonds in the rough.


    They were no match for the Starling Party, who had gone through numerous real life or death battles.


    ¡°Ah, more areing.¡±


    As someone was caught in Romantica¡¯s detection spell, Desir stood up. ¡°How many of them?¡±


    ¡°Three.¡±


    *Zooom*


    A spell once again was arranged in front of her.


    Spells were invoked and shot relentlessly, without even giving the opponent a chance to react. *Bang*


    *Bang*


    [-Two people have been eliminated. There are twenty-two people remaining.]


    Left alone in the open after losing all of his colleagues, the remaining intruder turned deathly pale.


    Sniping magic that had been invoked rapidly without leaving a trace behind. There was only one person in the Hebrion Academy who could dish out this kind of magic. ¡°W-Was this the Starling Party¡¯s fortress¡­ ¡­ ?¡±


    The moment he realized that the fortress he had reckless approached belonged to the Starling Party, his eyes filled with despair.


    ¡°Dammit.¡±


    *Bang*


    Another gunshot rang out.


    [-One person has been eliminated. There are twenty-one people remaining.] And they werepletely crushed.


    Anyone who approached the Starling Party¡¯s fortress were forced to their knees, unable to stand before the overwhelming power in front of them.


    There was no one there that could handle Romantica¡¯s rapid-fire, long-distance sniping.


    The Starling Party¡¯s main party members nned to remain at the top of the single rankers this year as well.


    * * *


    In a peaceful corner of the Imperial Pce was an elegant building that seemed somewhat out of ce.


    It was a space reserved for the Royal Guards, who were known as the Empire¡¯s strongest army. Even with a standing force of just four people, their power was not to be underestimated.


    Considering the ce was built to amodate just four people, to call it luxurious might be an understatement.


    In there, Desir and Alfred were talking while basking in the perfectly warm sunlight that shone through the window.


    ¡°Congrattions on your good results during the Promotion Exam, Sir Desir.¡±


    The Promotion Exam, starting with a tournament thatsted several days, had been particrly exciting this year.


    This was due to the fiercepetition between the three parties; the Blue Moon Party and the Red Dragon Party who had always been regarded as the most prestigious, and the Starling Party that had suddenly appearedst year to snatch first ce in the rankings.


    They maintained a close rtionship as they trained together, but that just increased their desire to beat each other.


    ¡°The results just reflect how much work we put in.¡±


    ¡°How humble, Sir Desir. Not only did all of your main party members be single rankers this year, but didn¡¯t five of your first-years also get promoted to the Alpha ss?¡±


    The Starling Party¡¯s achievements were admirable enough for Alfred to be impressed. Amongst the Starling Party¡¯s top thirty rankers after the tournament, five were first-years from the Beta ss. As a result of the exam, all of them were promoted to the Alpha ss.


    It was an event thatpletely overrode the perception that their party was only strong due to the freakish nature of the main party members.


    ¡°People especially couldn¡¯t hide their admiration for that student who led the first-years.¡± The person Alfred referred to was Ronde Fizzlebang.


    Ronde, who had always been excellent, was able to ovee his weaknesses and improve on his strengths under Desir¡¯s guidance. He had be an outstanding magician, far stronger than others at his age.


    He had proven that by ranking first within the first-years with his excellent performance during the Promotion Exam.


    ¡°He¡¯ll soon be joining the main party. Next time we act, he¡¯ll be amongst our ranks.¡±


    With the end of the Promotion Exam, Desir had finished taking care of his urgent matters at the Hebrion Academy.


    Desir drew up several guidelines to allow the party to continue functioning, so that the party would not be affected even if he was not present.


    And he then set off to take care of his next problem.


    He took a sip of his tea before raising the next topic.


    ¡°I¡¯ll end our small talk here and get right to the point. Please take a look at this.¡± Alfred examined the documents Desirid out on the table.


    ¡°This is¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Recently, the atmosphere in the Kingdom of Divide has been quite unusual.¡±


    The documents that Desir presented were various documents provided to him by Vang Zarr. Daily protests and countless rumors that came and went.


    The documents explicitly revealed the sentiment of Divide¡¯s citizens towards the Hebrion Empire.


    ¡°Their hostility towards the Empire is concerning, to say the least.¡± Alfred put down the documents as he spoke.


    ¡°They¡¯ve always been like that Sir Desir. It¡¯s nothing special. They wouldn¡¯t dare to stand up to the Empire anyway.¡±


    Alfred¡¯s opinion was what the majority of Hebrion Empire¡¯s citizens generally thought as well.


    Who would dare to defy the Empire?


    It seemed as though no matter how educated one was, nothing could be done about the deep-rooted ideology that had been taught to them since birth.


    ¡°Just because they¡¯ve been silent until now doesn¡¯t mean that they¡¯ll stay that way in the future.¡±


    Desir had a slightly different perspective. Something impossible happened in the history he knew.


    ¡®Aaron had been exiled.¡¯


    Aaron was a loyal sword that served the King of Divide across multiple generations. Not only that, but he was also skilled enough to be one of the few King ss swordsmen on the continent.


    It was beyondmon sense to exile such a man.


    ¡°If you check the documents, there¡¯ll be a list. It¡¯s a list of Divide¡¯s merchantants that have been in contact with the Empire¡¯s nobles recently.¡±


    It was additional data that had arrived after Vang had identified Divide¡¯s unusual signs of activity.


    ¡°The funny thing is that all of the people here harbor hostility towards the Empire and have been leading protests as well as spreading malicious rumors.¡±


    Hearing that, Alfred seemed to have realized they could no longer just let this go. It was clear that there was something more sinister underfoot.


    ¡°If this is true, then we¡¯ll need to carry out some investigations.¡±


    As he carefully examined the documents again, Alfred asked Desir in a solemn voice.


    ¡°May I ask for the source of this information?¡± ¡°Aylus News.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ If this came from Aylus News, then it must be pretty urate.¡±


    There was a momentary silence between the two. Alfred, who had been lost in his thoughts with his head down, was the first to break the silence.


    ¡°What is the reason you brought this up, Sir Desir?¡± ¡°As a Royal Guard, I n to investigate this situation.¡± Alfred stared at Desir in admiration.


    ¡°You¡¯ve discovered something very important, Sir Desir. His Majesty will most definitely be pleased by this. If there is anything you need, please feel free to tell me.¡±


    Desir smiled in satisfaction.


    Improving the rtions between the Kingdom of Divide and the Hebrion Empire, who were on bad terms, had been one of Desir¡¯s goals.


    But by downying it as a Royal Guard¡¯s task, he was able to proceed with his ns with the Emperor¡¯s support.

 Chapter 202. Under their Noses (1)

    <h4>Chapter 202. Under their Noses (1)</h4>


    Desir called the main party members together and recounted the conversation he had with Alfred.


    The fact that Divide¡¯s movement was unusual and that there was an aristocrat of the Empire who was secretly in contact with Divide¡¯s merchant group. And the fact that he had decided to investigate this matter on his own.


    ¡°There are a total of six people who have had contact with the merchant groups in the Kingdom of Divide. I¡¯m thinking of infiltrating one of them, Count Nordin.¡±


    The reason why Desir decided to investigate Count Nordin was quite simple. Count Nordin ruled over the titr province of Nordin, which is where the most trade happened with the Kingdom of Divide.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s the Royal Guard¡¯s duty, I¡¯m assuming there will be a considerable amount of support from the Royal Family?¡±


    Desir answered Pram by shaking his head.


    ¡°No, not officially anyways. I can¡¯t afford to reveal that I¡¯m a Royal Guard yet.¡± ¡°I guess the title ¡®Royal Guard¡¯ would make them raise their guards immediately.¡± Royal Guardsmen were the armed forces under direct control of the Emperor.


    As soon as Count Nordin heard there was a member of the Royal Guard entering his territory, he would immediately be put on alert.


    Also, if Count Nordin was hiding something, revealing his identity would make him conceal it even more.


    Though the title ¡°Royal Guard¡± was used freely when necessary, it would be more advantageous to conceal such an identity for now.


    ¡°As members of Hebrion Academy, we will be heading towards the Nordin Territory in order to carry out a monster suppression request.¡±


    asionally, powerful monsters would appear in the Western Empire, which shared a border with the Kingdom of Divide.


    Because of this, frequent requests for monster suppression were sent to the Hebrion Academy. This was the ideal cover for such a delicate mission.


    ¡°Since the main purpose is to investigate, we can¡¯t have too many people heading there.¡± ¡°As Adjest said, we should aim to form a group with as few people as possible.¡±


    If it was simply in the name of suppressing monsters, it would be better to take the freshmen as well. However, at the moment, Desir¡¯s goal was to investigate Count Nordin. Since the investigation had to be done cautiously, having too many people would make things rather more dangerous.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re going to the Nordin Territory, I assume we will be away for quite a while. We¡¯ll have a lot to prepare for.¡±


    Romantica seemed excited as if she was going on a trip. Seeing her excited, Desir snickered. ¡°We leave tomorrow. Finish all the preparations beforehand.¡±


    * * *


    The quality of the wagon was honestly quite poor. The interior was cramped and the feeling of riding it was the worst since there weren¡¯t any shock mitigation spells installed; what was once considered a luxury had be quitemon nowadays.


    At best, it was a little better than walking.


    However, the Starling Party did not have any other options.


    There weren¡¯t any teleportation gates in the Nordin Territory and even if there were any installed, the moment they used it, Count Nordin would be made aware of their presence.


    To make matters worse, the path towards the territory was narrow and rugged, so there weren¡¯t any buses or trains regrly passing through that road.


    Therefore, the Starling Party was only able to use the teleport gate system to reach the neighboring territory. Then, with no other choices avable, took a wagon from there to the Nordin Territory.


    There were a total of five people riding in the cramped wagon. Other than the Starling Party¡¯s core members: Desir, Adjest, Romantica and Pram, there was one other person.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether he will do well.¡±


    When Romantica spoke in a dubious tone, Ronde, who had been sitting in a corner, popped his hand up quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m confident that I will do well! Please believe in me, big sister!¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Ronde seemed somewhat nervous at the fact that he had joined for this important mission, but he was full of spirit knowing that he was carrying out a request together with Desir.


    ¡®Not a problem.¡¯


    Excluding the core members of the Starling Party, most of the party members didn¡¯t have any opportunity to carry out requests with Desir. This was a depressing reality, even though they were affiliated under the same party.


    It was because Desir was always busy and the missions he undertook were all too difficult. Therefore, carrying out a request together Desir was the dream for most of the Starling Party first-years. After Desir became a Royal Guard, their eagerness grew even more.


    Desir was certain that Ronde waspetent and that there would be no issue.


    Ronde proved his worth during the Promotion Exam. Since there had been a marked improvement in the personality aspect, his only problem in Desir¡¯s previous life, Desir was confident that he would grow even more.


    Desir looked out the window. On this side of the wagon, there was the extremely unpleasant view of a bottomless cliff. Their destination, the Nordin territory, was located on a reasonablyrge summit atop a steep mountain.


    ¡®It¡¯s Count Nordin¡¯s territory from here on out, so we need to be cautious.¡¯


    One section of the Hebrion Empire¡¯s Western Region shared borders with the Kingdom of Divide.


    Even though Divide was defeated by the Empire and had now joined forces with the Western Kingdom Union, it was still the country with the greatest military power other than the Hebrion Empire.


    Given that the Nordin Territory was the furthest away from the Hebrion capital, Dresden, Count Norden required increased autonomy in order to manage his province. For that reason, he had been granted the noble title of Marquis, but it also gave him enough control to hide if he was assisting Divide with an invasion. Though an invasion was unlikely, it could still ur at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Sir Desir, the Nordin Territory really is located at a high ce.¡± Pram eximed as he looked out the window.


    The Western Region of the Empire had many dangerous mountains. It was impossible to construct a railway through the treacherous passageway.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Pram, who was looking outside the window, pricked up his ears. He stuck his head outside and looked below the cliff. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that strange sound?¡± ¡°Maybe you heard the sound of the wind?¡± Pram tilted his head, confused.


    ¡°Am I imagining things¡­ ¡±


    Pram was still doubtful after hearing Romantica¡¯s answer.


    Romantica turned her head from Pram towards Desir.


    ¡°Desir, what are you thinking of investigating when you arrive at the territory?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s been an inexplicable increase in imports from Divide. I figured that¡¯s as good a ce to start as any.¡±


    Desir had tried desperately to get more information through Aylus, but that small shred of information was all he could get for his efforts. He had figured out that there had been arge trade between the Divide merchant groups and Count Nordin, but had no clue what items were being bartered nor where they were being stored.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Did you find out which merchant group it was?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just one group. ording to the information I have, they¡¯re the Eraca, Naptille and Nepsilon merchant groups.¡±


    ¡°Nepsilon?¡±


    ¡°Is that a name you know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a group that traded a couple of times with our merchant group.¡±


    Romantica¡¯s family led the Eru Conglomerate, one of thergest merchant groups within the Western Kingdom Union.


    However, even if they had traded with various merchant groups from the Western Kingdom Union, such an event was not unusual.


    ¡°So, do you know something?¡±


    ¡°I know that the Nepsilon merchant group has a festering ill will against the Hebrion Empire. They refuse to trade with them. It¡¯s not surprising that they¡¯re not well known in the Empire, but they remain rather famous in the Western Kingdom Union. I¡¯ve heard that recently, they¡¯ve increased their scale of operating. Expanding to handle a variety of goods now.¡±


    If it was a merchant group that mainly dealt with one or two items exclusively, it would have been simple to narrow down the possibilities. However, because of their variety in their trading, the investigation had just be more difficult.


    * * *


    ¡°Oi, we¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Along with the horseman¡¯s voice, the wagon¡¯s motion stopped.


    While chatting about various topics, the wagon arrived in front of the castle gate of the Nordin Territory before they knew it.


    In order to enter the territory, they had to go through a simple security check. When the Starling Party approached the castle gate, guards came up to greet them.


    ¡°Are you guys the students from Hebrion Academy?¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡±


    Including Desir, all the Starling Party members were wearing a uniform, so the guards were able to figure out their identities just at a nce.


    ¡°What are you students doing out this far?¡±


    ¡°We came here because of a request for monster suppression.¡±


    The guard reviewed the content of the letter of request that Desir handed over. ¡°So it¡¯s true that there¡¯s an unruly monster near the border.¡±


    It was certainly true that a monster appeared. The guard seemed to have heard about it and nodded.


    The guard returned the letter of request to Desir. ¡°I hope you handle this issue well.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The castle gate opened and the Starling Party was easily able to enter the Nordin Territory. The Nordin Territory had an extremely dreary atmosphere. The streets were empty with almost no one walking around. It was strange, considering the size of the city. The Starling Party was left with a kind of sinking feeling.


    Soldiers formed groups and patrolled around the city, but the ce exhibited an extremely cold feeling, strictly opposed to the kind of feeling you would get from a town with goodw and order.


    ¡°This ce isn¡¯t so attractive.¡±


    The party members all agreed with Romantica.


    Because the sun was already setting, they decided to find an inn for temporary amodation.


    As the Starling Party entered the inn, they were greeted by the innkeeper with a warm wee.


    The inn was simple and modest. The first floor served the dual purpose of restaurant and bar. There were a few people inside, busy sipping on alcohol.


    ¡°How much is it for an overnight stay?¡±


    ¡°Ten silver.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d like two rooms.¡±


    Desir handed over an ample amount of money; enough to cover a few nights stay. ¡°You can use room numbers 301 and 302.¡±


    Desir picked up the keys before questioning the innkeeper. ¡°Is this ce rarely visited by foreigners?¡±


    ¡°As you may have felt whileing here, the trip here isn¡¯t toofortable. It¡¯s better to think of this ce as a fortress that defends the border rather than a city for people to live in.¡± Desir nodded. Given the number of soldiers they¡¯d seen, this ce deserved to be called an impregnable fortress.


    The innkeeper seemed to be happy for a conversation partner, as they offered more backstory for the city.


    ¡°Since there¡¯s a vige further down the mountain, foreigners who intentionallye up to this ce often have business with the Count. It¡¯s been a few months since west had foreigners who visited our inn like you guys.¡±

 Chapter 203. Under their Noses (2)

    <h4>Chapter 203. Under their Noses (2)</h4>


    The Starling Party divided themselves by gender, unpacked their belongings into their respective rooms, before gathering on the first floor to have dinner.


    ¡°This is rather nice.¡±


    ¡°The food is tasty as well.¡±


    The inn was favorably spoken of. The facilities were quite all right and the meal was rather delicious.


    After finishing the meal, they gathered in the men¡¯s room.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange that we are the only foreigners to visit in these past few months?¡± Romantica voiced the question that was on all of their minds.


    The innkeeper said that the Starling Party members were the only foreigners that had visited this territory recently.


    However, this was a strange statement.


    ¡°Because Count Nordin clearly traded goods with the merchant group of the Kingdom of Divide.¡±


    This was an indisputable fact that Desir had attained through Ayuls Media.


    Other than the Starling Party, the merchant groups of the Kingdom of Divide must have entered this territory.


    ¡°It¡¯s still too early to make a hasty conclusion. It may be that the innkeeper simply isn¡¯t aware of any other visitors.¡±


    The Nordin Territory was not small by any stretch of the imagination. They could not rule out the possibility that the innkeeper was unaware of happenings outside his limited area of expertise.


    The next morning, the Starling Party decided to spread out and gather information.


    Desir went alone. This was the most convenient option for him.


    ¡®Taking others with me would make it quite tricky to avoid attracting attention.¡¯


    The Starling Party had be the center of attention in the Nordin Territory, a ce that rarely encountered foreigners. This posed quite the problem. Since Desir was trying to hide his status as a Royal Guard, attracting unwanted attention couldpromise their mission¡­


    Though it would inhibit their progress, the Starling Party had to act as carefully as possible for the time being. They didn¡¯t have any other choice.


    Desir decided that, in order to maintain their cover story of monster suppression, it would be best if he gathered information alone while supposedly gathering supplies. The other party members chose tasks of their own, and they all set out to gather whatever information they could.


    ¡®This is quite serious.¡¯


    Desir had made a huge mistake when he arrived. He assumed it would be easy to find clues on therge-scale merchant groups that supposedly came through.


    Desir was busy all morning moving around. He visited a grocery shop and a herbal shop while pretending to buy food.


    Even though he went to different ces where a lot of people were likely toe and go, he was not able to find any information regarding the merchant group from the Kingdom of Divide.


    All he had to work with was the knowledge that the innkeeper had shared inurate information. It was too early to tell whether this was a deliberate action, or whether they were truly ignorant of the events happening here.


    Desir¡¯s work wasn¡¯t all for naught. He eventually caught wind of another group of foreigners who had visited recently, but it still wasn¡¯t what he was looking for. There wasn¡¯t anyone who had seen any merchant groups transporting or trading arge amount of goods.


    If the merchant group of the Kingdom of Divide entered this territory, then it should be impossible for none of the public to be aware of something at that scale. The wagons to move the supplies and thebor forces would have been easily noticed.


    However, no one knew anything about it.


    ¡°Merchant groups? No. If they came, I would¡¯ve known. I mean, foreigners rarely visit this ce.¡±


    Desir trudged along with a face that dripped with disappointment from not being able to attain any useful information.


    As he wallowed in self-pity, a cksmith¡¯s shop caught his eye. He decided to make it hisst stop and see if he could at least get some form of intel he could work with.


    There were different kinds of weapons hanging from the walls of the cksmith¡¯s shop, but the quality of each piece was remarkably high. Pondering for a moment, this assortment and level of wares made sense though, seeing as the city was near the border between two of the most war-prone nations on the continent.


    The steady, continuous echoing of hammer strikes suddenly stopped and the owner of the shop appeared. He was a very small, elderly man.


    He squinted his eyes and looked up towards Desir. ¡°I see a new face.¡±


    ¡°I came here yesterday after receiving a request for monster suppression.¡± Desir automatically gave his pre-prepared answer.


    ¡°Monster suppression?¡±


    The old man seemed quite startled.


    ¡°I thought the rumor of an unruly monster near the border had reached everywhere, but I guess not everyone is aware.¡±


    Because the Nordin Territory was next to the border, the rumor of a monster appearing nearby had spread far and wide, especially in this town.


    And for that reason, no one had doubted the Starling Party who imed to havee for the monster suppression.


    ¡°Ahhh, you were talking about the monster that appeared near the border.¡± Desir noticed his strange tone and decided to humor the old craftsman.


    ¡°The monster by the border? Does that mean there¡¯s another monster around?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. That¡¯s why I was surprised. I thought you were here to suppress that monster.¡± ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Haha, it may seem strange to you, but that monster is actually a great help to this territory.¡± A monster that was helpful to humans.


    This unique story grabbed Desir¡¯s attention. ¡°Could you tell me more about it?¡±


    ¡°I assume you have passed the cliff whileing here?¡± The cksmith pointed down with his finger.


    ¡°Under the cliff, there is a very strong monster. Basically, there¡¯s a monster beneath this city.¡± A bottomless cliff. Desir thought about the cliff he passed while riding the wagon.


    ¡°Out here in the Western Region, monster attacks are amon urrence. It¡¯s not abnormal for viges to be attacked and people to be killed. Ever since that monster settled down though, the attacks in this province have nearly stopped.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re treating this ce as the monster¡¯s territory¡­ ¡± ¡°Exactly. No monsters dare toe up here.¡±


    It was understandable that other monsters were unwilling to approach; if a truly powerful monster had settled here, no other monsters would want to anger it.


    However, that alone wasn¡¯t reason enough to warrant the monster¡¯s survival. It was still a threat.


    ¡°But that strong monster could be rather dangerous, is that not so?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the peculiar thing about it. It neveres up the cliff, ever. If we don¡¯t go down the cliff, where it has set up its nest, then it doesn¡¯t really attack us. That¡¯s why we don¡¯t have a particr need to suppress it.¡±


    Indeed, there was no need for ordinary people to go down such a dangerous cliff. As long as that was the case, it would be more beneficial to have a symbiotic rtionship with the monster, which blocked the invasions of the other monsters, than to suppress it.


    ¡°Do you know what kind of monster it is, by any chance?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We know of its existence due to its asional cry when we pass the cliff, but there¡¯s probably no one who has seen it. Especially since any person that got close enough to do so probably died as a result.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Desir thanked the old man who kindly exined the situation and left the shop. Before he knew it, the sun was already setting. Desir returned to the inn.


    After a moment of waiting in the room, the other party members arrived as well.


    When Desir noticed their expressions, which weren¡¯t very bright, he knew that the results of their investigations weren¡¯t great either.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, brother.¡±


    ¡°No one has seen any merchant groups.¡±


    ¡°As if they¡¯ve disappeared into the ground or the sky, I haven¡¯t been able to find any trace of any traders made.¡±


    All of the members had grim looks on their faces due to theirck of results.


    ¡°We¡¯ve only been looking for a single day. Since we don¡¯t have any better ideas for now, let¡¯s just continue investigating while proceeding with the monster suppression.¡±


    Desir attempted to lift their morale before dismissing them after briefly outlining the monster suppression that they would proceed with the next day.


    * * *


    The monster that the Starling Party had decided to suppress was known as a Basilisk.


    It was most recently seen in the heart of a mountain not too far from the Nordin Territory.


    The Starling Party, who had to traverse a steep mountain pass, were quickly able to discover traces of a monster.


    There was a long, continuous trail of something enormous that had knocked down numerous trees as it swept through.


    ¡®We found the ce.¡¯


    Seeing the trail of dried up bushes and what seemed like the trail of a snake, Desir was confident that they had found the right ce.


    ¡®The trail was found right after we moved a little away from the Nordin Territory.¡¯


    The tail-marks had very clearly kept their distance from the human settlements, or more specifically, where the powerful monster had nested. It seemed like the smith¡¯s story had been true.


    ¡°Looking at this trail, I think it¡¯s circling around here. It will return on its own, even if we don¡¯t chase after it.¡±


    Desir¡¯s prediction proved correct. A tumultuous sound soon filled the air as the sound of trees falling down echoed from a ce not too far away.


    Judging from the sound alone, it wasn¡¯t just one or two monsters approaching. ¡°The number of monsters approaching here is rapidly increasing.¡±


    Romantica, who had been busy invoking detection spells, hurriedly delivered this information. There seemed to be more than ten monsters.


    Basilisks were an extremely dangerous monster. They were even intelligent. The danger posed by a whole pack of them increased many-fold more than when they were alone. Their intellect allowed them tomunicate like humans would, rather than most other animals that attacked wildly.


    ¡°Careful, basilisks emit poison that can petrify a body. You¡¯re a goner if it touches you.¡± Adjest and Pram unsheathed their swords. Desir, Romantica, and Ronde started to arrange spells.


    Desir snuck a look at Ronde.


    Ronde was struggling toplete his spell properly. To him, this was the first real battle he had encountered. It was normal to be nervous.


    Desir nudged Ronde¡¯s trembling shoulder. ¡°Ronde.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous.¡±


    The Starling Party took up a circle formation, keeping Ronde in the center with his party members around him. With this simple repositioning, the party was giving Ronde a gentle reminder that he wasn¡¯t alone on the battlefield, that his party members would protect him.


    Ronde pulled himself together before nodding. ¡°All right.¡±


    And so the battle began.

 Chapter 204. Under their Noses (3)

    <h4>Chapter 204. Under their Noses (3)</h4>


    The dense forest of trees, dense enough to conceal the sky, was damaged beyond recognition. Fire raged as far as the eye could see. The trees and grass had been reduced to charcoal, ash, and stone dust; arge portion of the debris had already been swept away by the fierce winds. It was chaos.


    The mes spread as far as possible, threatening to consume the entire mountain, but were quickly contained to the battlefield. Arge chill had begun to enclose the area,bating the fire¡¯s spread.


    In a few mere moments, Adjest¡¯s ice magic assuaged the mes and the battle ended. ¡°We won.¡±


    Strewn amongst the center of devastation, near the Starling Party, were the remains of a group of giant basilisks. Each of their bodies had been mutted in a different way: turned into pitch-ck like lumps of charcoal, heads pierced, or their body falling apart as chunks of ice.


    Basilisks were extremely powerful monsters, but the Starling Party was able to achieve victory without injury.


    During the battle, Ronde performed his role admirably. Although it was his first actual fight, a life-threatening one at that, he held his nerve and did not betray Desir¡¯s expectations.


    Desir spoke to Ronde.


    ¡°Considering this is your first battle, you responded well in a calm manner.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you, brother.¡±


    A smile was stered on the now breathless Ronde¡¯s face. He was struggling terribly, but Desir¡¯spliment resuscitated him. He appeared to be deeply moved.


    ¡°Let¡¯s endure this a little longer.¡±


    Despite the damage dealt to their surroundings, the battle wasn¡¯t entirely over; two of the basilisks had managed to escape while their pack was ughtered. ¡°We need to chase them down immediately.¡±


    Everyone nodded.


    Only two of them escaped, but each and every basilisk was a threatening monster. It was necessary to chase after them and kill them in order to prevent further damage. Fortunately, they had invoked a tracking spell on them right before they escaped.


    Romantica closed her eyes and focused on the trail of mana left behind by the tracking spells on the basilisks.


    ¡°One is escaping towards the west and the other is escaping towards the north-east.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s split up and chase them. Romantica, Adjest, and Ronde, you guys head to the west. Pram, you and I will head north-east.¡±


    Desir believed that this was the most well-bncedbination. ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±


    The Starling Party divided themselves in an organized manner, under the leadership and instruction of Desir.


    Desir and Pram headed towards the north-east.


    Chasing after a basilisk was not a particrly difficult task. Not only were the tracking spells already ced, but clear trails had been left behind by their enormous bodies.


    ¡°They¡¯re escaping faster than we thought, but we¡¯ll catch them soon.¡± Desir arranged eleration spells while exining the situation to Pram. Tracking was easy, but there was one point that stuck out.


    ¡®This direction is¡­ ¡¯


    When the Starling Party had set out towards the basilisks¡¯ habitat, they had gone south-west. Between the trees in this dense forest, a castle was soon visible in the distance.


    ¡®But they¡¯re not heading towards the city¡­ They¡¯re heading to the base of the cliff.¡¯


    Once Desir realized that the basilisk was heading towards the bottom of the cliff, he once again recalled what the old man said. Ever since a powerful monster had taken residence under the cliff, no self-preserving monster dared to approach the Nordin Territory.


    ¡®¡­ This basilisk must be truly desperate. It¡¯spletely lost its mind trying to flee from us, and in its desperation is throwing itself into the territory of a strong monster.¡¯


    If it was as the old man said, the basilisk would be dealt with by the monster beneath the cliff, even if they didn¡¯t follow it further. However, they couldn¡¯t count on that. If they left it alone now, it could still swerve towards town and wreak havoc.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep chasing.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Pram nodded while hurrying his steps.


    Even though basilisks were agile, this one would not be able to elerate any more with its injured body.


    The distance between them and the basilisk gradually decreased.


    They had been relying on abination of the basilisk¡¯s trail and their tracking magic before, but they were now close enough that they could see the basilisk before them. Trees fell and clouds of dust billowed up.


    ¡°Desir, over there!¡± ¡°I see it as well!¡±


    Pram drew his sword and prepared to dart forward.


    However, the tremors caused by the fleeing basilisk suddenly ceased. It appeared to have stopped moving.


    ¡®Is it exhausted?¡¯ ¡®No way.¡¯ *Flick* *Flick*


    They could hear the sound of a basilisk flicking its tongue. It must have given up on running away and had steeled itself to fight.


    ¡®All the better for us.¡¯ Desir looked at Pram.


    ¡°Let¡¯s suppress it in the one go.¡±


    Desir and Pram were on high alert as they slowly approached the basilisk. ¡°Keeyyyyeeek!¡±


    The basilisk¡¯s scream filled the area. That wasn¡¯t the only sound though. *Thud*


    *Thuddd*


    *Baaang*


    The ground shook and a hideous sound spilled out.


    The basilisk was in the midst of fighting against something else. ¡®It wasn¡¯t trying to fight with us.¡¯


    They quickened their paces. The trembling of the ground became more severe as they drew closer.


    *Thuddd*


    They arrived at the sight of the basilisk falling down. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    When Desir and Pram arrived there, they couldn¡¯t hide their perplexion.


    It hadn¡¯t even been a minute since the battle started. However, the scene that greeted them was too grand to conclude that it was a short battle, by any stretch of the imagination.


    Pram frowned while sheathing his rapier. ¡°What in the world¡­ ¡±


    It was disastrous. The basilisk¡¯s body was thoroughly damaged. Its head had been ruptured and giblets of meat had been scattered everywhere.


    Even though the basilisk already had injuries after facing the Starling Party, it was not a monster that could easily be suppressed within a minute or two.


    ¡°Did it manage to suppress the basilisk without suffering any injuries¡­ ?¡± Desir examined the blood that was sshed everywhere.


    The green blood turned everything it touched into stone. Of course, it belonged to the basilisk. In fact, the copious amounts of blood that painted the ground belonged entirely to the basilisk. The monster that had dealt with the basilisk was nowhere to be found. It seemed as though it left the ce immediately after the battle.


    ¡°I wonder what kind of monster it is?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know once we check it out.¡±


    When Desir first heard about the monster from that old man, he judged that ying it was not an urgent task.


    However, with power on this level, it was a different story entirely. It was impossible to know how the monster would act. The risk this monster carried far outweighed any protection it brought the territory.


    Desir approached the basilisk¡¯s corpse to examine it further.


    He faced countless monsters in his ten years in the Shadow Labyrinth.


    With such an impressive disy of wounds left, it would be a simple task for him to figure out what had attacked the basilisk.


    However, Desir couldn¡¯t help but feel disconcerted. ¡°This¡­ ¡±


    ¡°What is it, Desir?¡±


    Desir pointed at all thecerations on the basilisk¡¯s body.


    ¡°Look at this, Pram. The skin here was cut in a neat manner. It surely carries something sharp.¡±


    Then, Desir pointed at another area of its body. This area was clearly crushed by something, unlike the other injury.


    ¡°And if you look at this mark, you¡¯ll know that it collided with something extremely strong.¡± Desir pulled out something that was lodged between the basilisk¡¯s scales. It was a golden feather.


    ¡°A monster that has a sharp weapon with an extremely hard, golden feather¡­ ¡±


    Desir knew a considerable number of monsters, but he drew a nk when faced with these set of clues. He had no idea what kind of monster they could be dealing with here.


    ¡°Desir, this¡­ ¡±


    Smoke rose from one part of the basilisk¡¯s body.


    A monster with a powerful weapon and a strong body that lurks in a mountain cave.


    Monsters usually have their own distinct strengths. However, it wasn¡¯t possible to define this monster with just one characteristic.


    The Starling Party had experienced monsters created by human hands in the Shadow World. Monsters created bybining the strengths of many different monsters.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Chimera.¡±


    After finally reaching a conclusion based on the presented evidence, Desir casually invoked a spell towards an empty area.


    *Craasshh*


    Thick smoke billowed up.


    After a while, when the smoke finally cleared, a previously concealed entity had been revealed.


    Its figure took the form of a multitude of monsters mashed together.


    Its appearance was strange, alien even, iparable to any living creature that obeyed thews of nature.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The monster leaped, approaching Desir and Pram with incredible speed.


    Pram moved just a fraction of a second behind it.


    Using the newly acquired Cloud Striders, his body faded before appearing in front of Desir within the blink of an eye. He then struck forward with his rapier.


    *aaaannng*


    Sparks flew out as w and sword shed against one another.

 Chapter 205. Under their Noses (4)

    <h4>Chapter 205. Under their Noses (4)</h4>


    Pram tried to push away the chimera with pure force by pouring more aura into his rapier. ¡°Keeyyaaaaak!¡±


    However, the muscles in the lower half of the chimera¡¯s body, which appeared to be the legs of a minotaurus, inted and easily endured Pram¡¯s force.


    Pram read the chimera¡¯s attack through its muscle movements. ¡®High kick¡­ !¡¯


    Pram dodged the attack by lowering his head. He was going to counterattack subsequently, but found himself unable.


    He thought he had dodged the chimera¡¯s attack, but its leg twisted in an unnatural manner and was now on a trajectory with his head.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The chimeras that he had encountered in the Shadow World did not have this kind of ability. It was clearly several levels more sophisticated than those crude chimeras.


    Pram hastily raised his sword.


    Sparks flew out as the chimera¡¯s hard skin and Pram¡¯s sword raked against each other. The chimera¡¯s body, boasting its extraordinary durability, easily endured the force of the nk?um de.


    *Swishh*


    The chimera rotated its body halfway and flung its fist towards Pram. Unlike a normal fist though, this one appeared to be the head of a wyvern. As it approached Pram, it opened its mouth wide with the intention of swallowing him whole.


    *aaang* *C-ng*


    As the sharp, saw-like teeth and the sword interlocked, a shrill sound echoed.


    The chimera was extremely aggressive. Itshed out incessantly in order to eliminate those who had trespassed in its territory.


    *Whizzzzz*


    Every time the chimera swung its limbs, it left behind the sound of strong gusts of wind. Pram¡¯s body was not as weak as it seemed. Despite his small size, he was still well-built, better than any ordinary Rook ss swordsmen.


    However, the chimera¡¯s attacks were destructive beyondparison. If a single one of its blows connected properly, Pram would be torn asunder.


    Pram dodged and shielded himself from the chimera¡¯s onught, using all of the techniques he had mastered through his training and experiences.


    ¡°Haaaaap.¡±


    After several exchanges, a dazzling aura rose up from Pram¡¯s sword.


    A single beam of light shone in the dark forest.


    ¡°Keeyyaak!¡±


    The chimera, now down a hand, shrieked in agony. Despite its screams, Pram was unrelenting. He let out sh after sh, refusing to let his counter-attack go to waste.


    It seemed like the chimera¡¯s hard skin was unable to withstand an attack filled with aura. The number of injuries it sustained gradually increased.


    ¡®If I just continue to pressure it and slowly whittle it down¡­ !¡±


    While Pram was caught up in his own thoughts, the chimera¡¯s mouth opened. A horrid stench filled the air immediately.


    ¡®Acid!¡¯


    Pram attempted to retrieve his sword, buried in the chimera¡¯s shoulder, and beat a hasty retreat.


    *Crkkk*


    However, before he could do so, the chimera¡¯s muscle flexed strangely and locked Pram¡¯s sword in ce. It then used its other hand to grab the sword.


    It only took a singlepse in judgement for Pram to find himself on death¡¯s doorstep. ¡°Urggh!¡±


    While Pram panicked, a silver marble, no bigger than a fist, struck the chimera¡¯s neck. It was Runel.


    Not being able to withstand the sudden shock, the chimera¡¯s neck snapped. At the same time, the acid flew out in a different trajectory than intended and melted the ground off to one side. [Giga Lightning]


    A thunderbolt burst towards the chimera and burned its entire body pitch ck. ¡°Kyaaaaakk!¡±


    Pram seized the opportunity by boosting his power and gathering his aura. A bright light twirled around his sword.


    He stepped back, before lunging forward and using his sword to strike with every ounce of his being.


    A high-speed stab, repeated tens of thousands of times.


    The chimera raised its remaining arm to block the strike.


    At that moment, Pram invoked the ability of his Cloud Striders once again.


    He let loose his attack, after instantly moving to the back of the chimera. The chimera was not able to block the attack.


    *Crack*


    The chimera¡¯s head burst like a watermelon in the blink of an eye. Its body squirmed for some time even after its head was gone, but soon after, lost its vitality and copsed helplessly. ¡°Pheww¡­ ¡±


    Pram shook off the blood from his rapier.


    Looking at the chimera¡¯s corpse, Desir was lost in thought. ¡°Pureus Niftion¡­ ¡±


    Pureus Niftion, the alchemist who spent his entire life in the pursuit of eternal life. Desir encountered him in a Shadow World based one-hundred and twenty years ago.


    Pureus created chimeras andpleted the homunculus with the assistance of Skull Mask, who had been controlling the Magical Kingdom.


    Desir, who had cleared too many Shadow Worlds to count, and who had personally experienced many centuries of history, didn¡¯t feel it was too boastful to im that he held a fair amount of knowledge over the history of humanity. However, the production of chimeras had been prohibited when all of the countries on the continent agreed to ban such research.


    Desir was not aware of any country foolish enough to turn all other countries against them. This made him certain that the chimera that they just fought with now was a legacy left behind by Pureus. Asking who was behind the chimera was useless; it was a self-evident fact.


    ¡®What is Skull Mask¡¯s goal?¡¯


    ording to the story told by the old man in the cksmith, the chimera has been dwelling here for thest few years.


    Therefore, this meant that the Skull Mask had been nning something here since at least then.


    Skull Mask was not only able to sessfullyplete his n in the Magical Kingdom, but also made massive advancements in the manufacturing of chimeras.


    This chimera, produced with a far more advanced and refined technique, was iparably more powerful than the version they previously encountered in that Shadow World. Even Pram, a Rook ss swordsman, was only able to suppress the chimera after receiving support from Desir.


    cing a chimera here this powerful probably meant that whatever n was unfolding here had significant priority. It must be something extremely important to Skull Mask.


    ¡®What in the world was it guarding?¡¯


    Desir spected that its role was to protect something.


    The chimera dwelled only in this ce and never left its designated area. Whether it was a monster or human, the chimera would kill all trespassers.


    ¡®Does Count Nordin know about the chimera?¡±


    A very powerful monster dwelled under his territory.


    It was understandable that he was not suppressing the monster, since it gave such an advantage to his territory. However, he should have tried to figure out its identity at least. It would be foolish to neglect a monster without first identifying it.


    ¡®There¡¯s also a chance that he tried to find out its identity but failed. But if he already knew its identity¡­ ¡¯


    A chimera is a living weapon, of which the research itself is taboo. If he knew about its existence and didn¡¯t report it to the Emperor, it would be a huge problem.


    ¡®A trade between the merchant group of Divide and Count Nordin. And the chimera beneath the Nordin Territory.¡¯


    Desir spected that these two events, which both just happened to ur within a single territory, were likely connected to each other.


    However, it was just baseless spection, for now.


    The task they had to carry out had been decided.


    ¡°Pram, the chimera must¡¯ve been guarding something. We need to find out what that is.¡± Whatever was so valuable that it required a chimera as a guard had to be important.


    It was the only lead they had that could solve the question burning in Desir¡¯s mind right now. If they identified what the chimera was guarding, they could possibly find a vital clue to these mysteries.


    *R-Ring*


    The moment Desir and Pram were about to make a move, a notification sound rang from themunication pad. It was from Adjest.


    [-Took care of the basilisk. What¡¯s our next move?]


    They seemed to have sessfully handled the other monster. The request for monster suppression had now been fulfilled.


    ¡°Desir.¡±


    Pram clung on to Desir, gripping his rapier. He had a tense look on his face. There was a trace of fear in his voice as well.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Desir contacted the rest of the party members through themunication pad. [-Hurry ande to where we are.]


    Since the chimera appeared, there was no way to know what kind of dangers lurked ahead. They had tomit themselves entirely by getting plenty of rest, after just engaging in both arge scale battle against the basilisks and their hunt for the stragglers. But they were not able to do so.


    Themunication pad rang again, but Desir barely noticed. His attention was focused somewhere far more demanding.


    ¡°¡­ Twenty. No, there¡¯s far more than that.¡± Chimeras flooded into the area.


    There was no need to arrange a detection spell to notice them. The chimeras were approaching Desir and Pram, not even bothering to conceal their overwhelming bloodlust and murderous temper.


    There were roughly forty of them.


    Just one of them had been an even match with a Rook ss swordsman, Pram, whose strength stood equivalent to a few knights.


    Desir broke out in a cold sweat.


    ¡®This¡­ could be extremely troublesome.¡¯


    The Starling Party had experience facing hundreds of chimeras in that Shadow World. The number present was far lesspared to back then.


    The only problem was the fact that only Desir and Pram, just those two, were present this time. The rest of the Starling Party could not assist in this battle.


    * * *


    The sun descended over the horizon and the mountain was plunged intoplete darkness. In this darkness, there was a ce where sparks flew out ceaselessly.


    *Chingg*


    Piercing, metallic sounds echoed throughout the mountain.


    Runel circled around Desir, protecting him from the chimera¡¯s attacks while Pram kept his guard up against the endless wave of chimeras while using his aura.


    Amidst all of this chaos, Desir arranged a spell. [Fire Storm]


    *Crrraaashh*


    A huge wave of fire swept out in all directions. All of the chimeras that were epassed by the heat were exterminated without a trace.


    These chimeras had be far stronger in thest one-hundred and twenty years, but Desir and Pram had grown even faster. Desir had reached the Fourth-Circle and Pram was on the brink of bing Bishop ss.


    Desir, the strongest magician in the Empire, was recognized by the Emperor. With Desir taking an active role in this fight, the situation was stable to some extent.


    However, that was all. ¡®The situation is bad.¡¯


    The chimeras had already surrounded Desir and Pram from all directions. It would be infeasible for just the two of them to keep their guards up in all directions.


    Desir¡¯s spells were steadily reducing the number of chimeras, but it was beyond his power to suppress all of them.


    They were coping well, but it was only a matter of time before they fell.

 Chapter 206. Under their Noses (5)

    <h4>Chapter 206. Under their Noses (5)</h4>


    There were still twenty-five chimeras remaining.


    Even though they had defeated a fair amount of them, it had taken arge toll on Desir¡¯s mana to do that much.


    If Desir was a Third-Circle magician, then he would have already consumed all of his mana and found himself in a critical situation. That was just how intense this fight was. *Vruuummmm*


    Desir started to invoke a spell again.


    A powerful spear of thunder struck down and turned several chimeras in front of him into piles of ashes.


    Even though each of his spells killed several chimeras simultaneously, Desir¡¯s spells seemed weaker than before. Despite their dire situation, Desir had no other choice.


    The chimeras hadpletely closed the gap between them and the two humans. Desir¡¯s spell choice was extremely limited; taking even a second longer to calcte could be the difference between life and death. If he was able to cast a wide area of effect spell, he would be able to end the fight, but he would kill himself and Pram in the process. As a result, his only option was to carry out an inefficient battle, hoping it would be enough.


    To magicians, this was an absurdly disadvantageous battlefield. ¡°Agh!¡±


    While Desir was lost in his thoughts, Pram¡¯s scream could be heard behind him.


    Pram stepped back with a shoulder freshly sliced open by a chimera¡¯s horn. He was not severely injured, but the Clothes Line now sounded an rm.


    [-Warning. Less than 20% of Clothes Line mana remaining. Defensive function is declining rapidly.]


    Pram straightened himself. As much as he wanted to counterattack immediately, he was not able to do so.


    *C-aang*


    He was not fighting just one enemy. Since he couldn¡¯t know where the dozens of chimera were targeting, he wasn¡¯t able to prate their formation easily.


    Due to the consecutive battles, extreme fatigue had umted.


    Pram exhaled heavily.


    ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­ ¡±


    A chimera¡¯s attack seemed to have grazed his head at some point, as blood oozed down his face, hindering his vision.


    His arms did not move as he wanted them to and he braced himself as his knees buckled.


    It wasn¡¯t just the Clothes Line reaching the limit of durability; his strength was declining too. ¡®Aura as well¡­ Simr situation here.¡¯


    The sparkle surrounding the sword was evidently dimmer than before.


    It was slowlying to an end because in order to face the powerful chimeras, he had to maintain a constant use of aura.


    He went well over the aura consumption limit that an ordinary Rook ss swordsman could handle. Even Pram, who possessed far more aura than any other Rook ss swordsmen, obtained through intensive training, could clearly feel his limit.


    He was only able to endure this long due to his precise control over his aura output. That alone was praiseworthy.


    It would not be strange if Pram fainted right now. ¡°Pram, are you all right?¡±


    Desir, even while arranging spells relentlessly, checked Pram¡¯s condition frequently. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me!¡±


    Every time he was asked, Pram swung around his sword, shouting with a forced, cheerful voice.


    He could feel fatigue draining every limb in his body, threatening to take even his consciousness, but he battled against it with all his might.


    His rapier never stopped moving. No, he could not afford to stop. ¡®If I faint here, Desir will have to manage my share of the fight.¡¯


    Pram straightened his weak legs. Legs that were on the verge of copsing.


    He read the trajectory of the iing attacks that were arriving like a flood without losing focus.


    He gathered his remaining aura and swung his rapier around like a madman. More and more injuries umted.


    Before anyone realized, his Clothes Line had lost all functionality and were no longer able to fulfil their role as Pram¡¯s final defense. From now on, Pram remained just one blow away from a fatal injury.


    Still, he continued to battle. It wasn¡¯t a fear of death. It wasn¡¯t because he had never fought with his life on the line; he had done so numerous times while battling alongside Desir.


    But this battle was different. Pram realized he was the only one who could protect Desir, and that was what let him exert himself far beyond his limit.


    Block it, then cut.


    Pram¡¯s spirit endured through his pure determination to protect Desir. *C-C-ng*


    Pram, who held onto a clear reason not to faint, did not copse.


    He had long reached his limit, but rather than falter, his rapier¡¯s trajectory became more fierce instead.


    ¡°Kraaaarghh!¡±


    The chimeras, instinctively feeling some kind of danger welling up from Pram, stormed towards him.


    As Pram watched the chimeras running towards him, he inhaled calmly. At the same time, aura welled up in his rapier and started to emit a bright glow once again.


    He then took a step forward and struck out.


    This time, his stab was different to the previous ones.


    Condensed aura on his sword burst out and an aura filled with powerful force flooded towards the chimera.


    The light extended out in all directions throughout the dark forest.


    This was the stage reached by Pram in Desir¡¯s past life. He had honed the technique known as stabbing to an impossible perfection.


    Aura Drive. *P-P-Pop!*


    Five chimeras were swept by the aura¡¯s ferocity and torn asunder without any chance to shriek.


    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­ !¡±


    Pram was astonished. He felt like a third party, watching the spectacle unfolding before him, even though it was of his own doing.


    ¡®This is the¡­ ¡¯


    He had reached the Bishop ss. He was able to release aura and not just wrap it around his body and sword.


    Even while experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime emotion that warranted celebration, Pram did not lose himself in the moment. He checked his surroundings to ensure there was no imminent threat to Desir or himself.


    Fifteen chimeras remained. It was still not the time to lower his guard.


    Pram had taken in the situation and began to dash towards the next chimera, but the strength in his legspletely gave out.


    ¡°Hargh!¡±


    Pram fell down with a short groan.


    He had already long reached his limit, but still managed to pull out an attack that killed five chimeras in the one blow.


    He no longer had the strength left to even lift a finger. ¡°Kreeughh!¡±


    Seeing this as an opportunity, the chimeras started to leap towards the now helpless swordsman lying down on the ground.


    [Parie Arund]


    Desir¡¯s spell swept away the pouncing chimeras in a single strike. Desir seized this opportunity to relocate himself next to Pram. ¡°Don¡¯t leave my side.¡±


    He wrapped his arm around Pram¡¯s waist and helped him stand up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Desir. I couldn¡¯t endure it after all¡­ ¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right, Pram.¡±


    Desir arranged a spell while holding Pram up. ¡°You¡¯ve done your part well.¡±


    [Fire Storm]


    Intense mes washed over many chimeras. ¡°B-But¡­ ¡±


    In Pram¡¯s eyes, Desir¡¯s spell power has noticeably dropped inparison to the beginning. Desir¡¯s mana must also be on the brink of running out.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. We can rest now.¡±


    A chimera with the head of a snake sprung out, piercing through the mes. However, it could not reach Desir.


    *Pop*


    Something flew in from somewhere and the chimera¡¯s entire upper body disappeared in a fountain of gore.


    A wind spell flew in at warp speed. The aftermath of that spell, which hinted at the power behind the spell, blew in and washed over Desir and Pram.


    It was not a spell that Desir had invoked. [Ice Empress]


    The moment Pram felt the chilly air that smothered all life, he knew. He knew that the other Starling Party members had arrived.


    When Adjest, Romantica, and Ronde joined them, the chimeras were handled easily. [Kyprosa¡¯s Grief]


    A current of air, sharp as a de, sliced through numerous chimera.


    The wind bullet prated the chimera urately even in the dark forest. There was no chimera that could block against Romantica¡¯s attacks: the attacks of a magician who had reached the Fourth-Circle. Her wind magic had skyrocketed and was now a force to be reckoned with.


    The chimeras were picked off one by one by the attacks flying in from the hidden enemy. [Frozen Pce]


    Adjest invoked Frozen Pce to contain the chimera so that they could not approach Desir and Pram. She then stepped forward and cut down the chimera one by one.


    After Adjest widened the distance between the chimera and the party members, Ronde was able to arrange artillery style spells freely.


    Their military strength as a group was overwhelming and dominating.


    Desir alone handled more than half of the battle before they arrived. The result was evident. When the battle ended, Desir stopped the spell that he had been arranging and retrieved Runel. At the same time, he flopped down next to Pram.


    ¡°Are you all right, brother?¡±


    Ronde hastily approached him and took out medical supplies from his Clothes Line¡¯s dimensional pocket.


    Desir nodded and pointed at Pram.


    ¡°I just have a few scratches. Treat Pram first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Pram.¡±


    Romantica approached and examined Pram¡¯s injuries.


    Pram, who continued to fight from the front line, even after his Clothes Line broke, was full of injuries. There were clear traces of blood from his shoulder and head.


    Romantica disinfected his injuries, applied medicine, and dressed his wounds.


    ¡°None of his injuries were fatal. Luckily, there wasn¡¯t any poison either, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    ¡°What a relief¡­ ¡±


    Desir sighed with relief and looked at Pram. ¡°Pram.¡±


    Seeing Desir¡¯s nce, Pram couldn¡¯t help but be nervous.


    ¡°Hiding your own condition to the party leader could worsen a situation. This time, things went well, but it could¡¯ve been very serious.¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry, Desir.¡±


    ¡°You need to be honest next time.¡±


    Receiving a reprimand from Desir, Pram hung his head low like a puppy that had been scolded.


    At that moment, Desir stroked his head.


    Pram looked up at Desir with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°However, because you reached the Bishop ss in that situation, we were able to endure long enough for the others to arrive. You did very well, Pram.¡±


    ¡°Hehehehe.¡±


    Pram¡¯s downcast face brightened in an instant. ¡°Did you say Pram reached the Bishop ss?¡±


    As the atmosphere loosened, Ronde cut in and asked with a voice dripping in envy.


    ¡°If you reached the Bishop ss, that means you¡¯re one of the few hundred people who are extremely talented! That¡¯s incredible!¡±


    A Bishop ss swordsman was at a level where he or she couldy im to the head position in almost every knightly order. ¡°You¡¯ve earned it, Pram.¡±


    Adjest put away her sword and strode over towards the party.


    Finally gathered together, they started to share information on the current situation. The fact that the chimera had been living here for thest few years.


    Desir¡¯s spection that the chimeras were protecting something important here. And the possibility that this was connected to the Outsiders, specifically Skull Mask. The party members agreed in silence, as if anticipating the same conclusion.


    Only Ronde, who had never faced the Outsiders before, turned deadly pale. ¡°The mastermind of the Outsiders? Is-Isn¡¯t that extremely dangerous, brother?¡± Desir nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If the Outsiders are connected to this, it wouldn¡¯t be a matter that we could solve on our own.¡±


    Skull Mask, a mysterious figure behind the copse of the Holy Kingdom of Artemis as well as the mastermind that manipted the Magical Kingdom from the shadows under the guise of the Prophet. If it was a scheme that he devised several years ago, it was definitely something that should concern the Starling Party and the Hebrion Empire.


    ¡°We just have to do what we can right now. First of all, we need to find out what the chimeras were guarding.¡±


    ¡°We just need to trace where they came from, right?¡±


    Romantica understood her role well. She arranged a detection spell right away. She quickly found where the chimeras had been nesting.


    They would be able to discover what the chimera were protecting once they arrived there.

 Chapter 207. Under their Noses (6)

    <h4>Chapter 207. Under their Noses (6)</h4>


    Since dozens of chimera had flooded out together, there was a clear trail left behind for Desir¡¯s party to follow.


    After verifying their paths with Romantica¡¯s detection spell, Desir distanced himself from the party members. It was to establish contact with the Side Guard.


    To prepare for the worst, he arranged for the Side Guard to remain on guard within the vige where the teleportation gate was located.


    Desir contacted them, delivering information about their encounter with the chimeras, and added his own judgment as a Royal Guard.


    The content was a more detailed and official set of information, more refined than what he had exined to the party members.


    A Side Guard member seemed surprised when he received the information. ¡°And please report this matter to His Majesty the Emperor.¡± [-Understood, Sir Desir.]


    * * *


    It was dawn with a full moon still hanging in the sky, not yet obscured by the full might of the sun.


    ¡°How¡¯s the current situation?¡±


    A middle-aged man asked while stroking his beard.


    He was Count Nordin, a Marquis in charge of defending the western border: the border between the Hebrion Empire and the Kingdom of Divide.


    Karos Nordin looked out the window with sharp eyes. His pupils reflected the outline of the forest below the cliff. Even though he was a middle-aged man, the aura he gave off was sharp like a sword, no different from the time when he was young.


    The leader of an order of knights kneeled before him and reported. ¡°It entered Phase Two.¡±


    Karos turned around and faced him.


    There was no reason for the leader of an order of knights to lie. It must be the truth. He stroked his beard again and soon entered a reverie.


    When the vital sign of the chimera tasked with eliminating trespassers who entered ¡®that¡¯ territory stopped, Phase Two would be triggered. It was a level of defense that would kill the trespassers by releasing all of the chimeras.


    Phase Two had never before been initiated since the chimera had been ced there.


    After spreading the rumors of its existence being that of a guardian, there was no one who dared approached the area. And obviously, there were no monsters that would dare to stand against a chimera.


    However, the current situation implied that a powerful chimera had been defeated. ¡°Did you identify what trespassed in that area?¡±


    ¡°The dispatched team is currently investigating.¡± ¡°What are your thoughts on this matter?¡±


    The leader of the order of knights pondered, then spoke.


    ¡°A group of basilisks have been seen near the border recently. They may have strayed across to this side¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I know about the basilisks as I¡¯ve already been notified. They made appearances around three weeks ago. There¡¯s no reason for them to suddenly cross the territory when they weren¡¯t able to do so until now.¡±


    Karos gathered all of the information at hand and organized his thoughts calmly. Along with the important role of defending the border, the role of Marquis was not handed to just anyone. Because the Emperor thought highly of his skills and judgment capability, he entrusted him with this heavy responsibility.


    ¡°What about the people living within the territory? Has anyone suspicious left recently?¡± ¡°There was no one who left the territory. However, there were foreigners snooping around the territory two days ago.¡±


    Foreigners.


    Karos nodded, waiting for him to continue speaking.


    ¡°After investigating the inn that they¡¯re staying in, we learned that they paid for a few days of rent in advance and their rooms have been empty since morning.¡±


    ¡°Were they thinking of staying longer, but went back in a hurry due to some circumstance, or¡­ ¡±


    ¡°They were students from the Hebrion Academy who received a request to eliminate the basilisks. I heard there were five of them in that party.¡±


    Karos descended into his thoughts once again.


    Hebron Academy was an educational establishment that gathered people with outstanding ability from all over the continent and trained them. Some of the people who underwent such training had great ability that allowed them to be knighted before even leaving the academy.


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough. Bring me more detailed information.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll contact the operatives in the capital.¡±


    After the leader of the knight order left, Karos, who was now left alone in the office, slumped into his chair.


    ¡®Surely they didn¡¯t go down the cliff¡­ ?¡¯


    It was something that he carefully prepared for. If the existence of the chimeras were to be discovered, he had to silence whoever survived.


    The chimeras were a problem, but that ¡®something¡¯ which the chimera protected must not be revealed.


    ¡®It wouldn¡¯t matter, even if they overcame Phase Two.¡¯


    Karos thought about the conversation that he had with his ally.


    Thest defense system, Phase Three.


    ording to his ally, Phase Three could only be brought down if thebined military force of an entire country was gathered.


    Even if this party from the Hebrion Academy was strong, it was hardly possible for them to win against the power of a whole country.


    ¡®What a pity.¡¯


    Karos sincerely felt sad about losing talented individuals in the Empire. However, it was necessary in order to aplish that goal.


    He clenched his fist, looking at the tapestry with a magnificent lion weaved into it. ¡°To Hebrion.¡±


    * * *


    No one was able to stand up against Pram¡¯s stubbornness.


    Desir ordered Pram to return to the territory, but Pram only shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t be a burden. Please, Desir!¡±


    ¡°But your condition¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±


    Pram unsheathed his rapier and swung it around a few times.


    Desir finally gave in to Pram¡¯s plea. Even though it could be dangerous to take Pram in his condition, Desir also judged that they had already ovee what was likely to be the biggest hurdle.


    The Starling Party rested until Pram had recovered enough to walk, and then set out towards their destination.


    The morning air was extremely chilly.


    The Starling Party was able to follow the trail of the chimera back towards their den. ¡°This is¡­ ¡±


    There were horribly mangled bodies and that which must be monster corpses. Judging from their injuries, they must¡¯ve been victims of the chimera.


    Some of the corpses seemed fresh and some of them seemed to have died many years ago, judging from their rate of dposition.


    There seemed to be quite a number of victims.


    After the Starling Party expressed sorrow for the unknown casualties, they started to move again.


    After walking for some time.


    A high cliff and a giant cave came into their sight. ¡®Was this the ce that the chimera were guarding?¡¯


    This ce was right below the cliff that they passed when they were on the wagon, heading towards the Nordin Territory.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the ce where Pram heard a strange sound?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing it was the sound of the chimera.¡± ¡°Great hearing.¡±


    Pram waved his hands.


    ¡°N-No. I heard a faint sound, so I thought it was the sound of the wind.¡±


    Desir looked up the cliff. The top of the cliff was too distant for him to see with the naked eye. ¡®At this distance, I don¡¯t think a scream could be heard, no matter how hard one tries.¡¯


    ¡°What is it, Desir?¡±


    Romantica¡¯s call woke Desir up from his thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    After shaking his head, Desir entered the cave together with the party members.


    The interior space inside the cave was very wide. It would be no problem for two-hundred people to enter the cave at the same time.


    However, there was something that caught their attention more than the area itself. ¡°It¡¯s clear that someone used this ce with some kind of purpose in mind.¡±


    Just like Adjest mentioned, there was evidence of human traces inside the cave. There was also a strut propped up to prevent the cave from copsing.


    It resembled a military base. [Light]


    They created magical light and ventured deeper.


    After a while, they were able to find steel-barred windows. On top of each set of bars was a number.


    The number of them was exactly forty-nine. This was roughly how many chimera the Starling Party had eliminated. The chimeras must have lived behind these empty barred windows.


    When they entered deeper into the cave, an enormous iron gate appeared.


    Desir drew in closer to check, and naturally, it was not a gate that one could open simply by pushing.


    ¡°Leave it to me. This time, I¡¯ll¡­ ¡± ¡°Just wait!¡±


    Desir restrained Ronde, thinking that he may cause trouble.


    ¡°Ronde, what do you think would happen if you use an explosion spell inside a cave?¡± ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry, brother.¡±


    Only then did Ronde realize what he was trying to do and quickly apologized.


    After smiling bitterly, Desir waved his hand towards the gate. Then, the thirteen defensive spells that had been ced on the gate dispersed soon after.


    It was designed to send a signal if the spells were removed by force, but they had been removed before being able to serve their function.


    Even though the magical barrier had been resolved, the thick iron gate still needed to be dealt with.


    ¡°Pram, I need your help.¡±


    ¡°Huhu, it¡¯s a good thing you brought me along, right?


    Pram coiled aura around his sword. Pram¡¯s aura, which had now reached Bishop ss, emitted a dazzling light beyondpare.


    *sh*


    *sh*


    Even the iron gate with a height of several meters was cut down in a breeze. *Thud*


    The iron gate copsed.


    This was the ce that the chimeras had been guarding. When they looked inside, they were surprised.


    ¡°What the hell are these?¡±


    Preserved rations, enchanted weapons, magical scrolls, and an abundance of mana stonesy before them.


    There was a reserve of supplies beyond count.


    Romantica drew in closer and inspected the supplies.


    The supplies had seal stamps of the merchant group that produced them. Romantica recognized the seal stamps on the weapons.


    ¡°¡­ Nepsilon.¡±


    On the mana scroll was Naptille and on the food supplies was Eraca. ¡°Desir, these are products from the merchant groups that you talked about.¡±


    ¡°So were these the products that the Nordin Territory was trading with the merchant groups from Divide¡­ ?¡±


    After checking the supplies, Desir was able to confirm the goal of the Nordin Territory. Food, weapons, and magical scrolls with mana stones to power them.


    There was only one situation that would require all three kinds of supplies.


    War.


    The Nordin Territory was preparing for war.

 Chapter 208. Under their Noses (7)

    <h4>Chapter 208. Under their Noses (7)</h4>


    It was not strange for Count Nordin, the person in charge of border defense, to be prepared for war at all times. However, if that was the case, why did he secretly trade with the merchant groups of the Kingdom of Divide and hide the goods here?


    Desir was certain that he was gathering war supplies with a different intention. As Desir was lost in thoughts, Romantica frowned.


    ¡°There¡¯s something over there.¡±


    There were piles of supplies. And there was another steel-barred window behind them. Desir checked the number written on the top of the bars.


    Fifty.


    This clearly signified something.


    ¡°So there¡¯s still a chimera remaining.¡± *Grrrrr*


    The steel-barred window opened little by little. It seemed like it was set up to open if the iron gate was not opened in a normal manner.


    Beyond the darkness, something stirred.


    After identifying the enemy, the Starling Party got into formation in perfect order.


    Adjest pulled out the Center of Ice and took the lead. Pram, whose body had not yet fully recovered, stood behind her and nned to target the enemy from the side.


    Behind them were Ronde and Desir. Romantica stood alone at the very back. Desir looked at the bars attentively.


    Once he had confirmed the enemy¡¯s face, even though it was still indistinct due to theck of light, Desir murmured disbelief.


    ¡°¡­ Aaron?¡±


    A King ss swordsman. One of the heroes who made a huge contribution toward them reaching as far as they did in the Shadow Labyrinth.


    Desir had been a part of several joint operations with him in his previous life. ¡®Why is he in the Hebrion Empire?¡¯


    Desir had heard about how Aaron had been exiled from city to countryside through Ayuls Communication. However, he was supposed to be in the Longgordt region. Why was he here in the Nordin Territory?


    When Aaron stepped out of the darkness, Desir frowned.


    Aaron was not in a human form. The Starling Party members were shocked to see such a figure.


    ¡°N-Not a monster, but a human hybrid?¡±


    The body consisted of many different monsters with Aaron¡¯s face positioned on the head. Aaron was merely one part of the body that made up that chimera.


    Desir was lost for words.


    Even though Aaron was his enemy, he was Desir¡¯srade and also an honorable knight. He never dreamed of meeting him like this.


    Desir¡¯s heart ached.


    How did he end up like this?


    Millions of thoughts whizzed through Desir¡¯s mind, leaving him dizzy as a result. It became difficult for him to breathe.


    ¡°Keukk!¡±


    However, of course, he did not lose control. When Desir identified the tentacles sprouting from the chimera¡¯s body, he arranged a defensive spell.


    [Sigh of Kizard]


    An ice shield materialized and collided with the tentacles. Even though they managed to block them, they were certain of one thing.


    It was clearly an attack. ¡°Kill¡­ The enemy¡­ ¡±


    Desir was finally able to make out what Aaron was muttering.


    It seemed as though he had lost his reason.


    He repeated that meaninglessly.


    His eyes werepletely unfocused, zed over with an inhuman indifference.


    His attacks continued shortly after. A monster¡¯s body structure, which had been concealed within Aaron¡¯s flesh, bubbled out and took on a grotesque form.


    Just as the party steeled themselves tomence battle, Desir gave an unexpectedmand. ¡°Get out of the cave first.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If the cave copses, it¡¯ll all be over.¡±


    As the three-meter tall chimera started to move aggressively towards the Starling Party, one section of the cave already started to copse.


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous in here.¡±


    The other Starling Party members soon realized this as well.


    They turned tail and immediately ran towards the cave entrance.


    It was a self-evident fact that the whole cave would copse if they fought here. ¡°To the back! Through the iron gate!¡±


    The Starling Party members started to run as a group.


    The gigantic chimera was not one to let its prey escape. It gave chase by moving its enormous body.


    What initially appeared to be a battle of strength suddenly turned into a battle of speed. ¡®We need to get out first.¡¯


    They passed the iron gate. It was the gate that Pram¡¯s had used his aura to cut down when they entered.


    The space that Pram created by cutting the gate was just big enough for a single person to pass through at a time. The gigantic Chimera would not be able to pass through that quickly.


    This was the naive belief that everyone held.


    However, within five seconds of them passing through it, they realized their folly. *aang*


    A loud and resonant sound made the party members cover their ears briefly. The chimera crashed into the iron gate and it crumpled like a piece of paper.


    Upon witnessing a force capable of effortlessly crumpling an iron gate, their hearts dropped. How were they going to face off against such an absurd monster?


    ¡°Run and don¡¯t look back!¡± *Thud*


    *Crash*


    *Crack*


    It was impossible to not sense the chimera hot on their heels.


    The amount of noise it created was terrifying.


    It would kick the ground while grabbing the cave walls. Even though it had a gigantic figure, its speed was unbelievable.


    The cliff and the ground were screaming in protest. One of the supporting pirs was unable to bear the weight and copsed.


    ¡°Desir, it¡¯s moving faster than us!¡± At the present rate, they would sh.


    Desir turned around and spoke towards Adjest, who was at the very back. ¡°Adjest, arrange a spell to support the cliff.¡±


    As Desir spoke he started arranging a spell. [Winter Crystal]


    Adjest did the same.


    Two Fourth-Circle freezing spells were invoked. Ice started to form in the cave like crystal pirs.


    The two ice pirs coiled together and formed a solid figure. Thebination of Adjest and Desir¡¯s magic was incredibly resilient and had given birth to a respectable obstacle.


    *Thud*


    *Crack*


    *Crrraack*


    A sound of crushed ice echoed through the cave.


    The chimera was approaching as it smashed the ice apart with its extreme power.


    However, they were not trying to stop it in the first ce. They just had to slow its speed down.


    The long stretches of pirs in the cave were certainly capable of doing just that. ¡°Kaaarrrghh!¡±


    The chimera¡¯s horrible shriek echoed off the cave walls and struck Desir¡¯s ears.


    Such a bone-chilling scream hade from a human¡¯s vocal cords.


    Desir lost hope.


    ¡®Are we¡­ enemies?¡¯


    The honorablerade that he remembered was no longer there.


    There was only a monster obsessed with ughter.


    It was running amuck, trying to kill Desir.


    ¡®I don¡¯t have any choice but to kill him¡­ to kill it¡­ ¡¯ Desir pulled himself together.


    Outside the cave was an open forest. The Starling Party, who managed toe out of the cave first, found a spot and established a formation before the chimera could follow.


    *Shinggg*


    Warriors at the front and magicians at the back. Immediately after they established a formation. *Crack*


    *Crrraack*


    The sound of crushed ice approached nearer and nearer. The sound of footsteps was bing louder.


    As the sound of the footsteps reached a crescendo, the Starling Party¡¯s attack was released like a flood.


    Adjest was the first to move. [Frozen Pce]


    Adjest¡¯s imagery magic.


    A pce appeared. It was beautiful, but in reality, it was an inexhaustible operational space where hundreds of spells were materializing simultaneously.


    Dozens of Third-Circle spells were arranged and fired at the gigantic chimera. The spells, shot within an extremely low temperature, approached the chimera to seal its movement.


    The chimera raised its arm. A spear made of ice and an enormous ice sphere struck its arm while ayer of pure frost began encroaching upon its feet.


    ¡°Kreeuuk!¡±


    After the magic wave ended, the chimera started to move. ¡°Argh!?¡±


    *Thudddd*


    When the chimera struck its arm against the ground, arge part of the Frozen Pce copsed. The Starling Party had never encountered something capable of rendering Adjest¡¯s imagery magic so futile.


    When the flow of mana reversed, Adjest frowned.


    The number of spells she could deploy had been significantly reduced. The chimera regained its movements and strode towards Adjest.


    *Baaang*


    Romantica wasn¡¯t wasting her time. A sniper works best when they¡¯re unexpected. Her shots were strong, having both power and uracy.


    She had blown off the arm of the chimera, the very arm that had proven capable of decimating a solid iron gate.


    ¡°Kekyaaaarghh!¡±


    A shriek resounded.


    The moment it stopped moving, Adjest restored the Frozen Pce. For the second time, dozens upon dozens of spells were shot towards the chimera.


    ¡®It won¡¯t be easy to suppress this one.¡¯


    Judging so, she decided to devote all of her energy in this attack. [Ice Empress]


    She released the power contained in her sword, the Center of Ice.


    A vast amount of intensely cold air was focused inside her body. Her white-blonde hair started to turn tinum-silver.


    Immediately after herst strand of hair turned silver, her new form catapulted out towards the creature in front of her.


    Noticing her existence, the chimera continued tounch attacks on Adjest while under attack from the Frozen Pce. The tentacles on its back rushed towards Adjest.


    *Crack*


    *Crack*


    An imposing ice spear formed and targeted the tentacles one by one. She was able to arrange any spells and direct them wherever she wanted, as long as it was within this space.


    While Adjest was keeping it busy from the front, Pram made his move.


    Pram may not have been able to kill the beast in a single blow, but he could certainly strike down a tentacle or two after filling his rapier with aura. The chimera was instantly wary of him and tried to minimize the amount of damage Pram could inflict, but was forced to direct a majority of its attention towards Adjest.


    ¡°¡­ It is menacing¡­ But it doesn¡¯t seem like the chimera is too dangerous¡­ ¡±


    Pram, hiding a fragment of his anxiety, continued fighting.


    And while the swordsmen were confronting the monster, the magicians¡¯s spells werepleted.


    [-Step back.]


    It was Desir¡¯s order.


    With the near-instantaneous delivery of Desir¡¯smunication spell, it was as though his party was able to read his mind. Pram and Adjest had both stepped back before the chimera even realized that one of them had stopped attacking. The chimera lurched forward to re-engage, but the Frozen Pce had already followed Adjest¡¯smands and neutralized its movements.


    Ronde and Desir¡¯s spells simultaneously burst towards the chimera. [Volcanic Cannon]


    A freshly forged cannonball made of pure mes, hot asva from a volcano, mmed into the chimera¡¯s core.


    *Boom*


    Along with a heavy explosive sound, the chimera¡¯s massive body tilted greatly. The chimera confirmed the magician¡¯s existence. It changed priorities and had begun to move towards Ronde when Desir¡¯s spell hit.


    [Fire Storm]


    This was a battlefield for magicians.


    In this current situation, where the frontline tied up the enemy and allowed the magicians to keep their distance, Desir was able to unleash the true power of magic.


    A cyclone of pure me engulfed the chimera¡¯s entire body.


    Feeling the heat, Ronde covered his face. It was so bright that everyone had to look away or cover their eyes. Adjest used her Center of Ice to keep both her and Pram from being melted alive. Ronde¡¯s face brightened. Even if it was a chimera, it was surely an organism made up of flesh and blood like humans. There was no way it could endure that kind of attack.


    ¡°Did we bring it down?¡± ¡°No.¡±


    When Desir shook his head, Ronde gazed at the fire. At that moment, he was not able to believe his eyes.


    Within the zing fire.


    There was a figure.


    ¡°It¡¯s- It¡¯s alive? How in the world?¡± The dust started to clear.


    They found the reason not too long after.


    A bluish energy surged from the chimera¡¯s whole body. ¡°What in the world is¡­ ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s aura.¡± Desir answered.


    ¡°That chimera knows how to wield aura.¡±

 Chapter 209. Under their Noses (8)

    <h4>Chapter 209. Under their Noses (8)</h4>


    A swordsman can be considered truly strong once he or she is capable of manifesting their aura.


    Aura, when used, is a power capable of granting any individual exceptional military prestige through its offensive, defensive, and unique applications.


    The chimera in front of them was using that very power with at least an adept understanding of it. Even without its aura, this chimera was several times stronger than the previous chimeras they had faced. But now? It was an insult topare the two.


    The chimera, which increased its defense by wrapping its entire body in aura, still stood tall. It had managed to survive after taking a direct hit from Desir.


    Desir stared at the chimera¡¯s head.


    ¡®I wonder if it¡¯s able to utilize the aura that Aaron handled during his life?¡¯ Aaron was a King ss swordsman.


    As a result of making Aaron an ingredient for the chimera, a true monster had been born. One which could not be taken down by a heavy blow from Sixth-Circle magic.


    Retreat was no longer an option for the Starling Party. Even if they managed to escape, the damage this creature could cause was incalcble. Desir was also duty bound to eliminate such a threat as the staff of the Royal Guard.


    ¡°Keeuk!¡±


    The chimera was not only gifted in attacking and defending, but also in regenerating.


    Even though they pierced its hard skin and inflicted severe injuries, it recovered in a blink of an eye. The injury on its left arm, caused by Romantica¡¯s attack, was long gone.


    Desir analyzed the chimera while maintaining hisposure. ¡®The most bothersome parts are the wings and the tentacles.¡¯


    *Boom*


    The moment Romantica¡¯s shot flew in, the chimera spread its wings.


    Its enormous wings were not used just for flying, but also for protection. While its bluish aura covered them, it was able to block Desir, Romantica, and Ronde¡¯s spells with ease.


    The tentacles grew out of various ces on the chimera¡¯s body. They spouted out of its arms, legs and shoulders.


    The tentacles grafted on, which were likely from the monster known as the Queenbae, wriggled and writhed as they rushed towards the front, as though they had a mind of their own. The flying tentacles, covered in aura, had simr power to a high-ss knight¡¯s sword.


    The Frozen Pce that Adjest arranged had long been ruined by those iling tentacles. The Starling Party was quickly losing the initiative they had struggled to obtain.


    ¡®The scale of its power is well above that of Raphaello. As long as it remains cloaked in that vast amount of aura, it is almost invincible.¡¯


    The chimera¡¯s body was much more resilient than a human¡¯s. With such a strong body, if it still has Aaron¡¯s King ss aura, it would be able to wield it even better than him.


    There were no high-level techniques at work here, but it threatened to overpower them through sheer brute force.


    ¡®Its recuperative power is unusual, so it¡¯s important to make a single attack. Then¡­ ¡¯ Desir immediately came up with a countermeasure.


    There was only one answer to this. [-I¡¯ve figured it out.]


    Desir made up his mind and used themunication pad. [-From now on, we¡¯ll beunching an all-out offensive.]


    The Starling Party¡¯s tactics changed suddenly.


    The first thing to change was Adjest¡¯s movements.


    She had focused on restraining the chimera¡¯s movements until now. In an abrupt change of pace, she instead unleashed a barrage of unrestrained attacks.


    With Ice Empress invoked, her strengthened movements wereparable to a King ss swordsman.


    The chimera¡¯s tentacles shot towards Adjest from all directions.


    As Adjest approached the Chimera and dozens of tentacles were preupied defending against her¡­


    [-Now.] Desir ordered.


    As if she were waiting for this to happen, Adjest released her Ice Empress form and her white-blonde hair quickly returned.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    And at the same time, the chilly air that she kept inside her radiated out in all directions. Adjest didn¡¯t miss a beat and started to arrange a spell.


    [Frozen World] *Crraaackk*


    Everything around her suddenly started to freeze. The tentacles that were rushing towards Adjest were no exception to this.


    Frozen World.


    It was a new imagery magic that she had created.


    Contrary to the Ice Empress which focuses the chilly air within the body, this was a spell that released the chilly air in all directions.


    This arranged spell, which utilized the chilly air emanating from the Center of Ice, reached the power level of a Sixth-Circle spell.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The chimera, which had even absorbed Aaron¡¯s battle experience, quickly took stock of the situation it found itself in before taking action.


    *p*


    The chimera quickly stepped back and unfurled its wings to take distance, assuming that further attacks from the Starling Party would follow.


    At that moment, Romantica¡¯s pad rang. [-Romantica.]


    [-I know.] [Raiden Tornado]


    A weather control spell that falls under the Fifth-Circle. While it may be beyond Romantica¡¯s current circle, highly-skilled magicians are able to arrange spells beyond their level by reducing the scale of effect. Calling them highly-skilled was underselling the talent required.


    Magic that Kelt Nipleka had shown off while sparring with Desir had been attained by Romantica through her relentless training.


    *Swoooosh*


    A storm formed near the chimera and started to rage.


    Wings exist to allow an animal to ride the wind. However, it would be impossible for them to fulfill their role amidst this kind of storm. The chimera was not able to control its body due to the violent wind and soonnded on the ground.


    The chimera¡¯s wings, its only means of defense, were twisted like the spokes of an umbre inverted in a storm. While it struggled to recover control, the creature was wide open for attack.


    ¡°Haaaaaaghh!¡±


    Pram gave a shout and kicked off the ground.


    Adjest and Romantica¡¯s intentional actions prior to this all led to this oue. A rapier filled with aura rushed in towards the blind spot of the chimera. *Thudd*


    Realizing its weakness, the chimera quickly kicked off the ground to escape the situation.


    The aftereffect was substantial. Even though it simply stomped its feet, the ground had ruptured and debris was rocketing towards Pram.


    The chimera seized this moment to attack.


    However, something was strange. Even though it managed tond its attack, nothing could be seen nor heard.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    There were no voices either.


    Aaron¡¯s head, which was supposed to be on top of chimera¡¯s body, was now gone. Pram had failed in approaching it, but had instead managed to cut the chimera¡¯s head.


    [-It¡¯s a sess, Desir.]


    The human part of the Chimera, which contributed Aaron¡¯s human judgement andbat experience, as well as allowing it to use aura, was now gone.


    The chimera discarded all of the injured parts and started to rece them with other monster body parts. It was a gruesome sight, seeing lumps of flesh slough off its body. Eventually, it abandoned its semi-human form altogether and became a monster that walked on all four legs. ¡°Kuuuarrghhhhh!¡±


    It was clearly not the sound of a human scream.


    Even though they had removed Aaron¡¯s head, the chimera maintained its life persistently. However, it was no longer whole.


    The chimera¡¯s head, made out of Aaron¡¯s flesh, was an important part that enabled it to tap into his vast battle experience and aura. Not only that, he was also in charge of auditory, olfactory and visual sense processing as well. A blob of flesh swelled up to take its ce, but it would take quite a long time for what was now a mindless beast to recover those senses.


    The chimera, which had lost all of its sense, started to indiscriminately rampage. *Crash*


    *Crrraash*


    The tentacles on its body started to stretch out and cut down everything like a ded whip. The speed of its iling appendages was so quick that it seemed as though they had vanished from sight.


    No one was able to approach it now.


    The tentacles turned everything they touched into rags. Even though it no longer had the use of aura, its raw strength was still powerful beyond expression.


    A part of the cliff was smashed apart.


    At that very moment.


    ¡°This way.¡±


    Desir¡¯s words sounded particrly loud to the chimera, which barely regained its auditory sense.


    The chimera recognized that voice.


    His enemy.


    The chimera instantly made the connection and sprung out towards that voice. However, Adjest and Pram no longer restrained the chimera.


    [-Great job. I will take it on from now.]


    * * *


    The sightless chimera responded more sensitively to sound. In fact, all it could rely on was sound. Thus it moved ordinging to what it heard.


    When there was no longer anything blocking it, the chimera started to elerate with great speed. Every time it kicked off the ground, the ground erupted behind it like an explosion.


    The chimera that had originally darted off with great speed eventually came to a stop. The ground still shook even though it was no longer moving.


    Sensing something disquieting, the chimera looked around, even though itcked any form of vision.


    ¡°Kreuuugh.¡±


    A strange cry came out of its restored vocal cords.


    Its sight returned just in time.


    The chimera could barely open its eyes. It frowned at the bright light blinding it.


    A vast amount of spell arrays arranged themselves in front of Desir. These were the source of the strong and intense light.


    ¡°Though inconvenient, I had to lure you here.¡±


    Desir stated in a calm fashion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want the city to be destroyed.¡±


    Not understanding what he was saying, the chimera simply moved in order to eliminate the target.


    However, it noticed something strange before even taking a half-step.


    There was no moonlight.


    There was no other light shining in the sky other than the light that Desir was responsible for. The chimera raised its head and looked upwards.


    There was something enormous floating, something that exceeded the range of the chimera¡¯s perception.


    [Binder of Earth]


    A Fourth-Circle defensive spell.


    However, this spell was one extensively modified by Desir. This version was not designed to be used defensively.


    It was actually an offensive spell that rivaled the destructive power of the Seventh-Circle. A giant sphere covered the moon and the forest.


    [Gravity Control]


    Desir did not reign in its power, instead continuing to calcte and form the spell array, pouring in the entirety of his power.


    ¡°This is the end.¡± *Thuddddd*


    Along with a loud boom, a massive shockwave radiated out in all directions. The whole forest was ttened instantly and dusty clouds billowed up high into the air.


    After a while, the dust settled and they were finally able to see.


    An enormous crater, simr to a meteorite strike one may see depicted in the media, was formed in the area where Desir¡¯s spell exploded.

 Chapter 210. Under their Noses (9)

    <h4>Chapter 210. Under their Noses (9)</h4>


    When Desir returned to join the Starling Party, he was greeted with triumphant cheers. ¡°That was incredible, Desir!¡±


    ¡°Since when have you been able to pull off that level of magic!?¡±


    The Starling Party members were struck with admiration after ying the role of onlookers, witnessing the spectacle of Desir obliterating the chimera. It was their first time seeing a Fourth-Circle spell that Desir had modified.


    Ronde was not able to hide his envy and even Adjest, who rarely expressed her emotions, was astonished and couldn¡¯t tear her eyes away from the gigantic crater.


    Desir¡¯s spell had altered the topography of the forest in a single blow. It was clearly a spell with the strength of the Seventh-Circle.


    It was only natural that the others would praise andpliment him.


    Desir waved his hands as he attempted to shrug off their praise.


    ¡°It was only possible because you all fulfilled your respective roles brilliantly.¡± ¡°True, if Pram didn¡¯t cut off its head, it wouldn''t have been easy.¡±


    ¡°No, I was only able to focus on attacking thanks to Adjest, who held onto its feet.¡± Theyplimented each other and the friendly atmosphere continued on.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    While they were preupied basking in their victory, Desir¡¯s smile slowly disappeared. He just couldn¡¯t smile.


    Aaron¡¯s heady on the ground.


    Desir had a stern expression on his face. ¡®He shouldn¡¯t have died like this.¡¯


    Aaron was a figure who would have led hundreds of people out of the Shadow World to safety, eventually dying a glorious death. However, the way he met his end this time was far too disgraceful for a knight with deep pride.


    Seething anger boiled up inside Desir.


    This anger was directed towards Skull Mask, since not only did he create chimeras illegally, he also used a human being as an ingredient for a chimera.


    He resolved himself, once again, to finish off the Outsiders as quickly as possible.


    Aaron¡¯s death raised an abundance of questions, many of which threatened to reveal clues that Desir so desired.


    ¡®It hasn¡¯t been long since Aaron was banished from the city. The fact that this happened immediately after that¡­ ¡¯


    Desir sifted through all the possibilities this raised.


    ¡®An Outsider that could control the leader of the royal family¡¯s knights and has deep connections or direct involvement in Divide¡¯s politicalndscape.¡¯


    It was safe to say that someone who could control prominent merchant groups had their hand in Divide¡¯s economy too.


    But the fact that someone went beyond just manipting their economy and was able to immensely influence politics left Desir deeply uneasy.


    ¡®Worst case, Divide itself could have been subsumed by¡­ ¡¯


    As the potential worst-case scenario came to mind, Desir felt a chill run down his spine. ¡®I need to investigate in detail soon.¡¯


    Desir¡¯s spiraling train of thought was rudely interrupted by Romantica. ¡°Desir, everything is over now, right?¡±


    Even though this incident was surely just one part of a major event, the immediate work at hand could be considered over.


    Their initial purpose ining here was to figure out what kind of rtionship had formed between the Kingdom of Divide and Count Nordin. Their duty ended the moment they identified Count Nordin¡¯s n through finding a great deal of supplies and the chimera installed to guard them.


    ¡°Yeah. With this, the Starling Party¡¯s duty is finished.¡± Listening to Desir¡¯s answer, Adjest read his mind. ¡°You¡¯re thinking of arresting Count Nordin.¡±


    Desir nodded.


    Since they caused a disturbance on such a grand scale, Count Nordin had probably figured out what was happening and had likely already started to take action.


    Count Nordin was a Marquis charged with defending the western region of the Empire.


    The level of power he had in the western region was not something to be taken lightly. The longer any action was dyed, the more difficult the situation would be.


    ¡®We need to take action first, before he does.¡¯


    Desir thought to himself that regardless of whether Count Nordin was guilty of treason or not, he needed to be captured.


    As long as they knew that the Outsiders were connected to this incident, they had to obtain whatever information they could from him.


    Desir¡¯smunication pad rang just as he was contemting his next course of action. This was the perfect time to be interrupted by it. As Desir looked at it, he could see it was a message from the Side Guard.


    * * *


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    A chorus of insect noises that typically filled the dawn of a midsummer day were buried under the chaotic sound of weapons shing.


    ¡°It¡¯s an enemy attack!¡±


    One knight kneeled before Karos, the Count of Nordin, and gave his report.


    ¡°They¡¯ve already broken through the outer bailey, entered the territory, and are now heading this way!¡±


    Karos asked calmly.


    ¡°How many of them are there?¡±


    ¡°There are approximately one hundred of them.¡±


    ¡°Buy some time by mobilizing the whole military force. Do not let them enter this ce.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    After the knight who reported left, Karos equipped his military gear.


    He wore an enchanted coat and sword. Karos, donning an artifact passed down through the Nordin family, raised his head to look at the captain of the order of knights, who was currently guarding him.


    ¡°I wonder when the main force in the frontline would arrive.¡±


    Karos, seeing the tremendous explosion from the forest beneath the cliff, realized that something was wrong.


    He immediately hurried and contacted his main force that had been ced at the border.


    It was a military force he prepared in order to regain the glory of the Hebrion Empire in the near future in theing battle against the Kingdom of Divide.


    If they arrived here, it would be a simple matter to block an enemy such as this. Karos believed that just buying a little bit of time would be enough.


    ¡°They¡¯re on the way here at full speed. They will arrive in about an hour.¡± ¡°¡­ Is that so.¡±


    Karos nodded and his knights lined up in front of him.


    Dozens of knights quickly scrambled into formation before their Count. Karos possessed far more than this, the majority of his army currently holding key defensive positions throughout his castle.


    There weren¡¯t many noblemen who possessed as many knights as he did. With this, one could guess the amount of power Karos had.


    However, even as Karos observed the knights lining up in front of him, he felt anxious. *Thuddd*


    The sound of an explosion was carried by the wind. ¡®I¡¯ve prepared cautiously, but¡­ ¡¯


    Why did it go wrong?


    Everything was certainly prepared perfectly.


    He cautiously prepared over a long period of time in order to not get caught and even managed to obtain the help of a powerful assistant.


    All of these preparations were due toe to an end shortly and the n was scheduled to be carried out soon.


    However, there was an unexpected change.


    ¡®I never thought that kind of military strength would suddenly attack¡­ ¡¯ Karos recalled the explosion that leveled the forest.


    A destructive power that violently shook his territory, even though it was miles away from the forest. From this observation alone, he judged there to be magicians with incredible skill amongst the enemy force.


    Karos tried to disguise his feelings with calmness, but his shaking eyes exposed his anxiety. *Crash*


    The sound of explosions and deathly screams continued to reach this room from all directions. These sounds indicated that the enemy was steadily drawing nearer.


    That could only mean one thing. The military forces stationed in the Nordin Territory were being wiped out.


    ¡®Weren¡¯t there only one hundred of them?¡¯ Karos just couldn¡¯t understand it.


    The number of the enemy was a mere one hundred. However, the number of soldiers posted by Karos were several timesrger than the enemy¡¯s. Even if the enemy¡¯s abilities were extraordinary, it was difficult to understand how his soldiers could be defeated at such a speed. Karos¡¯s doubt was settled soon enough.


    *Baang*


    The door was smashed open and a boy strolled in through it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve prepared more military strength within your territory than I thought, Count Nordin. I assume you felt it would not be enough to rely on just the chimeras?¡±


    Karos had never seen this boy face to face before, but he knew who he was immediately. He had seen his name and face in many news articles after all.


    ¡°Desir Arman¡­ ¡±


    A hero who had the most distinguished service record in the war between the Outsiders and


    Allied Forces. A figure known as the most genius magician that the Hebrion Academy had ever produced.


    Everyone across the whole continent knew the fact that the party he led defeated a homunculus who had fought Zod Exarion, the most powerful magician on the continent, to a draw.


    Karos was finally able to see how only one hundred personnel were able to destroy his military forces so quickly.


    *Stomp*


    *Stomp*


    Knights in ck armor entered the room after Desir. The captain next to Karos recognized them immediately. ¡°The Side Guard!?¡±


    The Side Guard, a group founded to support the Royal Guard.


    Because they were overshadowed by the Royal Guards, they were far less known to the public. However, it was a military group consisting of knights above Rook ss and magicians above the Fourth-Circle.


    Desir sized up Karos before speaking.


    ¡°I¡¯m Desir Arman, staff of the Royal Guard. Count Nordin, you¡¯re under arrest and stripped of your rank, pending trial.¡±


    Seemingly unwilling toprehend what Desir said, Karos shouted in rage. ¡°Kill them!¡±


    The knight¡¯s order, lined up in front of him, began moving. At the same time, the Side Guards took action as well.


    *Bang*


    *Baaaanng*


    As the spells from the knight¡¯s order magicians and Side Guard magicians shed, there was a huge explosion.


    During this explosion, swordsmen from both sides charged forward into close-quartersbat.


    ¡°Suppress Count Nordin!¡±


    ¡°Do not let them approach our Lord!¡±


    Confronting the powerful Side Guards, Nordin Territory¡¯s knights refused to yield. They were prepared to die.


    ¡°For Hebrion!¡±


    There were only five members of the Side Guard that followed Desir here. The rest of them were confronting the military forces stationed downstairs by Karos.


    However, the few Side Guards and the dozens of knights continued fighting, equally matched. ¡°Suppress them calmly, one by one, while maintaining formation.¡±


    Desirmanded the Side Guards from behind.


    The Side Guards followed his orders without raising any objection. It was only natural, since he was a Royal Guard, but it wasn¡¯t just because of his title; they respected his abilities.


    Even though the Side Guard was an exceptional military group, Desir¡¯s power yed a huge role in breaking through this ce in such a short period of time.


    Desir¡¯s spell unfolded before him. [Fire Storm]


    *Thudd*


    Desir¡¯s spell blew away many knights, who were preupied fighting against the Side


    Guards. Every time he arranged a spell, the situation would turn more in his favor. Desir approached Karos, step by step, while arranging various spells.

 Chapter 211. Under their Noses (10)

    <h4>Chapter 211. Under their Noses (10)</h4>


    The knights¡¯ eyes lit up.


    While the Side Guards were maintaining their formation, a Royal Guard alone was approaching the enemy line.


    ¡®Is he out of his mind?¡¯


    The knights who saw Desir could not help but feel that way.


    If long-range was the domain of a magician, then close-range was the domain of a knight. Avoiding close-range battle with knights was the fundamental strategy for magicians. However, Desir ignored the fundamentals of battle and slowly walked between the knights.


    ¡®If we suppress this Royal Guard, then we¡¯ll be able to turn the tables!¡¯


    It would not be an understatement to say that the entire continent was already aware of how powerful Desir was. It wasn¡¯t that the knights didn¡¯t know this.


    However, they judged that even if he was an outstanding magician, they would stand a chance of sess in close range battle.


    The captain of the order quickly screamed out a newmand to his subordinates. ¡°Aim for him first!¡±


    Dozens of knights swarmed after Desir at the same time. At that moment, a spell technique unfolded in front of Desir.


    [Bind]


    Knowing what spell Desir had arranged, the knights sneered at him.


    Bind was a First-Circle spell. A spell which belonged to the most basic amongst all restraining spells. The knights judged that he wouldn¡¯t be able to block them with just that.


    However, it didn¡¯t take long for thatughter to morph into groans. ¡°Keukk!¡±


    All of the swords swinging towards Desir stopped. ¡°Wh-What¡¯s happening¡­ ?!¡±


    The knights began to speak in a flustered tone. That was because their bodies were all frozen at the same time.


    The sight of all of the knights frozen in ce, many with their swords outstretched towards Desir while others were stuck in various other poses, made it seem as time itself had stopped. ¡°Is-Is this really a First-Circle spell?¡±


    The knights¡¯ faces were painted with confusion.


    The spell that Desir invoked showed apletely different kind of power from what they expected. The cause? It was a spell Desir had modified.


    Desir spoke in a profound tone.


    ¡°You better not move. Your life may be in danger if you struggle against it.¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°Remove this spell right now!¡±


    Despite Desir¡¯s warning, the knights continued to struggle. They wailed, as the bodies they took so much pride in cultivating were suppressed by a mere First-Circle spell.


    However, it was impossible for them to break free from Desir¡¯s spell. The number of people that broke their arms and legs while struggling only increased.


    Desirmanded the Side Guards.


    ¡°Side Guards, bind the knights of the Nordin Territory.¡±


    The Side Guards, who stared vacantly at Desir¡¯s divine dignity, were startled into action. Desir¡¯s magic was incredible to the point that even the Side Guards, who had experienced overwhelming military power numerous times while supporting the other Royal Guards, were left dumbfounded.


    Desir walked through the frozen knights towards Karos. ¡°Keeuuuk¡­ !¡±


    Karos was barely enduring Desir¡¯s spell by stabbing his sword into the ground to help steady himself. When Desir approached near to him, he used all of his aura and freed himself from the restraint.


    Karos¡¯s sword speared towards Desir. *ng*


    However, Karos¡¯s final effort proved to be fruitless. Runel fitted out and simply flicked away his sword.


    After losing his sword, his body copsed onto the floor. ¡°Everything is over, Count Nordin.¡±


    Desir umted more mana than before, pouring it into the spell restraining him. With such powerful mana, mana that was beyondparison to what restrained him before, Karos found that he waspletely unable to move.


    The Side Guards, who had finished binding the knights, approached and surrounded Karos. *Grinddd*


    The sound of grinding teeth echoed throughout the room. ¡°Are you a Royal Guard?¡±


    Karos red at Desir, shouting resentfully.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe a swordsman, who should be protecting the Emperor, is serving a fake Emperor! Or do you just follow whoever gives you power!¡±


    A fake Emperor.


    He was referring to himself as the current Emperor and relegating Guiltian Zedgar F. Rogfs to the position of fake Emperor.


    Desir felt more doubtful rather than angry since he wasn¡¯t particrly loyal to the Emperor. However, the Side Guards didn¡¯t feel the same.


    They were furious and were ready to cut off Karos¡¯s head.


    Desir quickly restrained the Side Guards. He couldn¡¯t allow them to do as they wished as there was still valuable information they had to retrieve from Karos.


    ¡°Please refrain from making further statements¡­ if you don¡¯t want to be executed before standing trial.¡±


    Nevertheless, despite being threatened, Karos did not stop talking. ¡°The Rogfs¡­ They are not the true imperial family of Hebrion.¡± The true imperial family of Hebrion.


    Desir understood what he meant by that. He also understood why Karos attempted to rebel. Karos continued talking with his voice clouded with resentment.


    ¡°I was only loyal to the imperial family of Hebrion. Rogfs is the traitor who took advantage of the revolution to seize the imperial throne! If you truly care for Hebrion, you should raise your sword against Rogfs!¡±


    The imperial family of Hebrion, who established the Hebrion Empire, were exterminated twelve years ago in a violent revolution.


    Only the side families remained.


    One of them, the Rogfs, were able to take possession of the throne by personally leading the soldiers and suppressing the rebellion.


    Karos was raising an objection to the legitimacy of the current imperial family of Hebrion, who managed to obtain the throne in such a way.


    Desir understood why he felt that way, but he had no intention of sympathizing with him. ¡°Take him away.¡±


    * * *


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    ¡°Excellent, Sir Desir.¡±


    The office of the Royal Guards.


    After transferring Karos Nordin to the capital of the Empire, Desir was currently holding a pleasant conversation with Alfred over tea.


    ¡°I was only doing my duty.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to do your duty in a world like this. If it weren¡¯t for you, this Empire would have suffered under another war.¡±


    Desir smiled bitterly at Alfred¡¯s praise and tried to steer the conversation to a more important topic.


    ¡°Did you retrieve any information from Count Nordin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯vee to know that there are more noble families cooperating with him than we thought.¡± Although Alfred said cooperating, the situation was much more serious than that. It meant that there were more people who disapproved of the imperial family¡¯s legitimacy than they were aware of.


    ¡°Based on the information we¡¯ve gathered so far, the level of the military force that they¡¯ve secretly gathered over a long period of time had reached the level of a small country. If we include the chimeras, it would¡¯ve been extremely troublesome.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Desir, who never even entertained the possibility of an internal rebellion in the Empire, since this political turmoil hadn¡¯t urred in his past life, could not help but be disconcerted. Guiltian, the current Emperor of the Hebrion Empire, tried to win Desir over to his side in order to oppress the aristocrats¡¯ influence. For him to do such a thing indicated that he must have been expecting this kind of situation.


    ¡°His Majesty ordered the other Royal Guards to suppress them. And they¡¯ve seeded in detaining all of the families who coborated in the rebellion.¡±


    Desir realized that the bnce between the Emperor and the aristocrats¡¯ influence had been ruined.


    ¡®Then the aristocrats will no longer think of standing against the Emperor.¡¯


    The story goes that among the noble families who had been exterminated, there were many families that wielded considerable power.


    ¡®He didn¡¯t have to use the Royal Guards here¡­ ¡¯


    Even if they had gathered a good amount of military strength, it would still be iparable to the Emperor who controlled the strongest military force on the continent.


    However, the reason for intentionally using the Royal Guards was evident.


    It was to disy the difference in their power.


    The Royal Guards, a military group under direct control of the Emperor, were able topletely neutralize the noble families who had the military might of a small country within a mere few days.


    Even Desir couldn¡¯t take a guess at just what kind of political implications this incident would bring. But one thing was for certain; the Empire would no longer be stirred up internally.


    ¡®That¡¯s enough.¡¯


    ¡°Is there no other information extracted from Count Nordin?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. I was not able to find out any information regarding your request. I must apologize, Sir Desir.¡±


    ¡°It is what it is. No need for apologies.¡±


    Desir had requested the Side Guard to obtain all information regarding the Outsiders out of Karos.


    ¡®Well, no results. Just as I expected.¡¯


    Karos¡¯s loyalty towards the imperial family of Hebrion left no room for doubt.


    The fact that the revolutionary army was part of the Outsiders was a widely known fact. There was no way that Karos, who was loyal to the imperial family of Hebrion, would cooperate with the Outsiders.


    Without a doubt, Skull Mask would have hidden his identity when approaching him. ¡®Either way, Divide is clearly connected to the Outsiders.¡¯


    Then we need to figure out what kind of rtionship the Outsiders have with Divide. ¡°Please contact me if additional information is acquired.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Sir Desir. Please let me know if you need anything else.¡± Desir stood up and left the room.


    The conversation was over, but Desir¡¯s thoughts did not end.


    ¡®The Outsiders are now the biggest obstacle in clearing the Shadow Labyrinth.¡¯


    The continent had started to achieve unity and the number of talented people continued to grow. Desir had also managed to obtain a level of authority that could handle almost any kind of situation. With these goals achieved, he had judged that if things continued as they were currently, they would be able to clear the Shadow Labyrinth with minimal loss.


    However, after this incident, Desir decided that he must eliminate the Outsiders before the Shadow Labyrinth arrived.


    ¡®Aaron was a figure who would have yed a huge role in clearing the Shadow Labyrinth.¡¯ Losing such military strength, a King ss swordsman no less, was such an incredibly heavy blow to Desir¡¯s efforts. It was now a top priority to eliminate the Outsiders in order to prevent this kind of incident from reuring.


    However, that was not the only reason why Desir felt a deep-rooted hatred for the Outsiders. Though it happened in his past life, Aaron was one of his few good friends.


    Desir quietly mumbled to himself. ¡°¡­ at all cost.¡±


    Eliminate them at all cost.

 Chapter 212. Divide (1)

    <h4>Chapter 212. Divide (1)</h4>


    ¡°¡­ This is thepensation the Empire wants.¡±


    In a chamber in the Divide Kingdom, two people sat facing each other between a lengthy wooden table. The person with a white moustache was the treasurer, and the young man in front of him was known as the advisor.


    The advisor frowned after reading the documents ced in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s terribly excessive.¡±


    ¡°This will hugely burden our national finances. We can¡¯t ept this.¡±


    The Hebrion Empire held the merchant society of the Divide Kingdom ountable for aiding their nobles¡¯ revolt and demanded the kingdom paypensation for damage.


    And this context is enough to exin why they reacted this way.


    The advisor spoke with a calm voice.


    ¡°The Empire has always been like this. They¡¯ve always been unreasonable in their demands, using their military force to always get their way. You shouldn¡¯t think they¡¯ve changed just because they helped rid the world of the Outsiders.¡±


    ¡°We better t out refuse their offer. We can¡¯t keep letting the Empire walk all over us!¡±


    ¡°I understand your anger, but considering the current situation, we can¡¯t afford to turn down their proposal.¡±


    The treasurer¡¯s face turned stern.


    ¡°Then are you suggesting that we ept this ridiculous offer? There¡¯s no way we¡¯re rted to their revolt. It¡¯s just¡­ !¡±


    The advisor cut him off and continued what he barely finished.


    ¡°¡­ it does seem that way in this circumstance. But looking at it from the Empire¡¯s perspective, it¡¯s reasonable to see why they assume we were involved. If we don¡¯t ept their offer, we will be their enemy. That could lead to war.¡± The treasurer bit his lip.


    ¡°Confiscate the property of the Merchant Association that the Empire believes aided the revolt, and prepare thepensation from that. That will solve the national finance problem.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Okay.¡±


    The treasurer understood that what the advisor said was correct in his head.


    However, he was devastated by the fact that the only option they had was to yield to the Empire.


    ¡°But I will never overlook this incident.¡±


    The treasurer lifted his head hearing the advisor¡¯s voice.


    ¡°We¡¯re not the only one who struggles with the Empire¡¯s violence. I will inform the entire continent of this. It won¡¯t be just the four countries in the Western Kingdom Union this time. A lot of small countries that have been patient all this time will side with us.¡±


    The advisor looked as determined as possible.


    ¡°When many people desire the copse of the evil Empire as one, the Divide Kingdom will also rise. It¡¯s our turn to let the Hebrion Empire know what oue thebined revival will bring.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Once we sort out thispensation problem, we will n the budget again. I¡¯ll find the funds to allow us to increase our military and let you know in a week.¡±


    The treasurer¡¯s face brightened.


    * * *


    After the treasurer left, the advisor kept rubbing his cheek as though he was in difort.


    ¡®I can never get used to this, no matter how much I use it.¡¯ The advisor¡¯s name is Icarus Quirgo.


    He was the man who led the civil war in the Hebrion Empire. He raised the banner of revolution thirteen years ago, and after his defeat, has since worked as a leader of the Outsiders, wearing a crow mask.


    ¡®It¡¯s you again.¡¯


    It took years for him to prepare this n.


    His thoroughly nned stratagem to bring ruin to the Hebrion Empire hadpletely fallen apart.


    All because of one man. ¡®Desir Arman¡­ ¡¯


    Things had gotten worse too.


    The nobility were the most useful tool in order to keep the Emperor of the Hebrion Empire in check. And keeping the Emperor in check meant keeping the whole Empire in check. However, the nobility had lost all their power after Desir Arman once again stuck his unwee nose into Icarus¡¯s seemingly perfect n. He could no longer count on the nobility to mount a noteworthy resistance against the Emperor.


    The result of Desir Arman¡¯s intervention immediately reared its ugly head. The Empire had taken a hard-line policy with the Kingdom of Divide.


    Normally, the Empire would not demandpensation this unreasonable. They couldn¡¯t afford to have more external enemies while not knowing when their internal enemies would stab them in the back.


    But now things have changed.


    The Emperor could now focus on matters external to his empire after solidifying his internal affairs. And that would definitely interrupt their n.


    Just a single person made all this change.


    ¡®Desir Arman, you¡¯re the biggest obstacle to our ambitions.¡¯


    Icarus was trying to figure out the necessary actions to rid himself of this thorn in his side. ¡°You must be troubled due to him.¡±


    A voice emanated from somewhere nearby; a very disconcerting voice that sounded like iron scratching down a chalkboard.


    When Icarus opened his eyes, he saw someone wearing a skeleton mask standing right before him.


    Skull Mask spoke more easily, unlike a year ago. He seemed to have recovered, even though Crow Mask didn¡¯t see him doing anything in particr.


    ¡°Desir Arman has be stronger. You knew Aaron¡¯s strength better than most.¡± Icarus frowned his eyebrows slightly as he listened to Skull Mask.


    He was the one who killed Aaron after all.


    Aaron, after being expelled from the capital city, noticed something suspicious afoot and attempted to investigate them.


    That was why he had to be killed. ¡®I wanted to let him go nicely¡­ ¡¯


    Aaron was a great man in terms of skill and as a person. Although he was an enemy that they needed to get rid of, Icarus wanted to present him with the respectful ending that he deserved. However, Skull Mask was different.


    ¡®I really hate that man.¡¯


    Skull Mask had made a chimera out of the dying Aaron, resulting in a monstrous beast that was terrifyingly powerful.


    Although it wasn¡¯t as powerful as a homunculus, its skill in wielding sword aura was truly massive. This was even more so because the aura he wielded belonged to the King ss of swordsmen.


    However, Desir defeated such a powerful chimera without any losses.


    ¡°ording to the mirror of shadows, the magic that he performed defeating the chimera reached the Seventh-Circle.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Seventh-Circle?¡±


    Icarus asked again as if he couldn¡¯t believe it.


    It was utterly surprising.


    In this day and age, there was only one person who managed to reach the Seventh-Circle, Zod Exarion.


    He already knew that Desir was strong and was destined to be even stronger. He even wrote off Desir¡¯s sudden advancement into the Fourth-Circle as a byproduct of their homunculus¡¯s capture. But it was totally unexpected that he could disy such improvement within just a year.


    ¡®Perhaps he¡¯s¡­ a genius?¡¯


    After he suffered humiliation at the hands of Desir at Deltaheim, the capital of Prillecha, he had fervently plunged himself into his training while furthering the n.


    Icarus was confident that there was no magician who could catch up with him except Zod.


    But out of the blue, the inferior magician that had managed to best him once already had caught up this close to him¡­ perhaps even exceeding him.


    ¡®In that case, we¡¯re not strong enough yet.¡¯


    When Icarus told himself that, Skull Mask started up the conversation once again. ¡°We need to manufacture more chimeras.¡±


    He was right. The Kingdom of Divide was the country with the most powerful military force amongst the Western Kingdom Union. But it still couldn¡¯tpare to the Hebrion Empire. ¡®We have to get ready for an all-out war.¡¯


    Now that Desir had discovered their existence, it was inevitable that they had to prepare for war against the Empire.


    ¡°Can you make more chimeras using Aaron?¡±


    Although the chimera was defeated by Desir, if they could mass produce chimeras as good as that, their military strength would be more than enough.


    ¡°Getting more King ss swordsmen is impossible. We would simply be recycling the power of King sses.¡±


    Skull Mask shook his head and continued.


    ¡°Revolutionist, that¡¯ll only make these very inefficient chimeras. If you want to produce something, you¡¯d be better off making something else entirely.¡±


    ¡°Something else?¡±


    ¡°Homunculi.¡±


    The weapon that single-handedly held the status-quo in the war between the Outsiders and all other countriesbined.


    The living organism that could kill enemies with long-distance artillery fire and control the principle of causality, a power firmly in the realm of gods.


    It was safe to say that the homunculus on its own had as much military force as a country.


    Icarus spoke with surprisecing his face. ¡°I wonder if we can mass-produce them.¡±


    ¡°This is why we conquered Divide. If we use the finances of Divide, it¡¯s easily possible. The preparation has already been underway for a while now.¡±


    ¡°For a while now? You don¡¯t mean¡­?¡±


    Icarus pointed at the mysterious tower being built under the supervision of Skull Mask. Building the tower had required an astronomical amount of resources.


    ¡°The tower is for something else. I¡¯ll tell you about it some other time.¡±


    The Outsiders were an organization that was primarily made for the sake of fulfilling each individual¡¯s desire.


    Even though Skull Mask did not talk about his purpose, Icarus was not entitled to ask him directly.


    ¡®I can never tell what he¡¯s thinking.¡¯


    As long as they shared a mutual goal, they could work together as an association, otherwise, they would go their separate ways.


    Therefore, Icarus could not ask him anymore about it.


    ¡°By the way, have you figured out how to get rid of Desir Arman?¡± Skull Mask opened his mouth to change the topic.


    ¡°¡­ He¡¯s already figured out that we have taken over the Kingdom of Divide.¡± Skull Mask agreed with him.


    ¡°In that case, he¡¯ll try to gather information about Divide. But he won¡¯t be able to get any decent information.¡±


    Icarus regted the domestic and international press and tightened all immigration processes.


    It was nearly impossible for him to get information from abroad about the Outsiders. ¡°Eventually, he will have toe to Divide himself. And he wille here regardless of any interruption.¡±


    Icarus thought highly of Desir; it would be impossible to think of someone as your biggest threat without acknowledging their skills.


    ¡°Then it would be better to give him an excuse toe to Divide, and use the opportunity to finish him off. It¡¯s soon going to be time for the next Great Council.¡±


    Skull Mask nodded.


    ¡°Hm¡­ Will the Great Council be held in Divide?¡±


    The Western Kingdom Union held the conference known as the Great Council every summer. And Desir, as a member of the Magic Tower, had participated in thest Great Council.


    If the Great Council took ce in Divide this year, Desir would definitely seize the opportunity to participate.


    ¡°If it is, then Desir Arman will participate for sure. And we must remove him on the spot.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll help you out with a few things to make sure your n seeds.¡±

 Chapter 213. Divide (2)

    <h4>Chapter 213. Divide (2)</h4>


    The Starling Party¡¯s office.


    The party office, which was always raucous these days due to the increasing number of party members, was uncharacteristically silent for the first time in a long while. Summer vacation had begun!


    Desir, who had been left alone in the office, opened his notepad. He drew a line, crossing off today¡¯s date in the calendar.


    ¡®I suppose I have sixteen months left ording to the timeline I am familiar with.¡¯


    Desir was diligent in keeping track of how much time he had remaining every day. It was a habit, almostpulsion, that he had not broken ever since he returned.


    As the number of lines on the calendar grew, the more anxious he found himself. ¡®The date that the Shadow Labyrinth appears might have changed.¡¯


    In the past six months, there had been many times when events urred in ways Desir did not expect. He had made far too many changes to this timeline, and the consequences of those actions continued to move the future further away from what he knew.


    Knowing the future was the biggest weapon that he had at his disposal. It was clear now that the more he used it, the faster he would lose it.


    Above all things, he felt the need to prepare for the possibility of the Shadow Labyrinth happening sooner than he expected.


    At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t be odd even if the Shadow Labyrinth appeared at a different time. He had been preparing a lot, but still so many things remained for him to do.


    ¡®First of all, I have to make sure to remove the Outsiders.¡¯


    The Outsiders were the biggest cause of change in the history that Desir remembered. And most of all, they were very likely to interrupt his n to clear the Shadow Labyrinth.


    Therefore, Desir prioritized getting rid of the Outsiders among things that he needed to get done right now.


    He was certain that the Outsiders and the Kingdom of Divide had some kind of rtionship after witnessing this for himself during the Nordin Territory investigation. Desir was not one to let opportunities slip through his grasp, so he immediately began a deeper investigation into the internal affairs of Divide.


    However, all of his effort was in vain.


    ¡°Anyone rted to the press is not allowed to enter the Kingdom of Divide for some time.¡± This was all Vang Zar from Aylus News could tell him.


    Desir¡¯s most criticalwork of information, Aylus News, could not get any detailed information from inside Divide due to the tightened immigration control on behalf of Divide¡¯s royal family.


    ¡®This is going to be a hassle.¡¯


    Still, keeping an entire country¡¯s poption quiet is an impossible task. Eventually, Desir was able to gather some information, but to call it useful would be an overstatement.


    Desir was sure that the Outsiders and Divide had a rtionship, and the information he obtained seemed to reinforce that notion, but he had nothing to prove it. It was vital that he obtained concrete proof before taking any action publicly. Making a rash move could bring about all kinds of diplomatic headaches.


    However, Desir was limited with what he could do if he couldn¡¯t get any more information. ¡®Then there¡¯s only one way.¡¯


    Desir turned the pages of his notepad. Within it was page after page of cramped writing containing every event of historical importance that Desir could remember. Whenever he remembered something new from his previous life, he would quickly jot it down in that notepad. He scored every event on a scale from one to six, subjectively organizing them by importance. Armed with this knowledge and ranking system, he would decide his course of action with a slight reassurance that he was making positive change in terms of the bigger picture.


    There was one event amongst the others that stood out.


    Rank 6. Western Kingdom Union Great Council (Kingdom of Divide)


    The Western Kingdom Union would hold the Great Council this year, just likest year. And the location it would be held in was the Kingdom of Divide.


    ¡®I have no choice but to go check out the situation myself.¡¯


    As he couldn¡¯t get any more information from his intelligencework, he decided to move personally.


    After making the decision, he contacted someone. ¡°Master of the Magic Tower, how have you been?¡± [-I¡¯ve been good as always.]


    After exchanging brief greetings, Desir briefed the Tower Master, Zod Exarion, on what had happened while he was away. He also told him that he would be participating in the Great Council.


    [-That¡¯s too dangerous.]


    Zod expressed his concern after hearing Desir¡¯s piece.


    [-If the Outsiders already dominate Divide, your action means going into the center of the enemy camp. It¡¯s suicidal.]


    ¡°But if I don¡¯t do it myself, there¡¯s no more means for me to get information. And without information, I cannot stop them.¡± Zod was lost in his thoughts. [-Hmm¡­ ]


    ¡°Time is of the essence. They¡¯re furthering their n as we speak. And it will surely result in some outrageous damage.¡±


    Just as Zod had said, this was a very dangerous course of action. But Desir did not bring that up without intention.


    ¡°There must be a reason why the Outsiders and Divide haven¡¯t made any major moves yet, even though they have gained the power to control the political and economic worlds. They must not be able to act immediately yet.¡±


    If they acted too soon, and their n failed, it was very likely that they would once again be the target of a world-wide alliance.


    Although they did not know what these remnant Outsiders were nning to do yet, they could not afford to fight against other countries right now, especially with Divide inmand of them. They had justpleted a gruelling war, and the military force of the continent was at the lowest it had been in a long time as a result of it.


    Zod spoke after sighing deeply.


    [-So in summary, your purpose is to get the information rted to the Outsiders in Divide, and reveal their existence with proof.]


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Once I have positive confirmation of their involvement, I will be able to overpower them before they do anything else.¡±


    Though they didn¡¯t know what military force the Outsiders had at their disposal now, it surely wasn¡¯t enough to overpower the Empire. That was a definite reality.


    ¡°Nevertheless, it¡¯d be better to reinforce the guard just in case.¡± [-I understand. I¡¯ll directly let each king know about that.]


    Zod¡¯s voice held great influence across the continent, but its impact was even stronger in the Western Kingdom Union, due to their close connection.


    ¡°I will prepare other countermeasures too.¡± [-Good luck.]


    * * *


    After the conversation with Zod, Desir chose to request cooperation with the Royal Guard. The Royal Guard were a group of people that the Emperor felt had reached the pinnacle of their respective ss of weapon in the Empire. Their skills were beyond all doubt.


    Desir wanted the Royal Guard to be his trump card for a belt and braces.


    However, things never went as easily as expected.


    The sword of the Royal Guard had left on a mission for the Emperor, so it was impossible to ask for their help in the first ce.


    The first person Desir asked for help from was Raphaello, shield of the Royal Guard. However, Raphaello balked at such a proposition.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to help you, but I cannot leave His Majesty¡¯s side. It¡¯s my job to protect him, more so than any of the other Royal Guard.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t gone to Swan yet, have you? To be honest with you, I don¡¯t think approaching her will go well¡­ ¡±


    Desir nodded in agreement with Raphaelo.


    ¡°Well, she certainly hates all tasks that are a hassle.¡±


    ¡°I wish you the best.¡±


    After Desir left Raphaelo, he headed to the bar where Swan wasst reported to be at. ¡®If she rejects me too, I¡¯ll need toe up with another n.¡¯


    He opened the bar door without much expectation.


    Katarina was drinking alone, looking very ordinary for a member of the Royal Guard. ¡®No, she¡¯s anything but ordinary.¡¯


    Next to her was a pile of alcohol bottles and a crowd of people staring at her in dismay. Though it was evident from the situation, Desir recalled that she was an incredibly heavy drinker.


    As Desir sat opposite her, she waved her hand after recognizing Desir. She didn¡¯t seem drunk at all.


    ¡°So what¡¯s up this time?¡±


    Desir moved to the seat next to her and told her exactly what he told Raphaelo.


    Swan kept drinking while listening in disinterest. And once Desir finished, she finally opened her mouth allusively.


    ¡°Are you going with the Starling Party core members too?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ?¡±


    Desir tilted his head, not understanding what she was getting at. ¡°Well, yes¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Swan smiled as she ced the ss she had been sipping from on the table.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ept your request.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you. Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡±


    ¡°D¡­ ¡±


    Desir looked at her with a flustered expression.


    Desir found it rather ominous that she approved so easily, even though he had very little expectation.


    ¡®Did she say yes so easily because of¡­ ?¡¯ Desir asked with a doubt.


    ¡°¡­ Is it because of Pram?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Swan quaffed what was left in her ss and smiled. It was a smile that concealed all other emotion, leaving the viewer unable to guess exactly what it meant.


    ¡°Anyway thank you. I will contact youter again.¡±


    ¡°Are you leaving? Why don¡¯t you have a drink?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t like to drink very much.¡±


    Leaving Swan at the bar, who immediately plunged herself back into drinking, Desir decided to protect Pram.

 Chapter 214. Divide (3)

    <h4>Chapter 214. Divide (3)</h4>


    Inside the drill hall for the single rankers.


    There were many students present, even though the academy was supposedly on vacation. They had continued their training at the academy in order to further refine their skills during vacation and get the edge on their peers.


    And there was a spar under way that had attracted an enormous number of people. The people present were all powerful in their own right, which made more people gather to see what could possibly attract so many powerhouses.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy this time!¡±


    Three third year single rankers surrounded a single girl. However, there was nobody present who felt this was an unfair match up.


    It was because that single girl was Adjest Kingscrown. *Woosh*


    Adjest dodged the swordsmen rushing at her with minimal movement. She then invoked magic towards the person closest to her.


    In a mere moment, the ice spear fully formed and wasunched at the swordsman. ¡°Oof!¡±


    He barely raised his sword to block Adjest¡¯s magic in time. But because of his sudden change of posture, he had revealed an opening in his stance.


    Adjest didn¡¯t miss such an opportunity and broke through the siege on her.


    After making a bit of distance between herself and her foes, she immediately invoked a spell. [Frozen Pce]


    An ominous pce made out of ice appeared.


    Dozens of magic spells fell on three single rankers simultaneously.


    Adjest¡¯s magic was efficient. It was neither insufficient or excessive. Interrupting their movement restricted their teamwork, therefore removing a number of advantages they held. As single rankers, their skills were not anything to scoff at. They responded to the tireless downpour of magic in a calm manner and approached Adjest.


    *Cling*


    The duel began afresh.


    But Adjest remained calm even though she gave the swordsmen an advantage by allowing them to close the distance.


    She was a magic swordsman. A specialist who could cope with head-to-head and long-distance battles.


    But they had already spent a fair amount of their stamina getting through her Frozen Pce. Inevitably, they ended up surrendering.


    Adjest won without allowing them a single moment of dominance. The result didn¡¯t surprise anyone; everyone assumed she would win from the outset.


    Adjest was such an entity, afterall. She was utterly insurmountable for the majority of her cohort. Ever since she entered the academy, she drew attention from many people. At that time, she was considered to have the best talent in the history of the Hebrion Academy.


    All of that attention made people curious about her. ¡°Where is the Kingscrown family from?¡±


    Everyone thought it must have been an amazing family as Adjest was so beautiful and had such excellent talent.


    However, nobody knew anything about the Kingscrown family.


    As the people were once again pondering this conundrum, there was amotion behind them out of the blue.


    ¡°She¡¯s Katarina from the royal guard!¡±


    Although some people may not know the faces of the royal guard, everyone knew their names. As Katarina came into the drill hall, she looked around then opened her mouth.


    ¡°Can everyone leave this drill hall for a moment?¡±


    The students were puzzled at such a sudden request. They had no idea what was going on. She then added.


    ¡°I am going to spar with Adjest, but I don¡¯t think I can guarantee your safety.¡±


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    The sparring between two geniuses: a member of the royal guard and the pride of the Hebrion Academy. It was quite a rare battle, no, something impossible for them to see again.


    ¡®I want to watch!¡¯


    Everybody present shared the same thought.


    But, they couldn¡¯t disregard her warning. As she said, if these two people shed full-blooded, the aftermath would surely be tremendous.


    The students reluctantly trudged out of the gymnasium. The noisy gymnasium was now deathly quiet in an instant.


    Adjest and Katarina looked at each other, now alone. Katarina seemed delighted to see her. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Princess.¡±


    Katarina bent herself at the waist and bowed politely. ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    Adjest answered with a nk face but Katarina did not miss the difort in her voice. ¡°Your business is over in the pce.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But Desir Arman asked me to apany him to the Western Kingdom Union¡¯s Great Council. And I dly epted it.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re here for Pram.¡±


    With Adjest''s quick reply, Swan sighed.


    ¡°What kind of person do you, Princess, and Desir think I am? Do you really think I, a member of the Royal Guard, would put all this effort in for someone like Pram?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    As Adjest nodded silently, Swan shrugged with a smile.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t deny that half of the reason I¡¯m joining is due to that.¡± Swan and Adjest had mixed feelings one more time.


    The grin fell off Swan¡¯s face. She couldn¡¯t look any more serious. ¡°But I came here because of you, Princess.¡±


    Swan knew Adjest¡¯s status as Princess from the very beginning. Adjest was next in line to take the throne of this Empire.


    ¡°I¡¯m way past the age of needing your protection.¡±


    ¡°We will see. Pick up your sword. I¡¯ll witness how much your skill has improved for the first time in a long time.¡±


    As Swan reached out her hand forward, a bow popped out of a dimensional space. What she held before her was her designated artifact as the person given the title of bow of the Royal Guard.


    Adjest let out a sigh. She was very used to Swan behaving as she pleased without a care for the feelings of the other person.


    She took out her Center of Ice from a dimensional pocket in her Clothes Line. In doing so, the temperature of the room instantly dropped.


    *Bam*


    Adjest was pushed away by the unexpected shockwave. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad reaction speed.¡±


    Swan raised her eyebrows.


    Adjest used her sword to block the arrow she shot unannounced.


    She didn¡¯t have the time to recognize the threat and block it. It was a movement that relied purely on instinct.


    With a sore wrist, Adjest wasn¡¯t confident enough in her ability to take many more of those kinds of attacks.


    Swan pulled the string of her bow, even though no arrow was nocked, seemingly aiming at Adjest. At that very moment, an arrow that hadn¡¯t existed appeared. It was an arrow of aura. [Magic Sword: Ice Wave]


    Adjest invoked her magic sword to block the arrows heading her way. ¡°Urgh!¡±


    She groaned unwittingly. The strength of the aura Swan flung at her was King ss after all. To say that it was enormous and heavy was an understatement. Adjest had to strain herself just to bounce off a single arrow.


    Knowing that the battle would be over soon if she didn¡¯t try her best, Adjest invoked her imagery magic.


    [Ice Empress]


    The chilly air that was spreading in all directions retracted and gathered around Adjest. Her white-blond hair turned silver.


    Swan, who looked on in silence, drew her bow one more time.


    Adjest, with her newly heightened physical ability, read the exact trajectory of the arrow and evaded.


    *Boom*


    The arrow she avoided went straight into the stand of the drill hall.


    Swan spoke with surprise.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown a lot, but that¡¯s not enough.¡±


    Her evaluation could have offended anyone else of Adjest¡¯s caliber, but she didn¡¯t show any reaction and simply focused on the battle. She kicked off against the floor, holding her sword and leaping towards Swan.


    *Whoosh*


    Adjest did not stop, facing the arrows headon while continuing her charge. [Frozen Pce]


    She invoked another imagery magic.


    Ice pirs soared everywhere and numerous spells were simultaneously invoked to block Swan¡¯s arrows.


    Adjest¡¯s dash continued. Soon the distance between them had shortened vastly.


    Swan hurried to back off and drew her bow. The gathered aura was released in the form of a multitude of arrows. This time, there were hundreds of arrows to contend with.


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    Adjest couldn¡¯t help but be shaken by the attack that felt more like a wave before her.


    It felt like the drill hall, full of aura arrows in flight, was going to be ripped apart in mere moments.


    *WHOOOOOOOSH*


    It was an outrageous disy of force. True to that earlier feeling, the gymnasium waspletely shattered in the blink of an eye.


    While Swan stood still and studied the rising cloud of dust, Adjest jumped out of it without any visible wounds.


    She had piled several defensive spells through the Frozen Pce, and blocked Swan¡¯s attack at thest moment.


    Even though the Frozen Pce had been destroyed and she had lost a great deal of mana in the process, Adjest was now able to engage in close quarterbat with Swan.


    ¡°This is something else all together¡­ ¡±


    Swan seized the tip of her bow. The frame of it sharpened and morphed into a de-shape. Wrapping the bow in aura was her way of responding to Adjest¡¯s sword.


    *Rumble*


    It sounded like thunderstorms when the bow frame and sword hit each other.


    Adjest¡¯s face stiffened. Even though she was in Ice Empress form, she was on even terms with Swan, an archer, in close quarterbat.


    ¡°The Princess has changed a lot. Your skills have changed a lot too. Unlike in the past, when I couldn¡¯t see your emotions at all.¡±


    *ng*


    ¡°I found it funny, really.¡± *Cling*


    They continued exchanging blows while Swan found enough leeway to throw words at Adjest. ¡°The fact that there was someone who could change you, the stoic Princess, so much.¡±


    ¡®So?¡¯


    Adjest did not stop dueling, letting her attacks answer in her stead.


    Swan continued, her breath steady during this non-stop exchange of blows. ¡°But why are you hiding your identity from him too?¡±


    For a second, the tip of Adjest¡¯s sword shook.


    Swan did not miss that opportunity. She kicked the ice fragments free of the floor around her. Now filled with aura, the now loose ice fragments rushed at Adjest like a hail of bullets.


    There was a huge amount of aura poured into such small pieces of ice. *Baaam*


    Adjest took a direct hit from the ice fragments and there was a st.


    Adjest showed up pushing the dusty clouds away. Her hair was back to white-blond in no time.


    The chill spread everywhere. The chill headed to Swan as if it had a will of its own. [Frozen World]


    It was her new imagery magic that released the chill that was stored inside her body after releasing the Ice Empress form.


    But that was the end of it.


    Right before the battle reached the peak, Swan released her aura too.


    The livid sparkle skimmed the chill rushing at Swan all of a sudden.


    All of Adjest¡¯s magic was immediately suppressed.


    Swan collected her aura as if she had satisfied herself that she had demonstrated enough of her might.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end it here.¡±


    Her low voice echoed in the stillness.

 Chapter 215. Divide (4)

    <h4>Chapter 215. Divide (4)</h4>


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Adjest?¡±


    Desir¡¯s words woke up Adjest, who was deeply lost in her own thoughts. ¡°You don¡¯t seem very well.¡±


    If anyone else heard this, they might think it was odd. Adjest looked the same as she usually did.


    However, Desir knew something was wrong with her with just a nce. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just have a few things to think about.¡±


    Adjest tried to pretend that it was nothing, but Desir saw through her agitation that only appeared for a moment.


    Adjest opened her mouth one step ahead of him. ¡°I¡¯m really fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Desir sighed after realizing asking her anymore would only make it more difficult. ¡°If you have concerns, don¡¯t try to hold them on your own. Talk to me anytime.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Adjest smiled subconsciously at Desir¡¯s kindness.


    The core party members of the Starling Party and Swan were currently in Altea. The reason why they went there so suddenly was simple.


    ¡°All procedures areplete. Let¡¯s head to the gate.¡±


    His stately voice drew everyone¡¯s attention. Zod stood before them, suited up neatly.


    The Kingdom of Divide only allowed countries to move through the gates that they had a close connection with.


    Thus, the Hebrion Empire needed other means of transport, and Desir decided to use the gate of Altea as a result.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to emphasize this one more time, but our purpose for participating in the Great Council is to get information. We must avoid battle at all cost.¡±


    This was their strategy and Desir made sure to emphasize it in clear words, as many times as possible.


    If the Outsiders were in control of Divide, being in their capital was not any different from being in the military headquarters of the Outsiders.


    ¡®Even though we¡¯re prepared, we have to avoid any situation that could lead to battle.¡¯


    The Outsiders wouldn¡¯t be able to take overt action as they did not have anywhere else to go. But, Desir had the same restrictions. With his title as Royal Guard and while he represented the Magic Tower, he couldn¡¯t afford to take reckless action either.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll collect information on my own. Unless the worst-case scenario happens, you guys won¡¯t need to make an appearance.¡±


    Desir reminded them once more. He would proceed on this mission independently to them. Zod spoke, voice filled with concern, after listening to him.


    ¡°The Western Kingdom Union¡¯s perception of the Empire has improved, but you¡¯d still better be careful. There are many people who still bear enmity towards the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Of course they won¡¯t like it when two of the Empire¡¯s Royal Guard attend.¡± As Swan caught Zod¡¯s eyes, she lowered her head a little.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry. I have something good for situations like this.¡± Her fine appearance started changing with her palm brushing off her face.


    Swan soon transformed into a female warrior with a long scar on her cheek. Her features were still there, but her impression changed so it was more than enough to disguise her.


    ¡°It¡¯s an artifact that can change my appearance. There¡¯s a time limit on it, but it¡¯ll be more than enough.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡±


    Swan was normally veryzy when doing anything, but she always managed to aplish her missions sessfully.


    After a while, they arrived at the gate inside the Magic Tower head office. There was a fair number of troops stationed nearby.


    ¡°There¡¯s so many¡­ ¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all quite powerful, too.¡±


    Desir looked at them and estimated their power. On average, they were all Fourth-Circle, and Desir even recognized some people who would reach Fifth-Circle during the Shadow Labyrinth.


    ¡°This will do if we need to respond to unexpected enemy attacks.¡± Zod did not disregard Desir¡¯s advice.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than enough. But that person¡­ ¡±


    Desir singled out one person amongst the group that had caught his eye.


    Zod took Desir and approached him. His expression changed as he finally remembered.


    ¡°Say hello, Desir. This is Hephaestus, Second Tower Master. He will lead the troops of the Magic Tower and cooperate with you. Hephaestus, this is Desir Arman.¡±


    The Second Tower Master couldn''t hide his excitement looking at Desir.


    ¡°I¡¯m so honored to meet you, sir. I should have greeted you earlier, but I¡¯ve been rather busy.¡± Hephaestus was a Sixth-Circle magician. Something quite rare, even amongst the numerous magicians across the continent. He was also one of the people who took the lead in practically applying the knowledge Desir delivered to Zod.


    ¡°I really admire you, sir, after spending time understanding your theories. Your knowledge will bring civilization forward by several decades.¡±


    He showed his respect and treated Desir with honor, even though Desir was far younger than him.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Desir answered with a smile. It was nice to have someone admire him for his magical talents, instead of his war efforts, for once.


    ¡°I have a question about the magic stone and the twenty-third form you released, do you think that¡­ ¡±


    Just as Hephaestus was about to continue, Zod stepped between them.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Hephaestus. You¡¯ll have more than enough time to talkter. Why don¡¯t you take a rain check on this?¡±


    ¡°Hmpph.¡±


    As the gate started to whir to life, there was a peculiar ringing that filled everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°Oh! Excuse me, sir. We can talkter.¡±


    The noise resonated as the gate ran. The group of people gathered in this room started moving one by one.


    ¡°We¡¯ll leavest.¡±


    Zod took Desir to the back. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°There will be a banquet reception. It¡¯s to celebrate the gathering of all the kings of the Western Kingdom Union after defeating the Outsiders.¡±


    Most of the people in the room had moved out already.


    ¡°Watch out for the President of Arunbeth. He seems to have ill feelings towards the news that you became a Royal Guard.¡±


    Some heads from the Western Kingdom Union were persistent in their attempts to recruit Desir, but in the end, he had rejected all offers and went on to pledge his loyalty to the Emperor of Hebrion.


    ¡°¡­ For me, such matters sound a bit nonsensical.¡±


    As a citizen, being loyal to their homnd was nothing strange. No, it was rather reasonable. ¡°That¡¯s just how much he wanted you. He won¡¯t harm you being there as a representative of the Magic Tower, but you should be careful just in case.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the advice.¡±


    Desir was thankful to Zod for his consideration and taking care of little things like this. As they stood in front of the gate after chatting, the bright light wrapped around them.


    * * *


    Striding out from the gate, there weren¡¯t just people from the Magic Tower. The room seemed to be filled with people from different countries, alling through the gate.


    They were all organizations and countries that maintained close rtionships with the Western Kingdom Union.


    ¡°Due to the attackst year, security seems far more tight. Divide must have incurred a huge financial burden in handling all these people.¡±


    While Desir was watching them closely, he heard a voice calling out to him.


    ¡°This way, Desir!¡± It was Pram.


    The Starling Party members and Swan, who departed first, had already gathered together in a spot nearby.


    Romantica mumbled while looking at the scenery of Divide through the windows. ¡°It¡¯s so deste.¡±


    Throughout the city, tall dark-colored buildings reached up high. The smoke from the buildings billowed into the sky. The sky was hazy due to the grey smoke, even in the daytime. *Rumble*


    Something cut through the grey sky at a ridiculous speed.


    Pram squinted.


    ¡°That is¡­ ¡±


    ¡°The Flying Dragon Division.¡± Romantica stepped in knowledgeably.


    ¡°They¡¯re one of the best orders of knights that Divide is proud of. They¡¯re considered the best, as far as air battles are concerned.¡±


    It was such a great spectacle, the way they pierced the sky with their tamed wyverns.


    The military power of Divide was outstanding in terms of quality and quantity, but the Flying Dragon Division yed arge role by taking control of the air.


    ¡°There¡¯s no country apart from Divide that has the skills to tame and control wyverns at this scale and level.¡±


    While everyone was vacantly staring up at the Flying Dragon Division, a group of people in full-dress uniforms appeared and surrounded them within a second.


    The people from the Magic Tower, who were already warned by Zod about Divide¡¯s treachery, showed their hostility openly on their faces.


    But they were ordered to avoid all trouble, so they restrained their impulses, although they still readied themselves to swiftly react to any situation.


    Desir looked at people surrounding them. Surprisingly, every one of them wasposed of skillful Rook ss martial artists.


    ¡®Even so, there¡¯s no way they could hope to restrain us.¡¯


    There were two Royal Guards of the Empire and the Magic Tower Master himself. As well as the people apanying Zod and the troops of the Magic Tower. The number on their side wasn¡¯t big, but their military force was more than enough to start and finish a war with any small country.


    Since they had already handed in their invitation for use of the gate, the group in front of them couldn¡¯t be ignorant of their status as invited guests.


    Yet the fact that they took such a measure showed their confidence that the force they presented was enough to deal Desir and his group.


    Someone out of them took a step forward.


    ¡°Wee to the Kingdom of Divide, people of the Magic Tower. I am the leader of the knights, Siegfried.¡±

 Chapter 216. Divide (5)

    <h4>Chapter 216. Divide (5)</h4>


    As Siegfried took off his knight¡¯s helmet, with which dragon wings were engraved, his neck-length, navy blue hair fluttered in the breeze.


    The crowd was abuzz after seeing his appearance.


    ¡°What brought the leader of the Flying Dragon Division here¡­ ?¡±


    The leader of the Flying Dragon Division was one of the most powerful people in Divide. It was understandable that people were surprised by the appearance of someone like him. Hephaestus stepped in.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, general?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an inspection. We ask for your cooperation and apologize for the inconvenience.¡± Everyone widened their eyes. They knew that Divide was thoroughly inspecting people as they were warned, but they did not expect that the Flying Dragon Division would be inspecting them directly.


    With Zod¡¯s nod of acknowledgement, everyone submitted themselves to be inspected without rxing their vignce.


    The Flying Dragon Division exhaustively inspected the personnel from the Magic Tower. Not to mention their identity as well as their belongings.


    ¡®This inspection is unnecessarily thorough.¡¯


    Desir thought it was too much, looking at their inspection. Their behavior could be considered as a discourtesy to inspect people who came for the Great Council.


    However, they did not care about such things and inspected even the Magic Tower Master, Zod.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Magic Tower Master. It¡¯s been years.¡±


    ¡°Somehow I haven¡¯t had the chance to see you. By the way, is it really necessary to inspect me?¡±


    Siegfried looked at the Starling Party and grinned.


    ¡°It was an order from His Majesty, Clora Baldershu. He specifically told us to thoroughly inspect anyone from the Empire. We have reason to believe that someone in the Hebrion Empire is trying to spy on the royal family.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, is it safe to say that Divide thinks the Magic Tower Master is assisting the Empire in finding such information? This is what your actions imply.¡±


    As Zod spoke with a serious face, Siegfried waved his hands.


    ¡°Of course not. This is just a formality. The only guests for the Great Council from the Empire are the Tower Master¡¯s escorts.¡±


    He was just doing this job, so Zod knew it would be pointless berating him further. Zod was now silent and didn¡¯t make furtherment while being inspected.


    Next, the inspection for the Starling Party began. Their participation was strictly legal, and there was nothing suspicious to be found, so it went smoothly.


    The only individual who would concern them would be Swan Katarina, who had apanied them at Desir¡¯s request.


    She had faked her identity to conceal her status as Royal Guard, and used an artifact to change her face.


    If she was caught, it would very likely cause a significantmotion. ¡°¡­ ¡±


    But the members of the Flying Dragon Division found nothing suspicious about her. She easily passed Divide¡¯s inspection.


    ¡°¡­ Good to go.¡±


    Siegfried lowered his head one more time after receiving the report from a member of his team.


    ¡°Wee to Divide.¡±


    * * *


    Romanticained as she left the inspection. She wasn¡¯t happy about them ransacking her baggage.


    ¡°Seriously, did you see how arrogant they were? They went through all my bags. It feels like I was treated like a criminal!¡±


    It was natural for them to be thorough in such matters after a history-defining event, the war on the Outsiders. Even still, they certainly gave the impression that they were investigating criminals while inspecting Desir¡¯s party in particr. It was also doubtful whether they had the necessary skill and resources to foil any actual attacks via this disy of security theatre.


    It certainly wasn¡¯t normal to besiege guests like this and subject them to mandatory inspections.


    It wasn¡¯t just the Starling Party that was left unhappy about the process. Hephaestus and the other Magic Tower personnel seemed to be quite offended too.


    ¡®It¡¯s obvious how Divide thinks of the Empire.¡¯


    Anyway, entering Divide was sessful. That was a start.


    Once they came out of the building, they were greeted with the scenery of Pittsburgh, the capital of Divide.


    ¡°It¡¯s well-organized.¡±


    If Dresden of the Empire looked colorful and beautiful yetplex, Pittsburgh of Divide was simple but very well organized. It was easy for people to walk on the well-maintained streets, and in fact, there were many people currently doing so.


    Oddly enough, the street wasn¡¯t lively though. The people present were all very quiet and kept to themselves.


    The Starling Party members felt a chilly breeze while walking along the street. ¡°Let¡¯s unpack first at the Magic Tower.¡±


    The Magic Tower had different branches all across the continent, and it was safe to assume there would be one, no matter which big city you were in.


    Of course, the capital of Divide, as part of the Western Kingdom Union, had their own branch of the Magic Tower.


    It was a big advantage. Having a base that wasn¡¯t under Divide¡¯s surveince was a great convenience for Desir further his n.


    Arriving at the Pittsburgh Magic Tower Branch, the Starting Party and Swan were assigned to their own rooms.


    They had a look at their assigned rooms, and were left impressed by the size of them. There was nobody left unhappy to see a room that had better facilities than most hotels. After unpacking in their respective rooms, Zod gathered the group in the lobby.


    ¡°I got an invitation from Divide¡¯s royal family for the banquet, sent to all those who participate in the Great Council. Of course, you all are wee to join me.¡±


    Desir seemed impassive, having known about it already, but Romantica and Pram looked hyped up.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any party outfits!¡±


    Zod took something out of his bosom with a smile.


    ¡°I was going to prepare them myself, but it¡¯d be better for you to choose what you want to wear personally.¡±


    Romantica realized what it was that he pulled out and got excited; pop-eyed even. ¡°A credit card!?¡±


    Zod handed Romantica the credit card. ¡°You can buy anything you want.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you!¡±


    Romantica and Pram left in a hurry, while cheering.


    Adjest was about to follow them with a bitter smile, when she suddenly turned back to see Desir.


    ¡°Desir, are you not going?¡±


    ¡°I have something to do. I¡¯ll catch up with youter. Go shopping first. Swan, please look after everyone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Desir went back to his room, after sending off his party members.


    In his room, Desir settled down to business. The first thing he did was contact the Side Guards that were hiding in Divide.


    After Divide had intensified their immigration inspections, it was impossible for Desir to nt additional secret agents, but the ones he was contacting now had been stationed since long ago. Trying to contact them from outside Divide had proven to be challenging, and had been rendered them useless until now.


    Desir got their contact information from Alfred prior to entering Divide, and he could now put this information to use. He passed on a brief outline of what he needed and gave them their orders.


    ¡°Pass on any information you can dig up, no matter how insignificant. If you find anything rted to alchemy, that takes utmost priority.¡±


    [-Okay.]


    They had been living in Divide for a long time with fake identities. As a result they could wander freely anytime, anywhere. It was very useful for Desir¡¯s purposes.


    ¡®If this operation gets caught, the blowback will be huge.¡¯


    Desir had summoned all of the Side Guard members, previously scattered across all of Divide, in Pittsburgh. With how much control the Outsiders had over Divide¡¯s politics, he was certain that there was something to be found within the capital.


    Their scope was narrowed from a whole country to a single city, so they had a far greater chance at finding useful information.


    However, once they were caught, it would be impossible to gather any more information within Divide.


    The number of such embedded informants yed arge part in measuring the influence of a national power. Losing any of them would cause huge damage, and require years of diplomatic efforts to mend.


    ¡®But I have no choice but to take this risk.¡¯


    Desir¡¯s ultimate goal was to clear the Shadow Labyrinth and save humankind. Getting rid of the Outsiders had be an integral part of this process.


    If refusing to take action to save the public face of the Empire resulted in the end of humanity, it would have all been for naught. If he hadn¡¯t taken risks every step of the way, it would be impossible for him to achieve anything significant.


    Desir solidified his determination one more time.


    * * *


    The day before the Great Council, there was a banquet for the guests held in Divide¡¯s royal pce.


    Divide was far from morous, and thus the banquet wasn¡¯t anything spectacr to behold, but the prepared feast was impressive enough to satisfy the nobles visiting from other countries.


    The banquet hall was soon filled with numerous people. The few people that stood out amongst them were the heads of the Western Kingdom Union.


    ¡°This way, Your Majesty.¡±


    They enjoyed the banquet from their designated seats, separately arranged by Divide. The uproarious banquet hall became quiet all of a sudden with someone¡¯s appearance.


    It was the Magic Tower¡¯s Master Zod Exarion, Desir Arman of the Royal Guard, and the members of the Starling Party.


    They received the undivided attention of almost everyone present. The poprity of the only Seventh-Circle magician in the continent, and the war hero Desir, was a league above the Western Kingdom Union.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Starling Party.¡±


    ¡°The Magic Tower Master and the war hero¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Is that young boy really Desir Arman?¡±


    A lot of people talked in hushed whispers.


    The Starling Party gained some poprity and had been invited to various parties.


    But they hadn¡¯t experienced a party this big, so Romantica and Pram couldn¡¯t hide their tension.


    ¡°Behave with dignity.¡±


    They tried their best to act normal at his words.


    As Zod sat down in his assigned seat, his escorts sat down shortly after.

 Chapter 217. Divide (6)

    <h4>Chapter 217. Divide (6)</h4>


    ¡°We came here for nothing¡­ We can¡¯t enjoy this. Not like this.¡± Romantica whispered.


    This banquet was certainly not enjoyable for them. There were a lot of people attending the banquet that a normal person couldn¡¯t even talk to in their entire life. Royal families, nobles from different countries, and even presidents of sessful corporations. They were very influential inside and outside of their respective countries.


    Desir had a wry smile looking at the discouraged Romantica and Pram. ¡®I¡¯m in no ce to worry about others.¡¯


    The biggest reason why Desir came to Divide was to collect information rted to the Outsiders.


    But there was more to it than just that.


    ¡®I need to establish my foothold in the Western Kingdom Union.¡¯


    Desir had a solid influence in the Empire after gaining the position of Royal Guardsman. His reputation was also decent in the Western Kingdom Union, but there was a limit to what he could do as someone from the Empire. This banquet was a great opportunity to socialize with the high-rank officials of the Western Kingdom Union.


    ¡°Hem-hem.¡±


    As Clora Ars F. Baldershu, the King of Divide cleared his throat, all of the attention in the room was drawn to him.


    His superb appearance, just likest year, reminded people of a lion. ¡°First of all, thank you everyone for attending this event.¡±


    He looked around the audience, then continued.


    ¡°Our Western Kingdom Union has suffered numerous hardships in its long history, but we¡¯ve gotten through all of them and be stronger as a result.¡±


    His speech was a summarization of what happened over the past year, including what happened in the war between the Outsiders and the Western Kingdom Union, all the way to the terrorist attack in Prillecha and the battle in the Lagrium ins.


    ¡°Therefore, our Western Kingdom Union has perfectly defeated the Outsiders. This banquet is held to celebrate us oveing the crisis sessfully, regaining peace, and being able to convene the Great Council once again. Please enjoy yourselves!¡±


    Once Clora raised his ss, the audience raised their sses in response.


    With that, the banquet officially began.


    Desir stood up as if he had been waiting for this moment. ¡®I should get started.¡¯


    As the banquet began, Desir busily made his round to greet people. He started with the heads of the Western Kingdom Union.


    ¡°Who is this, Desir Arman.¡±


    Even when they were in the middle of a conversation, they talked to Desir when he approached them.


    He proficiently led any conversation he joined, whether it was with small-time nobles or the various leaders of the Western Kingdom Union¡­


    It was simple to win their favor, using abination of the future knowledge that only Desir knew and the knowledge of current affairs he gained from Aylus News.


    One person treated Desir most cordially in particr among the people he interacted with. That was the King of Prillecha.


    ¡°Long time no see, Desir Arman!¡±


    He shook his hand in a friendly manner. The King of Prillecha and Desir had met only once in person at the Great Councilst year. However, he was very friendly with Desir. Although they hadn¡¯t associated much in person, they had established a rtionship through the letters they frequently exchanged.


    ¡°Your amazing achievements are the talk of Prillecha. You should visit once at some point. The golden ocean in Deltaheim you protected is thankfully back to how it used to be.¡±


    The capital of Prillecha, Deltaheim, was once destroyed by the resurrected Dadenewt. Desir replied quickly, reminded of the Eastakar Sea with the golden sunset.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve had many things to get done recently, so I couldn¡¯t make time to visit. I¡¯ll visit soon.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Now that you¡¯ve be a Royal Guard, you must be busy!¡±


    If you think about the rtionship between the Hebrion Empire and the Western Kingdom Union, being around a member of the Royal Guard, those closest to the Hebrion Emperor, should make leaders of the Western Kingdom Union uneasy. But the King of Prillecha mentioned it so straightforwardly. He didn¡¯t seem to care much about such trifles.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem phased by me joining the Royal Guard.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t need to talk about something that¡¯s decided. As much as I¡¯d like you toe to Prillecha, you have had great sess regardless. I should celebrate these sesses.¡±


    Gried wore a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re the savior of Prillecha. I¡¯ll always root for you. But, whenever you¡¯re tired of that position, I hope you will considering here.¡±


    He supported Desir without any ulterior motives, and clearly wore his hopes on his sleeve. Desir lowered his head, feeling grateful for his favor.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Some people were favorable towards Desir whereas some showed naked hostility. One of them was the President of Arunbeth, Anous.


    Desir walked towards where Anous was seated. He decided to attempt winning him over to further his goal. Though it was nice to meet those who were already on good terms with him, Desir felt it much more important to meet those who viewed him with open hostility and sway their minds.


    Anous had a modest appearance unlike other kings in the Western Kingdom Union. He was tidily dressed in a ck suit without wearing any particr essories.


    ¡°Hello, Mr President.¡±


    When Crow Mask, Icarus Quirgo, had started hismoner¡¯s revolt, he likely wanted to implement a political system simr to Arunbeth¡¯s.


    As the only republic of the Western Kingdom Union, Arunbeth referred to the head of its nation as the ¡°President¡±. He was an official that was chosen regrly through a process known as an election.


    ¡°Yes, nice to meet you.¡±


    Anous¡¯s greeting was ordinary, but his mouth seemed twisted. ¡®As expected.¡¯


    It seemed like Zod¡¯s information was urate. He was definitely discontent with Desir¡¯s choice to join the Royal Guard.


    Desir bowed politely.


    ¡°I am aware that you harbor resentment towards me. If possible, I¡¯d like to assuage that and establish a good rtionship with your nation.¡±


    He spoke so bluntly that it could hurt most people¡¯s feelings.


    However, this issue wasn¡¯t going to be solved if he moved subtly, and Desir felt this was the best way of going about things to improve their rtionship in the long run.


    Anous studied Desir silently for a while. He then carefully opened his mouth, as if feeling something in Desir¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°I¡¯m a man from the Republic, Desir. In the Republic, there¡¯s no such thing as status. The only thing that defines your ce in life is your capability.¡±


    Anous¡¯s im that there was no such thing as status was short-sided at best. There was still discrimination in the Republic, but it was surely a much fairer countrypared to the Empire, where everything was decided at birth.


    Desir clenched his fist, thinking of the Beta ss at the Hebrion Academy.


    ¡°I believe the Empire and other countries in the Western Kingdom Union should break the mold of ranks and titles eventually. I expected you to make great changes within the Empire. I eagerly awaited what you would do next. Not as the president of Arunbeth, but as someone who strives for equality.¡±


    The look Anous sent Desir¡¯s way was full of disappointment.


    ¡°I know how serious the social status discrimination was in the Hebrion Academy. Despite that, someone managed to make a radical societal change. That person was you. Sure, I hold high expectations of you, but have you ever considered the expectations themoners of the Empire held for you, Desir Arman, their hero?¡±


    He was using the past tense.


    ¡°¡­ And then you joined the Royal Guard. An honorable position, sure. My congrattions. But you betrayed the hopes of the people who believed in you for the sake of power. How disappointing.¡±


    The reason why Anous held animosity towards Desir wasn¡¯t simply because he became a Royal Guard after rejecting offers from the Western Kingdom Union. He had high expectations of Desir, who had aplished world-changing feats and managed to change the Hebrion Academy where status discrimination was severe. He felt utter disappointment that Desir had then thrown all of that away to pledge allegiance to the Emperor. All for the sake of obtaining authority.


    He felt Desir¡¯s actions betrayed themoner¡¯s expectations. People who were relying on him to change the Empire.


    ¡®So that¡¯s what it was¡­ ¡¯


    A smile spread across his face. If it was a simple misunderstanding. This was something easy to fix.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s too early for your expectations to crumble.¡±


    Anous stared at Desir quietly, tacitly allowing him to continue.


    ¡°I never gave up fixing the discrimination within the Empire. I¡¯m working at it in my own way, and I¡¯ve already achieved results.¡±


    The Hebrion Academy was very different just one year ago. Now the gap between the Beta ss and Alpha ss was shrinking.


    ¡°However, there is a limit to what I can do as a student. I didn¡¯t be a member of the Royal Guard just for power. The influence I carry as a Royal Guardsman will aid me, and eventually, will greatly help themoners.¡±


    Anous spoke after paying attention to him without a word. ¡°Those ims are much easier to make than they are to fulfill.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out if they¡¯re just words soon enough. What I ultimately pursue is to not let anyone down in the end.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Anous was immersed in his own thoughts for a while.


    At that moment, Desir thought it was enough. There was some room for consideration. Even though he couldn¡¯t change his mindpletely now, there would be possibilities in the near future.


    Anous then spoke, his tone softened slightly.


    ¡°¡­ Very well, Desir Arman. You have my interest. Perhaps I was naive to give up on you so quickly. I¡¯ll continue to watch your performance eagerly.¡±

 Chapter 218. Divide (7)

    <h4>Chapter 218. Divide (7)</h4>


    ¡°Would you like a drink?¡± Zod Exarion offered a ss. Reddish-colored wine swirled in it. ¡°dly.¡±


    Adjest epted it. They clinked their sses softly before both taking a sip.


    It was very sweet. The scent was strong but she couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint which region the wine had been produced in.


    ¡°This is top ss wine. It¡¯s more aromatic than the ones I am familiar with from the Bourgogne and Arnen regions. But oddly enough, I can¡¯t quite figure out where this one was produced.¡±


    She nodded. They held a conversation, however neither of their hearts were in it. Neither of their eyes met.


    They were at a ball, both staring in the same direction.


    Among the many people moving busily, one boy stood out in particr.


    Desir Arman.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing new, but Desir is such a unique friend.¡± Zod stated in a matter of fact manner.


    ¡°He never shrinks back from the powerful people present representing the Western Kingdom Union. He¡¯s not afraid, nor under pressure to talk with and win them all over.¡±


    It was definitely out of the ordinary.


    The strain on him must have been enormous in a function like this, with so many powerful people gathered. A normal person would look like Romantica and Pram. The two who were shell shocked and sitting as far from the crowd as possible. However, Desir wandered around majestically, talking with many in a very calm and stately fashion. Zod drank a little more from his ss.


    ¡°¡­ No matter how much I think about it, I can¡¯t figure out who he really is.¡± The red liquid sloshed around as if agitated.


    It was delectable, but impossible to ascertain the origins of. ¡°You question him?¡±


    ¡°So do you.¡±


    Adjest brought about another round of silence with that swift rebuttal.


    She could not deny it.


    It was undeniable that Desir Arman was a person of questionable origins. ¡°Do you know anything about Desir?¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s probably not too different from what you already know, Tower Master.¡±


    ¡°So he hasn¡¯t talked with anyone.¡±


    Zod mumbled.


    Adjest could not help enquiring further. ¡°So you doubt him, Zod?¡±


    ¡°No, no way. I trust his nature and personality more than anybody in the world. I would never believe he is a viin.¡±


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have done Desir such favors.


    Desir Arman had already taken residence in a huge portion of Zod Exarion¡¯s heart. The loss of Desir would do significant damage to him on a mental level.


    ¡°But when I heard the news that Desir performed Seventh-Circle magic, the curiosity I managed to set aside had resurfacedpletely.¡±


    Seventh-Circle.


    The pinnacle of human power.


    Desir took one step forward after getting the Fourth-Circle imnted.


    There were several harsh limits and conditions imposed on doing so, but Zod was astonished that Desir managed to reach his level, albeit temporarily, and didn¡¯t even feel the need to mention it.


    He reached the legendary Seventh-Circle with just four circles in his body.


    Zod was happy with his growth so far, but reaching the power of a Seventh-Circle magician was another story altogether.


    That was the highest that a human could go, and it was also the wall he found himself at. Zod Exarion opened his mouth.


    ¡°I believe trust and curiosity are two different things. Though he promised he¡¯d tell me one day, and I trust his word, I¡¯m still very curious. As you know, I am not one that can resist their own curiosity.¡±


    Zod continued.


    ¡°¡­ Plus, we know Desir Arman is on the move to achieve something.¡± Adjest trembled.


    She had a rough idea what Desir had been busy with behind the scenes. It was hard to believe he did everything he had so far for the sake of vanity or recognition.


    ¡°Someday¡­ He will tell us himself.¡±


    ¡°Someday he will. But we don¡¯t know when that will be.¡± Zod continued after another brief pause.


    ¡°It is a fact that we trust Desir Arman more than anyone else. However, we also don¡¯t know much about his identity or purpose, which keeps him at a strange distance from us. This is never a good or healthy thing. Even for Desir, this distance can¡¯t be pleasant.¡±


    Desir had be an existence that impacted the entire world, reshaping national alliances and technological development. He was too powerful to ignore the fact that he was concealing his identity and in pursuit of an unknown goal, whether it was personal or not.


    ¡°Despite what he says, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to figure it out first.¡±


    ¡°Why have you brought this up?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re the closest to Desir.¡± Zod put down his empty ss.


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say, let¡¯s share what we have on him.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Adjest said nothing in response.


    She didn¡¯t know how to answer that.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect to get an answer tonight.¡±


    The Tower Master looked away. Ultimately, his eyes fixed once more on Desir, who was just returning from a conversation.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Not much. It¡¯s just that the wine tastes nice.¡± Zod passed him a ss.


    ¡°So did it go well?¡±


    Desir nodded, grabbing the ss.


    ¡°Yes, it went well. I had some satisfying oues.¡± He had aplished his intended goal.


    When Desir talked about how he persuaded President Anous, Zod was delighted, as if it was him that personally stood to gain from this improvement in rtions.


    That result alone made attending this banquet worth it.


    ¡°But it¡¯s a shame I wasn¡¯t able to do one of the things I had nned to. I didn¡¯t manage to catch a hold of the King of Divide."


    Desir had wanted to converse with the King of Divide to try and suss out whether he was trustworthy or not. It was obvious that Divide and the Outsiders had some kind of a rtionship, whether the King was involved or not. Desir imagined that he could have learnt something regardless, if he had managed to talk to him.


    ¡°Why not? Did anything happen?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already left.¡±


    After hearing these words, Zod stared at the seats where the King and Queen of Divide would normally sit.


    Nobody was there. It was coincidental, surely. ¡°Apparently they left right after the opening ceremony.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s odd. Normally the one who¡¯s hosting the banquet would stay till the end.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say whether it¡¯s a simple coincidence, but I don¡¯t have much to say as of now.¡± As a matter of fact, Desir did everything he could do at the banquet.


    It could not be helped.


    They had to gloss over it like that and move on. ¡°So are we done now?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°Then we just need to enjoy this banquet.¡±


    ¡°Well, you say enjoy, but there isn¡¯t much you can do here.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing that cannot be missed at a banquet.¡± Zod nced at the center of the ball room.


    With the mood heightening by the minute, people danced in pairs. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Zod had a point.


    Letting himself go and enjoying this event freely wasn¡¯t a bad idea. ¡°Adjest?¡±


    Desir struck out his hand, and Adjest grasped it.


    There was no reason for her to reject it.


    Adjest and Desir glided onto the stage.


    The current song was a very slow waltz. They began to step to the music smoothly, letting their bodies go with the flow.


    Desir¡¯s movement was quite smooth. Adjest had to remark on it. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten much better, Desir.¡±


    Desir answered shamelessly. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your coaching.¡±


    While their dance wasn¡¯t outstanding, it had a charming quality that made the audience smile. They continued to dance while supporting each other.


    ¡°Ah, youth.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to dance with me?¡±


    Looking at them, many other partners were emboldened toe onto the stage too. Adjest Kingscrown looked back through her memory.


    There was a time when she took Desir to the ball and taught him how to dance. Adjest remembered his inexperienced moves.


    He was quite bad at dancing. He must have practiced quite a lot to be able to dance like this. However, her talk with Zod continued toe to the forefront, crowding out the nicer thoughts.


    ¡®¡­ I really don¡¯t know anything about him.¡¯ Desir Arman.


    Whenever she thought about him, Adjest was filled with mixed feelings.


    For Adjest, he was such aplex figure.


    He was apetitor, a mentor, and a leader. ¡®Such a mysterious man.¡¯


    Adjest remembered when she first met him.


    He was a mere First-Circle magician.


    Although they met for the first time, Adjest remembered the soft look Desir gave her. ¡®He was different from the beginning.¡¯


    Like Zod said, his existence didn¡¯t make sense at all.


    He designed a spell system that could change the world drastically and had made vast contributions to world peace.


    These thoughts continued to churn through her head. ¡°Desir.¡±


    Adjest opened her mouth in a rare moment of rashness. Their gaze met each other. They were so close that their breath tickled each other¡¯s face. ¡°¡­ What is it?¡±


    The gentle waltz continued.


    They moved steps lightly.


    Desir asked her again.


    Her eyes met his deep ck pupils.


    Eyes so deep it was as if one were looking into the void.


    Adjest¡¯s lips fluttered, but that was all.


    The conversation she had with Zod reyed once more.


    She wanted to ask him right away.


    She wanted to demand he let her know everything about him.


    But she couldn¡¯t.


    All of a sudden, she realized something. ¡®¡­ He¡¯s not the only one with secrets.¡¯


    Once she realized it, her lips hardened like stone.


    Desir wasn¡¯t the only one who held secrets. Adjest was also hiding her own, and they were likely no smaller than his.


    That she was a member of the noble Rogfs family. She was the daughter of the Emperor who ruled the Empire.


    ¡®I haven¡¯t told him mine either.¡¯


    She had never shared this secret with anyone.


    No, she could never share it.


    The reason was simple.


    ¡®¡­ If I told him¡­ If I told them the truth, I¡¯d never be able to have the same rtionships I have now.¡¯


    It felt like the rtionships she had worked so hard to build and maintain were at threat of imminent copse.


    ¡®I was afraid.¡¯


    Hence she kept quiet. She wanted to keep those old rtionships. With her mind reaching this conclusion, Adjest changed her mind. ¡®Perhaps Desir is the same.¡¯


    This was the most likely possibility.


    Adjest couldn¡¯t dream of asking Desir anymore.


    She moved her gaze away. Deliberately acting as she always did, pretending as if nothing happened, she opened her mouth to bring an end to this tension.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so silly.¡±


    The conversation ended in vain.


    Soon, the tempo of the music picked up speed.


    Adjest quickly adjusted to the rhythm, but Desir couldn¡¯t.


    He staggered and stumbled. Adjest held him up, seeing as he almost fell entirely. ¡°¡­ You need to learn from the start again.¡±


    A burst of lightughter erupted and passed. ¡®Yes.¡¯


    Desir is just Desir.


    Even if he holds onto some secrets, nothing would change.


    ¡®One day we will know each other¡¯s secrets. But that time is not now.¡¯ Adjest wasn¡¯t ready, and neither was Desir.


    ¡®But I hope that timees soon.¡¯

 Chapter 219. Divide (8)

    <h4>Chapter 219. Divide (8)</h4>


    The banquet ended on an uneventful note. Desir had mixed sess in meeting his goals for the night.


    The group headed back to the Magic Tower.


    It was ratherte at night.


    Desir went back to his own room to rest. There were only twelve hours before the Great Council was due to convene.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you show yourself?¡± Desir spoke to empty air.


    ¡°You may be observant, but you¡¯re still careless.¡± Swan Katarina strode out of the darkness.


    ¡°How was the party?¡±


    ¡°Well, nothing we were concerned about eventuated.¡±


    ¡°Good. How about others?¡±


    ¡°They seem exhausted after being so high-strung. I can¡¯t me them, I¡¯m going to get some sleep too.¡±


    *Flop*


    Desiry down on the soft bed. Before he could drift off to the sweet sleep he so desired, Swan roused him and vied for his attention.


    ¡°Uh-uh, not yet. You still have one thing left to do.¡±


    Swan suddenly tossed amunication orb at the drowsy Desir. He fumbled for a bit, but managed to catch hold of it. Once he epted the iingmunication, he found himself connected to the Side Guard.


    [-Sorry for thete call, Desir Arman of the Royal Guard.]


    It was amunication orb that utilized appropriate magic frequencies with numerous countermeasures to ensure confidentiality.


    [-As per your order, I will now ry the information the Side Guard has gathered.]


    Desir, who had ordered the Side Guard to find whatever information they could on the Outsiders and alchemy, asked them to report back on their progress daily.


    The frequency and urgency of the updates was because Desir was only in Divide for three more days. Once he crossed over the border, it would be impossible to receive further information from the agents within Divide.


    He had to get as much information as possible within these three days to make informed decisionster.


    ¡°Very well. First off, are all of the agents okay?¡±


    [-Yes sir. One was caught, but they managed to get away safely.] ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    Swan chimed in while listening, making her presence known to the Side Guard on the other side.


    ¡°They must be fairly skilled agents. Despite the number of agents we have in one area, only one managed to get caught.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The spies of the Side Guard were amazing at their job, and Desir was making use of the best agents that had been ced in Divide.


    [-Thank you for the kind words. I promise the information we got won¡¯t disappoint you.] [-As you¡¯re well aware, the power that Divide holds both internally as well as within the Western Kingdom Union has skyrocketed recently.]


    Desir nodded. He had read many reports about Divide¡¯s explosive growth, even before Divide started to tightly control the flow of information out of their kingdom.


    They had implemented a lot of national projects and rooted out corruption to improve their national finances drastically.


    It was aplete revival of anguid country. The Kingdom of Divide that had been slowly copsing was brought back to its heyday. The current king of Divide was now considered to be the best monarch to lead Divide since theirst golden age.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t see him that way though.¡¯


    [-ording to a maid who worked in the Divide Pce until recently, that has very little to do with the King¡¯s insight or rule.]


    ¡°That means¡­ ¡± Desir had a hunch.


    ¡°Is there anyone helping him?¡±


    [-Apparently, it is not King Clora who is currently in charge of national policies in Divide, but some external advisor. That person is only known as the ¡°advisor¡± in the pce. It is said that he has won the immense confidence of many government officials.]


    Finally, Desir had his hands on some precious information. ¡®Is that so?¡¯


    He finally realized the Outsider¡¯s strategy.


    It had always been a fact that the Outsiders were deeply involved in the internal workings of Divide.


    Until now, he could only conclude that the Outsiders were involved in some abstract manner. How they were doing so had been aplete mystery to him. However, that changed now. He had found out exactly how they had infiltrated Divide after hearing the Side Guard¡¯s report. ¡®It¡¯s a simr strategy to what we saw happen to the Magic Kingdom in that Shadow World.¡¯ They would show up, bring rapid change and development, and win the trust of the vassals as an internal advisor and power broker for the nation. As the country significantly improves, they can consolidate the national power they built and the goodwill they gained in the process. ¡®Just like a parasite.¡¯


    It was simple, but effective.


    ¡®After seizing authority, any person they suspect may hinder their ns or reveal their motives will be removed immediately.¡¯


    [-This coincided with when they started controlling the media. Lately, spreading rumors rted to the Empire, expanding their battle readiness, and increasing their defense budget have all been traced back to this advisor. He must be preparing for a war.]


    Whom Divide is preparing for a war with is an easy question.


    The Hebrion Empire.


    Desir mentally sifted through this new information and arranged his thoughts. ¡®It wasn¡¯t this bad in the Magic Kingdom.¡¯


    This was beyond the capabilities of Skull Mask, who had simply controlled the country from the shadows. This time, the infiltrator had gained traction while leading the country to its former prime, a feat only possible with superior nning and management.


    ¡®Moreover, he has been dealing with dissidents ruthlessly and efficiently.¡¯ Those were the core concepts of this anti-Empire strategy.


    Desir felt the pieces falling into ce. He could wager a guess on the advisor¡¯s identity with reasonable confidence.


    ¡®The advisor has to be Crow Mask, no, Icarus Quirgo. Therefore, I need to focus on digging up as much information about this advisor from now on.¡¯


    The results had been fruitful this time. He had made great gains, piecing together the vague clues the Side Guard had managed to obtain. Although Desir had done the lion¡¯s share of work, he didn¡¯t forget to thank the Side Guard for their hard work in providing these clues.


    ¡°This is invaluable information. Please focus on gathering more information about the advisor immediately.¡±


    [-Thank you for the kind words, sir. I only did what I was supposed to. Ah, there¡¯s one more piece of information, Desir.]


    Desir could hear the Side Guard breathe deeply before continuing.


    [-I made a few more enquiries on alchemy, since you urged us to make that a topic of priority. Progress has been minimal, but given your specific interest, it felt important to share.]


    Themunication orb started shimmering as an image began to form. ¡°A tower?¡±


    ¡°It looks too huge to be a mere tower.¡± Swan and Desir stared intently at the image.


    The quality of the image output was truly wonderful without doubt.


    It disyed a huge, dark-colored tower in crisp quality.


    This structure was taller and wider than the Magic Tower.


    [-This is the biggest structure in this city. It is enormous enough to be seen from the capital.] The design of it did not suit the nickname of Divide, the Kingdom of Steel.


    It was clear that this building was not something normal.


    [-The important thing is, this buildingmenced construction after the advisor came into power.]


    This meant that it was the work of the Outsiders. ¡°Have you found out what the building was built for?¡±


    [-I haven¡¯t found that out yet. Information about this tower is being controlled far more strictly than anything else in the city, and that¡¯s saying something. I could only capture this image.] ¡°But if they¡¯re that cautious, there must be more to it.¡±


    [-Yes. It¡¯s got to be an important part of the Outsider¡¯s n. While looking through various records, I found that arge amount of magic stones and budget have been spent building this. Even now, a big chunk of the royal budget goes towards it.]


    His prior cheery tone had be a little gloomy, likely due to theck of information he could show for his work.


    [-The problem is this is not the only one of its kind. Several others are being built elsewhere.] The screen split showing several other towers in different parts of Divide.


    [-Although they aren¡¯t as huge as the one in the capital, these other towers are steadily being constructed in other regions. The Outsiders are putting a great deal of effort into this. Based on how much time and resources are being thrown at this, we have a growing theory about what they¡¯re going to produce.]


    ¡°They¡¯re facilities for chimera production.¡±


    Desir came to the same conclusion as the Side Guard. Chimeras weren¡¯t something that could be made so easily, after all. They required countless dead bodies of monsters and a high level of technical skill and machinery tobine them into something stable. In order to produce military grade chimera, they needed world-ss facilities.


    ¡®So they are producing chimeras on arge scale to supplement their insufficient military force.¡¯


    Desir did not stop thinking there.


    ¡®However, if they put that much of their strategic budget into it¡­ ¡¯ There was something else superior to chimeras.


    ¡®They might possibly be making homunculus again.¡¯


    It was a distinct possibility. A possibility that he could not afford to reject offhand. He felt a sense of crisis.


    He had to stop this situation from developing any further. ¡®But I can only go off my strong suspicion.¡¯


    Arge amount of budget and magic stones had been invested into them and the timing of their construction coincided with the Outsidersing into the fold.


    However, it was just an assumption without concrete evidence. ¡°Is there any detailed evidence?¡±


    [-If you wanted anything more detailed, I¡¯d need at least another week.]


    ¡°No matter how long it takes, getting urate, irrefutable evidence is crucial to making our next move.¡±


    ¡®If we have that evidence, we can put a stop to the Outsiders. If I can persuade not only the Empire, but also the Western Kingdom Union¡­¡¯


    Even if they didn¡¯t produce homunculus, manufacturing chimeras was still a major taboo. [-But¡­ it will take us some time to work around their strict control. When I mentioned one week, that¡¯s only possible if we use all of the deployed agents in Divide, not just those within the Side Guard. Trying to contact them will take time, too.] ¡°Can I be of help then?¡±


    Swan stepped forward, having listened in on the talk so far.


    ¡°Although I can¡¯t secure information in secret, if you have my strength, getting the information should be possible with more forceful means. Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    This was true.


    [-Brute forcing it greatly increases the possibility of conflict. If your identity is revealed, war could break out between the Kingdom of Divide and the Hebrion Empire.]


    ¡°If I¡¯m careful, it won¡¯t be an issue. You guys can work hard to hide my identity.¡± [-But¡­ ]


    ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility of it happening. Nothing is guaranteed.¡±


    The Side Guard seemed bewildered with Swan talking so one-sidedly.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s Desir who makes the final call, no matter what I say. So, what are you going to do?¡±


    Swan turned around and asked Desir.


    What she said made Desir contemte heavily.


    ¡°If Swan goes, then we¡¯ll either get the evidence quickly, or find ourselves on the brink of war¡­ ¡±


    When you weighed the two oues, it wasn¡¯t even worth considering.


    If Divide was working with the Outsiders, war with Divide was inevitable.


    If he put Swan on the case, not only would the operation be easier to pull off, but if something were to go wrong, it would be far easier for the other spies to escape unharmed.


    ¡®In the worst-case scenario, as long as we don¡¯t get discovered, even if we can¡¯t find sufficient evidence¡­¡¯


    Desir made a decision. ¡°Please, Lady Swan.¡±

 Chapter 220. Divide (9)

    <h4>Chapter 220. Divide (9)</h4>


    It was finally the day that the Great Council was scheduled to begin.


    Desir looked through the window of his carriage, as it slowly made its way to the Royal Pce.


    Dark-colored buildings lined the streets, ced systematically and without variation. There was one structure in particr that stood out amongst those buildings.


    A huge tower.


    Seeing it in person, it was clear that the tower had something to do with the true purpose behind the Outsiders infiltrating Divide.


    ¡®She must be doing well, right?¡¯


    Swan wasn¡¯t part of their group headed for the pce. She had left to investigate the gigantic tower along with some of the Side Guard operatives.


    The n was simple.


    With the Great Council beginning, the number of troops guarding the tower was going to be at its lowest due to them prioritising security detail for it. During that time, the Side Guard and Swan would infiltrate and investigate the tower.


    If the tower was rted to the Outsiders, and the circumstantial evidence strongly suggested it was, they should be able to discover the Outsiders¡¯ goal based on what they managed to gather during their expedition.


    * * *


    ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t this too much?¡±


    Desir felt something unusual while walking down the pce corridor.


    He expected that there would be arge number of troops for guarding the Great Council, but the number present exceeded his expectation by far.


    The sounds of wyverns crying while gliding through the sky echoed non-stop: it was the Flying Dragon Division that Divide was so proud of. And there wasn¡¯t just one member; practically the whole division was there.


    As if they weren¡¯t enough, several knights were patrolling the pce in small formations, and an immense number of soldiers were stationed in anything that so much as resembled a guard post.


    ¡°Did they bring all of the troops guarding Pittsburgh?¡± Desir nodded in agreement with Zod¡¯s assessment. ¡°That seems to be the case.¡±


    The military force present was more than enough to disy their strength as a nation. While it could almost be construed as a threatening gesture by the guests attending the Great Council, nobodyined. It was justified after what happened in the previous year.


    Desir did not expect Divide would be able to muster such a big military force. It was a truly prodigious number.


    However, it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re thinking, but this won¡¯t go as nned.¡¯ Desir said mentally while thinking of someone in particr.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Desir.¡±


    Ady strode towards him. It was Saint Prisci.


    He hadn¡¯t seen her in a while, especially since she hadn¡¯t attended the previous night¡¯s banquet.


    Behind Prisci were numerous knights wearing full suits of armor, on which a moon pattern was engraved.


    Holy pdins of the Artemis Church.


    Nominally, they were a group formed to fight against the infidels that refused the teachings of their Goddess.


    There were surprisingly few holy pdins, considering the number of believers the Church of Artemis had, but their individual ability was excellent. To disregard their power because of their size could be a fatal mistake. Above all, some amongst their ranks had unique powers, such as Prisci¡¯s healing capabilities.


    ¡°I brought them here as you mentioned. Will this be enough?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Right after Desir contacted Zod, he also asked Prisci for more armed escorts. ¡°Looks like they came prepared too.¡±


    Looking out the window at what Zod pointed to, they could make out Kings of the Western Kingdom Union arriving.


    Each one of them was escorted by elite forces representing their own country. This was in stark contrast to the minimal personal security from the previous year. There was a fair number of elite soldiers gathered now.


    ¡°It was good that we heeded your advice and nned in advance.¡±


    As everyone who was attending the Great Council had brought a fair number of elite troops, the forces gathered were now sufficient to hold off against any military assault that Divide prepared.


    ¡°With all of this, we will be fully able to cope with the Outsiders, no matter what they do.¡±


    No, with these elite forces from the Western Kingdom Union included, they had far better troops in terms of quality. They were likely evenly matched in terms of sheer number of soldiers with Divide, but vastly better off quality wise, so even if a battle ured, there should be no problem.


    ¡°Everyone is quite prepared.¡±


    A deep and dignified voice sounded. Desir andpany turned their gaze to where the voice came from.


    ¡®Clora Ars F. Baldershu¡­ !¡¯


    At the end of their line of sight was the King of Divide, Clora Baldershu. ¡°I salute the King of Divide.¡±


    They politely saluted Clora.


    Clora greeted them all with a light nod.


    ¡°Zod Exarion, I heard you suggested this to other kings.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Very splendid. I appreciate your forethought on behalf of the Western Kingdom Union.¡± As Zod bowed his head, Clora had a pleasant smile.


    The sight made Desir contemte.


    ¡®Is the King working directly with the Outsiders¡­ ?¡¯


    Although he didn¡¯t know much about him, he didn¡¯t seem suspicious based on what Desir had heard and the information he had.


    It was a fact that the Outsiders had infiltrated Divide, but he hadn¡¯t figured out how exactly they made that first in-road into cing that advisor at the King¡¯s ear.


    There was no doubt that the Advisor was directly rted to the Outsiders, but he was unsure of whether the King was directly cooperating with him and aware of his identity.


    This situation paralleled what Desir saw happen in the Magic Kingdom with their leader,


    Kuma Merilson. Skull Mask manipted their king while working under the pseudonym of ¡°The Prophet¡±, eventually destroying the country. However, the major difference here was that as those events unfolded, the King ended up disagreeing with Skull Mask¡¯s aim and was taken out of the equation as a result. He waspletely taken advantage of.


    ¡°But having the military force just stand by like this isn¡¯t going to be sufficient.¡± Clora¡¯s eyes widened at Desir¡¯s sudden suggestion.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°All this military strength can easily repel an attack from outside, but if there is an attack from the inside, they¡¯d copse instantly.¡±


    ¡°borate.¡±


    ¡°The Outsiders managed to infiltrate the Hebrion Academy a long time ago. They had operatives working as professors with no one the wiser. It was impossible for us to figure out who could be trusted among the staff and guards at the academy.¡±


    He used the metaphor to exin the current situation Divide found itself in.


    Desir believed he didn¡¯t need to hide that he had figured out that the Outsiders were hidden in Divide. Announcing this knowledge wouldn¡¯t make a difference after all.


    Seeing as that was the case, he decided to gauge the reaction of the King after making such a bold move.


    ¡°I have heard rumour of such, however there is no indication of any Outsider activity in Divide. I appreciate your concern though.¡±


    Clora¡¯s behavior was too natural. His intonation and look didn¡¯t seem as if he were acting at all.


    ¡®I had better step back at this point.¡¯


    Desir realized it wouldn¡¯t be helpful to press him too much further.


    If he was just acting, it was pointless. If he wasn¡¯t acting, continuing to sound him out wasn¡¯t a good move in terms of maintaining a good rtionship.


    ¡°d to hear it. If you need help with anything, please let me know whenever.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Let¡¯s start the Great Council.¡±


    As Clora took the lead, Desir andpany followed suit.


    Just before they could enter the room where the Great Council would take ce, there was yet another inspection. People entered after relinquishing hazardous objects and passing an identity check.


    Desir andpany managed to clear the inspection and enter the room. ¡°Desir Arman, do you have a moment?¡±


    Clora pulled Desir aside all of a sudden. He had a grim look on his face. Then, he whispered very quietly.


    ¡°Actually, there is a serious problem in Divide.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Clora looked out the window with quite a serious face. The weather seemed to have read the mood, as rain started to pour down.


    ¡°Those bastards work more often on gray days like this. I try my best to manage it on my own, but it¡¯s hard to deal with them.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Are you talking about the Outsiders?¡±


    Desir¡¯s expectations were lifted at the unexpected possibility of getting information about the Outsiders.


    If the King of Divide was hostile to the Outsiders, he could solve the issue easily by simply cooperating with him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the Outsiders, it¡¯s mice.¡±


    Desir squinted at Clora¡¯s unexpected words.


    ¡°Yesterday, today, there are a lot of mice in Divide. They¡¯re all around the capital you see. So we¡¯re having a hard time.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ is a big problem indeed.¡±


    Desir didn¡¯t know what to say in response, but he continued the conversation while nodding in agreement.


    ¡°But truly, this rain is a relief. Even if I don¡¯t see them, I know the mice are hidden somewhere. It¡¯s not easy to get rid of mice when they¡¯re hiding.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°So, isn¡¯t this a great chance to remove them if they appear? I don¡¯t need to worry about not being able to see them if I handle them all now. All the mice pouring out of their dens, thinking that they won¡¯t be seen in the bad weather.¡±


    Clora stared out the window. The rain had truly set in. ¡®This man perhaps¡­ ¡¯


    Desir found the conversation suspect.


    ¡°Today the mice will not survive, not even one.¡± Clora¡¯s eyes gleamed for a second.


    Desir gulped.


    ¡°I hope things go your way, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Desir.¡±


    Clora smiled at Desir. Desir also replied with a smile. ¡®One thing is certain.¡¯


    Desir¡¯s face cooled off icily.


    ¡®Clora Baldershu is working with the Outsiders.¡¯


    Desir had shown his hand, using his story about the Hebrion Academy as an allusion to the Outsider¡¯s infiltration of Divide.


    The King had then pulled Desir aside and used a metaphor of his own to tell Desir that he was well aware of the Side Guard¡¯s infiltration and rummaging in Divide under Desir¡¯smand. Desir had revealed himself in order to gauge the King¡¯s reaction, to get a feel for how much control the Outsiders had over the country. In the end he hadn¡¯t confirmed much, but he hadn¡¯t given away much either; he was fairly certain the Outsiders were already aware. But for the King to freely confirm his association with the Outsiders?


    Desir couldn¡¯t figure out their angle. Why would he expose himself?


    However, Desir could not afford to think about his intentions any longer.


    If the Outsiders found out what Desir was doing, the people busy investigating could be in danger.


    Desir started agonizing over what to do. He looked at hismunication pad. ¡®I can stop it all now.¡¯


    The operation hadn¡¯t started yet. They still had time until the Great Councilmenced. It was possible to cancel the operation by contacting Swan now.


    But Desir hesitated.


    ¡®If I miss this chance, it¡¯ll be impossible to figure out the Outsider¡¯s true objective.¡¯


    The Outsiders were the biggest obstacle in his way to clearing the Shadow Labyrinth. Without removing them from the picture, there was the very likely possibility of them continually causing problems and wasting valuable resources.


    He could not miss the opportunity to get such a rare clue. ¡®I will trust in Swan¡¯s ability.¡¯


    [-The Outsiders seem to be aware of our movement. When you think it¡¯s dangerous, escape immediately.]


    After agonizing for so long, he finally decided tomence the operation as nned.


    As soon as he sent Swan the message, everyone had finally gathered to convene the Great Council.


    The chair of this Great Council, Clora, opened his mouth after taking in the whole assembly. ¡°Thank you everyone for your patience. Let¡¯s get this Great Council under way.¡±

 Chapter 221. Divide (10)

    <h4>Chapter 221. Divide (10)</h4>


    In the center of Pittsburgh stood a giant tower.


    It was a location with security on a whole other levelpared to any other facility in Divide. A group of well-dressed people, d in white coats, made their way towards the tower.


    As they arrived at the entrance of the tower, they were intercepted by guards. These guards were fairly well equipped with magic and gear, especially for mere gatekeepers.


    One man out of the group of white-clothed people stepped forward and handed the guard something. It was an ess card that served as a photo ID.


    ¡°I¡¯m researcher Rania Morrison. I¡¯m meant to enter at 14:00.¡±


    Only allowed personnel could enter the tower, and only at pre-appointed times. Everyone else would be turned away, regardless of their identity.


    The guard took Rania¡¯s ess card andpared the picture against his face. After confirming they matched, he returned his ess card.


    ¡°Pass.¡±


    This was not the end of things though.


    The guards began checking the identities of Rania¡¯s escorts.


    The guard, who wasparing their ess cards and faces, started to frown before eventually opening his mouth.


    ¡°Wait, this¡­ !¡± *Smack*


    The moment they had realized the pictures and faces didn¡¯t match, the guards had all slumped to the ground.


    ¡°Arrrgh!¡±


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    The entire guard post charged with securing the main entrance to the tower had beenpletely incapacitated.


    They quickly took measures to ensure their tracks had been covered. After all of the guards copsed, Rania and the other researchers stripped them of their useful gear before stashing their bodies somewhere they wouldn¡¯t easily be found.


    ¡°Their next rotation shouldn¡¯t arrive for another two hours.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and get out before that.¡±


    Rania Morrison¡¯s face transformed from the face of a young, sophisticated male into that of a delicate female¡¯s.


    He, no¡­ she was Swan Katarina.


    The white-clothed researchers around her were in fact secret agents from the Side Guard. They began to move quickly.


    Though they had dealt with the human element, there was still onest set of security checks that needed to be taken care of before they could enter the tower. It didn¡¯t take long for the well-trained Side Guard to disable Divide¡¯s state-of-the-art security systems.


    With the security systems down and the guards incapacitated, their escape route was now secured. The silent assault and destruction of the tower¡¯s tight defenses had been carried out in less than thirty seconds, proof of the thorough preparation that had been put into this operation.


    ¡°It¡¯s always impressive seeing this in-person.¡±


    Swan mumbled, looking at the Side Guard busily working.


    It was indeed impressive. The Side Guard had both started andpleted all of their preparation for this tower infiltration mission within a day.


    As a result of their diligence, they removed countless security systems rapidly, as well as managing to locate and kidnap the individual meant to enter the tower at this hour. They had used this person¡¯s genuine ess card to get the guards to lower their guard.


    ¡°No matter how much we prepared for this, without you Lady Swan, we could not make it even this far.¡±


    Swan had overpowered as many as ten guards before they realized they were under attack. It was utterly amazing that she could overwhelm so many well geared and highly trained specialists within a few seconds through sheer force.


    Just as Swan and the Side Guard were praising each other, hermunication pad vibrated. [-The Outsiders seem to be aware of our movement. When you think it¡¯s dangerous, escape immediately.]


    It was a warning from Desir.


    All emotion fell off Swan¡¯s face for a moment. Her mouth then twisted into a smile. ¡°Such a cute kiddo.¡±


    Swan could feel just how much he worried about her through the in words she saw in front of her.


    As she chuckled to herself, a member of the Side Guard approached her with a quizzical expression stered on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡±


    ¡°Our operation seems to have been exposed.¡±


    Although it didn¡¯t seem like anyone knew they were sneaking into the tower, if the enemy already knew about their existence, there was a good chance that they had arranged something in advance.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed. Just means we¡¯re on a stricter time limit.¡± Swan made the same decision as Desir.


    She could not leave the Outsiders as they were. They were already powerful enough to swallow up a country as powerful as the Kingdom of Divide. She expected them to only grow stronger from here on out, and pose a threat to the Empire in the near future.


    If she missed this chance, it would be nearly impossible toe back into Divide and finish the job. There was a need to figure out what they were nning right now, no matter the cost. Swan entered the tower, working her artifact once again.


    The Side Guard followed her quietly. They absolutely trusted and followed any judgement of the Royal Guards.


    * * *


    Inside the tower several researchers could be seen scurrying around. If it wasn¡¯t obvious before, it was now in as day that the tower within Pittsburg was some form of research facility.


    ¡®They have been researching chimeras, as expected.¡¯


    The researcher that the Side Guard kidnapped, Rania Morrison, had a rather important title in this tower.


    ¡®Being the biotechnology expert has its perks.¡¯


    Swan, who had donned his face, was not stopped at any point in the tower. Thanks to that, they quickly managed to figure out what kind of research was being undertaken in this facility. They were attempting to create something beyond simplybining monsters.


    This tower was focused on researching how to use high-tier swordsmen and magicians in the creation of chimeras. The thought of facing several chimeras with the ability to freely manipte magic and aura was utterly terrifying.


    ¡°Have you found anything?¡±


    [-I found a ce where numerous chimera are stored.] ¡°How many chimeras approximately?¡±


    [-It¡¯s hard to tell exactly, but there¡¯s at least several hundred chimeras in here. Their quality is terrifying too. Each one is at least as powerful as a Rook ss swordsman, and there are many that are already at the level of Bishop ss.]


    Swan frowned.


    The figure of several hundred had surpassed her expectations by far.


    If there were other facilities like this in other cities, their military force could already be a threat to the Hebrion Empire.


    ¡®If you include their soldiers, perhaps Divide and the Empire are already on equal ground¡­ ¡¯ Anyhow, they had figured out what the primary purpose of this tower was.


    This was already more than enough to go off of, and certainly enough to consider this mission a sess.


    ¡®Should we leave?¡¯


    Leaving was the obvious answer presented to her. However, the mission had been too easy. While it was likely because they had thoroughly prepared, something still triggered her sharp intuition.


    ¡®This is the best time to escape.¡¯


    Nobody seemed to have realised that they had sneaked in yet.


    [-Lady Swan, what should we do?]


    [-Get ready to retreat. On my signal, retreat immediately.] [-Yes.]


    It was then.


    She looked up.


    It was truly a gigantic tower.


    There were so many pirs spanning such arge distance into the sky.


    Something crossed her mind out of the blue.


    ¡®If they just wanted to build a structure to store and research chimeras, why would they build something that stands out like this? Moreover¡­ the design of this tower is extremely inefficient for storage.¡¯


    She had pinpointed the issue troubling her, something a normal agent would have missed in the heat of a mission.


    But Swan was different.


    ¡®Above all else, getting this information was far too easy indeed. We figured out everything after simply sneaking in and walking around.¡¯


    She looked around.


    ¡®It feels like they wanted us to leave after gathering all this information¡­ Am I being too paranoid?¡¯


    ¡°Nice to see you, Mr. Rania Morrison. We meet again.¡±


    [-Lady Swan, the head of the Flying Dragon Division has passed through the main gate.]


    She received the alert at that exact moment. A report from the Side Guard in charge of the main gate. At the same time, she spotted the shadow of a man entering into the tower, and he spotted her as well.


    He was in silver armor, carrying a long spear. He certainly looked very different from the normal guards of the tower, just based off of his expensive looking magic equipment. Siegfried.


    A beautiful young man with long hair. He approached her with such an affable face. With him in the lead, other Flying Dragon Division members entered the tower as well. They were all excellent knights, even without their wyverns.


    The military force that was originally meant to be at the Royal Pce was at the tower for some reason.


    [-I thought they only stayed at the Royal Pce. I don¡¯t know why they came now, of all times.]


    This must have been what they arranged in advance.


    ¡°Everyone, do not panic. Remain ready to retreat and prepare for battle.¡± [-Yes, ma¡¯am.]


    The Side Guard, still pretending to be researchers, spread out all over the working area, blending in with the other researchers. Even though they made themselves appear busy, they managed to arrange themselves into formation, ready to respond to any aggression from the Flying Dragon Division, should the need arise.


    The Flying Dragon Division made their move in a sh.


    Siegfried raised his voice.


    ¡°We have been alerted to the fact that there are intruders inside. We will verify all people present, as we are in an emergency situation.¡±


    He dered this to everyone in the room. The internal researchersined bitterly, but they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. They started getting ready to be verified under the watchful eyes of the Flying Dragon Division. Getting verified wasn¡¯t a difficult thing to do. They just had to show their identification card as the Flying Dragon Division made their rounds.


    ¡°Apologies for the interruption, Mr. Morrison. Surely you understand.¡± Siegfried approached Swan, no, Swan with Rania Morrison¡¯s face to be exact. ¡®Dammit.¡¯


    Swan muttered internally.


    She didn¡¯t know Siegfried and Rania Morrison knew each other, but she couldn¡¯t afford to fall into any trap either. She had to y this carefully.


    ¡°I believe we briefly met at thest conference. Is the research you presented going well?¡±


    ¡°Good to see you, Sir Siegfried. Yes, of course. It¡¯s going very well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Since you probably have the most to do, we will verify you first.¡± Siegfried raised his chin. The Flying Dragon Division then surrounded her. Siegfried sighed.


    ¡°Why would I go to the damn conference, Swan Katarina.¡± Apparently he knew Swan¡¯s identity from the start.


    ¡°¡­ How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Well, in preparation for a situation like this, my superior lent me an artifact.¡± He brandished a magic tool of some kind. They looked like a pair of sses.


    ¡°This device is the ¡®Eye of Truth¡¯. It detects all who disguise or conceal their true selves using an artifact.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly a precious artifact.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. This tool can filter out most secret agents.¡±


    He put the sses away and brandished his spear.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you surrender peacefully? We know about your subordinates already.¡± Swan sighed before deactivating her artifact.


    ¡°If you pretend you didn¡¯t see me here, everyone can live. Will you just let me go?¡± Siegfried giggled, as though her suggestion was utterly ridiculous.


    ¡°Did you think we would ept that kind of offer?¡±


    ¡°No, I just warned you out of courtesy.¡±


    Swan stretched out her hand. Simultaneously, something appeared and morphed in her hand, before solidifying into a long spear.


    ¡°I will end this quickly.¡±

 Chapter 222. Divide (11)

    <h4>Chapter 222. Divide (11)</h4>


    ¡°So I¡¯d like to hear your opinions on how we are to proceed through this agenda.¡±


    ¡°My opinion regarding that¡­ ¡±


    The Great Council progressed smoothly. Many items had already been discussed and dealt with ording to the interests of each country.


    The King of Divide, who was acting as the facilitator of the meeting, led the councilpetently. When discussion slowed down and got stuck on certain topics, he would suggest a reasonablepromise for each party. When the different opinions were deeply conflicting, he would skillfully summarize the lengthy conversation to allow participants to regain rity. He would also calm down any uproar with his distinct charisma, as the need arose for such.


    ¡°I can¡¯t possibly believe that he is working with the Outsiders.¡±


    This was Prisci¡¯sment, after watching him for the duration of the meeting thus far. ¡°I¡¯ve only met him a few times at the past councils, but I can¡¯t see any differences between how he acted then and now. He seems like his usual self.¡±


    The King of Divide looked no different than normal.


    Zod Exarion mumbled with a puzzled look.


    ¡°Even if he¡¯s with the Outsiders, he didn¡¯t need to act in such an overt way.¡± Desir agreed wholeheartedly, and nodded in response.


    ¡°Definitely. I don¡¯t understand how Prisci can still be uncertain.¡±


    From the perspective of the Outsiders, there was no need for Clora Baldershu to reveal his connection to the Outsiders.


    It was a totally unnecessary risk.


    ¡°Nevertheless, he did it anyway¡­ Perhaps they are confident in their victory?¡± Checkmate.


    The Outsiders could afford to make grand gestures if they were certain of victory. Desir remembered the King¡¯s tone and overt threat.


    His arrogance was as if Desir andpany were already dancing in the palm of his hand. His tone had a sense of superiority that said he could destroy them at any time.


    ¡®But what kind of n do they have to be so sure of victory¡­ ?¡¯ He could not guess how they would act.


    There was one obvious fact.


    ¡°If the Outsiders are truly confident in their victory, that means they have some n to get rid of us. Most likely, it¡¯ll happen while we¡¯re here in Divide.¡±


    ¡°¡­ but we don¡¯t yet know how they will move.¡±


    ¡°We can still eliminate possibilities. They wouldn¡¯t take us head-on in a stupid manner; they¡¯re almost certainly plotting something cunning from the shadows.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Desir sitting on pins and needles. The entire group showed signs of growing anxiety.


    In the meantime, the council continued.


    ¡°We¡¯d like to raise an issue that Divide faced recently.¡±


    When it was the chairman¡¯s turn, the King of Divide took the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are all aware that the Hebrion Empire recently demanded enormouspensation from us under false pretenses.¡±


    He continued.


    ¡°Although their evidence wasn¡¯t clear, they concluded that we supported a revolt in the Empire. This act is no different than any other act of violence. Just because the Empire is more powerful than us, theymitted awful violence upon our little Kingdom. Our Kingdom begrudgingly epted the Empire¡¯s offer to prevent the worst oue, war; but something like this should not happen again. In order to restrain the Empire from ruthlessly enforcing whatever demands they see fit upon the other Kingdoms of the Western Kingdom Union, I¡¯d like to propose the Western Kingdom Union to band together to retaliate militarily when the cause is considered just.¡±


    The Great Council was shaken into a stir for a few minutes.


    While many had heard rumors of the anti-Empire ideology festering in secret within Divide, this was finally concrete proof of it. They had only heard about it through indirect means before.


    The attendees began to whisper. Desir could not quite make out what they were saying though. ¡°¡­ Well, no wonder Divide is gritting their teeth. More than five of their merchant associations were disbanded.¡±


    ¡°They have been at odds throughout all of history. They seem extremely determined this time though.¡±


    The rtionship between Divide and the Empire was very famous, after all. As a matter of fact, the anti-Empire ideology that had been around since the Western Kingdom Union was first established, was strongly influenced by Divide¡¯s efforts. The Kingdom of Divide was practically the chair country of the Western Kingdom Union.


    King Clora finished his case with an emphatic tone.


    ¡°I am very saddened by this incident that Divide just went through, but my opinion is a bit different to King Clora¡¯s.¡±


    It was the King of the Prillecha Empire, Gried, who spoke up.


    ¡°King Clora, I heard that what Divide traded with the rebel forces in the Hebrion Empire was munitions.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Correct. Nobody can prohibit which merchant association trades with which dominion.¡± Gried cowered back a little under Clora¡¯s fierce re.


    But he did not back down and continued to share his beliefs.


    ¡°S-Sure. But from the Empire¡¯s perspective, it could be seen as though Divide supported the revolt through the trading of munitions. Without knowing the details, I would not know if it¡¯s true or not. I do think Divide is responsible for not recognizing the possible misapprehension.¡± No one could imagine the Kingdom of Prillecha being this vocal as the weaker country of the two.


    ¡°Unless the Empire is explicitly suppressing a smaller country, the Western Kingdom Union has no reason to step in.¡±


    The attendees at the Great Council seemed surprised with Prillecha pushing forward its opinion, despite it being the smallest country. It wasn¡¯t as if Gried was alone, however; after he finished speaking, strong opinions sympathetic to his own began to fill the council room¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s true. This is an issue between Divide and the Hebrion Empire.¡±


    ¡°We cannot say this is the general sentiment of the Western Kingdom Union.¡±


    Even the countries who agreed with Divide showed lukewarm responses inmitting to such a treaty.


    ¡°¡­ Well, I understand why Divide is pushing this so hard, but it would be very risky to turn our Western Kingdom Union¡¯s back on the Empire.¡±


    There was hardly any country willing to help Divide, although they were willing to tolerate Divide¡¯s efforts at resisting the Empire. If it was just one year ago, they likely all would have sided with Divide on this issue.


    Back then the anti-Empire ideology had considerable weight. Due to Desir¡¯s effort, the rtionship between the Empire and the Western Kingdom Union had changed drastically. Desir had since joined the Royal Guard, bringing him close to the Emperor of Hebrion, and continued to show dedication towards improving this rtionship. With a position of such power, the growing rtionship between Hebrion and the Western Kingdom Union had never been this strong.


    For once, the Western Kingdom Union could see the distinct possibility of bing intimate with the Empire.


    ¡°¡­ Therefore, we can sum it up as that the Western Kingdom Union will not support Divide in retaliation, but we will allow Divide to act independently¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I see. I understand.¡±


    He seemed to have read the atmosphere of the room, the sentiment of the Western Kingdom Union.


    ¡°Well, I see. I understand what¡¯s happening here.¡±


    The King of Divide nodded before looking around the room and smiling. ¡®What does he understand¡­ ?¡¯


    As if a clock began counting down, Desir realized something unusual. Just as he was about to stand up.


    *Thump*


    A low rumble could be heard. The building shook a little as if there was an earthquake. Everyone could feel the tremor.


    * * *


    The end of the spear broke.


    Siegfried was flung to the ground.


    He looked extremely awful.


    His white silver armor waspletely destroyed. There was barely a patch of it that was whole. Several of thergest holes, almost as big as a fist, were concentrated on his chest and waist area.


    The floor was slick with his blood. He nkly stared at Swan. ¡°Did you reallye at me with such petty skill?¡±


    Swan sneered at him, dumbfounded, but Siegfried could not say a word. He just red at her. He had the look in his eyes that seemed to intimate that he was unconvinced in his loss, rather than the resentful expression one would expect from someone so thoroughly thrashed. The lofty knight full of pride was long gone.


    Swan gently stood on Siegfried¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I did warn you. I told you that you¡¯d better pretend to have not seen me and just go.¡± *Thud*


    She ended the pitiful Siegfried by applying enough pressure to snap his neck.


    She looked around. There were numerous people copsed on the floor, other than Siegfried. There was a great battle between the Flying Dragon Division and the Side Guard that had sneaked in.


    The result was aplete victory.


    Swan Katarina¡¯s power was overwhelming. Once she joined their battle after getting Siegfried under control, nobody could offer much resistance against her.


    Every one of the Flying Dragon Division who came into the tower was killed, and only two of the Side Guard had died in exchange.


    But they didn¡¯t think they won at all.


    ¡°Soon enough the full military force of Divide will flood in here. We have less than five minutes left.¡±


    Their existence was totally exposed. They had to run away without the luxury of being able to savor their victory. It was only aplete victory if they managed to get all of the information they had acquired to Desir.


    ¡°Yes. We better retreat right now.¡±


    She murmured before ring at the tower¡¯s surroundings. The traces of a fierce battle clearly remained. In order to get the situation under control as quickly as possible, she had used all of her power. Nothing but debris remained inside this tower, after her mighty aura swept through it. Staircases had crumbled, and there was nowhere whole left to stand on.


    ¡°But this is weird.¡± Swan muttered.


    After getting hit by her ridiculous aura, the pirs and the outer wall were still intact, while nothing else was.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t this tower just some facility¡­ for chimeras?¡¯ She gulped.


    She looked at the tower once more, noting the external were in pristine condition. ¡°What if the chimera manufacturing was just a front?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The Side Guard were stunned by such an abrupt question.


    Her eyes traced the intact walls.


    Though everything including thebs had been wrecked, the first floor was entirely fine. The basement.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    She pulled the string of her bow taught, convinced she was right. She gathered a massive amount of aura.


    Even a building as tough as this one couldn¡¯t possibly resist Swan¡¯s aura when it was focused this densely.


    She let loose.


    A powerful st swept over everything, but the floor surface remained intact. It wasn¡¯t only because the surface was strong.


    The force that had stopped her aura was standing opposite of Swan.


    As Swan swung her head towards the source, a man wearing a crow mask came into view. ¡°¡­ you.¡±


    Swan widened her eyes.


    In front of her stood one of the executives of the Outsiders. She had no idea how long he had been standing there. ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes, it¡¯s been a long time. Is this the first time since the revolution?¡± The tension released from her face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been watching from the start?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    ¡°The only reason why you would expose yourself now is because there¡¯s something below me that you can¡¯t afford to expose.¡± Crow Mask started invoking magic.


    ¡°You¡¯re always so bothersome. You should¡¯ve left after finding out about the chimera.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡±


    It was just as she had deduced. The chimera were just a decoy.


    Swan stepped back. She wanted to operate hermunication pad at the same time, but it wouldn¡¯t connect. She looked up at Crow Mask, bewildered.


    ¡°Unfortunately, you can¡¯t operatemunication magic here.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Must be quite an interesting secret then.¡±


    What was the true purpose of this tower?


    Although the production of chimera was a secret worthy of concealing at all cost, this was beyond the value of even that.


    ¡°Once I get out of here, I¡¯ll be able to use mymunication device.¡±


    Swan drew the string of her bow taught once again. As she gathered her aura, bluish arrows began to form around her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll kill you, find out what¡¯s below, and let everyone know without fail.¡±

 Chapter 223. Divide (12)

    <h4>Chapter 223. Divide (12)</h4>


    ¡°What was that noise?¡± Back in the conference hall.


    The atmosphere had quickly morphed into one of chaos. ¡°It was small¡­ but it was definitely an explosion.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear¡­ again?¡±


    The kings were busy discussing the sts they had heard.


    The Great Council hade to a standstill.


    It wasn¡¯t just a single st. There were a few more in quick session.


    Although they weren¡¯t veryrge or noisy, the effect it had on the conference was not small. ¡°It might be another terrorist attack. Let¡¯s gather all of the reserve forces and take precautions¡­ ¡±


    ¡°We cannot move that many forces based on such an unknown. We need to investigate properly first.¡±


    The people in the Western Kingdom Union were already extremely sensitive due to the terrorist attackst year.


    They all strongly reacted to the sound, albeit each king had strong opinions on what should be done next.


    Soldiers from each country started to move, and people prepared themselves to escape as the confusion grew.


    To say there was a disturbance would be underselling it greatly. The council that was in full swing was abruptly cut off.


    ¡°Everyone please calm down.¡±


    The facilitator of the Great Council, the King of Divide, spoke up.


    While every public figure and king that made up the Western Kingdom Union was feeling uneasy, the King of Divide, Clora Valdersch looked unusually calm.


    ¡°I understand your concern, but it¡¯s certainly not an act of terrorism. I¡¯ve already received word that the st was just a normal ident.¡±


    At his announcement, the air in the Great Council calmed down.


    They had at least stopped talking about it frantically.


    ¡°What do you mean by a normal ident?¡± Clora answered the question raised.


    ¡°There seems to be trouble at our magical armaments factory. We¡¯re trying to figure out what happened too, and will let you know as this investigation is underway. But I can assure you that there is nothing to be concerned about.¡±


    The King¡¯s unphased tone made people dubious, but they had no choice but to believe him. He was the facilitator of this meeting afterall.


    Moreover, the sts had stopped.


    One extra-paranoid and skeptical member of the council spoke up.


    ¡°Just in case, let¡¯s confirm it for ourselves. Zod Exarion, could you check if there is any active magic near us?¡±


    Zod took a moment to confirm this before speaking.


    ¡°¡­ Except for defensive magic, there is no other magic inside the pce.¡±


    ¡°Well, does everyone feel relieved now?¡±


    The stir finally died down.


    The safety of the pce, and more importantly the Great Council inside it, which would be the first target of any terrorist, had been confirmed. Zod Exarion, who held the highest authority as far as magic was concerned, had verified it himself. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s continue the Great Council.¡± However, Desir did not naively trust what Clora had said. ¡®It cannot be a mere ident.¡¯


    As Desir reached that conclusion, he requested his Side Guard investigate the cause. It didn¡¯t take long before they reported back on what they found.


    [-Sir Desir, we managed to track down the source of the noise as you requested. It came from the tower. Lady Swan is currently locked inbat with an enemy force inside.]


    It was the tower that he had sent his forces into to collect information.


    The noises they heard all the way over in the pce were the aftermath from the battle underway inside the tower.


    ¡°Even if they had reserve forces, they would be no match for Lady Swan.¡±


    Honestly speaking, this was an unexpected turn of events. He didn¡¯t expect there to be a battle in the first ce.


    [-B-But, there was an ambush hidden inside. Lady Swan is unable to escape, even now. She appears to be struggling.]


    ¡®An enemy that Swan struggles with¡­ ?¡¯


    He thought no matter how strong the enemy was, it shouldn¡¯t have been a difficult task for Swan to control them, if not flee from them.


    That was why he sent Swan, even though there was a high degree of danger involved. ¡®Was there someone protecting the tower who could face Swan on equal terms?¡¯


    As far as Desir knew, there were only a few people with such abilities in Divide, no, across the entire continent.


    ¡°How are things progressing right now?¡± [-I can¡¯t say it¡¯s going well.]


    The member of the Side Guard proceeded tomunicate what information they had gathered and what was unfolding in front of him. Although he had limited information, and he couldn¡¯t see what was happening inside the tower, he still wlesslymunicated every detail he could observe.


    As Desir predicted, the tower was a facility for the mass manufacturing of chimeras.


    Swan had even seeded in gathering substantial evidence of chimera production while infiltrating.


    But that wasn¡¯t what caught Desir¡¯s attention.


    Swan had caused so much destruction on her own. Despite how intensely she had fought, there wasn¡¯t much damage to the tower¡¯s structure itself. Even if it was a facility for mass manufacturing chimeras, such a structure should not have been able to endure her aura.


    That was more than substantial proof enough that there was more to this tower than met the eye. The tower was not simply made for manufacturing chimeras, but must also be hiding something else.


    This was a pretty important piece of information on its own.


    ¡®If it wasn¡¯t built to manufacture chimera, those Outsiders must be preparing something else¡­¡¯


    At the moment, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what that could be.


    Unfortunately, that train of thought had to be relegated to the backburner. Trumping all other concerns now was Swan¡¯s safety, not the information that the Outsiders had gone to such great lengths to hide.


    ¡®They are hiding something else.¡¯


    Swan saw through their efforts to conceal it, realizing that there was another purpose for the building beyond just the manufacturing of chimeras. It was only after she attempted to figure out what it was that she got locked into a sh with an unknown enemy.


    ¡°The information we have is enough for now, we must retreat before it gets any more dangerous. All of the Side Guard¡­ ¡±


    [-Sir Desir, all direct and indirect interference with those inside the tower is being hampered. Not to mention any form ofmunication we have tried has been cut off. The information I gave you was delivered to me before themunication was disconnected.]


    ¡°Then not even a single Side Guard hase out so far?¡±


    [-That¡¯s right. It¡¯s impossible for us to know what¡¯s happening inside.]


    It had been a while since themunication embargo had been set up. But one thing was clear.


    ¡®Until now¡­ the battle has been under way.¡¯


    Although there was no longer any noise, it was odd that nobody came out. Desir hoped that the Outsiders had invoked soundproofing magic to calm the Great Council attendees, or to try and cover up what was happening. Because if not¡­


    ¡®If not¡­ Then Swan has been defeated.¡¯ That was the worst case possible.


    As much as he hated it, it was a possibility that Desir couldn¡¯t ignore. ¡®If¡­ the Outsiders fully mobilized¡­ ¡¯


    * * *


    Today, the mice will not survive, not even one.


    * * *


    Desir could not help recalling the words that the King of Divide so maliciously spat at him. Though he had relied heavily on Swan, it was still an extremely dangerous operation. He was naive for putting the full weight of it on her shoulders, forcing her to cope alone.


    ¡®I need to help Swan.¡¯


    Meanwhile, the Great Council was drawing to an end. All attendees were satisfied that they had been able to express their opinions on the topics that mattered most to them. As all of the critical items on the agenda had been discussed near the beginning of the council, there was no longer any need to stay.


    Desir spoke quietly to Zod.


    ¡°Sir Zod, I have an urgent matter I need to deal with quickly regarding the tower. If the King of Divide or his soldiers seem to move strangely¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll watch them thoroughly. Leave this ce to me.¡±


    Reading Desir¡¯s tense face, Zod somewhat guessed the circumstances and let Desir go without asking him why.


    ¡°Yes, I will also do my best.¡±


    If anything were to happen to those gathered in the council room, powerful individuals like Prisci and Zod were already present. In addition, there were plenty of troops ready to defend each king, so they could surely handle any situation that cropped up without Desir.


    All he had left to do was to go to the tower and help Swan.


    Desir wasn¡¯t going there alone obviously.


    It was guaranteed that the Outsiders would be waiting for them, fully prepared. ¡°If I could, I would bring all of our forces.¡±


    It was clear that a considerable number of people had been stationed at the tower by the Outsiders.


    However, even if he wanted to move the troops they brought from the Magic Tower, he couldn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t afford to draw the Western Kingdom Union¡¯s attention quite yet. If he was caught investigating Divide illegally, it would damage not only Desir¡¯s reputation but also the Empire¡¯s. Though Swan had found overwhelming proof of illegal activity within Divide, it wasn¡¯t clearly connected to the Outsiders, and Desir had nothing physical to sway them with¡­


    So he could only move a small number of elite personnel.


    And there was only one group of people meeting that criteria.


    The Starling Party.


    He tried his best to avoid putting them in danger, but he had no other choice in a situation like this.


    ¡°So¡­ ¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happened now?¡±


    Romanticay into Desir, while invading his personal space.


    She took a step forward, her usatory re cleanly prating his conscience. Desir lowered his head.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry to drag you all into this.¡±


    ¡°It happens all the time. We can help you if it¡¯s something you need, Sir Desir.¡± They were rather happy to have Desir¡¯s trust.


    ¡®¡­ I have often been too harsh on them.¡¯


    They seemed to have already forgotten those things.


    Desir was left with a warm feeling, after hearing and seeing their reactions. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a tough battle, so pull yourselves together.¡±


    As Desir solemnly spoke, he looked back in the room that the Great Council was being held in. He had felt a pair of eyes on him.


    The King of Divide, who was busy leading the council as facilitator, looked his way. It was a very brief moment.


    Desir felt like the King was grinning.


    It was an incredibly unpleasant smile.

 Chapter 224. A Subsurface War (1)

    <h4>Chapter 224. A Subsurface War (1)</h4>


    The Starling Party ran along the halls of the Royal Pce.


    They were going to leave the pce and head straight to the tower.


    Just as Desir was limited in how many people he could move, so was the Kingdom of Divide. If they moved all their soldiers from the Great Council to defend the tower, they would show their hand. If the security of one tower took precedence over the lives of all the leaders of the Western Kingdom Union, just what was happening in it?


    No matter how much of the Kingdom of Divide they had taken control over, the Outsiders still had to be careful in what they revealed while working out in the open.


    They had to avoid risking the exposure of the tower at all costs. ¡®Both sides can¡¯t afford being detected by others.¡¯


    This was a fierce battle that had to be waged under calm water.


    A subsurface war.


    As they sped up their movement, Romantica noticed something. ¡°It¡¯s the knights, Desir.¡±


    At that moment, Desir stopped walking. They all stopped in unison and peered around the corner.


    They saw a group of knights patrolling the interior of the Royal Pce. *Step*


    *Step*


    *Step*


    There were quite a few knights in the Divide Pce, patrolling the surrounding area thoroughly. The patrol route had been nned so thoroughly that there was no blind spot to be seen.


    Desir¡¯s party was not going to have any luck attempting to just stroll through this. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to fake them out. Let me handle it.¡±


    Activating camouge magic was no easy task. An assortment of detection magic had been installed everywhere in this pce. On top of that, a device had been installed to strongly interfere with the formation of the magic by unauthorized magicians. It was practically impossible for any of the Starling Party to invoke a spell.


    ¡®It¡¯s not as good as that defensive magic I saw in Leonhardt Pce, but it¡¯s still pretty good.¡¯ Desir, who briefly evaluated the defensive measures deployed in the royal pce, closed his eyes and touched the floor.


    A bluish mana stretched out of him and began to permeate the floor of the Royal Pce. The extended mana soon began to interfere with the huge magic formation that had been set up. It dug through every crevice, worming its way deeper inside.


    Carefully reading the Royal Pce¡¯s magic forms was not a difficult task for Desir.


    The forms installed were frequently maintained by the magician who set them up. However, while such a formation was thetest and greatest in terms of magical technology when it was installed, a decadeter it had been thoroughly studied and could only be considered a relic of the past. This was true even without Desir¡¯s extensive knowledge of the future developments in the field from his previous life.


    ¡°Release.¡±


    *Whoong*


    There was a very faint ringing noise.


    The pce¡¯s protective magic, which had been fitted to protect every nook and cranny, had now been lifted.


    His extreme inverting had erased the form without leaving behind any trace that a typical inversion would. Apart from a small resonating sound, there was no trace left behind at all. ¡°Seriously? Was it that easy?¡±


    ¡°I think your inversion speed is even faster than before!¡±


    The party rejoiced with the troublesome matter resolved, but Desir didn¡¯t look happy in the slightest.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Desir?¡±


    ¡°¡­ something is weird.¡±


    In the process of inverting the spell, Desir was able to identify the magic installed in the Royal Pce.


    No spell was big enough to cover the entire pce. Instead, the same defensive spell would be applied to many rooms individually, all chained back and controlled from a central area. This would mean that the entire pce was effectively protected by the one spell, and it was impossible to defend certain areas more heavily than others. If you wanted the spell parts tobine, each of them would need to be homogenous. What Desir had inverted was certainly a spell worthy of defending a royal pce. Even Desir had to resolve himself to expend a bit of effort in inverting it.


    But there was one part of the pce that was different.


    ¡°One part of the Royal Pce is protected by apletely different defensive magic.¡± The center of the pce. Underground, to be precise.


    Defending it was a high level of defensive magic that even Desir could not easily invert.


    The defensive capabilities of it were conspicuous enough, but the feel of mana powering it was unusual as well.


    ¡°No magician present in Divide would be capable of arranging a defensive spell of this level.¡± It was now clear to Desir that the Outsiders had seized control over the entire Royal Pce. If they went underground, perhaps they could obtain additional clues.


    ¡°What shall we do, Desir?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Let¡¯s look into itter. Right now, rescuing Swan is our first priority.¡± Desir made his priorities clear. They could visit the pce againter. They began to move with one piece of information in mind.


    [Invisible] [Quiet Move]


    Transparency and muffling magic.


    Romantica and Adjest each cast the spells on themselves, and Desir cast spells for both himself and Pram.


    After that, everything proceeded smoothly. The level of camouge magic deployed by Desir was extremely high, and it was impossible for ordinary knights to notice any sign of them. Having already figured out the structure of the Royal Pce, it was easy to cross the corridors without slowing down, allowing them to leave through the back gate and reenter the city. Countless people and carriages wereing and going.


    This is a rather busy street.


    They moved into the alley to avoid people¡¯s gazes. It was a ce filled with a nasty stench. Unlike its appearance, which seemed rather neat and well-maintained, this back alley was very messy and the structure of it was veryplex.


    The party ran through the back alley. The unmaintained road was bumpy, and dirt sshed out of the potholes they stumbled through.


    ¡®We have to go fast.¡¯


    His mind was racing. They couldn¡¯t afford to lose Swan here.


    In the first ce, the distance between the Royal Pce and the tower was not far. If they rushed, they could easily get there in ten minutes.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Wait a minute, Desir!¡± Adjest¡¯s voice reached Desir. [Ice Bolt]


    An arrow of ice unfolded and shot forward. The fierce rush of magic brushed against something.


    Time felt as if it had slowed to a crawl. *Smash*


    An array of explosions sounded in all directions as hundreds of wires thaty concealed on the ground rose up and smashed the roads and buildings.


    If he had continued on without slowing down, he would have been torn apart into a bloody pulp.


    The reason why these traps were set up was simple. They were ced to ambush the enemy. [Sigh of Kizard]


    Adjest immediately deployed simple, but effective, defensive magic. *Boom*


    A powerful explosion brushed against the shield of ice.


    That was just the beginning.


    A huge number of daggers flew at them from all sides. Each dagger appeared to be enchanted with a reasonably strong explosive spell. They each exploded as soon as they hit, scattering debris everywhere.


    *Boom*


    *Boom*


    Amidst of the hectic explosions, Romantica shouted. ¡°Why are they attacking us?! Who is doing this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably the Outsiders.¡±


    It was a certainty, not mere spection.


    As long as he was inside the Kingdom of Divide, he had resolved himself to be ready for attacks at any time. Furthermore, since they were separated from the other forces, this was the best time for them to attack.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t expect them toy a trap like this.¡¯ Things didn¡¯t seem to work out that easily though.


    ¡°Let¡¯s knock them down and head to the tower as soon as possible.¡± Desir shouted as he invoked defensive magic once again.


    The explosionssted for a long time.


    Desir had to hurriedly deploy several defensive spells. The Third-Circle defensive magic didn¡¯tst more than a few seconds at a time.


    The seemingly endless explosions gradually stopped after over a minute of sustained bombardment.


    The alley, once dirty but otherwise recognizable as one, had been caught up in the explosions and was now thoroughly destroyed. Broken bricks continued to rain down on the street and the


    debris of what was once buildings had been scattered everywhere, reduced to mere shrapnel flung about by the explosions. Acrid ck smoke rose from the wreckage.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I didn¡¯t expect you to survive that.¡± A voice emanated.


    At the same time, magic formations were arranged, pointing at the roof, in front of Romantica. [Avarosa Storm]


    A fierce storm skimmed off the smoke from the streets in an instant. The storm blew away what was left of the ceiling that voice seemed toe from. The remaining portion of the building copsed immediately.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    But the voice was not embarrassed in the slightest. Appearing in the copsed building was a man in a pierrot mask. Contrary to his bizarre pierrot mask, the voice seemed to belong to an ordinary man.


    Desir looked around. ¡°¡­ Twenty.¡±


    The moment they realized that they had been besieged by Pierrot Mask and about twenty enemies, the Starling Party stood back to back with each other, guarding against attacks from all angles.


    Desir opened his mouth.


    ¡°Keep your guard up. This situation is bad.¡±


    The road was narrow due to the maze-like structure of this part of town. There was little room for four people to move abreast.


    ¡°Why have you sent assassins after us?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to stall. You know why we¡¯re here anyway.¡±


    He spoke the truth. The man moved exaggeratedly as if he had nothing further to talk about. ¡°You need to die here.¡±


    The assassins circling the Starling Party all darted forward. Pram and Adjest pulled out their swords and confronted the enemies pouring in from all sides.


    The enemies broke into two groups, roughly half of their forces in each. The first half fought in-person, limiting the party¡¯s movements in a direct sh. At the same time, the rest fired long-range attacks at the gaps that opened in their defenses¡­


    The party also split in half to deal with them. While Pram and Adjest faced enemies approaching them head-on, Romantica and Desir deployed magic against the other enemies in the rear.


    [Lightning Strike]


    A simple lightning spell.


    The spell made direct contact with an enemy that was standing a fair distance away on a roof. But the enemy who had the high ground, quickly drew a dagger and struck down Desir¡¯s spell with lightning quick reflexes.


    The sword was tinged blue, indicating the wielder''s capabilities as a swordsman.


    ¡°A strong swordsman, at least Rook ss¡­ ! I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s an Outsider with such a high level of swordsmanship!¡±


    It may be another executive member of the Outsiders who had not revealed themselves yet.


    ¡®I wanted to conserve mana as much as possible until I joined up with Swan, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯


    Desir had no choice but to invoke strong magic in this battle. But at that moment, Desir witnessed the true terror of the enemy he was now facing. *Boom*


    There was a powerful explosion amidst the flurry of attacks he hadst seen being exchanged by Pram. Pram, who was facing off against an enemy wielding a sword, hadn¡¯t managed to dodge it unscathed and was caught up in the st.


    ¡°Are you all right, Pram?¡± Romantica ran straight to him.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m okay. I think I somehow managed to stop it.¡±


    Pram stood up using his rapier as support while reassuring Romantica.


    The Clothes Line had surely yed a minor part in him surviving that, but its defense was no longer as effective as it had been in prior battles, especially against enemies of this caliber. Having entered the Bishop ss, Pram managed to withstand the shock by gathering his aura and spreading it across his body in time.


    On the other hand, however, the soldier who faced the same explosion was not so safe. Despite attempting to resist with their aura, the explosion was so strong that they died instantly on the spot.


    The Starling Party was astounded by this result.


    ¡®You¡¯re using spells like that even though everyone is fighting in close proximity? Don¡¯t they care about harming their colleagues?¡¯


    It was no easy task to defend against a magical explosion. Especially when one was not expecting it. However, the enemies continued to attack mercilessly regardless of what damage they inflicted on each other.


    This was quite different from the enemies that the Starling Party had fought so far. Besides all else, these swordsmen were no ordinary people. They all possessed incredible power. ¡®It¡¯s¡­ tricky to confront enemies like this.¡¯


    While being locked in fiercebat with one enemy, another attack would fly in from an unexpected direction. It felt like every attack theyunched was a desperate attempt to kill them, whether or not their allies died in the process.


    They could manage if they werepeting in swordsmanship alone, but this battle became rather tricky when factoring in such tenebrous tactics.


    ¡°Time¡­ ¡­ is running out¡­ ¡±


    It was taking time to deal with them. Time they could ill afford.


    Just then, Adjest spoke up.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of them. You¡¯d better go on first, Desir.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you can deal with them?¡±


    ¡°If I use the Center of Ice, I will be able to withstand it somehow.¡±


    Adjest gestured at her sword, which had not yet been liberated from its sheath. After confirming her intentions, Desir began to invoke a powerful spell.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going ahead.¡± [Fire Storm]


    There was a huge explosion of mes.


    More than three assassins were killed together. Then, for a moment, there was an opening in their encircling. Desir dashed forward and escaped through that spot.


    Through the broken roof above him, Desir could make out the form of a tower in the distance.

 Chapter 225. A Subsurface War (2)

    <h4>Chapter 225. A Subsurface War (2)</h4>


    [Haste]


    Desir cast a spell to drive his body right up to its limit. It didn¡¯t take long before the main gate of the tower entered his vision.


    ¡®Crash through the front door and enter as quickly as possible.¡¯


    There was no more time to lose; he had already squandered far too much. He no longer had the luxury to worry about appearances nor pay close attention to his surroundings.


    A magical array unfolded right in front of him and a mighty amount of mana gathered around him.


    ¡°It¡¯s so touching that you came all this way to meet me.¡±


    As Desir heard the voice, the magical array he had been forming dispersed and disappeared. Desir looked back.


    Someone strode towards him out of the darkness.


    It was Swan Katarina.


    She was a wreck. The clothes, which would have certainly been loaded with defensive magic, were torn and soaked in blood. It was dubious whether they still had any defensive functionality remaining. Her body was entirely covered in wounds and herplexion was not very good either.


    Desir hurriedly approached her and helped support her. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Swan opened her mouth, her face contorted with pain.


    ¡°There was someone with a crow mask waiting inside the tower.¡±


    He was the one Desir regarded as the most threatening individual amongst the Outsiders.


    ¡°He was stronger than anyone I¡¯ve ever known. I wanted to take care of him on the spot, but it was rather difficult to even get out alive.¡± Desir breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡®Still, this situation is much better than what I feared hade to pass.¡¯ It was fortunate that Swan was safe. Desir felt that was enough.


    While still supporting Swan, Desir made the call to retreat. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At the moment Desir turned around and took a step forward, he felt something prate his back. It was cold and hard.


    [Charged Bolt]


    Desir immediately invoked a spell behind himself. Despite the unexpected situation, he did not lose hisposure.


    Swan kicked against the ground and avoided Desir¡¯s magic.


    ¡°You¡¯re not flustered, and you¡¯re even attacking your colleague. You are really unsympathetic.¡±


    Desir frowned at the pain. ¡°You¡¯re not Swan.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not the one you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    It may have been her voice that Desir heard, but those words definitely didn¡¯t belong to Swan Katarina. Their appearance, intonation, and even the minute and trivial details all matched Swan perfectly.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    Swan brought her palm to her face, masking her expression. And as the hand began to lower, the face that once belonged to Swan had now been masked by the vizard of a pantomime. ¡°Who the hell am I? What a boring way to define oneself. Why would I limit myself to a single one, when I could be anyone?¡±


    His face, once more, began to distort. After a brief moment, Desir¡¯s eyes widened as he was face-to-face with a familiar individual.


    The King of Divide. It was the face of Clora Baldershu.


    Pierrot Mask¡¯s mouth was bent into a crooked smile when he saw the distraught face of Desir. Only then did Desir begin to understand the series of events that had unfolded. He thought Divide was being manipted by a figure known as the Advisor, simr to the Holy Kingdom of Artemis and the Magic Kingdom.


    But this guess ended up being far off the mark.


    Unlike those other two, the Kingdom of Divide had already lost its king to the Outsiders. Desir could not help asking Pierrot Mask.


    ¡°What happened to the King?¡±


    ¡°Well? What do you think happened? Is he dead? Or is he still alive? Did he ever exist to begin with?¡±


    The face of Clora disappeared and he was once again wearing a ridiculous Pierrot Mask. Pierrot Mask began to prance around like a madman, spinning on the heels of his ridiculous shoes, circling around and around Desir. It was almost certain he was mocking Desir.


    It waspletely beyond Desir¡¯s anticipation, for there to be someone in the Outsiders with the ability to imitate others perfectly. Numerous thoughts crossed his mind, but he decided to put everything aside and focus on only one thing.


    ¡®I need to find Swan.¡¯


    The worst possibility came to mind, but he forcibly suppressed it.


    Desir took a step forward.


    ¡°Step aside.¡±


    ¡°Come on, y with me!¡±


    As soon as Pierrot Mask took out a dagger, he slipped back into a shroud of darkness and disappearedpletely. Desir panicked immediately. He had been keeping a keen eye on Pierrot Mask, but he was still able to slip away so easily. He looked around, but couldn¡¯t feel any signs of anything.


    Out of the blue, a blurred figure began to emerge before him. Desir immediately reacted and invoked a spell.


    [Sigh of Kizard]


    The dagger dug deep into the shield, its deadly tip aimed directly at Desir¡¯s neck. [Burst Fire]


    Desir rapidly released numerous balls of fire, homing in on his target.


    Pierrot Mask retreated back to escape the searing mes, but then whimsically spun around andunched himself at Desir once again.


    ¡®For now, l need to focus on the enemy in front of me.¡¯


    Desir took a deep breath and calmed himself. Although he was itching to continue searching for Swan, Pierrot Mask was not such an easy-going enemy to deal with that he could afford to be distracted while dealing with him.


    He freed Runel from his sleeve and simultaneously invoked another spell.


    [Scream of Wriggling Earth]


    Desir unleashed Fourth-Circle ground magic. The floor beneath them began to vibrate intensely, and the stone paving cracked and crumbled. The smaller stonespressed together, transforming the arena by filling it with numerous animated whips.


    A chilling grin emerged on Pierrot Mask¡¯s face. His eyes took in the sight before him, widening in awe.


    ¡°There you go, Desir Arman! Now this is the attitude of someone ready to y a game!¡±


    The whips swung at Desir¡¯s beck and call. Each of them were incredibly fast, and moved with deadly precision. Those closest to Pierrot Mask surged towards him, threatening to skewer and sh his body.


    *Rumble*


    Whatever unfortunate massid between the whips and Pierrot Mask had been gouged deeply,rge chunks of stone and wood having been reduced to dust. Despite the carnage, none of those whips had reached Pierrot Mask.


    Pierrot Mask moved shrewdly, his body contorting in nearly unnatural ways, and avoided all of the whips.


    ¡®On the right!¡¯


    Desir made tactful use of his whips¡¯ numerical advantage, and pressed his opponent into the corner. By limiting Pierrot Mask¡¯s possible moves, Desir would force him to move more predictably. Little by little, Pierrot Mask found himself in an increasingly threatening situation.


    Pierrot Mask twirled to the side, narrowly avoiding the oing whip. The floor where he once stood had been reced with a nearly foot-deep crater, filled with the rubble of the stone that once formed the pathway. Desir had expected this, and several whips were already flooding towards Pierrot Mask¡¯s new position.


    There was no room left to avoid this attack. Yet still, Pierrot Mask looked incredibly calm. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re pretty good!¡±


    Pierrot Mask pped his hands. At that moment, silvery lines shed all around him. ¡®¡­ ¡­ Wire!¡¯


    With every move Pierrot Mask had made, he installed hooks for razor-sharp wires to create an imprable defense.


    *Boom*


    Every single whip rushing towards Pierrot Mask exploded into a cloud of dust. His vision may have been obscured, but Desir wasn¡¯t going to give his opponent an opening.


    [Fire Storm]


    Desir unleashed one of his modified spells, with unbelievable destructive potential, now boasting the power of a Sixth-Circle spell.


    *Booom*


    An unstoppable storm of mes arose. Once again, there was no room to avoid this attack, and it should be impossible to block mes with mere wires.


    ¡°How cruel, Desir! That attack was pretty good though¡­ ¡± The voice came from behind Desir.


    Desir turned his head hurriedly. As he recognized the threat, Runel shot towards the enemy. *Baaaang*


    ¡®This speed¡­ !¡¯


    Pierrot Mask did not avoid or block Desir¡¯s attack, but rather rushed forward. Pierrot had managed to evade his attack by skirting through the tiniest gaps that an ordinary opponent wouldn¡¯t even notice, let alone think about them as something to exploit. And yet, he had dared to pull it off.


    This was only possible because of the tremendous speed of his movement.


    The fighting had turned into closebat. A close-fought battle between a wizard and a swordsman. Under normal circumstances, Desir would have been absolutely unfavoured by the fundamental nature of their sses, but he had Runel topensate.


    *Whoong*


    Runel moved at the speed of light and struck down the attack of Pierrot Mask. ¡®¡­ ¡­ !¡¯


    In an attempt to multi-task, Desir tried to invoke magic, but it ended up being impossible after all. Pierrot Mask¡¯s attacks were extremely fast, but most of all,pletely unpredictable.


    It was hard to read the trajectory of his dagger that seemed to have a life of its own. For Desir, who fought against everything through sheer calction, this was a terrible matchup. It was impossible for Runel to stop all of the attacks in this seemingly endless onught. Blood trickled down from his umting wounds, soaking his Clothes Line red. The barely-invoked spell swept towards Pierrot Mask¡¯s face, but he simply dodged.


    An all-epassing smile covered Pierrot Mask¡¯s face.


    The situation continued to repeat in this manner. Every time Desir lost an exchange, Pierrot Mask did not inflict any fatal wounds on Desir. Instead, he only left a small cut on his skin, as though he was ying a prank.


    Wound after wound continued to appear on Desir¡¯s body. His Clothes Line was truly soaked in blood now.


    Desir knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to allow this to be dragged out further. [Parie Arund]


    He had to pour out everything he had.


    Desir gathered all of his mana, exhausting its supply to the very limit, before arranging a spell. [Ice Sh--]


    Seeing that Desir was about to unleash a powerful spell, Pierrot Mask quickly flexed his arm. Aura-imbued wire shot out from his arm and smashed the building behind Desir. The falling debris quickly threatened to tten him, so Desir quickly changed his spell and used it to defend himself


    [Giga Lightning] *Boom*


    The debris of the building that had been falling toward him collided with his magic, quickly recing the lethal chunks of building with dust that scattered harmlessly in the air¡­ Immediately after, Desir looked around in an attempt to locate the Pierrot Mask. He soon spotted him far away.


    Pierrot Mask slouched against the building, resting his head in his hand. He let out a sigh. ¡°This is no fun, and if we keep going it¡¯ll only get riskier¡­ ¡±


    He spoke, showing the blood on his sword to Desir.


    ¡°What do you say, Desir? Have I done my part? I¡¯d say I¡¯ve worked hard enough, haven¡¯t I?¡± Desir was no longer in a state where he could afford the leisure of listening to his bullsh*t. Just as he was about to once again invoke another spell at Pierrot Mask¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m getting bored. Why don¡¯t we make a deal?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you go without further interruptions. Of course, I¡¯ll also recall my men who are attacking your party.¡±


    Pierrot Mask shrugged lightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make such a face. I mean it. Besides, I was never interested in fighting you in the first ce.¡±


    It was a dubious offer. Desir couldn¡¯t understand why he was suddenly offering such a deal. Under normal circumstances, he would ignore his opponents words, but since he was in a hurry¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s the condition of this deal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, wise. Very wise. Ever the skeptic, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Pierrot Mask¡¯s usual whimsical attitude dropped, and he spoke with more seriousness than ever before.


    ¡°I want to see you fight Crow Mask. He¡¯s a real fun guy. And the fight between him and you will be a fun game beyond any other show. Show me that game. That¡¯s all I want.¡±


    It was an absurd condition. It was so fishy.


    But Desir intuitively believed that Pierrot Mask was being genuine. In some twisted way, Desir felt that Pierrot Mask¡¯s proposal was that of pure desire, and wasn¡¯t some mastermind plot to catch him off guard.


    If that was all there was to the deal, there was no reason not to ept it. ¡°You¡¯re such a funny bastard.¡±


    ¡°Gasp. I think that¡¯s the firstpliment you¡¯ve given me. So, your answer?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Deal.¡±

 Chapter 226. A Subsurface War (3)

    <h4>Chapter 226. A Subsurface War (3)</h4>


    There was a time when what is currently known as the Rogfs family upheld their royal duty as one of the five Dukes of the Empire. This was long before the family was referred to as the imperial family. Neither house had an exclusive im to the throne, and instead would lead the Empire based on the strength of the current generation. In order to gauge this strength, the nobles of these five houses each raised soldiers. This was naturally no exception for the House of Rogfs. Unlike other aristocrats, however, the Rogfs family raised their soldiers in a unique way.


    They gathered orphans from all over the country and fostered them into outstanding soldiers. The effect was outstanding. For children with nowhere to go, the sponsorship of the Rogfs was a chance they could ill afford to squander, and the children trained desperately to stay there. Even though they were young, their eyes burned with fire and passion, almost as if they were possessed by demons. After rigorous training, the selected children became brave soldiers who devoted themselves entirely to the Rogfs family.


    Swan Katarina was one of them. She was born with overwhelming talent that no other child couldpare with. Recognizing that talent, Guiltian Zedgar F Rogfs spared no expense in cultivating her skills. With great talent, the best environment, and, above all else, a tremendous amount of effort, Swan improved her skill at a rapid pace.


    She learned the intricacies of aura far quicker than anyone else, and by the age of twenty, she had reached the lofty heights all martial artists strived for: King ss. At the age of just twenty, she had be one of the most powerful women in the entire continent.


    Soon after, Swan dealt with countless people on behalf of the Rogfs family. She undertook countless missions and sessfullypleted all of them. Meeting Adjest was also a kind of mission.


    The only daughter of the Rogfs family.


    She was the heir apparent of the house who had outstanding talent in both magic and swordsmanship.


    It was for this reason why Swan knew about Adjest. The Empire was plunged into a revolution, but her rtionship with the Rogfs remained unchanged, even after they became the imperial family.


    Around that time, the Empire recognized her as the strongest archer. She was soon appointed to the Royal Guard, after the civil war was quelled.


    This was the life story of Swan Katarina.


    She had already dedicated the majority of her life to the Empire, and was ready to die at any time, no matter what the cause was.


    But there was still one thing she desired for herself.


    That was¡­


    * * *


    Shouts filled the air. Weapons shed, and magic was invoked, exploding with thunderous rapture.


    There were numerous loud explosions.


    The battle between the Side Guard and Outsiders was fierce. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate!¡±


    ¡°We must break through their retreat without fail!¡±


    The Outsiders¡¯ power was no match for the Side Guard, the crowning glory of the Empire. The Side Guard wasposed of high-quality knights and magicians, all of whom were very talented.


    Nevertheless, the battle did not go as smoothly as expected. The Outsiders had superior numbers from the outset. This was to be expected though; they were behind enemy lines, and weren¡¯t getting reinforcements any time soon.


    It was a disadvantageous fight for the Side Guards from the moment their infiltration operation had been discovered.


    ¡°Front line, lift up the shield! Invoke artillery magic at the intruder!¡±


    ¡°We must get to the secured escape path!¡±


    Just then, a silver-colored stream of aura flew from somewhere and prated the neck of several Outsiders.


    *Crash*


    The scattered arrows ruthlessly ughtered Outsiders and eased the burden of the Side Guard. This was the work of Swan¡¯s aura.


    But her assistance wasn¡¯t something the Side Guard could rely upon.


    The upper part of the tower.


    ¡°Where are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°I value my men very much, unlike you.¡±


    A battle was underway between Swan and Crow Mask. *Boooooooom*


    As magic collided with aura, sound waves burst out threatening to rupture the eardrums of both parties. A huge shock wave would also follow up after each sh, vibrating the inside of the tower every time they exchanged blows.


    Swan swiftly drew her bow and fired an aura arrow to strike a deadly and urate blow. *Boom*


    Crow Mask was also formidable. [Dimension Burst]


    Powerful magic was invoked. His right hand arranged the formation rapidly. Even against Swan, a member of the Royal Guard, his magic held out firmly. It was a fierce war.


    Just as Crow Mask tried to arrange another spell, aura arrows flew in and disrupted its invocation.


    Swan couldn¡¯tnd a decisive blow, but she could continue to disrupt his spells and keep him on guard against her sneak attacks.


    Allowing a rhythm to form, then suddenly disrupting it, an unexpected arrow flew right for Crow Mask. He began to calcte a spell to respond to it, an attempt to offset the iing power with just enough of his own. But this attack was different from the aura arrows Swan had fired so far. It burst apart before making contact with anything. The aura imbued in the arrow spread out like a fine mist and mixed with the mana that the Crow Mask had gathered.


    This was a phenomenon that could not ur naturally. ¡°This is¡­ !¡±


    An explosion urred at the same time as he recognized what it was. *Boom*


    The building shook violently.


    Crow Mask appeared a little further away. Just before the explosion, he instantly invoked magic and moved himself out of its range.


    ¡°You like it? This is my way of dealing with troublesome magicians like you.¡± Swan spoke while sneering.


    This was her ultimate use of aura.


    The aura umted in the arrow was freed at the right moment, and the mana that the opponent had gathered was forcibly detonated. The mana caught up in the explosion acted like gasoline in a fire, resulting in a formidable explosion of power.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you step down now?¡±


    At this rate, Crow Mask would not have an opportunity to use magic conventionally. But Crow Mask spat out a response, dumbfounded at her arrogance.


    ¡°Nonsense.¡±


    A bright light shone from his ne.


    Swan pulled on her bow once again, but surprisingly, the spell was invoked faster than she could do that.


    Memorize.


    An S-ss artifact that could allow the user to invoke a pre-cast spell.


    His spell fully manifested.


    [Dream of a Deste World]


    At that moment, Crow Mask began to be distorted, as if he were a mere reflection of something behind a huge lens.


    It wasn¡¯t a mere illusion. It was the distortion of space itself.


    This was entirely different from the type of defensive magic normally used by magicians. It was the ultimate defensive spell, capable of blocking all magic and physical impacts by distorting space itself.


    It was impossible to overpower this spell through physical force. It was an absolute defensive magic for dealing with truly high-quality knights. A spell that could only be destroyed through magical means.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such magic before.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Crow Mask spoke gloatingly.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s a spell I invented to deal with annoying holy knights.¡±


    He made it a few months ago after killing Aaron, the most powerful knight of Divide.


    No matter how much aura is poured into the attacks levied at it, they had no chance of piercing this curtain. With such a guarantee, Crow Mask was able to leisurely invoke his next attack. ¡°This is the end.¡±


    The spell waspleted without interruption, behind the safety of the curtain.


    There would be no point in expending all the effort put into his defensive spell if he invoked a simple spell that Swan could survive. Therefore, Crow Mask decided he had to exert himself slightly when he developed this spell.


    [Awareness of Powerlessness] *Boom*


    For a moment, a huge amount of gravity weighed down everything around her. Swan stood in the epicenter of the phenomena.


    However, Swan remained upright. Crow Mask began to doubt his very eyes, but in just a moment he realized the reason why she was seemingly unaffected.


    There was a subtle light emanating from Swan.


    She had managed to hold out by desperately gathering all of her aura and coating her entire body in it.


    ¡®Tch. How am I supposed to deal with this?¡¯


    For every moment she continued to resist, a vast amount of aura would be consumed. However, she really had no other choice.


    She wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up again if she was crushed by this enormous gravity. If that happened, victory would have been handed to Crow Mask.


    ¡®Of course, I can¡¯t allow that to happen.¡¯


    Swan felt a wave of fatigue sh over her. Her aura consumption was staggeringlyrge. ¡°As soon as I cast this spell, victory was as good as mine.¡±


    Just as Crow Mask voiced his victory speech, his hair fluttered in the air slightly. ¡®Is this the wind? No, wait¡­ ¡¯


    That was impossible.


    ¡®Dream of a Deste World¡¯ was simply magic that distorted the surrounding space. It was not possible for outside forces to affect the inside of this bubble.


    It couldn¡¯t possibly have been the wind.


    ¡°If you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s fine in this mighty gravitational pull, then you must¡¯ve excluded the space you¡¯re in within theputational range. That means you can¡¯t move, right?¡± Swan lifted her bow in demonstration. As her newly fired arrow, containing a mighty aura, came into contact with the distorted space, the aura was crushed without a trace.


    *Ping*


    But¡­


    Once more, a gust of wind brushed against Crow Mask¡¯s face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if my aura will run out before that fine curtain of yours breaks, allowing your head to be smashed by my fist.¡± Crow Mask shuddered.


    He realized that Swan had started to adapt to the intense gravity, and also figure out how to attack through the space distortion and influence himself on the other side of it.


    This was not a battle he could afford to take lightly. He may have temporarily forgotten, but the prey he was mocking was a terrifying monster afterall. The most powerful archer in the Empire, a member of the Royal Guard.


    ¡°Haaahhhhh!¡±


    Crow Mask began to gather mana once again.


    A chilling sound emanated. The scenery around Crow Mask was instantly distorted to an extreme extent.


    The spatial distortion had deepened, indicating an even more intense level of defense. But despite such a heightened defense, Swan¡¯s arrows still couldn¡¯t be fully mitigated.


    She was trying to break through the spatial distortion through sheer violence bypressing her aura into an extremely dense shot.


    This utterly shocked Crow Mask. If it was just one attack, he could havepletely blocked it.


    But¡­


    *Boom*


    Her relentless attacks shook the interior of the distorted space. Crow Mask had to mentally block out the distractions so he could concentrate on maintaining his defense and the intense gravity.


    *Boom*


    As the third arrow shed with the curtain, space began to normalize slightly, and she could once again make out the shape of Crow Mask.


    The gravity magic was still in effect though.


    Swan fell to her knees. As the amount of aura supporting her entire body decreased, the strain on her bones and muscles increased. Her entire body was screaming in agony.


    But Swan continued to fire her bow.


    A fourth arrow.


    The spatial distortion surely couldn¡¯t hold out any longer. Crow Mask, having reached such a conclusion, gave up on the confrontation. He immediately invoked the space-movement magic he had preemptively stored in Memorize to escape.


    *Boom*


    Crow Mask reappeared on the thirteenth floor, exactly above Swan¡¯s position. [Dimension Burst]


    *Boom*


    It was another spell stored in the square artifact that Crow Mask held. There was no way an opponent could respond to such an attack.


    ¡°That artifact¡­ You can store up to five spells, right?¡± The direction in which that voice came from was above.


    Swan, who should have been on the twelfth floor, had predicted his movement and headed him off.


    ¡°Now you only have two left? I wonder what other spells you¡¯ve saved.¡±

 Chapter 227. A Subsurface War (4)

    <h4>Chapter 227. A Subsurface War (4)</h4>


    His n had been entirely grasped.


    Crow Mask revealed his hidden card without hesitating. Geometrical figures began to form above his outstretched hand.


    The Tesseract.


    Before he knew it, Swan had closed the distance between them entirely. Considering the way she fought so far, he thought her strengthy in waging long-distance battle. But this was a dangerous misconception.


    The bow that Swan held changed shape and morphed into a sword. She coated the sword in aura and pressed Crow Mask hard. Compared to a typical high-level swordsman, the level of skill she disyed did notg behind at all.


    ¡®She gave up her long-range dominance and instead rushed in¡­ ¡¯


    In the face of such an unexpected counterattack, Crow Mask operated the Tesseract solely for defense.


    ¡®This is so annoying.¡¯ Swan frowned.


    Swan already had a rough idea about Crow Mask¡¯s abilities from Desir. Although he was much stronger than the information she had suggested, such strength was second entirely to the artifact she was truly wary of.


    ¡®I thought there was a chance to win since I used spells stored in Memorize.¡¯


    He sensed a killing blow, immediately moving his head to the side. The spot it had just been was cleaved, leaving behind several strands of his hair. If his reactions had been just a little bitte, he would have lost his head and not just a few strands of hair.


    After making him use-up his most threatening magic, she had deliberately engaged him in


    Page 21 / 56


    close-quartersbat. Her talent certainlyy in ranged attacks, but her close-quarters threat was still considerable.


    She was convinced that she had the advantage over Crow Mask, the magician.


    But this wasn¡¯t the case. Crow Mask continued to hold out. Rather, Crow Mask was slowly gaining the edge in this skirmish.


    Swan kicked aggresively. But it wasn¡¯t just a normal kick;pressed aura shot out of her leg like a bullet. Just as it was about to make contact, small-scale spatial distortion magic was invoked, blocking the strike.


    The Tesseract allowed Crow Mask to invoke magic perfectly in real-time. It would structure spells in an overly efficient manner. The only downside to it was that even the user could not predict what spell would be used. However, no matter what it was, only the best magic for the situation would be deployed.


    It truly felt like a cheat artifact. It was as if it were creating a new spell every time a spell was invoked. And to top it all off, each spell lookedpletely different from one another.


    ¡®It would have been really nice to have Desir here, for times like these.¡¯


    The Tesseract operated on apletely different magical system of spell casting to the magical system that Swan had studied and learned to counter. Therefore, nullification by aura was impossible.


    It was a quick-and-fast battle. *ng*


    Sparks flew as de, aura, and magic all shed.


    After a strong collision, they were bounced apart from each other by the impact. They both leaned against the railing at the center of the room.


    They stared at each other, like two cats ready to pounce. Suddenly, the corners of Swan¡¯s mouth were drawn up into a smile.


    ¡°This really is a scandal. For some reason, I thought your attack was familiar.¡±


    Crow Mask, which had not been moved by any words so far, felt a sense of unease gnaw at his gut.


    ¡°I thought you were dead, but you¡¯ve managed to stay alive¡­ Icarus Quirgo.¡± She greeted him as if they knew each other.


    They had encountered each other in the past, so such an informal greeting was not too strange. Swan Katarina stood on the side of the Imperial Army during the Revolution and fought with the Revolutionary Army. It was around that time that she earned the title of the strongest archer in the Empire.


    And there was a time when she faced him.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that noble ideal you¡¯d been crying for? Why did you get into bed with the Outsiders?¡±


    Swan¡¯s sarcasm appeared to cut deep.


    Crow Mask invoked magic instead of answering.


    The spell he sent her way carried arger amount of mana than any previous attack. [Gravity Compress]


    Swan responded to it.


    She fired an arrow containing aura and shot down the spell he invoked.


    Her mouth continued to move nonstop.


    ¡°Why are you covering your face with that ridiculous mask? It wasn¡¯t my cup of tea, but you had a very fine face.¡±


    Swan pinpointed the disgust of Crow Mask. ¡°Shut up, Swan Katarina.¡±


    Crow Mask replied irritably.


    ¡°You only have enough aura left for a few more arrows. Take yourst words seriously.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But that doesn¡¯t really change your situation, does it?¡±


    An arrow was fired so fast it appeared to move faster than light itself. The aura arrow bore down on Crow Mask.


    The Tesseract immediately began to invoke defensive magic. In the meantime, Swan dug into Crow Mask once again.


    Crow Mask activated Memorize.


    For a moment his figure began to blur, and then began to form elsewhere.


    He let his guard down briefly, reassured that he had barely escaped.


    This proved to be a costly mistake. His figure immediately bounced back and smashed into the wall, now partially stuck inside it, revealing a research facility constructed at the top of the tower.


    It may have been a ce to study chimera. There were all kinds of meat pieces in vats and on the wall.


    Numerous pieces of equipment, presumably imbued with defensive magic, were torn apart, unable to withstand the shock.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    Crow Mask raised and dusted himself off.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you can¡¯t help.¡±


    Crow Mask looked up nonchntly, before seeing Swan¡¯s bow, with an aura arrow already nocked and aimed at his forehead.


    ¡°You followed me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really time to bid farewell now.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes werepletely cold as she stared him down. Thepressed aura arrow destroyed Crow Mask¡¯s upper body.


    Blood sshed everywhere.


    ¡°Yes, why didn¡¯t you let me go as I was about to flee?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    A disembodied voice responded. [Void Sword]


    A de of nothingness flew towards Swan. ¡°Urgh.¡±


    Swan leaped away with an inhuman reaction speed, but this attack was not something that could be entirely avoided.


    Her right leg fell to the ground, no longer attached to her torso.


    Her bnce was broken, but Swan immediately self-corrected and kicked against the ground with her remaining leg. She frowned at the sting of pain.


    ¡°How can you¡­ ¡±


    Swan stared forward with an unconvinced face. Slowly, Crow Mask raised himself upright. His destroyed upper body had already been restored.


    ¡°It¡¯s insurance.¡±


    His cape fell to the ground. At that moment, Swan could see a huge gem that was half smashed. It was a device with various magic circles imnted inside.


    Everything fell into ce. She understood the current situation.


    It was a technique simr to the homunculus, the nightmare of the Allied Forces. ¡°Inversion of causality.¡±


    Swan made the remark in vain.


    Crow Mask erased the near-death experience that he had suffered through a reversal of cause and effect.


    She didn¡¯t think he would have such technology. No one could have predicted this. But questions arose and swirled around her mind.


    ¡®Why didn¡¯t he use this from the beginning?¡¯


    ¡®It must not be something that can be used recklessly¡­ ¡¯ Swan¡¯s guess was correct.


    It was thest insurance the Skull Mask gave to Crow Mask. It was a single-use item, but those kinds of tools could spell the difference between a win or loss.


    She grabbed the stump of her missing leg with her palm before gathering aura and cauterizing the wound. The bleeding had stopped, but the situation was serious.


    She didn¡¯t have much aura left.


    ¡®I only have enough for one shot.¡¯


    Swan gathered her aura in a disy of force, so as to not allow Crow Mask the time to react. This was make or break. Her aura was entirely exhausted, after she let loose with this attack, and Crow Mask had meddled with cause and effect to recover from a fatal injury. In addition to this, Swan hadpletely lost all mobility.


    Crow Mask also seemed to have realized his superiority.


    ¡°If you had gone out quietly, you would have survived a little longer.¡±


    ¡°Truly, I hate persistent men.¡±


    ¡°You will die.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in a simr situation to me anyway, aren¡¯t you?¡± The battle was fierce.


    While Swan was well aware of how much aura she had consumed in the battle thus far, this surely applied to her enemy as well.


    ¡°Simr? What are you talking about?¡±


    Crow Mask spoke in a mocking tone. Simultaneously, Swan felt an overwhelming forceing from Crow Mask.


    ¡°You¡­ !¡±


    A vast swarm of mana raged around him. This wasn¡¯t something as trite as simply hiding mana in reserve, the level of it was different.


    Crow Mask had reached the Seventh-Circle.


    A circle unattainable under ordinary circumstances.


    This was a decisive deration that drove a wedge into the hope that Swan had been desperately clinging to.


    Swan¡¯s smile fell from her face for the first time.


    All that remained was despair.


    Crow Mask spoke to Swan, who was preupied wallowing in her loss. ¡°You put on a fun show, Swan Katarina.¡±


    ¡°Huh, this really leaves a nasty taste.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s say this is a habit of being overly cautious.¡±


    A spell unfolded before him. He invoked this spell without even maintaining a defensive spell. He did this, even after seeing her arrow cancel so many of his spells.


    This was a naked provocation from Crow Mask.


    With such an absolute advantage, he was provoking Swan. There was no way Swan didn¡¯t know it.


    She calmly drew her bow.


    ¡°You know that fighting a beast on the brink of death is the scariest thing? You could die because of that beast, you know?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense.¡±


    Swan¡¯s bow began to hum due to the powerful aura imbued in it.


    There was soon more aura in this arrow than Crow Mask expected.


    The reason was soon revealed.


    Aura was a type of energy, and humans were a veritable engine that produced energy too. An engine can be run to produce a fixed amount of power, but if one didn¡¯t care about the life of the engine, they can typically draw extra power for a price.


    Swan managed to squeeze out more energy from her worn out body.


    The amount now gathered was not something that could easily be ignored, no matter how strong a Seventh-Circle magician was.


    ¡°Do you intend to see your end here?¡±


    ¡°Not even someone like you can escape from this, huh?¡±


    His mouth dried up. The aura arrow, which was formed by burning her King Level talent, was colossal.


    It was a collection of the entire woman known by the name of Swan Katarina.


    In Crow Mask¡¯s right hand, the Tesseract rotated violently. Each party realized that this was the end of the battle.


    The game would end in just a moment.


    In a sudden moment of rity, Swan was left thinking as time drew out to infinity. This was thest exchange. She only had two options.


    The first was to use this power to kill Crow Mask. No matter how much power he had as a Seventh-Circle magician, he had consumed a considerable amount of strength in fighting her. It was definitely possible to deal a major, if not fatal, blow to him.


    The second option was using this power to destroy the tower.


    The basement of the tower. There might be valuable clues as to the purpose of this tower in there, but if it¡¯s being guarded this heavily, destroying it would surely deal a strong blow to the Outsiders as a whole. And herst arrow was enough to raze the tower to the ground.


    Time snapped back to normal, and the time left to make a decision was rapidly shrinking. She had to make a decision.


    ¡®I¡¯ll bet on it.¡¯ [Abyss Hall]


    Swan¡¯s arrow wasunched.


    Almost at the same time, Crow Mask¡¯s spell washed over Swan.


    Swan¡¯s body ragdolled at the impact, and mmed into the wall behind her. The force was so violent that she lifelessly bounced off the wall before copsing in the corner of the room. *Boom*


    Swan could not be seen amongst the rubble and dust, but Crow Mask did not bother confirming whether she was alive or dead. Instead, he stared down at the result of her choice. There was a huge hole, which tore all the way through to the bottom of the tower.

 Chapter 228. A Subsurface War (5)

    <h4>Chapter 228. A Subsurface War (5)</h4>


    Swan had noticed something peculiar, and fired her shot at the base of the tower, instead of at Crow Mask. She had effectively thrown away the battle, as well as her life. All on a hunch. Crow Mask murmured.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you broke through a wall of nk?um.¡±


    The tower was built out of nk?um, considered the strongest metal. The value of the nk?um used here alone amounted to an entire country¡¯s annual budget.


    This was an abnormal architectural decision no matter who looked at it. And that became the decisive root of the uneasy feeling that perverted Swan¡¯s mind.


    She didn¡¯t think it was necessary to build an entire tower out of nk?um simply to manufacture chimera, and then wondered what they actually built this for.


    And the conclusion she reached: somewhere in this tower, something was hidden, and the entire tower was built out of nk?um to hide it.


    Swan¡¯s reasoning was correct. But in the end, her sacrifice amounted to nothing. It was all for nothing if she could not share the truth that she uncovered.


    ¡®I wish I could go down to check right now, but¡­ ¡¯


    Of course, Crow Mask was also aware that the tower contained something far more elusive than a facility for manufacturing chimeras. And that purpose may be the reason why Skull Mask joined the Outsiders.


    Even though Crow Mask worked with him day-in and day-out, he didn¡¯t really know anything about him.


    Swan¡¯s actions were, as a result, indirectly helping him. ¡°I¡¯ll have to finish this up first.¡±


    Crow Mask walked toward Swan, leaving behind his desire to grasp the purpose of Skull Mask.


    With a light swipe of his hand, the debris piled up everywhere was pushed to the side. A momentter, he found Swan lying in tatters.


    She was still breathing.


    ¡°Your struggle has been in vain.¡±


    Swan¡¯s breath was so uneven and forced that it threatened to give out at any moment. Not only were her injuries serious, they were also worsened by the excessive aura she gathered by burning her very life force.


    [Gravity Control] ¡°This is the end.¡±


    As Crow Mask said that, he sensed a great deal of heat surging towards himself.


    An unbelievably powerful wave of me flooded the tower. Purified fire licked over every inch of his body and incinerated everything on the floor.


    *Booom*


    The fire storm abated and Crow Mask appeared a little away from where it passed. His cape crumbled apart into ashes, the sacrifice for his survival..


    When he noticed a huge amount of mana moving, he hurriedly invoked space-movement magic, but he was just a little bit toote. He could only rely on using a spell he had pre-cast in Memorize. Only one spell remained in it now.


    ¡°What the hell was¡­ ?¡±


    Crow Mask muttered after finding himself subject to such an unexpected situation. He was able to find the uninvited guest, aiming his next spell at him.


    Now that he thought about it, why did he ever question what that attack was? It was the one who had interfered with him many times. And a figure who shouldn¡¯t have been able to make it this far. His detestable existence was now here, ring at him with contempt.


    ¡°Desir Arman.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t afford to lose here.¡±


    As soon as Crow Mask returned to his senses at Desir¡¯s voice, a terrible cold poured against him, contrary to the previous wave of heat.


    Adjest, who had already invoked her imagery magic, now approached him. [Distraction Area]


    Crow Mask hurriedly reached to block Adjest¡¯s advance.


    Desir invoked a spell, waiting for the gap to appear when Crow Mask responded to Adjest¡¯s attack.


    [Parie Arund]


    Compressed air raged and buffeted Crow Mask.


    The body of Crow Mask was bent backwards and buried under tower rubble.


    * * *


    The sword, coated in a bluish energy, sliced off the head of the masked man.


    The man who neatly cut off the enemy¡¯s neck, Letris, shook the blood off his sword.


    Letris was one of the Side Guard who entered the tower with Swan. He was the squad leader for this mission.


    The enemy had just been in, but there was no time to rest. There were still more than a hundred enemies before his eyes.


    On the other hand, the number of Side Guard present was a mere few dozen. Watching the constant influx of enemies, Letris breathed deeply without realizing it.


    There was no sign of improvement in this battle. It was the Side Guard that was falling deeper and deeper into disadvantage over time.


    *Crash*


    He leaned back to avoid the mes flying towards him.


    The overwhelming difference in numbers caused the Side Guards to gradually copse. It no longer seemed possible to confront the Outsiders head-on.


    ¡®Are we going to die like this?¡¯


    The sound of a shockwave reached their ears, and shortly afterwards, the tower rumbled and shook. They could no longer feel the dense ball of aura above them, and what that fact meant was all too clear to them.


    Royal Guard Swan Katarina had been defeated. The morale of the Side Guard plummeted. ¡®Was this just meaningless resistance now?¡¯


    From the moment the operation was discovered, they had been fighting a losing battle. At least Swan had a history of pushing ahead with operations doomed to fail, but now that she had lost, their odds were close to zero.


    There was no way to reverse this situation.


    By the time Letris returned to his senses, it was after the Side Guard, including himself, had already been backed into a corner. A wallposed of swords, spears, and spell arrays was aimed at them.


    It was a brief lull in what had been an uninterrupted battle.


    This was the end of the line for the Side Guard.


    An Outsider gave the order.


    ¡°Leave only two or so alive.¡±


    The rest moved in ordance with the order.


    Letris grabbed his sword and tried to step forward to resist desperately. *Beep*


    A loud warning sounded deafeningly. Everyone in the tower looked up at the noise. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Why does the warning sound, which was not heard in the midst of a fierce battle thus far, sound now? The question on everyone¡¯s mind was soon solved.


    A pale figure popped out of nowhere and snatched away the Outsider¡¯s head. With a chilling sound, blood rose from his neck like a fountain, and the body soon fell to the floor.


    Everyone was rooted to the spot. They looked up at the source of the attack without a single word and were able to recognize the outline of the figure before them.


    They could make out the wings of a bat as well as the head of a lion. The thorns all over its body added ayer of disgust to the figure. ¡°A chimera?¡±


    The Outsiders muttered incredulously.


    Inside the tower, there were many such chimeras that could do battle. One such chimera must have escaped.


    It took a moment for the Outsiders to calm themselves and conceal their embarrassment. They calmly reaped the chimera¡¯sst breath.


    ¡°Arghhhhhh!¡±


    Terrible cries resounded from all sides. At the same time, the tower shook once again.


    It was questionable how the closely monitored chimera escaped, but now was not the right time to focus on such trivialities.


    The escaped chimera was not important right now. The Side Guard and Outsiders shouted at the same time.


    ¡°All units ready for battle!¡±


    At that moment, the chimeras literally began to pour out like a waterfall.


    The shapes of the chimeras were varied, but they had one thing inmon. They attacked anyone they encountered, Outsider or not.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    The chimeras began to run wild.


    There was no feeling that someone was in control of them. There was no reason behind the madness that were the chimeras. They had all been artificially created through experiments. If they were not under the tight control of someone, then they were no better than wild monsters. Blood and flesh sttered in all directions. The man who appeared to be themander of Outsiders shouted in an urgent voice.


    ¡°Operate the control device!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible! We can¡¯t even ess the control device!¡±


    The current situation seemed to be unintentional, even for the Outsiders.


    Letris cut off the leg of a chimera approaching him. The chimeras had gone wild and were attacking everyone indiscriminately.


    Amongst the new found chaos, the advantage had subtly shifted in favor of the Side Guard. The Side Guard had been backed into a corner by the Outsiders, so the chimeras had to go through the Outsiders to face them.


    The Side Guards were rtivelyfortable in carry on with the battle.


    It was a golden opportunity.


    At the time when Letris was singing merrily inside, hismunication pad rang. It was contact from Desir¡¯smunication pad.


    [-I¡¯m a member of the Starling Party, Romantica. I¡¯ll cover you from now on, so please focus on retreating while the Outsiders deal with the chimeras.]


    Until now,munication had been disabled within the tower, yet the jamming spell had evidently disappeared at some point.


    ¡®They inverted the jamming spell!¡¯


    A seemingly impossible chimera rampage as well as the restoration of vitalmunication equipment, which had been rendered useless until now.


    Letris did not think that this series of events was idental.


    He assumed that they were all caused by Desir.

 Chapter 229. A Subsurface War (6)

    <h4>Chapter 229. A Subsurface War (6)</h4>


    ¡°Please take care of Ms. Swan.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Pram hoisted Swan onto his shoulder. Swan normally looked so strong, but at the moment, she was no different from a defenseless child.


    A simple emergency measure waspleted by covering the wound with apression bandage and applying herbs to stop the bleeding of the wound.


    But this was nothing but preliminary first aid. She needed proper treatment to save her life. Pram carried Swan on his left shoulder and braced her with his left hand. This left his right hand free to swing his rapier and use his aura. The chimeras, which were approaching him, were all cleaved in two under in the face of such powerful aura.


    Other chimeras turned to face him.


    Pram activated his Cloud Walkers. In an instant, he had relocated himself out of the immediate threat of those chimeras.


    He could now attempt to get Swan to safety. ¡°Roarrrr!¡±


    The fight had already been settled to a certain extent.


    It was worthwhile to suppress their desire to rush at Crow Mask, and instead calmly wait for the perfect opportunity to arise.


    The released chimera were now running wild as if to release the anger they had umted from being experimented on. In the meantime, the Side Guard were escaping under the protection of Romantica. Swan was still barely alive, so they had to prioritize getting her out safely.


    ¡°Then, what¡¯s left¡­ ¡±


    Before he had a chance to finish his thought, powerful gravity magic was invoked towards Desir. Desir, perceiving the subtle flow of mana, hurriedly rolled out of its path before the spell could be invoked.


    It was too easy for him to figure out what it was and where it was aimed at based on the formation he saw.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    An angry Crow Mask emerged, muttering almost inaudibly. ¡°That¡¯s what I was going to say. You must die here.¡±


    The final confrontation between Swan and Crow Mask urred shortly after Desir entered the tower.


    She did not sink herst attack into Crow Mask, but instead fired it towards the bottom of the tower to make a huge hole.


    What that meant was all too clear. There¡¯s something in the basement of this tower that Desir needed to see.


    ¡®Swan sacrificed herself so I would know. I can¡¯t let that be in vain.¡¯


    By releasing the chimera in the tower, he had induced a massive amount of confusion. The method was crude, but effective.


    Now that the stage had been set for the Side Guard to flee, an opportunity had also been created to rescue Swan and make a clean getaway¡­


    Desir¡¯s goal was simple. To know the exact purpose of this tower and to run away safely at the same time. And if possible, he would remove Crow Mask as well.


    * * *


    Seven circles. The pinnacle of magic.


    Beyond the Sixth-Circle that is considered the limit of humankind, all that achieve such power simply deserve to be called legends.


    As one would expect, there have been many people regarded as geniuses in magical craft throughout the long history of the continent, but amongst those elite few, even fewer have reached that fabled power.


    Amongst the present generation, Icarus Quirgo achieved the point that only Zod Exarion had reached, the first in recent history. These two stood alone at the summit, having attained power that transcended humankind.


    There was no other way to describe attaining such power other than as a product of great obsession.


    The experience of losing to Desir Arman finally brought him to this level.


    Dust billowed up thickly.


    Crow Mask raised himself up. Blood trickled down from his mouth. ¡°Roar!¡±


    There were countless chimeras released by Desir in the tower.


    Crow Mask had fallen into the middle of a group of prowling chimeras. ¡°Roarrrrrr!¡±


    The chimeras rushed at Crow Mask, moving only by instinct. It was an overwhelming number of them.


    Crow Mask calmly reached out to the chimeras running toward him.


    At that moment, the chimeras¡¯ movements ceased.


    *Booom*


    The chimeras, each one able to individually ughter the elite troop of the Outsiders, exploded in vain.


    Blood and meat coated the floor and walls of the tower. The chimeras were no match for him. The gaze of Crow Mask, which soon after locked onto Desir¡¯s party, carried a deadly energy. Ance of me hung in the air, seemingly heralding the end of all days. The spear flew towards Crow Mask, burning all of the chimera it passed in the air, unceasingly approaching him.


    ¡°You little rat¡­ !¡±


    The surroundings warped under the effect of a strong spatial distortion. Thence of fire failed to reach Crow Mask and disappeared in vain.


    *Shing*


    At that moment, the whole space around Crow Mask froze. It was a bone-breaking chill. The atmosphere thickened as white mist permeated their surroundings.


    ¡°How dare you try to touch me.¡±


    Something appeared in close proximity to Crow Mask. A de of the white ice, the Center of Ice, stopped before his nose. He couldn¡¯t move, as if he were glued to the ground.


    The cold couldn¡¯t reach him though.


    Adjest¡¯s attack failed to break through Crow Mask¡¯s defense magic. ¡°I¡¯m beyond your ability.¡±


    It was as he said.


    Crow Mask was constantly consuming mana, but there was no end in sight. ¡®They¡¯ve gotten stronger.¡¯


    Crow Mask was able to realize that the party had be far stronger than before.


    After observing her so far in this battle, it was clear that Adjest had be a more perfect magical-swordsman than before. The movement of her sword had be far more urate, and the magic covering the sword and improving her physical ability had be more powerful. Her skillset lookedplete and professional.


    Desir had also be far stronger. It was different from the days when he exclusively used spells belonging to the lower circles and specialized in inverting spells. Desir now freely used spells up to the Fifth-Circle. In terms of the speed of his invoking and the power of his spells, he had essentially reached the Sixth-Circle in all respects, so long as one overlooked how many circles he had. He had made a great deal of improvement in just a year.


    Moreover, this party was fighting harder than they typically would, since they were upset that Swan had been badly injured. They chained attack after attack without relenting.


    Though he wore a terrifying front, in reality, Crow Mask was beginning to get nervous. Originally, Desir was not that great of an adversary. He¡¯d been a pain, but he was ultimately weak. Until now, he had been determined to kill Desir Arman with his own hands.


    Unfortunately, this situation was outside of his ns. They shouldn¡¯t have faced each other this way.


    The fight against Swan had been intense. The battle to the death with Swan, the person considered to be the strongest archer in the Empire, left him physically and mentally exhausted.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure I had that Pierrot Mask on standby somewhere close.¡¯


    While Desir and Crow Mask exchanged powerful spells, Crow Mask began to study his opponent. He observed that Desir was covered in wounds. So many, in fact, that his clothes were dyed red with all of the blood he shed.


    ¡®It looks like he¡¯s had a bloody fight. Was that clown not enough for him?¡¯ It didn¡¯t look like he sustained any serious wounds.


    ¡®For Desir to have taken Pierrot Mask out of the picture, he¡¯d either have to be dead or have suffered significant damage.¡¯


    The fighting ensued. A spell unfolded in front of Crow Mask. *Boom*


    A fierce storm of space and me magic collided. ¡°Did you always have that kind of defense?¡± Desir muttered.


    Crow Mask¡¯s magic flooded toward the approaching Desir. [Void Sword]


    Desir backed away. Two steps back exactly.


    Space itself was cut wide open where he had just stood. But Desir had stepped exactly out of range. He had grasped the range of the spellpletely, and wasted no movement in avoiding it.


    Desir¡¯s gaze turned back to Crow Mask. His eyes had lost all light in them, and they looked dull like a fish¡¯s. Crow Mask shuddered as he felt like his gaze, like his very soul, was being drawn into an abyss.


    Desir¡¯s mana lingered in the air. He could feel that Desir had started calcting how to invert his defensive spell. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he finished doing so. Being able to read the attack range of thatst attack alone, already signalled as much.


    Crow Mask cast the spell again, attempting to distract Desir. But the magic did not reach him.


    [Sigh of Kizard]


    Adjest invoked defensive magic to prevent his attack and immediately swung her Center of Ice in retaliation.


    Crow Mask desperately used his own defensive magic to counter that. ¡®This is just annoying.¡¯


    Desir¡¯s ability to invert spells was itself an almost tyrannical advantage in any magical duel. Unlike Swan¡¯s use of aura, in which there were still some ways a magician can respond to, Desir¡¯s ability to invert spells left magical opponents no way to respond.


    Over time, as more spells are inverted, the battle is forcibly ended with one side unable to use any spells. And in any battle against Desir, the losing side will always be his opponent. One had to resolve themselves to this fate when using magic against Desir.


    Drawing such a magical battle out was disadvantageous.


    ¡®In such a situation, the only right option is backing down and fleeing.¡¯


    Even though Crow Mask had also be stronger, it was simply too much to deal with Swan and then Desir consecutively.


    ¡®But Desir Arman must be removed as soon as possible.¡¯


    Desir had ruined numerous ns. He was a threat that he could no longer afford to leave alone and watch from the sidelines. Especially since this would be the only opportunity to face him on his home soil.


    He couldn¡¯t back down.


    ¡®If a sustained battle is disadvantageous, there is only one remaining option.¡¯ *Ring*


    His seven circles made a strange noise and began to resonate. Seven circles worth of mana gathered around Crow Mask in mere moments. Just by circting his mana through them, a physical phenomenon had been created.


    ¡°You¡¯d better be prepared.¡±


    Desir Arman, who had been busy concentrating on inverting Crow Mask¡¯s spells, raised his head.


    He was conscious that the situation had taken a strange turn. It was almost a miracle Crow Mask had been able to invoke Seventh-Circle magic while maintaining defensive magic too. But Crow Mask had managed to pull off such a miraculous thing without even breaking a sweat.

 Chapter 230. A Subsurface War (7)

    <h4>Chapter 230. A Subsurface War (7)</h4>


    Adjest felt enormous anger welling up inside her.


    When she entered the tower and saw Swan copse, the only thing she could think of was killing Crow Mask.


    That was why she rushed at him so desperately.


    She tried every means at her disposal to kill him with her own hands. But she soon realized her limitations.


    ¡®I can¡¯t get through to him.¡¯


    Crow Mask was strong. The defensive magic he had invoked was a level of magic that couldn¡¯t be broken even if Adjest gathered mana to her limit.


    Inside the spatial shield.


    Crow Mask had busied himself calcting and forming something utterly terrifying. The spell array was massive and radiated an ominous aura.


    In order to beat him, she would have to break through his defense and deal a fatal blow in one shot.


    ¡®I need to focus.''


    She took a deep breath, calming herself. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose herself to anger. All she could do was believe in Desir. And she always believed in him.


    She loosened her grip on her sword, Center of Ice, and backed away. [Scream of Wriggling Earth]


    Desir¡¯s magic unfolded before him.


    A Fourth-Circle spell.


    Whips of dirt formed on all sides of Crow Mask, lunging at him shortly after appearing. *Quarrkkk*


    The whips copsed uselessly. They could not break through the defensive magic. ¡®This is not going to hurt him.¡¯


    ¡®Scream of Wriggling Earth¡¯ was one of the few spells with physical manifestation, and on top of that, it would regenerate indefinitely as long as mana was poured into it. The whips could be produced as fast as they broke. And break they did. Debris began to pile up around Crow Mask¡¯s shield.


    This was exactly what Desir aimed for.


    With the whips being produced at a breathtaking rate, he continued to calcte another spell. It was simply a spectacr, overwhelming disy of magical formations.


    Any magician seeing this spectacr sight would be left overwhelmed and amazed.


    An innumerable number of earthen whips had formed and copsed, creating giant piles of debris. As the other spell Desir had been arranging waspleted, the reality of Desir¡¯s n was revealed.


    A huge shadow was cast over the inside of the tower. [Bindel of Earth]


    This was essentially Fourth-Circle defensive magic, but it was a spell that had been upgraded by the hands of Desir.


    A giant sphere had formed in the air. A weapon capable of incalcble damage, whose power would be further increased by the tyranny of gravity.


    *Roar!*


    A roar rang out overpowering everything else. The top of the tower had already copsed. Adjest¡¯s hopes were raised.


    ¡®At this level, we¡¯ll surely be able to beat Crow Mask¡¯s magic.¡¯


    It was a spell with the equivalent power to Seventh-Circle magic. It was definitely worth a try. Crow Mask¡¯s spellpleted just in time. The Tesseract stopped moving momentarily, signifying it hadpleted its task.


    [Hall Urban Abyss]


    Crow Mask reached for the huge amount of rushing towards him.


    A space of about thirty meters in total twisted in on itself greatly, before beginning to converge. As particles of matter between the distortions in space were pulverized, an eerie sound rang out.


    Without limit, everything was torn apart to the extreme.


    As the area continued to crumple in on itself, a physical manifestation of the boundary between the area of effect and its surroundings formed. It was as if the area around this spell started to form waves as it was pulled in towards the centre of the spell.


    This spell felt quite different to the other space distortions Crow Mask had produced so far. It felt more violent and substantial. It didn¡¯t feel like the area it touched would return to normal if the spell were to be dispelled. As if that area were permanently fractured now.


    ¡°What the hell is that¡­ ?¡±


    They could almost make out something. When they squinted their eyes to block out the extraneous light, they could barely just see a sphere, smaller than a bean, at the very center of the destruction.


    A ck dot whose end led to who knows where.


    Desir called out.


    ¡°Adjest.¡±


    Adjest, who was focused entirely on the ck spot, noticed that thendscape of the area was


    gradually blurring and dimming. ¡®Is it sucking in even the light¡­ ?¡¯


    The moment she recognized it, it was as if her blood froze. ¡°Magic¡­ !¡±


    She could not finish her sentence. The spell that Crow Mask had invoked was now in full swing.


    A sphere smaller than a bean that had the power to attract everything. ¡°Urgh¡­ !¡±


    Shortly after Desir called her name, Adjest caught Desir.


    Her hair was pping madly. She plunged her sword, Center of Ice, deep into the ground to brace against.


    [Wonder Crystal]


    Adjest cast Fourth-Circle magic.


    Ice rose from all sides, concealing the bodies of both her and Desir. *Ting*


    The defense of their Clothes Line had been damaged due to overexposure to the elements.


    Her spell was so powerful that she suffered damage from it. But, her quick thinking resulted in making the right call.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ There¡¯s a major difference between you and me, Desir.¡±


    This was the end. They both recognised the threat at the same time, and immediately afterwards, everything nearby was wiped outpletely.


    They couldn¡¯t understand what happened.


    The phenomenon was not something they could intuitively recognize and understand.


    They had just witnessed extreme space curvature. Concepts like fire power, or even time, meant nothing to it. It simply consumed everything.


    The enormous mass of material that Desir had used as a weapon, consuming most of his mana in the process, was no exception.


    It was a collision between a big sphere and a little one.


    However, it was Desir¡¯s giant weapon that broke first.


    It didn¡¯t even leave a sound behind. It was utterly destroyed and crushed, disappearing without a trace.


    Eaten away entirely, rendered utterly futile.


    ¡°You¡¯re a C-tier magician who only mimicked magic at best. Now this is real magic!¡±


    The magic with the most power, and the very apex of all Seventh-Circle spells, was that with the attribute of space. At lower circles, a magician specializing in this type of magic can only teleport and otherwise manipte space with rtively low cause and effect, but at higher circles, nothing can win against someone capable of ripping apart the fabric of space.


    *Smash*


    About half of the tower had now been pulverized. ¡®Is he at such a level?¡¯


    So far, she thought only Zod Exarion was deserving of such a title as strongest magician to have lived.


    Now, however, she had changed her mind. How could she have known Crow Mask was concealing this much strength?


    ¡®Can I even avenge Swan against this kind of opponent?¡¯ Adjest bit her lip.


    ¡®Did wee in too unprepared? Was it too much to suddenly enter the enemy¡¯s den?¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t give up yet, Adjest. All hope isn¡¯t lost.¡±


    Desir spoke, seeing the signs of her wavering resolve.


    ¡°I can see he¡¯s pouring all of his mana into this. If we can neutralize that spell, you can win.¡±


    ¡°But we¡­ won¡¯tst long here.¡±


    By maintaining this refuge, Adjest¡¯s mana was quickly being sapped away. She had forced all of the cold out of the Center of Ice and also brought her own mana to its limit. All she could do was barely hold out.


    They were in such a condition, yet they weren¡¯t even that close to Crow Mask and the phenomena he had caused.


    ¡®As if it wasn¡¯t bad enough already, the mana drain rate is increasing as this goes on¡­¡¯


    In other words, the work required to prevent them from being dragged away was only growing.


    Desir¡¯s hand spread out wide. A sh of light appeared in his hand as an artifact was summoned from the dimensional pocket in his Clothes Line.


    It was the A-Tier artifact ¡®Mana Hole¡¯ that held mana gathered from the atmosphere, ready to be consumed by the owner.


    As it whirred to life, Desir¡¯s mana, which had nearly been consumed, quickly began to refill. His mana restored itself to maximum before Adjest could process what she was witnessing¡­ ¡®Desir, he still had a card to y.¡¯


    ¡®But what good will it do? His most powerful spell has been blocked. It was entirely ineffective against such a spell.¡¯ Their eyes met for a moment.


    The reflection of tinum blonde hair fluttered in Desir¡¯s deep, dark eyes.


    While seizing the Mana Hole, Desir began to move forward slowly. With ayer of transparent ice between them, Crow Mask faced Desir.


    ¡°Are you thinking of trying something?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The ice broke at that single word.


    A silvery line extending from Desir at the same time.


    Runel.


    It flitted towards Crow Mask at full speed.


    Unlike other ordinary objects, this artifact was somewhat resistant to effects of the extreme spatial tear.


    But that didn¡¯tst long either.


    It came to aplete stop five meters away from Crow Mask.


    This was exactly the point at which one could no longer resist the force of Crow Mask¡¯s spell. It then began to rapidly orbit around the center of the tear.


    ¡°I guess you had to give something a try. Did you mean to throw away that artifact?¡± Crow Maskughed.


    ¡°I feel sorry for Swan who trusted you and left you behind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve tested myst spare.¡±


    ¡°Last spare?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. I just finished my calctions.¡±


    *Crack*


    The ice fell off in chunks as a result of the force of the ck hole.


    Crow Maskughed at Desir, a mere Fourth-Circle magician.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be pretentious. Hypocrite! No matter how good you are, you can¡¯t reverse this magic in such a short amount of time.¡±


    ¡°The calction I spoke of was me measuring what I would get from killing you, and the price I would need to pay. And after calcting this, I¡¯vee to the conclusion that getting rid of you is worth it.¡±


    Desir spoke in such a manner that implied he could simply kill Crow Mask at any time. There was a moment of silence.


    Adjest felt an ominous feeling surfacing.


    At that moment she stepped up to approach Desir. ¡°Wait, Desir¡­ !¡±


    ¡°Keep your magic up.¡±


    Desir stopped Adjest short. At the same time, he begins to arrange an intricate spell formation. It was enormous and intricate beyond belief. Somethingpletely different to anything else he had ever used before. The magic itself also felt odd.


    ¡°You¡­ !¡± This energy.


    The amount and feel of the mana.


    It was an utterly unusual feeling.


    It was magic beyond allmon sense. Something she couldn¡¯t begin toprehend. But she knew what this form meant.


    It was something beyond even the Seventh-Circle; something that had reached a heaven defying level.


    She had been cowed by Crow Mask¡¯s magic, a power that had exceeded her very concept of strength. And once again, in such a short period of time, she was witness to something beyond even that.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Crow Mask shouted in terror. He could instinctively tell how dangerous this spell would be just from the feel the magical formation in front of him gave off.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The vast amount of mana inside and around Desir disappeared, seemingly sucked into a bottomless vacuum, before quickly gathering again. His Fourth-Circle mana capacity was insufficient for this spell, but he could cope with the Mana Hole almost continually activating to refill it. It was natural that Desir¡¯s circles were ridiculously overworked in this process, however the cycle of emptying and filling was so quick that most magicians would only see Desir wielding near infinite mana.


    She wanted to tell him to quit right away. Even though she knew nothing about the spell he was casting, she knew there had to be some kind of negative consequence from casting such a massive spell with only four circles. Pulling off an unusual spell like this would surely entail unusual or disastrous side effects as a result.


    To be honest though, she didn¡¯t have the slightest clue as to what they would be. But Desir was determined.


    He had decided that he would take down the Crow Mask in front of him. He had gone so far as to resolve himself to do it at all costs.


    Adjest was determined to uphold and support his resolution.


    She believed in Desir. She had always believed in him.


    And¡­


    Adjest groaned.


    At the moment, her mana consumption rose sharply.


    In a desperate attempt to stop Desir, Crow Mask greatly boosted the mana he was pouring into the offensive spell that threatened to pull in Desir and Adjest.


    Adjest desperately poured more of her mana into their defense to offset Crow Mask. ¡°You fucking bitch!¡±


    He hadpletely lost hisposure.


    Adjest clenched her teeth.


    ¡®I will never back down.¡¯ *Crack*


    As ice was ripped off, she reinforced it several times over while recreating it. Her whole body began to feel cold.


    But she didn¡¯t care in the slightest about it. ¡®I believe in Desir.¡¯


    With her mind sharpened to a point, and her vision narrowed to that single objective, Crow Mask was unable to shake the resolve of Adjest.


    All he could do now was think.


    He had witnessed something simr to this spell with his own eyes. It was clearly the kind of magic Desir used to y Dadenewt in a single blow, a being that was supposedly able to destroy entire countries.


    But incredibly, the pace of Desir¡¯s spell formation this time was unreasonably fast inparison to back then.


    No matter what Crow Mask did, Desir¡¯s spell would be invoked first. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !?¡±


    Adjest suddenly felt the suction force disappearing.


    In a desperate attempt to deal with Desir¡¯s spell somehow, Crow Mask was invoking a different spell.


    Just a momentter¡­ ¡°¡­ gotcha.¡±


    Desir uttered a single word.


    At the same time everything turned pitch ck.

 Chapter 231. A Subsurface War (8)

    <h4>Chapter 231. A Subsurface War (8)</h4>


    The ground beneath their feet, something one would simply assume was always solid and unlikely to copse out of the blue, had done just that. Chimeras and humans alike, all those who had not yet managed to escape, were swept off their feet and plunged into darkness as they fell together.


    The screams of monsters and humans echoed up as they all tumelted out of sight.


    The Side Guard had long been evacuated. By now, Pram should have taken Swan outside, too. At first, Desit hadn¡¯t noticed that the tower was made out of nk?um. Only after seeing the hole in the floor made by Swan, did he recognize the silver metal, which was now scattered everywhere. Only when it was staring him in the face, did Desir identify the tower¡¯sposition.


    The defining characteristics of nk?um were well known. Silver-colored, very high anti-magic capability, and excellent durability.


    nk?um was not something that could be easily smashed apart by magic or physical force. Even more so if it wasyered thick.


    ¡®If it¡¯s the same nk?um I know, it won¡¯t be a problem breaking it down.¡¯


    A n was made from this starting point. Moving Runel, which was also made out of nk?um, he gave Crow Mask the false impression that he had inadvertently made a meaningless attack.


    However, Runel was actually breaking the floor, and was merely pretending to be flung endlessly around Crow Mask as it orbited the spatial tear.


    It was a simple task. No matter how hard it was, the nk?um on the ground had already taken significant damage as a result of the continuous fighting. The spell Desir was casting had been nothing but a mere trick. It was just a means to make Crow Mask cancel his magic.


    And it achieved its purpose spectacrly. *Whoong*


    A ferocious gale swept past their bodies.


    They all fell endlessly. The basement was so deep that it was hard to tell just how many floors that had fallen.


    Desir and Crow Mask both began to calcte spells. The air was filled with shimmering light as the scattered shrapnel of nk?um fell alongside them, reflecting the gathering mana.


    [Fire Storm]


    [Distraction Area]


    Desirpleted his spell faster.


    Desir, who had manipted the situation from the beginning, knew exactly where Crow Mask would fall.


    It was only a slight advantage, but that was more than enough.


    Adjest felt a shiver travel down her spine.


    ¡®Did everything happen as you expected it would?¡¯


    In a magical duel, having a slight advantage was no different from winning or losing. Desir did his best to create such an advantage against a terrifying opponent, and somehow, had actually seeded.


    A huge storm of me rose from below. All the living creatures, man and otherwise, let loose screams of unimaginable pain. Screams that morphed, distorted, and merged together in an ungodly cacophony, a sound that could very easily scar an individual for life. The fire beneath them swallowed the morous noise, rendering their pain mute to those outside, reced only by the blistering roar of untamed fire; a magical storm of fire so strong that it threatened to raze the very world to ashes.


    Blurred scenery continued to pass by her watery eyes as they still fell, having reached terminal velocity long ago. Straining her eyes, she could just make out the bottom of the pit.


    She couldn¡¯t afford to stay idle any longer.


    Adjest grabbed Desir¡¯s hand and began to invoke her own magic. [Frozen Pce]


    Ice crystallized out of the air, covering Desir and herself. Starting as a small block of ice, it quickly grew out into several columns. The ice columns began to form a web-likettice, and struck into the walls of the cavern. With their newfound ground shearing into the walls, Desir and Adjest¡¯s rapid descent began to slow.


    The ice scratched against the wall and sparks shot out from it¡­ They slid down the wall, failing to find purchase against a wall that had countless pipes running along it like an intricatework of blood vessels.


    As their speed continued to slow, out of the blue, four of the six cobweb-shaped columns created by Adjest were crushed. It was the work of space magic. The crushed pirs of ice could no longer bear any weight and copsed.


    As they began falling again, Desir¡¯s eyes were fixed on one ce.


    Though his eyes only captured darkness, there was clearly another presence that had been there. Traces of heavy mana and spell invocation hung in one spot in particr, distinctly marking it for someone like Desir, who was well-attuned to the flow mana.


    ¡®How did he manage to beat us down?¡¯


    Crow Mask must havepletely departed from the collision course that Desir had been anticipating. He presumed it had something to do with his Fire Storm, and the safety zone surrounding himself and Adjest that Desir had excluded.


    ¡®Space movement magic.¡¯


    Desir immediately began invoking spells without hesitation. [Grease]


    [Fireball]


    His spells were arranged swiftly in front of him.


    For a magician, every fight was like a game of chess. The difference between an average magician and a good one was in how many steps ahead they could anticipate the enemy acting. The difference between such magicians could result in having entire spells already prepared in anticipation of the other person¡¯s actions.


    [Fire Storm]


    Desir had adjusted this Fire Storm such that he could fire it at a close distance. To maintain its power, he had to reduce the range and scope such that the bacsh on him and Adjest was as minimal as possible.


    Desir spewed out an enormous cone-shaped me. In that moment, Desir had taken on the very essence of a me-spitting dragon.


    The half-finished spell Crow Mask had been invoking copsed under the onught. Desir didn¡¯t leave it at that though. He had already begun invoking another spell. [Parie Arund]


    A strong, sweeping pressure washed over Crow Mask. The gale loosened his mask.


    Desir immediately followed after him. With Crow Mask against the ropes, he couldn¡¯t afford to let him escape. He had an extremely focused expression, the look of a hunter that had almost cornered its prey.


    ¡°Crow Mask. At one point in my life, I might have thought you were right.¡±


    Crow Mask kept a straight posture. Countless cuts could be seen through his torn clothes. He reached his arm out towards Desir, who was sprinting towards him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been wrong. Not once in my life.¡± Spell collided with spell.


    The two magicians invoked spells simultaneously. [Lightning Wave]


    [Void Crush]


    The two men¡¯s spell formations unfurled at high speed before the spells manifested. It took less than a second for the invoked magic to collide with its counter.


    It was a fight in which the magician who fell behind in invoking speed would lose. ¡°I¡¯m sure at one point, your noble goals were worth fighting for.¡±


    *sh*


    Several bolts of lightning violently raged towards Crow Mask. ¡°But your current method is by no means eptable.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re in such a position that you can lecture me?¡± *Crash*


    Desir was a fraction of a second toote in grasping the subtle variation in Crow Mask¡¯s spell array.


    He was caught up in the area of effect, having not understood the range and the true target Crow Mask had chosen for this space twisting spell. It was a minor mistake, but the result was devastating.


    *Ssh*


    A gruesome sound reverberated in the room. The sound of flesh and bone scraping against itself before tearing apart.


    Blood burst out like a fountain, as Desir¡¯s right arm twisted many fold upon itself.


    Crow Mask looked at Desir, who did not even scream. Desir looked back, but couldn¡¯t read Crow Mask¡¯s expression through his mask.


    ¡°So then, Desir¡­ What have you managed to do for themoners?¡± *Boom*


    Space copsed on itself and exploded right where Desir had stood moments before. Desir¡¯s spell hadpleted a fraction too slowly.


    Crow Mask didn¡¯t let up, pouring his mana into another spell he lobbed at Desir, who was in turn forced to take more steps back.


    It was almost impossible to defend against space-based magic, the so-called strongest attribute, with conventional means.


    His arm throbbed in pain, interrupting the spell he was invoking. It was a subtlepse in concentration that can ur when one wanted to concentrate but something else overstimted the brain.


    Even these minor detractions could have significant impacts on whether a magician won or lost in a magical duel.


    ¡°What have you done for themon people so far? You¡¯re also amoner. You didn¡¯t do anything for themon people at all!¡±


    ¡°Change takes time. Building awareness takes time. Launching a coup will only deepen the nobles¡¯ hatred!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± *Crack*


    The very fabric of space between them had started to copse. A fine crack in the air continued to grow uncontrobly over time.


    Desir could feel the ferocious suction power of it pulling on him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never wanted to helpmoners, not really. All the action you¡¯ve taken was for your own corrupt benefit! You just took advantage of your position as a talentedmoner and moved into a privileged position. Improve awareness? Gradual improvement? Bullsh*t! All you did was teach the nobility and the Emperor how to properly capitalize on talentedmon people. You taught them nothing about the struggle of an average person! That¡¯s why you¡¯re nothing more than a hypocrite.¡±


    Crow Mask opened the valve on years worth of wrath towards the Empire. As he pressed into Desir with every ounce of energy and hatred he had, Crow Mask left open a gap in his defences.


    Desir didn¡¯t miss it.


    Runel flitted toward the middle of Crow Mask¡¯s face, but he wasn¡¯t dumb enough to make the same mistake twice. After seeing the damage that Runel had done, Crow Mask wasn¡¯t going to underestimate it again.


    He raised his head hurriedly, allowing Runel to brush past his mask. As a consequence, his mask had started to crack.


    ¡°At least I have only acted for the betterment of themon people so far. Not just talentedmoners, but a world where everyone is equal. All of my actions have been moving us towards such a world. I have lent my wisdom and skill to the abominable Outsiders, and I have done so many unspeakable things. But despite all that, the purpose of my actions has remained unchanged.¡±


    His mask finally shattered, showing a heavily scarred face. ¡°Theplete liberation of allmoners.¡±


    Half of his face, once a visage more noble than anyone else, was covered with hideous burn marks. His eyes were also distorted.


    But, he didn¡¯t move to cover his face. He faced Desir with his formerly hidden face fully visible.


    *Boom*


    ¡°That¡¯s why I, who had fallen so far, got a second chance. I crawled using everything at my disposal. And my work paid off: I¡¯ve got a chance to change the world. I despise nothing more than hypocrites like you, hypocrites who have championed my noble cause for their own gain! Working for a better world, no matter what the means are¡­ Does someone like you have the right to me me?¡±


    It was the ultimate showdown between two magicians. Both had used their ultimate magic. The spells they had spent countless hours developing. During this temporary lull, the nature of the battle had changed into something more ideological. Winning this could result in a decisive advantage.


    It was a close battle.


    Desir opened his mouth with difficulty.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ You already know that your words are contradictory.¡±


    Crow Mask did not deny that he had embarked down the wrong path. However, he never imed moral superiority while attempting to achieve his goals. It was a contradiction.


    A man who sought to perpetuate injustice in the pursuit of a perfect ideal.


    That was the type of man he was.


    ¡°You already knew you¡¯re a hypocrite, didn¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 232. A Subsurface War (9)

    <h4>Chapter 232. A Subsurface War (9)</h4>


    ¡°Desir!¡±


    A chilly wind blew. The surrounding atmosphere was near freezing temperature due to Adjest¡¯s magic. Adjest had tried to intervene in the battle between Desir and Crow Mask, but something had prevented her.


    ¡°No, no, no¡­ Stay right here.¡±


    A sharp daggered stretched out of the darkness, snaking towards Adjest. *Kang*


    Sparks appeared as the dagger scraped down the length of her sword.


    Adjest took several steps back.


    Before her was a man wearing a pierrot mask, seemingly preupied ying with his dagger.


    ¡°Let the magicians talk it out with each other.¡± ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    Adjest raised her sword, Center of Ice, and the temperature of the room once again dropped sharply. She flourished her dust-ridden gray hair as it transformed into its signature tinum-silver.


    As Adjest had no intention of wasting any time, she struck from the beginning with all of her might.


    She drew elegant arcs with her magic sword. Her flurry of attacks were as powerful as they were beautiful.


    Pierrot Mask skillfully struck out with his dagger, each of his strikes slightly altering the trajectory of the Center of Ice.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my cup of tea to refuse a beautiful woman¡¯s request, but¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    He evaded attack after attack from Adjest, making them look like the desperate struggle of a child.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t help it! What I really want to see is a death match between two magicians, two shing idealists! Not the fight of some random.¡±


    He spoke with a sinister sneer.


    Adjest frowned.


    Every aspect of this person¡¯s personality was in as day. From the timing of his appearance, to the nature of his skills and the way he spoke. He was a man without a grain of salt.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t expect someone like him to appear at such a critical time¡­ ¡¯


    Adjest wasn¡¯t in the right shape to deal with him. She was still half-exhausted from their group battle against Crow Mask.


    The man in front of her was clearly a tricky enemy to deal with.


    Pierrot Mask.


    ¡®I¡¯ve heard about him from Desir, but even then¡­ ¡¯


    Desir had shared some information about him with her on their way here.


    But this was far beyond what she had anticipated.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t expect him to be this strong.¡¯


    Pierrot Mask¡¯s swordy was smooth as butter. He cunningly struck the attacks of Adjest, exploiting the ws in her strikes and moving as if he already knew what she would do. Even though he hadn¡¯t used any aura, he continued to fight her to a draw.


    Pierrot Mask took in his surroundings before speaking in a tone of ecstasy.


    ¡°Oh, and I really appreciate your hard work. I was able to get in here so easily thanks to you.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering just as much as you guys. No, maybe even more? This whole time, it¡¯s been eating at me¡­ what has Skull Mask been nning down here?!¡±


    Assuming their fight would cause enough damage that he would be able to sneak down, Pierrot Mask had let Desir go without harming him too much. As much as he wanted to watch Desir and Crow Mask fight, solving this mystery would do much more to whet Pierrot Mask¡¯s appetite.


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    Adjest swung her sword without speaking.


    The only thing she could think about was joining Desir in his battle against Crow Mask. *Kang*


    Their swords collided and sparks sshed once again. The pure ck space brightened up for just a moment.


    *Boom*


    Spells collided in the duel between Crow Mask and Desir causing a strong wind to blow over Adjest.


    ¡®I can¡¯t waste any more time here¡­ !¡¯


    As soon as Adjest tried to make an escape towards Desir. *Kagaang*


    She was forced to cross swords with Pierott once again.


    Her sword trembled. Pierrot Mask, who had been cleverly attacking from the shadows until now, had been forced to engage her in a head-on match.


    Unexpectedly, it was Adjest who was pushed back in the exchange. The shape of Pierrot Mask was thin and sleek, but she couldn¡¯t quite make out his exact appearance.


    ¡°Oh, yeah! You guys have done a lot to help get me in here. I¡¯ll give you a prize!¡±


    As their sword and dagger were locked together, he began to pour his aura into his dagger. The bluish aura brightened the surroundings. A piece of nk?um that had fallen onto the floor reflected the light, spreading the illumination further.


    Only then could Adjest see clearly. ¡°Ah.¡±


    A sigh of grief.


    Numerous coffins were connected, and countless mechanical devices were installed. An unimaginable collection of advanced techniques had appeared in front of Adjest. It was a mysterious arrangement of equipment.


    The entire basement of this huge tower was made up of such a structure.


    And at the center of such a structure.


    That¡¯s¡­


    * * *


    Spells continued to be exchanged.


    It was Desir¡¯s turn to be pushed back.


    Desir thought it was ironic.


    Surprisingly, there was a lot inmon between Crow Mask and Desir.


    Pure ck hair and deep ck eyes.


    They both hailed from Hebrion Academy.


    They were bothmoners. And they both acted for the sake of themon people.


    But their methods could not differ more.


    They could never see eye to eye, and there was never a chance that they would adopt simr methods from the start. It was because the environments they grew up in were different. They also had a different end goal.


    Icarus dreamed of a world of equality for all people, and Desir dreamed of saving the world. They could only ever be adversaries, as they had been from the beginning, due to these subtle but meaningful differences. Icarus was willing to cause damage to bring longsting change, but Desir could not afford to allow such damage in the face of a human extinction event.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    For the first time in the fight, one of the magicians had pulled ahead.


    The minor advantages Crow Mask had been building lead to a key moment in the battle. For just a moment, Desir¡¯s spell invocation was dyed by half a second.


    In such a high level battle, it was a decisive opportunity given to Icarus. He didn¡¯t miss it. *Boom*


    Space magic raged. Desir, who instantly figured out the parameters of the spell, was forced to step back once again.


    It was no longer a close match.


    Crow Mask had been waiting for such a situation for a long time.


    Without giving up his advantage, he began arranging a spell belonging to a higher circle than he had been using so far. This would be enough to seriously wound Desir.


    ¡°Against me, someone who has given everything in exchange for reaching their goal, you who didn¡¯tmit as much can¡¯t possibly win.¡±


    His magic was finally ready to be invoked.


    This spacial magic would destroy everything within its range, without exception.


    No matter how many artifacts Desir had, the remaining amount of mana after such an intense fight will surely be close to zero.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Crow Mask¡¯s arms trembled from the exertion, but he reigned them in.


    He had just won a fierce battle against Swan.


    This fight had totally sapped his remaining strength. *Whooooong*


    Amongst the mighty whirlpool of mana, the eyes of Icarus, which were tracking Desir¡¯s movement, opened wide in surprise.


    He saw a face ready for death.


    Obviously, Desir must know what kind of spell he had been invoking. He must have been aware that he was not safe if he was caught within its range.


    It was tantamount tomitting suicide. ¡®¡­ a spell?¡¯


    A spell formation arranged itself in the unharmed left hand of Desir.


    For Desir tomit to this, he must be confident that what he was invoking would hurt Crow Mask somehow, regardless of whether he died or not. Icarus¡¯ expression distorted.


    ¡®Foolish.¡¯


    He realized what it was, but he didn¡¯t back down.


    The magical formation grew until it was big enough topletely fill his line of sight. The two magician¡¯s spells crossed through the air.


    [Fire Storm]


    [Nullify Light]


    Their spellspleted almost simultaneously. *Boooom*


    The shing of spells beneath the surface shook the entire town of Pittsburgh. An immeasurable amount of me burned, swallowing everything around it.


    Everything it touched burned to ash, as though the sun itself had descended.


    Crow Mask was flung back like a ragdoll. After a long bounce, he flopped, ricocheting off the wall beforeing to a sudden stop.


    ¡°¡­ urgh.¡±


    A hoarse grunt broke out.


    He tried to get up but couldn¡¯t keep his bnce.


    His hands shook uncontrobly. The intense heat had burnt his hands, back and other exposed skin. His body heaved against the ground as he coughed several mouthfuls of blood. His internal injuries were no less serious than his external ones.


    He pulled himself up using the wall as a brace. His mana circles throbbed in pain, as if they were on the verge of copsing.


    ¡®I¡­ survived.¡¯


    Crow Mask had directly expended his mana to survive Desir¡¯s attack. The efficiency of using mana in a spell without calcting it or arranging an array was extremely low, and would result in defeat in any other fight.


    But in doing so nheless, he had protected himself in exchange for using all of his remaining mana.


    It was a method Icarus hated the most. It was not elegant, it was not powerful, and it was the most distant form from the efficiency magicians should strive for. It was desperation personified.


    Nevertheless, he used such an undignified method. It was able to save his life somehow. Of course it was a method that a Fourth-Circle magician could not pull off.


    He stared beyond the mes. He had invoked one of his most powerful spells. There was no way it could have missed at that distance.


    ¡®Desir is dead.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s prepared to sacrifice everything.¡± Icarus stared beyond the mes.


    He didn¡¯t recognize him at first.


    His figure behind the swaying me was like a frail shadow.


    Desir walked out.


    ¡°So am I.¡±


    Crow Mask realized that his spell had finally been inverted by the magician standing in front of him.


    ¡®Were you deciphering the spell ever since seeing me first use it above?¡¯ Soon after, a spell developed before his eyes.


    Icarus, who attempted to invoke a spell in response out of habit, soon dropped his hand. ¡®Where did it all go wrong? Was it when I was caught up in the errors Desir made intentionally? Was it when I was swayed by that incredible spell and canceled my own to defend against it? Was it when I thought I could beat Desir inside the tower, despite being in this state?¡¯


    He thought back, but he couldn¡¯t get an answer easily.


    Maybe it was from the very beginning, he thought.


    He had begun a glorious revolution, inspired and led by his incredible vision. Ever since it failed, he had tried desperately not to sink into despair.


    ¡®¡­ There is¡­ ¡­ still work to be done¡­ ¡¯


    Eyes distorted by burns stared at Desir Arman. He caught that gaze with a chilling, cold stare. ¡°Ahh.¡±


    Icarus closed his eyes as if he hade to a realization after seeing his resolve. ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡±


    The violent mes swallowed his dry voice before consuming him entirely.

 Chapter 233. A Subsurface War (10)

    <h4>Chapter 233. A Subsurface War (10)</h4>


    [-Warning. Less than 10% mana remaining. Defensive capabilities are significantly reduced.] The warning tone of the Clothes Line rang out amidst the unpleasant heat.


    Desir grimaced in pain.


    His whole body ached. The worst of the pain came from his right arm, which had been mangled by Crow Mask¡¯s spell. Various other side effects from fighting beyond his limit had started to manifest all over his body. His limbs, which had been reinforced with mana, were swollen red with ruptured muscle fibers. His mana circles throbbed painfully, threatening to break apart. The stab wounds left by Pierrot Mask were also not something that could be ignored.


    ¡®It¡¯s not over yet¡­ ¡¯


    Desir looked around desperately. mes continued to burn all over the ce. They danced casting flickering shadows on his surroundings.


    He still had work to do.


    They were underground. More specifically, they were in the ce that Swan had revealed by sacrificing herself. He had to get some information from here before returning.


    Desir felt as if he had entered the interior of a giant creature. Unidentifiable pipes ran the length of the room like an intricatework of blood vessels. There was a small tube at the end of the room where all of the other pipes terminated. Thousands of coffins were all filled with material that shed blue light. Mechanical equipment lined the walls and connected to both the pipelines as well as the coffins. Their structure cast ominous shadows. Inparison to what Desir had seen in Zod¡¯s personalb, he could only guess that this technology was centuries more advanced.


    He squinted his eyes.


    Mana seemed to gather in the smaller blue-colored tube at the end of the room. ¡®Looks like a magic stone¡­ ¡¯


    Magic Stones.


    A byproduct from clearing a Shadow World. It was the only material able to store mana, and was also able to umte mana by itself. It was no exaggeration to say that magic stones were the root of modern magic civilization.


    Desir looked around. Now that he had a chance to study his surroundings more closely, the number of magic stones he could see was unimaginable.


    There were dozens of level two magic stones alone. Stones of this rarity would normally be treated as national treasures. There was even a level one magic stone, the likes of which were so rare, there were only five known to exist.


    Considering the total amount of mana in these mana stones, if a spell were to be cast using all of it, it would be well beyond the Seventh-Circle.


    Besides, this was not the only tower constructed in the Kingdom of Divide. Recalling the intelligence he was handed from the Side Guard, there were several more towers like this one. A chill ran down Desir¡¯s spine.


    ¡®I¡¯ve forgotten something incredibly important.¡¯


    The most fundamental objective of the organization known as the Outsiders was to collect magic stones. The kingdoms had not been too bothered with the Outsiders stealing the asional Shadow World and iming the odd magic stone, as they figured they only did so toter sell them or power their magical tools.


    This fundamental behavior of theirs had been the same in his previous life. It had also been brought to his attention as one of the first lectures he attended after returning. The Outsiders were alwayspeting to collect magic stones.


    Even Desir had written this behaviour off due to them being a valuable item to trade. But after seeing this room, he began to think that probably wasn¡¯t the case.


    If they were collecting magic stones for a purpose other than their value, this may be the reason behind Skull Mask joining the Outsiders. He must need a vast amount of magic stones for some nefarious purpose.


    As the cogs turned in Desir¡¯s pain-addled brain, he had another epiphany. He suddenly understood the strange distribution of magic stones he had seen recently within the Kingdom of Divide.


    Skull Mask was not only using the Outsiders to collect magic stones, he had deployed the might of an entire kingdom into collecting them too.


    ¡®It makes sense now. I wouldn¡¯t have expected the Outsiders could have collected this many magic stones alone.¡¯


    The question was now about just what they were nning to use the magic stones on. Magic stones were just a material for storing mana, like a battery.


    ¡®But it¡¯s strange that they did this simply to collect a massive amount of mana.¡¯ Desir was quick to look through the facility for further clues.


    Strangely enough, the surrounding scenery was familiar to him.


    Desir soon realized why.


    ¡®It¡¯sid out like that homunculusb.¡¯


    Homunculi. Monsters that possess the ability to manipte cause and effect.


    They derived their monstrous power using an internal mana storage system like a human¡¯s system of circles. However, the one key difference is that their bodies use a powerful mana stone at their core, aiding in the collection of mana and kick starting their circle creation. Desir¡¯s face creased into a frown.


    ¡®There¡¯s no way they¡¯re producing this many homunculi, but what else could¡­ ¡¯ ¡°The look on your face makes me think you¡¯ve figured something out!¡±


    Shortly after a somewhat rxed voice interrupted his thoughts, swords crossed and sparks sshed everywhere.


    Adjest blocked Pierrot Mask¡¯s dagger, before stepping forward to push it back. Falling back without resistance, Pierrot Mask retreated. Though, it felt like a deliberate retreat more than a result of Adjest besting him.


    As hended lightly, he lifted the de of his dagger revealing its sleekness. It was shiny with blood.


    *Hahhhh*


    Adjest took a deep breath. There were cuts all over her body.


    Pierrot Mask spoke in a casual manner.


    ¡°As much as I love seeing blood, I hate having to damage such a valuable tool. It¡¯d be a lot easier for both of us if you all put your weapons down and did what I asked!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not gonna happen.¡±


    ¡°Well, I figured that would be the case. But soon enough you¡¯ll be struggling and will dly tell me everything you know.¡±


    Pierrot Mask licked the blood on his de with his tongue.


    ¡°Assassins specialize in torture. Good assassins can get information out of anyone.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Someone strode out of the darkness.


    The atmosphere sank incredibly heavily.


    He wore a skull mask.


    Desir had a stunned look on his face. The life in his eyes instantly dimmed, as if bemoaning the great tragedy that was about to unfold before him.


    ¡®He showed up at a time like this¡­ ¡¯


    Skull Mask¡¯s red bloodshot eyes appeared to look down on everything before him. It was as if he could only see a collection of mere ants that had gathered before him.


    The intimidating aura emanating from the Skull Mask in front of Desir was far greater than the one he had encountered in the Shadow World.


    This Skull Mask¡¯s voice was firm and his body was farrger. The previous Skull Mask had an aura of death lingering around him, like that of a dying tree. Desir could now feel the overwhelming vitalitying from him. He had a distinct presence about him that he just couldn¡¯t ce.


    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t know you¡¯de all the way here.¡±


    Pierrot Mask had been talking leisurely so far, but he had clearly lost his nonchnt attitude in front of this other Outsider.


    Skull Mask answered him without the courtesy of looking at him.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason not toe. I have uninvited guests running amok on the stage I¡¯m preparing, so it seems I have toe myself to kick them out.¡±


    He lifted a crow mask that had beenying on the floor. A piece of the half-broken mask fell down. ck debris scattered in the wind andnded at Desir¡¯s feet. His eyes fell on the crumpled body of Icarus Quirgo.


    ¡°¡­ Why haven¡¯t you killed him, Desir Arman?¡± ¡°Because I have a lot to ask him.¡±


    Desir responded as Skull Mask looked at the figure, which was barely recognizable as a body, joyfully.


    ¡°A fruitless endeavor. He doesn¡¯t know anything important. You¡¯d rather gain more useful information. Atst, you¡¯ve finally met me in person.¡±


    Skull Mask spoke as if he were on familiar terms with Desir.


    ¡°Desir Arman, I have been keeping an eye on which Shadow Worlds you have cleared so far. I found several connected with me, both big and small. I will pay my due respect to you, who hase this far in pursuit of the traces I left in the past.¡±


    ¡®Where did he get such information?¡¯


    These were matters only known by important figures within the Empire.


    The intelligence of Skull Mask was a shock, even if Desir should not be surprised at the deep tendrils Skull Mask had nted over the centuries he had been alive.


    ¡°There have been many beings like you, Desir. Countless beings have stood up to me over many hundreds of years. Most of them were not a threat to me, but there was someone who dealt me a major blow. He wielded that weapon over there.¡±


    Skull Mask¡¯s gaze turned to the sword held by Adjest.


    The Center of Ice.


    A sword left behind by a mysterious man as a countermeasure for a great disaster that woulde one day.


    ¡°But in the end, no one has managed to stop my n.¡±


    Behind him, a dimensional tear appeared and a silvery object flew out.


    It was the S-Tier artifact ¡®Brionac¡¯. A spear that could divide and was able to shoot beams of light at the wielder¡¯s enemy.


    ¡°That is because the great Goddess Artemis is with me.¡± ¡°What?¡±


    Desir had no choice but to panic.


    Goddess Artemis. The deity of the Church of Artemis, a religion that is spread across the continent, and consequently a being worshipped by more than half of the poption.


    ¡®Why is that nameing out now?¡¯


    ¡°Everyone has his or her ideals. Crow Mask, whom you knocked down, had one and so do I. Countless ideals exist in this world.¡±


    He spoke fanatically, as if captivated by his own words and voice.


    ¡°But not all of them go down the right path. That¡¯s how history goes after all. The world is filled with uncertainty, filled with incredibly intense malice and confusion.¡±


    Skull Mask talked as if he had personally witnessed the entirety of human history.


    Desir was rooted to the spot, momentarily overwhelmed with an emotion akin to panic. That was because the one thought he couldn¡¯t push out of his mind was that maybe Skull Mask really had witnessed it all.


    They already knew that the Skull Mask in front of them had lived for hundreds of years, so it was certainly possible that he had existed for an even longer period of time.


    ¡°A true ideal was condemned and suppressed. A better solution to a problem was put to death.


    A better history existed. For example, Crow Mask in front of you might have been the right direction for humankind. I, and the Goddess, call that the ¡®appropriate future¡¯.¡±


    Desir murmured ever so softly.


    ¡°A great possibility that might have been.¡±


    It was a message Desir had once heard after clearing a Shadow World.


    Desir was confused and thought it might have meant that the Shadow World was showing a ¡®possibility¡¯.


    The light diffused from Brionac and swept towards them. Taking a stand against him, Adjest lifted her Center of Ice in retaliation. She challenged both his attack and his words.


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to decide that ¡®appropriate future¡¯ for us? Are you saying you¡¯re the one judging us?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know yet, stupid bitch?¡± Skull Mask looked up at the sky.


    ¡°Tell me, have you ever considered the nature of the Shadow Worlds? All this time, you¡¯ve been following theirmands, changing those worlds to have a different future. You¡¯ve been ¡®righting the wrongs¡¯ of the past, have you not? Have you ever wondered what determined the ¡®correct course of action¡¯ in these world-changing events? Why do humans have to reach the ¡®correct future¡¯ in these worlds?¡±


    ¡°No way¡­ !¡±


    ¡°The Shadow Worlds are a cross-section of a truly correct world, one that follows the appropriate future. They are the result of Goddess Artemis¡¯s divine judgement.¡±

 Chapter 234. A Subsurface War (11)

    <h4>Chapter 234. A Subsurface War (11)</h4>


    ¡°The way the world should be, as judged by the Goddess¡­ ? I already knew you were caught up in some fanatical movement, but this truly is something else.¡±


    Pierrot Mask spoke, but there was no longer a smile present on his face.


    ¡°All that matters now, Skull Mask, is what you¡¯re nning to do. What did you build this tower for? Does the stage you promised me really exist?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the stage you want without any problems. This tower also exists for it. There is no need to doubt anything. I¡¯ll make sure to keep my word, so long as you manage your responsibilities.¡±


    Pierrot Mask listened to him silently. In the end, he was none the wiser about the details of Skull Mask¡¯s n.


    ¡°You go back to the pce and settle the situation there. The leaders of the Western Kingdom Union in the Royal Pce are beginning to notice the smell.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ I¡¯ll move as you wish. For now.¡±


    The body of Pierrot Mask disappeared into the darkness.


    Skull Mask, having sent away Pierrot Mask, stared at Desir once again. ¡°Now only two remain.¡±


    ¡°Three, to be exact.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a meaningless resistance.¡±


    The appearance of Skull Mask was so different from that in the Shadow World. But on the inside, he didn¡¯t appear to be changed at all. He was still as mad as Desir remembered him being when he took on the role of the Prophet. The way he was intoxicated with his own words made hime off as a fanatic.


    ¡®What the hell is he talking about?¡¯


    Desir could understand his words, but the content itself was beyond his understanding.


    Skull Mask imed that the Goddess Artemis was creating the Shadow Worlds. This was the doctrine that the Artemis Church had used in the past.


    Desir could only see Skull Mask as delusional. He had to be crazy.


    But Desir, trying as hard as possible, couldn¡¯t find the words to refute him. Even he, who almost reached the end of the Shadow Labyrinth, knew nothing about the foundation of the Shadow Worlds. Not only that, but no one living in the present era knew why the Shadow Worlds appeared.


    However, Skull Mask was different.


    The condition for clearing a Shadow World.


    The cause of their urrence.


    He spoke with confidence, as if he knew everything. If it had been someone else who brought up such a story, someone other than Skull Mask, Desir would have simply dismissed it as the nonsense of a madman.


    However, Skull Mask was a mysterious being who delivered such nonsense with fervor, having lived for centuries.


    ¡®I can find answerster. For now, getting out of this ce alive is the first priority.¡¯


    Desir pulled himself together. As he looked up, a distant light leaked down. It was too high, a distance impossible to reach via normal methods.


    Desir couldn¡¯t use spatial magic, so the remaining option was levitation magic, but in his current state, he figured it near impossible to both respond to Brionac and use the magic to escape.


    Skull Mask acted with such ease having already known this.


    ¡°Then do you think everything that happens in the Shadow Worlds is just?¡±


    Desir continued the conversation. At the same time, he was determined to draw even the smallest amount of information out of Skull Mask.


    Skull Mask nodded.


    ¡°Exactly. Unlike the recorded history of this world, which is dotted with numerous variables and malice, the world that the Goddess shows us is truly right. It is ideal, a utopia.¡±


    It was true that the only way to clear Shadow Worlds was by changing history and taking the correct course in historic events. But there was a w in what he said.


    ¡°The Shadow World is a reenactment of past history through and through. No matter how great a possibility is, it has already passed. What¡¯s the point of understanding where we failed if we have no way to correct it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a limit for the ignorant. At the end of the billionth hour, my n is almostplete. Soon I¡¯ll have the power to reshape the past itself.¡±


    Skull Mask suddenly reached out to Desir.


    ¡°Desir Arman, I¡¯ll give you a choice. You can create great possibilities with me.¡± Desir opened his eyes wide at the unexpected suggestion of Skull Mask.


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart human being, so you must know how wrong the world has turned out. And I can correct this wrong world. I will create a world where all ideals are correctly carried out.¡± Skull Mask continued his honeyed words while studying Desir, as if reviewing his potential. ¡°I have a pretty high evaluation of you. Many have annoyed me in the past, but you are special amongst them. It¡¯s amazing that you are able to handle thenguage of a lost age.¡±


    Draconic Language.


    It was a magic that no one in this era could grasp. Desir could only grasp the fundamentals of it after having witnessed a dragon use it before his very eyes. This of course referred to his previous life, where he failed toplete the Shadow Labyrinth.


    However, Skull Mask seemed to get a glimpse into the fact that Desir was harnessing thatnguage in his new system of magic.


    ¡°You are the greatest magician amongst all of mankind, Desir Arman. Join with me. My n is almostplete, and all I have left to do is carry it out.¡±


    It was an incredible story, but even if what he said was true, Desir¡¯s answer was fixed from the start.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to refuse.¡±


    Skull Mask seemed unphased, as if he already knew the answer Desir would give. Brionac began to move.


    ¡°You still don''t understand your situation. I will make you understand.¡± From behind him, a silvery spear shot towards Desir and Adjest.


    It was a surprise, but Desir and Adjest had remained vignt. [Frozen Pce]


    *Shingg*


    The atmosphere froze. Pirs rose out of the ground and a magnificent pce of ice instantly filled the underground space.


    An infiniteputational space.


    Within it, Adjest calcted countless defensive spells. [Sigh of Kizard]


    [Winter Crystal]


    [Winter Coat]


    Adjest¡¯s magic formed dozens of shields, and with the addition of Desir¡¯s spell, a series of shields as thick as a cliff were deployed.


    However, Skull Mask spoke indifferently, as if witnessing the struggle of babies. ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡±


    [Brionac Offensive]


    At that moment, a dazzling light shot out of the unified Brionac. *Boom*


    Fragments of broken ice scattered in the air.


    It was just a moment.


    In just a moment, the pce suffered an irreparable blow.


    Kei Hazmaryoon, who was known as the strongest swordsman of his generation, struggled in front of that attack.


    An attack that even the strongest struggled to counter. Desir and Adjest, who had reached their limits after sessive battles, could not possibly have defended themselves against it.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡± *Sigh*


    Desir¡¯s body trembled. It was an uncontroble action from excessive consumption of mana. The spell he invoked was a mere shadow of its usual self, blown apart like cobwebs in the face of Brionac.


    In the end, Brionac sliced through their defences like a knife through butter. ¡°Urgh¡­ !¡±


    Adjest continued to pour mana into her Frozen Pce and even struck her Center of Ice into its foundation to further enhance its power.


    *Boom*


    Shockwaves spread as the ground trembled slightly.


    Adjest was relieved to learn that the mythological artifact had been stopped without a problem, but her expression soon turned into despair.


    Brionac had divided into dozens of pieces, this time each shard emitting a wave of light.


    She knew about this capability after seeing it in the Shadow World, but there was no way to deal with it.


    Brionac instantly neutralized Desir and Adjest¡¯s struggling and pierced forward towards their necks. Desir felt the eerie coldness of the de and the warmth its light radiated.


    Skull Mask slowly approached Desir. ¡°Will you not change your mind?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Desir did not yield to the threat of death. Skull Mask decided to change tact. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see your colleague die, you¡¯d better change your mind.¡±


    The tip of Brionac cut Adjest¡¯s nape ever so slightly. Red blood flowed in a steady stream from the wound.


    ¡°Adjest!¡±


    There was no other way. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Promise me one thing.¡± ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll cooperate, so let her go.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Desir. But I¡¯ll leave her alive as long as you listen to my orders.¡± It was a checkmate.


    ¡°Kneel down, Desir Arman.¡±


    Desir grabbed Adjest¡¯s hand. And slowly began to kneel.


    Skull Mask, who thought they were bowing their head towards him, smiled dly.


    But he soon found something strange. Desir didn¡¯t let go of Adjest¡¯s hand. It had now be a strange way of kneeling together.


    Skull Mask caught on to the unusual change immediately after. ¡°You¡­ !¡±


    At that moment, Desir¡¯s body slowly began to turn to dust, or rather, fall apart into particles. Brionac, reacting to the will of its master, started to move once more.


    *Whooong*


    There was a strong, loud sound.


    But there was nothing left where it struck.


    Adjest, Desir, and even Crow Mask were gone.


    Skull Mask hade close, but just missed out on finishing them.


    From the traces of particles left scattering all over the ce, it must have been spatial magic. After closer inspection, Skull Mask realised it was a recall teleportation.


    Heughed heartily. It reverberated through the silence of the underworld.


    ¡°Do you refuse to hold the Holy Grail, and do you really prefer the poisoned chalice?¡±

 Chapter 235. A Subsurface War (12)

    <h4>Chapter 235. A Subsurface War (12)</h4>


    Everyone has a final card they can y. This is especially the case for people on the verge of a defeat that would spell their demise.


    In Desir¡¯s case, space-movement magic was his final card.


    Space movement magic.


    One of the most advanced spells in the modern system of magic. It was a ss of magic that allowed the wielder topletely ignore the constraints of space itself.


    The form was convoluted, and the amount of mana it consumed was enormous. Unless it was a magician who mainly dealt with space magic, it was a magic that even the most seasoned magician would struggle to even contemte calcting.


    *Whoo-woo-ooh*


    * * *


    Ab in a tower.


    It was originally outfitted to test the power of magic equipment. Instead, it was now filled with numerous magic arrays and calction tools to assist the caster.


    It was a temporary teleportation gate. At the center of the space stood Zod Exarion.


    The vast spell array unfolded before him. It was the first time he had invoked a spell of such magnitude since he battled the homunculus in the war on the Outsiders.


    He had invoked a spell that was several ranks harder than any other spatial magic. Invoking this spell would shift the target to the caster, instead of the other way around.


    A recall teleportation.


    There were a lot more variables and factors to consider inparison to normal space movement magic, which was already incredibly difficult.


    It was a spell method only possible for someone at Zod¡¯s level. The calctions were onerous, even with aids, and the required amount of mana was something even the Seventh-Circle Zod was only barely able to provide and withstand the effects of.


    He put it all on the line. Mana began to swirl around him. At the same time, particles began to cluster, one by one, at the center of the spell array on the floor.


    The spell had been activated. Just as his mighty mana pool ran dry, figures finally formed. Desir, Adjest, and Crow Mask had appeared.


    The spell had seeded.


    Desir and Adjest fell to the floor, losing all strength in their legs. ¡°That was a really close call.¡±


    ¡°It was great timing.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m d you¡¯re all alright, but I¡¯d rather not be in a situation where I have to cast this spell again.¡±


    Zod Exarion breathed a sigh of relief. It was partly because the difficulty of the magic itself was high, but the situation itself was extremely dangerous too.


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t gotten our signal, that would have been the end of us.¡±


    Immediately after Skull Mask appeared, Desir contacted Zod throughmunication magic. There was no problem in doing so because the tower¡¯smunication jamming spell had been lifted earlier. He didn¡¯t even have to say anything. All he had to do was send a predetermined signal. Thus, Desir dragged out the conversation with Skull Mask as much as possible, buying the necessary time for Zod toplete his recall teleportation spell.


    ¡°Zod, I need to tell you the important¡­ urgh.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯d better start with your treatment.¡±


    Zod replied after seeing Desir¡¯s face distorted in pain.


    Although he pretended to be okay so as not to show his weakness in front of Skull Mask, Desir¡¯s injuries were certainly serious.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door of theboratory opened and a small army of medical personnel rushed in. They had been waiting outside theboratory, careful not to disturb the operation of Zod¡¯s spell.


    ¡°Did you seed, old man?¡±


    The Saint came in along with the medical staff.


    She was delighted to see that the magic had seeded, but when she saw how injured Adjest and Desir were, her face soon turned pale and she immediately prepared to activate her powers.


    The medical staff moved busily, stripping thepletely worn out Clothes Lines, as well as wiping and disinfecting the wounds.


    The Saint grasped the arms of Adjest and Desir. She had the ability to restore anyone at a rapid pace, far faster than any technology or medical practitioner could. That ability was nothing short of miraculous. In fact, that is actually what it was referred to as by many.


    Dozens of wounds all over their bodies recovered at a speed obvious to the eye. Desir¡¯s right arm was even un-twisted and recovered.


    Apart from the dizziness of losing too much blood, their conditions stabilized.


    With the treatmentplete to some extent, Zod pointed to the man Desir had brought along with him.


    ¡°Who is he?¡±


    It was a man disfigured with burns, and crumpled disgracefully in a heap. The medical staff inspected him and had no idea where to start. It would not have been strange if he were to take his final breath at any moment. The Saint automatically reached her hand out to ce on his chest to begin treatment.


    ¡°It¡¯s Crow Mask.¡±


    Hearing those words, Prisci¡¯s hand stopped moving. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°This is Crow Mask?¡±


    Zod and Prisci could not hide their embarrassment at not recognizing him immediately. Who was Crow Mask?


    He was the single most wanted person after persistently guing the Western Kingdoms and Empire. He was in effect the greatest enemy that had single-handedly allowed the Outsiders to be so much of a threat.


    Crow Mask, one of their greatest enemies,y in front of thempletely defenseless. ¡°If you¡¯ve subdued Crow¡¯s Mask, aren¡¯t the Outsiders pretty much done for now?¡±


    ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t get the information you needed, we might have a better shot at pressuring the Kingdom of Divide if we reveal that we caught Crow Mask here¡­ ¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time. We need to get out of Divide, now.¡±


    Hearing Desir¡¯s urgent, almost frantic tone, only served to inte their curiosity further. They couldn¡¯t imagine just what had transpired in the tower.


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡±


    They also needed a minimum exnation before moving. It couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°The situation is vtile right now, so I¡¯ll exin briefly.¡±


    Desir gave Prisci and Zod a bare minimum exnation of what had happened. He described his victory in the battle against Crow Mask, as well as the appearance of Skull Mask. He also revealed that the tower had an additional purpose, concealed behind the obvious manufacturing of chimeras.


    Finally, and most importantly, he recounted the true goal of Skull Mask, and how it was closely rted to the Shadow Worlds.


    Zod and Prisci, who had been listening intently to Desir, could not keep their jaws shut. Each time they got a hold on things, the next bombshell revtion would sweep them off their feet again.


    Desir understood how they felt. He had also been surprised as he discovered these. However, while Desir shared everything they needed to know, this was only a part of what he had learnt. There was simply not enough time to go in greater detail.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk about this moreter. The problem is, right now, we need to get out of Divide as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°I see. Now that I know this much, I¡¯m not going to stay idle.¡±


    Understanding the situation, Zod nodded his head and agreed with Desir¡¯s judgement.


    Until now, Skull Mask had not been able to move at will. This all changed after the Outsiders sunk their ws into the Western Kingdom Union, masquerading as the Kingdom of Divide. But now that Skull Mask knew that Desir knew about the tower and even managed to capture Crow Mask, hiding behind Divide no longer meant anything to him.


    This was the most dangerous time to be here.


    The Outsiders could move unpredictably without any inhibition or a need to be subtle. The tough fight was over, but there was no room for relief.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s why they took such action¡­ ¡± ¡°What happened?¡±


    He exined what had happened after Desir had left to aid Swan.


    As a result of the battle at the tower, the noise cancelling magic had been disrupted and the participants of the Great Council noticed that some kind of battle was being waged within Pittsburgh. The King of Divide stopped the meeting, announcing that it was the work of the Outsiders yet again.


    ¡°And, after that, they blocked the way out of the country by teleportation gate. This all happened about half an hour ago.¡±


    ¡°As an excuse, he said it was because he was concerned about the terrorists attacking the VIPs of the meeting as they made their way to the teleport gate.¡±


    ¡®He is not going to let anyone escape.¡¯ The Outsiders¡¯ goal was too obvious.


    The teleportation gate was the easiest way out of the country. ¡®And Pierrot Mask was with us then.¡¯


    Without the use of space travel magic, it was an impossible physical feat to cross the borders of Divide. If the Outsiders mobilized Divide¡¯s military force, there was no chance of victory for the Allied troops.


    ¡°Where are the other kings?¡±


    ¡°They are all waiting in his abode, following the King of Divide¡¯s request to remain calm until the terror attacks subsided.¡±


    The whole picture was nowplete.


    Desir and Adjest readied themselves after tower staff handed over new sets of Clothes Lines it had been keeping in reserve for them.


    As they did this, Crow Mask¡¯s treatment was mostlypleted. However, they deliberately did not restore him to full health. His consciousness had not yet returned, so Desir put his hand on his back, feeling out his mana circles.


    Desir put a restriction on Crow Mask¡¯s circles by injecting some of his now-recovered mana. After doing this, Crow Mask wouldn¡¯t be able to act hastily anymore.


    ¡®I must take him.¡¯


    Desir did not do this out of kindness. He was one of the key executives of the Outsiders and Desir was certain he would get a lot of information from him. This was the only reason why Desir was willing to bring Crow Mask, despite the security threat he posed.


    ¡°We need to rescue the kings of the Western Kingdom Union and get out of Divide through the teleportation gate.¡±


    Desir began to give instructions. ¡°In the end, this is what ites to.¡±


    ¡°I''m so d you prepared troops in advance.¡±


    The Kingdom of Divide has significant military power and they wouldn¡¯t dare topete with it if they had not prepared their troops in advance.


    ¡°Our power level is simr. We can win against them.¡± ¡°Even so, we should not let our guard down.¡±


    No matter how many troops the Allied Forces had on their side, it was only at a level that could cope with unexpected situations in the imperial capital. It was not enough to wage war with.


    If more enemy soldiers were to gather in the capital, things would quickly get out of hand.


    Furthermore, the power of the Outsiders themselves could not be ignored.

 Chapter 236. A Subsurface War (13)

    <h4>Chapter 236. A Subsurface War (13)</h4>


    ¡°Zod, we need magical equipment to distinguish our allies from our enemies.¡±


    This was the Magic Tower, a ce whose sole purpose was the design and sale of all kinds of magic equipment. Naturally, there was plenty of equipment avable that had been designed forbat.


    ¡°Pierrot Mask will start moving in earnest. To be honest, I am most concerned about him. We don¡¯t know exactly what he¡¯s capable of.¡±


    Skull Mask was also a strong opponent, but his ability had been understood to some extent. But they knew next to nothing about Pierrot Mask. All they knew was that he had the ability to morph his face into whoever he wanted to. The ability went beyond that though; when he had copied Swan in front of Desir, Pierrot Mask took on all the minute mannerisms, making him nearly indistinguishable from the real Swan. This ability was far from simple, and likely had even more to it.


    ¡°While we were in the tower, the King of Divide was also in the Royal Pce. I¡¯m sure he has more than just a simple face-changing ability.¡±


    Desir continued, in a more assertive tone.


    ¡°One of his abilities is to disguise himself as someone else at will.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°And you can use this, if necessary.¡± ¡°Desir? This is¡­ ¡±


    Desir had handed a ring to Zod.


    It was the S-Tier artifact, ¡®Memorize¡¯, that Crow Mask used.


    It would surely be a considerable boost to their fighting power in the hands of Zod. ¡°Time is of the essence. I need everything prepared in thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I see.¡±


    Zod left the room in a hurry.


    ¡°Prisci, please contact the aides of each king. Their protectiones first. In order to make the journey to the teleportation gate easier, it is necessary for the troops to unite as one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard to tell them what to do. But I don¡¯t know if they will believe me¡­ ¡± ¡°This tablet has proof of their chimera creation. It should be plenty, at least for now.¡±


    The data pad contained all the information that the Side Guard and Desir had obtained from their raid on the tower. From the photos and evidence gathered, it was undeniable that the Kingdom of Divide had, at the very minimum, been studying chimera creation at a national level. Chimera research was a taboo topic of research across the continent, so this alone should be enough to get all of the kings on side.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think every country will agree with us even after presenting this evidence, but if we can clearly see the Outsiders making a move, they¡¯ll believe uster.¡±


    This couldn¡¯t be helped. There was no other way to approach this situation, not when urgency was the priority.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best. I¡¯m going tomand the Knights I brought to stand by.¡± With all instructions delivered, just as Prisci was about to leave¡­ ¡°What happened to Lady Swan, Prisci?¡±


    This was what he had wanted to ask the most, but the situation was too tense, and he couldn¡¯t find the time to ask.


    Swan Katarina.


    He had originally made his move to save her.


    Pram escaped with her, so she must have arrived already and been treated by the Saint.


    Prisci¡¯s expression was not very good.


    Adjest¡¯s gaze, which had been fixed on a point on the ground, also turned to Prisci. ¡°¡­ How is she?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve treated all of the physical trauma, but the shock has severely damaged her internal organs. Her life remains in critical condition, and she will never use aura again.¡±


    He felt his heart tear in two.


    All color drained from Adjest¡¯s face.


    * * *


    It was nowte afternoon, just before dusk.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that they have the gall to do that in Divide.¡±


    There was a group of people rushing out of the Embassy of Prillecha.


    ¡°When I think back on it, the King had red at me intensely when I spoke up against him. I didn¡¯t like the kind of look that he gave, almost as if he were looking down on me.¡±


    King of Prillecha, Gried. The chubby man waddled out of the embassy and walked down the hall.


    There was a herd of people moving alongside him. They were Prillecha¡¯s elite escort troop. The majority of their number, excluding the few that came from Prillecha¡¯s Knights, wore different types and colors of armour. They looked nothing like a regr army.


    This was because they were mercenaries hired through the mercenary guild. Due to the poor quality of his own troops, Prillecha used his wealth to hire the best mercenaries he could find. Everyone present had a rank above A ss, a ranking system unique to the mercenary guild, and every one of them had made a name for themselves in the world of mercenaries. To say this was a unit of elites was probably an understatement.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I think it¡¯s too early to simply believe such information.¡±


    The man with a thick beard following King Prillecha was known as the mercenary king.


    He was a Bishop ss man, boasting superior ability beyond anything money could normally buy.


    He looked around anxiously.


    The streets of the City of Dragons were empty.


    Up until a few hours ago, these streets in downtown Pittsburgh were crowded with people. The reason for this was because all of the citizens were evacuated shortly after the news of the attacks spread. He could see fear in the citizen¡¯s eyes as King Prillecha¡¯s party passed through.


    He continued speaking.


    ¡°I hate to badmouth the young man, Desir, but quite frankly, we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that the evidence has been forged. And if you don¡¯t adhere to Divide¡¯s instructions and insist on moving your troops without permission, you may be suspected of siding with the terrorists.¡±


    This was an issue of great concern. He meant every word he spoke. As mercenaries, the duty of escorting the king of their country was a heavy duty. Even for someone as renowned as the mercenary king, he had to act with his entire mercenary career on the line.


    For him, it was clear that they should avoid all reckless action, letting others take up any risk. He couldn¡¯t think of a worse situation than being treated as terrorists by the Kingdom of Divide, and having to face off against their forces.


    ¡°Your words are right, but there is very little benefit for Desir to spread such falsehoods.¡±


    The King of Prillecha, who analyzed Desir¡¯s words with his honed sense as a merchant, concluded such.


    ¡°It is natural that I believe what he says, since the Holy Saint has also given him her favor. And above all, I have decided to unconditionally trust the young man after he protected my kingdom¡¯s capital.¡±


    ¡°However, he said he was attending the conference as a representation of the Western Kingdom Union, meanwhile it turns out he was actually digging for information about Divide from the shadows. He¡¯s already proven himself dishonest, so how could you¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Maybe he knew there was an Outsider working within Divide beforeing?¡±


    As the group passed through a particrly darkened part of the street, due to the shadows cast by the building, three mercenaries fell. They had been standing in the middle of the pack and they fell without warning, their blood pooling in the grouting between the tiles.


    *Boom*


    There was a subsequent explosion. A trap had been triggered. ¡°Assassins!¡±


    ¡°Preserve formation!¡±


    Shortly after the explosion, assassins appeared, but not before all of the mercenaries had already moved into formation.


    Aspetent mercenaries, their reaction time was superb. They were able to adapt to changes very fast. Putting themselves between the attackers and that which they had been employed to protect, the mercenaries formed a tight defense. The magicians that were positioned inside the defensive formation were already calcting andunching spells at the assassins. The number of assassins was more than thirty.


    *Kwoong*


    The fundamentals of an assassination was to finish the opponent before they even had a chance to notice. As soon as their presence was revealed, there was no longer a chance for an assassin to win in a straight confrontation. This was the prevailingmonsense.


    However, these assassins refused to back down.


    After a short skirmish, the assassins in the left nk of the group broke through the formation. They were at a very high level in martial arts inparison to your standard assassin. The mercenaries, who had loosened their formation while dealing with the assassins, ended up letting several through.


    ¡°My God!¡±


    After breaking through the formation, they ran and fired at King Gried. ¡°They¡¯re aiming for the king!¡±


    ¡°Everybody gather!¡±


    The mercenary captain cried out in urgency. But here and there, the response of the mercenaries was slowed little by little.


    ¡°Oh, my¡­ !¡±


    ¡°Why are you here!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand in the way of my spell!¡±


    It was a very small gap in terms of coordination, but it proved fatal.


    The assassins seeking the King again broke through the mercenaries¡¯ defenses. Explosive magic was used to ughter the approaching mercenaries, as well as aura infused wires.


    The magicians died first, before even getting a chance to fire off another volley of spells. ¡°Sh*t!¡±


    The captain of the mercenaries pulled out his sword. A sword filled with aura cut down one of the assassins. But his de could only reach so far. He could not stop everyone.


    As the assassins fired another volley of daggers at Gried, they suddenly came to a stop. The change happened so quickly that not even Gried could react. He just continued to stand there, his mind blurred by the flurry of thoughts rushing about in his head.


    *Boom*


    Scary sounds rang out everywhere. Soon after, the assassins who had raised their weapons towards Gried fell in unison.


    There was a fist-sized hole in each of their chests. ¡°Arghhhh!¡±


    A momentter, Gried responded. He fell back screaming. Wiping the blood from his face, he eventually got back onto his feet. Still, his body was trembling nonstop¡­


    *Boom*


    *Boom*


    Momentster, magic spell after magic spell was shot. Each spell took down one of the assassins besieging the mercenaries. It was pin-point urate magic that was not only powerful, but had an extremely small area of effect.


    The magic was so precise that it pierced each and every figure of the assassins moving at high speed. The remaining mercenary magicians could not hide their admiration at this application of magic.


    ¡°What the hell is going¡­ ¡±


    Gried was interrupted as he muttered to himself. ¡°I¡¯m d I¡¯m not toote.¡±


    Someone walked off of the roof.


    ¡°Zod Exarion? How did youe from there¡­ well, thank you very much anyway.¡±


    Zod grabbed Gried¡¯s shoulders, who was still in a state of shock and spouting gibberish. ¡°Wait a moment, I have one thing to check.¡±


    As he said it, he dropped his cane before him. An unknown light shed past him. ¡°You¡¯re King Gried.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am¡­ But what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Nothing, Your Majesty.¡±


    Zod¡¯s face soon brightened and he continued speaking.


    ¡°He said he thought you were the first one the Outsiders would target. Your troop is made up of talented mercenaries, but they¡¯ve never fought together before. This would make it all too easy for any enemy to exploit.¡±


    Shortly after Zod finished speaking, he nced at the mercenary captain.


    The mercenary captain bowed his head. There was nothing he could say, even if he had ten mouths.


    ¡°How wise. Who said that?¡± ¡°Who do you think it would be?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ ¡±


    Satisfied that the mercenary had guessed correctly, Zod Exarion turned his head. ¡°I¡¯ll escort you. We have a meeting ce.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved. So how many kings have gathered so far?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one right now.¡± *Tremble*


    From somewhere in the distance, a heavy noise emmenated, carried far and wide by the wind. ¡°But the others will soon join you.¡±

 Chapter 237. A Subsurface War (14)

    <h4>Chapter 237. A Subsurface War (14)</h4>


    King Prillecha was the only king who moved immediately after hearing Desir¡¯s words.


    But it wasn¡¯t too long before the other kings began to gather in the designated safe area, one by one. The reason was simple: the Outsiders had begun to move.


    The Outsiders had opted to use assassins led by Pierrot Mask.


    They were highly skilled. They moved with precision, crity, and perhaps most troublingly, with great boldness. The guards charged with protecting the VIPs of the Western Kingdom Union were easily incapacitated before them. They all copsed too easily.


    If Desir had not supported their troops, perhaps all of the kings of the western nations would have been picked off.


    Fortunately, Desir realized the intention of Pierrot Mask and used all of the forces at his disposal. The Pdins of the Artemis Church were firm of resolve while the magicians of the Magic Tower were incredibly powerful, so the assassination attempts of Pierrot Mask were thwarted.


    Up to this point, everything happened as Desir had nned for.


    As the actions of the Outsiders became visible, there were no other valid options for the kings of the western kingdoms. All they could do was follow Desir as quickly as possible. They had no one else to follow. Only Desir had presented evidence that the Outsiders were working closely with Divide, and he even suggested a way to survive the looming threat of assassination.


    It was natural for humans to drop all preconceptions when faced with the threat of death. With the threat apparent before them, there was no one who wouldn¡¯t follow him. However, Desir felt he had only prevented the worst case scenario. He definitely couldn¡¯t say it was for the best. Many minor kings and several key figures could have been protected, instead they all died.


    It was a miserable feeling.


    But Desir couldn¡¯t do anything about it. The Outsiders moved in unison, prepared for this very moment, but Desir only had limited forces at his disposal. He had no choice but to do the best he could with what he had. But he could shake the feeling of failure. Some kings hesitated to join Desir, wasting time and resources Desir could have better applied elsewhere. This was the case with Anus, the President of Arunbeth, the country closest to the Empire.


    [-No way, Divide can¡¯t be this aggressive. I¡¯d like to speak to the King of Divide right now.] ¡°Even though you¡¯ve confirmed right now that Divide is not safe and likely has connection with the Outsiders?¡±


    In the aftermath of the tough battle, Desir was unable to move easily, so he spoke to Anus through themunication channel.


    [-Thank you very much for saving us from the assassins, but isn¡¯t there a possibility that this is just a misunderstanding? The Kingdom of Divide is already powerful. They can¡¯t have stooped so low as to research chimeras. Even if they did, this kind of response will only lead to a diplomatic conflict.]


    ¡°If you think so, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± [-What?]


    Desir felt a little pathetic seeing the embarrassed Anus. But he didn¡¯t show it.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right, diplomatically speaking. Do as you please. I have provided evidence that Divide and the Outsiders are working together, and it¡¯s the President¡¯s choice whether or not it is something worth acting on.¡±


    Desir spoke as if he respected his choice, no matter what he did.


    ¡°But if you make that choice, we won¡¯t be able to protect you anymore.¡± [-I mean, there¡¯s a possibility that¡­ ]


    ¡°We¡¯re far past possibility, President. I¡¯m talking about the reality of the situation.¡±


    In such a tense situation, everyone¡¯s nerves were on edge, so it couldn¡¯t be helped that Desir¡¯s tone was polite but acerbic. But Anus didn¡¯t have the luxury of pointing that out.


    What Desir said was simply the truth.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do this out of obligation, it was simply an offer of goodwill. If you don¡¯t like it, you don¡¯t have to ept it and can choose to stay here in Divide. I respect your judgment.¡± While iming that things were already bad, he hinted that things would get a great deal worse if he did not ept Desir¡¯s proposal.


    Anus looked around, only now had reality caught up with him. His eyes were tinged with fear. All around him, the corpses of his knights were strewn across the ground. It was a mess of amputated limbs and decapitated heads.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Desir¡¯s help, he would have been in the same boat as them. [-¡­ ¡­ Okay. Where should we gather?]


    ¡°I want you to follow the instructions I gave to the soldiers I sent.¡±


    Pdins d in white armor had appeared to save the President of Arunbeth, and whatever remained of his personal guard. Their responsibility was to ensure their targets safety, and escort them to the safehouse, should they wish it. That was how all of the remaining kings of the Western Kingdom Union, excluding the King of Divide, hade together.


    With all of them finally gathered, Desir started the impromptu meeting.


    The King of Divide may very well be dead. It was a situation in which the Outsiders controlled Divide. While they didn¡¯t need to believe Desir, it was certain that Divide was no longer safe.


    Desir shared a little bit more of the evidence he had obtained. He didn¡¯t jump to any conclusion, or even offer any analysis ormentary; he simply listed the facts.


    The things he had seen.


    The things he went through before entering the Kingdom of Divide.


    He let everyone draw their own conclusions after being presented with all of the evidence. ¡°So what do you say?¡±


    What Desir was championing was the same as before. Divide had already been taken over by the Outsiders, and staying in Pittsburgh was no longer safe. The kings had to leave.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ ¡­ I understand.¡±


    It was an extraordinarily difficult task to change someone¡¯s mind over the span of a few minutes. To make matters worse, Desir had been tasked with persuading the leaders of several nations, people who by nature of their title and what they represented, had notorious amounts of pride and were unlikely to make rash decisions. But one by one, the other kings voted in agreement with Desir¡¯s proposition to leave.


    The final point Desir had made was the most decisive tool, the piece of reasoning that undeniably tied the Kingdom of Divide to the Outsiders.


    While all of the leaders of the Western Kingdom Union were being hunted down and killed, Divide¡¯s soldiers were nowhere to be seen. The Outsiders¡¯ assassins were running amok, dealing serious damage to both the town and the security personnel of the Western Kingdoms¡¯ leaders.


    This was strange, no matter how one looked at it. It was all too strange that they were taking no action even though criminals were atrge in their own country and important figures from across the continent feared for their very lives.


    Eventually, all of the kings agreed with Desir.


    ¡°I think we¡¯d better get out of here for now. We¡¯ll have to postpone asking Divide to take responsibility for this."


    With all naysayers now silenced, Zod put forth a disy that showed where the troops of Divide had gathered. Streaming live through a long-distance observation device, Divide¡¯s soldiers stood gathered around the teleportation gate, the quickest way out of Pittsburgh.


    There were a huge number of troops present, as if to prevent anyone from getting near. Getting through them would inevitably end in conflict.


    Desir rallied thebined personal forces of the Western Kingdom Union, the Holy Pdins of the Artemis Church, and the magicians of the Magic Tower. With all these powerful forces united together, the number of powerful troops under Desir¡¯smand naturally increased.


    Each one of the individuals before him were vastly powerful, so much so that they were tasked with the noble purpose of guarding their country¡¯s king. They were the most elite troops of a religion that spanned half the continent, and they were some of the most well-trained magicians the world leader in magic technology had to offer.


    [-All of Divide¡¯s forces stationed in the capital have assembled near the teleportation gate.] Though the number of troops they faced wasrge, it was only the troops present within the capital city of Divide, Pittsburgh. Even with all the power gathered under this new alliance, their strength was by no meansparable to that of the entirety of Divide¡¯s.


    This was something they could only do if they faced just the troops presently in Pittsburgh¡­ [-Troops are heading here, Pittsburgh, from every city in the country.]


    There was no time for further dy.


    A small army was already poised in front of the teleportation gate.


    Divide¡¯s soldiers had certainly gathered here to stop them, just like they had seen through the observational device.


    But one unexpected thing happened.


    ¡°You noble people havee all the way here in person.¡± A man approached them while speaking in a polite tone.


    His face was concealed by the ck helmet he wore, however the energy emanating out of his pitch-ck armor was extraordinary.


    He was definitely King ss.


    There were only a few King ss swordsmen on the continent, let alone in a single country. Even if he hadn¡¯t revealed his identity, it wouldn¡¯t have taken Desir long to narrow down the list.


    ¡°I¡¯m Brepon, temporary leader of the Wyvern Army, acting on behalf of Siegfried, head of the Janissaries. We¡¯re deployed here to prevent terrorism.¡±


    The Janissaries.


    They were an armed group that acted on behalf of Divide¡¯s Royal Family. They were considered the strongest armed group in Divide.


    It was also the group that Aaron had been the head of. ¡®Did he seed Aaron and take his ce?¡¯


    The sharpness of the force emanating from Brepon did not flow out in a frenzy, but was neatly ruffled.


    Desir winked at the soldiers who stood behind him.


    ¡°Should you not be protecting your own king from these terrorists? Surely you shouldn¡¯t be standing around here.¡±


    Prisci took the lead, indignant at being stopped by someone who should clearly know better.


    Brepon opened his mouth after bowing towards her.


    ¡°Because our king is in a safe ce already. Now, I pose you the same question. Why are you here and not in a safe ce?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our business, is it not? If you would please move out of the way, I would greatly appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re more eloquent than I thought, Saint of Artemis. But I cannot. There¡¯s a possibility that terrorists may attack the teleportation gate or flee through it.¡±


    He inspected the troops of the western kingdoms with a fierce gaze. He seemed to be trying to capture each and every one of them in his re.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying we have a terrorist amongst us?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility we cannot ignore. We have no evidence, but we have to be prepared for the worst.¡±


    His eyes that swivelled from one person to another soon came to rest on one person in particr.


    Desir Arman.


    ¡°I said it was only a possibility, but maybe the real terrorist is here?¡±


    Brepon looked at Desir with a curious nce. Desir was not the only one who noticed the meaning of the re.


    Zod stepped forward.


    Zod deliberately made his presence felt by circting his mana with force. The surrounding mana made a noise in response.


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to sh with Divide¡¯s forces. Murder is not a very good solution. Please evacuate. This is yourst chance to save your lives.¡±


    The brow of Brepon facing him slightly wrinkled.


    No matter how strong a King ss he was, the threat that the Great Sage posed could not be ignored.


    ¡°I, too, do not wish to engage inbat with the kings of the Western Kingdom Union at risk, but I cannot back down. Even for someone like yourself, dealing with the entire force of Divide is not an easy task.¡±


    The conversation ended abruptly. Neither side intended to back down.


    It was Brepon who lit the fuse first.


    ¡°As the head of the Janissaries, I am rmending you back down. If you do not do so within ten seconds, you leave us no choice but to battle.¡±


    ¡°How rude! These are the kings of the Western Kingdom Union. How dare you!?¡±


    The soldiers standing behind them were unable to bear this overt rudeness and became noisy. Desir could feel the faint sound of the Wyverns crying from the sky.


    Perhaps there was an army of them waiting in the sky. ¡°Ten.¡±


    Brepon began his countdown in an even tone. None of the soldiers stepped back.

 Chapter 238. A Subsurface War (15)

    <h4>Chapter 238. A Subsurface War (15)</h4>


    The sound of soldier¡¯s swords and spears striking armor and piercing flesh.


    The sound of mana coalescing into various phenomena before smashing against walls of magic and steel.


    The sound of buildings copsing.


    The sound of people dying.


    A fierce battle broke out in the middle of Pittsburgh, the capital of Divide. A battle between those who wished to pass through and those who were ordered to hold them back.


    ¡°Get through the front line by any means!¡±


    ¡°Stop them!¡±


    ¡°They are the Outsiders!¡±


    ¡°They are the terrorists! Don¡¯t show mercy!¡±


    The two groups held a perspective of each other that differed from reality, so a sh between them was unavoidable.


    As the battle progressed, the lines between both groups became more and more blurred. *Boom*


    The shock of an explosion reverberated across both forces.


    While the bnce of power between the two was simr, the battle itself clearly favored the Kingdom of Divide¡¯s armed force. In a way, this should have been expected. Divide¡¯s troops had already been in formation, with barricades strategically set up to hinder the Western Kingdom Union¡¯s retaliation. They had predicted that the WKU would pass through this location, and had taken control of the area long before the skirmish.


    On the other hand, the Western Kingdom Union had to fight without proper preparation. Moreover, no matter how close they were at a diplomatic level, the participants of this allied force were still individual countries. The Allied Forces could not move as one, and there were too many leaders making individual calls.


    Without an overwhelming difference in quantity or quality, what should have been minor inefficiencies had a significant impact on the battle fought in such close quarters and with a situational disadvantage.


    ¡°Protect His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Strengthen the central defense!¡±


    Even during the battle, the Divide troops persistently fired spells at key members of the Western Kingdom Union. This only drove the soldiers of the allied forces into a greater frenzy. Such action was too radical to be taken as an attempt to subdue visitors on a diplomatic mission. This reinforced their belief that Divide had beenpletely co-opted by the Outsiders.


    In the end, the Allied Forces had no choice but to focus their strength at the center of their formation to protect their key figures against such attacks. This had a disastrous consequence on their overall formation strength, while also greatly limiting the avable tactics and individual impact of the troops.


    With defeat all but solidified for the Allied Forces, it was surprising that a few movements were able to rekindle hope.


    ¡°Second troops! Get ready for¡­ !¡±


    One of Divide¡¯smanders, who was about to order his soldiers to fire, suddenly fell to the floor. Blood flowed down from the hole that had appeared in his chest.


    When the Commander suddenly copsed, Divide¡¯s soldiers looked around in fear.


    A powerful attack that left no trace apart from a lifeless body. Something able to pierce their defensive magic like a drill.


    Divide¡¯s soldiers assumed it was sniping magic and immediately invoked detection magic, but found no trace of a sniper. This was only natural though. It was the work of Romantica Eru. She had an artifact that concealed her presence.


    ¡®Blue Rose¡¯.


    The artifact¡¯s hiding function made her not only invisible to the naked eye, but also had the additional functionality of fooling even detection magic.


    These two functions made it worthy of its ranking as an A-Tier artifact. *Bang*


    A dry sound pierced the silence that had consumed Divide¡¯s forces. This time a knight who had been leading soldiers in the front line slumped forward; his head fell to the ground.


    It was impossible to avoid these attacks.


    Divide¡¯s chain ofmand, having lost its Commander, copsed swiftly. Pram wasn¡¯t idle either.


    Pram sliced and diced his way through the enemy camp without hesitation. His maneuverability, enhanced by his ability to teleport short-distances, was phenomenal and none of the rank and file of Divide¡¯s forces were able to follow his movement.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    ¡°Wa-Wait!¡± *Ssh*


    Blood fountains surged in every spot Pram suddenly appeared and Divide¡¯s soldiers fell one after another. With absolute minimal movement, illustrating the masterful control he had over his body, he efficiently reaped the lives of numerous foes.


    Very few soldiers were able to mount even the flimsiest defense against Pram¡¯s pin-point urate attacks. This was in arge part due to his skilled artifact usage, the Cloud Walkers. Within a short period of time, Pram found himself rather far behind enemy lines. He did not take things easy though, having identified a few men that were skilled enough topete against him in a head-to-head match.


    The small crack, opened up by the Starling Party, gradually grew bigger and bigger. The soldiers of the Allied Forces advanced dozens of meters beyond the barricades.


    The building with the teleportation gate began to appear little by little in the distance. ¡°Enough.¡±


    A knight in ck armor stopped Pram¡¯s advance. *sh*


    The sword he used to stop Pram¡¯s de held a different tone to normal metal. It was a de filled with aura, the kind that only swordsmen who had reached the highest level could wield. *sh*


    Their swords crossed and there was a miniature explosion of light.


    Pram kept his distance from the knight in front of him while taking a moment to take in his surroundings. Before he knew it, knights dressed in ck armor had surrounded him.


    The ck knights quickly overpowered the forces of the advancing troops.


    Their number was notrge, but the difference in skill was overwhelmingpared to ordinary soldiers.


    Pram bit his lower lip. ¡°The Janissaries¡­ ¡±


    Even when they confronted each other just before the battle broke out, Pram had guessed that their skills would be considerable. But after seeing it with his own eyes, they were truthfully far beyond his expectations.


    ¡°As long as the main force ismitted to defense, I thought it would be enough to buy time.¡± The knight who blocked Pram muttered unexpectedly.


    Clearly, it wasrgely thanks to the Starling Party¡¯s performance that the Allied Forces had managed to advance this far. Their opponents had been strong enough to bring things to a draw, but they were nothing more than strawmen in the face of the Starling Party.


    But the tables turned once again as the Janissaries stepped forward. ¡°Urgh¡­ !¡±


    Knights of the Allied Forces, who had advanced with Pram, were helplessly cut down by the Janissary¡¯s counter-attack. Even though they were also proud of their skills, the difference was too great.


    The knights of Janissary were far stronger than any other knight. If they couldn¡¯t stop them here, the damage to Allied Forces would umte swiftly.


    For a moment, Pram used his Cloud Walkers to move towards the back of the knight in front of him. It was the perfect surprise attack, impossible to defend against without knowing the exact timing of the attack.


    ¡°I was expecting you to do that!¡±


    But the Janissary knight turned around with inhuman reflexes and speed.


    However, Pram had already gathered a substantial amount of aura, and it had begun to materialize, a tell-tale give away that Pram had advanced to the Bishop ss.


    Light gathered at the tip of his sword. The incredibly condensed aura shot off like a meteor, striking the knight before he could even react. The white stream of light pierced the knights¡¯ sword, and then his figure, at a speed that exceeded sound itself. Fragments of the shattered sword scattered in all directions like pieces of shrapnel.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The Janissary knights, who had surrounded Pram, showed signs of embarrassment. A young boy, a mere teenager, had killed one of Divide¡¯s best knights in an instant.


    As the Janissary knights attempted to use a pincer attack on Pram, to avenge theirrade¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll deal with that boy. You guys stop the other enemies.¡±


    A heavy voice overwhelmed the area. At the same time, Pram sensed the movement of a huge amount of aura heading his way.


    He raised the sword urgently. *sh*


    The power made Pram¡¯s body bounce backward, even though he guarded himself as best as he could. His fingers were left numb.


    He hurriedly corrected his posture, raising his head and looking straight ahead at the source of the attack.


    Leader of the Janissaries, Brepon, stood before him. He crooked his finger. ¡°Come.¡±


    Pram clenched his teeth.


    Brepon was a King-ss swordsman.


    Pram was no match for such an opponent. He didn¡¯t have any tricks up his sleeve, like Adjest who could boost her physical ability. He couldn¡¯t keep his distance and snipe him, like


    Romantica could. Nor could he n the entire encounter, making the enemy move like a puppet of fate, finishing him off with a ridiculous spell, like Desir.


    But he couldn¡¯t back down. If he couldn¡¯t stop Brepon now, the damage to troops behind him would be serious.


    ¡®I have no choice but to go all out from the beginning.¡¯


    Pram concentrated his aura to the limit. Aura gathered around the sword and gave off a dazzling light. If it had been ordinary iron, it would have immediately crumpled under such power, but it contained the aura without any problem. This was due to it being made out of nk?um.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good sword.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±


    Pram kicked off against the ground with a shout.


    Pram¡¯s movement, a swordsman that had reached the Bishop ss, was far beyond anything a normal human¡¯sprehension and ability to replicate. His movement, which he had strengthened to the maximum by using all of his aura, was iparable to any other time he had fought.


    He did not neglect to use his Cloud Walkers. Using them at the ideal moment, he immediately changed his angle of approach in a movement that appeared to defy physics. As he reached the ten-meter mark, Pram thrust his sword forward, letting loose the condensed aura.


    Two swords collided. *Boom*


    An explosion of aura created a thunderous noise. It was so loud that it felt as if it were the work of magic, rather than swordcraft.


    ¡°Amazing. I never thought you¡¯de this far at your age.¡± Brepon was very rxed, blocking Pram¡¯s attack effortlessly.


    ¡°But just because you¡¯re fast and powerful, doesn¡¯t mean you are a strong swordsman.¡± Brepon pushed Pram back and swung his sword.


    Brepon shed and thrust several times at Pram. The moment he did so, Pram was forced to abandon all offense and put his all into defending.


    ¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯


    Each blow was fatal. If he didn¡¯t put all of his strength into defense, he would have died several times in that exchange.


    What was surprising was that this was not even Brepon¡¯s full power. Brepon was wielding his sword with an utterly rxed expression.


    ¡°Urgh¡­ ¡±


    Pram groaned.


    ¡®But if I¡¯m going to hold out somehow¡­ ¡¯


    But at that moment Brepon spoke, as if reading Pram¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think your actions will have any effect on this battle, just because you¡¯re keeping me preupied.¡±


    Several arcs of lightning touched down around Pram and Brepon. The direction it hade from was in the air.


    Pram looked up. His vision was filled with magic pouring down without stop. ¡®The Wyvern Army!¡¯


    Divide¡¯s Wyverns Army hadplete domination of the sky. They constantly fired magic at the Allied Forces, barely needing to worry about defense at all.


    It was not easy to stop their attack, which they continued to perform while moving fast on their wyverns. At least, the magicians of the tower, led by Zod, were pouring their resources into defensive magic, so this was not yet the death blow for the Western Kingdom Union. However, they were barely holding out.


    The most powerful magical forces the Allied Forces had in this battle was now devoted entirely to defense.

 Chapter 239. A Subsurface War (16)

    <h4>Chapter 239. A Subsurface War (16)</h4>


    The situation on the ground was no better.


    The soldiers of the Allied Forces had managed to withstand the pressure of the Janissary knights, but it would not be strange for them to copse at any moment.


    Their utter defeat was obvious.


    In any other battle, the defeat of the Western Kingdom Union would have been all but confirmed.


    If it had been ¡®any other battle¡¯. *Whoong*


    It began with a stray Lightning Arrow, a Second-Circle magic, aimed at one of the kings of the Western Kingdom Union.


    Left alone, it would have surely imed his life. The stray arrow streaked through the air, unchallenged by any defense spell. However, this arrow suddenly fell apart into clumps of mana, soon disappearing without a trace.


    In such a hectic battlefield, hardly anyone noticed the phenomenon. It wasmon for spells to miss their target or copse for various reasons as people fought with their lives on the line. Additionally, it was but one spell amongst an ocean of simr ones.


    But when many spells, hundreds, or even thousands of them, copsed into mana particles, only the most clueless soldier would fail to notice something was afoot.


    ¡°What¡­ ?¡±


    The magic bombs that had been pouring out of the sky were erased without warning. Even the spells of mass destructionunched by magicians on the ground were scattered into fragments of mana.


    A transcendent being able topletely upend the flow of battle, an intangible thing that could not be measured so simply byparing military might or the number of objectives the respective sides hadpleted.


    And there were two beings capable of such a feat amongst the Western Kingdom Union. One of them was Desir Arman.


    ¡°What the¡­ ¡±


    Divide¡¯s magician forces were simultaneously incapacitated. Their mana circles were left destabilized, making it impossible for them to invoke other spells, but Desir¡¯s ability to invert their very spells themselves had yed an enormous role in turning the tides of this battle.


    His ability to calcte the inversion required for spells he saw for the first time had developed to a truly monstrous level, since thest time he had fought on the battlefield. All spells relying on the modern system of magic were as good as neutralized with him present.


    ¡°Now.¡±


    As soon as Desir had finished inverting, the magicians of the Tower of Magic, who had been tied up in defense until this point, began to invoke spells for their counter-attack.


    Powerful artillery magic streaked through the air as if venting their anger at being stifled by the enemy before.


    *Boom*


    The Wyvern Army could not even invoke defensive magic properly. Numerous wyverns were struck, many falling from the sky amid screams of terror from man and beast. Their formation copsed as quickly as it had formed.


    With the Wyvern Army no longer a threat, the Allied Forces focused their magic on the ground forces of Divide.


    A voice could be heard amongst the chaos.


    ¡°Stay back.¡±


    Another voice pierced the racket. [End of Ashes]


    This other voice belonged to Zod Exarion, the Seventh-Circle Sage.


    The level of magic unfolding before him was simply so high that ordinary magicians felt endless waves of awe wash over themselves. He only invoked a single spell and everything within hundreds of meters around his target was left devastated.


    The barricades blocking the streets were smashed, buildings copsed and fell on to Divide¡¯s troops. Their army had begun to copse like the Wyvern Army.


    There was no corresponding wizard in Divide. So, to stop him, the King-ss swordsman Brepon had to step up and deal with it himself.


    As soon as Brepon, who had grasped the change in situation, pushed Pram away and turned toward Zod, Pram moved again to block him.


    *sh*


    ¡°You said it would not matter if I held you here. Where are you going?¡±


    Breponughed in vain and gathered his aura. Pram did not shrink away and concentrated his aura too, but the gap in level between them was too wide.


    ¡®I have to stop him somehow.¡¯


    If the King-ss Brepon went all out, the Bishop-ss Pram had no means of dealing with him.


    But Pram was no pushover. No matter how wide the difference between King and Bishop ss was, the Pram who subjected himself to endless spartan training was not willing to give up without a fight.


    ¡®I¡¯m confident enough to hold out while Mr. Zod invokes another spell.


    Pram tightened his grip on his sword severely, his knuckles turning white from the strength he put into them.


    ¡°In the end, this is all I can do.¡±


    He smiled in a self-deprecating manner, his tone indicating that he already knew things would develop in this manner.


    ¡°What do you really think¡­ ¡±


    Brepon gave up on heading over to Zod and released his aura. Pram couldn¡¯t even begin to guess what he intended to do.


    ¡°¡­ about giving up this meaningless fight?¡±


    Brepon sheathed his sword. The sight embarrassed Pram. Brepon was the one who seemed to be itching for a fight.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll please me a little more, next time we meet.¡±


    Before Pram could do anything, Brepon shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°Pull back!¡±


    As soon as his orders were given, the Janissary, who had fought more bravely than anyone else, began to step back.


    Like a copsing house, themanders of Divide¡¯s forces also ordered a retreat. The soldiers fled the boulevard and dispersed into the alleyways. The Wyvern Army, half-defeated by the magicians of the Tower of Magic, had long disappeared.


    The retreat was executed in perfect order, as if it had been nned from the start.


    Within a minute, all of Divide¡¯s troops had disappeared. If it weren¡¯t for the marks of battle and the wounded left behind, it would be hard to tell whether there was a desperate battle in that location just minutes prior.


    Although the Western Kingdom Union had won the battle, it was not only Pram who felt it was strange.


    ¡°No matter how much of a disadvantageous position they may have been in, there¡¯s certainly going to be more troopsing through the teleportation gate.¡±


    Zod Exarion, who had just canceled his spell, spoke in a tone filled with suspicion towards this unexpected development.


    ¡°It looks like he¡¯sing up with a strategy on the assumption of a setback in advance.¡±


    Desir nodded in agreement with that remark. There was no other exnation on why they were able to retreat so quickly and orderly.


    ¡°One reason for a deliberate retreat is if they didn¡¯t intend to stop us in the first ce.¡±


    It felt like they had been blocked, but they had deliberately notmitted everything to it. The Western Kingdom Union did not chase down those fleeing. The most important thing in the present situation was to get out of the Kingdom of Divide safely with their kings and important representatives.


    The building where the teleportation gate was installed remained intact. The building was reminiscent of a ss tube that allowed its upants to see outside.


    Silence lingered heavily in the air. This was a rtively lively ce when they first came through. A ce filled with rich travelers, border control, security, and even magicians tasked with maintaining the teleportation gate. But what the forces of the Western Kingdom Union saw after approaching, was an entirely empty building and surroundings.


    In case there were hidden forces or traps, they searched the surrounding area thoroughly but they found nothing apart from a few detection spells to identify their movements.


    There were dozens of teleportation gates positioned in the middle of the room. But they couldn¡¯t be used immediately. They had been locked down with a security spell of some kind. ¡°¡­ To be honest, I thought they would break the gates.¡±


    ¡°I thought so too. They sure were desperate to keep us here.¡±


    Of course, they had prepared a n to deal with such a situation. However, that n had just be useless.


    One minute, Divide was going all out regardless of cost, and the next minute, they let them go without resistance. These actions left a peculiar sense of incongruity.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to do what we came here for, I guess.¡±


    For now, they had to decrypt and invert the security spell on the teleportation gate and then set the coordinates of where they wanted to go. As the teleportation magic itself belonged to a high circle of magic, most magicians could not even think of assisting in this process.


    It needed a magician who understood the form behind teleportation, as well as had more than six circles of power and immense ability to calcte the changes required.


    Zod and Hephaestus, Master and Vice Master of the Tower of Magic, as well as Desir, moved into action. They each seized a teleportation gate and began decoding the security system ced on them one by one. In the meantime, the medical staff of the Western Kingdom Union were kept busy.


    ¡°First of all, treatment!¡±


    ¡°This way for the seriously wounded!¡±


    ¡°All treatment must be done simply. We need to get moving faster.¡±


    The battle had onlysted a few minutes, but it was fierce. Unsurprisingly, there were quite a few injuries and fatalities.


    Desir Arman had well and truly buried himself in unraveling the encrypted form of the teleportation gate, when a soldier¡¯s scream interrupted his concentration. Desir turned to state at themotion. Before him were soldiers, now wounded and some dead.


    Desir immediately stopped inverting. ¡°All right. This one isplete, Desir.¡±


    Zod looked at him in a rare expression of astonishment. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m¡­ about to finish.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re taking a while. This is not like you.¡±


    ¡°I felt a little dizzy. The aftermath of the fight seems to be severe.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better take a rest when you get back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Mr. Zod! I have sessfully dismantled the security on this one. Please help me set up the location.¡±


    Not long after, the three of them managed toplete the setup of three teleportation gates. Since there was not enough time to unlock and reprogram all of the gates, let alone pointing each to the respective countries of the Western Kingdom union, they set the coordinates of all three to the nearest Western Kingdom Union, the teleportation gate of the Kingdom of Adeina.


    The gate worked sessfully, and they soon escaped the Kingdom of Divide.


    The sense of incongruity welled up in Desir once again, but he could not quite figure out the source of it.


    ¡®Why did they let us go so easily?¡¯


    A weekter, Desir found out why.

 Chapter 240. A Subsurface War (17)

    <h4>Chapter 240. A Subsurface War (17)</h4>


    The scent of the hospital, which at first seemed unfamiliar, was now all too familiar to Desir. Desir used to feel strange whenever he smelt it.


    In fact, such thoughts were natural.


    In his previous life, it was a hospital that he woulde to once a year, but in this life, he had been hospitalized here almost every season.


    Summer passed and autumn came, but in a rare twist of events, this time he was not the one hospitalized. The reason he hade was to visit someone.


    Desir stared at the person in front of him.


    A pale face. A woman of small build who at first nce might be considered a girl,y on a white bed, sleeping so deeply that she could be dead.


    Swan Katarina.


    Her face, unable to wake from aa after days of treatment, was as pale as a sheet. All visible trauma has long been treated.


    ¡°A lot has changed over the past week.¡± Desir spoke to no one in particr.


    He took out a newspaper from his dimensional pocket and read it slowly. From the front page to thest page, all of the stories were about the Kingdom of Divide. Page after page, across all newspapers.


    ¡°The kings of the Western Kingdom Union escaped from the Kingdom of Divide withouting to harm. As they fled, they got a taste of the power that the Outsiders wield in Divide, while investigating the various war crimes that Divide hadmitted. Divide has since been removed from the Western Kingdom Union, and sanctions have now been ced on them. No country is allowed to interact with Divide going forward. The Outsiders won¡¯t be able to cause further harm using Divide anymore.¡±


    Desir picked up some newspaper articles and ced them on the bedside table. The data he disclosed had caused a stir.


    Divide denied all of the data Desir released, expressing its opinion that it was an obvious ploy by the Empire, an attempt to divide the Western Kingdom Union. However, under close cooperation with the Western Kingdom Unions, various illegal research that Divide had been working on were revealed one after another.


    ¡°More and more, I¡¯m able to get a feel for the core n of the Outsiders. Based on the structure of the homunculus, the Tower Master is currently trying to figure out what Skull Mask was aiming for. With one of the king-pins of the Outsiders, Crow Mask, in custody, we can also figure out their true military strength and troop formation.¡±


    All he could hear was Swan¡¯s shallow breathing. ¡°Thanks to you, all of this was made possible.¡±


    Swan exhausted Crow Mask allowing Desir toter subdue him. She also figured out the anomaly of the tower, revealing the hidden basement and all of the technology concealed there.


    Desir ced the newspaper on the bedside table.


    She may not be able to read it.


    The spatial magic Crow Mask invoked was incredibly terrible, and she was treated toote. There was a high possibility of her never waking up again.


    ¡®The Doctor said it¡¯s a miracle that she even managed to stay alive.¡¯


    Desir sighed with mixed feelings. Every time he saw her, these mixed feelings bubbled to the surface.


    Swan already meant more than just man-power to Desir. He had some regrets in involving her.


    Was the operation reckless? I shouldn¡¯t have put her in. Or should we have moved together instead of attending the Great Council?


    He trusted Swan too much and thought she wouldn¡¯t get hurt. There were too many unexpected variables.


    ¡®Choice¡­ ¡¯


    There are always choices that must be made. While the result of this incident ending up being positive, there must have been a better option.


    When one makes a choice, they make it in the belief that it must be the right one. No matter the strength of conviction at the time, the better option always bes clear in hindsight.


    It wasn¡¯t just Swan that he lost.


    ¡®¡­ Many soldiers died after his choice to forcibly escape Divide.¡¯


    No matter how short the fight was, the sacrifice made was enormous. If they had canceled the Great Council itself, they would not have been able to dig up the required information, but they would have saved the lives of many.


    In addition, he had turned Divide into an enemy.


    It was now hard to count on their strength when the Shadow Labyrinth appeared. ¡®¡­ ¡¯


    At the moment, Desir recalled what Skull Mask had talked about. [-A world that follows the path of righteousness.] [-Everything happening as it should¡­ ]


    He insisted that everything could be righted. He wanted to go back and fix the mistakes of humanity that hade to pass.


    His words continued to linger in Desir¡¯s head. [-Reorganize history.]


    [-The Great History.] ¡®Maybe¡­ ¡¯ *Squeak*


    A sound broke the deep reverie Desir had fallen into. This surprised him as he didn¡¯t believe anyone else woulde. Desir looked towards the door to satisfy his curiosity.


    At the moment, his eyes opened wide.


    The world seemed to have stopped.


    Desir opened his mouth.


    ¡°Adjest.¡±


    A strange silence ensued.


    Desir couldn¡¯t understand why Adjest was here.


    While this wasn¡¯t a pce, it sure wasn¡¯t a ce where she, a regr student of Hebrion, could enter.


    *Step*


    *Step*


    She took several steps forward, before Sitting next to Desir.


    With trembling hands, she touched Swan¡¯s finger forlornly. After another long silence, Adjest opened her mouth.


    ¡°When she went to the tower, did she volunteer?¡± Desir nodded.


    As if she already knew the answer, Adjest nodded.


    ¡°I was sure this was the case. She only ever did what she wanted to do.¡± She spoke as if she knew Swan intimately.


    ¡°Did her mission seed?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to her, many people were able to survive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­ She¡¯d love to hear you talk about that.¡±


    Adjest had never shared her past with Desir, so he had no idea what she was thinking about, nor what had brought this about.


    Just silently, they both looked at Swan. Swan looked so peaceful, as if she would awaken if they looked away.


    ¡°You knew Swan?¡±


    ¡°She was my teacher.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a big deal, to be taught by a Royal Guard. She must have liked you quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°Factually, she taught me until she became a Royal Guard.¡±


    Swan Katarina has been a Royal Guard since the revolution about a decade ago. Desir already knew this about her. It was a story so famous that it even appeared in history books.


    The family that Swan Katarina belonged to before bing a member of the Royal Guard was also closely rted to her appointment as Royal Guard.


    Rogfs.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hide it.¡±


    Her voice cracked as she spoke and her head dipped forward leaving her white-blonde hair in disarray.


    Adjest maintained that posture and continued to look down at Swan.


    Desir just sat in silence.


    They looked at Swan. It was as if she would awaken if they looked away.


    They remained like this for a long time.


    The sky was dark.


    It threatened to pour down with rain at any moment.


    * * *


    The daily range of temperatures to expect was rather wide. This autumn day was unusually cool at sunset.


    After visiting Swan, Desir hovered endlessly around his dormitory.


    Frankly speaking, he was confused.


    Desir had guessed that Adjest hade from a high-ss family. Her behavior and manner of speaking were so luxurious that she had developed a certain aura of nobility and grace.


    ¡®Adjest is just Adjest. That doesn¡¯t change.¡¯


    He understood it in his head, but would he be able to treat her like before? This remained to be seen.


    He was confused. His head was about to burst.


    ¡®¡­ This is not the right time for such trivial thoughts.¡¯


    Desir shook his head from side to side, shaking away his thoughts. Desir found himself in a mess due to the cascade of unpredictable events that happened one after another recently. Adjest¡¯s remarks further disturbed Desir¡¯s thoughts. Already, he couldn¡¯t tell how many hours he had spent thinking about Adjest.


    ¡®Let¡¯s put it aside for a moment.¡¯


    Desir put aside his thoughts regarding Adjest for the moment. It was because he couldn¡¯t think of any good measures for now.


    ¡®I have to think about what I¡¯m going to do from now on.¡¯ Every time, he checked his ns for the rest of the year.


    The first step was counting the remaining period of time until the final goal, the Shadow Labyrinth. The singr purpose he had moved with in this life was preparing for the Shadow Labyrinth.


    The Outsiders were something that had to be removed to pave the way for the smooth clearing of the Shadow Labyrinth. So far, this was the only thing driving him.


    However, Desir changed his mind after hearing Skull Mask.


    ¡®Skull Mask said the Shadow Worlds were created to show how humanity should have acted to reach the best future. He is clearly intending to turn the whole world into a Shadow World.¡¯ The Shadow Worlds and Skull Mask were clearly rted. He must have been acting in Desir¡¯s previous life too. He must have done something Desir was not aware of. Skull Mask must have been moving to carry out his n during that time too.


    ¡®In my previous life¡­ ¡¯


    In Desir¡¯s previous life, the existence of the Outsiders was almost insignificant. Thus, Skull Mask never had to reveal himself, acting below the surface¡­ in the dark. He must have been able to proceed with his n without interruption.


    ¡®Maybe it has everything to do with the Shadow Labyrinth¡­ ¡¯


    Although he considered the possibility of this, Desir soon shook his head.


    The Shadow Labyrinth was not like any other Shadow World. It was an uncontroble disaster. The scourge of mankind of the like that had never been seen before. ¡®For now, I¡¯d better be concerned about it as one of the possibilities.¡¯


    Desir pped his hands.


    The magicmp turned on in response. The early evening had only just passed and it was now exceptionally dark outside.


    ¡®More important than investigating the connection between the Shadow Labyrinth and the Outsiders¡­ It¡¯s almost time for the third wave of Shadow Worlds in this life.¡¯


    Right before the urrence of the Shadow Labyrinth, there would be onest wave of Shadow Worlds. They are due to appear next fall. The difficulty of them will rise quite a bit, just like the Shadow Worlds they had justpleted.


    ¡®There¡¯s a few artifacts that I need. The Shadow Worlds that must be cleared are marked.¡¯


    He was not aware of what objective Skull Mask was after, but with some careful nning, he can surely outmaneuver a fanatic like him anyway.


    Every country on the continent was now moving, and Divide had found itself in a thoroughly unfavorable situation.


    Soon, the Outsiders in control of Divide will be left helpless and inconsequential.


    ¡®The first goal is to remove the Outsiderspletely before this third wave of Shadow Worlds ur¡­ ¡¯


    That¡¯s when he thought about it. *Crash*


    The window was smashed.


    It was broken without any trace of what had done it.


    Desir was left aghast, so heughed in vain.


    ¡°This window can¡¯t catch a break.¡±


    Desir, who had paused his thoughts, approached the window. Seeing the broken window, Desir looked outside, wondering if anyone had thrown something at it.


    His face stiffened. Theke in front of the dormitory was ckened. [-Students, please evacuate quickly.]


    *Beep*


    *Beep*


    *Beep*


    At the same time, the rm of the academy alerted everyone of the encroachment of a Shadow World.


    ¡®No way¡­ ¡¯


    Desir shook his head.


    His ns and ideas for the next few months evaporated neatly in his head. His brain immediately processed the phenomena urring in front of him, long before his consciousness caught up.


    ¡®No, this can¡¯t be happening.¡¯ But he denied the possibility.


    It was impossible. It was never supposed to happen like this.


    But soon after, the rm was enough to drop Desir off a cliff of despair.


    [-A global reversal is detected. Students, please evacuate quickly. We are currently checking the ratings of the Shadow World.]


    In a matter of moments, the crack expanded. [-A Level Two Shadow World has appeared.]

 Chapter 241. A Subsurface War (18)

    <h4>Chapter 241. A Subsurface War (18)</h4>


    It was terrible.


    The peace that had settled over everyone for the past few weeks flew away in a sh.


    The sudden appearance of a Level Two Shadow World had nketed the Hebrion Academy in the heart of Dresden.


    Desir stared at the Hebrion Academy as if he could not believe it. ¡®How did a Level Two Shadow World already appear?¡¯


    The outbreak of the Level One and Two Shadow Worlds were a sign of the impending Shadow Labyrinth. Something like this would mean they would have one or two days to prepare, a fact Desir was all too aware of. However, this was far too ahead of schedule.


    The problem they were left with now is what to do about it.


    There was still more than a year left before the Shadow Labyrinth should appear, and with the appearance of this early indicator, should he continue assuming the Shadow Labyrinth would appear early too?


    It was against the rules in the first ce.


    The Shadow Worlds had one regrity. Many Shadow Worlds would appear simultaneously, if they were to ur at all, but only once a year.


    Desir felt a sense of despair andplexity overwhelm him. ¡°How did the Shadow World happen so soon!¡±


    Somebody¡¯s cry struck Desir in the ear. The streets of Dresden, where Desir now stood, were bustling with thousands of people.


    The students who had lost their bearings so suddenly were confused. ¡°A Level Two Shadow World?¡±


    ¡°This is impossible!¡±


    The problem wasn¡¯t just when it happened.


    The difficulty of the Shadow World that they now found themselves facing was a Level Two. Everyone except Desir was left perplexed at this rating, something that had not appeared for a long time.


    Thest time was in Lowellius, the year 3614. No one alive had experienced the perils of a Level Two Shadow World. Of course, there is always an exception. Skull Mask had lived for centuries. He had likely experienced the power of a Level Two.


    People looked worried at the advent of such a disaster. They had only ever read about such a thing urring in their history books.


    ¡°We can also clear a Level Two Shadow World¡­ right¡­ ?¡±


    If they failed to clear this, it would consume a portion of the world.


    After the rise in the overall strength of mankind due to the publication of the magic crystal enchanting method Zod had developed, mankind had long rid themselves of the feeling of defeat that had traumatized the world for most of the past.


    But they had only encountered Shadow Worlds up to the Third Level of strength. In this era of peace, it was unclear just whaty in store for them and just how much they would need to sacrifice in clearing this disaster.


    ¡°Calm down, everyone!¡±


    The professors tried to calm the students who had taken to the streets in panic. However, this was anything but an easy task. Rather, the situation worsened as the professors seemed confused by the unexpected situation too.


    * * *


    With the advent of the Shadow World at the Hebrion Academy, the hotels in Dresden had an unexpected boom in poprity. Unless they failed in their attempt clearing it, the erosion would not proceed immediately. However, many took residence in hotels due to their unease, seemingly calming themselves by surrounding themselves with familiarpany.


    However, the Starling Party ended up staying in Professor Bridget¡¯s mansion, not in a hotel. Her opinion was that if everyone gathered in chaotic situations like these, they would at least calm down.


    It was not easy to find empty rooms among crowded hotels, so everyone readily epted Professor Bridget¡¯s proposal.


    ¡°There¡¯s enough room, so feel free to make yourselves at home. If you need anything, feel free to let me know.¡±


    Bridget took the students to her mansion and hurried back to see if there was anything urgent she could help with. She seemed to be moving to assist with something rted to the urrence of the Shadow World.


    ¡°Why did a Level Two suddenly emerge?¡± Romantica¡¯s face was uncharacteristically stiff.


    ¡°For thest one hundred years, the Shadow Worlds have only had the strength of up to Level Three.¡±


    No one answered. That was because everyone here had the same question as her. They too couldn¡¯t make sense of what was currently happening.


    Desir was no exception. He had always offered solutions before anyone else in the party even realized they were in crisis, but this time, he was different. He was just quietlymunicating with someone through hismunication pad.


    When Romantica saw him acting like this, she could feel her anxiety growing even more. ¡°We¡¯re not going to fail in clearing this¡­ ?¡±


    To Pram¡¯s question, Adjest replied, nodding her head.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s a Level Two Shadow World, mankind has developed beyondparison to that of one hundred years ago. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s possible for us toplete this.¡±


    As she spoke, Adjest nced sideways at Desir. He had not yet made eye contact with her since they met up.


    She closed her eyes.


    Rondeforted her while thinking that she was concerned about clearing the Shadow World. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sister. It¡¯ll work out somehow!¡±


    At that time, Desir, who had been quiet until now, opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡±


    Seeing Desir¡¯s rigid expression, the party members noticed that he had learned something; they sensed that it must be something serious.


    ¡°Look at this.¡±


    Desir manipted themunication pad, producing a holographic map of the continent. The map was covered in red dots.


    Only then did the party members know what Desir had been busy doing. He had beenbing the news from all over the continent through all avable informationworks. He must have been doing this ever since the appearance of the Shadow World.


    ¡°Desir, what are those red dots¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more than one hundred Shadow Worlds of Level Two and above across the continent.¡±


    A sheer silence enveloped the group. There was not even the sound of a single breath.


    The Starling Party members that had scattered all over the mansion began to gather one by one.


    Those who were there first exined the map to those who cameter, and each time, there was a shocked exmation.


    There were simply too many red dots. It was disorientating having just one happen at the Hebrion Academy, but it seemed hard to believe that they had happened all over the continent. However, they soon saw Desir¡¯s serious expression and were forced to ept reality.


    Actually, everyone must have been expecting something like this. They just wanted to look away from such an oue.


    Hebrion Academy attracts people of different nationalities from all over the continent. The Starling Party was no different. They had all been hoping such an abnormality would not ur in their own country, where their families lived.


    Romantica clenched her teeth as she looked at the red dots on Prillecha. Other party members looked at the map in simr manners and hardened their facial expressions.


    However, Adjest was analyzing the map from apletely different perspective. ¡°And the cause of this situation is in Divide.¡±


    All of the party members¡¯ eyes were turned to one side of the map. There was a single country that had no red dots on it.


    The Kingdom of Divide.


    Despite the numerous Shadow Worlds dotting the entire continent, none of them urred there. No matter how much information was blocked, they could not hide the powerful detection methods that were employed to locate Shadow Worlds as they appeared. However, the information Desir grasped was clear that there were no Shadow Worlds in Divide.


    What were the chances that only Divide could avoid the phenomenon at a time when the Shadow Worlds appeared everywhere else?


    It was a strange situation for anyone to see.


    Desir spected that Skull Mask had intentionally brought about the Shadow Worlds. That would exin why Divide had avoided the phenomenon.


    He could feel a burning pain in his stomach. ¡®Everything¡¯s gone wrong.¡¯


    The incident in Divide had caused a sense of uneasiness, but he had pushed it aside as it had not created any immediate consequences of significance. Confronting amon enemy, Divide, the Western Kingdoms had be more united than ever before, and the Hebrion Empire also expressed its willingness to cooperate.


    It was a pity for the people of Divide, but sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. They could only suffer the result of allowing Skull Mask to seize control of their country.


    But the sudden appearance of Shadow Worlds had put a massive spanner in Desir¡¯s ns. Romantica expressed doubt at Desir¡¯s conjecture.


    ¡°How can he artificially induce Shadow Worlds like this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s due to those towers.¡±


    The huge towers that Divide had erected all over its territory. Behind the surface-deep purpose of chimera research and manufacturing, a bigger secret had been concealed. Desir was able to get a glimpse of this secret through Swan¡¯s sacrifice. The basement of the tower they had infiltrated, had been constructed in a fashion simr to what he had seen in homunculusbs.


    In addition, a huge amount of mana stones had been processed and stockpiled.


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re artificially creating Shadow Worlds using the mana stones they stock there.¡± Mana stones were still fundamentally unknown objects whose structure had not yet been fully understood. It was not clear why they appeared after clearing Shadow Worlds.


    In fact, it was only after Zod developed the enchanting method that mana stones could be utilized for the benefit of mankind. Mana stones were most often used to create magic equipment and virtual Shadow Worlds to practice in.


    ¡°Skull Mask seemed to know a lot about Shadow Worlds. Maybe what¡¯s happening now is a step beyond simply creating virtual Shadow Worlds with these mana stones. Isn¡¯t that right, Tower Master?¡±


    Desir directed hisst sentence at hismunication pad.


    Desir had apparently been talking to Zod from the beginning.

 Chapter 242. A Subsurface War (19)

    <h4>Chapter 242. A Subsurface War (19)</h4>


    Zod¡¯s voice emanated from Desir¡¯smunication pad.


    [-Right. To be more specific, mana stones were probably used like we have seen in the homunculus.]


    Zod had been engrossed in studying the homunculus ever since he got his hands on one. It sounded like his research had finally born fruit.


    [-After spending so long studying it, I¡¯ve learned a little bit about how the homunculus manipted causality. Desir, do you know about the theory of parallel universes?]


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never heard of such a theory.¡±


    The theory of parallel universes was rather esoteric and not something Desir had gone out of his way to understand, especially in his pursuit of clearing the Shadow Labyrinth.


    [-Ah, I guess that¡¯s to be expected¡­ ] Zod muttered before continuing.


    [-There are many hypotheses about parallel universes, but in short, it is the theory that several versions of our world exist at the same time.]


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Zod exined once again with a sigh and a look of exasperation at Desir and his party members that did not understand.


    [-We don¡¯t know the principle behind the Shadow Worlds, but they do recreate important events of our past. But these are simply a reproduction of the past that has no effect on reality. But the homunculus uses a principle simr to reshape the past and create a new reality by making a different choice. This is the true identity of the homunculus¡¯s power.]


    Desir¡¯s eyes glistened.


    ¡°No way, when Skull Mask said he would reform the past he meant¡­ ¡±


    [-He was not exaggerating. And I guess what¡¯s happening is a step towards that goal.]


    ¡°If the homunculus power could be exercised through numerous towers spanning an entire country, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible to influence the entire continent.¡±


    The homunculus¡¯s ability was limited in range. The amount of time that could be altered was narrow, and the scope of area affected was also small.


    But if the structure was greatly expanded in the form of a giant tower and dozens of supporting smaller towers, and all operated at the same time using massive amounts of mana stones¡­ It was clear that the capacity would expand beyondparison to that of a mere homunculus. Finally, Skull Mask¡¯s goal and means of achieving it had been understood.


    While the situation was anything but good, with a newfound sense of purpose and a way forward, Desir¡¯s expression had softened and his eyes gleamed with determination.


    ¡°But if we just destroy the tower, we can get rid of them, even if we don¡¯t clear the Shadow Worlds created by it.¡±


    [-Not only that, but also the ultimate goal of Skull Mask would be thwarted. But it won¡¯t be easy.]


    Destroying the tower could solve everything, but the very act of destroying it would be a difficult proposition amidst the current mess.


    [-The Western Kingdom Union has mobilized all of its forces to clear the Shadow Worlds. Far from attacking the Divide, if you¡¯re attacked now, you won¡¯t be able to defend yourselves. This is no exception for the Empire.]


    Zod had a good grasp of the situation. Whether it was the Western Kingdom Union or the Hebrion Empire, the forces were not allowed to operate recklessly by the sudden outbreak of the Level One and Two Shadow Worlds.


    Unless there was a guarantee that the tower could be destroyed swiftly, the Shadow Worlds could not be neglected. Weaponizing Artificial Shadow Worlds like this was simply too heinous.


    ¡®Where the hell did he get his hands on such skills?¡¯


    Again and again, he could not help but be astonished at the transcendent skill Skull Mask had at his disposal. The technology Skull Mask seemed to throw around without regard surpassed that of Zod, the so-called greatest magical engineer of mankind.


    Desir had long recognized the Outsiders, and more recently Skull Mask, as thergest obstacle interfering with the sessfulpletion of the Shadow Labyrinth. However, it now urred to him that Skull Mask might be as annoying as the Shadow Labyrinth itself.


    A hypothesis then passed through Desir¡¯s head.


    ¡®No, wait a minute. Did he also create the Level One and Two Shadow Worlds that suddenly began to appear in my previous life? If so, is the Shadow Labyrinth¡­ ¡¯


    His spine shuddered at the thought.


    The Shadow Labyrinth was in a whole different league inparison to Level One, let alone Level Two Shadow Worlds. They were not evenparable, like apples and oranges.


    But even so, the possibility that had taken root in his mind could not be so easily shaken. ¡®I¡¯d better act with that in mind for now.¡¯


    Desir put his thoughts together in short order, before speaking Zod again. ¡°For now, I think it¡¯s better to stop the Shadow Worlds from happening.¡± [-I agree with you. We can¡¯t just let this go. We must take out Divide.]


    So the immediate goals of action had been sorted out, but the party members had terrible looks on their faces. Even with a potential solutionid out for them, there was no hint of relief to be found in the room.


    ¡°Will our vige be alright?¡±


    ¡°The map shows a Shadow World in my hometown too.¡±


    Desir looked at the party members. Everyone was looking at the map and expressing their concerns.


    Romantica was also sighing at the red dots marked on Prillecha. The number present in the weakest member of the Western Kingdom Union was not small by any measure. It was hard to be confident that Prillecha would be able to clear them all with its current strength.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see how the Hebrion Academy will respond.¡± It was on this tone that Desir concluded the meeting.


    * * *


    Bridgette returned several hourster.


    She was exhausted. Dark circles highlighted her eyes. ¡°I have something to tell you all.¡±


    The Royal family had called upon the faculty members of the Hebrion Academy and Bridgette had attended the meeting. She told them that the Shadow World that happened nearby was to be cleared with the highest priority, by order of the imperial family.


    This was a matter for course.


    As long as the Hebrion Academy was within the scope of erosion, the facilities inside were under threat.


    Therefore, it was not only impossible to use the numerous facilities of the Hebrion Academy, but also the systematic management of those who participated in the Shadow World was not able to be carried out.


    ¡®It¡¯s not something at the level of difficulty a student would challenge in the first ce.¡¯


    The difficulty of the Shadow World increased exponentially by level. Level Three Shadow Worlds were the peak difficulty the Hebrion Academy dealt in. But even those Shadow Worlds were handled with great care.


    Desir raised his hand.


    He opened his mouth when Professor Bridgette winked at him. ¡°Then what does Hebrion Academy n to do?¡±


    It was a question everyone wanted to hear. ¡°I knew you¡¯d ask that question.¡± Professor Bridget closed her eyes.


    Everyone listened, and finally her mouth opened again.


    ¡°With the principal¡¯s approval, the Hebrion Academy will be temporarily closed.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    A closed school.


    The academy had not even closed during the war against the Outsiders. This was a move entirely unprecedented.


    ¡°The priority given to Hebrion Academy students in participating in the Shadow Worlds has expired as of now. The only parties allowed to continue operating are the: Blue Moon Party, Red Dragon Party, and Starling Party; each holding authority equivalent to an honorary knighthood.¡±


    Taking a leave of absence allowed students to maintain their privileges as students of the Hebrion Academy. But the closure was tantamount to forcing all of them to forfeit their Hebrion student privileges.


    ¡°When do you think the academy will open again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that. We don¡¯t know when the Shadow Worlds will end, and we don¡¯t know when it will suddenly happen again.¡±


    Bridgette¡¯s hopeless answer darkened the faces of the Starling Party members.


    * * *


    As Bridgette said, the next day at 10:00 am, the closure of the Hebrion Academy was announced.


    The students saw it through theirmunication pads.


    The responses to this announcement varied.


    About a third of the students volunteered for the army.


    Many regarded the situation as an opportunity to advance. Among the students who volunteered for the army, there was a mix of those from the Empire and foreigners. If they made a contribution, they could be certain that the Empire would reward them ordingly.


    As tragic and frightening as this situation was, many students had joined the Hebrion Academy with the intention of beingmissioned into the Imperial Army. For these people, this situation was actually a stroke of unprecedented luck.


    The Empire weed their enlistment as volunteers, promising favorable treatment for students of the Hebrion Academy. The Empire¡¯s military might was strong, but getting a boost in fighting power from epting the applications of these talented youths was a weed oue. The majority of Hebrion¡¯s students were excellent, and joined having already obtained excellent experience in clearing Shadow Worlds.


    About a third of the students went back to their hometowns. They dropped everything in favor of seekingfort. But no one could me them. They were ordinary students just hours before.


    And thest third returned to their homnds to join the defensive efforts. ¡°Long time no see, Desir Arman.¡±


    At around lunchtime, Radoria Doriche appeared at Bridgette¡¯s mansion.


    After making small talk with her, Desir discovered that Radoria was a noble of a small country. A country so small that it couldn¡¯t even join the Western Kingdom Union.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking all over for you to say goodbye.¡±


    She dropped that bombshell nonchntly. It made sense though. Desir had heard there was a Level Two Shadow World in her country.


    ¡°Are you going to join the army?¡±


    Desir spoke in a rxed manner, as if he were used to speaking with friends in wartime. Radoria nodded.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Radoria tilted hermunication pad, showing a summons signed by the king of her country. The purpose of the summons was all too obvious, considering the current situation.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s necessary for them. Having reached the Fourth-Circle, I will be an invaluable fighting power for them.¡±


    It was a matter of course. There were no more than a thousand magicians that managed to reach the fourth circle or higher across the entire continent.


    Desir, frankly speaking, was reluctant to let her go. The risk was simply too great and she had grown to be a person with strategic power now. Even if she was not powerful, he still hated the thought of potentially losing a friend.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think of going to war with the Outsiders. In ourst battle with them, we had superior might and there were many people of simr or greater power around you to protect you. But this time, I don¡¯t think¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I know. But there¡¯s no other option.¡± She smiled gently.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m very patriotic. The country has not done anything for me. But I couldn¡¯t turn my eyes away from my home country in a situation like this.¡±


    Everyone has something they want to protect. Desir found himself unable to talk her out of it. ¡°It was the greatest happiness in my life that you came to be my mentor. If you don¡¯t hear from me again, tell Kelt that I loved him.¡±


    Leaving such mncholic words behind, she turned her back to Desir. ¡°¡­ ¡­ I won¡¯t tell him.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Pleasee back and tell him by yourself.¡± *Smile*


    Radoria¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°So, that¡¯s your answer.¡±


    She was part of the third of the student body that left to protect their homnd. While perceptions of the students were skewed from being around so many people of such strength in the academy, by the standards of small countries, wizards and knights at the level of these students were invaluable national-level power.


    As the hours dragged on, party members left one by one.


    Desir didn¡¯t attempt to prevent them leaving. Instead, he made each of them promise something to him.


    ¡°Be sure toe back.¡±


    He made them promise such a reunion.


    As Desir bade another party member farewell, Romantica strode up to Desir.

 Chapter 243. A Subsurface War (20)

    <h4>Chapter 243. A Subsurface War (20)</h4>


    Romantica stood still in front of Desir, her face screwed up in concentration for a long time. Eventually, she opened her mouth, gripping her trembling hands together tightly.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve been summoned to help Prillecha.¡±


    One of the Shadow Worlds that appeared in Prillecha was a Level One Shadow World. A Shadow World strong enough to swallow up an entire kingdom. In fact, thest Level One Shadow World did exactly that. It swallowed up the kingdom known as the strongest of that era. No matter how advanced a country¡¯s technology was, this Shadow World had a difficulty that demanded special care.


    ¡°Yes. I heard the news.¡±


    Although the Avalon Army had been mobilized, Prillecha still suffered from insufficient man-power. They had no choice but to call on everyone they could. Prillecha was still a small country after all, and the power they could mobilize was limited.


    ¡°Really, I don¡¯t know why so many incidents seem to happen in our country. Once again, my country is in danger of being wiped off the map.¡±


    Romantica sighed.


    ¡°It makes people really tired. I¡¯d like to emigrate if I could.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to leave for Prillecha?¡±


    As Romantica pouted in annoyance, obviously attempting to lighten the mood, Desir pitched a straight ball. Romantica turned around to look Desir in the eye.


    ¡°You already knew what I was going to do.¡±


    ¡°Your face gives everything away.¡±


    ¡°How can you always read me so easily!? I look the same as I normally do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worried. I can tell because you have a habit of biting your lips whenever you¡¯re worried about something.¡±


    Desir really knew a lot about her. This was a habit even she had not recognized. ¡°Adjest and Pram will stay, won¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they will. They¡¯re from here after all.¡±


    ¡°I really envy them. I wish I could stay too.¡±


    ¡°When will we see each other again if I leave now?¡±


    Romantica stopped talking and looked at Desir. The silence they held seemed tost forever. Her lips were chapped.


    She couldn¡¯t find the words to say anything else.


    ¡°I understand, Romantica. You care about your hometown.¡±


    Desir spoke up, thinking she was simply lost for words and drowning in her own sorrow.


    The dazed Romantic stood still as a statue for another moment, before nodding and regaining some semnce of rationality.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s obvious. It¡¯s where my family¡¯s business is. Wouldn¡¯t I have to protect it if I want to inherit it?¡±


    Romantica smiled wistfully. She realized that Desir was simply respecting what he assumed she held dear to her.


    After all, it was she who had to make the decision.


    However, there was a feeling of squeezing out all other thoughts and sprouting in the mind. Romanticaughed in an attempt to hide it.


    For onlookers, things looked normal. They wereughing and chattering. For Romantica, this was anything but normal.


    ¡°I hope things work out well. Come back safely.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Desir.¡±


    This was the natural point in the conversation where they would part ways.


    When she looked out the window, she saw the sun beginning its trajectory down through the sky. It had peaked and now all that remained was the inevitable nighttime.


    It was noon.


    Romantica leaped and embraced Desir in a bear hug. ¡°Romantica?¡±


    Desir looked embarrassed but soon smiled slightly. As always, he was one that could be depended on. The rock of the Starling Party. He stroked her hair, eventually managing to calm his frightened party member down.


    Romantica permitted him touching her hair. It didn¡¯t matter if the hairstyle she worked so hard to maintain was ruined.


    ¡°Just because you¡¯re leaving, don¡¯t quit training.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush, Desir.¡±


    He had spoiled the moment. Romantica backed away in a huff. ¡°I¡¯ll be back stronger than ever.¡±


    ¡®I promised you I¡¯d always be there to support you.¡¯


    Even if you don¡¯t see me as a woman now, I hope you will look back on me fondly someday.


    * * *


    Shortly after Romantica left, Desir contacted the Side Guard. [-That¡¯s a very helpful piece of information, Mr. Desir.]


    These were the first words Alfred uttered after hearing Desir out. He was the head of the Side Guard, a group formed to support the Royal Guard, and an important figure close to the Emperor.


    Through Alfred, Desir told the Emperor that the outbreak of Shadow Worlds was linked to Skull Mask and what he felt the best move would be to resolve the situation.


    ¡°This is the greatest threat to the Empire. We should focus on finding more detailed information by deepening our understanding of the tower. We¡¯d better prepare the relevant measures.¡±


    ¡°We also need to find out about Divide¡¯s troop formation and strength. We could even up in an all-out war with them. Especially, I want you to find out what you can about the current leader of the Janissaries.¡±


    ¡°I will convey Mr. Desir¡¯s opinion. Oh, by the way, would you please hold for a moment?¡± Alfred stopped Desir before he had a chance to cut offmunication.


    ¡°Desir Arman. I¡¯m sorry to say this now, but I have orders from the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I have a few things to tell you before that. The Imperial Family had a request for one of the Starling Party members. If necessary, unlimited aid will be given to the rest of the party members remaining, including those who have left.¡±


    This was unusual. Thergepensation meant that the request was also difficult. ¡°¡­ I have a lot of work to do. I hope the request doesn¡¯t take long.¡±


    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t¡­ take long.¡±


    He tapped his desk nervously.


    ¡°Mr. Desir, one of your party members, Adjest Kingscrown, is the legitimate heir to the House of Rogfs.¡±


    He had already heard this from the Adjest and knew it was a fact.


    ¡°And when the decision was made to temporarily close the Hebrion Academy, the Alpha ss that the Princess was required to take was in effect, canceled.¡±


    ¡°I mean, again, the Imperial Family will make up for the loss of man-power, and she¡¯s just going back where she belongs. So please don¡¯t be offended¡­ ¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of doing this?¡±


    Alfred sighed before opening his mouth again.


    ¡°The princess will be summoned to the Pce. However, the Emperor seems to have decided that if she has any lingering attachment to the Starling Party, it will only serve as a distraction. Mr. Desir, will you persuade her directly to return to the Pce so that she will no longer have any regrets about the party?¡±


    * * *


    The carriage, without stopping, ttered along the uneven cobblestones on the street.


    It was not difficult to guess the destination. On the doors and ceiling of the carriage was a picture of the golden lion symbolizing the Imperial Family.


    Through the half-open curtains, she could see the Imperial Pce gradually getting closer. The fact that it would happen like this was something she had expected from the start. As for the reason, however, Adjest had no idea how this came to pass.


    Was it because she revealed her identity to Desir? Maybe it was because her father thought the situation had be dangerous? These Shadow Worlds were unexpected after all.


    Adjest looked up at the ceiling nkly. Either way, the ending she was going to face was simple.


    Parting.


    It was a very unfamiliar word. Adjest didn¡¯t want to experience such a thing.


    So, when she first arrived at the Hebrion Academy, ending up in the Alpha ss for nobles, she did not open up her heart to anyone.


    She was surrounded by people, but utterly alone.


    She had lived a life without color, utterly dedicated to being strong. She thought such a life would be the best for her.


    However, Desir was the turning point for her. Many things changed right after she met him. ¡®Many things?¡¯


    No, it was everything.


    Even Swan managed to pick up on how much she had changed.


    Adjest lowered her gaze. Desir was looking out the window with his chin resting in his hand. The deste appearance of the capital with no one present on what used to be bustling streets passed unceasingly by her zed over eyes.


    Coincidentally, Desir was the one to lead her to the Pce.


    It was her father¡¯s decision.


    Cruel but reasonable.


    Perhaps her father wanted her to express her intention to leave the party in his audience. He might want to see her properly break off all connection to her academy life.


    ¡®When was thest time I talked to Desir? It feels like ages ago, but it has been less than a day.¡¯


    A visit to the hospital to see Swan was the beginning of the end.


    Adjest was put on the spot. She never had the intention of making up a story. This was something she wanted Desir to know.


    Ever since Adjest informed him that she was a Princess, they had not talked since. Their rtionship was now awkward. They couldn¡¯t find a single thing to talk about.


    She could understand that. The title of Princess was by no means light. She deliberately didn¡¯t say anything about it earlier knowing this.


    ¡°Desir.¡±


    The first to open their mouth was Adjest. She had spent the entire carriage ride gathering her courage.


    Desir, who had been staring outside the entire time, turned his head and stared at Adjest. Their eyes met for the first time.


    But that was all. He simply looked at her.


    The strange silence made Adjest feel a tingling sensation in her heart. ¡°¡­ Are you angry?¡±


    Adjest opened her mouth with difficulty. Desir did not reply.


    ¡®Doesn¡¯t he understand? The end of the Alpha ss meant that she was no longer a student, but a sessor, heir to the throne of the Hebrion Empire.¡¯


    It was not something she could abandon for the sake of clearing Shadow Worlds. This was thest time they would sit together as party leader and party member.


    Even though she could meet Desir, a member of the Royal Guard, whenever she wanted, when that time came, it would not be as Adjest Kingscrown, but Adjest Zedgar F Rogfs.


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t want this.¡±


    She did not want things to happen this way. She didn''t want to go back to the deste past where she had no ties and had never met Desir. She couldn¡¯t imagine spending the rest of her days like this to the end. ¡°Please say something¡­ ¡±


    ¡°There is no particr reason for me to be angry with you, Royal Princess.¡± Royal Princess.


    As soon as she heard it, Adjest felt something that had kept her sane this long suddenly snap. She felt her heart ache.


    ¡°Desir.¡±


    It shouldn''t end like this. It was a rtionship that couldn¡¯t end like this.


    ¡°Your Majesty has made a great decision. It¡¯s just a wise move to ensure that the sessor is no longer in danger.¡±


    [-There¡¯s audio surveince magic in the carriage.] On the ceiling.


    Blue mana seemed to gather and form letters, soon disappearing without a trace. Desir nodded so that only Adjest could feel it.


    For a moment, the sad feeling had lifted slightly. Her mind cleared up.


    Her tone slightly uneven, she replied.


    ¡°You think so¡­ ?¡±


    She tried to imitate the method Desir had used.


    She tried to gather and concentrate her mana, calcting how to move it to form the letters she so desperately desired to share.


    It wasn¡¯t easy, but her will to talk was much stronger. [-Howe?]


    Barely after forming, her letters fell apart.


    In quick fashion, blue mana converged into letters once again.


    [-I¡¯ve been ordered to make sure you don¡¯t have any lingering attachment for the Starling Party. They want to know if this request is going well.]


    Adjest¡¯s prediction was right. But that wasn¡¯t what mattered. [-Desir, I never meant to deceive you. I just¡­ ]


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s over anyway.¡±


    Desir spoke, but his words were false. Letters appeared on the ceiling. [-I know.]


    ¡°The only thing that matters is the fact that you¡¯re a Princess.¡±


    Desir continued to peddle mistruths while the letters of his true thoughts continued to appear on the ceiling.


    [-It doesn¡¯t matter that you¡¯re a Princess. You¡¯re just you. Rogfs or not, you¡¯ve always been Adjest. That doesn¡¯t change. That¡¯s the conclusion I¡¯ve reached.]


    [-Why? How?]


    On the contrary, it had now be a situation where Adjest could not help but question him. [-Because I¡¯m just like you.]


    Their eyes crossed.


    [-I think everyone has something they want to hide. I have something I must hide from you too. I haven¡¯t revealed it yet, but you shared your secret. You trust me, so I also trust you.] This would be the secret of Desir¡¯s identity.


    Desir had never shared a single bit of his past with her, or anyone else for that matter. [-But you¡­ showed no reaction.]


    [-I didn¡¯t care.]


    This was not just an excuse.


    [-I¡¯ve always been like this. I recognized you as a colleague, as a powerfulrade, and I was focused entirely on our future.]


    He was always thinking about the future.


    Like a carriage moving forward, looking only at its destination.


    Without rest, without end.


    Moving with a singr purpose.


    It probably had something to do with his past. Adjest could only make such a dim guess. [-I rather respect you.]


    ¡®He didn¡¯t feel bad.¡¯


    It was by no means easy to bring up a secret that had been hidden for so long. She was afraid that the truth would change the rtionship.


    This was the thing that Adjest feared the most. ¡®I was such a fool.¡¯


    There was no way Desir would act like that.


    She felt happy.


    Her eyes shook and turned red.


    [-When we meet again, I¡¯ll tell you my story then, Adjest.]


    The years she spent with him passed before her eyes. Mana concentrated on the ceiling several more times, dispersing and reforming.


    The carriage came to a stop.


    Before she knew it, she had arrived at the Pce. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Mana rained down inside the carriage like snow.


    Adjest put her hand to her hair.


    The sharp ice that formed cut off a lock of the silvery hair. [-I¡¯ll be back as Adjest Kingscrown.]


    As a token of her deration, Adjest handed it to Desir.

 Chapter 244. Reunion (1)

    <h4>Chapter 244. Reunion (1)</h4>


    ¡°Captain Kuros, sir?¡±


    Kuros, who had fallen into deep contemtion while riding on a horse, was awoken by a voice to his side. Locating the source, he found a boy with a hood staring at him.


    ¡°Are you alright, sir? I understand if you¡¯re worried, anyone would feel stressed under these circumstances. If this Shadow World falls apart, then five cities within the Kelin Kingdom are at risk.¡±


    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m alright. I was just going over the n we made with the Imperial Army.¡±


    The pair stood motionless atop a misty hill. Normally, the scent of morning dew and the sound of birds that signals the start of a new day brings a sense of ease; this dawn mist was deeply permeated with the scent of blood, and the song of the morning birds were deafened by the chorus of screams and the shing of weapons in the distance.


    The Knights of the Kelin Kingdom had been dispatched to clear the Level Two Shadow World that had appeared. Their next step in doing so was to clear the battlefield in front of them.


    ¡°We should have sufficient distance tounch an assault from here, sir.¡±


    The boy, who continued to speak to Kuros, the Captain of the Kelin Knights, was the only one present that hailed from the Hebrion Empire. Kelin was a small kingdom and consequently did not have enough power to sessfully clear the Level Two Shadow World. Forced between a rock and a hard ce, they had to request assistance from the Hebrion Empire. Luckily for them, the Empire dispatched two men on condition of them being able to act freely and for the Kelin Knights to heed their orders.


    The boy next to Kuros was one of the two men dispatched.


    The Kelin Kingdom was not dissatisfied with this arrangement, nor were they angry that the Empire only spared them two men. The two that had been dispatched were widely known in the Kelin Kingdom for their skill in both battle andmand. Still, Kuros looked at the boy next to him, unease in his eyes. ¡®Is this boy really the Silver Light Swordsman¡­ ?¡¯


    The Hebrion Empire boasted ownership of a prodigious swordsman known by his title, the ¡®Silver Light Swordsman¡¯. Kuros thoroughly respected the Silver Light Swordsman, but was this youth really deserving of such a title?


    ¡®Well¡­ ¡­ We¡¯ll see soon enough.¡¯


    Kuros handed out orders to his subordinates. ¡°Maya, I ask you to secure line of sight.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    Maya, a Fourth-Circle magician, began arranging arge magical formation. Soon after it was invoked, a strong wind began to clear the billowing mist. From atop the hill, the Kelin Knights had a clear view of the challenge they faced.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Huh?¡±


    Their vision unencumbered, their faces began to harden as the Shadow World¡¯s notification appeared.


    [-Before you lie orcs led by Valhald Rakuntash, the Lord of the Orcs.


    -Valhald¡¯s army has trained single-mindedly with the goal of seizing the continent and cing it in their Lord¡¯s hands.


    -Orcs naturally possess superior physiques. These orcs have be stronger through training and move strategically under the control of amander with superior talent. Countless countries have copsed as a result of this strength and his cunning.]


    The misty hill before them was covered with waves of green.


    Lines of orcs spanned as far as the eye could see. Their seemingly infinite numbers were, at the least, in the hundreds of thousands


    [-Beginning final quest, ¡®Extinction¡¯.


    -Lord Valhald Rakuntash has assembled orcs in an attempt to destroy humanity and seize control of the continent.


    -Defend against Valhald¡¯s army.]


    The Kelin Knights entered this Shadow World having done the pertinent research and reading on this historical event, but the reality before their eyes versus what they had imagined after preparing for it were two totally different concepts.


    The mere presence of this vast army of orcs left a sense of overwhelment. It was no surprise that the knights of a small kingdom were left paralyzed in fear.


    And that hesitation soon became poison. ¡°Humans! Shhhk!¡±


    ¡°They are over there! They removed our mist!¡±


    The fog clearing allowed the knights to gain vision of the orcs, but in turn so did the orcs gain vision of the knights.


    ¡°de Wolf Tribe, take the lead! Stop them while our defence line forms!¡±


    The orcs raised their spears and charged towards the knights while other orcs holding shields hurriedly repositioned. The orc shouting out orders was distinctly more powerful than the rest, likely themander of this unit.


    If this situation continued unchecked, the orcs would establish their defensive line and the Knights of Kelin would have no choice but to retreat helplessly.


    ¡°We have to assault them before they finish that defensive line!¡±


    The Silver Light Sword sprung into action, removing his hood to unobscure his vision. His sky blue hair, revealed to the world, fluttered in the wind.


    With his visage and effeminate features revealed, he could easily be mistaken for a pretty woman.


    His clear blue eyes that were locked onto Kuros did not waver, even as he found himself face to face with hundreds of thousands of orcs. In his eyes, absolute trust in the sess of this operation was engraved.


    ¡°As Commander of the Side Guard, I will open the way. Do your best to follow, sir.¡±


    The youth from the Hebrion Empire, Pram Schneider, began his isted charge into the heart of the orc army.


    Kuros¡¯s face hardened. Charging blindly into hundreds of thousands of orcs was nothing more than suicide. Everyone remained rooted to the spot, expressing their solemn grievances for the grueling sacrifice of the pretty boy.


    Pram bore down on the wall of spear wielding orcs. All of the spears had been pointed his way, under the direction of themanding orc. As Pram approached, a silvery aura rose from his rapier. Momentster, numerous silver trajectories spread out in every direction as his weapon began to blur.


    In what felt like an eternity as time itself seemed to slow, red lines of blood were carved into the bodies of the orcs¡­


    *Whizzzz*


    Time resumed its normal pace, and the orcs bodies were neatly carved. Their bodies fell apart into thousands of bloody pieces, precisely cut to ensure a quick death.


    A scene of utter carnage unfolded before the eyes of both the orcs and knights. Topare the two groups¡¯ responses was unfair to the orcs. Those who had survived, and yed witness to the brutal exchange, were beyond paralyzed in shock. Fear had been imnted so deep in their souls that their bodies forgot they could ever move to begin with.


    ¡°What the hell! Shhhhk!¡±


    ¡°Our brothers are dead! Shhhhk!¡±


    They weren''t the only ones astonished though. The Knights of Kelin also couldn¡¯t believe their eyes.


    Kuros, a Bishop-ss swordsman himself, stared at Pram with his eyes wide open.


    Kuros now realized why he was known as the Silver Light Swordsman. He was able to unleash a barrage of attacks, far too many to count, resulting in his silver aura creating a meteor shower of attacks. The average swordsman would not be able to follow any trajectories of that attack. Instead, all they would be able to make out was a solid silver line, as though the light of his aura was death itself.


    After a while, there were no more orcs attempting to block Pram.


    Pram had only swung his sword for a couple of minutes but already a thousand orcs had died. It didn¡¯t take any further disys of prowess for the orcs to realize that he was not at a level they could handle.


    ¡°Shhhk!¡±


    ¡°Strong! Shhhhk!¡±


    Confusion arose amongst the orcs.


    On the other hand, the morale of the knights exploded upwards.


    Kuros raised his sword. Nothing was said aloud, but everyone was aware what the action meant.


    *Buuuuuuu*


    The sound of the grand trumpet nketed the hill. At the same time, thousands of horses began to run across the ground as one.


    The hill vibrated as if there were an earthquake.


    The Knights of Kelin, who were in the highest of spirits, charged through the sides of the orcs. ¡°Kuaaaak!¡±


    ¡°Kaak!¡±


    *BAAAM*


    In follow up to the cavalry charge, several spells smashed down on the orcs.


    The Kelin Knights faced a force with far superior numbers. Frankly, it was a battle that could not be won.


    However, the orc forces were frightened by Pram¡¯s performance, and as a result could not properly demonstrate their normal fighting strength. Their front line had already begun to copse long before the devastating cavalry charge had deeply prated their nks.


    With Pram¡¯s seemingly reckless charge, the flow of battle had been decided.


    Their first chargeplete, the cavalry once again readied themselves for a second decisive charge.


    ¡°You¡¯re creating quite themotion, arrogant humans!¡±


    A silencing voice sounded from within the orc ranks, suddenly appearing along the pathway the knights had chosen. A towering orc, wearing a void-ck eye patch had asserted himself. This orc, far more epassing than any of the others, was certainly the Lord. He wielded a greatsword that was several meters in length, and looked sharp enough to cleave through steel. Were it not for his terrifying size and presence, the red insignia entrenched on his well defined shoulders cemented the fact that this orc was far from ordinary.


    Unsurprisingly, an rm from the Shadow World sounded. [-You have encountered Orc Lord Valhald Rakuntash.


    -Valhald Rakuntash is praised by the orcs as their Lord. He is an outstandingmander and the most powerful orc in history.]


    Kuros sucked in a deep breath.


    Facing Valhald brought about a pressure far greater than when they found the hundreds of thousands of orcs they would be facing.


    It was the aura of someone with absolute strength.


    Despite their worry, no one was caught off-guard.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Everything is going exactly as he said.¡±


    The knights seemingly unphased, Valhald felt the corners of his mouth raise slightly in a smirk. In a show of his overwhelming dominance, Valhald readied his greatsword and showcased an even more powerful disy of his aura.


    The surroundings shook as Valhald demonstrated his aura. The face of the Knights of Kelin immediately distorted. They had never seen this level of power before.


    Kuros shouted out an order at his knights. ¡°Defense¡­ !¡±


    *BANG*


    When Valhald brandished his greatsword, the ground shook with a deep rumble.


    Over ten meters of ground was overturned, ripped apart, andunched into the air. There was no distinction between ally and enemy in his attack. Orc and human alike were either crushed, or swept away.


    The knights immediately halted their charge, their momentum put to waste. In face of such an attack, what choice was there but to stop?


    Luckily, that was the extent of it. The damage inflicted to the knights wasn¡¯t as severe as Valhald had expected.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Valhald eximed lightly. His greatsword had been stopped before its swingpleted, a slender rapier barely just halting its progress.


    With Pram¡¯s quick action, Valhald¡¯s attack only had about half of its normal destructive power.


    Although the momentary crisis had passed, the situation was certainly not ideal. As the ground copsed, the many knights lost their horses and were trapped in a steep hole, surrounded by their enemies. Orcs gradually began to close in on them, cutting off any hope of escape.


    ¡°I admire the spirit you show in challenging me head-on!¡±


    Valhald kicked against the ground, causing the surface to sink beneath him as he flew through the air.


    ¡°But as long as I¡¯m here as Lord, you human beings are going to lose no matter what you do!¡± *BOOOM*


    Valhald, moving at a speed unbefitting his size, crossed des with Pram once more.


    Pram was pushed back by the concentrated force of Valhald¡¯s attack, and Valhald used this to relentlessly push into him.


    There were dozens of attacks exchanged in a second, each exchange culminating in a tremendous shock wave. Silver and red aura entangled like a pair dancing a waltz. *BAAM*


    As their swords crossed once again, Pram finally spoke. ¡°So long as we take you out, then this is our victory.¡± ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The moment you showed up in front of me was the moment we won.¡± ¡°Arrogance!¡±


    Valhald, deciding he was done toying with the doll-like human, put his all into his strike. His aura responded to this change in attitude, and a red haze began to flow from both himself and his greatsword.


    *Kang*


    Pram¡¯s sword couldn¡¯t withstand Valhald¡¯s aura anymore and broke under the pressure. Valhald followed up with another attack immediately after. His strike had hit the young boy, that is until he moved backwards so quickly that Valhald had somehow missed the moment Pram jumped, and instead left a vacuum in his sword¡¯s wake. Of course, there was no jump for Valhald to notice; Pram had used his Cloud Walkers at the exact moment necessary.


    As Pram reached out after stepping back, a new rapier, one emanating a silver light, formed in his hand.


    It was a sword bearing the tell-tale characteristics of a weapon forged out of nk?um. *Whhiinngg*


    Aura iparable to what Pram had previously wielded gathered within his rapier. ¡°You were holding back?¡±


    Valhald wasn¡¯t dumb enough to stand idly by while his opponent powered up. He coated his entire body in aura,unching himself towards Pram like a massive bullet.


    As he did so, thousands of silver trajectories were drawn toward Valhald. An incredible amount of aura was poured into this attack, at least inparison to the previous time Pram had used it.


    But that was it.


    Only the amount of power poured into it had changed. It was otherwise identical to the previous execution.


    ¡®How did he¡­ Was he holding back that much power?¡¯


    The aura Valhald could draw upon, as a King ss swordsman, was leagues above what Pram could manage.


    No matter how fast and numerous Pram¡¯s attacks were, if they didn¡¯t cause any damage, they meant nothing in the course of battle. Pram¡¯s sword was not able to inflict a fatal blow on Valhald. On the other hand, Valhald¡¯s greatsword could on Pram. The result of this match was surely obvious.


    Just as Valhald began to rx, he suddenly tensed up as his instincts told him something was wrong. The silver lights that had been spreading everywhere suddenly began to gather into a single dot.


    The moment the concentration of aura reached its zenith, Valhald¡¯s sight was bleached white. Silver light filled the battlefield.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Everyone observing the battle was left blinded, unable to see even after the dazzling light had faded.


    Long before they could see it, the tter of a broken greatsword filled their ears.


    ¡°Although I was defeated by you¡­ ¡± Blood gushed out of Valhald¡¯s body.


    ¡°My legion will triumph¡­ and devour yournd¡­ ¡±


    The giant orc fell. Contrary to his theatrical self, blood flowed quietly from his perforated chest and wet the soil. Even as he took hisst breath, Valhald did not relinquish his grasp on his shattered sword.

 Chapter 245. Reunion (2)

    <h4>Chapter 245. Reunion (2)</h4>


    [-Valhald Rakuntash has died.]


    ¡°The Lord is dead! Shhhhk! Let¡¯s get revenge!¡±


    ¡°Kill all the humans!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s drink the blood of humans!¡±


    The orcs raged, infuriated by the death of their esteemed Lord.


    Valhald had fallen, but his orc army numbering in the hundreds of thousands remained. However, Pram paid them no mind. Instead, his attention was turned towards the sky above them.


    [-It¡¯s over, Desir.] [-Good job, Pram.]


    Shortly after the quick exchange viamunication magic, someone appeared from the sky. A young man enrobed in a ck coat and wielding a long staff hovered over the battlefield. Desir Arman.


    He directed his staff towards the ground, and theplicated spell array he had been calcting was revealed to the orcs and humans. The intricate matrices were painted on the world, the sky as their canvas. A super-massive spell array hung above them, and the clouds themselves began to flee for their lives.


    *Whoosh*


    A nauseating amount of mana began to surge through the battlefield. Those who were unfortunate enough to gaze up at the sky were dumbstruck, forced to continue looking upwards, like mindless zombies. It was as though their very souls had been captivated.


    The once noisy battleground, filled with the sound of weaponry shing, the screams of the defeated, and the howls of the victorious, had been reced by silence. The song of the morning birds was the only thing that remained. No one could find the strength to open their mouth, let alone swing their weapon, while witnessing the enormous spell above them.


    The silence, beautiful as it may be, was short lived. Desir had finished arranging his spell, and opened his mouth.


    [Binder of Earth]


    The supposed defensive magic lookedpletely different when Desir invoked it.


    As the spell was invoked, the ground shook and deep cracks began to appear. Within the center of the orc army, a tform several hundred meters in length began to rise. The orcs caught atop it were stuck, unable to do anything but crowd towards the center of the rising tform.


    ¡°W-What is this?!¡±


    ¡°I, I will kill you! Shhhhhk! I will surely take revenge!¡±


    Orcs cursed out loud. However, the sound of their voices did not reach Desir.


    The tform began to curl upwards towards the sun,pressing itself into a massive ball. Desir¡¯s face was emotionless, his actions devoid of hesitation.


    *CRACK*


    A horrifying sound echoed across the battlefield. Stone and flesh ground against each other. The entire battlefield was entrenched in the shadow cast by the nearly moon-sized weapon. [Gravity Control]


    Desir invoked another spell. The orcs standing where his staff was directed simultaneously began to kneel. They were all unable to remain standing under the sudden increase in gravity. *CRACK*


    The pull gravity continued to increase. The weaker orc were pulverized into the ground leaving behind nothing but a bloody stain. ¡°Sa-Save me! Shhhhk¡±


    ¡°Shhhk! Stop it! I¡¯ll die!¡±


    The orcs shouted in despair at the threat of death.


    But this was just the beginning.


    Desir smoothly lowered his staff towards the ground¡­


    The giant sphere began to fall from the sky.


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    *BOOM*


    They were crushed.


    The orcs crushed under such a heavy weight weren¡¯t even ttened; they were instantly killed. It happened so fast that most did not even have the chance to scream. The few that did¡­ Well, they didn¡¯t scream for long.


    From the epicenter of the meteor strike, the ground began to copse. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The aftershock of the crash forcibly grounded the Knights of Kelin, their legs unable to move, despite the collision happening a fair distance away from where they had evacuated.


    After a while, the shaking ceased allowing the witnesses enough leeway to look at what remained of the orc army. Maya, one of the Kelin Knights, muttered as she looked at the mushroom cloud of dust.


    ¡°This is impossible¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Her eyes were widened in fear, more than any sense of admiration.


    Even though they were allies, she could only feel fear towards the boy floating in the sky. She couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what the orcs were experiencing.


    The orcs no longer struggled. They all knelt down while looking up at the sky. ¡°Have mercy! Shhhk!¡±


    ¡°Soul of the great warriors, save us!¡±


    The surviving orcs cried out to Desir to spare them.


    Unfortunately for them, however, thepletion message for clearing the Shadow World had not yet appeared.


    [Howl of Magma]


    Geysers of hot air burst through the cracks in the partially copsed ground. *Whooosh*


    It was magma. Magma surged forth, soaring out into the air like a geyser.


    As Desir gestured with his staff, half of the hill burned red. The soaring magma began sweeping the ground like a tsunami.


    *Grrrrr*


    The screams of the orcs could no longer be heard over the hiss that filled the battlefield, the rapid cooling of the magma demanding the attention of everyone present, both alive and dead¡­ Between the screams, the magma, the shattered ground, and the begging for mercy, it was as if hell itself had been reborn.


    The orcs had lost. Even the absolute minimum number required to form an offensive against a modest army had been lost in this battle. Valhald Rakuntash had died, and the scattered orcs would never regroup.


    [-You have sessfullypleted the final quest, ¡®Extinction¡¯.] [-Rewards have been distributed.]


    * * *


    ¡°With this, you can predict the Shadow Worlds artificially created by Skull Mask.¡±


    As a man with light silver colored hair spoke while sipping tea, a woman¡¯s voice could be heard from themunication device.


    [-Thanks to you, we can cope with the Shadow Worlds more easily.]


    ¡°I''m happy to help. If you¡¯re able to prepare for the Shadow Worlds before they manifest, the damage dealt and the resources you need tomit will be significantly reduced. Doing so is important for Desir¡¯s n to seed.¡±


    The man had the appearance of a forty year old, but his eyes emanated an aura of profoundness and wisdom: an aura one could only umte after living for a century. The incongruity between his appearance and aura left a strange feeling within those that interacted with him.


    This man was the Seventh-Circle magician, and the Master of the Magic Tower, Zod Exarion. ¡°How is the war going, Prisci?¡±


    The person speaking to Zod via remotemunication magic was Prisci Haicilkite, the Saint of Artemis, and leader of the Artemis Church.


    Prisci replied with a firm tone.


    [-Bad. Even an optimist would struggle to say it¡¯s going well. We¡¯re doing all we can just to hold out.]


    ¡°As soon as our operation starts, the war will be over.¡± [-I hope so. I don¡¯t know how much longer we canst.]


    After ending the call, Zod sighed and turned his eyes to one side.


    In the direction of his gaze was a video showing the frontline of a battle.


    Zod was deep in thought after just seeing the army g the enemy waved. Emzoned on the g was a dragon.


    ¡®Divide¡¯s power is terrifying. Our worst predictions have proven to be true.¡¯


    Every country on the continent was locked in an unwavering war. Theirmon enemy: the Kingdom of Divide.


    It was impossible for a nation to wage war against the whole world. It was impossible even for the mighty Hebrion Empire. Yet Divide not only managed, but flourished. Even in response to a massive difference in military power, Divide had seized the upper hand time and time again. ¡®No, this isn¡¯t Divide, this is only because of Skull Mask.¡¯


    Skull Mask.


    One of the most heinous leaders of the criminal group known as the Outsiders. He had concealed himself while infiltrating numerous countries through mankind¡¯s history. He moved secretly while hiding his true purpose.


    It was no exaggeration to say that Divide¡¯s ability to stand up against the world was all due to him. In reality, this wasn¡¯t one country dering war on the world. This was one man.


    ¡®This situation would have been much easier to handle without the Shadow Worlds.¡¯


    Skull Mask had the power to artificially create Shadow Worlds. Some of the worlds created were even Level One and Two Shadow Worlds¡­ catastrophes the likes of which mankind had not seen for the longest of times.


    This power was more threatening than any strategic weapon. A Level One Shadow World had only appeared three other times in recorded history. Each time, the strongest country of that age was consumed by such a Shadow World.


    As if this situation wasn¡¯t hard enough, Skull Mask then made Divide mobilize its forces and began invading neighboring countries. The power of Divide¡¯s forces, bolstered by chimeras and homunculi, which had been created and subsequently perfected by Skull Mask, was simply overwhelming. The amount of time and resources he must have put into their research over the past century must have been colossal.


    Fortunately, the kingdoms were able to unite swiftly due to the recently formed alliance and previous battles against the Outsiders. Not only was their reaction fast, the chain ofmand was quickly established and well structured. Thanks to this stroke of good fortune, the damage caused by Divide¡¯s army was able to be minimized. It was a tremendous achievement considering a majority of each country¡¯s force had to bemitted to clearing Shadow Worlds.


    While these courses of action seemed natural, there was a single boy behind such an achievement. Without him, no matter how much experience they had gained through fighting the Outsiders, they would not have been able to achieve nearly as much this quickly.


    ¡®Even still, the situation is far from good¡­ ¡­ ¡¯


    All they could do was reduce the damage incurred. Things would only worsen as time progressed.


    Surprisingly, even when faced with such a situation, Zod did not appear desperate. His eyes glowed, checking for every move possible, despite his opponent being only one step away from checkmate.


    As Zod was arranging his thoughts, the door of his office opened and a boy strode inside. Zod spoke, seemily expecting the unannounced visit.


    ¡°Did you have any trouble clearing the Shadow World?¡±


    ¡°It was rather easy, I only needed to deal with the enemy troops. Their leader moved as I expected he would, so Pram was able to eliminate him first.¡±


    Zod chuckled to himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably the only human on the continent who can talk about a Level Two Shadow World like that.¡±


    Zod beamed at the boy, Desir Arman, with a proud expression. ¡®If you weren¡¯t here, we wouldn¡¯t be able to make it by today.¡¯


    As he thought about the situation they found themselves in, he once again reached the conclusion that, without Desir, the entire continent might have already fallen into the hands of Skull Mask.


    Desir could make reality what others dismissed as dreams.


    He had made great strides towards neutralizing the endless conflict between the nobles andmoners in the Hebrion Empire.


    He had normalized the rtionship between the Hebrion Empire and Western Kingdom Union, who had been hostile to each other for much of recorded history.


    He had also managed to form a joint-alliance with the Esteban Tribe of barbarians, protectors of the peace that had maintained their policy of istionism until now.


    They wouldn¡¯t have been able to deal with the numerous Shadow Worlds artificially created by Skull Mask if Desir had failed to achieve a single one of these milestones. And even now, the damage they would have taken at the start of the battle would have been significant if not for Desir¡¯s guidance.


    ¡°So, did you get what you aimed for?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Desir pulled an object out of the dimensional pocket in his Clothes Line, before showing it to Zod.


    It was a g featuring blue hydrangeas. A phrase was written on the handle of the g.


    [The Captain of the Knights of Kelin, Kuros Pawhinke, presents this g to the savior of my country, Desir Arman.]


    Desir helped the Knights of Kelin and received a g with a sentence as a token of friendship. Desir walked towards the wall where many such gs were on disy.


    ¡°This is the 250th.¡±


    The inscriptions and symbols on the numerous gs were all unique. Each one of them represented a group.


    [The 13-Star Magic Research Group]


    [Knights of the Wave]


    [Nevarta Mercenaries]


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    They were all armed forces which had considerable reputation across the continent, regardless of their country of origin.


    Desir helped them clear Shadow Worlds, and was promised their cooperation in turn.


    He didn¡¯t limit his activity to therger nations like the Hebrion Empire or Western Kingdom Union, but made rtionships with powerful groups all around the continent.


    Their strength united would be a devastating military alliance.


    A transnational military coalition had gathered under the name of Desir Arman. ¡®Now, we can address problems as they appear, anywhere on the continent.¡¯


    Zod, who knew Desir had been moving with such a purpose, admired the fact that Desir had actually managed to pull it off.


    But there was something that Zod didn¡¯t know.


    ¡®I only gathered those who showed skill in the Shadow Labyrinth and were able to make it more than five years. In a situation like this, power alone is useless; their adaptability will be their strength.¡¯


    The people Desir had gathered could be called the elite of humanity, those with the power and ability to survive the worst disaster man-kind would ever face.


    ¡®With this, preparation for the Shadow Labyrinth is nearingpletion.¡¯


    Even now, when the current rendition of humanity was facing their biggest crisis, Desir continued to look towards the future, a future that may have been much closer than he originally believed.


    ¡°So the troops are ready. Tower Master, how are the things I requested going?¡± This was another piece to Desir¡¯s n topletely knock down Skull Mask. ¡°It has beenpleted already. The flying gship is ready to set sail.¡±


    ¡°In that case, the stage has been set.¡±


    Thepletion of the secret n to reverse the current situation in the one go was almost upon them.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to gather thest actors, and start the y.¡±

 Chapter 246. Reunion (3)

    <h4>Chapter 246. Reunion (3)</h4>


    The field was frozen white due to all of the snow that had fallen overnight. With each step, the crisp sound of snow crunching resonated across the destendscape. Even though the fresh buds were supposed to be sprouting and this field should have been covered in flowers, all thaty before him was snow.


    ¡°Why is this wintersting so long?¡±


    Every time he breathed in deeply, the cold air scratched his lungs. ¡°A lot of garbage is falling from the sky again.¡±


    A girl looked at the white snow and called it trash. The trash had likely blown in from the storm that had appeared over the nearby town of Jabet¡­


    ¡®Back then, I would have been happy to see it snow¡­ ¡­ ¡¯


    Her eyes dimmed slightly as a forlorn expression took over her face.


    She recalled her days at the Hebrion Academy. She saw a garden with bright flowers instead of frozen fields. She was not alone, surrounded with people she trusted deeply. It was only six months ago, but the days she spent at the Hebrion Academy already felt so distant.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Let¡¯s get back to work.¡±


    Romantica shook her head as if to shake away her thoughts. The snow that settled on her head scattered from side to side.


    After walking for a while, she stopped and looked around. There was nobody to be seen in either direction.


    Romantica spread out her hand.


    At that moment, the movement of the air stopped. The snowkes pouring from the sky stopped. It was a strange sight that any onlooker could only describe as time being stopped. This was the result of her controlling the airflow in the area around her.


    [Summon Tornado]


    The moment Romantica invoked that spell, the air began to swirl around her.


    The snow, which had piled up several inches, began to stir. Within moments, Romantica was forcibly concealed under a white mantle.


    The violent air rushed to the top of the sky, and violently tore apart the clouds. The dark sky had cleared in a matter of seconds.


    ¡°Is this enough?¡±


    The snow, which seemed to cover the whole world, no longer fell.


    Weather control magic.


    Romantica had just changed the weather by controlling airflow with her magic. Changing the weather in one area wasn¡¯t an easy task, even for a Fifth-Circle magician. But she didn¡¯t look the least bit exerted after casting such a spell. Rather, she stretched her body as if it were stiff.


    She suddenly heard the sound of footsteps on the snow. Romantica¡¯s face hardened instantly. The source was close.


    *BANG*


    She fired apressed bullet of air in the direction of the footsteps. Within a second of hearing the footsteps, her spell had been calcted, arranged, and invoked. Even if she had let her guard down, no other magician on the continent would be able topete with her spellcasting speed after the specialized training she had undergone.


    Yet as the cloud of snow cleared, a solid wall of dirt, stone, and snow was revealed. ¡®Blocked?¡¯


    Romantica¡¯s sniping spell boasted tremendous speed, and it was not easy to defend against or evade.


    She subconsciously gulped and began to gather and concentrate mana in front of herself. ¡°You¡¯re good!¡±


    Someone jumped out from behind the earthen wall and spoke to Romantica. Romantica¡¯s eyebrows raised as she heard the rxed voice of the man.


    ¡°You¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    She approached the man.


    The man¡¯s figure became more and more clear as she stepped closer.


    Arched eyebrows.


    Slender ck hair blowing in the wind.


    A deep, dark eye that made it hard to read his thoughts.


    And lips that held a friendly smile, as they always did.


    It was a smile that Romantica knew oh so well, and had constantly missed since their parting. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Desir.¡±


    * * *


    Romantica¡¯s office was a cozy room that reflected her taste.


    Jabet was a city located on the border of Prillecha, not too far away from the capital city, Deltaheim. It was a military hub, and had a long history of war throughout Prillecha¡¯s history. As a result, it was a ce where many historic events had taken ce, so it was no surprise that there was a concentration of Shadow Worlds that appeared here.


    In order to serve Prillecha as best possible, Romantica had stationed herself within this city. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard the rumors, so I¡¯ll get right to it. Will you help me?¡±


    Desir knew better than anyone why Romantica had returned to her home country. Yet still, he urged her to leave her homnd without hesitation.


    ¡°Your n¡­ How long do you think it would take topletely destroy Skull Mask?One week.¡±


    Desir had an instant response with a definite answer to Romantica¡¯s question. ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°The Kingdom of Divide will be destroyed within a week.¡±


    Defeating Skull Mask was synonymous with defeating Divide due to how deeply entrenched he was there. The whole continent had united and been dealing with them for over half a year at this point. Even though they had been working together, they still found themselves being gradually pushed back by this single enemy.


    However, Desir was confident he would break Divide in a week. Even for someone as aplished as himself, such a im waspletely unbelievable.


    After hearing such words, however, Romantica didn¡¯t even ask any questions. Instead, she only smiled gently.


    ¡°Have you always been like this? Mm, never mind, don¡¯t answer that.¡±


    Memories of Hebrion Academy, memories of better times that they shared, dominated Romantica¡¯s mind.


    Desir used to regrly aplish what others deemed impossible. For thest half a year they had parted ways, he had traveled all over the continent and done great things.


    ¡°But my n needs you to have a chance at being sessful.¡±


    Romantica opened her eyes wide and blinked quietly. He always handled everything himself, so she didn¡¯t expect him to say something like that. After a long moment, she smiled.


    ¡°Haha, is that so?¡±


    She shook her head, attempting to hold back herugh, ultimately failing. The wardrobe opened, and the Clothes Line hanging up inside flew out. At the same time, the trunk bag stored under the bed leaped out. It seemed as if invisible hands were at work.


    Meanwhile, Romantica invokedmunication magic and spoke with the Lord of Jabet. ¡°As I mentioned before, I need to leave. I¡¯ll only be gone about a week.¡±


    [-You¡¯ve finally decided.]


    ¡°The mercenaries will stay here and help the Lords. It¡¯s a mercenary team that I prepared for when I needed to leave, so you don¡¯t need to worry even if I¡¯m not here.¡±


    She ended themunication spell. With everythingpleted, she was ready to leave. She rearranged the cor on her Clothes Line and spoke towards Desir, who sat in a daze. ¡°What are you waiting for? I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ You already finished all of your preparations?¡±


    ¡°Yup. I had a feeling you¡¯de asking eventually, so I¡¯ve been preparing all along. If anyone else had asked, I¡¯d probably refuse. Your ns have never failed, after all.¡±


    Desir smiled cheerfully at Romantica¡¯s words. ¡°Thank you for trusting me, Romantica.¡±


    Romantica had made up her mind and rejoined his party. He got up and walked out of the room. As he turned his back on her, Romantica¡¯s face which had been stered with a mischievous expression, faded away.


    ¡®You don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve prepared for this day, Desir.¡¯


    * * *


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, stronger than ever.¡±


    * * *


    Since they had parted half a year ago, Romantica had thrown herself fully into training. Desperately trying to get stronger, even if only by a little bit. She had experienced many things that weren¡¯t possible to experience in the sheltered academy, and became far stronger as a result. Her increase in battle experience at this stage in her life was more valuable than any increase in circle.


    ¡®¡­ ¡­ All of this so I could be someone you would need.¡¯


    As part of her inevitable decision to leave Prillecha, she had taken it upon herself to assemble a unit of skilled mercenaries out of Jabet. Romantica had reached out to the mercenaries, financing her ambition using the backing of the Eru Trading Conglomerate. In just a half year, she had amassed a considerable number of mercenaries of superior quality.


    Romantica¡¯s unit of mercenaries, which hade to be known as the Midas Mercenaries, were now making their mark on the continent.


    This was the result of Romantica¡¯s efforts to ovee her current situation, and at the same time, insurance in case she had to leave Prillecha.


    Romantica arranged her thoughts and caught up with Desir. ¡°So now that you¡¯ve got me, is your n ready to go?No, there is still one person left.¡±


    Desir spoke resolutely. ¡°Adjest Kingscrown.¡±


    * * *


    The most powerful nation of modern day, the Hebrion Empire. The Leonhardt Pce, where the Imperial Emperor was based, was said to be the heart of the Empire and the center of the continent.


    A white blonde haired girl was on her knees inside the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°The First Princess, Adjest Zedgar F Rogfs greets His Majesty, the Great Sun of the Empire.¡±


    Emperor of the Hebrion Empire, Guiltian Zedgar F Rogfs, sat on the throne and looked down at Adjest with a rather dry smile.


    With the help of Desir, Guiltian hadpletely eliminated the enemies within his country, the nobles itching to overthrow him, and wielded unparalleled power as a result. The Hebrion Empire already had the greatest power on the continent before this, but it was no exaggeration to say that there was no other kingdom able topete with him anymore.


    ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I know Desir Arman has made some requests of His Majesty.¡±


    As Adjest said, Desir had made a few requests of Guiltian the other day.


    But that was a conversation between the Emperor and his direct knight, a member of the Royal Guard. This was not something that could be overheard or leaked to others.


    However, Adjest clearly had knowledge of what had transpired.


    ¡°Both myself and the Spear of Longinus are essential to Desir¡¯s n. I would like to know why you are not authorizing his request.¡±


    It was hard to believe that it was a conversation someone was having with the Imperial Emperor, the person who wielded the greatest power and authority across the continent. The only one that would dare speak like this would be the First Princess, Adjest.


    ¡°Raise your head.¡±


    The moment Adjest lifted her head in response to Guiltian, she felt a tremendous aura wash over her.


    The force emanating from Guiltian proved that he was still in his prime. ¡°Why do you think I summoned you to the Imperial Pce?¡±


    ¡°To protect the legitimate sessor of the Imperial Family.Correct.¡±


    This was the reason why Adjest had suddenly cut all ties and returned to the Imperial Pce six months ago.


    ¡°For that same reason, Desir¡¯s request cannot be epted.That¡¯s a self-centered decision.¡±


    Despite Adjest rudeness, Guiltian didn¡¯t bat an eye.


    ¡°Only you would call it self-centered. This was a decision made for the Empire, and a decision made for its people. The only sessor to the throne cannot be allowed to throw themselves headfirst into danger.¡±


    ¡°Even if the Empire is destroyed by such a selfless decision? I have no intention of ruling over the ashes of a country.¡±

 Chapter 247. Reunion (4)

    <h4>Chapter 247. Reunion (4)</h4>


    Guiltian looked down at Adjest with a grimace. ¡°That was incredibly rude.¡±


    Facing Guiltian, Adjest felt overwhelming pressure from his aura. While her outwardposure didn¡¯t reveal it, internally she began to crumble slightly.


    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t step back down here. No, I _can¡¯t_ step down here.¡¯


    Adjest stood upright. She bit her lips and looked at Guiltian without avoiding his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty. However¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    A strange emotion began to appear in Adjest¡¯s normally impassive eyes. She stared at Guiltian with a gaze filled with mes of passion.


    ¡°For the sake of our Empire, Desir¡¯s n must be realized. And in order for that n toe true, the Spear of Longinus and my royal blood are required.¡±


    After rebelling openly against the Emperor, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for anyone else to be beheaded immediately. Even a First Princess would not be able to escape severe consequences for such an action.


    Despite knowing this, Adjest refused to step down.


    ¡°Are you saying that you will ignore my order and go anyway?¡­ In the end, if you don¡¯t permit me, I will do what I must.¡±


    It was a precarious atmosphere akin to one walking on thin ice. The slightest miss-step could cause it to shatter.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±


    Guiltian, who had been harshly staring at Adjest, burst into a heartyugh. Something was off; theughpletely broke the tense atmosphere.


    ¡°That boy is something else. You must believe in him too.¡±


    Adjest couldn¡¯t understand what had happened. Her face revealed her desire to ask what had happened.


    ¡°If you join, Desir¡¯s n will surely seed.¡±


    Guiltian got up from the throne and began pacing down the royal hall.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. From the beginning, I intended to ept Desir¡¯s request.What do you¡­ ¡±


    ¡°It was by mymand that Raphaello told you.¡± Adjest¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Before I epted, I wanted to know what you truly thought. Seeing that you came here within a day, and how strongly you fought just now, I can tell that you definitely want to join him.¡±


    Step by step, Guiltian finally stood in front of Adjest.


    ¡°I know your skills are excellent. But after what happened to Swan Katarina, I realized that I had taken this situation too lightly. So I summoned you to the Imperial Pce, to make sure you were safe.¡±


    Suddenly, Guiltian knelt down and reached eye level with Adjest.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t understand this father¡¯s heart, and continue to struggle. Heaven has bestowed you with talents so great that you have no choice but to go on the battlefield.¡±


    Adjest had prodigious talent in both magic and the sword, as well as significant talent as amander, having an uncanny knack for military strategy. It was no exaggeration to say that she had the best potential amongst the entirety of mankind.


    Furthermore, this talent had been refined by Desir. In the near future there was no doubt she would be the strongest human, past and present.


    Guiltian knew her talent better than anyone else.


    However, who could watch their own daughter throw themselves into life and death situations without making a fuss? Guiltian couldn¡¯t tolerate the thought of Adjest putting her life at risk on dangerous battlefields. Thus, he brought her back to the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°But now that I think about it¡­ I¡¯m d you grew up like this. I feel grateful to Desir for changing you in this manner.¡±


    Guiltian definitely knew the importance of Desir¡¯s n. Such a person like him couldn¡¯t be ignorant to such a fact. However, he contrived this situation to make the decision one that Adjest made, rather than one he forced onto her. She had to choose her own path.


    Having reached such a conclusion, he dismissed her.


    ¡°You can go, Adjest. Go and prove that your choice was right.¡±


    Adjest noticed the warmth that Guiltian showed through his actions, even if he was too prideful to express them directly.


    She bowed in gratitude.


    ¡°I will ept this Imperial order.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°We have almost arrived, Your Highness.¡±


    As Adjest looked out the window of the wagon at Raphaello¡¯s announcement, a citadel had begun to appear in the distance.


    There were just two upants of the wagon ttering along the road, Adjest and Raphaello. Though Adjest wasn¡¯t initially aware of it, Desir¡¯s request included not two, but three things: herself, the Spear of Longinus, and Raphaello Cheriger.


    The shield of the Royal Guard took in the scenery. As it was his duty to guard the Emperor, he didn¡¯t get to venture outside Leonhardt Pce often. Finally, his eyes rest on the citadel. ¡°Everyone is already gathered. We are thest to arrive.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Despite being still hundreds of miles away from the citadel, Raphaello could clearly sense who was inside. However, the demonstration of this amazing technique was nothing new to Adjest. Instead of being surprised, she began to think.


    ¡®Everyone is here.¡¯


    Adjest slowly recalled her parting words. At that moment, her heart shook. ¡®I¡¯m finally seeing you.¡¯


    To her, the past half year had been forever. As soon as she realized that she was about to meet them soon, her heart swelled with anticipation.


    ¡®But¡­ ¡­ ¡¯


    One problem remained with Adjest. It was a problem that couldn¡¯t be solved, no matter how much she agonized over it.


    ¡°You are nervous.¡±


    Raphaello stated matter of factly.


    ¡°Are you afraid that you¡¯re not going to be helpful to Desir?¡±


    Adjest, whose feelings were easily identified, turned to Raphaello in surprise. The moment their eyes met, Raphaello bowed his head lightly.


    ¡°Please forgive me for my rudeness.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sir Raphaello. What you said is indeed correct.¡±


    Adjest nervously kept touching the Center of Ice that she wore at her waist.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can be helpful to him. I¡¯m scared that I may end up holding him down.That will never happen.¡±


    Raphaello shook his head firmly.


    ¡°Be confident in yourself. You¡¯re a powerful magician, and you studied swordcraft with tutge from a member of the Royal Guard.¡±


    Jean Euremrin.


    The best swordsman of the Empire, someone acknowledged by the Emperor himself and given the position of sword amongst the Royal Guard.


    While Raphaello held the title of Sword Grand Master, a title only given to the greatest swordsman of their generation, Guiltian had recognized Jean as the greatest swordsman in the Empire. In terms of pure swordsmanship, Jean surpassed Raphaello.


    There was amon misconception that Jean was too old to carry the title of Sword Grand Master, and that Raphaello had gotten it by that luck. However, that was far from the case; Raphaello was certainly deserving of his title.


    ¡°I can only say that my sword is immature in front of him. You¡¯ve studied under the best swordsman of the continent.¡±


    Adjest nodded.


    During her half-year in the Imperial Pce, she was able to train in swordcraft under Jean Euremrin in her spare time. It was an opportunity that she only gained because he had returned home to deal with the sudden appearance of Shadow Worlds in the Hebrion Empire.


    *Rattle*


    The wagon shook once.


    ¡°No one else has ever managed to train under him. His sword skills are enigmatic, something only a genius amongst geniuses could conceive. But you managed. There will be few people on this continent who are able overpower the current you.¡±


    Adjest knew that his words weren¡¯t exaggerated or made in an attempt to tter her. Raphaello Cheriger was a man that never told lies.


    ¡°Thank you, Sir Raphaello.¡± "You¡¯re wee." Raphaello smiled at Adjest.


    ¡°Ah. I guess someone came out to meet Your Highness.¡±


    At the same time he finished speaking, the wagon reached the main gate of the citadel.


    The horseman out front of the carriage knocked on the window twice. It was the signal that they had arrived.


    The wagon¡¯s door opened and Adjest got out. Looking for the one Raphaello had mentioned, her gaze stopped on a figure.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Adjest.¡± She had found Desir.


    Adjest¡¯s head emptied. Her heart stopped. Obviously, she had thought about what to say upon encountering him all this time, but nothing came to mind.


    She continued to vacite between hesitation and something perfunctory. ¡°I missed you.¡±


    Desir spoke with a gentle smile.


    At that moment, Adjest realized that her worries had been meaningless.


    There was no need to worry. She had just heard what she had longed for, for what had felt like an eternity.


    ¡°I missed you too.¡±


    Adjest replied with a smile toward Desir.


    At that time, she heard the whining voice of Romantica as she approached. ¡°Really, why are you sote!?¡±


    Adjest was pleased to see that she had not changed at all since she hadst seen her half a year ago.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Adjest!It¡¯s been a long time, sister!¡±


    Pram and Fizzlebang followed behind Romantica. Subsequently, the members of the Starling Party gathered one after another.


    Adjest smiled.


    ¡°Nice to see you again, everyone.¡±


    It was the long awaited reunion after six months of separation. They talked about how they had been doing and spent some time catching up.


    However, time wasn¡¯t a luxury they could afford to waste.


    When Raphaello eventually emerged from the wagon after waiting for a while, the Starling Party members who saw his face were surprised.


    Raphaello, the Sword Grand Master of this generation, the strongest knight on the continent. Let alone the Hebrion Empire, nearly every citizen of every developed nation knew his name. He was especially popr amongst the budding students at Hebrion Academy, as a result of their close proximity to the capital. It was impossible to find someone that had not heard of him.


    ¡°The Emperor let Raphaello mobilize as well?Yes, Desir called him.¡±


    Since Pram became a leader of the Side Guard, he had a lot of chances to talk with Raphaello. Rather than be surprised to see him, as everyone else was, he was shocked that Raphaello had been allowed to leave His Majesty¡¯s side.


    Raphaello, who just got out of the wagon, approached Desir.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Desir. It¡¯s been two months since west cleared that Shadow World in Dresden.¡±


    They shook hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Sir Raphaello. Again, I hope you can show off your ability to your heart¡¯s content.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do our best. I want you to tell me your n in more detail.¡±


    ¡°Good timing, then. Since everyone is gathered, I was nning on going over the operation. Let¡¯s head inside, shall we?¡±


    Desir took the lead and headed for the citadel while guiding Adjest and Raphaello. ¡®All of the actors are gathered now.¡¯


    In the citadel were the people hand-selected by Desir. This group wasplete now with the arrival of Adjest and Raphaello.


    Desir smiled while taking in the sight of all the people gathered. There were very few other people he trusted that were not present. These were the strongest people on the continent, maybe not now, but definitely the strongest several years from now in the Shadow Labyrinth. They were hisrades in arms, his friends¡­ even if they didn¡¯t know it yet.

 Chapter 248. Reunion (5)

    <h4>Chapter 248. Reunion (5)</h4>


    The inside of the citadel was chaotic. This was no surprise though, since so many people were packed into one ce.


    Desir stopped for a moment, taking in the sight of this hive of activity. The first thing that came to his mind was the bitter-sweetness of once again being surrounded by the colleagues he had spent so long with in the Shadow Labyrinth in his previous life.


    The Great Sage, Zod Exarion.


    The Saint of Artemis, Prisci Haicilkite


    The Lord of the North, Donape An


    The Sword Grand Master, Raphaello Cheriger.


    And Adjest Kingscrown.


    These five in particr held a special ce in his heart. Some emotion he had not experienced, even in his previous life, began to stir. These were the five people who he joined forces with to y Bhromier Napolitan, the Dragon of Destruction, the five people who he had aided in battle time and again, and the five people who he nearly cleared the Shadow Labyrinth with.


    They weren¡¯t the only people present though.


    Desir had kept note of the truly elite amongst the groups he had assisted over the past half a year. He even gathered students from the Hebrion Academy that had both potential and the willpower to undergo his notorious training regime.


    ¡®This is the strongest union of mankind.¡¯


    ording to the original timeline, it was only towards the end of the Shadow Labyrinth that they achieved this kind of union of power. Mankind was unable to join forces despite facing the worst disaster in the world. The Hebrion Empire and the Western Kingdom Union continued to antagonize each other to the bitter end, and the barbarians of the north were unwilling to interact with other countries. It was a union of necessity that formed only after realizing just how much they all stood to lose. Ultimately though, this action was pointless; they had gathered far toote.


    But now, the situation was different.


    The day they united and gathered wasn¡¯t toote. They still had enough time to thwart the n of Skull Mask.


    Desir started talking while feeling something growing in his mind.


    ¡°It is not an exaggeration to say that the thousands of years of human history is synonymous with blood and war.¡±


    The conversation in the room slowly faded, and it was soon silent enough that a pin drop could be heard.


    ¡°The nationalities of the people here vary greatly. Not long ago, your country may have been at war with the country of the person you are sitting next to.¡±


    It was silent enough that the people gathered could hear each other breathing.


    ¡°But at this moment in history, we have gathered here leaving behind our hatred, even if only for a moment.¡±


    Desir looked around, making sure to match the eyes of each and every person. ¡°It is my honor to be in this position. I¡¯ll start the final briefing.¡±


    Desir brought out a wand from his dimensional pocket and tapped it on the table. At that moment, a small wave flowed from the tip of the stick, and a three dimensional map of the continent appeared, affording everyone seated at therge round table the ability to view it.


    Blue dots were marked across the map. These were the battle lines adjacent to the Kingdom of Divide.


    ¡°Our current standing in the war with Divide is far from favorable. Divide¡¯s forces, thanks to their use of chimera and homunculi, are extremely powerful. We¡¯re barely holding as it is.¡± This situation was not a shock to anyone gathered. This was something they were all too aware of.


    ¡°The reason for this, as everyone knows, is because of Divide¡¯s weaponization of Shadow Worlds. Before theyunched their invasion, the Kingdom of Divide used unknown technology to summon a plethora of high-tier Shadow Worlds throughout the continent, forcing every nation to split their army between clearing them and battling their invasion. Each and every time we enter battle, our armies are forced into unfavorable situations and we sustain enormous losses as a result.¡±


    The map flickered, switching from a continental level to a focused map of the Kingdom of Divide. Of note, there were forty-seven towers marked across the territory.


    ¡°In order to break this cycle, we must prevent Divide from creating any more Shadow Worlds. To do so, we need to capture these towers constructed within Divide, which are the cause of these Shadow Worlds.¡±


    Subsequently, red dots on the map began to sh everywhere. These were the locations of the Shadow Worlds that Skull Mask would create within a couple of days.


    ¡°But our technology has advanced. We can predict the urrence of Divide¡¯s artificial Shadow Worlds, which means that we can now respond to the Shadow Worlds with optimal distribution of forces. Something we could not do previously.¡±


    Unlike the Shadow Worlds created naturally, the artificial Shadow Worlds created by the Skull Mask would appear at unpredictable locations and at unpredictable times. Because of this, each country was forced to hold back a sizable portion of their fighting force in case a difficult Shadow World appeared. As a result, the Allied Forces were in a situation where a substantial portion of their entire army was tied up in vain. However, this situation had been solved by a product Zod had developed.


    ¡°A minimum of 150,000 soldiers will be freed by this to join the front lines. With these reinforcements, we¡¯ll be able tounch counter-attacks, rather than sit and wait for Divide to whittle us down.¡±


    ¡°The 150,000 troops are certainly not negligible. But¡­ ¡±


    A very thick and dignified voice rang out. A burly man, d in thick armor with fur shoulder pads, voiced his thoughts, his gaze glued to the map before him.


    ¡°But the difference in power between Divide and our forces is massive. I don¡¯t think that we can overturn the situation with just those reinforcements. In the end, what we need to do is take out those towers, but we still won¡¯t have enough power to push that far into Divide. Every nation would need to drain their Shadow World forces to the minimum just for us to stand a chance, and what good would that do if their country is lost anyway?¡±


    Donape¡¯s point was enough to win the agreement of many. Desir nodded. It was a reasonable point after all.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if 150,000 soldiers are mobilized, their power is a little bit inferior to Divide¡¯s. As long as the reserves exist to clear the Shadow Worlds, we can certainly squeeze out a bit more fighting force. However, if we want to push through, then our Allied Forces will need to¡­ ¡±


    Desir smiled and bounced his finger. The chess pieces on the table, meant to symbolize the current position of their armies, began to move. Silence overtook the meeting room as everyone focused on their movement. Everyone understood what Desir had in mind. ¡°¡­ give up our encirclement.¡±


    The Allied Forces were currently encircling Divide.


    An encirclement at this size involves surrounding your opponent and forcing them to engage you on multiple fronts at once. It was an effective way to contain an enemy, forcing them to spread their power over a wider area. If any one area was too weak, they would instantly be pincered and copse. In this scenario, it also had the additional benefit of ensuring the Allied Forces would be able to maintainmunication over the wide area. So long as the encirclement was never broken, theirmunication technology would be safe, protected behind their defensive line.


    This was the most reasonable strategy for the Allied Forces, given that the entire continent was having to defend itself against a single kingdom.


    To give up on this strategy meant one thing:


    Rather than attempt to slow Divide on all other battlefields, they would pour their entire force into one final confrontation. The map flickered back to a view of the full battlefield.


    ¡°By maintaining the northern and southern fronts with minimal troops, we can focus all of our strength on the eastern battle line. Between the troops we move from there and the 150,000 reinforcements, we should be able to break through the eastern battle line.¡±


    Desir had ced all of the chess pieces, regardless of their ss and size, in one ce: a key strategic point, a narrow pass that sat on the border point between Divide, Hebrion, and Lemton.


    Donape spoke up, his voice clearly betraying how nervous he was.


    ¡°This is a big gamble. It isn¡¯t a good idea to gamble when you are in a poor situation.You are definitely right, Donape. We have our backs pushed against the wall. But-¡± Desir spoke confidently, staring straight into his eyes.


    ¡°Because we are being pushed, this is the only way we have a chance of winning. Despite having a poor advantage, if we ever had one at all, we divided our forces and pressured Divide equally from all sides. That was all we did. At the start of the war, with the information we had, it was a smart move. However, it quickly became apparent that none of our battle lines are able to match Divide¡¯s power, not with their chimeras and homunculi. We divided our troops, and we haven¡¯t gotten a single victory since. This strategy never stood a chance against superior forces.¡±


    This was a make or break situation.


    If they seeded in breaking through the battle line like this, they could likely take down a tower or two. Just tearing down a single tower would give the Allied Forces some much needed breathing room; slowing or preventing the creation of Shadow Worlds would free up more reserve forces, which would in turn help them push and take out more towers.


    ¡°Skull Mask is smart. He¡¯ll realize this is our n.¡± This was the turning point.


    Desir looked down at the map.


    He looked like an angler staring at the surface of the water with a fishing rod.


    ¡°Skull Mask will look east. He¡¯ll realize our target, and stop us by using whatever means he can mobilize. It¡¯ll break out into total war. The King of Divide will lead all the troops in his country and head to the east battle line to counter.¡±


    Desir¡¯s eyes turned to the Saint.


    Prisci Haicilkite.


    She possessed an ability, Miracle of God, which would allow her to quickly heal any wounds. It had proven critical in the Shadow Labyrinth, and would do so again here.


    ¡°The east battle line where the main forces of Divide will be deployed. So instead, from here¡­ ¡±


    Desir Arman pointed his wand at the map once again, moving it to the lower left of the map. West of Divide.


    The map was painted blue.


    The sea.


    ¡°We counterattack. All of you gathered here will attack the unprepared west of Divide and destroy all of the towers.¡±


    This was Desir¡¯s ultimate n.


    ¡°This n allows us to have the maximum effect with the least number of troops. You all will form the very core of this n. You are the greatest mankind has to offer. That makes you the greatest spearhead for this mission.¡±


    Desir spoke in a firm and confident tone.


    ¡°The key to this operation is swiftness and stealth. The Master of the Magic Tower and I have prepared a great deal for this. We¡¯ve constructed a modernized airship, built specifically for this operation, to allow us to stealthily infiltrate Divide.¡±


    On the hologram, the shape of a huge flying ship appeared. Quite a few people in the room let out gasps of amazement, one or two even pped.


    Zod Exarion lightly shrugged his shoulders as if it were nothing. It was easy to forget, he wasn¡¯t just the best practitioner of magic, he was also the best inventor too. There was a reason why he earned the position of Master of the Magic Tower.


    ¡°The Pdins of Artemis and the Saint herself will assist during our operations. Her healing powers will ensure our survival.¡±


    Desir Arman¡¯s eyes turned to the Saint. The Saint smiled as her eyes met his.


    ¡°At the same time, the great warriors of the north will take the lead. These great hunters of the north will y the game known as Divide.¡±


    Desir¡¯s eyes turned to the big guy in the room. He was the king of the great hunters of the north, the Lord of the North. Donape nodded, after listening to Desir¡¯s n.


    ¡°The shield of the Empire will protect all of you. No attack will harm you.¡±


    The man with a nice blonde head of hairughed bashfully. He was of course, Raphaello Cheriger, the captain of the Royal Guard as well as the one who had earned the title of Sword Grand Master. There was no stronger swordsman on this continent.


    ¡°We¡¯ve assembled many talented people here, from across the entire continent. I know you¡¯ll all fight bravely.¡±


    Adjest Kingscrown.


    The greatest magical swordsman across the entirety of mankind. A woman who would one day reach the pinnacle of swordcraft and magic.


    ¡°And I will do my best to support you.¡±


    And finally, Desir Arman, the preeminent anti-magician of mankind.


    ¡°We must attack the towers scattered all over the ce in the shortest window possible. Therefore, we should mobilize as follows. First¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Desir couldn¡¯t help getting wrapped up in his own thoughts, as he dished out order after order.


    ¡®In front of amon enemy, humanity has united more firmly than ever before.¡¯ There were no divided nations, just one army.


    ¡®Our technology has advanced to where it needs to be, and we have aplete strategy.¡¯ Desir bowed his head.


    ¡®Well, we can¡¯t afford to let our guard down yet.¡¯

 Chapter 249. Reunion (6)

    <h4>Chapter 249. Reunion (6)</h4>


    Tens of thousands of flyers fell from onto Pittsburgh, the City of Dragons.


    Brepon, the head of Janissaries and now officially leader of the Flying Dragon Division, sat in themand room and stared out at the fluttering flyers.


    The secret weapon made under the direction of His Majesty, Clora Ars F. Baldershu, had paved the way to victory for Divide. This war would end soon, and the oue was already apparent.


    ¡®A secret weapon.¡¯


    Brepon smiled with a hint of self-mockery.


    The propaganda phrase in itself wasn¡¯t wrong. If one ignored the fact that the secret weapons were chimeras, a taboo topic, and homunculi, the ultimate weapon of the Outsiders, the people would rejoice in knowing how powerful their kingdom had be. There was also the fact that Divide was responsible for the Shadow Worlds guing the continent at a level beyond anything seen before. Divide had unleashed the worst catastrophe of mankind.


    When Brepon looked up at the sky, he noticed flyers that were different from the previous one pouring down.


    Over thest half a year, Divide¡¯s local media had been focused on discussing the duplicity of the other nations in the Western Kingdom Union, and gnashing their teeth at the wickedness of the Hebrion Empire. They spoke about how they had repelled the evil Allied Forces who had willingly allowed the persecution of other countries, driven solely by their greed.


    ¡®There is something wrong with this.¡¯


    Divide¡¯s Royal Family limited the flow of information to their people. It was no surprise that Divide¡¯s citizens epted these false narratives. They had nothing else topare it to. This was no different from taking away their ability to reason, instead uniting them in their hatred against a fictitious enemy.


    ¡®Something has been wrong from the moment Captain Aaron was executed.¡¯


    While Brepon was in deep contemtion, a soldier entered and informed him that the King of Divide, Clora Ars F. Baldershu, wasing.


    Brepon and the other officers jumped to attention.


    Shortly thereafter, Pierrot Mask, assuming the appearance of Clora Ars F. Baldershu, entered themand room. As he strode in, he took in the sight of Brepon before talking.


    ¡°I came to see the situation for myself.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, you are the leader of the army. You are always wee here.Thanks.¡±


    Leaving it at that, Pierrot Mask walked towards a huge mirror that hung in the middle of themand room.


    It was The Mirror That Holds Shadows


    It was thanks to this S-Tier artifact that the Outsiders had managed to disappear, yet still continued operating in secrecy from the shadows.


    The artifact was able to gather information about any event urring on the continent. No single artifact coulde close to the range, detail, and speed at which The Mirror That Holds Shadows could gather information.


    ¡®Thanks to this artifact, we were able to figure out that the Allied Forces are gathering in one ce.¡¯


    Brepon, who was unaware that this was an Outsider artifact, only had a small degree of concern at the sudden appearance of such a powerful tool. After all, he had never heard of such an artifact as this existing in the Royal Family. Of course that was all the thought he gave to the matter. Right now, this artifact was invaluable to his operation, and he was far more thankful than he was curious. Without it, they might have been pushed back by this sudden attack from the Allied Forces.


    Divide was in the fortunate position of knowing the movement of the Allied Forces through this artifact, and hastened to rearrange their own forces to match them.


    They would be able to defeat the Allied Forces once and for all if the reinforcements joined this front line.


    This wasn¡¯t the only information they had found in the Shadow Mirror. ¡°Have they shown up yet?¡±


    Brepon quickly noticed what Pierrot Mask intended and replied. ¡°We¡¯ll be on the lookout, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time for them toe here.¡±


    * * *


    Conference in Republic of Arunbeth.


    Elites from all countries invade from the west coast of Divide using a flying ship¡­


    * * *


    Divide had already discovered Desir¡¯s n. They would respond ordingly. While strengthening their defense to prevent the Allied Forces pushing through the Eastern border, magicians were deployed to intercept the flying ship in the locations where it was most likely to enter from.


    This could be said to be Desir¡¯s mistake in failing to notice the existence of such an artifact as the Shadow Mirror.


    ¡°I was wondering what kind of face will he make when hisst ditch attempt is thwarted.¡±


    Pierrot Mask¡¯s lips curled up into a slight smile.


    Divide¡¯s victory was as clear as day. All of their opponent¡¯s ns had been revealed and countered.


    If the Allied Forces¡¯ attacks failed and even their surprise attack via flying ship failed, the war would end with theplete victory of Divide.


    All of the officers in themand room agreed. The atmosphere within the room began to liven up as the officers began to grow excited, the possibility of winning a war on the rest of the world well within their grasp.


    ¡°C-Commander!¡±


    It was amunications officer who disrupted the atmosphere and opened themand room door in a hurry. His face was pale.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Brepon felt unease gnaw at his gut.


    With the eyes of everyone in themand room concentrated on him, themunication officer opened his mouth.


    ¡°One of the towers generating Shadow Worlds has copsed.WHAT!¡±


    Brepon was snapped out of his good mood. The atmosphere in themand room froze over instantly.


    ¡°The magic observation team detected a very powerful mana wave. The location of urrence was Tower 2. Someone must have broken the tower with powerful magic.¡±


    ¡°It must be the Allied Forces!¡±


    Tower 2 was located along the route the flying ship was predicted to take. It was evident that their Special Forces Unit had moved as expected.


    ¡°But there was no report from the unit monitoring that route¡­ ¡±


    Magicians had been ced all along that route. They were ordered to intercept the flying ship and report sight of the enemy tomand immediately.


    However, the fact that there was no report yet meant that they hadn¡¯t found anything. Brepon tried to figure out the situation.


    ¡°It¡¯s a giant flying ship! How could they have not noticed it?!¡±


    Although the ship was likely quick, its engine had to have a magical reactor to use mana stones as fuel, which is extremely loud.


    They couldn¡¯t understand how the Allied Forces had passed through there, even though they had known their route beforehand and watched it carefully.


    ¡®Did they use another method instead of a flying ship?¡¯


    The more they mulled over this, the more they suspected that the artifact¡¯s information was false. If it was correct, then something had just urred that defied allmon sense.


    ¡°Did you find where the enemy is now?¡±


    Brepon decided to solve the situation right away rather than worry about what he could not understand.


    But a desperate answer came to his question.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ They said they still can¡¯t figure out where the enemy is.Damn it¡­ ¡±


    Brepon barely held back additional, more vulgar, profanities. It was clear that an enemy existed, but they could not find them. What kind of ghosts were they?


    ¡®How did they enter and where did they disappear to?¡¯


    Brepon wasn¡¯t the only one wearing an extremely troubled and confused look. Clora Baldershu, rather, Pierrot Mask, was bamboozled as well.


    ¡°Why did they go for Tower 2, of all the towers¡­ ¡±


    Pierrot Mask checked the number of the tower which had been destroyed over and over again. However, no matter how much he tried to deny reality, nothing changed.


    He murmured with a rather anxious look. ¡°Was it a simple coincidence¡­ or¡­ ¡±


    The voice of Pierrot Mask was drowned out amongst the chaos spread by the military officers.


    * * *


    ¡°Your magic has reached an amazing level.¡± A flying ship.


    Someone approached Desir, who had busied himself looking out the window. The body approaching him was big enough to cast a shadow that covered Desir entirely.


    Desir recognized the enormous body and bowed his head. ¡°Thank you for thepliment. Lord of the North.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just ttery. A magician of your level would be hard to find anywhere on the continent.¡±


    Donape was heaping praise on Desir after witnessing his spell that had just destroyed the tower in one shot.


    The towers they were targeting all over Divide were made of nk?um, so destroying them was a feat almost impossible. However, Desir had managed to pull it off.


    ¡°A spell like that is much stronger than anything I¡¯ve seen before.¡±


    Donape spoke while remembering the Desir who he had encountered in hisnd in what felt like just the other day.


    ¡°But today I can¡¯t help butplement this ship.¡±


    Donape looked out of the window, captivated by what he was witnessing. ¡°A ship this huge, capable of flight? I never thought I¡¯d see the day.¡±


    The ship they were riding on was too big to be called a flying ship. It was better to call it a flying aircraft carrier.


    ¡°It¡¯s truly a marvelous technology.¡±


    A voice butted into their conversation. It was Saint Prisci.


    ¡°Who could have thought that a flying ship would one day move faster than trains, while also maintaining its stealth?¡±


    The celestial gship Valkyrie was a flying vehicle made using the pinnacle of technology avable to the Magic Tower, its top speed just passing 190 knots¡­


    In addition, through the stealth technology that had been created based on the Blue Rose that Desir gave to Romantica, it was impossible to observe with the human eye and ear. It was also able to evade detection magic, albeit for brief periods of time.


    Looking down at the ground whizzing past them, they noticed the soldiers of Divide marching past, without even realizing that a huge flying ship was passing over them.


    There would be no better demonstration of just how excellent the Valkyrie¡¯s stealth ability was.


    ¡°You¡¯ve really outdone yourself with this one, Desir.¡±


    ¡°I just helped out on the side. Regardless of whether it¡¯s the past or future, only the Master of the Magic Tower is capable of making something like this.¡±


    Desirughed, thinking about what had happened in the past half year.


    The celestial gship, Valkyrie, had been the ultimate goal that Zod Exarion had wanted to reach as an engineer.


    In Desir¡¯s previous life, Zod oftenmented over the fact that he couldn¡¯t spend his life satisfactorily as an engineer. When the Shadow Labyrinth arose, he was forced to discard his position of Tower Master and bear his title as the lone Seventh-Circle magician.


    Desir recalled these scenes of frustration as clearly as if they had happened yesterday. Most often, Zod would rant while they yed chess.


    Armed with only the general idea of the design, Desir fed what he recalled to Zod, and Zod used this to design and build the Valkyrie during the past half year.


    The construction of the Valkyrie was something that the Zod of the past had dismissed as impossible, something he would never be able toplete in his life. Now, Zod had unknowingly fulfilled his past life¡¯s ambition,pleting a one-of-a-kind vessel without issue. Thanks to the dedication of the Zod that Desir got to know in the Shadow Labyrinth, they were able to infiltrate the Divide of today without interruption, making a joke out of their efforts to stop them.

 Chapter 250. Reunion (7)

    <h4>Chapter 250. Reunion (7)</h4>


    Even though Desir had seeded in infiltrating Divide, he fell into deep contemtion over what they had been greeted with.


    ¡®Why are there so many soldiers stationed along the path we are travelling?¡¯


    He had expected the security of this route to bex due to the looming full-scale attack from the Allied Forces, however, contrary to this belief, Divide had prepared thoroughly as if they had some reason to expect their attack.


    Not only did they have troops along the path of the flying ship, but they had also mobilized anti-aircraft magicians, all searching the skies looking for a flying ship.


    If the Valkyrie hadn¡¯t had a stealth mode, his n would have been in shambles. ¡®They know our movements.¡¯


    Desir quickly worked out the possibilities:


    First, a spy.


    A spy was extraordinarily unlikely; Desir practically dismissed it immediately. Everyone who was a part of the operation had been kept in the dark until the veryst briefing, so it was impossible for any information to have leaked before then.


    He hadpleted a thorough inspection of everyone¡¯smunication devices during the Valkyrie¡¯s boarding process. In doing so, he had confirmed that no one present was in contact with anyone in Divide or worthy of suspicion. There was no way for them tomunicate with Divide, unless¡­!


    ¡®¡­ ¡­ Is this the work of an artifact?¡¯


    Skull Mask had a number of artifacts with power beyond reason. Even if no one used an artifact tomunicate with Divide, Desir thought that there might be artifacts that could be used to track the opponent¡¯s movements.


    This was the most likely inference.


    Whether there was an artifact or not, it was clear that the Valkyrie¡¯s movements had been exposed. It was the only conclusion.


    Desir turned around and spoke to Prisci and Donape.


    ¡°It¡¯s been smooth sailing so far, but from now on, it won¡¯t be this easy.¡± Prisci got nervous.


    ¡°You mean¡­ we¡¯re starting now¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time to move on to the second phase of the n. Everyone must go out onto the field, so please prepare.¡±


    So far, they were able to avoid all contact with their enemies due to the stealth system, but that function would only remain operational for so long. After it was disabled, they would have no choice but to engage in an all-out battle behind enemy lines.


    Their goal, behind enemy lines, was to quickly destroy the towers responsible for the creation of Shadow Worlds while the full-scale attacks of the Allied Forces limited Divide¡¯s movement. To aplish that, Desir reasoned it would be best to split up the troops and destroy the towers individually.


    However, the total number of towers built in Divide was forty-seven.


    Since one of them had just been destroyed, there were still forty-six towers left. They didn¡¯t have enough time to destroy forty-six towers one by one. They were in a desperate situation already, and would soon lose the safety of travelling via stealth mode. However, Desir didn¡¯t look too depressed.


    ¡°I will leave the remaining three to you.¡±


    ¡°So long as we break just four of them, they¡¯ll lose the ability to create further Shadow


    Worlds. Really, this operation would have been impossible if we hadn¡¯t learned that.Without him, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to execute this operation.¡±


    Desir¡¯s party was able to know where the towers had been constructed in Divide thanks to the information they obtained from someone.


    Firstly, the forty-seven towers installed inside Divide relied on a central source of power. If that source was broken, it was possible to stop the creation of all artificial Shadow Worlds without destroying all of the towers. This meant they could end everything by just destroying that.


    Secondly, that power source was hidden within a Shadow World. Through some means or another, Skull Mask had hidden the power source within a Shadow Word concealed in Pittsburgh. In order to destroy the power source, that Shadow World would have to be cleared. Thirdly, four of the forty-seven towers yed a critical role in maintaining the Shadow Worlds while the power source was active. These four did not create Shadow Worlds on the continent, but they were instead responsible for making a Shadow World within Divide. This Shadow World was the one that concealed the power source, making the four towers serve as a barrier of sorts¡­


    ¡®I¡¯m d one of them was nearby.¡¯


    Tower 2, which Desir had destroyed just a few minutes ago, was one of those four towers. Without this valuable information, they would have been forced to operate ineffectively and destroyed all of the towers one-by-one.


    ¡®Now there are just three towers left.¡¯


    In order to quickly clear the situation, it was necessary to attack these three towers at the same time.


    Desir chose Donape, Prisci, and Zod for this task. Each would destroy a single tower. Donape An and the northern warriors would destroy the tower in the northwest of Pittsburgh, Prisci Haicilkite would lead the Holy Pdins to the tower in the south, and Zod Exarion would destroy the tower in the east with the magicians of the Magic Tower. Meanwhile, the main unit led by Desir would head to Pittsburgh and destroy the tower that held the power source. This was the order of attack, and Desir carried thergest responsibility in ending it all.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to move. I¡¯ll go first.¡± Donapeughed cheerfully.


    ¡°Desir Arman, I¡¯ll dere this in advance. I¡¯m going to keep up with your performance this time.¡±


    ¡°I hope you will not get hurt in this war.I will try my best.¡±


    Following Donape, Prisci left while wishing Desir luck.


    Desir. who was left alone, stared at his finger with aplicated nce. A blue ring shone in the light.


    S-Tier artifact, Memorize.


    A supreme artifact that stored five spells and allowed the user to instantly cast them like normal spells, but without a mana cost or cast time.


    It was an artifact that Crow Mask, Icarus Quirgo had owned. At least, he owned it after stealing it from the Hebrion Empire.


    Looking at the brilliant blue light, Desir remembered the day when he obtained this information, five months ago.


    * * *


    The basement of the Magic Tower.


    Within a ce that used to be the research space for restraining and studying homunculi, there now was a man bound up in chains. He was held in the exact ce the homunculus had been. Equipment had been ced all around the man, various wires and devices attached to the man. Their purpose was to endlessly absorb the target¡¯s mana.


    Icarus Quirgo.


    A person who was once known as the Revolutionary, a criminal who carried out numerous incidents of terrorism across the continent while wearing a crow mask as an executive member of the Outsiders.


    Icarus, the second Seventh-Circle magician of the present era, was stuck in a kneeling position. He looked utterly powerless.


    Desir looked down at him, his face stuck in a very cold expression. ¡°¡­ ¡­ What do you want?¡±


    It was Icarus who opened his mouth first, sneering. ¡°Execution.¡±


    Desir was too calm to condemn him to an easy death.


    However, Icarus didn¡¯t look at all agitated, as if this was something he had already expected. He was all too aware that what he had done was something that could never be forgiven.


    ¡°If that¡¯s so, then kill me now¡­ Come on. Why aren¡¯t you killing me yet?I need you to tell me everything you know before you die.¡±


    Icarus¡¯s mouth twisted at this statement. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll give you anything?¡±


    ¡°If you really believed in making the world an equal ce, if you truly believed in your conviction, then yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    In front of a confused Icarus, Desir pulled up something on hismunication pad and showed it to him. On themunication pad, there was a map covered in blue dots. It disyed the locations of the Shadow Worlds that had appeared all over the continent and the cities that had failed in clearing them, cities that had fallen to the erosion.


    Icarus, who had been looking at the map for a while, inferred information from this map, even though Desir hadn¡¯t said a word.


    ¡°Were the towers built around Divide to create Shadow Worlds?Exactly.¡±


    Icarus had previously tried to find Skull Mask¡¯s n but ended up deeply involved in the construction of the towers, so he simply put two and two together and drew an answer.


    ¡°If this keeps up, humanity will be destroyed by Skull Mask. It is impossible to realize your ideals if we don¡¯t survive. And to do that, I need more information.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Icarus silently read the information drawn on themunication pad. The movement of each country was also closely disyed on the pad. He looked at these movements before speaking in a tone that indicated that things had happened outside of his expectation.


    ¡°All of the countries on the continent have united for a single purpose.¡± Powerful countries and weak countries.


    Northern people and continental people.


    Enemies and allies.


    When a catastrophe that threatened the entire continent struck, humanity united as one, temporarily throwing away everything that stood between them.


    Through the sight, for just an instant, Icarus was able to glimpse the realization of some of the ideals he had pursued at great cost and with little sess.


    The unity of nobility andmoners.


    A utopia where everyone could be happy without discrimination. ¡®¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s clear who was right.¡¯


    It felt like the darkness intensified between the two. Two sets of eyes (sort of), as dark and as deep as the abyss, reflected off each other like mirrors. The silence stretched out towards what felt like an eternity.


    Icarus, looked down at the map once more, before raising his head. ¡°¡­ ¡­ I have one piece of information that might help you.¡±


    After a while, he finally spoke.


    ¡°When the Outsiders swallowed Divide, I took care of all of Divide¡¯s internal affairs. The towers built in Divide were done so through my hands. When Skull Mask established these towers, I searched them to try and glean what their purpose was, or how they functioned. I was able to learn one thing.¡±


    While Icarus and Skull Mask cooperated with each other, they were still suspicious of each other, refusing to ce their full trust in one another. In the end, the rtionship of the Outsiders was one built on the selfishness of people working towards something simr.


    ¡°The towers built in Divide don¡¯t have their own power sources. Instead, there is a facility within the Pittsburgh Pce that powers all of the towers. I called it the ¡®power source¡¯.¡± At that moment, Desir remembered something and his face hardened.


    Icarus asked when he saw it. ¡°Aha. I see you¡¯re familiar with it?¡±


    When Desir was passing through the barriers of the Royal Pce in the middle of the operation to rescue Swan Katarina, he felt a massive flow of mana under the pce.


    Even though he could only detect a small amount of it, the energy that mana possessed was quite vast.


    When Desir recounted those memories, Icarus nodded.


    ¡°What you felt would be the power source. The other towers will stop working if you break it. But to do so is almost impossible.¡±


    Icarus asked Desir to disy a map on hismunication pad and pointed out four towers. ¡°These four towers were constructed slightly differently from the rest of them. I didn¡¯t understand why at the time, but I¡¯m fairly confident in their purpose now. These four are responsible for guarding the power source under the Pittsburgh Pce.¡±


    That was the key information Icarus gave to Desir. He shared everything he knew, as if he had given up on doing everything himself.


    Having shared everything he knew, Icarus couldn¡¯t help himself from asking Desir something that had been bothering him.


    ¡°Do you really believe me? Why aren¡¯t you probing me with questions, trying to figure out if I¡¯m tricking you?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, I¡¯m certain that¡¯s not necessary.¡±


    Desir was well aware that Icarus was a person who did anything for his convictions.


    In other words, it meant that as long as Desir walked along a path that matched his beliefs, he had no reason to lie.


    ¡°Well then.¡±


    Desir stepped back. The conversation was over. There was no business here for him anymore. ¡°Ah, Desir Arman.¡±


    As Desir looked back at Icarus¡¯ call, he could see a half-smirk, half-smile carved into his scarred face. Desir instinctively felt that this was the smile Icarus would make toward an old friend.


    ¡°I hope you seed.¡±


    This had be thest will of the Revolutionary.

 Chapter 251. Divide and Conquer (1)

    <h4>Chapter 251. Divide and Conquer (1)</h4>


    A massive tower stood in the mountainous area of Eastern Pittsburgh. This tower was one of four, each responsible for the formation of a barrier to conceal the power source of all the other towers.


    Heading towards it at a rapid pace was an airship, the Valkyrie. ¡°It looks like we¡¯vee to the right ce.¡±


    Zod nced nonchntly at the troops scattered beneath them, guarding the tower.


    They seemed to have been expecting the airship; among the guards were several high-ranking magicians, and a plethora of anti-aircraft weapons, designed to unleash high-powered fire magic at their target.


    With countless troops deployed. all well-geared and prepared to defend against an airship, the smoking gun had been found: this was definitely an important ce.


    Suspicions confirmed, Zod pulled out a cane from his dimensional pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll attack the target, the rest of you keep the enemy in check.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    As soon as Zod gave his order, the Magic Tower¡¯s magicians, still aboard the airship, started invoking spells.


    The Valkyrie¡¯s stealth system having worn off, Divide¡¯s soldiers had noticed the colossal iing airship and hurriedly began preparing their own spells.


    *Bang*


    *Crash*


    Countless spells collided and exploded, emboldening the dreary Pittsburgh sky with a beautiful array of magical mes.


    Under normal circumstances, the Magic Tower¡¯s forces would be at a strategic disadvantage.


    With their size, they had long forgone the element of surprise and had essentially presented Divide¡¯s troops with a giant target with which to practice their aim. The Magic Tower¡¯s magicians would not only have to return fire, but also prioritize defending their vessel. Against a prepared opponent, defeat would be all but certain.


    Knowing this, Divide¡¯smander gave an order to his soldiers.


    ¡°Concentrate all your mana on destroying the airship! Destroy the airship and victory will be ours!¡±


    A plethora of spellsunched from the tower, determined to bring the Valkyrie to the ground, yet none of them had any effect.


    The Aurora System.


    The airship was protected by humanity¡¯s strongest shield, an ingenious invention Desir had brought forward by several years, and that Zod had actualized based on Desir¡¯s ideas.


    But Divide¡¯smander kept hisposure.


    ¡°The situation hasn¡¯t changed! The Aurora System is designed to defend against short bursts of power! We deployed our system after they deployed theirs. The moment its effect fades, victory will be ours!¡±


    Unsurprisingly, Divide¡¯smander was not ignorant of the Aurora System¡¯s functionality and weaknesses. They had their own to deploy! During the war against the Outsiders, all of therger members of the Allied Forces were given at least one to defend themselves with.


    Spells continued to be exchanged by both sides, but the confrontation continued with neither party able to prate their opponent¡¯s Aurora System.


    ¡°Any moment now! Their Aurora System is about to copse!¡±


    Given the absurd defensive power of the Aurora System, it had an equally absurd mana cost, and its internal mana battery could onlyst so long. Eventually, both Aurora Systems would stop, and Divide could once again seize the initiative.


    ¡°Invoke the tactical magic!¡±


    Having calcted the length of time it would be up for, Divide¡¯s magicians had preemptively arranged tactical magic, waiting to capitalize on the moment the enemy¡¯s Aurora System shut off.


    [Trinity Lightning]


    A circle of magic seemed to form on the ground, but soon, the array took the shape of a triangle,pletely surrounding the airship. Lighting then struck, the majority of it focused on the airship thaty at the center of the formation. Massive lightning bolts shrouded the airship. *ZAP*


    The electrical current¡¯s shriek was ear-shattering. It was a Sixth-Circle spell created by Divide¡¯s magicians.


    ¡°H-How¡­ ¡­ ?!¡±


    Once the devastating aftermath died down, Divide¡¯smander couldn¡¯t help but stare in shock. Despite being directly hit by tactical ss magic, the airship was unscathed. Its Aurora System continued to function.


    ¡°Did they think that the Magic Tower¡¯s technology would stagnate?¡±


    Zod scoffed as he watched Divide¡¯s soldiers looking up at the sky in a daze. Their reaction to this development was no more entertaining than if he were watching some dulledy.


    The Aurora System implemented on this airship was a greatly improved and newer model.


    In addition to increasing its durability by improving its mana regtion, it now also had the ability to defend against Seventh-Circle spells one or two times. Its performance was in an entirely different league to the Aurora Systems built over half a year ago.


    As he stared up at the airship, mortified by his mistake, Divide¡¯smander grimly realized the seriousness of the situation. The airship may have been an easy target for his magicians due to its size, but the story changed if there was not a way to break through its defense.


    They had absolute air superiority.


    If the airship had magicians capable of suppressing ground forces, it was only a matter of time until they would find themselvespletely helpless, and defeat would inevitably be on the horizon.


    The direction of the wind changed. With that, Zod gave his orders. ¡°Commence attack.¡±


    *CRASH*


    Under the unrelenting artillery of the magicians of the Magic Tower, Divide¡¯s soldiers werepletely wiped out.


    The only thing left now, was the destruction of the tower.


    Zod aimed his cane at the tower. Even though it was beyond his reach, he continued invoking a spell without hesitation.


    A massive array started forming in front of him. It was quite different to Desir¡¯s entric calctions. It was systematic, precise; it was the most advanced demonstration of magic, as humanity knew it today.


    That was who he was: the Great Sage Zod Exarion, humanity¡¯s strongest magician. [Nuclear Stream Burst]


    The moment his magic was invoked, the entire area was engulfed in light.


    An immense explosion followed soon after. The few remaining chimeras and soldiers that were stationed around the tower were swept away and instantly disappeared with the fiery sh of light.


    It was overwhelming power that proved why Zod deserved the title of humanity¡¯s strongest. A momentter, the light subsided, and everyone¡¯s vision returned.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Thanks for reading on patreon/maldfrogsclub ! Join us in talking about RMSBS at discord.gg/wxSdrsn


    The Magic Tower¡¯s magicians were dumbfounded. The magic had been powerful enough to wipe out the entire area, but the tower remained standing. Even if the tower were made of nk?um, it should have been impossible for it to withstand Seventh-Circle magic.


    Zod suddenly felt a huge movement of mana at the tip of the tower. Someone stood there. Realizing that it was a homunculus and that it had blocked his spell, Zod frantically shouted out orders.


    ¡°Raise the Aurora System to its maximum power!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    *Whirrrrr*


    Shortly after the Aurora System was raised to full power, a ray of light hit the airship. *Crash*


    The ray of light far exceeded the power of Divide¡¯s magicians working in tandem to cast a tactical spell. The Aurora System couldn¡¯t withstand the power and was visibly weakened under the strain.


    Even then, Zod did not waver. They had nned for Skull Mask to predict their ambush, expecting a homunculus to be stationed at the tower.


    They had managed to destroy the first tower without running into the enemy, but that was because the tower was destroyed before Divide had the chance to suspect anything. The remaining towers would be impossible to destroy without defeating a homunculus.


    ¡®Did it manage to block Seventh-Circle magic¡­ ¡­ ?¡¯


    The homunculus he had faced a year ago at the Adiena ins had not been nearly this strong. If he had invoked Seventh-Circle magic at that time with no consideration for the coteral damage it would cause, he would have easily in it in one go, drawing the curtains on the battle then and there.


    But Skull Mask, too, had continued his research for the past six months. The results of this were evident: a homunculus that was iparably stronger than before.


    ¡°Everyone, focus on defense, I¡¯ll deal with the homun¡­ ¡­ ¡± *CRASH*


    Zod did not even get a chance to finish his words before losing his bnce. The homunculus had fired off another attack without warning.


    A massive crack formed on the invisible barrier. By blocking this attack, the Aurora System had lost most of its defensive ability.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Haah.¡±


    Barely holding himself upright with his cane, Zod looked towards the homunculus. It was smiling.


    Seeing that cold smile, the Magic Tower¡¯s magicians slowly backed away in fear, moreso from this expression of sadism than the threat its attacks posed.


    ¡°How arrogant.¡±


    A spell unfolded in front of Zod, far quicker than any other he had cast up to this point. With a nearly instinctual reaction to the flow of mana, the homunculus turned around to face the source.


    It was a second toote. Zod had teleported behind the homunculus right as his spell calction finished.


    *CRASH*


    The top of the tower was engulfed in a massive explosion. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The homunculus hurriedly raised its arms to defend itself, but unable to withstand the pressure, its two arms shattered. If it had taken any longer to regenerate, it wouldn¡¯t have escaped with just damage to its two arms.


    Power beyondmon sense.


    Having never gone up against such a strong human, the homunculus felt threatened. It could sense that there was something different about the presence in front of itpared to other humans.


    ¡°Thest time I met one of you, I was made quite the fool. Seems like destiny has given me a chance to right that wrong.¡±


    Zod¡¯s spell was invoked just before the homunculus¡¯s spell, the Seventh-Circle magician narrowly beating out a cheat-like monster capable of skipping most of the spell casting process.


    ¡°This time, it¡¯s your turn to watch helplessly.¡± [Eternal Slumber]


    The highest level of ice magic that stopped all molecr activity within the targeted area.


    The tower instantly began to freeze before starting to turn brittle, so brittle that even an ordinary human could shatter it.


    The tables had turned. One year ago, Zod had to fight while protecting the Allied Forces, but this time, the homunculus had to fight while protecting the tower.


    *THUD*


    The homunculus rushed to defend the tower, its top priority. When Zod invoked his magic, it stopped at nothing to block those attacks.


    A series of lower-circle spells, the kind that didn¡¯t need much time to be invoked, were fired continuously at the tower.


    Normally, the homunculus would have taken these attacks head-on with its body and immediately counter attack, but with the tower shattering at even the slightest impact, it could not afford to.


    At this moment, lower-circle magic was no less powerful than high-circle magic.


    To make sure that none of the spells hit the tower, the homunculus had to spend excessive amounts of mana.


    Invoking attack spells one after another, Zod¡¯s use of mana was not insignificant, but the homunculus had to consume even more than that.


    This was a battle that would be decided through efficiency, and there was an overwhelming difference between the twobatants.


    *CRASH*


    *BANG*


    After a long time passed, the constant sounds of explosions had stopped.


    This was not because Zod¡¯s mana had run out. Despite having a farrger mana pool, it was the homunculus that had dried up first.


    The homunculus gasped for air. Even though it had focused solely on defense, several parts of the tower had been destroyed after it failed to block a couple of attacks.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way a weapon created to destroy could ever protect anything.¡± Zod stared coldly at the homunculus.


    Now that the homunculus could no longer afford the mana to manipte its power over causality, Zod started invoking high-circle magic once again.


    The homunculus felt an immense amount of mana gathering before its eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s see this through to the end.¡±


    The tower copsed with a deafening roar.

 Chapter 252. Divide and Conquer (2)

    <h4>Chapter 252. Divide and Conquer (2)</h4>


    As the clouds concealed the moonlight, the vast ins were plunged into darkness. At the center of this alienndscape was a tower that shot strange lights into the air. The strange light illuminated the grotesque forms that roamed around the tower.


    ¡°As expected, security is very tight.¡±


    There were people hiding in the grass, whispering in hushed tones. They were Prisci and her Holy Pdins, tasked with destroying the tower south of Pittsburgh.


    Theynded their airship a short distance away before approaching the tower. Their troop¡¯sposition solely consisted of knights; without a single magician, their offensive strategies were limited.


    Sensing an unusual flow of mana while examining the area, Prisci looked northeast. ¡°It seems like the old man has started his battle.¡±


    Massive amounts of mana could be felt all the way from the eastern side of Pittsburgh. The only person capable of wielding that much mana was the Great Sage Zod Exarion.


    In time, the clouds slowly parted and the moonlight began to illuminate the area. Prisci stood up.


    ¡°We should get started as well.¡±


    The Holy Pdins started to move. Their movements were deft and well-practiced. Even with numerous people moving at the same time, the area remained silent.


    However, something had still managed to notice them. A chimera with enhanced hearing had reacted to the slightest sound, perhaps even their breathing.


    Suddenly:


    *SLASH*


    Blood sttered everywhere. Its head hit the ground.


    Page 10 / 65


    This heralded the start of the battle. ¡°KRRAAAHHH!¡±


    Ear-piercing cries rang out from all around the ins as the ground began to rumble. The chimeras that had been scattered all over the ce started to charge at the Holy Pdins.


    The sight of hundreds of chimeras flocking towards them was extremely daunting, but the Holy Pdins showed no signs of backing down. They calmly advanced with the front and side lines holding up big shields. Surrounded by a wall of shields enveloped in an enormous amount of aura, they were like a moving fortress.


    *CRACK*


    *THUD*


    The chimeras who vigorously charged at them failed to break through the shields and smashed their heads in vain.


    The chimeras that approached them from behind tried to jump over their shields, but the Holy Pdins didn¡¯t allow that. Each beast was met with a variety of weapons and struck down with ease.


    *SLASH*


    *CRACK*


    ¡°KRAAAAAGH!¡±


    The sound of bones being crushed and flesh being ripped drowned out all other noise in the area.


    ¡°Hrrk!¡±


    But just like how any sturdy wall will inevitably fall, the Holy Pdins¡¯ formation began to waver.


    Their injuries continued to umte as the chimeras squeezed in through the gaps to w at them. Though each chimera paid the price with its life, their numbers were endless.


    The Holy Pdins were greatly outnumbered by the chimeras, and if this were to go on, then the Holy Pdins would copse first.


    But they didn¡¯t show any hint of despair. ¡°Second row!¡±


    At the Captain¡¯smand, knights that stood behind the shield lines stepped up to take theirrades¡¯ ce.


    In a situation where they were surrounded by enemies, a strategy that didn¡¯t solve the fundamental problem was nothing more than a temporary solution to buy time. If they were a normal unit, this would be the case.


    ¡°Healing.¡±


    As Prisci, who had been watching the situation from the rear, reached out, a blinding light enveloped the knights¡¯ wounds.


    Momentster, the knights had all recoveredpletely. They looked no different than when they had started.


    ¡°First row!¡±


    The Holy Pdins repeated the same process again. With the Saintess of the Artemis Church supporting the Holy Pdins¡¯ impable defense, an invincible formation had been born. *SLASH*


    *CRACK*


    They continued advancing at a slow pace, but before too long, they arrived near the base of the tower. As Prisci looked towards the tower to gauge the distance left, she made eye contact with someone.


    At the entrance of the colossal tower, a silver-haired girl stood there, staring at them.


    The Holy Pdins, as well as Prisci, immediately realized that she was a homunculus. The homunculus, as if greeting the new arrivals, quickly gathered a staggering amount of mana. There was a white sh of light.


    It was artillery magic on the level of a Seventh-Circle spell.


    No matter how tough the Pdin Division¡¯s shield formation was, it would be impossible to block an attack like that.


    Furthermore, Prisci¡¯s ability was to heal wounds. As long as they were breathing, she could even heal severe injuries, but if one were to be hit directly by that white sh, they likely wouldn¡¯t escape with just a severe injury.


    In other words, the strategy they had been using to deal with the chimeras would not work on the homunculus.


    Soon, the white sh wasunched. Extremely hot energy tore towards the Pdin Division as it obliterated everything in its path.


    Just then, something unexpected happened.


    The trajectory of the sh suddenly veered to the side dramatically. It drew a curve and exploded in the air.


    *BANG*


    The evening darkness was obliterated, making it feel as bright as day. And within that light, it was beyond clear that the Pdins were left unscathed.


    The homunculus¡¯s eyes flickered. It couldn¡¯t understand what had just transpired. The attack that had undoubtedly been fired in a straight line had suddenly changed its direction. It was a phenomenon that did not exist in the copious data it had received, containing history and battle data of the past hundred years¡­


    To affirm the situation, the homunculus began preparing tounch another artillery strike. Right then, one of the knights caught the homunculus¡¯s eye. The knight was concentrating aura into his weapon, the density of it so great that it could be felt from hundreds of feet away. But there was no need to be wary. It was clear that the sh of light would be fired before the knight could even approach.


    However, that was the homunculus¡¯s miscalction.


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    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± *CRACK*


    The homunculus¡¯s neck snapped with a horrifying sound.


    As the homunculus¡¯s line of sight flipped, she saw the same knight swinging his mace.


    They were undoubtedly still very far away from each other. Far beyond the reach of any melee weapon.


    But the knight ignored that and struck the homunculus as if he stood right next to it.


    As the same phenomenon that was unregistered in its battle data happened again, the homunculus fell into a state of confusion and tried to analyze the situation. But no matter how hard the homunculus tried, it was not a phenomenon it could understand.


    That was because unlike aura, it was a power beyond the logic of this world. The Blessing of Light.


    Those who received the blessing had powers that, fundamentally, went against the natural order. Like Prisci, they could be blessed with extreme healing abilities, or an otherwisepletely different effect.


    Refracting the trajectory of the white sh of light andnding an attack regardless of the distance was just another manifestation of this blessing.


    The Holy Pdins that the Artemis Church was so proud of was made up of knights who received the Blessing of Light.


    While the homunculus recovered, the Holy Pdins managed to close the distance.


    The knight that had been leading the front lines once again swung his mace at the homunculus.


    *BANG*


    At that moment, the homunculus had no choice but to fall to her knees from the unexpected shock.


    This Pdin had been blessed with the power of aggregation.


    Any attack he made would have the impact of a weapon over a hundred times heavier, resulting in attacks so powerful that not even a homunculus could withstand it.


    As the homunculus was incapacitated, the other knights attacked.


    There was an endless wave of attacks.


    Repeated synchronized attacks, with each manifestation of their Blessing of Light working together to amplify each other, battered into the homunculus.


    The continuous group attacks being made by the Bishop-ss Pdins, supporting each other through varied applications of their Blessings of Light, was extremely threatening. On the receiving end of these endless attacks, the homunculus was cornered into the defensive.


    But her ability to manipte causality was a step above them.


    The homunculus approached one of the knights as she took the continuous attacks head-on. And in an instant, she recovered her severed arm and pierced the knight¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Hrrrk¡­ !¡±


    The knight threw up blood as he backed away, but the woundcked depth; he had not stopped breathing yet.


    As the homunculus was getting ready for another attack to finish the knight off, another knight¡¯s weapon came rushing towards the homunculus¡¯s head.


    The homunculus tried to avoid the attack but was held down by an unseen force. *CRACK*


    Blood sttered everywhere.


    The homunculus desperately needed to recover, and the wounded knight took advantage of this gap to step back.


    A radiant light then began enveloping the knight.


    Even a fatal injury meant nothing in front of Prisci¡¯s ability, so long as they had not taken theirst breath.


    The homunculus realized it had been caught in the midst of a meaningless war of attrition. Breaking through the Holy Pdin¡¯s endless wave of attacks to inflict a killing blow was extremely difficult, and its artillery magic, more than capable of annihting the Pdins, was easily neutralized by an unknown Pdin¡¯s Blessing of Light. The homunculus was running out of options.


    The Holy Pdins, firm in their resolve, continued to pressure the homunculus, inflicting fatal blows time and time again.


    As a result, the homunculus¡¯s mana pool gradually drained while the Holy Pdins maintained their strength. *SLAM*


    When the homunculus¡¯s head broke for the fifth time, it decided that enough was enough. The longer the battle went on, the worse the situation would be. Even if it took an enormous amount of mana, using its trump card now was the right call.


    The homunculus began to divine the future, quickly calcting every possible situation, and began to follow the steps necessary for it to create the best possible situation.


    *Whip*


    The homunculus slid and parried, each attack against it was rendered useless or greatly weakened.


    *CRAASH*


    Just as the homunculus was about to fire a white sh, after barely managing to escape the Holy Pdins¡¯ siege, it was once again struck to the ground by an unseen force.


    It did not just end there.


    Getting back to its feet, the homunculus saw a Pdin wielding aura on his mace before her eyes.


    Realizing that he was the same knight that had ignored the distance between them and struck her, the homunculus rushed to evade the attack. In an instant, she vastly increased the distance between them, hoping to get out of his line of sight.


    Even if he were tounch an attack while disregarding the distance, if this attack was avoided, that would be the end of it.


    *CRASH*


    But the attacknded dead on.


    Just like that, the homunculus fell to the floor: its legs were torn off. ¡°Did you really think you could avoid it, just by dodging?¡± Another knight reached towards the homunculus.


    That Pdin had the power of decisiveness. Any attack he targeted with his ability would be able to connect with its foe, no matter the distance or obstacles.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The homunculus let out a shallow breath. It had already consumed an excessive amount of mana regenerating from the countless attacks and had blown an equal amount on attempting to manipte causality to see the future, which hadpletely failed. The goal of these attacks had been to reduce its mana, as theycked the decisive strength to finish it off in the one strike, and they had done so sessfully. The homunculus was now at the point where it could only recover a few more times.


    An animal is most dangerous when pushed to the edge, when its life was threatened. ring ragefully, the homunculus turned its sight towards Prisci.


    If the person who had the power to make this war of attrition happen were to be removed, there was still a chance for victory.


    Soon after making its decision, the homunculus kicked off against the ground. A freshly regenerated homunculus shot out like a cannonball.


    Just as its fist was about to pierce Prisci¡¯s head¡­ ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    *CRAAACK*


    The homunculus that had been moving rapidly suddenly shattered into bits and scattered to the ground.


    ¡°Fufu, I didn¡¯t know Desir would be this urate in his prediction in how the situation would y out.¡±


    It was a gentle voice, but not pleasant in any way. Prisci looked down at the regenerating homunculus emotionlessly.


    Only then did the homunculus understand what had happened to her.


    The ability to afflict damage regardless of distance.


    The ability to directly hit a target.


    The ability to attack at speeds beyond recognition.


    The ability to maximize impact.


    Dozens of applications of the Pdins¡¯ Blessings of Light had beenbined into one to create an inescapable attack of pure power.


    And tounch this blow, Prisci had used herself as bait.


    She had made the homunculus dance like a puppet in her hand, forcing it to move along a pre-ordained path.


    A smile crossed Prisci¡¯s lips.


    The homunculus, barely recovered, attempted to get up from the ground, ready to rush Prisci once more.


    *BABABABAMMM*


    Swords, spears, and blunt weapons all pierced, cut, and crushed the homunculus¡¯s body. At some point, the Holy Pdins had surrounded the homunculus.


    Looking down at the homunculus, which had be a mess of gore, Prisci opened her mouth.


    ¡°Come on, continue struggling.¡±


    It was not like it would make a difference anyway.

 Chapter 253. Divide and Conquer (3)

    <h4>Chapter 253. Divide and Conquer (3)</h4>


    Zod and Prisci carried out their operations in a way that allowed their subordinates to demonstrate their abilities in the most effective way possible.


    But the method that Donape chose was far from being one centered on efficiency. *CRASH*


    Donape had turned his airship¡¯s Aurora System to its maximum and rammed into the tower at full speed.


    This resulted in a spectacle where the airshipy halfway drilled into the tower. It was far from what a carefully nned strategy would look like.


    ¡°W-What the¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    But that was what caught them off guard. Due to the unexpected situation, Divide¡¯s anti-aircraft troops, which had been stationed outside to shoot down the airship, had be useless.


    Just like that, the northern warriors had infiltrated the tower. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The Divide soldiers stationed inside the tower froze the moment they saw them. ¡°W-We have to fight these people¡­ ¡­ ?¡±


    They had felt extremely threatened by the group of barbarians, all of which were far bigger than the average human.


    A brave knight stepped forward.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to fear, soldiers! These barbarians may be big in size, but they are small in wit! These bastards are¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    But that knight was soon left speechless from the sight that unfolded before him.


    At the forefront stood a woman, her face half-painted with ominous ck patterns, with intense aura leaking from her weapon and an unnerving amount of vigor in her eyes.


    Those lined up behind her also summoned their aura at the same time. The aura they were emitting was not normal in the slightest.


    The sight of their aura blooming like fireworks from each of their weapons made them look like demons from hell.


    One of the knights witnessing this spectacle muttered to himself. ¡°¡­ the Hunting Pack.¡±


    Barbarian Hunters.


    The Northern Region¡¯s most elite troops that rose to fame in the war against the Outsiders. Although their numbers had decreased after theirst encounter with a homunculus, their forces were still extremely powerful, with all members being at least Bishop-ss.


    Over the past six-month-long battle against the Divide Kingdom, they had be a feared group, known for ruthlessly annihting their enemies.


    Amotion stirred in the hall.


    The hunters bared their teeth as theyughed, seemingly enjoying the sight of fear growing in their enemies¡¯ eyes. Having spent their entire lives honing their strength, they could not hide their excitement for the battle toe.


    As the fear in the air reached a crescendo¡­ ¡°Start hunting!¡±


    The moment the Hunting Pack¡¯s leader, ck Wolf Yuria, yelled, the tower burst into a thunderous roar.


    All at once, the Hunting Pack began charging at Divide¡¯s soldiers.


    The soldiers gripped their weapons with their trembling hands, but there was no way a soldier frozen in fear could fight properly.


    Battle cries and screams of fear echoed throughout the tower at the same time. ¡°S-Stand your ground!¡±


    ¡°N-No matter what happens, the formation must not copse!¡±


    Despite being Divide¡¯s elite troops, given the incredibly important task of defending this tower, all they could do was barely slow down the Hunting Pack¡¯s advance.


    Stopping the Hunting Pack from advancing was impossible. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Yuria, while ughtering Divide¡¯s frontline, whipped around, sensing something was off.


    On the opposite side from where the Hunting Pack was advancing was a group of Divide¡¯s magicians.


    Yuria furrowed her brows. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    It would be quite bothersome to deal with artillery magic at such a close distance. Of course, they would not take it quietly, but the problem was the silver-haired boy that stood amongst the magicians.


    ¡®So, they¡¯re not just going to take this lying down, huh?¡¯


    If the silver-haired boy, the homunculus, were to shoot a white sh of light, considerable damage was unavoidable. Of course, it was highly likely that the enemy wouldn¡¯t care too much about the upper part of the tower copsing, since all of the tower¡¯s core facilities were underground.


    It was when Yuria was about to leave the battle to stop that from happening. ¡°I will deal with that one.¡±


    A muscr man pushed past Yuria as he walked out.


    It was Donape An, the King of the North.


    ¡°Focus on your battle.¡±


    Without waiting for an answer, Donape summoned his aura. A red hue started to envelop his entire body.


    *CRAAASH*


    The moment Donapeunched from the ground and the moment that Divide¡¯s magicians had been ughtered were nearly indistinguishable.


    There was almost nog between his takeoff and hisnding. It was truly a disy of overwhelming physical prowess.


    Donape had apletely different way of using such refined aura. While other King-ss swordsmen boasted a multitude of aura techniques, Donape used his aura in the most straightforward way that made sense to him: to increase his physical capabilities to the extreme.


    Watching such a sight, Yuria smiled bitterly. ¡°He¡¯s a real tough guy, I¡¯m telling you.¡±


    Murmuring as if she were entranced, she soon returned tomanding the Hunter Troops. Witnessing their king¡¯s prowess, the Hunting Pack¡¯s vigor was through the roof.


    ¡°And I¡¯m in debt to you.¡±


    Meanwhile, Donape stared coldly ahead.


    While Divide¡¯s magicians had been swept away by the impact, their bodies unrecognizable or plummeting to the bottom of the tower, the homunculus stood unscathed.


    Donape was the first one to move. An axe loaded with powerful aura rushed towards the homunculus.


    The homunculus quickly reinforced its arm and reached out to block it. *CLANG*


    Donape¡¯s axe and the homunculus¡¯s arm collided with each other. Between an unstoppable force and an unmovable wall, it was the homunculus that gave way, unable to withstand Donape.


    Even if the homunculus¡¯s body had been strengthened through extensive research, it was impossible to surpass Donape, who had reached peak physique, even among barbarians, and had mastered the art of using aura to strengthen his body even further.


    After being thrown back dozens of meters, the homunculus hastily invoked artillery magic in response to Donape, who had immediately begun chasing after him.


    Compared to the white sh, it was significantly less powerful, but it was by no means a weak attack. The entirety of it was focused directly on Donape.


    However, Donape just took the attack with his body and used the opportunity to strike back at the homunculus.


    [Mountain Stomp]


    It was a blow that almost destroyed the tower. The surrounding area was reduced to ashes and the homunculus was torn asunder.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Hundreds of meters away from Donape, the homunculus regenerated.


    The homunculus realized that it had no chance of winning in a head-to-head fight.


    *Craaack*


    The homunculus¡¯s legs started to transform. Its legs started to twist strangely before taking on a bizarre, in-human shape.


    Having finished its transformation, the homunculus was ready for battle. It lifted its foot, preparing to dash forward, but somehow it had closed the gap before Donape could notice. *CLANG*


    Once again, Donape¡¯s axe and the homunculus¡¯s arm collided.


    But this time, the results were different. It was Donape that was pushed back. Donape immediately tried to counterattack but the homunculus was already gone. ¡°¡­ Hmm?¡±


    During Donape¡¯s momentary state of confusion, weakened artillery magic rushed in from an unexpected direction.


    The moment he blocked it, another spell flew in from a different direction. *CRRAASH*


    Aura and mana collided numerous times as explosions erupted. It was as if dozens of homunculi existed at the same time.


    ¡®Seems like I¡¯m dealing with a tricky opponent.¡¯


    This battle had changed from one of strength to a battle of speed.


    When faced with such a strong foe, this was the solution that the homunculus had reached. The homunculus continuously jumped from wall to wall as it attacked. When Donape tried to counterattack, it had already started firing from somewhere else.


    Although it was inefficient, it was effective. Donape, who had always been on the offense, had been forced into a defensive position. But even then, Donape looked perfectly calm. As he blocked the mana cannons continuously firing, he slowly grinned. *CRASH*


    The instant Donape leaped from the ground and swung his axe with both hands, a massive explosion shook the tower.


    ¡°Hrrrk!¡±


    Buried under the rubble that had gathered at the epicenter of the explosion was none other than the homunculus.


    The homunculus scowled. Instantly recovering, it quickly drew away from Donape, visibly caught off guard.


    The homunculus identified the possibility that Donape had identified its strategy and predicted his movement and attack patterns. To mitigate this possibility, it started moving differently. Until now, its movements had been fast but rhythmic, so this time, it deliberately mixed it up.


    *Craaaack*


    The moment the homunculus fired at Donape, it felt its whole body getting destroyed. It had been split in half by Donape¡¯s axe.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Recovering using the power of causality, the homunculus gasped for air as it stared at Donape in shock.


    It had no choice but to admit it. The man in front of it was predicting its every move. But it couldn¡¯t just back down.


    The newly regenerated homunculus disappeared instantly and reappeared behind Donape, as if it had been there since the beginning.


    It should be impossible to predict moves that ignore causality.


    Thinking so, the homunculus felt confident, knowing this attack would pierce through its opponent¡¯s back.


    *THUMP*


    The homunculus¡¯s vision spun. mming hard into the wall, its entire body throbbed in pain. Even before the homunculus could realize that it had been kicked, the de of an axe coated in Donape¡¯s fiery aura shed in the distance.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The homunculus hurriedly used its abilities again to move far away.


    But at some point, Donape had already started to leap towards it again.


    Soon after, a wave of aura washed over the homunculus.


    *CRASH*


    Donape was not identifying and predicting each and every move.


    Vision that could catch up to even the fastest of movement.


    Hearing that captured even the slightest of sounds involuntarily made during movement.


    A sense of smell that could detect the faintest scent of chemicals on the homunculus¡¯s body. Instead of moving before thinking things through rationally, this monster was responding in an instant through extreme, almost feral, instincts.


    It was closer to a reaction than it was to a prediction.


    He had been responding with a speed that transcended humans, making it look as if he could predict the future.


    The homunculus continued to consume its mana by moving beyond the effects of causality, but it still could not escape Donape.


    Time and time again, Donape caught up to it.


    ¡°The reason you were so strong before¡­ ¡­ ¡± The homunculus¡¯s head flew off.


    The homunculus attempted to regenerate as it manipted the principle of causality, while spending additional mana to calcte the optimal set of moves for this situation.


    Its body moved to the opposite side of the tower.


    At that point, the homunculus had recognized that the best situation it could create was to run away from Donape.


    However, a shadow loomed above when it arrived.


    The homunculus looked up. Fear slowly rose in its eyes. ¡°Is because we didn¡¯t know anything.¡±


    An aura that burned red like fire filled the homunculus¡¯s vision.

 Chapter 254. Divide and Conquer (4)

    <h4>Chapter 254. Divide and Conquer (4)</h4>


    The Pce of Divide was located in the capital of Pittsburgh.


    In the Pce wrapped in the disquieting darkness, a white-haired man stood on the terrace.


    As he stood there admiring Pittsburgh¡¯s view, someone walked out from the shadows. It was Pierrot Mask.


    ¡°Old man, I don¡¯t think this is the right time to be leisurely enjoying the scenery.¡± The white-haired man that had just been called old, Skull Mask, slowly nodded.


    Although Pierrot Mask continued calling Skull Mask ¡°old man¡± like he used to, this old man no longer deserved such a title. Though his hair was still white, with his infamous mask no longer obscuring his visage, he actually had the face of a handsome young man.


    All of the homunculi stationed at the towers had been defeated. The ones who destroyed the towers would soon flock here.


    Listening to Pierrot Mask, Skull Mask snorted at the ridiculousness of what he uttered. ¡°Who knew that at the very end, Crow Mask would have made such a foolish decision.¡±


    Skull Mask was convinced. With the precision the Allied Forces exhibited, only taking out four of the numerous towers spread across Divide, he knew that Crow Mask had betrayed them. It had been half a year since his capture, but the information he gave the Allied Forces was still pertinent.


    Pierrot Mask slowly approached him and asked. ¡°So, what¡¯s your n now?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll use the transcendental chimeras. Take them and intercept those bastards.¡±


    The Allied Forces¡¯ condition for victory was to destroy the source of power in the basement of the Pce of Divide. In the end, they were bound to gather in Pittsburgh.


    If one knew how the enemy was going to move,ing up with a strategy for defense was easy.


    Skull Mask nned on engaging them after he concentrated all of the troops in the country within the capital.


    The Allied Forces had infiltrated the Kingdom of Divide with very few individuals. Though they were powerful, with extremely skilled individuals amongst their ranks, Skull Mask wasn¡¯t worried. If their invasion force was locked inbat with every troop in Divide, they would be easy to take care of.


    The problem was if the Allied Forces¡¯ troops gathered before his reinforcements reached Pittsburgh.


    To solve that problem, Skull Mask had sent the homunculi to the towers: to dy the arrival of his enemies in Pittsburgh.


    The homunculi that boasted such incredible battle prowess had merely been used to buy time. Skull Mask didn¡¯t expect a single homunculus to be able to seed in defending a tower against such an enemy. He had never underestimated them.


    To him, a homunculus was now nothing more than a weapon that could be produced whenever he needed another. They hade up with a strategy that could fend off the enemy using the minimum power required to do so.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±


    Pierrot Mask sensed that Skull Mask had an ace up his sleeve, but he did not press for more. Through experience, he had learned that he would not get an answer anyway.


    He nodded calmly as he replied. ¡°Well, sure.¡±


    Pierrot Mask disappeared, cloaking himself in the darkness just as he had done when he showed up.


    Skull Mask turned around again and looked outside the terrace.


    Staring at the ever so silent Pittsburgh, he muttered.


    ¡°This will be your grave.¡±


    * * *


    In the mountains that overlooked Pittsburgh, the Valkyriended in a canyon.


    As long as they could no longer conceal themselves, approaching the city with the airship was an act of suicide. Regardless of whether the Aurora System was functional or not, it was impossible to break through the capital¡¯s defense.


    Desir¡¯s squad did a final check after invoking concealment magic. Some checked their spell calctions while others polished their equipment.


    In Pram and Raphaello¡¯s case, they sparred. Thinking of it as a warm-up, they exchanged blows without any intention of causing each other harm.


    ¡°You¡¯ve improved a lot since then.¡±


    Raphaello spoke, visibly satisfied as he swung his sword sideways.


    ¡°Your basic control of aura is perfect. Especially your ability to gather aura! I have nothing to point out.¡±


    It was only a light spar because they could not risk using up their strength before an important battle, but Raphaello had recognized Pram¡¯s progress from this demonstration alone.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re being called the Silver Light Swordsman nowadays?¡± *CLANG*


    Sparks flew as their swords shed.


    Although it was true that Raphaello was not using his full power, Pram was still able to easily counter the Sword Grand Master¡¯s blows.


    ¡°The title is more than I deserve.¡±


    Raphaello, who had been casually chatting up until now, as though he was not in the midst of sparring, suddenly turned serious.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of whether you¡¯re deserving of it or not.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Hit me with it. Your Silver Light.¡±


    They were awaiting an important battle. Pram could not help but be flustered when told to showcase his power during a light battle meant for warm-up.


    However, Pram could not help but wonder if anything he said would deter Raphaello, the man known as the greatest shield.


    ¡°I¡¯ming.¡±


    Pram stepped forward and executed his special move: a stab. Silver aura was fired at the speed of light.


    Raphaello extended his sword. At the same time, his aura enveloped it and started spinning.


    *CRREEEAAK*


    A bizarre sound rang out. The moment the spinning aura and silver line collided, the silver lines of light were snagged by the wheels that had appeared.


    Their trajectories were distorted. ¡°Ah.¡±


    In the next moment, Raphaello¡¯s sword was held against Pram¡¯s face.


    The battle had ended in an instant. The result was Raphaello¡¯s overwhelming victory. As Raphaello sheathed his sword, he spoke in admiration.


    ¡°Really, to think that a move as simple as the stab could be so powerful. You¡¯re impressive, Pram.¡±


    Those were not just empty words. He had not originally intended to invoke his wheel defense but ended up doing so subconsciously.


    He had known instinctively that he would not be able to block the attack otherwise.


    ¡°So you invoked your aura in a spiral after umting it to its limit. Impressive. I didn¡¯t know she¡¯d be this good at teaching others.¡±


    As Raphaello spoke with a chuckle, Pram nodded.


    ¡°If Lady Swan hadn¡¯t been there, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get to this point.¡± Swan Katarina.


    One of the strongest people chosen by Hebrion Empire¡¯s Emperor.


    After being severely wounded in her confrontation with Icarus, Swan had lost consciousness for over two weeks.


    Between her injuries and how hard she pushed herself, Swan had lost the ability to use aura, and eventually retired from the Royal Guard.


    There was no doubt that losing something that she had worked on her entire life was unbearably devastating.


    ¡®If Desir hadn¡¯t lived up to Swan¡¯s expectations, then she may have regretted her choice until the end.¡¯


    Swan had not changed. She openly said that it had been her choice and that she had no regrets. On the contrary, she dered that she would continue working for the Empire as she had done so far.


    Of course, she could no longer fight on the front lines, but her King-ss skills and experience had not disappeared. She may have stepped back from the front lines, but she was still an important figure in the Empire.


    The first thing Swan did, after dering that she would continue working for the Empire, was take on several students. And the first person she took in as a student was Pram.


    Pram was already very talented. When Swan started instructing him seriously, he started improving at a faster rate than ever before.


    He had been able to inherit Swan¡¯s aura umtion technique that she had relied on so heavily.


    ¡°Is she still the same?¡±


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t changed. She always gets drunk at the tavern after training.¡± ¡°Oh, how I envy her.¡±


    A smile tugged at the corner of Raphaello¡¯s lips.


    ¡°The reason why she can stay so rxed must be because her student has improved so much.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ but I lost.¡±


    Hearing Pram muttering to himself, Raphaello could not help but chuckle, A young teenage boy was mad that he had lost to a Sword Grand Master.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I could count the number of knights that can produce the same power as your Silver Line on one hand, even across the entire continent.¡±


    That was how powerful Pram¡¯s blow had been. However, to Raphaello, that was it. ¡°However, no King-ss swordsman would lose to an ability like that.¡±


    Raphaello pointed towards Pittsburgh, the capital of Divide. There, a King-ss knight called Brepon lived.


    Pram, not understanding what he meant, let out a murmur. ¡°Why¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°The fact that your weapon will thrust at a very high speed is already a well-known fact, along with your nickname, ¡®Silver Light Swordsman¡¯. The silver light is definitely threatening, but ites with the weakness that it carries aura and follows the trajectory of a stab.¡±


    He continued.


    ¡°The technique of stabbing is simple without any changes in its execution. It may even be too simple, and it¡¯ll be extremely obvious as to where your light is going to strike. Higher-level knights will be able to read it, and against King-ss opponents, it¡¯ll bepletely useless.¡± Though harsh, pointing this out would be extremely helpful for Pram¡¯s future battles.


    In Pittsburgh, where they were headed, many prestigious knights had gathered, including Yeniceri and even Biryonde.


    They were all respectable knights. There was no way they would easily be fooled by techniques they already knew about.


    ¡°But doesn¡¯t every skill have a weakness?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where the difference between Bishop-ss and King-ss bes evident.¡± Raphaello pulled out his sword and created a wheel. Soon, the number of wheels increased little by little before turning into a chain.


    ¡°You have two options. Either learn how topensate for your ability¡¯s weakness, or advance it to the point where it can¡¯t be dealt with, even if you know how it works. Only then can you truly say you¡¯ve reached the King-ss.¡±


    Raphaello, having honed his rotating aura wheels to its limit, had reached the point of using it not only for defense, but to attack as well. That was why he was able to hold the titles of the ¡®Empire¡¯s Greatest Shield¡¯ and Sword Grand Master at the same time.


    Raphaello withdrew his aura from the sword and gave Pram a pat on the shoulder.


    ¡°Pram, I¡¯m looking forward to what kind of answers you¡¯lle up with. And I¡¯m sure Swan is of the same mind.¡±


    There was not a single knight that would not be pleased hearing that the greatest knight of their generation, a Sword Grand Master, had high expectations for them.


    Lighting up, Pram responded. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Right then, an rm rang out. It was the signal to gather up.


    Preparation time was over, and it was finally time for battle.

 Chapter 255. Divide and Conquer (5)

    <h4>Chapter 255. Divide and Conquer (5)</h4>


    [-Enemy detected from the west of the capital. The enemy is approaching on the ground, not via airship!]


    Gaviny, who was responsible for defending the western stretch of the capital, couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He had previously obtained information that the enemy was approaching via airship; It was hard to believe that they would suddenly abandon it to approach onnd.


    ¡®They¡¯re approaching onnd?¡¯


    Gaviny could not hide hisughter. He was taken aback by their unexpected decision, but he was dumbfounded by how defenseless this left them.


    Pittsburgh was a city nestled in the middle of ins. Due to the nature of ins having no cover, it made it very easy to intercept enemies that approached on the ground.


    Gaviny loudly issued his orders.


    ¡°Prepare your artillery magic! Teach those dogs of the Allied Forces a lesson!¡±


    As soon as he gave his orders, countless magic calctions bloomed like flowers atop Pittsburgh¡¯s castle. The quality and quantity of them was impressive.


    The 7th Magical Division that was stationed there was visibly different than any other unit in terms of quality. Every member was a magician of the Third-Circle or higher. They were a magic unit nurtured with great care by the Kingdom of Divide.


    ¡°We can¡¯t miss this great opportunity.¡± *Whirrrr*


    Gaviny, too, started invoking magic atop the castle. The magic that he was formting was much moreplicated than what his underlings were capable of.


    A Sixth-Circle spell.


    Gaviny was one of the few Sixth-Circle magicians that existed across the entire continent.


    Skull Mask was thorough in nning Pittsburgh¡¯s defense. Under normal circumstances, someone as powerful as him would have been kept in reserve, ready to be yed as a trump card in their international war. Instead, he was on the front lines, fighting to defend their capital.


    ¡°The enemy is continuing to advance!¡±


    Something was off. Even though countless Sixth-Circle calctions were beingpleted and an enormous amount of mana was fluctuating, indicating that this super-massive spell would soon be invoked, the Allied Forces did not back down and continued their advance.


    It was impossible for them to advance so confidently without a trick or two up their sleeves. All of these thoughts flooded Gaviny¡¯s mind, filling him with anxiety. He shoved them down, refusing to let his resolve sway.


    ¡®Even if they have Desir Arman and the Aurora System, it¡¯d be impossible for them to invert all of this magic.¡¯


    It didn¡¯t take too long for him to realize that he¡¯d made a mistake.


    * * *


    ¡°There are more troops than I expected.¡±


    That was the first thing Raphaello said after seeing the countless arrays of magic ahead of him.


    Sensing that the level of magic Divide¡¯s magicians were invoking was a real threat, he was about to pull his sword out before someone approached him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    It was Desir that spoke out. With a wave of his hand, the air around the party began to distort as countless magical spells were simultaneously invoked.


    The mana in the surrounding area raged like a torrent of water. This was what Desir focused on. Through the movement of the mana, Desir was able to discern quite a bit about the enemy¡¯s spells.


    The type of magic that was being invoked.


    What form they had used to invoke that magic. ¡®I think I¡¯ve got the gist of it.¡¯


    He figured out the enemy¡¯s level immediately. A unit of magicians, all above the Third-Circle, wasparable to the Magic Kingdom¡¯s elite troops.


    But that only applied to normal magicians. ¡®How simple.¡¯


    Compared to the magicians who normally surrounded Desir, like Zod, or his sworn enemy Icarus Quirgo, these magicians were pathetic.


    Because he knew exactly how skilled the two Seventh-Circle magicians were better than anyone else, he could not help but look down on the magicians that were invoking magic in front of him.


    Desir¡¯s mana thrust out towards Divide¡¯s magicians.


    One of the magicians in 7th Magical Division sensed that something was off. The magic calctionsid out before him started to fade away before suddenly disintegrating entirely. That was the start of it.


    The dozens of magic calctions that had been invoked atop the castle started getting reversed at a terrifying pace.


    ¡°The spells are getting inverted!¡±


    The flowers of mana that had been embroidered across the top of the castle quickly began to fade. Desir had thoroughly inverted the entirety of the 7th Magical Division¡¯s magic.


    ¡®Was the 7th Magical Division¡¯s work all in vain?¡¯


    Watching their spells being inverted at an amazing speed, Gaviny murmured to himself.


    He had known about Desir¡¯s inversion skills, but he had been confident that, as Divide¡¯s greatest magical troops, they would be able to go against him.


    But that confidence had disappeared a long time ago. Instead, there was only one thought that remained in his head.


    ¡®_Magic is useless in front of the man who stands before us._¡¯


    Gaviny grit his teeth. Their spells were rapidly being inverted, but that did not mean that all of the spells were destroyed.


    The 7th Magical Division hurried toplete the calctions of their spells. As their goal had changed from coordinated artillery fire topleting spells no matter the cost, the timing of their shots was bizarre and unfocused.


    Unlike their first attempt, when they had attempted to invoke their magic in an orderly fashion, one could say that their current formation was aplete mess.


    In response to the sporadic shelling, the Allied Forces invoked the Aurora System. *BAANG*


    Countless spells collided with the Aurora System in front of the Allied Forces, leaving behind shockwaves and the sound of explosions.


    The magic that had beenpleted in a hurry did not have much of an impactpared to the amount of mana consumed casting them.


    As Desir¡¯s continued inverting their spells, the 7th Magical Division¡¯s mana pools were drained to thirty-five percent of their typical capacity.


    In a way, it may have looked like Divide was helpless before Desir, but they were still Divide¡¯s most elite unit.


    *Craack*


    In the face of this never-ending high-circle magic, the Allied Forces¡¯ Aurora System began to crack. Although it was humanity¡¯s strongest shield, it was not invincible.


    *BAAANG*


    Countless spells collided and roars rang out all over the ce.


    The Aurora System¡¯s capacity also declined in proportion to the neutralization of Divide¡¯s magicians. Gradually, the shield¡¯s strength weakened, and the cracks began to get bigger. *SHATTER*


    Soon, the Allied Forces¡¯ Aurora System consumed all of its energy and broke down. After a long struggle, they had finally seeded in prating it.


    But at that point, most of the magic invoked by Divide¡¯s magicians had been inverted, and only one spell remained.


    The spell of a single man.


    Now there was only one person left in the 7th Magical Division who could invoke magic, but they did not despair because thest person standing was the Sixth-Circle magician, Gaviny. Gaviny felt a crushing sense of crisis, but on the other hand, he could not hide his excitement as he watched his magic spell reachingpletion.


    All of the magic except his had been inverted, but all of the Sixth-Circle spells he had cast had been fully invoked. And the Allied Forces¡¯ Aurora System had shut down.


    This was a golden opportunity.


    The spell that he had invoked had enough power to blow away an entire mountain. Even if it could not annihte the Allied Forces, it would definitely deal a devastating blow.


    [Hell Fire]


    A fire that would never burn out or be extinguished. The highest level of fire magic that was named after its side effect of turning the designated area into an eternal burning hellscape.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s my turn this time.¡±


    Dark red fireballs rushed towards the Allied Forces as their shield that had been protecting them thus far went down.


    ¡°You¡¯re using pretty dangerous magic.¡±


    Looking at it, Raphaello stepped forward. He pulled out his sword as he watched the mes that slowly approached.


    It was a massive sword, curved as though a massive wave had been stolen from the ocean and forged into its de.


    Gram.


    It was the S-Tier artifact that Raphaello had been bestowed by the Emperor when he became the Royal Guard¡¯s shield.


    *Whirrrr*


    Unlike the sword he had used during the spar with Desir, in what felt like an eternity ago, Gram could handle all of the power that Raphaello poured into it.


    The massive amount of aura rotated along with the de and a deafening noise rang out in all directions.


    Soon, wheels of aura started to materialize. There were only three of them, but they were at least two times bigger and brighter than the ones that he had showcased in the past. And the sh that followed.


    Following the sword¡¯s trajectory, the wheels spread out. A massive shield covered Raphaello¡¯s allies, promising to protect them from any attack.


    *CRASH*


    The huge fireball and Raphaello¡¯s wheels collided, causing an explosion and resulting shockwave.


    The fire seemed to wrap around the wheels, attempting to slide through the gaps, but it was eventually ground away, unable to withstand the wheels¡¯ rotation.


    It was a materialization of aura that surpassed the strength of the aura flower that Kei Hazmaryoon had demonstrated in that Shadow World. In a world where swordsmen and magicians were renowned equally, the swordsmen of Raphaello¡¯s time all trained proudly and earnestly,petition driving every individual on the to be as powerful as possible. Even amongst them, Raphaello¡¯s ability to materialize aura had reached the highest echelon. As powerful as Kei Hazmaryoon was, he was still a swordsman restrained by his time.


    Despite having not even used the entirety of his power, Raphaello had blocked the Sixth-Circle magic far too easily.


    ¡°Wh-What the¡­ How did he¡­ ¡­ ?¡±


    Gaviny spit out curses - the attack he had expected to deal a major blow to the Allied Forces was entirely blocked.


    But Desir wasn¡¯t kind enough to give him the time to panic.


    Gaviny felt a strong flow of mana emanating from the Allied Forces. When he turned towards the source, he saw Desir standing there.


    Desir had pulled out his cane and was aiming it towards him.


    Normally for magic of this level, it would have taken a long time to invoke the spell, let alone calcte and arrange it. However, Desir¡¯s spell was already on the verge ofpletion.


    That was when Gaviny came to the realization.


    The reason why his magic had not been inverted was not because Desir was incapable of doing so.


    ¡®He stopped inverting because¡­ ¡¯ He was going to cast his own spell. [Earthquake]


    There was a huge earthquake.


    The ground felt like it was flipping over and ominous rumbles emanated from deep below the surface.


    *Crraaaack*


    The ground opened up like a mouth and swallowed them whole.


    The castle walls that had been protected by high-circle magic and the Aurora System copsed under such an onught.


    Gaviny stared nkly at the sight before him atop the crumbling castle. ¡®Is this what Seventh-Circle magic looks like¡­ ¡­ ?¡¯


    When he looked down, the ground he was standing on had also started cracking. *RUMBLE*


    With the sound of thunder, Divide¡¯s western walls disappeared without a trace of them ever existing.


    And Desir¡¯s squad took their first step into Pittsburgh.

 Chapter 256. Divide and Conquer (6)

    <h4>Chapter 256. Divide and Conquer (6)</h4>


    [-Enemy movement detected from the west of the capital. The enemy is approaching on ground, not via airship!]


    As the Allied Forces approached Pittsburgh from the west, themand center that received the report could not hide their excitement.


    ¡°We¡¯d nned our strategies thinking that they¡¯d approach with the airship¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°This is a good thing. In fact, it¡¯s more advantageous for us.¡±


    ¡°But the enemy wouldn¡¯t advance like that without some sort of strategy.¡±


    No one in the room disagreed. The room went silent, all minds pondering their enemy¡¯s options.


    In the once-livelymand center, Brepon opened his mouth.


    ¡°It might be a distraction. Send the aerial troops stationed around the country to the 7th Magical Division to keep the airship in check.¡±


    Brepon¡¯s orders came quickly, and in an instant, they were sent to all of the armies across Divide throughmunication magic.


    ¡°What is the situation like for the three towers that are being attacked?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t be able to withstand much longer.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ is that so?¡±


    With eyes full of suspicion, Brepon looked towards the mirror that illuminated his shadow. Disyed in the mirror was all sorts of information about the happenings in Divide.


    ¡®Why is the enemy after the Pce?¡¯


    It was hard for them to figure out why the enemy was recklessly advancing towards Pittsburgh with only a handful of troops.


    This war wasn¡¯t one that could be ended just by upying the enemy capital.


    Even then, if they failed, the risks that the Allied Forces would be facing were too great. ¡®The Allied Forces¡¯ main priority should be to destroy the towers creating Shadow Worlds¡­ ¡­ ¡¯


    With this in mind, it would have made more sense to move towards the towers scattered across Divide instead of moving towards Pittsburgh. However, the Allied Forces only targeted four towers, and the rest moved towards Pittsburgh.


    ¡®They have something more important in mind than breaking the towers¡¯ The enemy was exceptional. They would never act without a motive.


    Brepon was sure of this. There was definitely a reason the Allied Forces wereing, a reason that was currently unknown to him.


    Out of the blue¡­ *THUD*


    At that moment, the entire building shook. The cup on the table fell, and documents flew everywhere. There had never been an earthquake at Pittsburgh of this magnitude. And the timing? This certainly wasn¡¯t a simple earthquake.


    *RUUMBLE*


    Brepon barely held himself together from the aftershock and looked out the window. It was too dark for a normal person to see anything, but this was not a problem for a King-ss swordsman¡¯s eyesight.


    He soon could make out a haze of smoke rising in his vision.


    It was from the west.


    Brepon yelled urgently.


    ¡°Get in touch with the 7th Magical Division and find out what¡¯s going on immediately!¡±


    ¡°W-We¡¯ve lost contact. ording to the observation unit¡¯s reports, the enemy has broken through the walls.¡±


    At that news, themand center went into an uproar.


    Onemander turned pale as he shouted.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been five minutes since we¡¯ve detected the Allied Forces, yet they¡¯ve already annihted the 7th Magical Division!?¡±


    They had never let their guard down. They had admitted that their enemy was talented, and that was why they had stationed their magic unit there.


    However, it was hard to believe that the castle walls had been broken so easily. ¡®There should be a limit to how unbelievable they are.¡¯


    Brepon furrowed his brows as he issued an order.


    ¡°If this goes ording to the information in the artifact, the Allied Forces¡¯ goal is the Pnce of Divide. Callithus, lead a group of wyverns to stop the enemy from approaching and consume their energy.¡±


    Callithus, the newmander of the Flying Dragon Brigade, lowered his head as he answered.


    ¡°Please leave it to me!¡±


    The Allied Forces possessed more power than they were currently aware of. It was safe to say that the information they had right now was meaningless.


    Both the enemy¡¯s strength and their motives were unknown.


    It was truly a hopeless situation.


    But that was why Brepon thought that they had to go all out.


    ¡®Just because we don¡¯t know the enemy¡¯s numbers doesn¡¯t mean we can wait until we find out.¡¯


    Being stuck in themand centering up with tactics and strategies was not his cup of tea.


    Brepon stood up from his seat as he spoke.


    ¡°I too, will lead the Janissaries to the frontlines.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°The first line of defense must not fall!¡± At the scene of battle.


    A fierce battle was well underway. Divide¡¯s soldiers did their best to fight against the invaders. Under themand of their superiors, they took up their swords and invoked magic to protect their city.


    *SLASH*


    ¡°HRRK!¡±


    However, despite their valiant struggles, the Allied Forces calmly fought through their defense.


    They had no choice but to.


    The military organization that was entering Pittsburgh this time was a coalition of powerful armed groups. Even excluding the current highest-ranking forces, namely Desir Arman and a few others, the level of troops entering Pittsburgh was something never seen before.


    This was because the group was made up of top-level knights and magicians that Desir had personally selected after traversing the continent.


    They had put their faith in Desir and had arrived at his request.


    Although their numbers were small, they were by no means getting pushed back by Divide¡¯s forces. With Divide¡¯s half-baked soldiers, it would be near-impossible to defeat Desir¡¯s Army.


    ¡®With this, I should be able to repay some of the debt we owe him.¡¯


    That was what Kuros, the knightmander of the Kelin Empire thought. Together with the other knights, he took the lead to subdue Divide¡¯s troops.


    When the enemy¡¯s frontlines had copsed to some extent, he activated hismunication pad.


    ¡°The vanguard has fallen to some extent.¡± [-Good work, Commander Kuros.]


    The one who had received his call was Desir Arman.


    [-We¡¯re going tounch an artillery attack on the subsequent units so please wait without advancing further.]


    Divide¡¯s forces were narrowing the siege in real-time.


    In terms of quality, the Allied Forces were superior, but with their endless reinforcements, they didn¡¯t let the Allied Forces break through the siege.


    If this was to continue, it was clear that there would be a great dy in their advance to the pce.


    ¡°All of Hebrion¡¯s magicians, please let out your firepower.¡±


    Those who made up the Allied Forces¡¯ magic unit were by no means ordinary either. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely burn them down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this.¡±


    The countless talents Desir had selected included: Radoria von Dorice, Kelt Nipleka, and many more, all of them products of the Hebrion Academy, the continent¡¯s best training institute.


    Their skills wereparable to decent high-ranking magicians. Powerful spells poured down onto the reinforcements that had arrived. *BAAANG*


    Divide¡¯s reinforcements started to suffer heavy damage from Hebrion Academy¡¯s shelling. Amongst Hebrion¡¯s magicians, the one that stood out the most was Ronde Fizzlebang.


    He only had three mana circles, but the explosion magic he cast, his specialty spell type, overwhelmed the Fourth-Circle magicians¡¯ firepower.


    [Chain Bomb]


    He invoked a spell on a specific area. While nothing happened immediately, dust seemed to be gathering in one spot. Soon after, a spark urred, causing a massive explosion that generated even more dust, thus kicking off a chain reaction of gathering dust and exploding it, a chain of explosions which tore through the area, each explosion birthing another explosion. The endless feast of explosions swallowed up the remainder of Divide¡¯s defensive forces that had barely managed to survive.


    As their reinforcements also suffered heavy damage, a huge gap had formed in their defense line, and the Allied Forces started to charge forward.


    They were ruthless. And behind the scenes, there was Desir Arman¡¯s meticulousmanding. [-Galliand, bioreactions were observed from both sides. Make sure to strike first before they notice the Allied Forces.]


    [-Command received.]


    Masked men started to move. Belonging to the intelligence unit, they were highly skilled at assassination.


    It had been less than one minute since they had moved. [-The target has been removed.]


    Every order Desir gave had been returned with a message of sess.


    Divide¡¯s army tried to stop the Allied Forces with several ambushes, but every time, the Allied Forces dealt with it perfectly. Desir had fully grasped the situation of the battlefield, and at the same time, he moved the most suitable troops in the most reasonable way.


    This was something impossible to do unless he had analyzed all of the information to find what he wanted, and fully understood the strengths and weaknesses of the dozens of units he had mobilized.


    Despite the countless number of different groups, each used to operating independently, theirmunication and coordination was wless. Normally during war, countries would recruit one or two mercenary groups and give them independence on the battlefield, as attempting to manage multiple mercenary groups in conjunction with a full-fledged army was impossible. Only someone like Desir, who spent years with these groups in the Shadow Labyrinth, couldmand such a union like it was perfectly normal.


    Under his expertmand, Desir¡¯s Army continued to advance, but even still Desir¡¯s mind was gued by growing anxiety.


    ¡®We by no means have the advantage.¡¯


    At the moment they held the upper hand, no one would dispute that.


    But looking at the overall situation, their position certainly couldn¡¯t be called good.


    ¡®Troops scattered all throughout Divide are continuing to gather. The longer we wait, the more troops will arrive.¡¯


    The operation this time was a surprise attack made up of a small group of people. No matter how skilled they were, it was impossible to go up against Divide¡¯srge army with this group. There was another disadvantage. Desir suddenly looked up. When he made eye-contact with a civilian that was watching them through the curtains, he stepped back in surprise.


    ¡®The civilians haven¡¯t been evacuated yet.¡¯ The civilians were left in the building.


    ¡®Like this, it will be impossible to invoke Seventh-Circle magic.¡¯


    If it were an open area like a za, it would have been possible to invoke some high-circle magic, but in an area concentrated with buildings, this would be impossible without severe coteral damage.


    The Allied Forces¡¯ troops stopped in their tracks for the first time, but not because they were preparing to siege another defense.


    ¡°It¡¯s a crossroad.¡± Raphaello spoke.


    ¡°We have to choose which way to go.¡±


    There were two roads. Of course, both of them were the same in that they led to the Pce. However, the road on the left led directly to the main gate of the Pce of Divide after passing through the central za, while the road on the right led to the Pce¡¯s rear gate via the market district on the south.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°Since the Janissaries haven¡¯t shown up yet, I think it would be best to split up.¡±


    The fact that the Janissaries had not appeared yet meant that they were waiting somewhere in formation.


    They were Divide¡¯s best-armed group. If they encountered the Janissaries, they would likely obtain victory, but at the cost of time that would ultimately lead to their defeat.


    ¡°The Janissaries will be waiting on one of the roads. If we end up getting split up, at least one half will get to the Pce quickly.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense, but the other half will have to fight the Janissaries though?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not confident?¡±


    At the remark, Raphaello cracked a smile.


    ¡°Of course not, I just said it out of concern for you.¡±


    ¡°You bastards¡­ !¡±


    The one who had interrupted them was Divide¡¯smander, who had impatiently been waiting for them where the path split.


    He had shouted in indignation at the sight of Desir and Raphaello chatting in front of him, but their conversation continued.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the knights and the Hebrion troops.¡±


    ¡°Then the Side Guard will be on this side. Oh, is Pram included with them?¡±


    ¡°Pram has worked with me a lot, so I think he¡¯ll be better in my unit. Instead, could you take the leader of the Side Guard?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a fairpromise.¡±


    Watching the two continue their conversation so calmly, themander of Divide squawked at them.


    ¡°If you bastards were real soldiers, then you wouldn¡¯t¡­ ¡­ !¡± It was irritating.


    Stopping their conversation, Desir and Raphaello each took out their respective weapons. ¡°Let¡¯s take care of that noisy guy before deciding who will go in which direction.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    Soon after, magic and aura rose.

 Chapter 257. Divide and Conquer (7)

    <h4>Chapter 257. Divide and Conquer (7)</h4>


    The Hebrion party, including Desir, who had broken through the line of defense at the crossroad, headed to the right.


    The road on the right went through the market district.


    The narrow market streets wereplex and densely lined up with buildings with plenty of room for an ambush. In fact, the whole design was perfect for hiding traps.


    For the Hebrion party who couldn¡¯t afford to waste a single second, it was a very unfavorable setting.


    However, they proceeded more smoothly than expected. Between Desir and the other magicians, a majority of the traps could be disarmed well in advance, and ambushes were easily thwarted by Pram and the other knights.


    The roofs of the darkly colored buildings scattered throughout Pittsburgh stood tall, as if challenging the very skies themselves. That was where Romantica sat, away from the troops that headed towards the pce.


    In her view, the sight of Divide¡¯smander issuing an artillery attack at Hebrion Party caught her attention.


    Unfortunately for him, he waspletely defenseless against any direct shots. ¡°How foolish.¡±


    The moment Romantica snapped her fingers, the air around her started swirling around her unnaturally. And soon, the Dividemander¡¯s hair began fluttering. Unfortunately for him, he noticed the unusually strong winds far toote.


    ¡°Huh¡­ ¡­ ?¡±


    The air pressure around him increased by several magnitudes. *SPLAT*


    With a gruesome noise, themander of Divide exploded. All that remained was a piece of cloth from his Clothes Line that was ripped into pieces.


    ¡°Five.¡±


    With that, the number of enemymanders that Romantica had taken down increased to five.


    Her magic was beyond the point of being called a form of sniping.


    The winds that Romantica wielded scanned the area, giving her information, and soon as she found her target, the air pressure rose, killing them.


    Romatica had literally weaponized wind itself. There was no such thing as a blind spot. As long the target stood where the wind was, it was impossible to escape her sniping.


    ¡°Six.¡±


    *SPLAT*


    Since there were no bullets involved it made it impossible to figure out her location by analyzing its trajectory.


    ¡°All of the fieldmanders are being targeted; find the sniper immediately!¡±


    ¡°Invoke your detection magic without rest!¡±


    The Divide soldiers hurried to invoke detection magic to locate Romantica, but the Blue Rose that she was wearingpletely blocked all attempts.


    ¡°For them to gather high-ranking magicians as well¡­ they must be rather angry.¡±


    Not only that, but it resulted in Romantica gaining information regarding the location of their main forces.


    As countless magicians continued using detection magic to track the sniping, the air pressure around a high-ranking magician increased instantly.


    ¡°With this, seven.¡±


    When even the magicians who were working to counter the sniper started getting killed off, Divide¡¯smanders eventually gave up looking for her and started ying it safe. Unfortunately for them, it seems that the fear of not knowing when and where the next shot wille from has the effect of destroying army morale.


    Thanks to that, Desir and the Hebrion Party under him were able to proceed towards the Pce of Divide without much damage.


    But Divide wouldn¡¯t take such disgraceying down. ¡°KYAAAAK!¡±


    From somewhere came the high-pitched screech of wyverns. It was undoubtedly the Flying Dragon Brigade, the most elite unit in Divide¡¯s standard army.


    [Owl¡¯s Vision.]


    When Desir looked up using magic, he saw hundreds of wyverns with knights atop them racing through the sky, the telltale sign of the Flying Dragon Brigade.


    They each held a six-and-a-half foot long spear with a considerable amount of aura wrapped around it.


    They circled the sky like vultures that had found prey. Their target was Desir, themander of the Allied Forces. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­ ¡­ !¡¯


    A member at the forefront of the Brigade hurled his spear at Desir.


    As the javelin elerated, it came flying towards him at a tremendous speed. *WHIP*


    Runel, the A-Tier artifact made of nk?um, moved to block the spear after Desir acknowledged the threat. *CLANG*


    A sharp screech rang out and a torrent of sparks followed. Despite having been blocked before reaching the ground, it was strong enough to send considerable shock waves into the ground. The Flying Dragon Brigade¡¯s spears continued to rain down. Hundreds of them fell from the skies, like a meteor strike hurtling towards the ground.


    Desir urgently called out to the person standing beside him. ¡°Adjest!¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    As Adjest pulled out her Center of Ice, a chill started spreading around her. [Frozen Pce]


    Adjest invoked her signature imagery magic, allowing her to rapidly cast spells in the area around herself and Desir.


    Hundreds of defensive spells were invoked to fight against the hundreds of spears. Thick ice barriers rose from between the buildings as the atmosphere around them froze. *CRAAAASH*


    Countless spears collided directly with the pce, damaging its icyposition. The pce shivered in pain before ultimately copsing on itself.


    When their first attack thwarted, the Flying Dragon Brigade flew back up again and circled around.


    There was no way they were going to back down. The bombing would soon begin again.


    If this situation were to repeat again, Desir had no chance of winning. The Frozen Pce showed explosive power for a brief moment, but it took up an enormous amount of mana. It would be impossible for Adjest to use it repeatedly.


    The wyvern-mounted knights retrieved more spears from their dimensional pockets and prepared for their next attack. At their vigor, Desir smiled bitterly.


    ¡°Who knew they¡¯d be such a pain?¡±


    It was impossible to shoot down wyverns with low-circle spells. They were infamous for both how nimbly and quickly they could maneuver while mid-air.


    A high-circle spell might have been able to handle it instantly but considering the damage it would do to the entire city, that was not an option either.


    The only reason why Divide was able to stall them here was because of the tremendous effort they put into making a wyvern army functional. It took knights of extreme skill and a considerable amount of time in order to tame wyverns, and Divide alone hadmitted the resources to training knights who were both capable enough to tame wyverns andpetent enough to use them effectively.


    ¡®Was the right side a pitfall?¡¯


    If Raphaello¡¯s group had encountered the Flying Dragon Brigade, it would have been a cakewalk. Desir¡¯s specialty was dealing with magicians, and spears coated in aura could not be inverted. Unable to safely attack or adequately defend, Desir was left hopeless.


    Desir stared fixedly at the wyvern army circling above them. ¡®This is impressive.¡¯


    They were the enemy, but he could not help but praise them.


    The strategy of using the wyverns¡¯ mobility to avoid the enemy¡¯s attacks while also neutralizing them by rapidly firing spears was impressive.


    The wyvern army had undoubtedly already grown to the level they were at when the Shadow Labyrinth had urred.


    Which was why Desir felt even more like it was a shame to lose them here. ¡®Under normal circumstances, they would¡¯ve been with us as well¡­ ¡­ ¡¯


    He could not help feeling regret at this misfortune, since his n had been to gather all of the powerful troops to fight against the Shadow Labyrinth. But his regret wasn¡¯t enough to make him back down.


    For his immediate goal, to stop Skull Mask¡¯s ns, he had to take them down. Putting aside his feelings of regret, he spoke as he activated hismunication pad.


    ¡°Romantica.¡±


    ¡°KYAAAAAK!¡±


    The wyverns¡¯ cries rang out. The wyvern army rushed towards Desir once again.


    Aura bloomed from their spears. In just a few moments, spears would once again pelt Desir¡¯s squad.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Incredible winds began to sweep the wyvern army away. The winds were strong enough to be called a typhoon.


    The wyverns that were travelling through the wind were tossed around, unable to control their bodies. Unable to handle the sudden change in wind pressure, they got tangled up. Everywhere, members of the wyvern army fell after crashing into each other.


    ¡°Fold your wings! You mustn¡¯t get swept up by the winds!¡±


    Even then, some senior knights fought to keep their bnce and recover their formation. In response to their efforts to maintain order, they received a frighteningly urate sniper shot. [Storm Shot]


    The Flying Dragon Brigade was equipped with the best defensive gear Divide had ess to, specifically designed to counter artillery shots. To ensure their safety tenfold, they maintained an altitude an above-average magician would struggle to reach. Between their armor, altitude, and mobility, the Flying Dragon Brigade was practically invincible. Against this opponent, they had nothing to--


    *Bang*


    Romantica¡¯s attack pierced through them.


    Between her specialty training and the rifle she treasured as her weapon, the shot had exceeded the Fifth-Circle in terms of power and uracy.


    Callithus grit his teeth. Nearly half of his troops had be immobilized due to the air currents, and a few had fallen.


    Determined to prevent any further damage, Callithus issued an order to his troops. ¡°Increase your altitude!¡±


    The wyvern army¡¯s troops changed their direction and soared upwards in unison. Their n was to avoid the shots by raising their altitude.


    They soon reached the maximum height they could withstand. The shots stoppeding as a result.


    Immediately, Callithus turned around and yelled. ¡°Drop!¡±


    He nned to dive-bomb Desir.


    Dropping from thousands of meters above ground adds eleration whenunching the spears. It was a way to make the most powerful attacks while avoiding the sniper¡¯s attacks until the veryst second.


    Hundreds of troops rushed towards the ground in unison. That¡¯s why they were so shocked when she came towards them. ¡°S-Someone ising up!¡±


    A white-haired woman was approaching them.


    It was Adjest Kingscrown.


    *Craaack*


    Every time Adjest stamped her foot, the atmosphere froze beneath her to create a foothold. Using that as a stepping stone, she leaped, reaching the wyvern army in an instant.


    Her improved Ice Empress skill had brought her physical abilities to King-ss. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Seeing that, Callithus could not hide his astonishment. He had not imagined that there would be anyone capable of doing such a thing.


    But he soon regained hisposure.


    ¡®This is the sky. Even if you made it up here, do you really think you stand to fight a wyvern?¡¯ Simply stepping onto the stage did not make them equals.


    This was a stage only for those that were prepared. And the ones that were ready were the wyverns. ¡°Strike her!¡±


    At captain Callithus¡¯s words, the wyvern army changed its target. They charged at Adjest who had invaded their stage.


    But as soon as they changed their movements, Adjest stopped rising and began to invoke magic.


    [Ice Pce]


    Callithus felt the bitter cold breaking through his cold-resistant Clothes Line and permeating his entire body. Soon after, hundreds of ice shields began materializing in front of Adjest. The endless stream of shields blocked her from the wyvern army.


    It almost looked like a massive ice barrier had been created.


    At its absurd size, the wyvern army was slightly astonished. But that was it. ¡°Is that¡­ Sigh of Kizard?¡±


    ¡°Is she trying to block us with a mere Third-Circle defense spell?¡±


    The members of the Flying Dragon Brigade unanimously scoffed at Adjest. Not even Callithus was an exception to this.¡±


    ¡°Is that woman out of her mind?¡±


    Known as the strongest Third-Circle defensive spell, Sigh of Kizard.


    However, it was still only Third Circle magic. No matter how many times it was invoked, it would be impossible to block spears that held such powerful aura.


    The wyvern army didn¡¯t stop and charged at Adjest.

 Chapter 258. Divide and Conquer (8)

    <h4>Chapter 258. Divide and Conquer (8)</h4>


    *WHIP*


    The moment the wyvern army approached the ice barrier, Callithus noticed that the speed of their descent was rmingly fast.


    He soon discovered the reason.


    A downdraft current was blowing. One so strong that it could not possibly be natural. It was as if the current was trying to pin them to the ground.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    And thus, the tragedy began.


    Right before the wyvern army arrived, the hundreds of ice shields that Adjest materialized started to shatter simultaneously.


    One of those pieces grazed Callithus¡¯s armor. *CLANG*


    Only a single fragment had brushed past him, but the Fourth-Circle magic that had been enchanted on the armor broke immediately.


    It was strange. Even considering the eleration, there was no way that a single ice fragment could be that destructive.


    Callithus squinted his eyes. He quickly realized that the tens of thousands of ice shards rushing towards the wyvern army were all glowing faintly.


    ¡°Is that¡­ ¡­ ?¡±


    Callithus¡¯s breath caught in his throat. He could not believe his very eyes. If his knowledge was correct, there was no doubt as to what this was. ¡®Aura¡­ ¡­ !¡¯


    Magicy squarely in the domain of magicians, and aura in the domain of knights. A man of mediocrity would have a hard time mastering just one of those domains. But the woman in front of him had mastered both.


    This was a feat only possible for Adjest Kingscrown, humanity¡¯s strongest magical swordsman.


    ¡°KYAAAK!¡±


    ¡°HRAAAAGH!¡±


    The sky, filled with a mixture of human and wyvern screams, quickly morphed into hell.


    The wyvern army had flown into the field of aura-imbued shards, and just like that, they were torn apart.


    Rapidly increasing their altitude and then suddenly diving to avoid the sniper had led to their demise.


    From their perspective, tens of thousands of de-like shards, each infused with aura, had juste flying at them from nowhere. No knight or magician could withstand such an absurd attack.


    Watching his troops getting torn to pieces, Callithus spoke in a dazed voice. ¡°This is absurd.¡±


    Those were his final words.


    Swept away by countless shards of ice, Callithus was torn asunder along with the wyvern that he was riding.


    From the sky rained not just the wyvern unit¡¯s artillery attacks, but their blood and guts.


    * * *


    Pittsburgh¡¯s Central Square.


    Leaving the dragon-shaped fountain between them, the Side Guard and Janissaries confronted each other.


    The atmosphere of the two groups was quite different.


    While the Side Guard prepared for battle like cold robots, the Janissaries bore eyes of wild beasts that could not contain their excitement.


    Raphaello swallowed augh at the absurdity in the stark contrast between the two groups. The Royal Guard and the Janissaries.


    Naturally, with the hundreds of years of war between Hebrion and Divide, the two groups had continuouslypeted for the position of the strongest on the continent.


    These two groups were both knight-centric, serving the Hebrion Empire¡¯s Imperial Family and Divide¡¯s Royal Family respectively, making them the national pride and the symbol of strength for their countries.


    This was a showdown between two groups iming to be the continent¡¯s strongest. ¡°Get ready for battle.¡±


    Starting with leader Brepon, the Janissaries all summoned their aura at the same time. The result was an extreme suppressive force bearing down on the area and its surroundings.


    The Side Guard, apparently unphased by such a disy, drew their weapons and aimed them at the Janissaries.


    After a brief pause, they charged at each other with no regard to who moved first. *BANG*


    *CRASH*


    The two groups collided into each other fiercely, causing deafening roars to ring out in all directions.


    The spacious square was instantly destroyed as aura coated weapons nged against each other and magic exploded.


    It was a fierce battle.


    The Janissaries only had a few dozen people, but these troops were all knights strong enough to bemanders of any regr formation.


    On the other hand, the Side Guard¡¯s knights were less powerful, but they made up for it with their outstanding teamwork with high-ranking magicians.


    They were two groups with vastly differentpositions, but they both fought neck and neck. They were locked in a tense battle where neither side indicated any willingness to yield. However, the longer the battle continued, it was the Side Guard who would have the disadvantage. Their magicians would slowly run out of mana, and the Janissaries would likely triumph in a battle of pure swordsmanship. Even so, the Side Guard continued fighting calmly. They could fight fearlessly thanks to the presence of a man, who was currently fighting at the forefront of the battle alongside them.


    *CLANG*


    Raphaello stared ahead as he rotated the aura that wrapped around Gram.


    Five swords rushed towards him.


    Strong teamwork multiplied the power that any individual held by several times. And if that teamwork was between the best of the best, there was nothing more to say about the power they could wield.


    The Janissary knights moved, thinking that it would be impossible even for a King-ss swordsman to block this attack.


    But instead, Raphaello took a step forward.


    During the slight moment while the Janissaries were taken aback, Raphaello¡¯s sword moved. *SLASH*


    The signature aura wheel of the Sword Grand Master easily shredded the knight standing before him.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The knight that stood right behind the in knight let out a stupid sound.


    Raphaello kicked his abdomen. Despite having witnessed his colleague being ughtered in front of him, his face remained stoic, with only one thought in his mind: victory.


    *BANG*


    Although he had focused on materializing his aura, that did not mean he had neglected the other ways of using aura. As he kicked someone with his body, which had been enhanced by his immense King-ss aura, nearby soldiers turned towards the sound of what they had thought was a bomb going off.


    *BANG*


    The half-folded body of the knight crashed into the fountain and exploded. There was no need to check if he was still alive.


    ¡°Th-This monster¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    As two of them had been overpowered in an instant, their formation had copsed even before they could try further coordinated attacks.


    Raphaello bent down as soon as he took a step. *WHIP*


    A Janissary knight attacked after estimating where Raphaello would advance. Unfortunately, his attack was to no avail.


    Raphaello felt the sharpness of the de as it grazed past his head. But without hesitation, he swung Gram sideways.


    The knight that had swung his sword at Raphaello was cleaved in half before he realized what had happened, long before he even had a chance to get back into position.


    ¡°Following attacks with your eyes? You¡¯ve still got a long way to go.¡±


    From there, Raphaello did a half-turn and struck his sword down at the iing stab aimed at the left side of his lower body.


    *CRAASH*


    As the ends of their swords shed, a massive shockwave erupted. *SPLAT*


    Blood sttered everywhere. Just like that, the knight on the receiving end of the exchange exploded into scraps of meat.


    Raphaello wiped the blood off his cheek as he levelled his sword at thest knight still standing.


    *CLANG*


    A sharp metallic ng rang out. ¡°Ooh.¡±


    Raphaello subconsciously let out an exmation. Brepon, the leader of the Janissaries, had stepped in instantly to stop his sword.


    *CLING*


    Brepon pushed back Raphaello¡¯s sword as he spoke.


    ¡°I would like to exchange pointers with the Sword Grand Master.¡±


    As soon as his words ended, aura rose from his sword in a threatening manner. At the same time, three wheels formed on Raphaello¡¯s sword and began to rotate. *CRAAASH*


    As aura crashed against aura, a massive explosion swept through the surrounding area. The battle between the King-ss swordsmen was unlike any other.


    Even amidst those explosions, the two did not stop swinging their swords.


    It was a battle where a multitude of blows was exchanged every second.


    In contrast to his position as the Empire¡¯s shield, Raphaello was going all out on his offensive while Brepon was forced onto the backfoot, stuck defending against his onught.


    *CLANG*


    ¡°Let me ask you one thing.¡±


    Raphaello said to Brepon as they were locked inbat. ¡°Why are you following Divide¡¯s orders?¡±


    It was a simple yet deep question.


    Brepon did not have trouble understanding the implications of his question, but he answered the question while ignoring its nature.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Why, that¡¯s easy. That¡¯s because I¡¯m a knight of Divide.¡±


    Brepon pushed back Raphaello¡¯s sword. His instantaneous use of aura had caused his strength to surpass Raphaello¡¯s for a second.


    ¡°As a knight who has sworn allegiance to the Royal Family, what more reason would I need to follow the country¡¯s orders? I¡¯m simply following my master¡¯s orders faithfully.¡±


    Hearing that answer, Raphaello¡¯s expression went cold. ¡°That¡¯s the worst answer.¡±


    His tone had also turned icy cold. His attitude was sharper than ever.


    The number of wheels encircling Gram increased as the rotations elerated. The amount of aura that the sword held was menacing.


    An overwhelming pressure.


    ¡°There¡¯s no more need for me to continue talking to someone who¡¯s stopped thinking. Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡±


    Soon, six wheels formed on his sword.


    The sight of the six wheels, spinning as if they would swallow everything, clearly proved that Raphaello had reached a point where there was no doubt that he was deserving of the title Sword Grand Master.


    Even faced with this overwhelming spectacle, Brepon silently raised his sword. ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy.¡±


    Blue mes shot up and wrapped themselves around his sword. The vigor that he exuded did not fall behind Raphaello.


    The strongest knights, from the Hebrion Empire and the Kingdom of Divide. Once again, the two swords crossed each other.

 Chapter 259. Divide and Conquer (9)

    <h4>Chapter 259. Divide and Conquer (9)</h4>


    The Pce of Divide was located in the center of the capital, and it had both a northern and southern entrance.


    After defeating the Flying Dragon Division, Desir and his crew quickly came into view of the southern pce gate.


    It had been smooth so far, but Desir felt like something wasn¡¯t quite right. The growing sense of incongruity continued to bother him ever since they defeated the Flying Dragon Division. No one else one had tried to stop them.


    Considering how Divide had been employing a strategy of constant ambushes and traps, the situation seemed very suspicious.


    ¡°Surely they haven¡¯t given up¡­ ¡­ ?¡±


    There was no way that Skull Mask had not realized what Desir was aiming for.


    It was clear that Skull Mask would use every means at hand to resist Desir from interfering with his n.


    ¡°And if he decided that we couldn¡¯t be stopped¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Desir¡¯s crew easily broke through the Flying Dragon Division, Divide¡¯s most elite squad. Then there was only one thing left for them to use.


    ¡°They would mobilize the chimeras.¡±


    Due to theck of any rationality, chimeras attacked everyone in sight regardless of their status. Obviously it was impossible for them to be deployed along with regr soldiers, since the odds of them causing significant trouble was high.


    If they wanted to release chimeras, it made sense that Divide¡¯s soldiers were nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Romantica, I know it might be difficult but could you please increase the detection range as much as you can?¡± [-Got it.]


    Having traveled at a quick pace until now, Desir¡¯s group slowed down their march to make sure they wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard.


    ¡®Chimeras couldn¡¯t possibly be more powerful than the Flying Dragon Division¡­ ¡¯


    Desir immediately chastised himself. Looking down on Skull Mask was an easy way for them all to die. If he believed chimeras stood a chance where their wyvern army did not, then there must have been a reason.


    These members that Desir had gathered were precious talents who would y an active part in the Shadow Labyrinth in the near future. He could not afford to let his guard down and make any mistakes that would lose anyone from his crew.


    ¡°Everyone halt!¡±


    As they were slowly moving forward, Desir suddenly stopped his crew. He had detected an irregrity in the flow of mana.


    *Crash*


    A noise simr to a piece of ss breaking echoed.


    And at that moment, they could feel an incredible amount of mana flowing out of the Pce of Divide.


    It was the same reaction that would be felt when a Shadow World was cleared. ¡°Seems like they finally seeded.¡±


    Desir recognized that the phenomenon was likely the result of the Shadow World containing the power source being dismantled. This meant that all four towers responsible for the barrier had finally been broken.


    Everything was proceeding ording to n at this point.


    The problem arose from here on out.


    Up until now, they could proceed perfectly using the information they gathered. But from now on out, there could be unexpected situations.


    Of course, that hadn¡¯t stopped Desir from preparing for a multitude of possible situations. He opened his mouth and spoke to Adjest, who stood right beside him.


    ¡°Adjest, prepare the spear so we can use it when we need.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    The Spear of Longinus.


    The artifact that may end up being the core of this entire operation. He nodded as he again confirmed its existence.


    As they progressed forward once again, they soon arrived at the entrance to the pce. The gate was firm, but not enough to withstand Desir¡¯s magic.


    *Boom*


    They stepped through the rubble, striding as if they owned the ce.


    Suddenly, Romantica called via amunication spell.


    [-Desir, something¡¯s approaching.]


    Desir could feel its movements just as she finished the sentence. *Thomp*


    *Thomp*


    *Thomp*


    Something with arge figure was approaching them at a rapid pace. Each step it took shook the very ground they stood on. And it wasn¡¯t just one. They numbered in the dozens.


    [Light]


    *Pzzt*


    A few dozen light spheres appeared, revealing the balls of flesh running towards them. The sight of them conjured a deep feeling of disgust. These misshapen creatures looked like the parts of various monsters mashed together.


    Desir¡¯s prediction of the appearance of chimeras was correct.


    But they were not regr chimeras.


    ¡°U-Unbelievable!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s aura!¡±


    Aura flowed out of chimeras¡¯ arms and legs.


    Desir squinted his eyes.


    ¡°Kruaaak!¡±


    Among the clumps of flesh mixed with all kinds of monsters, there were human bodies screaming like beasts.


    Desir realized exactly what the chimeras in front of him were.


    The Starling Party had fought against one of these chimeras in the Nordin Territory. ¡°Aaron¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Divide had formed one of these chimeras using the Janissary¡¯s former captain, Aaron, as a key material. Though it was unskilled, the raw quantity of aura it could wield was astronomical. Even with Desir¡¯s meticulous nning and excellentmand, the Starling Party had struggled against it.


    The power of chimerasy in their overwhelming basic physical ability, which far exceeded that of a typical knight. When their potential was heightened by giving them the ability to wield aura, a truly terrifying monster was birthed.


    ¡°They were really able to mass produce something like that?¡± Desir bit his lip.


    Aaron was probably only the beginning for an experiment like this. ¡°Damn it.¡±


    Not a single thing was likable about this situation.


    Desir was furious at Skull Mask for sacrificing humans like they were nothing. ¡°I will soon relieve you of your pain.¡±


    Their bodies were already impossible to revert. The only thing he could do for them was to minimize any further sacrilege.


    Desir shouted while staring down the charging chimeras. ¡°Raise your shields! Do not ruin the formation!¡±


    As the knights quickly shrouded their shields in aura and raised them, the clumps of flesh and sheets of metal collided.


    *Thwump*


    As the two sources of aura battled, a loud noise emmenated. ¡°We¡¯ve somehow endured it.¡±


    Chimeras repeatedly charged at them, but Desir¡¯s team did not give up any ground. By slowing down the march, Desir was able to arrange his troops in battle position before they actually encountered the chimeras.


    While the knights with shields and aura at the front blocked the chimeras, mages at the back invoked spells and did their best to clear them out, one wave at a time. It was the most effective strategy, lifted straight out of a textbook. ¡°They¡¯re charging in from the west!¡±


    ¡°Frontline, don¡¯t push too far and maintain the formation!¡± The problem was the number of them.


    The location of the battle was in a wide open garden. The only silver lining was that they did not need to worry about their rear. Behind themy the ruins of the pce gate. However, the chimeras simply swarmed in from the pce itself. Their numbers seemed endless.


    Under Desir¡¯s leadership, the crew was able to make it this far without any losses. But this situation was different.


    *Thump*


    *Thuuummpp*


    The chimeras were not only threatening in number, but every one of them was also powerful. They constantly transformed their bodies in response to the situation, and they could use aura, making them incredibly difficult to handle.


    Just as they were slowly getting exhausted, someone broke formation and stepped out from the frontline.


    ¡°Please step back for now.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Countless silver sword strikes rained down on the chimeras. *sh*


    ¡°Kyaaaakk!¡±


    With Pram taking the lead, Adjest and Romantica were able to step up and assist in turning things around. Their abilities, refined through individual training over thest six months, were overwhelmingpared to the other Hebrion Academy students.


    Chimeras that could utilize aura were surely strong, but the knights that were used to make them were terribly weakpared to Aaron.


    King-ss knights like Aaron did not grow on trees. It was impossible for Divide to get its hands on many of them. To mass produce these chimeras, it was inevitable that the skills of the knights used had to be of lower quality.


    ¡®They really got stronger.¡¯


    For others, these chimeras posed great danger, but for main party members in the Starling Party, who narrowly escaped death many times during their growth, were not apletely unmanageable threat.


    They now had the capability topensate for each other¡¯s weaknesses without much trouble. Just as Desir was thinking that and looked at the situation.


    *Crack*


    A noise simr to a piece of ss breaking echoed. [-World inversion detected.]


    Themunication pad that was handed out by the Hebrion Academy made such rms when a certain situation urred close to its owner.


    And that certain situation could only be that¡­ ¡®They n to create a Shadow World here¡­ !¡¯


    Skull Mask used the four towers to create a Shadow World in order to hide the source inside the Divide Pce.


    This meant that it was also possible to create Shadow Worlds with both its location and range urately specified.


    ¡®This is the worst possible oue.¡¯


    The worst possible situation Desir had thought of was Skull Mask creating a Shadow World that covered the entirety of Pittsburgh.


    Even if the Shadow World was created, clearing it should not be particrly difficult.


    But to clear the Shadow World would consume arge amount of time, meaning the n would fail.


    Desir red at the chimeras charging in nonstop and thought.


    ¡®These chimeras are merely to keep us in ce for the Shadow World.¡¯


    No matter how strong these chimeras were, there was no way that they would be able topletely stop the continent¡¯s elites, including Desir. The chimeras were simply mobilized to dy them from advancing until the Shadow World appeared.


    Desir hurriedly called back Adjest who was fighting fiercely at the front line. [-Adjest, you and I will break through their assault.]


    Adjest swiftly approached him upon his call.


    Following up on his order, a spell formed in front of Desir. [Fire Storm]


    A huge storm of me roared in the middle of the garden. *Boom*


    The surroundings were dyed crimson red.


    There was no need for holding his firepower back here, unlike back in the city. An impressivelyrge area of the garden was turned into ashes in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Rawrr!¡±


    The scream of chimeras echoed painfully.


    Chimeras directly in the range of the spellpletely vanished without a trace, while the ones swept up by the residual heat had parts of their bodies melted, rendering them motionless. Because the chimeras used aura to protect themselves, they were notpletely wiped out. However, the number of them had gone down significantly.


    That was enough.


    Desir and Adjest walked toward the road that was nowpletely empty. ¡°Pram, I¡¯ll leave themand of the army to you.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    Pram quickly caught on to Desir¡¯s intentions and nodded his head. ¡°Sorry but I don¡¯t think I can let you pass that easily.¡±


    *ng*


    Two swords collided and created a sharp echo.


    Adjest red at the attacker who aimed for Desir, while holding her sword firmly. It was a man wearing a pierrot mask.


    Desir shouted, realizing the man¡¯s identity from the side. ¡°Pierrot Mask¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Pierrot Mask backed off, the edge of his visible face scrunched up from what was likely an impossiblyrge, sinister grin.


    ¡°You gotta hang out with me for a while.¡±

 Chapter 260. Divide and Conquer (10)

    <h4>Chapter 260. Divide and Conquer (10)</h4>


    *Crash*


    Along with an ear-piercing noise, a fierce wind stormed through the middle of the garden. It was Romantica¡¯s snipe that zed through the air without any noise.


    ¡°Ohe on. At least give me some time to talk, will ya?¡±


    Despite the shot being fired directly at Pierrot Mask, he seemedpletely unphased and unharmed.


    He had already set up wires around him, and with a precise tug they moved to block the attack. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty now. No matter what you do, you can¡¯t get out of here anyway.¡±


    Pierrot Mask stretched his arm out to the front, and wires moved toward Desir like a snake attacking its prey.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± *ng* *ng*


    Runel, a silver sphere that floated around Desir, deflected Pierrot Mask¡¯s wires.


    Sparks flew everywhere. It was a series of attacks and counters that happened so fast that the people present could barely make out the exchange.


    Pierrot Mask freely controlled delicate wires with aura.


    It was not just one or two wires, but dozens of them perfectly controlled as if they were part of his body.


    Desir felt as if he were fighting an entire unit alone.


    They needed to get into the pce; he couldn¡¯t afford to stay on the defense forever.


    Runel was able to block all the attacks unleashed by the dozens of wires, but only barely. It wouldn¡¯t surprise Desir if his defenses were broken at any point.


    While he let Runel handle the defense, Desirpleted his spell.


    A plethora of fireballs rose from behind him. Though their form was simple, their power had been significantly increased through Desir¡¯s alteration.


    [Burst Fire] *Hiss*


    The fireballs all converged, forming a singr, supermassive fireball.


    Pierrot Mask, who was swinging his wires relentlessly, backed off and halted his offense after feeling the fierce heat gathering behind Desir. He recalled his wires and began preparing to block the oing attack.


    At this moment.


    ¡®Andpress here¡­ ¡­ !¡¯ *Whoosh*


    Desir changed the spell in the final moment of invocation,pressing it.


    The fireball rapidly copsed in on itself, turning into an extremely dense mass norger than an arrowhead.


    The spell wasn¡¯t finished though. The dense ball cracked, and an uncountable number of me arrows shot out, each at their own speed and unpredictable trajectory.


    ¡°Huh¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Looking at the scene, Pierrot Mask smiled as if amused by the sight.


    At the snap of a finger, the wires that were condensed spread out and moved ording to the movement of his fingertips.


    With outstanding dynamic vision, he analyzed the trajectories of all of the fire arrows that had spread out.


    But this was not the limit of Desir¡¯s spell. *Hiss*


    The trajectories of the fire arrows once again changed.


    The arrows were able to nimbly weave past Pierrot Mask¡¯s wires. With their obstruction cleared, they darted towards their true target.


    The ability to control the paths and speeds of dozens of spells was closer to a divine skill than talent.


    Pierrot Mask¡¯s face twisted. *Boom*


    Each one of the me arrows burst on impact, creating a chain of explosions.


    Runel quickly moved to deflect all of the debris from the resulting explosion that flew towards Desir.


    ¡°Yeah, this is it.¡±


    Pierrot Mask murmured as if delighted.


    ¡°Compared to sitting around in boredom, a battle with my life on the line is much more exciting.¡±


    As the cloud of dust rose, Pierrot Mask could be seen in the air standing on top of the wires, looking down at Desir.


    ¡°How about we keep ying around while we wait to see what Skull Mask is nning?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Without replying, Desir sunk deep in thought. ¡®This is a problem.¡¯


    Themunication pad was still warning Desir of the iing Shadow World.


    Usually, Shadow Worlds weren¡¯t something that appeared immediately after being detected. But considering the unusualness of the current situation, that train of thought was naive at best. ¡®There¡¯s no time to spare, but¡­ ¡­ !¡¯


    He could not easily break through. Pierrot Mask¡¯s power was a force to be reckoned with. Beyond that, Desir did not have much information about him.


    They had met a few times before, but never engaged in a real battle.


    Not knowing what tricks Pierrot Mask had remaining up his sleeves, making one wrong move could drastically exacerbate the situation.


    ¡®And then there¡¯s¡­ ¡­ ¡¯


    At some point, the chimeras once again started to charge at Desir and Adjest. Perhaps they recognized the two of them, who were out of the formation, as prey. The path that had been cleared earlier was beginning to close once again.


    ¡®Damn it.¡¯


    One of the chimeras that was approaching them charged at Desir. The chimera¡¯s ws had a bluish aura coating them.


    Just when Desir was about to cast a spell toward it. ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    *sh*


    The chimera that was approaching Desir was sliced in the blink of an eye. It was a fast sword that was hard to follow with the naked eye.


    Blood and pieces of flesh scattered in the air.


    Pram left the formation and arrived, ughtering chimeras on the way. His sky blue hair was matted with blood.


    He stood between Pierrot Mask and Desir.


    ¡°Miss Adjest and Mr. Desir, please get out of here quickly.¡± Pram was going to deal with Pierrot Mask by himself.


    Pierrot Mask¡¯s full capability was yet to be determined.


    The risk was too high.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    But he could not think of any other way. If they did not break out of here immediately to stop Skull Mask, the situation could quickly turn for the worse.


    There was no other way than to put his faith in Pram. ¡°Please, endure for a bit.¡±


    Desir signaled Adjest, and she nodded. [Strength]


    [Haste]


    Desir casted body strengthening spells. Adjest¡¯s hair quickly turned silver. Looking at the scene, Pierrot Mask snorted. ¡°You think I¡¯m just gonna let you go?¡±


    He snapped his finger. *Crash*


    *Crack*


    Suddenly, the wires cut through everything in their trajectories and again attacked Desir and Adjest.


    The number of wires must have exceeded one hundred. No, two hundred? ¡®Was he always this strong?!¡¯


    Pierrot Mask¡¯s true power that exceeded his expectations made Desir suddenly panic.


    There was no escape. The wires that had thempletely surrounded seemed more like a. This was an attack that was impossible to dodge.


    At this moment, Pram began to move. *Pzzt*


    There was an uncanny sound that tickled the ears.


    Countless silver trajectories formed a web in the air.


    A silver sh.


    *Crash*


    *Crash*


    Explosions followed as they collided with the wires everywhere.


    Pram had aimed for the natural weak points that formed out of Pierrot Mask focusing his attack specifically on Desir and Adjest.


    Only one moment was all it took.


    Because they strengthened their bodies with magic earlier, they moved extremely fast. ¡®Sh*t!¡¯


    Just as Pierrot Mask retrieved the wires and was about to chase them by disappearing into the darkness¡­


    *ng*


    Pierrot Mask raised his dagger to block the iing sh.


    He red at Pram who blocked his pursuit.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Right, there was a recent rumor about a little kid called the Silver Light Swordsman.¡± The mockery was no longer seen on his face.


    The wires again rose and squirmed. They almost looked like a knot of living snakes. Pierrot Mask continued talking.


    ¡°You¡¯re just as strong as the rumors. If I had the time, I would slowly toy the life out of you. But unfortunately, I¡¯ve got no time to y with you today.¡±


    *tter*


    The wires spread out everywhere. And they rained upon Pram simultaneously. ¡°I¡¯ll end you quickly.¡±


    The moment Pram took a step and wielded his sword, the world around them seemed to darken in response to the bright light of his sliver beams.


    The wires that were attacking him started to be entangled with the silver rays. *Crash*


    The lines, thin as threads, urately collided and exploded. ¡°It might be true that I¡¯m weaker than you.¡±


    *Whoosh*


    A sonic boom shattered nearby windows, which had arisen from the constant exchange of attack and defense. Each of their attacks were moving faster than the air around them could react.


    Pram and Pierrot Mask were both exceptionally talented speed-type fighters. In the blink of an eye, they exchanged dozens of blows.


    And every time this took ce, an explosion swept through the surroundings.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Just as the impasse seemed to continue, Pierrot Mask reacted by pure reflex. *Crash*


    He just barely raised his short sword in time to block the attack that was already in front of his nose.


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    He could not endure the impact and leaped back.


    Pram¡¯s sh had such speed that Pierrot Mask could not even properly react to it. Pram brandished his rapier and made a deration to Pierrot Mask.


    ¡°But my sword is enough to stab through your throat.¡±

 Chapter 261. The Beast of Revelation (1)

    <h4>Chapter 261. The Beast of Revtion (1)</h4>


    ¡®It¡¯s almost over.¡¯ [Fire Storm]


    ¡®Once we block Skull Mask¡¯s n, all preparation will beplete.¡¯


    All of the things that Desir borately prepared in order to hinder Skull Mask¡¯s n corresponded with his preparation for clearing the Shadow Labyrinth.


    All of the countries across the continent had pulled together and the best people showed growth that exceeded their capability in his previous life.


    While all of the preparations were progressing favorably, Skull Mask was the only obstacle. ¡®We need to quickly suppress him for the sake of minimizing the damage.¡¯


    *Baaang*


    A heat wave exploded. The chimeras that were obstructing his way were all swept away. There were no military troops mobilized in the pce, almost as if they had too much confidence in the chimeras¡¯ abilities.


    Desir and Adjest were able to safely enter the pce proper without any particr problems. ¡°Adjest, wait.¡±


    Desir arranged a spell and started to identify the inner structure of the pce.


    He was soon able to locate the enormous facility which he had not been able to perceive during the Great Council. The size of the facility, which was located below the pce, was as big as the entire city.


    Desir assumed that this was either the power source itself, which had been revealed after the four towers were destroyed, or a facility to operate the power source.


    ¡°This way.¡±


    After confirming the path towards the source, Desir led Adjest and quickened his pace.


    ¡®There¡¯s still enough time.¡¯


    Themunication pad continuously warned of the emergence of the Shadow World and though time was running out, ording to Desir¡¯s estimation, they still had time on their side. The sound of their footsteps echoed throughout the long stretch of empty corridors.


    ¡®¡­ ¡­ They¡¯re not going to allow us through this easily.¡¯


    After a long walk, not chimeras, but human soldiers stood blocking their way. They were the subordinates under themand of Pierrot Mask and knights of Divide.


    They used all means avable to them, closing corridors by demolishing the ceilings, sudden attacks out of nowhere and so on. All in order to grab at Desir and Adjest¡¯s ankles.


    It was extremely frustrating to deal with those without scruples, who would use everything in their means to achieve their goal of stalling them.


    ¡°Adjest, could you could set up a blockade here?¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Adjest nodded and a spell arranged itself in front of her. [Web of Ice]


    *Crrraak*


    An ice creation in the form of a spider web stretched out in all directions. It kept expanding endlessly.


    Soon after, it blocked all the paths behind them except their route forward.


    With the ice web in ce, the possibility of being nked or interrupted by anything other than a head-on fight was greatly diminished.


    *Pggghh*


    The ice web would instantly convert into the form of a spear when someone tried to prate it forcibly. This did not eliminate the possibility of it being destroyed, but the time required to do so would be such that everything should already be over by then. With this, they seeded in reducing a considerable number of potential enemies.


    The only thing left was the enemies on the path before them. ¡°Kill them!¡±


    ¡°For His Majesty!¡±


    It was impossible that they did not know who Desir and Adjest were. They must have been well aware that they would not be able to stop the two of them with their skills alone. However, in spite of knowing this, they attacked without hesitation. They were indeed loyal knights.


    Desir¡¯s arranged a spell aimed at them. [Gravity Control]


    A powerful gravity field weighed down the knights who were approaching Desir and Adjest. *Crack*


    *Crrakk*


    They simultaneously either kneeled or fell down on the ground. ¡°Keukk¡­ !¡±


    ¡°Kaharghh!¡±


    The corridor was filled with the sound of screams.


    The sound of armor crumpling.


    The sound of bones snapping.


    All sorts of sounds merged together and formed a grotesque symphony.


    Desir and Adjest started to tread past those on the floor.


    To those who were struggling to stand up while watching them pass through, Desir left a threat.


    ¡°If you resist any more, I¡¯ll make sure to double the force.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    After hearing his cold voice, the voice of someone thatcked any feeling, there was no longer anyone brave enough to try blocking their path.


    Desir and Adjest overcame the situation while trying their best not to kill anyone, instead aiming to simply neutralize them. It was unlikely there were any foes, other than Skull Mask, that were powerful enough to stop them. The majority of the opponent¡¯s elite forces had already been deployed outside.


    Before long, Desir and Adjest arrived at the King of the Divide¡¯s bed chamber. ording to their intel, this ce had an entrance that led towards the power source. Desir was easily able to invert the defensive spell that had been ced on the chamber entrance. If one wanted to stop him, they must prepare physical means to even have a chance at doing so.


    After Desir entered the bed chamber, he scanned the bookshelf and pulled out specific books in a deliberate order. If not for Crow Mask¡¯s cooperation, they would have wasted an immense amount of time.


    With a groan, the bookshelf moved towards the side and revealed an endless number of stairs leading somewhere deep underground.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Desir and Adjest exchanged looks and nodded.


    In the end, it was only the two of them who were able to arrive at this ce. Though they were both vastly more powerful than when they first met, it was likely that the uing events wouldn¡¯t be easy to handle without the rest of the Starling Party.


    But this was the situation they were in, so this was what they would work with. The two of them steeled their resolve and began walking down the stairs.


    As they proceeded, the musty smell in the dark space became thicker and the erratic sounds of machines became louder.


    Shortly after, the space used as the Outsider¡¯s meeting room appeared.


    Only, this part of the pce waspletely different from before, not just in structure but also the dark feeling that hung in the area.


    Desir examined this enormous, maze-like area thaty before them. At that moment, themunication pad gave off a warning sound once more.


    [-The global reversal phenomenon¡¯s progress has exceeded 80%.]


    [You now stand within the potential range of the Shadow World. Evacuate as soon as possible¡­ ]


    He was flustered. He did not expect the chamber under the pce to be within the Shadow World¡¯s range of influence.


    Clearly this was the ce they needed to be.


    The power source, the core of the n that Skull Mask was proceeding with, would certainly be hidden in this ce.


    But why would he willingly put this ce, with such an important object, in range of a Shadow World?


    ¡®But wouldn¡¯t all of the things around this area erode away if the Shadow World wasn¡¯t cleared?¡¯


    Desir struggled to find the rationale.


    There was not enough information for him to draw a conclusion. It was difficult to make conjecture about Skull Mask¡¯s ulterior motive.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry, Adjest.¡±


    They had a clear idea of their goal, something that they had to achieve regardless of the work required to do so.


    There were only a few hundred meters left until they reached their destination. Desir and Adjest picked up their speed.


    However, the notification sound rang once again, before they even had the chance to take five steps.


    [-The global reversal phenomenon¡¯s progress has exceeded 80%.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Suddenly, the Shadow World was brought topletion, finishing at a rate far faster than it had started. The area around then started to distort.


    Desir never heard of any other worlds that suddenly sped up like this. Skull Mask had clearly pulled off some kind of trick.


    ¡°This¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    All of a sudden, everything turned dark. [-You have entered the Shadow World.]


    Thest notification sound was not from themunication pad.


    Desir had long grown tired of that sickening voice, having heard it for years on end.


    Even still, he didn¡¯t need years of experience to realize this Shadow World was different from the ones he was familiar with.


    ¡®What the hell is this¡­ !?¡¯


    He looked around, but all he saw was darkness.


    No matter how long he waited, there weren¡¯t any other notifications.


    Pitch-ck darkness.


    There was nothing. Desir felt as though he was trapped within an eternal feeling of futility. While he was making an effort to grasp the situation, he heard a voice next to him.


    ¡°Is this really a Shadow World?¡± It was Adjest.


    Desir was secretly relieved at the fact that she was next to him. ¡°Not sure¡­ We¡¯ll just have to see from now on.¡±


    They both arranged detection spells, simultaneously confirming that there was no issue using their mana, but they found nothing around them.


    ¡°Seeing as there are no other lifeforms detected, I think we may be the only participants in this Shadow World.¡±


    Adjest seemed quite flustered, unlike her usualposed figure.


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯ve never heard about a Shadow World like this existing.¡± However, it was undeniable that they had entered a Shadow World. The first notification sound they heard proved this fact.


    Adjest fell into deep thought.


    ¡®The setting of this Shadow World must be a ce that used to exist.¡¯


    At least with her knowledge, considering the fact that the Shadow Worlds reproduced the history of humankind, this ce had to be somewhere that humans had existed at. However, no matter how much she strained her eyes, there was absolutely nothing here.


    It was a world of nothing, a ce of absolute solitude, and it made her think that the world itself may have looked like this before it was created.


    At that moment.


    [-The Biggest Breaking Point of Humanity]


    [The materialization of ¡®The Beast of the Revtion¡¯ has been permitted.] ¡®The Biggest Breaking Point of Humanity?¡¯


    After hearing another notification sound, Adjest was once again lost in thought.


    It was a phrase that even she, who had read obtained all sorts of esoteric knowledge from reading books arranged in the Imperial Library, had never heard of.


    ¡°Desir, what do you think the Biggest¡­ ¡±


    Adjest¡¯s voice came to a halt as she turned her head towards Desir. *Drop*


    Something dropped down.


    It was a bead of sweat. Desir had broken out in a cold sweat.


    [-Warning. This is the breaking point where restructuring history is impossible, considering the level of human civilization during this period.]


    [-System interference.]


    [-Ignoring warnings and enforcing the Materialization Phase.] ¡°This¡­ No, it cannot be¡­ ¡±


    It was a sight one would never see from Desir, a person who always kept hisposure in the face of all situations.


    With a pale look on his face, he murmured something.


    [-Warning. Error in the transmission ofmands. Maintaining the Materialization Phase.] After the notification, a speck of light appeared. Then, starting from there, it became a line, the lines ultimately forming the outline of something and finally, a form appeared.


    It was an impressive process that resulted in the creation of a world.


    It was a wonderful sight.


    However, there was no sense of wonder reflected in Desir¡¯s eyes.


    Instead, there was only fear.


    As the world reachedpletion, Desir and Adjest were left standing at the end of a soaring building.


    This structure was different from the cold, ck towers that Skull Mask had constructed, different from Wolfgang Tower in the Magic Kingdom of old, and different from the Magic Tower of the present.


    Desir waspletely unaware of the materials used to build it, or the technique responsible for such a creation.


    The view below seemed more like a future civilization than that of the past. ¡®Clearly, this is¡­ ¡¯


    Desir knew the city before his eyes.


    There was no way he would forget.


    No, it was impossible to forget.


    That view was a memory that he had retained in such detail, almost as if it were a mark left by a branding iron. It was something which could not be erased from his mind.


    ¡®The Shadow Labyrinth.¡¯


    [-The Biggest Breaking Point of Humanity.] You have entered ¡®The Beast of the Revtion¡¯.

 Chapter 262. The Beast of Revelation (2)

    <h4>Chapter 262. The Beast of Revtion (2)</h4>


    *C-ng* *Baaang*


    Countless battles were well under way and the sound of explosions had be the new norm.


    Even as the explosions urred due to the collision of aura, the battle between Pram and Pierrot Mask had reached an equilibrium.


    A high-speed battle in which even sound itself could not catch up.


    Their swords crossed ceaselessly.


    *B-B-B-Bang*


    Pram countered the attacks flying in from everywhere and at the same time struck courageously towards Pierrot Mask at every opportunity he could.


    ¡®¡­ I cannot win like this.¡¯


    There were numerous wounds on his body. It was impossible to block all of the attacks, of which there were hundreds and thousands of, from Pierrot Mask.


    And as time passed by, the number of wounds increased.


    It was an inevitable result.


    There was an uncrossable wall between Pierrot Mask, a King-ss swordsman, and Pram, a mere Bishop-ss.


    The biggest factor was the total amount of aura avable to them.


    Pram wascking in terms of sheer amount of aura, therefore he was at a disadvantage the longer the battlested.


    The wire prated his silver lines and emmenated a whooshing sound as it split the air. Pram quickly rolled his body to the side.


    *Baang*


    He barely avoided the attack, but an enormous gap was created due to his huge movement.


    It was only for a moment, but as this was a battle of speed, this necessary error was a critical mistake.


    *Whoosh*


    However, Pierrot Mask did not ovemit to punishing him. He maintained his distance carefully. When Pram drew near, he drew back. He refused to approach past a set distance, even when there was a gap presented.


    There was only one reason he was moving that way. ¡®He¡¯s wary of my ultimate stab.¡¯


    His stab was probably the best attack Pram had at his disposal.


    Quickly striking with a massive umtion of aura, thoroughly condensed into a single point. This was the only means he had of overpowering Pierrot Mask.


    However, Pierrot Mask neutralized the opportunity for Pram to use it by not crossing a fixed range. He consistently wore Pram out while maintaining his distance.


    If this continued, Pram¡¯s defeat was inevitable.


    Pierrot Mask taunted him.


    ¡°You seem nervous. It¡¯s toote anyway. He¡¯s probably already dead.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Pram nced towards the area behind Pierrot Mask. It was covered with something simr to a dark fog.


    A Shadow World.


    It had appeared, consuming almost the entire Divide Pce.


    At the same time, he lost contact with Desir and Adjest. It was proof that they were caught in the Shadow World.


    ¡°Your strategies have failed.¡± Pram shook his head.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ No, I trust Desir.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Is that so? Well, this turn of events isn¡¯t too bad.¡± Pierrot Mask jeered at him.


    ¡°I wonder what kind of expression he¡¯ll have on his face when he returns and sees your corpse?¡±


    *B-B-B-Bang*


    Pram charged in an instant.


    He had minimized the amount of aura he had used in the battle, and charged in by strengthening his body with an unexpected surge in power.


    *C-C-ng*


    The Clothes Line, which had received an attack above its limit, tried its best to let out a warning before being destroyed.


    The wire brushed past Pram and cut him deeply. The trickling blood reddened Pierrot Mask¡¯s wire.


    However, his attack had not been one born from futility. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    *C-C-ng*


    Pram took an enormous hit, but he had managed to reduce the gap somehow. *Whisshhh*


    The silver line that was spread out everywhere started to coalesce around Pram¡¯s sword. A high-density,pressed aura.


    A huge amount of aura swiftly gathered, an amount which would exceed the tolerance of any sword not made from nk?um.


    Pram, who had reduced the distance between himself and Pierrot Mask, finally let loose the attack he had been waiting so patiently for an opportunity to use.


    Pram¡¯s pierce thrust rushed in, tearing the very air apart. *Crack*


    ¡°The reason why I deliberately did not approach you¡­ ¡±


    Pram¡¯s sword prated the air while Pierrot Mask pulled out his dagger and slightly bent the trajectory of Pram¡¯s thrust.


    It was easy to say, but in reality, this was not an easy task to deflect such a piercing strike of a rapier. Deflecting such a fine point required immense control and finesse.


    However, Pierrot Mask, a King-ss swordsman, was able to execute such a move as if it were a trivial task.


    There was a wry smile on his face. ¡°¡­ was because I¡¯m annoyed.¡± Numerous wires flooded in towards Pram.


    The silver line scattered everywhere ordingly. He dashed after Pierrot Mask, who was about to step back once again. If Pierrot Mask was allowed to widen the gap, then it would be impossible for Pram to close it again.


    Pram¡¯s vision went fuzzy. He realized he may have made a fatal mistake. Between the blood loss and how much he had overexerted himself, Pram realized he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand for much longer.


    The number of wounds increased and the pain umted. *C-ng*


    *aang*


    Because he approached by overexerting his strength, the situation worsened.


    When hisst hidden card was destroyed in vain, he started to see the weak point in his swordsmanship.


    It was not just a strategy that was blocked.


    It felt as though all the efforts he had made over thest few years had been rejected and he was being yed around like a fool.


    Pram Schneider¡­


    ¡®¡­ cannot beat Pierrot Mask.¡¯


    Pierrot Mask burrowed into that gap of hesitation.


    A sword brushed past Pram¡¯s cheek. Even though he thought that he had escaped narrowly, his cheek stung.


    *Drip*


    The blood trailing down his jaw was hot. ¡®This is my limit.¡¯


    Thoughts came to his mind.


    ¡®Maybe I¡¯ve done my part by buying some time against the King-ss swordsman.¡¯


    He, who had reached Bishop-ss, was able to buy this much time against a King-ss opponent.


    ¡®Have I not done my part? Are these results not excellent, considering I am a mere Bishop-ss?¡¯


    ¡®For all the effort I have put into studying the sword, it was amazing enough that a half-wit like me has endured until now.¡¯


    He only had enough talent to master one technique.


    That was why he practiced and honed just that technique.


    Any real swordsman would criticise him for artificially inting his ss by taking a shortcut. He reached this position in this manner, but one could not advance further by focusing on such a narrow path. Pram knew that fact better than anyone.


    Even though he was a member of the Starling Party, Pram was different from Desir and Adjest. The best Pram could do was to aid them from the side lines.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡± But.


    ¡®Am I satisfied with this?¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯


    Focus.


    Pram emptied his mind. Once again, he focused on the tip of his rapier.


    Again, silver lines appeared and began to gather together. Thinking that this was his franticst-ditch effort, Pierrot Mask sneered.


    Suddenly, Pram¡¯s sword sliced Pierrot Mask. ¡®¡­ ¡­ How?¡¯


    The smell of the blood wafted in. Pierrot Mask clicked his tongue lightly.


    Pram took a stance and continued rushing him recklessly, as if he was not interested in his reaction.


    He poured almost all of his aura into his body andpressed the remaining aura at the tip of his rapier. The sword groaned as his aura approached its limit. The movement of the aura was like that of a flowing river.


    ¡®Higher speed and power.¡¯ ¡®I must win.¡¯


    Desir always believed in Pram.


    Pram had always been busy following his footsteps. *aang*


    This piercing stab was the only thing he excelled at.


    It was his only attack that no one could match.


    That was why he had been able to advance to this position, higher than anyone else. Therefore, Pram could only continue executing it.


    He had to go for it.


    A quick attack that, hopefully, not even Pierrot Mask could handle. *Whoosh*


    His stab, which shot out with a whooshing sound, sliced Pierrot Mask in a location near his ribs.


    However, Pram was not satisfied with this.


    It was not fast enough.


    It was not strong enough.


    He had to reach the pinnacle, otherwise he would die having failed to perfect a single move.


    To hit the target without fail, a mortal blow.


    His rapier moved once again.


    *Swish*


    The first blow approached diagonally.


    Pierrot Mask was going to move.


    The second blow approached from below.


    However, Pierrot Mask did not react.


    He was not able to react, to be exact.


    The third blow approached head-on.


    Beyond the level of an almost non-existent temporal gap, each stab happened simultaneously from three different directions.


    *Crrrrack*


    ¡°How on earth are you¡­ ?¡±


    Pierrot Mask stepped back. Crimson red blood flowed down from his pierced shoulder and leg. He was short of breath.


    The fact that he survived was a little short of a miracle.


    He, who had reached King-ss, was only able to narrowly escape the pration of his neck through divine luck.


    He uttered with a trembling voice.


    ¡°What a monstrous stage you¡¯ve reached.¡± Pram raised his sword instead of answering. Somehow, it had be easier to move his body.


    It was at that moment when he was about to move once again.


    *Crraasshh*


    Pram and Pierrot Mask turned their heads towards the sound. The dark fog that was covering the Divide Pce cleared and the area had started to return to normal.


    Pram¡¯s face brightened up. Desir and Adjest must have cleared the Shadow World safely. Now, if he took care of Pierrot Mask, the operation would be over. His face livened up as he was caught up in euphoria.


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Pierrot Mask burst intoughter. He was stumbling as he looked up at the sky. ¡°Hahahahahahaha. Really. Was that it? I always knew you were a madman, but you¡¯ve really outdone yourself this time. Ahahaha!¡±


    Seeing Pierrot Mask, who was clearly at a disadvantage,ughing convulsively, Pram felt strange.


    *Crrrrrrrack*


    The sky was cracking like ss breaking. And something started toe out from the crack. ¡°¡­ ¡­ What is that?¡±


    All of a sudden, the whole area became silent.


    Pram felt an overwhelming sense of intense pressure from that mysterious something. His body was on the verge of shaking unconsciously.


    ¡°By the look of it¡­ ¡±


    Pierrot Mask¡¯s body was slowly bing buried in the dark and growing dimmer. ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve won this battle.¡±

 Chapter 263. The Beast of Revelation (3)

    <h4>Chapter 263. The Beast of Revtion (3)</h4>


    The corners of his mouth pulled up into a smirk.


    The previously felt anxiety totally disappeared as their minds emptiedpletely. *Krrrrrrr*


    The ground trembled. A destructive sound, much like the sound of thousands of trumpeters sounding their horns, resonated across the world.


    Desir moaned softly as he was faced with the world that was unfolding before him, just like he remembered.


    ¡®Is this really it?¡¯ The Outsiders. Skull Mask.


    The Outsiders made their name well-known because there were no other criminal organizations that couldpare to them. However, they did not raise their infamy beyond a certain level, never quite causing enough trouble to be considered enemy number one by every country.


    Though theymitted various crimes, their main activity was in stealing magic stones. Although they were a valuable and limited resource, the act of obtaining them meant that they had to clear Shadow Worlds¡­ a deed that was almost meritorious for the continent atrge.


    Seizing the odd Shadow World was not an issue that would draw the attention of the public.


    In the end, no one wanted to spend the effort required to clean them up, least of all Desir who had busied himself preparing for the arrival of the Shadow Labyrinth.


    That was a fatal mistake.


    The problem was that they lowered their guards, thinking they were nothing and would not cause any major problem.


    ¡®Skull Mask¡­ So you were the one who artificially created it.¡¯


    Skull Mask hid himself amongst the Outsiders and diligently collected magic stones. He then used them to generate the Shadow Labyrinth without any interference.


    *Rumble*


    Hearing the thunder rumble, Desir looked up at the sky.


    The sky that was blue a moment ago was starting to be tinged with red. The moon as well lost its light and became darker.


    Desir was woken from his reverie upon noticing that the quest had been given to them now that the Shadow Labyrinth had begun.


    [-The copse of humanity has begun.]


    [Protect civilization and survive against the Beast of Revtion.] ¡®Our chances of sess are slim.¡¯


    Desir, who overcame many hardships in his previous life, was disconcerted for a moment before quickly regaining hisposure.


    His mind analyzed the chance of sess with great speed.


    The Shadow Labyrinth.


    Luckily? Unluckily? Desir was not quite sure, but they were at the start of a quest that did not start until nine years into the Shadow Labyrinth.


    At that time, thousands of the most powerful elites attacked this Shadow World together. It was a quest that they barelypleted after making tremendous sacrifices.


    Realistically, it was impossible for just the two of them to clear. Nevertheless, Desir judged that there was a chance of winning. ¡®There is a way.¡¯


    This was because there was one method that he kept right to the final moment. ¡®I don¡¯t know whether this can be carried out, but there are no other ways.¡¯ Desir sighed.


    ¡®In order to use it¡­ ¡¯


    Desir looked around him.


    Hepared his memory with the surrounding environment.


    He had to calmly remember the way this quest progressed and decide how to move about after that.


    ¡°Adjest.¡±


    He called Adjest who was looking up at the sky with a nk expression. Her pupils, which witnessed the impending doom, were filled with fear ¡°Get a hold of yourself. No need to worry.¡±


    As soon as Adjest made eye contact with Desir, she felt the fear that filled her head subsiding and she began to feel at peace.


    Perhaps it was faith. Indomitable faith that he would easily ovee this current situation. Adjest nodded in search of an order she could busy herself with.


    ¡°What do I need to do?¡±


    ¡°Retreat to the south. When I give a signal, arrange a defensive spell.¡±


    It was a puzzling order, but Adjest drew her Center of the Ice without a word. [Ice Empress]


    Desir arranged a spell as well. [Muscle Strengthening] [eleration]


    It was Desir who moved first. He led the way and Adjest followed after him.


    Both of them leaped several meters at a time and began their escape. The surrounding scenery drew closer like an arrow and then receded.


    A few minutester, Adjest sensed a sudden change in the atmosphere. *Baaaaaaang*


    A powerful shockwave burst out.


    Adjest momentarily lost her bnce and staggered.


    Despite being a few hundred meters away from the source of the shockwave, the force of the aftermath that washed over them made it difficult for her to keep her bnce.


    ¡°What the¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Barely standing, Adjest looked back. The buildings of the city were partially destroyed and began copsing.


    And something was in the center of that site.


    An enormous arm a few meters long was soaring up from beneath the ground. *Rumble*


    As thend began to split, starting from the location of the soaring arm, the thundering roar echoed.


    When the cloud of dust almost reaching the sky subsided, something gigantic had appeared. Adjest never saw a monster with this kind of form before.


    The ck legs, along with a bent waist, showed off its presence. Behind it were seven undting tails. The thorns at the end of the tail sprouted up like a crown.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    It was the kind of monster that could only be found in myths.


    It had an overwhelming sense of pressure.


    At that moment, as Adjest was gawking, Desir shouted. ¡°Prepare the defensive spell, Adjest!¡±


    Something flowed out of the gigantic monster¡¯s body immediately after.


    And it spread in all directions. The speed of the expansion was so quick that the whole area, including the ce they stood, was covered with dark clouds.


    If they had not moved back with all of their strength, they would have been swept away by it. ¡°Now!¡±


    Desir gave a signal.


    Adjest arranged a spell that she had prepared in advance. [Ice Pce]


    She then began arranging every defensive spell that she knew. Dozens of defensive spells instantly ovepped and formed a gigantic dome-like wall. The wall emmenated a soft glow. Adjest had increased the level of the defensive power by putting aura into the defensive spells too.


    [Binder of Earth]


    On top of that, Desir added his own defensive spell.


    The buildings surrounding them were torn down like cardboard. Adjest put the finishing touches on her protective wall bypressing the multitude of spells to raise their density.


    It took no longer than five seconds for this series of processes to bepleted. *Crasshhhhhh*


    Everywhere lit up along with the thunderous sound. Thunderbolts rained down from the dark clouds that covered the city.


    *Crashhh*


    Whenever the thunderboltsnded near them, even if they only brushed past the defensive spells, a portion of the wall would be smashed to pieces.


    Adjest, feeling this incredible power on a scale beyond anything she had felt before, felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.


    *Shwing*


    Even though these were only ncing strikes, the power each lightning bolt held was great. ¡®If we left only slightlyter, we would¡¯ve been swept away by these¡­ ¡±


    Thinking about this, Adjest felt her body shaking.


    When the incessant thunderbolts finally subsided and the dark clouds cleared up, the splendid civilization vanished and only a crater was left behind.


    No, there was one other thing still standing.


    There was an enormous monster standing in the center of the crater. It was gazing upon Desir and Adjest.


    It had recognized them.


    This was inevitable: they were the only other thing still standing. At that moment, when Desir was about to make his next move. [-Beginning the Reality Reorganization Sequence.] [Forcefully terminating Shadow World.]


    ¡®What?¡¯


    Everything ended abruptly. Everything, the colossal crater in front of their eyes, the gigantic beast, the very embodiment of thew of causality, as well as the substantial pressure overwhelming them, all fell away into darkness.


    When the light illuminated the world again, Desir saw the roof of the pce that had previously been partially destroyed.


    When he looked around, especially out a nearby window, he immediately took in the sight of Pittsburgh still standing as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°¡­ Have we returned to reality?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    There was no way they were able to understand this situation. It was the first time this happened.


    Right at that moment, amunication spell came in from Romantica. [-You guys alright? Did you clear the Shadow World?]


    It was clear that they had returned to reality. However¡­ ¡°No, we didn¡¯t.¡±


    [-What? Then how the hell did you guys return?] That was the million dor question.


    The only way to break through a Shadow World was to clear the quest given. The current situation was knocking down themon sense that everyone operated by.


    The moment he believed that he had figured out Skull Mask¡¯s objective, another question was presented.


    ¡®Thinking about it, the Shadow World just now was different from the Shadow Labyrinth.¡¯ The ce that Desir and Adjest were in just now was not the Shadow Labyrinth, but merely one of the Shadow Worlds that formed the Shadow Labyrinth as a whole.


    ording to the timeline of his past life, the Shadow Labyrinth happened six monthster. This would have been the case if it were allowed to form without interruption, but in this life, since there had been many interruptions, it was evident that it needed more time to fully form. If Skull Mask was able to progress his n faster, he would have done so already. There was no reason for him not to.


    Then¡­ ¡­


    ¡®Did they try to dispose of us because we were in the way of their ultimate goal?¡¯


    Just as Skull Mask was the only obstacle for Desir, one could say Desir was the only obstacle for Skull Mask as well.


    From Skull Mask¡¯s point of view, if he disposed of Desir, he would be able to safelyplete his n, even if the n itself was dyed as a result.


    ¡®Then howe the Shadow World vanished all of a sudden?¡¯


    At that moment as Desir was thinking through his doubts on this matter¡­ *Crack*


    *Crrrraack*


    The sound of shattering sses echoed.


    Following that sound, Desir focused his gaze towards the sky. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The sky was splitting, and the jet-ck hand appeared out of it once again.


    The Beast of Revtion.


    The disaster that was supposed to only exist in the Shadow World had begun to appear in reality.


    Atst, Desir understood.


    ¡®Were they researching how to bring the Shadow Worlds, capable of reproducing historical events, into reality?¡¯


    What Skull Mask meant when he talked about the power to restructure history itself must have been this.


    *Crrrrack*


    The moment Adjest saw gigantic ws that split open the crack, she turned pale. [-What the hell is that!]


    Romantica, who was observing the situation, was bewildered and shouted. ¡°This is the worst turn of events.¡±


    What Adjest said was sensible and reasonable. Even if everyone here joined forces, there was no way they could take on that monster.


    Because Adjest partially experienced its power inside the Shadow World, she was able to feel it all the more.


    And Skull Mask must have thought the same way, thinking it could destroy the Allied Forces. ¡°At least it¡¯s far better than a moment ago.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Because our chance of winning has increased by severalfold.¡± However, Skull Mask did not know that.


    Desir Arman had already once reached the end of the Shadow Labyrinth. ¡®You¡¯ve made a mistake, Skull Mask.¡¯


    Their chances of winning had increased dramatically.


    Superimposing this Shadow World over reality in order to destroy the Allied Forces resulted in Desir being able to call on far more military force.


    Of course, even so, victory was far from guaranteed.


    Because the monster in front of their eyes was not the kind of being they could say they could conquer just because Desir had done so once already.


    Having thought this far, Desir Arman arranged amunication spell. ¡°From now on, I order everyone to abandon all existing operations.¡±


    It was amunication spell that was delivered to all members of the Allied Forces that had entered Pittsburgh.


    There was confidence in Desir¡¯s tone. ¡®The current history has changed.¡¯


    They were in a far better position than when he faced this cmity in his previous life. Because above all, he had changed.


    ¡®We can do this.¡¯


    He opened his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll now begin briefing you on the new operation¡­ no¡­ the final operation.¡±

 Chapter 264. The Beast of Revelation (4)

    <h4>Chapter 264. The Beast of Revtion (4)</h4>


    The central square was partially destroyed due to the confrontation between the swordsmen representing the Hebrion Empire and the Kingdom of Divide, who between themselves represented the majority of military might for the entire continent.


    All of the buildings within a dozen meters had copsed. ¡°¡­ ¡±


    At the end of that confrontation, Brepon was the one who surrendered.


    Immediately after he was defeated, the battle between the Side Guard and the Janissaries concluded.


    It was the Side Guard¡¯s victory.


    The Janissaries and Brepon were bound by chains that obstructed their use of aura. ¡®Was it all for nothing?¡¯


    Despiteprehending many exquisite principles of the sword, and polishing his techniques for decades, he was not able to ovee the highest wall on the continent, the Sword Grand Master.


    Brepon smiled self-mockingly at this fact.


    Raphaello kept nodding whilemunicating with someone.


    It was an easy guess that he was liaising with someone about how to deal with the Janissaries, now defeated.


    *Click*


    They seemed to have reached a conclusion: Raphaello approached Brepon.


    The sword that he was holding reflected sharply in the dawn light.


    ¡®As expected.¡¯


    To the Allied Forces, Pittsburgh was the center of the enemy territory. One could not drag prisoners around in this kind of ce. ¡®It could be worse.¡¯


    Meeting his death as a result of confronting the best swordsmen on this continent, the Sword Grand Master, with all his might was more than ideal.


    He closed his eyes and lowered his head.


    ¡®I probably subconsciously expected such an ending from the moment I overlooked the Outsiders taking over¡­ ¡¯


    *Swish*


    The sword swung as expected, but what the sword cut out waspletely different from his expectation.


    ¡°Why are you freeing me?¡±


    Raphaello¡¯s sword has precisely cut the chain that was binding Brepon.


    Pointing to the city of the pce, Raphaello answered.


    ¡°Look over there.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡±


    Brepon turned to look as he was told to do so, and was not able to hide his bewilderment. It was because the unbelievable was happening.


    The sky had been cleaved in two, and an enormous arm was stretching out from the gap. ¡°Wh-What the hell¡­ ¡­ ?!¡±


    ¡°That is the result of you blindly following orders.¡±


    An unprecedented disaster was unfolding before them. The faint sound of screaming was carried by the wind, and no doubt dozens were dying by the minute.


    The gigantic arm was unreservedly transforming their city into a blend of dust, screams, and flesh.


    ¡®Howe this kind of monster is in Pittsburgh¡­ ?¡¯


    Brepon nced at the Side Guard and looked at their reactions.


    The Side Guard were usually cool-headed, but there was not a trace of that right now.


    They had either tensed up and frozen or they were visibly flustered with their mouths hanging wide open, unable to think of what their next move should be.


    At least this was not the work of the Allied Forces. ¡®Then surely, this must be the Outsiders doing.¡¯ Unsurprising.


    Brepon had suppressed his frivolous feeling that the Kingdom of Divide and the Outsiders were secretly establishing a rtionship. But since he was unaware of Pierrot Mask¡¯s abilities, he could only assume that the king was somehow connected to the Outsiders, and that Clora Baldershu still had the country¡¯s best interest at heart.


    When such a monster appeared, and not even the Commander of Divide¡¯s army knew about it, Brepon realized that he had been used.


    Therefore, he reached the only logical conclusion.


    ¡°It seems like the Outsiders are nning to eliminate both the Allied Forces and Divide by using that creature.¡±


    *Boooom*


    A thundering noise echoed.


    As if it was proving what Brepon mused,


    Thunderbolts suddenly carpeted the area, destroying everything indiscriminately.


    ¡°If your loyalties truly lie with the Royal Family of Divide, I believe there¡¯s no reason for us to fight anymore.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying we join forces and eliminate that monster?¡± Raphaello nodded to Brepon¡¯s question.


    Brepon sprung out of his seat.


    Impossible.


    Brepon swallowed the words that found their way to his throat.


    Many Divide soldiers, including the wyvern army, had been annihted by the Allied Forces. It was a hundred times better to die gloriously than to join forces with the enemy who killed his subordinates.


    However, Brepon was unable to refuse Raphaello¡¯s suggestion immediately. The reason was simple.


    It was because a part of him acknowledged that Raphaello¡¯s im was reasonable. ¡®There are still hundreds of thousands of unevacuated civilians in Pittsburgh¡­ ¡¯


    If that gigantic monster fully emerged from the crevice, there would certainly be an unimaginable number of casualties and damage.


    He could not turn his back on them.


    Brepon pulled himself together.


    In fact, there was no choice for him in this matter. The choice that had to be made, the choice that could solve the current situation, was already decided.


    ¡°Have you made your decision?¡±


    Raphaello asked. Brepon nodded in response. ¡°Killing that thing takes priority.¡±


    Brepon finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°Divide¡¯s army will cooperate with the Allied Forces until then.¡±


    * * *


    The sound of weapons colliding had stopped and only the sound of footsteps filled Pittsburgh. Divide¡¯s army, aided by the Allied Forces, were evacuating the city while doing their best to maintain order.


    At the same time, some soldiers were moving amongst the rubble of nearby houses. Among them,ints began to surface.


    ¡°Seriously? Why are we destroying our own buildings? These are the pride of Divide!¡± ¡°I know.¡±


    Despite the considerable amount of dissatisfaction they had at the fact that they had to follow orders they did not understand, they moved diligently.


    Even though the order to cooperate with the enemy, whom they had been fighting with until now, could have been considered outrageous, there was less chaos than expected.


    ¡°Cooperate with the Allied Forces, that¡¯s the order from the Commander. Just follow the orders we¡¯re given.¡±


    One could say this was only possible for a kingdom like Divide, whose very governing order had been built on top of a military-like system. Even in chaos like this, the chain ofmand was distinct and well-managed.


    ¡®With this, the first preparations areplete.¡¯ Desir looked at the busy soldiers and felt at ease.


    He had entrusted Raphaello with Brepon¡¯s reconciliation, but he held doubts on whether it was actually usible. It was incredibly difficult to forgive someone who took yourrades¡¯ lives, let alone work alongside them.


    However, it was sessful. It was not the case where there was no opposition presented, but due to the circumstances they found themselves in, they formed a partnership in silence, quietlyining the entire time.


    ¡®We can probably make it on time.¡¯ *Crrrack*


    *Crrrrrrrrack*


    The crevice in the sky had erged.


    Fortunately, the crevice wasn¡¯t expanding particrly quickly, so they had plenty of time to evacuate citizens and begin preparing.


    ¡°Desir.¡±


    Desir turned his head. ¡°You¡¯ve finally arrived.¡±


    There were three people approaching him from behind. They were Raphaello, Adjest, and Brepon.


    Desir offered his hand to Brepon.


    ¡°At this moment, let¡¯s set aside any ill will and do our best for the citizens of Pittsburgh.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s what I was hoping for.¡±


    Themanders of Divide and the Allied Forces shook their hands.


    Desir looked at all of the people gathered while he spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to the point as our situation is dire. We need the three of you to undertake very important missions.¡±


    Immediately after, Desir operated hismunication pad and disyed a map.


    Using this map, Desir began exining the n that he made in order to destroy the Beast of Revtion.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    The three of them listened quietly to his exnation. Each of their facial expressions were rather amusing as they continued to morph as they listened to Desir.


    Brepon disyed the most change in his expression.


    In the beginning, Brepon had nothing but doubt in his heart.


    Not only had Desir been his enemy up until now, but what little he knew of the n didn¡¯t seem particrly well thought-out.


    To be honest, it was not an exaggeration to say that he did not trust him at all. ¡°That is all.¡±


    However, when Desir finished exining, Brepon could not help but open his mouth.


    He was aware that this was not the kind of demeanor he should have in front of someone who was once his enemy, but he was unable to hide his amazement.


    He opened his mouth cautiously.


    ¡°Is this alling from a credible source? How the hell would you get this kind of information¡­ ¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°Adjest and I faced that monster in the Shadow World. This information is what we figured out from that encounter.¡±


    To those who do not understand the situation, it was a convincing answer.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already detailed all its attacks. Your ability to gather information and n is something else Desir. It¡¯s like you¡¯ve killed it before.¡±


    Raphaello pat Desir on the back.


    ¡°Thanks to you, our job will be much easier.¡± ¡°I just did what I had to do.¡±


    Desir flinched for a second and smiled bitterly.


    ¡°¡­ Incredible. With this kind of information, killing it is definitely possible.¡±


    While Raphaello and Brepon were admiring Desir¡¯s n, Adjest alone remained silent. Adjest gazed at Desir in silence.


    The corner of her mouth flinched as if she were hesitating. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    It was at that moment when she, who had been hesitant to speak, opened her mouth. *Crash*


    The crevice rapidly unfolded, blotting out the sky: the Beast of Revtion had arrived.

 Chapter 265. The Beast of Revelation (5)

    <h4>Chapter 265. The Beast of Revtion (5)</h4>


    *Crack*


    The Beast of Revtion, which finally revealed itself as it emerged from the crevice, opened its eyes.


    In front of its eyes was a city covered in dawn light. It could also make out a long stretch of road and a towering, pitch-ck building.


    The Beast¡¯s eyes looked down.


    Countless people were surrounding the capital of the pce. They clearly seemed tense, but their eyes were full of determination.


    [Interesting beings, you humans. You survived the karma of destruction by employing all possible means.]


    A low-pitched voice resounded in their minds.


    The Beast of Revtion had spoken to the humans in the form of thoughts.


    [You all have managed to stand up amidst such disaster and reached this far. Excellent. I respect your efforts.]


    It seemed to understand humannguage and also possess intelligence, and this greatly confused people.


    Two impossible things were happening: firstly, the monster before them was nearly two hundred feet tall, a beast of cmity.


    However, the monster in front of their eyes was clearly speaking in humannguage. [However, one among you has summoned me through manipting cause and effect; through tampering with powers beyond your measure. Truly arrogant.]


    The tone of the voice prating their minds plunged.


    Its seven tails each began to move in different directions. Though the sky had returned to normal after the crevice closed behind the Beast, it was short-lived: the sky began to turn ghastly ck.


    [Because of that arrogance, everything on this continent will be greeted with destruction.] *Zap*


    *Zzzzap*


    Clouds devoid of color, a void-like anomaly against the dark sky, blotted out the sun and began to propagate at an rming rate. Before long, the entire sky was hidden above a canvas of cloud. Electricity arced in the sky, likely jumping between the clouds, their small currents the only discernible detail left above them.


    The humans instinctively sensed danger. No one was able to say anything at the overwhelming sight.


    *Crrrrash*


    A light strike swept down to the ground. Thunder that threatened to rend the sky echoed across the continent, and an intense sh of light nketed the entire world.


    Was the entire world going to melt?


    However, something seemed strange.


    Despite the enormous thunderbolt striking down from the dark clouds covering the entire Pittsburgh sky, the damage was not as severe as the Beast had expected, far weaker than its attacks prior to emerging from the Shadow World.


    The Beast¡¯s eyes scanned through the city.


    Oddly enough, the thunderbolts were only striking down on certain areas. [Oooh.]


    It could not help but utter an exmation. Lighting rods had been stationed across the city, forming a nullifying grid that would safely disrupt anyrge bolts and disperse them evenly across the city.


    The humans were surprised as well. ¡°So the steel rods that were installed¡­ ¡± ¡°So he anticipated this situation!¡±


    When all their doubts were resolved, the soldiers of the Divide¡¯s army, who were doubtful of Desir¡¯s order, were struck with admiration.


    ¡°¡­ Everyone move!¡±


    ¡°W-Wait! What was the order again?¡±


    They approved of Desir. Before, they followed the order of amander against their will, but now, their attitude hadpletely changed.


    ¡°Quickly repair the lightning rods!¡±


    ¡°Cool down the heat! We cannot let the steel melt!¡±


    The lightning rods, which attracted and harmlessly diverted the thunderbolts, were quickly repaired by the magicians who had been ced there in advance.


    [-All magicians, open fire!]


    At the same time, the Allied Forces returned fire.


    The military troops that had previously been besieging the capital started to arrange spells at the same time. Numerous spells were arranged together and formed a strange flow of mana. ¡°First Magic Corps, arrangement of spell techniquesplete.¡±


    ¡°Second Magic Corps¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Third Magic Corps¡­ ¡±


    The spells that the elite magicians of Divide and the Allied Forces arranged werepleted and fired.


    The artillery attack spells fired by humans in full force caught the eyes of the Beast of Revtion.


    [Excellent, however¡­ ] *Crrrrrack*


    The ground shook and the ins began shaking so violently that it felt like they were turning upside down. Something then soared up from beneath the ground.


    *Swoosh*


    An enormous amount of powder soared from the ground, gathered in front of the Beast¡¯s eyes, and began to swirl, forming a red shield.


    It was iron sand.


    The Beast had used its ability to manipte electricity in order to maize the iron sand in the ground and build a shield.


    [Not enough.]


    Shortly after, there was a collision. *Crash*


    *Craaaash*


    The artillery spells and the red shield collided, and powerful wind currents from the resulting explosions threatened to topple the soldiers.


    Just when the shield began to give way, unable to withstand the ceaseless bombardment, it was suddenly restored. The Beast had brought up more iron sand, and reinforced the damaged and broken sections.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe it¡­ ¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    The full-blown bombardments from the magicians of Divide and the Allied Forces were unable to even reach the Beast.


    At that moment, when they were all still appalled, the iron sand forming the red shield moved. It split and lumped together to form ten giant bullets, each one meter in diameter. Visible arcs of electricity jumped along the surface of each of them, and Pittsburgh was filled with a deadly silence; not even the birds dared to sing their morning song.


    It was an electromaic eleration gun.


    Ten bullets were fired at supersonic speed, the sonic booms only being heard several seconds after they were fired.


    *Bang* *B-B-B-Bang*


    It was a disaster that could not be prevented by human power and deserving of being called a natural cmity on their own.


    The pitch-ck high-rise buildings, the very pride and symbol of Pittsburgh, werepletely demolished as the bullets collided with them. The heart of Pittsburgh was razed to the ground in an instant.


    However, there was one ce that remained intact amidst this dire situation. ¡°Calcte all the trajectories of the bullets!¡±


    ¡°Recalcte the angles of the bullets that areing in from thirty to thirty-two degrees! The offset wasn¡¯t perfect!¡±


    The magicians of Divide¡¯s army and the Allied Forces had targeted the bullets and nudged them off their trajectory. It was not a perfect result, but they were able to prevent fatal damage.


    *Thudd*


    *Thuddddd*


    The sound of the atmosphere tearing apart resonated again.


    The iron sand was forming into new bullets once again. The Beast¡¯s attack did not have any clear limitations, and would not end with a single burst of shots.


    The magicians ceaselessly calcted offensive spells and desperately attempted to alter the trajectory of the bullets.


    ¡°Make sure to defend this ce at any cost!¡±


    One could not say it was an easy task. In order to predict the path of bullets travelling at a supersonic speed and offset that power, they had to calcte spells that had an error-free uracy rate and an equivalent level of power.


    There were not many magicians on the continent capable of doing this task, therefore it was a countermeasure that was only possible in theory.


    However, there was a magician who could make up for the shorings of others. Romantica Eru.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Every time the electromaic eleration gun was fired, she pulled the trigger of her rifle. *B-B-B-Bang*


    With every payload fired, Romantica precisely calcted their trajectories through their impact on their air current and lined her shot so they would collide mid-air.


    Her talent was truly worthy of being called extreme sniping.


    Arranging spells at a rate beyond her limit had severe consequences. Her vision blurred slightly, and she felt a trickle of blood fall down the side of her face.


    She had no time to waste on wiping a bloody nose. Hundreds of lives could be lost if she was distracted for even a single moment.


    Romantica continued to arrange spells desperately. *B-B-B-B-Bang*


    However, the situation seemed ceaseless. The Beast had no limit on its attacks, but Romantica was only human. Their guard would eventually fall, and that would be the end of humanity. Little by little, the Allied Forces were losing their strength to maintain this herculean effort.


    In contrast, the Beast of Revtion was maintaining the same momentum from the beginning. The Beast of Revtion had seemingly limitless power. As long as the attackers did not do something special, it could exert its power endlessly.


    Despite such circumstances, Divide and the Allied Forces desperately endured.


    The Beast of Revtion curiously watched them, these pitiful humans who trembled but still refused to escape.


    They were locked in despair, faced with a power beyond all standards, but they did not copse. They did not retreat.


    Could it be possible that they are not willing to withdraw even if they knowingly could not win?


    Or¡­ Were they thinking that they had a chance?


    A chance in destroying him?


    *Vrummm*


    The Beast of Revtion sensed something from a different direction other than where the humans were gathered in.


    It was less than three-hundred meters away.


    There was a group of people rapidly approaching the Beast.


    They were Adjest, Raphaello and Brepon.


    The Beast of Revtion moved its tail as soon as it recognized them.


    Dark clouds flowed out of its body and began to spread at a great speed. They instantly encircled the trio, soon after confining them within a dome of cloud.


    *Zzzzzap*


    Electric shocks burst forth from the clouds, presumably whatever bolts could not hit their target hade gushing out.


    Raphaello swung his Gram just in time. Eight materialized wheels rotated along with the sword and extended out to form a shield.


    That was the greatest power that Raphello, Shield of the Empire, could deliver.


    The dark clouds indiscriminately unleashed tens of thousands of electric shocks and melted everything within range. The debris of the buildings, which had already been destroyed and scattered, turned molten as the ground itself began to churn like magma.


    Lightning continued to pour out of the clouds, the strikes seeming like they would never end. Finally, after over thirty seconds of attack, the clouds parted. Every geographic feature of the city had been lost, the surrounding area reduced to t igneous rock.


    However, the three of them were standing there, unscathed.


    The voice of the Beast of Revtion was low.


    [Was it this?]


    Its doubt was resolved.


    These three people were the hope of humanity. The humans were able to endure, believing that these three would manage to obtain victory somehow.


    When the dark clouds disappeared, they ran towards the Beast of Revtion at the speed of light.


    Raphaello and Brepon were King-ss after all, and Adjest was not far behind them, having strengthened her body through Imagery Magic and running hundreds of meters in seconds. There was no time to wait for the dark clouds to appear again.


    [Interesting. Go on, show me the power of the humans of this era.] A streak of thunder shot out from the Beast¡¯s horn.


    The thunderbolts had beenunched without a clear windup and traveled at a speed invisible to the human eye. Even if they were the peak of humanity, no human is capable of the reaction speed necessary to block this attack.


    *Crrrrrrrrrraack*


    The Beast predicted their course and aligned the bolt to collide with them. The area between them was emzoned in me, the bolt acting as ignition for the dust that still hung in the air. [¡­ !]


    However, no one was caught up in these mes.


    Brepon, leader of the Janissaries, had deflected the thunderbolt with his sword. He felt numbness in his arm and sighed in relief.


    ¡®Just as he said.¡¯


    Brepon recalled Desir¡¯s exnation just prior to the battle.


    * * *


    ¡°The thunderbolt that is shot from the Beast¡¯s body always shoots out in the direction indicated by its third tail.¡±


    * * *


    Desir¡¯s information was precise.


    Its attack was impossible to block after it had already been fired, no matter how fast one moved.


    However, if one knows when and where the attack would be made, it would not be difficult to deflect it.


    At least, it wasn¡¯t difficult for a King-ss swordsman, who had wed his way to the most powerful rank of his craft.


    ¡®Just like right now!¡¯ *Zzzzzzap*


    He deflected the electric shock that came in again.


    His arm was numb. He only blocked three times, but he had already used up almost all of his aura.


    ¡®But it¡¯s going as nned.¡¯


    The moment Brepon confronted the Beast of Revtion, he swallowed dryly. When he got closer, the two hundred foot tall creature somehow seemed evenrger.


    ¡®Just as Desir nned.¡¯ However, he was not afraid.


    ¡®The Sword Grand Master will block the most powerful dark clouds and I will block the electric shocks thate in at high speed. And in the meantime between those¡­ ¡¯


    At that moment, a bitter chill spread all over. The ground, which was melted and churning, instantly froze over.


    Adjest Kingscrown had released her power. [Magic Sword: Frozen World]


    Adjest ced the most powerful Imagery Magic that she could cast on her Center of Ice in the form of a Magic Sword. She included all of the auras at her disposal too.


    *Vrum*


    *Vrum*


    Imagery Magic and the unique technique of a Magical Swordsman merged together. With aura added to it, the force that the Center of Ice now emanated was far beyond what Raphaello¡¯s and Brepon¡¯s swords were capable of.


    Her silver hair fluttered and her new attack wasunched. *Swish*


    Along with a terrifying sound, the second tail of the Beast was lopped off.

 Chapter 266. The Beast of Revelation (6)

    <h4>Chapter 266. The Beast of Revtion (6)</h4>


    There was a silver tower built on the outskirts of Pittsburgh, several miles away from the Pce of Divide.


    It was one of the towers Skull Mask had built across the Kingdom of Divide in order to create Shadow Worlds.


    A few months ago, the tower had beenpletely destroyed in the battle between Swan Katarina and Icarus Quirgo, and had since been restored again to perform its job.


    Desir was at that silver tower, currently the highest structure in Pittsburgh.


    He looked down at the war situation from the tower roof and ceaselessly issued orders by arrangingmunication spells.


    ¡°Infantry unit, retreat! Divide¡¯s unit, support the infantry¡¯s retreat!"


    Magic Artillery spells were simultaneously shot towards the Beast of Revtion. Human magic had been blocked by the iron sand shield and no damage had been inflicted on the Beast.


    *B-B-B-Bang*


    However, this time, it was different. It was only partial, but the magic artillery spells prated the shield and reached the Beast.


    ¡®Now it¡¯s just a matter of time.¡¯


    The seven tails that the Beast of Revtion carried each held different abilities. The ability of the second tail that Adjest cut off was responsible for its endless mana.


    Desir knew each of the tail¡¯s abilities and had devised his n based on the three strongest swordsmen he had avable: Adjest, Raphaello, and Brepon.


    [How do you know me so well?] Their strategy was sessful.


    Each of the three had seeded in their role and the second tail had been severed. The Beast of Revtion could no longer carelessly use its transcendental power.


    ¡°All Magic Corps, maintain your artillery spells!¡±


    But it did not mean that they now faced an easier opponent.


    Their effort amounted to nothing more than blocking a tap.


    Just like how a spring does not dry up when the tap connected to it is blocked, the Beast of Revtion was still equipped with a huge amount of mana, and even Desir didn¡¯t know how much it had left.


    ¡®As long as there is a limit on the amount of mana it possesses, there is only one decision that the Beast can make.¡¯


    A short-term, deciding match.


    There was no way it would choose to save its strength against humans who were enduring such overwhelming attacks.


    [Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.] *Zzzap*


    The Beast of Revtion began to give off sparks and soon, the body that seemed to be wearing ck armor gradually shed brightly.


    [I shall respond to the fighting method that you fools suggested.]


    Spanning two hundred feet, the ck, gigantic figure became the incarnation of thunder itself, raging in full force.


    Desir remembered what was in front of him. ¡®It¡¯s entering its Origin Form¡¯


    The artillery spells were continuously shot, but now that the Beast of Revtion had be thunder incarnate, their attacks were useless.


    The moment the spell reached its target, the Beast¡¯s body momentarily distorted and the shot effortlessly passed through it. Only a few spells actually hit their mark; they were helpless against its Origin Form.


    *Zzzzap*


    Any physical object that approached the Beast of Revtion melted.


    When the Beast swung its tails around, Divide¡¯s army and the Allied Forces were helplessly swept away.


    *B-B-B-B-Bang*


    Nevertheless, the artillery spells continued. ¡°Do not yield! Keep firing!¡±


    These attacks were notpletely meaningless.


    It was only very little, but the size of the Beast¡¯s Origin Form was gradually shrinking. They were reducing its power by consuming its thunderbolts.


    Considering the losses incurred to cause that damage, it was certainly a very inefficient battle. However, the humans did not yield. The Beast of Revtion had revealed its Origin Form and disyed even stronger power, but rather than giving up, the humans were burning with fierce determination and devoted their lives to the cause.


    ¡®It hoped to end the fight quickly, and likely expended most of its mana to keep its Origin Form up. Still, we managed to survive. Without its mana supply, the Beast is hurting for options¡­ ¡¯


    *Zzzzap*


    Desir held his breath.


    He waited. For the chance to turn the situation around.


    ¡®Before long, the Beast will realize it¡¯s in danger and has to win, no matter the cost.¡¯ An enormous amount of electric current flowed out from the Beast of Revtion.


    ¡®If it wants to end the fight quickly, it¡¯ll need to destroy the majority of the enemy in one blow. In that case, it¡¯ll probably try to¡­ ¡¯


    *Crrrash*


    An ear-piercing thunderp echoed from the sky right after Desir¡¯s thought.


    Among the abilities of the Beast of Revtion, its traditional lightning strikes had thergest area of effect.


    Up until now, Desir had minimized their damage by installing lightning rods throughout Pittsburgh. But with all the damage done during their fight, the rods had long since been destroyed. Installing new ones would be impossible.


    Facing arge number of enemies in the Beast¡¯s current situation, that was the most rational attack for reducing their number.


    ¡®And that is why it is easy to predict.¡¯


    The opportunity came.


    Desir closed his eyes. Then, he felt a particr flow of manaing from the Beast of Revtion.


    Even with a transcendental level of power, mana had fundamentalws that even the Beast could not circumvent.


    Desir Arman was someone who had reached the apex in analyzing and destroying such rules.


    No creature could match his ability to invert spells.


    Even the dragon¡¯s draconic spells fell apart in front of him.


    The Beast of Revtion was no exception.


    However, that did not mean that the inversion was an all-powerful technique. The more powerful the spell, and the moreplicated the spell array, the more time it took to invert. The power that the Beast of Revtion used was aplicated form indeed, many times moreplicated than the Human¡¯s mana circle system. It did not reach the level of a draconic spell, but it was clearly beyond the human realm.


    It was impossible for even Desir to invert all of the Beast¡¯s power in a short amount of time. If he wanted to fully nullify the Beast¡¯s attack, he would either need more time or something else to help bridge the gap.


    ¡®Just as expected.¡¯


    And so he set up such a situation.


    Desir forced the Beast of Revtion to make a predictable decisive move, based on what he recalled from his previous life.


    Timing, spell choice, and target.


    Knowing when the Beast would attack, which spell it would use, and where it would invoke its spell waspletely different from inverting a spell on the fly.


    *Crraasshh*


    The thunderbolts charged towards the ground, threatening to wipe the entirety of Divide and the Allied Forces from the surface.


    A thunderous roar echoed in the mountains, and the dark clouds loomed overhead. All of those disappeared.


    [What¡­ !]


    A dismayed thought wave resonated.


    The Beast of Revtion raised its head.


    It turned its gaze to the silver tower. Desir Arman stood defiantly. [It was you.]


    An enormous body that shed with thunderbolts


    He was facing an enormous body that was shing with thunderbolts and was pointing his staff at the Beast of Revtion without hesitation.


    [So you¡¯re the hope of humanity.]


    An enormous amount of mana began to billow up.


    He began to activate the spell in front of it as if he was saying ¡°your opponent is here¡±. [Gravity Control]


    *Crrrrack*


    The gravity of the area where the beast stood increased a thousandfold and the ground sank down in the blink of an eye.


    Even though it transformed theposition of its body into that of thunderbolts, as long as it had mass, it could not bepletely liberated from the effect of gravity.


    The Beast of Revtion¡¯s movement was momentarily restricted and the fact that it could not quickly escape was crucial.


    *Crrrack*


    The ground copsed and a vast cave was formed. The Beast was buried there altogether. That was not the end of it.


    A spell technique unfolded once again in front of Desir. A red ring on his finger sparkled.


    Memorize.


    Desir unsparingly released the spells he had stored in it. [Howl of Magma]


    [Binder of Earth]


    Spells at the Seventh-Circle of power, each one of which was world-shattering, fired consecutively.


    As a result, an attack with power that far exceeded that of the artillery spells which Divide¡¯s army and the Allied Forces hadmitted all of their resources into firing had been invoked. *Crraaash*


    Magma gushed out from the hole that held the Beast of Revtion captive.


    It was like a volcano erupting.


    A massive flood of magma erupted from the sunken pit, rising nearly a hundred feet into the sky.


    Soon after, a gigantic sphere began to form in the air.


    It covered the sun and cast a huge shadow.


    Then, when Desir beckoned downwards, the enormous sphere was shot towards the cave that contained the Beast of Revtion.


    *Baaaaang*


    All the soldiers were deafened.


    Sharp winds shot out from the resulting collision. Knights who were unfortunate enough to be too close wereunched through the air and mmed hard into the ground. Even at Desir¡¯s distance, the wind had enough momentum to sway his hair and robe.


    He alone had sealed off the Beast of Revtion¡¯s escape paths, a being whose movement could only be stopped when a good number of people frantically put their all into doing so. Desir was waiting for the right moment. The moment where a power vacuum was generated by inverting a lightning strike that contained a massive amount of power.


    [-I-I can¡¯t believe it!]


    The voices of those who were astonished were delivered through amunication spell. ¡°Do not let your guards down! Everyone, arrange artillery spells!¡±


    However, Desir knew that this would not be the end. *Baaaaang*


    A streak of lightning soared from under the ground, where the Beast of Revtion had been buried. The heat of the thunderbolt melted the sphere which covered the hole, as well as the whole surrounding area.


    The surging electric shock soon formed into the Beast again. Although its size had noticeably reduced, it was still menacing.


    Even though three Seventh-Circle spells were arranged, it was only able to buy them time and nothing more.


    However, Desir wasn¡¯t worried.


    ¡®It did good damage, but I never thought that would be enough to kill it.¡¯


    Because he had once confronted the monster before him, he never thought his attack would be enough to fatally wound it.


    ¡®I will finish you now.¡¯

 Chapter 267. The Beast of Revelation (7)

    <h4>Chapter 267. The Beast of Revtion (7)</h4>


    The amount of thunderbolts that formed the body of the Beast of Revtion had been considerably reduced.


    Humans ceaselessly fired artillery spells, unwilling to let go of their chance at victory Numerous sparks and a feast of ice explosions erupted from the body of the Beast. *Thud*


    The Beast of Revtion paced around nervously.


    Then, an intense wave of thunderbolt broke out from its body. *Zzzzzzzap*


    A blinding sh of light and a shock wave spread out around it. ¡°Keeeeeuk!¡±


    The amount of artillery spells that were incessantly flooding in was reduced because of the attack that spread out in all directions.


    At that moment, the Beast of Revtion began moving towards Desir. It had judged that he was the greatest threat present.


    *Crash*


    *Crrrash*


    The body, made up of thunderbolts itself, melted every obstacle in its path. It was like a tsunami of lightning.


    Desir saw the thunderbolt monster approaching him and struck his staff down. *Thud*


    The moment his staff touched the tower, a spell began to unfold from the end of his staff.


    The spell rapidly developed around the tower, coating it like a drop of ink dispersing in a pool of water.


    It started from the top of the tower and soon reached the basement. [System Control]


    This tower was a structure designed to use vast amounts of magic stones to create phenomena beyond what humans were capable of casting.


    Desir put the essence of this research that Skull Mask had devoted his life to under his control. *Crrrrack*


    The power source that was used to create artificial Shadow Worlds began moving under his control.


    *Vruuuuuum*


    At that moment, a sound like hundreds of people whispering simultaneously, emanated from his mouth.


    ¡°------------¡±


    At the same time, a spell array, beautiful beyond words, unfolded in front of his eyes.


    At first, the letters of the spell array were engraved one by one, but they were soon drawn at an unbelievably fast speed. Then, they began forming a particr shape.


    It was a spell technique that Desir reproduced in modern times by interpreting a transcendental power, something that was long extinct in this world.


    As his voice continued, the unfolding spell array became more and more immense. ¡®Keukkk¡­ !¡¯


    Desir swallowed his voice, his throat feeling as if it had almost exploded. He was feeling intense pain, as if his body was being torn into pieces.


    It was only a feeling of pain, but Desir knew that if he continued any longer, he would not get away with just feeling pain.


    This was his body telling him to stop now.


    He secured enough mana to arrange a draconic spell, leveraging the numerous magic stones in the tower, but there was no substitute for Prisci who could restore his deteriorating body. Without her help, it certainly would not end with the loss of an eye.


    However, Desir did not stop.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t want to use this since I haven¡¯t been able to test it, but¡­ ¡­ ¡¯ [Circle Synchronization]


    *Cliiiiing*


    Another spell,pletely different to the one unfolding in front of him, appeared. It was a spell that the Beast of Revtion prepared in advance before it appeared in this world.


    The spell that Desir created with his heart and soul began unfolding on a full-scale. *Crrrack*


    There was a sound of a bone breaking.


    Desir felt an extremely acute pain, enough to forget the pain of his whole body being torn apart.


    There was a tremendous amount of pain in his circles, an organ akin to a second heart for magicians. Desir felt an unimaginable pain.


    ¡°------------¡±


    However, Desir endured. If he stopped arranging the spell because he could not ovee the pain, all the hardships they went through would go right down the drain.


    This was the opportunity that was created through the countless sacrifices of others. He could not let this opportunity slip through his fingers.


    Circle Assimtion.


    The spell that Desir invented by himself was for reconstructing his mana circles to allow the assimtion of an external one.


    There was only one reason this spell was created.


    To allow for the invocation of a draconic spell.


    It was to use a transcendental power, something far beyond the capacity of humans to call upon.


    Because Desir arranged a draconic spell with his own mana circles in Deltaheim, he had to bear the entire burden alone. However, with this spell, it was possible to share the burden. Desir felt the space between the artificial mana circle made in the tower and his own mana circles disappearing.


    And with this, the burden of arranging the draconic spell was greatly reduced. However, this still would not be enough.


    *Thud*


    At that moment, Desir kneeled down.


    The blood vessels all over his body bursted and blood flowed out freely. His vision became blurry and he began losing his sight.


    The limit to this Circle Assimtion was a single circle.


    Even if two parties shared the burden of the Draconic spell, that burden was not something that either party could bear so easily


    Nevertheless, Desir did not let go of his staff and continued arranging the draconic spell. He looked straight ahead with his vision clouded with blood.


    The Beast of Revtion had never stopped approaching. The destroyed city was only the precursor to what it had nned for Desir and the rest of humanity.


    ¡®With this¡­ ¡­ ¡¯


    He reached out with great difficulty. Desir unfolded thest spell which he had prepared while arranging the draconic spell.


    [Sacrifice of Nirvana]


    The pain subsided and the deterioration of his body stopped. ¡°------------¡±


    It was not that the arrangement of the draconic spell had stopped. The side effects from arranging the draconic spell hadpletely disappeared.


    *Crrrrack*


    Instead, the tower began screaming.


    Sacrifice of Nirvana.


    This spell had redirected all of the burden to the tower that had been assimted with Desir¡¯s mana circles.


    In other words, the draconic spell was being arranged by the tower¡¯s mana circle, operating alongside Desir.


    The tower shook ceaselessly, but did not copse. This was because it was a structure essentially made in a form that could operate a vast magic circle in order to form Shadow Worlds.


    There were no longer any distractions that hindered Desir¡¯s calctions.


    Desir wiped the dripping blood and stood up.


    ¡®This is the end.¡¯


    The Beast of Revtion was not intimidated by the draconic spell arrays in front of its eyes. [Kaaaarrgh!]


    *Zzzzap*


    *Zzzzzzzap*


    Powerful thunderbolts raged out around the Beast as it roared.


    The six tails undted simultaneously.


    The Beast brought out all of its power to face one human.


    It knew well that the spell being arranged in front of its eyes could not be dealt with if it saved its remaining power.


    *Crack*


    *Grrrind*


    The thunderbolts that billowed up began coalescing at a single point. Before too long, they had gradually begun to form a sphere. It was almost like a sun made up of thunderbolts.


    Then.


    * * *


    ¡°Do not be frugal with the magic stones! Maintain maximum speed!¡± There was an airship moving quickly towards Pittsburgh.


    Aboard the vessel was Zod, and the other members of the Magic Tower under hismand. Zod supplied his mana to power the airship while touching the floor of the deck with his staff. It was not as fast as Valkyrie, but the airship was still made with the Magic Tower¡¯stest technology and held tremendous speed.


    When a huge amount of magic stones and Zod¡¯s mana were added to the equation, the airship¡¯s engine was literally exploding with power. Though it was currently setting records for what such a device was capable of, it would almost certainly need to be fully reced before the ship was used again.


    ¡®A magical monster, the very incarnation of thunder itself¡­ ¡¯


    Zod, who was informed of the situation in Pittsburgh throughmunication magic, could not hide his anxiety.


    It was said that the strength of the Beast of Revtion was greater than Dadenewt.


    Because Zod confronted Dadenewt, he knew better than most just how awesome this creature was.


    ¡®With the spells that Desir has been preparing so far, it may be possible to take action. But there¡¯s no guarantee that we¡¯ll be able to win.¡¯


    Zod swallowed his thoughts. Zod wanted to use a teleportation spell at once to quickly head to Pittsburgh.


    However, doing so would result in his mana being depleted and he would likely be a burden on his allies. He could not risk any action that would make the difficult situation even worse.


    Therefore, the best he could do was maintain the power to the ship and move as fast as possible.


    ording to his calctions, he had ten minutes left before reaching Pittsburgh.


    Zod continued checking the time. At that moment, amunication spell came in through his crystal ball.


    [-Tower Master, we have joined up with Donape.] It was a call from Prisci.


    ¡°You just joined him now?¡±


    Prisci responded to Zod, who raised his voice slightly while grumbling.


    [-It cannot be helped. We don¡¯t have anyone capable of supplying as much mana as you, Tower Master.]


    It was true. Zod realized that he had be slightly enraged and began speaking with a calm voice.


    ¡°I would much appreciate it if you could hurry. We¡¯ll join up with Desir first, so contact us as soon as you¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Zod suddenly stopped speaking and looked up at the sky. [-Tower Master?]


    ¡°¡­ Prisci, look at the sky.¡±


    [-What do you mean? Why should I look¡­ ]


    Prisci, who looked at the sky in doubt, noticed the anomaly like Zod had.


    The sky, which had been clear a moment ago, was bing dark little by little. It was not dark because of clouds, and it was not an eclipse either.


    Something was fundamentally different. [-Wh-What the hell is happening?] Prisci raised a question.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    There was no one there who had an answer to that question.


    There were very little clues to go on.


    ¡°But one thing is for certain¡­ ¡±


    Zod raised his head and looked towards Pittsburgh. Even at this distance, Zod could feel a vast amount of mana churning.


    In other words¡­


    ¡°The battle in Pittsburgh¡­ ising to an end.¡±


    The sun lost its light, and soon the whole world fell into darkness.

 Chapter 268. The Beast of Revelation (8)

    <h4>Chapter 268. The Beast of Revtion (8)</h4>


    The light was gone.


    The soldiers¡¯ march continued on the main street of Pittsburgh, which was now covered in darkness.


    Divide¡¯s army and the Allied Forces that were besieging the Beast of Revtion began retreating. The moment the Beast had released its power, Desir ordered everyone to fall back. The marching soldiers could not help turning their heads towards the Beast, casting anxious nces at it.


    The thunderbolts were continuously gathering and forming an enormous sphere. It was difficult to specte what kind of power that sphere possessed.


    *Crrrash*


    *Crrrrrash*


    Lightning strikes burst out from the source of light that shone like a miniature sun. It was a sight that was reminiscent of the end of the century.


    ¡°How is he going to stop that by himself¡­ ¡±


    The majority of the people there had simr thoughts.


    It had already been proven that Desir¡¯s skills left no room for doubt, but they could not see how he would be able to stop it by himself.


    Just when many of them were in despair, something changed at the silver tower. Innumerable symbols appeared at the spot where a strange spell array was unfolding. *Cliiiiing*


    And in time, the light formed into something. ¡°¡­ A bow?¡±


    The moment everyone¡¯s attention was focused on someone¡¯s mumble, the Beast of Revtion began to move. *Zzzzzzzzap*


    A sphere made out of thunderbolts distorted and was suddenlyunched towards Desir at a tremendous speed.


    *Baaaaaaang*


    As the thunderbolt,pressed to its limit, was shot, Pittsburgh, which had been immersed in darkness, became covered with dazzling light.


    The thunderbolts became a wave and swallowed up everything in its path. The soldiers, unable to do anything other than watch, were frozen with fear. However, Desir calmly looked at the disastering in and spoke indifferently. [Arrow of Destruction]


    At that moment, an arrow of light shot out from the bow that had formed in front of Desir. *Crrrrrrrrash*


    A roaring sound resonated almost at the same time.


    The arrow that was shot, which seemed as if it were capable of dividing the world, created a red line from which a red me rose up from.


    Everything that touched the me disappeared without a trace.


    The waves of thunderbolts were no exception.


    *Crrrrash*


    The humans were in disbelief.


    The zing red mes devoured the waves of lightning.


    The enormous thunderbolts lost their form and disappeared in the heat of the red mes that rose from the arrow.


    The heart of the enormous wave of thunderbolts was dispersing. The arrow continued through and pierced the Beast of Revtion. *Baaaaang*


    The moment the arrow pierced through the Beast, an enormous pir of me soared up from where itnded.


    A burning heat nketed all of Pittsburgh. ¡°My god¡­ ¡±


    Someone mumbled.


    Everyone who was watching this sight felt the same way. All the people busy retreating stopped in ce and were not able to take their eyes off the overwhelming sight.


    Desir¡¯s spell was clearly beyond the Seventh-Circle, a level considered to be the highest tier that humans could reach.


    ¡°With this¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°It may be possible.¡±


    It was not long before the heat gradually subsided and the mes disappeared. Amid the thick clouds of smoke, humans truly wished for a sight of nothingness. [Time and time again, you don¡¯t let me down.]


    The low-pitched voice prating their mind destroyed their hope. [But again, it was not enough.]


    The Beast of Revtion, now reduced to half its original size, appeared amid the mes that were subsiding.


    The mythical monster could not be stopped even though Desir showed miraculous power beyond the limits of humans.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s over.¡±


    The high hopes of the humans copsed and they were struck with even greater despair. It was a long battle indeed.


    The Beast of Revtion began approaching the silver tower in order to end the battle. However, not long after, it was stopped.


    Its astonished thought resonated. [What¡­ ¡­ !]


    The light gathered once again and formed a bow at the top of the tower. *Baaaaaaang*


    A huge pir of mes soared and a scream-like roar erupted almost simultaneously. At the top of the silver tower.


    Desir spoke as he watched the Beast of Revtion let out a piercing scream. ¡°If that wasn¡¯t enough, I¡¯ll just shoot again.¡±


    An arrow was shot from his hand once more.


    Arrow of Destruction was a spell that used the energy of the sun, thergest source of energy in the world.


    As long as there was a sun, it was possible to use its infinite power over and over again. The light in Pittsburgh dimmed once again as Desir harnessed the entirety of it. *B-B-B-B-B-Bang*


    The sound of explosions did not stop.


    With each arrow fired, another pir of me soared and shattered the sky.


    The size of the Beast of Revtion gradually decreased due to the incredible heat that burnt even the thunderbolts.


    A mythical monster.


    A mythical being that destroyed innumerable civilizations was being ravaged by a single human being.


    ¡®There are two ways to destroy the Arrow of Destruction.¡¯


    The first method was to invert the spell technique itself, the very core of the Arrow of Destruction. In his previous life, Desir and hisrades had done just that when they fought Bhromier Napolitan, pressuring the dragon to give Desir the time necessary.


    However, this was only possible because it was Desir who did it. Therefore, it was an impossible choice for the Beast of Revtion.


    The second method was quite simple. One only had to kill the magician who was arranging the spell.


    Killing Desir, the person arranging the spell, or destroying the tower itself, which was being used to sustain the spell, would end it.


    This second method was much simpler rtive to the first method. ¡®But.¡¯


    *Crrrrash*


    A tail made out of thunderbolts fired, prating the pir of mes apanied by the sound of thunder.


    However, it was unable to reach Desir.


    The thunderbolt tail gradually disintegrated and soon disappeared as if it had evaporated. ¡®That should be impossible as well.¡¯


    With the projectile stopped and the fire beginning to clear up, a melted down, pitch-ck, gigantic figure revealed itself. It had suffered so much that it was unable to maintain its Origin Form any longer.


    It had consumed most of its mana and no longer had any power to attack. ¡°This is the end.¡±


    Right before the arrow was shot, the Beast and Desir exchanged nces.


    It was a moment of tranquility.


    The Beast of Revtion did not show further resistance; whether it had exhausted every option or not, it had admitted its defeat.


    [In the end, I was the one who wasn¡¯t good enough.]


    Its thought resonated once more, and Desir drew his bow.


    * * *


    Pittsburgh Pce.


    There was a hollow cave thousands of feet below. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Skull Mask¡¯s mumbling echoed in the cave.


    The cave had been retrofitted, installed with numerous test tubes and futuristic looking scientific tools, along with a plethora of artifacts. Spell arrays lined the inside of the cave, clearly archaic in arrangement.


    Skull Mask was looking into a mirror, The Mirror That Holds Shadows, which had been moved from the centralmand room.


    The inside of the cave shook, along with the sound of an explosion that could be heard even from deep underground.


    That was all. Despite the great collision between the Beast of Revtion and Desir, this ce was still unscathed.


    After all, this was the power source.


    This was the most important ce in Divide. The most important ce on the continent. Here, in this room, was the power source for all the towers he had constructed, the most necessary tool for fulfilling his purpose.


    Skull Mask had strengthened the facility¡¯s defense system by using all of the methods at his disposal, all to protect the source.


    However, all of these measures were about to be meaningless.


    Even if powerful defense systems were made, it would still be impossible to stop the Allied Forces if they attacked the cave directly.


    Skull mask grumbled.


    ¡°How did they destroy the Beast of Revtion with technology from this era¡­ ¡±


    No matter how much Desir Arman had prepared, no one knew more about the Beast of Revtion than Skull Mask.


    He had dyed his n, despite it nearing fruition, in order to dispose of his enemies once and for all.


    ¡°Desir Arman¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    However, Desir surpassed all expectations. Even though he included Desir as an unpredictable variable, capable of defeating Dadenewt and pulling off other impossible feats, the Allied Forces shouldn¡¯t have been capable of defeating the Beast.


    The Mirror That Holds Shadows informed him that two fleets were approaching Pittsburgh. ¡®The Master of the Magic Tower, the Saint, and the King of the North?¡¯


    The situation was bing worse and worse. He was already overwhelmed with just the people in Pittsburgh, but he would soon need to contend with the strongest people on the continent.


    It was now impossible to stop them with Divide¡¯s army.


    This was made even harder because Brepon, themander-in-chief, had even been turned against him. Divide was no longer on his side.


    Skull Mask did not think that it would be possible to confront all of Divide¡¯s army and the Allied Forces, no matter how strong he was.


    The power source had to be protected at all costs. If he could not win by fighting, he had to run away and n for the future.


    Desir Arman.


    If only Desir was gone, there would be no one to stop his n.


    Though it would be nice if he could immediately eliminate him, Skull Mask, an immortal, had another way.


    Even Desir would not be able to ovee the passage of time as long as he was a human being. All Skull Mask had to do was wait for him to die of old age and start nning once again.


    However, Skull Mask did not choose to do so.


    He held an intense grudge.


    Skull Mask had never felt such an intense hatred during his long life.


    He had abandoned all of his personal feelings, in order to walk the path that would fulfill the will of the Goddess.


    But not now.


    ¡°I will kill you right here without fail.¡±


    Skull Mask stood up with determination. He strode towards the power source. He put his hand on it. His crazy eyes lit up in the darkness.


    The spell arrays shone faintly inside the cave.


    Someone¡¯s shadow appeared behind Skull Mask.

 Chapter 269. The Beast of Revelation (9)

    <h4>Chapter 269. The Beast of Revtion (9)</h4>


    In the center of Pittsburgh, the traces of a fierce battle were fully visible. The intense heat still had not cooled down, and the ground was flowing likeva. It was difficult to believe that this ce was where the Royal Pce once stood.


    There was a group of five people heading towards that area: Desir, Adjest, Pram, Romantica, and Raphaello.


    Adjest created a safe path by freezing theva with an ice spell, and Raphello protected the group from the heat by deploying his remaining aura into a hemispherical shape.


    Among them, there was not a single person who was unscathed. Everyone was covered head to toe in wounds.


    However, their expressions were bright. Desir¡¯s attention was drawn to something while walking and looking around. There was something that was not melting in the flowingva.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    It was shrapnel from the Beast of Revtion¡¯s body.


    Desir recalled a memory from his past life while looking at it.


    The tremendous amount of sacrifice that followed in order to attack the Beast of Revtion.


    It was a monster that was sessfully killed after all the military forces, everything that humankind was able to gather, fought desperately; tens of thousands of people died as a result. ¡®We managed to defeat it.¡¯


    They had seeded in defeating the Beast of Revtion with small scale military forces, a situation iparably different to his previous life. Moreover, the casualties were only in the hundreds. It certainly was not a small number, but considering the result of the scale of casualties when attacking the Beast of Revtion in his previous life, this was a tremendous achievement.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Impressive, powerful magic.¡±


    Raphaello, who was staring at a zing, red me, suddenly spoke to Desir.


    ¡°I cannot imagine how we would have killed it if you weren¡¯t here. We¡¯re all safe and sound, thanks to you. You did a great job, Desir.¡±


    ¡°It was only possible because everyone cooperated. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it by myself.¡±


    It was not idle ttery, he was utterly sincere.


    Even though it was a draconic spell, it was not an easy task to take down the Beast of Revtion. It was only because the others sessfully executed Desir¡¯s orders that he was able to attack uninhibited.


    Immediately after their return, when the victory that Desir struggled for finally arrived, he was thrilled. Still, now was not the time to celebrate.


    Even though they had crossed over the big gate called the Beast of Revtion, their battle was not over yet.


    ¡®We still have to deal with Skull Mask, along with the power source.¡¯


    Their mission was not to kill the Beast of Revtion, but to destroy the towers¡¯ power source. As long as the power source existed, Skull Mask would be able to threaten the continent again in ways they could not even begin to imagine.


    After walking for a while, Adjest suddenly stopped. ¡°I think it¡¯s here, Desir.¡±


    The ce they stopped at was the spot that led Desir and Adjest to the Shadow World, the ce they originally saw the Beast of Revtion.


    They were at the entrance to the underground passage, located within the bed chambers.


    Although the surroundings had been demolished, the stairway was preserved underneath a pile of rubble.


    They began their descent.


    Skull Mask had installed a variety of traps, but they were all useless. Desir was able to disarm magical ones, and physical ones were easily dealt with by either Pram or Raphaello. In the end, they bought Skull Mask some time, but traps would never stop them.


    The passage was seemingly endless, as if built to emotionally prepare its travellers for a grand reveal of a colossal facility. Only after half an hour of walking deep underground were they able to finally leave the stairs behind them.


    Arge, open space with a cylindrical structure set up in the center revealed itself. ¡°I think we¡¯re here.¡±


    The cylindrical structure connected to the deep, underground ce was made in the same structure as the towers that were set up all over Divide.


    Desir immediately realized that it was the power source, the core facility that powered all of the towers.


    ¡°Adjest, ready the spear.¡±


    Adjest nodded and followed Desir¡¯s order.


    When she reached out her hand, a spear began to form from her dimensional pocket.


    It was the Spear of Longinus, an S-Tier artifact that the Imperial Family of the Hebrion Empire had kept under strict lock and key.


    Adjest bit her ring finger and dropped her blood on the spearhead, which was leaking a red hue of chaotic energy.


    At that moment, the Spear of Longinus, having absorbed the blood of a Hebrion Imperial


    Family Member, began emitting iparably stronger, incredible energy. *Thuddddd*


    Adjest jabbed the Spear of Longinus, which began releasing its power in earnest, into the power source.


    *Crrrack*


    The silver light coating the surface of the power source was prated by the spear, and began disappearing, instead reced by transparent ice.


    The ability to transform any object struck by the spear into a medium that the user desires. That was the power of the Spear of Longinus.


    Adjest used that power to turn the power source into ice. Now it was impossible to reactivate this facility.


    Desir prepared this in order topletely destroy the power source, the core of the n that Skull Mask devised.


    ¡®There is no longer an escape route for Skull Mask.¡¯


    Every means that Skull Mask had at his disposal had now been disabled. Everything from the Beast of Revtion to the power source which formed the core of his n. There were no other means that Skull Mask could draw upon.


    Checkmate.


    A smile crossed Desir¡¯s lips.


    ¡®With this, we stopped the Shadow Labyrinth from urring.¡¯


    The Shadow Labyrinth.


    With the new facts at hand, it must have been an artificial Shadow World that was created through Skull Mask¡¯s n.


    From the day he returned until this very day, Desir¡¯s efforts and the fruits of hisbor were all for clearing the Shadow Labyrinth.


    As Skull Mask¡¯s n was now demolished, the Shadow Labyrinth would not ur. His goal had been achieved.


    ¡®We don¡¯t have to experience that hell again.¡¯ Knowing this, Desir felt his heart swell with pride. At that very moment.


    *Thud*


    The facility shook, along with the sound of an explosion. It was a tremendous shocking from deeper underground.


    That must surely be where Skull Mask had holed himself up. If so, there was a fair chance that the shock was caused by him.


    Adjest pulled the Spear of Longinus out from the source just in time.


    There was no longer chaotic energy flowing out from the spearhead. All of the energy contained in the spear had been exhausted, which meant that it was fully inoperable now. Despite the fact that there was nothing to worry about, the sound of the explosion from deeper underground was disquieting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s pick up the pace.¡±


    They began moving faster than before.


    A cold and serious atmosphere took over the momentary, positive feelings. Before long they were once again all agitated, filled with impatience.


    *T-Tap* *Tap*


    Only the sound of the footsteps of five people dashing in this silent ce echoed.


    They went inside apletely frozen cylindrical tower, before descending further down. Step by step, foot by foot.


    They finally reached the end of the basement.


    It was a ce thousands of feet below the surface. There was a vast facility that was now frozen due to the Spear of Longinus.


    The party got into formation, reduced their speed, and began walking inside the facility. They were ready to respond to whatever Skull Mask would throw at them.


    At that moment, Romantica discovered something and shouted. ¡°Desir, over there!¡±


    There were spots of blood at the area that she pointed at with her fingertip. As they traced back the long trail of blood, there was a man lying on the floor. Desir¡¯s pupils dted.


    A man in a ck robe with an irritatingly familiar mask. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Skull Mask.¡±


    Desir was baffled at the fact that Skull Mask, the main culprit of all these events, was dead. Having died on his own and not at Desir¡¯s hands.


    Did hemit suicide after being driven into a corner?


    He had to check.


    Because there is a possibility that this could be a trap, he told the others to keep their guard up and approached him.


    When he lifted the man¡¯s mask, there was a man dead with his eyes left wide open. His face was slightly different from what Desir remembered, but he was certainly Skull Mask.


    Desir was disconcerted for a moment and began checking the condition of the corpse. ¡®He was murdered. And with a single blow, due to an ambush.¡¯


    The work of a highly-skilled assassin.


    A skillful person who could assassinate Skull Mask in one blow within the Outsider¡¯s most secure facility.


    Desir thought of one person immediately. ¡®Pierrot Mask.¡¯


    The answer was simple, but he wasn¡¯t able to understand.


    Didn¡¯t Pierrot Mask block them so that Skull Mask¡¯s n could proceed safely until the end? ¡®But for what reason did he betray Skull Mask all of a sudden?¡¯


    Resentment at the failure of the n?


    No, it could not have been for such a trivial reason. Though he was definitely crazy, Pierrot Mask operated with a sense of psychotic reason. Rather than kill Skull Mask, he would have helped him escape, and helped him rebuild to try again. Perhaps he would have acted as a distraction, to allow Skull Mask to escape.


    There must be a grave reason for this.


    Desir, who had been contemting for a long time, remembered something peculiar. ¡®What was the source of that explosion a while ago?¡¯


    Skull Mask was killed in a clean strike, likely in an ambush. This clearly did not match up with the sound of an explosion, which he had originally written off as part of the battle.


    Desir checked the facility. It was not a difficult task to locate the source of an explosion.


    ¡°This¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    There was an enormous hole in the power source¡¯s casing.


    Before all of the power source had been turned into ice, Pierrot Mask had done something. Desir looked inside it. It was empty. There was nothing there.


    Pierrot Mask had betrayed Skull Mask in order to siphon something from within the power source.


    ¡®So he wasn¡¯t just being used?¡¯


    He thought Pierrot Mask was merely Skull Mask¡¯s subordinate, but that must have been wrong. Pierrot Mask might have just been waiting for this kind of situation from the beginning.


    ¡°Contact the outside world immediately.¡±


    It had not been long since the sound of an explosion had been heard. No matter how quick he was, Pierrot Mask could not have left Pittsburgh yet.


    Desir activated amunication spell in a hurry.


    ¡°We must cut off all the routes that he could take to leave Pittsburgh. Hurry!¡±

 Chapter 270. The Banquet (1)

    <h4>Chapter 270. The Banquet (1)</h4>


    The colossal buildings throughout the center of Pittsburgh had been devastated, their hideous steel framesid bare and mutted. Pittsburgh could no longer be called the City of Steel.


    A man stood perched atop the debris. Donning his mask, his gaze was cast over the roaring mes that had yet to subside. The mes that had engulfed where the Royal Pce once stood.


    Pierrot Mask continued to stare at the rubble as he mumbled to himself. ¡°What a meaningless ending. To fail after driving the world into a corner.¡± He jeered.


    ¡°ording to my original n, I had no intention of killing you here.¡±


    Pierrot Mask had nned on killing Skull Mask from the beginning, but that time was not supposed to havee so soon. He should have lived for a little longer at least.


    However, he had no choice but to change his n.


    It was all because of that one man, Desir Arman. The moment Skull Mask had been defeated, the existing n had truly gone awry.


    *Crackle*


    A spark of fire fluttered in the wind beforending on his coat. The me burned slowly on his cor.


    Pierrot Mask stared at it for a while and brushed it off with a smile.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t be too upset, old man. Because we¡¯ll be using your failed n in a useful way.¡± It was at that moment.


    ¡°Hurry!¡±


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be too far!¡±


    The soldiers¡¯ movements were peculiarly frantic. They formed a siege and were searching for something.


    ¡°The target is able to transform his face, so use detection spells!¡±


    A smile crossed Pierrot Mask¡¯s lips. Since the soldiers had started looking for him, Desir must have reached the center of the power source.


    He thought highly of Desir. He anticipated that Desir would be able to easily figure out who killed Skull Mask and what that person was after.


    Therefore, it was not difficult to realize why he would look for him. ¡°Looking for this, I presume.¡±


    He took out a card from his chest.


    It looked like a mere paper card on the outside, but it was an A-Tier artifact: a pocket dimension.


    Amongst magical equipment, including the various Clothes Lines, there were many items that possessed some form of dimensional pocket functionality, but they all had a major w. Because they were created through magic spells, they were unable to store any mana greater than the mana used in their creation.


    An artifact was far superior than magical equipment.


    However, despite boasting such capability, mana leaked out of the card little by little. Somehow, the A-tier artifact had been filled with mana beyond even its capacity.


    This was the energy source Skull Mask used to fuel his n. The tremendous amount of mana stored within it was iparable to any magic stone.


    *Rustle*


    The moment Pierrot Mask snapped his fingers, the card disappeared from his hand.


    He spoke while shrugging his shoulders, as if the person directly involved in this affair was in front of him.


    ¡°I spent years with the Outsiders just to get this. I can¡¯t just go and give it away, can I?¡±


    Pierrot Mask seemed quite rxed and confident, even though there were a good number of soldiers slowly blocking off all escape routes.


    It was impossible for them to detain Pierrot Mask.


    The battle against the Beast of Revtion had only just ended. All of the soldiers were left exhausted and the majority of their magicians werepletely incapacitated after using up all of their mana. Furthermore, it was difficult to even determine how much damage has urred. Pittsburgh was extremely chaotic with all kinds of people busy with various tasks.


    ¡®Let¡¯s break the tie next time, Desir Arman.¡¯


    As Pierrot Mask took off his mask, his face began to change.


    His face soon took onpletely different facial features from his original look. He had assumed the identity of one of the many casualties.


    *Swish*


    His new form began disappearing, soon blending in amongst the soldiers.


    * * *


    *Knock* *Knock-Knock*


    Desir opened his eyes to the sound of knocking.


    The first thing he saw when he woke up was an elegant, white ceiling.


    He was confused for a moment about where he was but soon recalled that he had gone to sleep in the Magic Tower¡¯s branch in the Kingdom of Divide. ¡°Awake, Desir?¡±


    Zod Exarion, the Master of the Magic Tower, opened the door and entered.


    Desir got up from his bed. The nket that was covering him felt itchy as it slid down. ¡°I didn¡¯t wake you up on purpose. Prisci said you need to take a rest.¡±


    Though he used a newly developed spell to reduce the burden of the draconic spell, the burden was still not negligible. The only reason he awoke unharmed was due to the immediate treatment he received from Prisci upon her arrival.


    Feeling very refreshed, Desir asked. ¡°How long was I asleep for?¡± ¡°Around twenty hours.¡±


    Desir looked out the window. The sun already hung high up in the sky.


    For a normal person, it would have just been regarded as oversleeping. However, for Desir, it was different.


    ¡°It must¡¯ve been a long time since you slept for that long.¡± Desir nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s been six months.¡±


    Desir had spent every waking moment preparing for and nning the war against Divide. After the Great Council, he had been overworking himself by borrowing from his sleeping and eating time.


    In preparation for this decisive match, he refined his spells, cleared numerous Shadow Worlds, studied ancient records, and contemted exactly what Skull Mask¡¯s n and objective was. And all of his efforts ended up paying off.


    The operation was sessful and Skull Mask was now dead.


    It had lifted the heavy load that weighed down his mind, offering him a sense of freedom that allowed him to take a long-deserved rest.


    An action that most would not consider special, Desir felt slightly overwhelmed at the fact that he could oversleep.


    ¡°Has Divide¡¯s surrender gone well?¡±


    ¡°It ended smoothly. The war between Divide and the Allied Forces is officially over.¡± Immediately after the battle with Pittsburgh ended, Divide dered surrender. It was the decision of their military¡¯smander, Brepon, after their king disappeared.


    Maybe he realized something after cooperating with Desir and confronting the Beast of Revtion.


    ¡®It was an inevitable, predetermined result anyway.¡¯ The defeat of Divide was practically set in stone.


    Divide was able to wage war with the entire continent because of the Shadow World creating towers and the homunculi that Skull Mask had created. Now that they were destroyed by Desir, Divide no longer stood no chance.


    However, there were still tens of thousands of military troops in Divide, so if the war continued, the Allied Forces still would have needed to pay a price.


    Brepon¡¯s bold and swift decision reduced the unnecessary sacrifices of both sides. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. But it¡¯s still too early to be at ease.¡±


    The half-year war was over, and Skull Mask was dead, but that did not mean all their problems had been resolved.


    ¡°Right. Whatever Pierrot Mask took is extremely dangerous.¡±


    From what they could gather, Pierrot Mask had stolen whatever Skull Mask was using as an energy source. It must have been absurdly powerful, capable of powering over forty towers. No one knew what he took it for, but knowing his chaotic nature, it was certainly something dangerous.


    At the minimum, Desir was certain that the object was the cause of the appearance of the Shadow Labyrinth. He could not rest easy until he was certain that the Shadow Labyrinth had been prevented, until that object had been retrieved.


    Desir had no intention of neglecting even the slightest chance of it returning. ¡°Developing and distributing the new detection equipment takes priority.¡± Pierrot Mask had the ability to shapeshift into anyone.


    It was impossible to identify him with the naked eye, and he could even hold up under thorough inspection. He had hidden himself as the King of Divide for an unknown amount of time, and those closest to him were none the wiser.


    ¡°We¡¯re already working on the finishing touches. As soon as the work is done, we will be supplying it to the Western Kingdoms Union on a trial basis, and if there are no problems, we will add this functionality to the Hebrionmunication pads too.¡±


    ¡°That was fast.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been encouraging the research for a while now.¡±


    From the moment Desir and Zod learned of his abilities, they had prioritised devising countermeasures against him.


    It was because his ability, topletely disguise himself as others, was just too dangerous.


    If the equipment was supplied to all countries, it would no longer be possible for him to disguise himself as a high-ranking official and attempt a coup.


    ¡°If you could take care of that part, that would be much appreciated. And what happened to the artifacts?¡±


    Skull Mask had possessed numerous artifacts, each of them top-notch.


    The artifacts were found strewn throughout Pittsburgh and discussions were underway on how to deal with them.


    ¡°We¡¯ve decided to keep Skull Mask¡¯s artifacts in the Magic Tower for the time being. We need time to study them, and figure out what they do. We have no idea how to use most of them.¡±


    There were no other ces in this field that were more capable than the tower. It was a fair decision.


    ¡°His artifacts will be of great help in reinforcing our military strength.¡± Zod smiled bitterly.


    ¡°There were a lot of interesting things. However, the problem is that it¡¯s difficult to study them. Some of them can¡¯t be analyzed at all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help as well. I have some time on my hands.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good point. I wanted to ask you for help, but¡­ ¡±


    When Zod was talking, Desir¡¯smunication pad rang. After he confirmed the sender¡¯s name, a smile crossed his lips.


    ¡°You should rest for the time being.¡±

 Chapter 271. The Banquet (2)

    <h4>Chapter 271. The Banquet (2)</h4>


    The Emperor¡¯s office.


    Afterpleting his report, Alfred lowered his head.


    Guiltian listened to the report in silence. The corner of his lips twitched and he soon began tough. It was a cheerfulugh, something rare for someone considered to be a man of few words.


    What Alfred reported was the delightful news of victory. A very long half-year war against Divide had flipped in a single night and was finally won by the Allied Forces.


    ¡°Excellent.¡±


    An exmation of amazement flowed out from Guiltian¡¯s mouth.


    Desir Arman.


    He was the key to the reversal of the unfavorable military situation.


    The heroes, the elite hailing from many countries, participated in the war and they all achieved remarkable results. But it was not an overstatement to say that in the end, Desir was the one who ended the war.


    ¡°On top of that, has he not joined the highest echelon of mages on the continent?¡± Too many people witnessed Desir overpower the Beast of Revtion in Pittsburgh.


    The story quickly spread all over the continent and people began praising Desir as the continent¡¯s strongest magician, beyond that of even Zod Exarion.


    Counting the strongest magician as one of their own was something that all countries earnestly wished for.


    The Empire had acquired the strongest swordsman, Sword Grand Master Raphaello, and now even the strongest magician too.


    However, it meant more than just hard power.


    ¡®They are national treasures indeed.¡¯


    When Guiltian granted the Royal Guard position to themoner Desir, he drew the wrath of numerous nobles. However, whenever Desir achieved results and spread Hebrion¡¯s prestige, the Imperial family¡¯s influence was greatly strengthened. Guiltian fully supported Desir, a mere student. It was only natural that people all over the Empire were praising Guiltian for his insight.


    Now, Desir was established as an indispensable person to the Empire. ¡®In that case, he shall be treated ordingly.¡¯


    * * *


    The teleportation gate was always crowded with merchants, but today, it was crowded with people from all over the world.


    The Allied Forces had gathered at the tower before returning from the war. They were those who responded to Desir¡¯s request for aid, as well as those who had previously been aided by him.


    ¡°It was a priceless experience to have fought alongside you.¡±


    The Royal Knight of the Delphinian Kingdom bowed towards Desir.


    ¡°All my life, I never imagined I would actively participate in such an epic battle.¡±


    Even though most of them had exceptional talents, they had beennguishing in small, unknown countries. They would have only been able to make their names known after the Shadow Labyrinth arrived.


    However, Desir specifically found these talented people and sent them into a war where they could use their skills to the fullest, allowing them to attain victory with their own hands.


    Their lives would now be markedly different from their past lives.


    Not only the Royal Knight of Delphinia, but the heroes of each country also bid farewell to Desir and moved towards the teleportation gate.


    ¡°Please, call us any time if something like this happens again.¡± ¡°Understood.¡±


    They bowed to Desir once again and returned to their countries.


    After the knights of the various countries left, a group of people with unusuallyrge bodies entered the gate.


    They were Donape An, the King of the North, the strongest military forces under hismand, the Hunting Pack, and their Vice-Captain Yuria.


    ¡°I wanted to talk with you a little more¡­ ¡±


    Donape spoke with a solemn expression and approached Desir. ¡°I¡¯ll have to leave now, as I cannot be away for too long.¡±


    ¡°It was an honor to be with you, Sir.¡±


    The moment Desir was about to lower his head, Donape quickly offered his hand, a meaty b the size of a cauldron lid.


    It was for a handshake.


    Realizing the reason behind Donape¡¯s action, Desir took his hand instead of bowing to him. Facing each other, they both smiled simultaneously.


    ¡°Ournd, Harrowind, is always open to you, so please feel free toe to us anytime when you need our help.¡±


    ¡°The same to you. I will never ignore any difficulties the North may face.¡± ¡°¡­ You are bold until the end. But you have a right to be so.¡±


    His words sounded like a reprimand, but he was smiling.


    With this final conversation, Donape and those who followed him also left for Mt. Calcarus. After them, the Holy Pdins of the Church of Artemis appeared.


    ¡®The special knights who each wield special, unique abilities¡­ ¡¯


    The Pdins from the Church of Artemis dealt with their enemies not only with magic and aura, but with their Blessing of Light. Lined up in a formation, they seemed tenacious beyond description.


    Their formation split from side to side in a sh and Prisci walked out of it. She had a somewhat happy face.


    Desir thought this was only natural.


    While the war was going on, she patrolled the vast frontline more diligently than anyone else. Her efforts never fell behind Desir¡¯s.


    Having been liberated from such a heavy workload, there was no way she did not feel unencumbered.


    ¡°You did a great job, Desir.¡±


    ¡°You did a great job too, Saint Prisci.¡± Prisciughed softly and took Desir¡¯s hand. Before he could react, a faint light enveloped Desir. At that moment, Desir felt it relieving his fatigue. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re still leading a very busy life.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something I have to do, but it¡¯s really nothingpared to what I did during the war.¡± Even though Desir said this, the current task that he was dealing with was not light at all. From dealing with the loose threads that needed wrapping up, to organizing Skull Mask¡¯s artifacts. There were many issues to be dealt with in the aftermath of the war.


    Because Prisci knew about this, she smiled bitterly and let his hand go. ¡°There¡¯s no call from the Imperial Princess yet?¡±


    ¡°Nothing of particr note.¡±


    Shortly after the war ended, Desir had gone to meet Adjest but found her missing. As soon as Divide surrendered, she had returned to the Empire. As unfortunate as it was, she had responsibilities back in Hebrion.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame I couldn¡¯t see her.¡±


    ¡°I presume you can only enjoy true peace when she is by your side.¡± ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Haha. I mean that quite literally.¡±


    Prisci stepped back with a peculiar smile.


    Only then, Desir realized what she meant and cleared his throat while averting his eyes from her.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll enjoy the current peace.¡±


    Prisci looked at him and smiled. She then returned to the Temple of Artemis in Adenia with her Holy Pdins. With this, everyone had returned to their respective homes.


    Having bid farewell to everyone, Desir headed to his office. He was thinking about how he would deal with the unfinished business.


    However, at that moment, Romantica came running towards Desir from the opposite side of the corridor.


    ¡°Why are you sote?¡±


    ¡°We had a long talk. What is it?¡±


    As ofte, it was quite rare for Romantica toe to Desir directly. After all, she was now as busy as Desir. After founding a mercenary group, she¡¯d taken on an unrelenting load of administrative tasks.


    ¡°I ran here because I have good news. There has been a request from the Imperial Pce of Hebrion.¡±


    Romantica was happy for him and told him cheerfully.


    ¡°A request for you to participate in the celebration of triumph, of which you are the guest of honor. The hero.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°This triumphant celebration will be remembered as the most spectacr celebration in history.¡±


    The triumphant celebration that Desir was invited to this time differed from all other events in terms of size and budget.


    Numerous magicians had gathered to fill the streets with dazzling lights and citizens cheered for the Empire¡¯s young hero.


    The excitement of the festival filled the entire city and the celebration sessfully resulted in a brilliant atmosphere.


    ¡°Sir Desir, how do you feel about ending the war and bing the main hero of this celebration?¡±


    He was currently at the head office of Aylus News. Live interviews were being conducted there, broadcasted in real-time throughout the Hebrion Empire.


    After Desir quenched his thirst with the tea in front of him, he answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m very grateful that all the citizens are so weing. In return for your support and hope, I will continue to work hard.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll look forward to seeing your performance in the future. Next question. I¡¯d like to ask you a question regarding the rumor¡­ ¡±


    The reporter asked Desir very enthusiastically. The reporter seemed rather more nervous than Desir, the interviewee. Perhaps it was because he saw the man from the rumors with his own eyes.


    Desir led the reporter in a proficient manner during the interview and the interview was over after a few questions.


    When the interview ended and Desir came outside, someone approached him as if he was waiting for him.


    ¡°You¡¯re never nervous¡­ like usual I guess.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve done this a few times thanks to you, Director.¡±


    Vang Zar grinned. The title ¡°Director¡± made him feel good any time he heard it.


    Immediately after contacting and establishing a rtionship with Desir at the medal ceremony, he went from strength to strength and eventually reached the position of director.


    That was not all. Thanks to Desir¡¯s assistance, Vang became the Director and Ayuls Communication itself was able to extend beyond the Empire and grow as a media house that influenced the entire continent.


    *Ring*


    Vang¡¯smunication pad rang.


    ¡°It seems like the others¡¯ interviews are finished as well.¡± He was referring to Romantica and Pram.


    After the public learned they had contributed greatly, fighting alongside Desir to conclude the war, attention was naturally drawn to them. Thanks to Desir¡¯s arrangements, their interviews were conducted exclusively by Aylus News.


    ¡°I was hoping to have dinner together with you, as it has been a while, but the Imperial Pce is holding a banquet, so I guess I have to let you go this time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll arrange somethingter.¡±


    Shortly after, Romantica and Pram exited their rooms. They nodded towards Desir, indicating that they were ready to go.


    ¡°Well then, we¡¯re looking forward to a good article.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I will do my best for the other two articles as well.¡± Vang Zar was seen as a cold-blooded Director by his employees. However, standing in front of Desir, he was far from that description. ¡®Amazing.¡¯


    ¡®I never thought I would see the Director smiling like an idiot.¡¯


    The reporters from Aylus News, who were watching him, marveled at the fact that there was a person whom the Director showed a humble attitude towards.

 Chapter 272. The Banquet (3)

    <h4>Chapter 272. The Banquet (3)</h4>


    The Leonhardt Pce was where the Hebrion Emperor resided. Tonight, he was hosting a banquet tomemorate their victory. The feast was notablyrge in scale, but that was not just because it was being hosted in the Imperial Pce. Nobles from across the country had flocked to the pce, hoping for an opportunity to have a personal audience with not only the Emperor, but the hero: Desir Arman.


    The banquet was very luxurious, as one would expect for the asion. Expensive liquor and beverages were served,ing out as if they were from an endless well, and the mellow performances of famous musicians resonated throughout the Pce.


    It was a banquet of such grandeur that even the wealthy nobles were struck with admiration. Desir and his party could be found resting outside the banquet hall. It was clear that they were exhausted.


    Romantica spoke with a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯m already done.¡±


    ¡°Although I expected this, I never thought it would be so tiring.¡± Desir made no efforts to hide his exhaustion.


    As soon as they had entered the banquet hall, numerous nobles flocked towards them as if they hady in waiting.


    A banquet was not just an ordinary event for simply drinking and enjoying. For the nobles, a banquet was an elite social club. It was because personal connections were far more valuable than any other treasures, especially for those that already had everything money could buy.


    This was to be expected, but the size of the banquet was incredibly immense, so it was not an easy task to escape for temporary respite.


    Desir smiled bitterly.


    ¡°Still, we got out quickly because everyone was considerate towards us.¡±


    Usually, Desir would have made an effort to establish cordial rtionships with the nobles, but today, he had no intention of doing so.


    Despite the war ending, he was still suffering under a heavy workload. So, today was the only time for him to hang out with his party members and take a much-needed break.


    Today, he wanted to clear his head and enjoy the peace infort.


    Fortunately, perhaps the nobles understood his feelings. After they moved outside, no one hade to bother them.


    Romantica could not help frowning though. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m a little concerned.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°I mean the interview. I don¡¯t remember my answers to their questions. I just hope I don¡¯t look too ridiculous.¡±


    Pram sighed as if he was worried as well.


    ¡°Me too. I¡¯m not sure I answered well since I was so nervous.¡± Desir chucked at their conversation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I told the reporter that we look forward to good articles.¡±


    As the three of them werefortably having a conversation, Romantica reached out to the champagne in front of her.


    When Desir saw that, he anxiously asked, ¡°You can drink?¡±


    ¡°Good heavens, what do you take me for? This is nothing!¡± ¡°Wait, Romantica. How much alcohol content does that¡­ ¡±


    Romantica quickly emptied the ss in front of her before Desir even had a chance to finish his question.


    ¡°Ahh.¡±


    She exhaled lightly. The alcohol was quite strong, but the sense of aplishment clouded her judgement. Romantica ced the empty ss on the table proudly.


    ¡°See? I can drink¡­ ¡±


    Seeing Pram and Desir trying to hold back theirughter, Romantica stopped talking. She soon realized that her hand, which was holding the ss, was bright red.


    It was not only her hands. Her whole body was flushed. It was a hrious sight. ¡°Ooooh, don¡¯t look at me.¡±


    Romantica, embarrassed, groaned and covered her face with both hands.


    She was so cute that Desir could not help but burst intoughter.


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh!¡±


    Romantica constantly pinched Desir in the ribs. Nevertheless, Desir could not stopughing. ¡°I think you have a very low tolerance for alcohol.¡±


    ¡°You should have a drink as well. That¡¯s a just punishment. Pram, don¡¯t act innocent. Youughed at me too, right?¡±


    ¡°Urgh, she caught me.¡±


    When theirughter subsided, Pram and Desir emptied their sses effortlessly. As the alcohol kicked in, the atmosphere became more mellow.


    Romantica felt oddly good when she became tipsy. She felt that right now, she could probably say things that she usually could not. ¡°Desir, I¡¯m curious about one thing.¡±


    She put her ss down and looked at Desir straight in the face. ¡°What do you want to do in the future?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Where is thising from?¡±


    ¡°Although we haven¡¯t attended the academy in ages, we¡¯re stilling up on our graduation. There must be something you want to do in the future, dreams, or something.¡±


    Pram straightened up and turned his gaze upon Desir, as if he was interested in the topic too. ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ ¡±


    Desir opened his mouth, then closed it again.


    He thought that it was an easy question, but it was harder than he thought.


    Immediately after returning to the past, his only goal was to clear the Shadow Labyrinth unharmed. He was too busy trying to stop the approaching disasters, so he had never stopped to think about what would happen after that.


    ¡®Raphaello asked a simr question, didn¡¯t he?¡¯


    After they defeated the Dragon of Destruction, Bhromier Napolitan, and were busy resting, Raphaello asked him what he was going to do in the future. But even back then, he failed to find a satisfactory answer.


    Desir pondered with his arms folded.


    Currently, his highest priority was tracking down Pierrot Mask who stole the power source from Skull Mask, but what about after that?


    ¡®Is there really anything that I genuinely want to do?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ ¡±


    Finally, when Desir could note up with a proper answer, Romantica was somewhat surprised.


    ¡°So you never thought about it? You, a thorough-going man, themander who ns for every single contingency, don¡¯t have a n for your future? I can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s ironic, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Romantica nced at Desir who was pondering.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry too much even if you don¡¯t know your future. If you or Prame to join my mercenary group, we¡¯ll dly have you.¡±


    There was gentleughter in response to Romantica¡¯s joke. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be difficult for you to hire a former Royal Guard?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t outright refuse it. Does that mean you can be bought with money?¡± Romantica shrugged.


    ¡°Just wait. I¡¯ll save enough money so that you could work for me for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡±


    Desir smiled.


    At that moment, Romantica blushed and became redder than before.


    As the atmosphere was bing slightly awkward, a resounding voice could be heard from within the pce.


    ¡°The Great Sun of Hebrion, His Majesty Guiltian Zedgar F Rogfs!¡± All of the nobles followed the expected etiquette and lowered their gazes.


    After a while, the door opened and Guiltian, dressed in a pure white suit, entered the banquet hall.


    The cheerful atmosphere became heavy when he simply entered the hall.


    His spirit overpowered everyone, even though he was simply walking. ¡°Whoaa¡­ !¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    The banquet hall, which had been silenced by the Emperor¡¯s presence, was astir again. It was because of the girl who walked behind him.


    She had straight arms and legs, eyes that seem cold but graceful, and tinum blond hair that went amazingly well with her morous, white dress.


    ¡°Adjest!?¡±


    Pram eximed in astonishment. He gazed at Adjest with his eyes wide open, even forgetting to lower his head.


    ¡°Howe Adjest is with¡­ ?¡±


    Romantica was confused as well. She was disconcerted and speechless.


    It was only natural that they were surprised; they thought Adjest was the daughter of the Kingscrown family, a noble family from the edge of the Empire.


    Desir sighed and exined.


    ¡°The Imperial Family has a custom of concealing their sessor¡¯s identity and having them attend the Hebrion Academy under a special curriculum. They be the only member of a course called the Sessor ss.¡±


    It was a tradition that was passed down in secret since the very moment the Hebrion Academy was founded.


    The Imperial Family established the Hebrion Academy, an atypical educational facility where nobles andmoners were educated together and encouraged the heir to observe those that he or she would be governing, regardless of their ss.


    ¡°The family name, Kingscrown, was lent to her. So, Adjest is¡­ ¡± ¡°Adjest is the heir¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    Romantica was speechless.


    Anyone would have been shocked. A friend, whom they treated as a normal friend, was suddenly the heir to the entire Hebrion Empire.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know they would bring Adjest here.¡¯


    Desir was surprised by the current situation for a different reason.


    Guiltian had been trying not to reveal Adjest in public appearances until now.


    However, the fact that he was now apanied by her in this gathering, where there were many nobles of the Empire, meant only one thing.


    It meant that the Sessor ss had beenpleted and that he officially acknowledged that she was his sessor. He was dering this acknowledgment in front of everyone.


    Some of the great nobles and people close to the Emperor knew about Adjest, but the regional nobles, those who were out of the know, seemed quite surprised.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t she a member of the Starling Party?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s¡­ ?¡±


    While everyone was murmuring, Guiltian sat at the head of the table. He scanned the banquet hall with his piercing eyes shone like gold.


    ¡°Our Empire has gone through countless wars until now.¡±


    His voice was certainly not loud, but his speech echoed throughout the vast banquet hall.


    ¡°We were victorious every single time. No matter who the enemies were, we¡¯ve always been the winners, the strong, the rulers. That¡¯s why we¡¯re the Empire.¡± Guiltian raised the ss in front of him.


    ¡°And we have won once again.¡±


    It was a great victory speech suitable for the banquet. It was short and concise, but it instilled pride in the hearts of the people.


    The difference in atmosphere between the chaos of Adjest¡¯s appearance and the current situation was night and day.


    One noble raised his ss, to match the Emperor. One by one, the others caught on, raising their sses high with pride.


    Once everyone had raised their sses, Guiltian once again spoke. ¡°Remember today and engrave the glory of the Empire upon your heart.¡± ¡°Long live the Empire!¡±


    Hundreds of sses were drained simultaneously.


    As Guiltian sat down, the musicians resumed their pieces. The sound of joyful music began filling the banquet hall again.

 Chapter 273. The Banquet (4)

    <h4>Chapter 273. The Banquet (4)</h4>


    ¡°His Majesty would like to see you.¡±


    Guiltian¡¯s speech had barely just ended, and someone had already approached Desir.


    It was clear that the Emperor had something important to talk about. If that was not the case, then there was no reason to deliberately pull Desir aside.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be away for a moment. Be right back.¡±


    Desir headed towards Guiltian, leaving Romantica and Pram behind, who were still in shock. There was no one around Guiltian. Not even Adjest, who had entered the banquet hall together with him. Perhaps he cleared everyone in advance of Desir¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°I stand before the Great Emperor.¡±


    Guiltian smiled and beckoned him to the chair on the opposite side. ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    He seemed to be in a very good mood.


    When Desir sat down, Guiltian handed him a ss made of gold.


    ¡°I got some fine wine and I wanted to drink it with you, so I called you.¡± ¡°I am honored.¡±


    Guiltian poured the wine into Desir¡¯s ss himself and they gently clicked their sses. ¡°This¡­ ¡±


    After taking a sip from the wine, Desir could not help but be amazed.


    It was fine wine indeed.


    While it was subtle, it was rich in aroma and while it was bitter, it was clean. These harmoniously mixed vors of wine made him realize that it was a fine wine indeed. He did not even know that much about alcohol, but he could tell.


    Guiltian looked at Desir with a contented look before speaking again.


    ¡°You did an exceptional job. You have distinguished yourself, and the Empire, in the war. With your dedication, the Empire was able to experience a moment that shone brighter than any other.¡±


    He continued while filling his ss with wine.


    ¡°A befitting reward is to be granted for your distinguished service. Desir Arman, I would like to reward you with a dukedom.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    At that moment, Desir was dumbfounded. He thought that he would receive some kind of reward, but this was unexpected.


    As a Royal Guard, he was already receiving the same treatment as a Duke.


    However, the essence of his status as amoner had not changed. Even though he was a Royal Guard, there was clearly a difference between him and rest, all because he was not a nobleman.


    However, right now, Guiltian was offering him a dukedom.


    To him, a meremoner!


    As this offer was unprecedented in the history of the Empire, even Desir, who went through hell and high water, was left bewildered.


    There were four dukes in the Hebrion Empire, so if Desir became a duke, then he would be amongst the top five noble families, only a step below the Imperial Family.


    ¡®C-Calm down.¡¯


    Desir¡¯s hand, which was holding a ss of wine, shook involuntarily. Even though he was not particrly interested in authority, he could not help but be tempted by this offer.


    ¡°This reward is too excessive for me, even if I rendered distinguished service. It¡¯s too much to be awarded for just leading them to victory.¡±


    On the other hand, something seemed out of the ordinary, so Desir did not readily ept his offer.


    It was necessary to doubt anything that was too good to be true. Besides, the Emperor was not a character who willingly suffered a loss.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I think that¡¯s an excessive reward for what I did.¡±


    ¡°That may be so. Surely many nobles will oppose. However, my intention will not change.¡± Guiltian drank from his ss.


    ¡°Even though you¡¯re still young, you¡¯re the best magician on the continent, who surpasses even the Great Sage, Zod Exarion. Though your current distinguished service does not measure up to his, I believe you¡¯ll make even greater achievements in the future.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I would like you to strive for the Empire as a Duke of the Empire.¡± ¡®¡­ He¡¯s very straightforward.¡¯


    Hearing his outrageous words, it struck him that not anyone can be an Emperor.


    Basically, the dukedom was a reward with his future as coteral. Guiltian did not hide his true intentions and at the same time, showed Desir that he respected and valued him.


    Thanks to his frankness, Desir was not offended, even though it could have easily been an ufortable conversation for anyone else.


    ¡®There¡¯s no reason to decline the offer. It would be stranger to not ept it.¡¯


    Hebrion Empire shared the continent with the Western Kingdom Union. Who could reject the powerful duke position within such a powerhouse?


    Desir closed his eyes for a moment and pondered.


    ¡®If I be a noble, I¡¯d be able to protect more people.¡¯


    It was an attractive idea for anyone, but it was even more attractive to Desir.


    In his previous life, Desir had been amoner until the very end. Every step of his life had been heavy and lined with unnecessary burden. From the very beginning, he had been ced in the Beta ss, and never received a proper education.


    He alsomented hisck of strength while clearing the Shadow Labyrinth, all because he was not able to learn more. He was enraged by the fact that he was not able to protect hisrades.


    He hated his cursed life as amoner. ¡®But¡­ ¡¯


    Desir opened his eyes and answered with a determined voice.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I thank you for the generous offer, but I will have to refuse.¡± Guiltian looked at Desir in silence.


    He did not seem angry. His eyes were filled with curiosity. ¡°I¡¯d like to know the reason.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want this duke position. It¡¯s just that there is something I want more than that. I would like to request that instead of the dukedom, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it that you want?¡±


    Desir took a deep breath and answered.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to establish my own academy, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is that something you wish for, something more valuable than dukedom?¡±


    Guiltian seemed confused.


    A duke of the Empire was a position with the power that came close to King¡¯s authority. There was nothing more ridiculous than asking for the establishment of an academy over that power. Unable to ascertain his intentions, but recognizing his sincerity, Guiltian was perplexed.


    ¡°Why do you want this?¡±


    Desir straightened up and answered his question. ¡°To turn coincidence into inevitability.¡±


    ¡°Turn coincidence into inevitability¡­ ?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a reason that was easy to understand.


    Desir continued.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been able toe this far just with pure luck. In the past, Desir Arman was an orphan of ordinarymoners who knew nothing of magic. It was a cursed fate, destined to lead nowhere, until I met Professor Bridgette byplete coincidence.¡±


    In most cases,moners of the Hebrion Empire never learn whether they have the Blessing of Mana. They never attempted to find out, and no one ever attempted to tell them. That was the way life was.


    ¡°However, mostmoners, and I am no exception, are not gifted with fortune. They are born and die without knowing that they have such talents. Even if they are aware of their gifts, they die without being able to flourish.¡±


    Before bing a returner, Desir had experienced that painful life firsthand.


    Desir was able to be a magician through sheer luck, but was discriminated against because he was amoner. The Hebrion Academy that he entered only after expending relentless effort was of no help to amoner, banishing him to a worthless ss for the sin of being born without status.


    That inadequate education made brilliant skillsnguish. In his previous life, Romantica met a premature death because she never realized her full talent.


    ¡®I can answer their question now.¡¯


    The answer to Raphaello¡¯s question from his previous life, and to Romantica¡¯s question today. ¡°I hope that by expanding the education system and enabling themoners to learn freely, I can make a ce where my existence would have been an inevitability rather than a coincidence.¡±


    As Desir experienced the Shadow Labyrinth, he realized that there were many outstanding individuals among themoners. People like Romantica and Pram.


    ¡°So you want to establish a second Hebrion Academy.¡±


    ¡°That would not be enough. I want any citizen of the Empire, not only a select few, to be given an equal opportunity at education.¡±


    Desir¡¯s request was a bit two-faced. When he requested to establish an academy, he did not really want to establish one institution. The true meaning of his request was¡­


    ¡°I hope that a minimum amount of education, in other words, a public education system, could be introduced to all of the citizens of the Empire.¡±


    After he finished exining, Desir swallowed hard.


    Guiltian, who was listening carefully in silence, remained silent. It was impossible to read his thoughts from his expression.


    Seeing that he was not answering him immediately, Desir assumed that he was seriously reviewing his proposal.


    And he was.


    However, introducing a public education system that Desir requested would mean that they had to establish academies all over the Empire.


    A huge national budget was consumed by maintaining one Hebrion Academy. It was evident that an astronomical amount of money would be consumed in order to expand and manage a few hundred or a few thousand of them.


    It was not impossible to do, but the stakes were high.


    ¡®If more people like him could be found, then it would definitely be a worthwhile investment, but¡­ ¡¯


    Desir Arman.


    It was impossible to put a price on him. When Guiltian had offered dukedom, he had done everything in his power to keep Desir by his side.


    Desir was basically making an investment proposition at the risk of his life. ¡°One thing.¡±


    After long contemtion, Guiltian managed to open his heavy mouth. ¡°I will grant your request on one condition.¡±


    ¡°What would that be?¡±


    ¡°You have to be in charge of this matter.¡±


    Seeing Desir¡¯s perplexed expression, Guiltian smiled faintly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure only you can perfectly fulfill your idea. Make sure to work hard to achieve your ideals until yourst breath.¡±


    Only then did Desir realize Guiltian¡¯s intention. ¡®So that was it.¡¯


    Guiltian tried to award him with a dukedom in order to keep him in the Empire.


    However, when Desir declined that offer, he used his proposal to make him stay.


    ¡®It will take a while for the system to be properly implemented. He would have to remain in the Empire for at least several decades.¡¯


    In the end, Guiltian was able to achieve his goal. ¡®It¡¯s a rather good oue for me.¡¯


    Desir was going to stay in the Empire regardless.


    If he could introduce the system himself, using his ideals as the foundation for future growth, it was more than he hoped for.


    ¡°I will do my best, Your Majesty.¡± And with that, the conversation ended. Both of them got what they hoped for.


    Desir received an opportunity to fulfill his ideals and Guiltian tied the best magician on the continent to the Empire.


    Desir put down his ss and bowed to Guiltian. It was at that moment when he turned around. ¡°Desir.¡±


    He heard Guiltian¡¯s voice. It was the most affectionate tone he heard from him until now. ¡°Please take care of Adjest.¡±


    tinum blond hair swung in front of his eyes.

 Chapter 274. The Banquet (5)

    <h4>Chapter 274. The Banquet (5)</h4>


    ¡°Desir.¡±


    A gentle voice.


    Desir looked at the morous girl with her tinum blond hair, bold, golden eyes and long, white fingers. He stood there in silence for what felt like an eternity.


    ¡°¡­ Adjest.¡±


    There was a blooming smile on his face.


    It was a funny thing.


    They had been apart for only a few days, but it felt much longer. ¡°I look forward¡­ ¡¯


    Adjest gently held Desir¡¯s hand. Her gentle touch and warmth was delivered through their hands.


    Adjest spoke with a smile on her face.


    ¡°I look forward to working with you, Desir.¡±


    At that moment, Desir was able to finally understand this situation and what Guiltian meant. So, there was only one thing he could say.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back. Everyone¡¯s waiting.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    It was Adjest¡¯s first words when she faced Pram and Romantica. Her tinum blond hair slid down as she lowered her head.


    Pram and Romantica looked up at her for a moment. They no longer seemed surprised and must have managed to calm down from when Desirst saw them.


    ¡°It¡¯s awkward to have a conversation while standing up, so why don¡¯t you sit down?¡±


    When Romantica smiled bitterly and beckoned her to a chair, Adjest pulled out a chair and sat on it.


    ¡°I want to ask you something.¡± The time hase.


    Adjest swallowed hard. She was prepared for any condemnation. However, the following words from Romantica were unexpected. ¡°You want champagne or orange juice?¡±


    At that moment, Adjest¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°Um, so¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Eh, just drink the champagne. I already brought it here.¡±


    Romantica held out a ss to Adjest even before she finished answering, the flowing champagne rippling within its container.


    Adjest looked into the ss absentmindedly.


    Seeing her like this, Romantica asked once again.


    ¡°You¡¯re not drinking, Adjest? It¡¯s sweeter than it looks and it¡¯s tasty. Or do you want the juice¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Strange.¡± ¡°What¡¯s strange?¡±


    The reactions from Romantica and Pram werepletely different from what Adjest was expecting.


    ¡°Why are you treating me like normal? I deceived you. Howe you aren¡¯t questioning me?¡±


    Since they knew that she hid her identity, they should have been upset.


    Adjest was ready to ept any criticisms.


    However, Pram and Romantica were behaving as usual. Their attitude was how normal people treated their friends that they had not seen for a long time.


    ¡°Because Adjest is Adjest.¡±


    Pram answered, smiling brightly.


    ¡°Regardless of your identity, the fact that Adjest was with us won¡¯t change.¡± ¡°B-But¡­ ¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such an inflexible princess.¡± Romantica cut Adjest off.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you just to be sure, but did you intentionally hide your identity so that we would be shocked?¡±


    ¡°No, I swear.¡±


    Adjest emphatically denied the possibility. There was no way this would have been the case. ¡°Then you can just think ¡®I guess they¡¯re pretending like they don¡¯t know¡¯ and just let it slide.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you guys surprised?¡±


    ¡°We were. We were really surprised, but that¡¯s it. It¡¯s not like you were trying to deceive us, and we didn¡¯t suffer any damage or anything. So, isn¡¯t the problem solved?¡±


    Romantica shrugged her soldiers as if she was saying ¡®I told you so¡¯. ¡°So, there¡¯s no need to be so apologetic.¡±


    She turned her gaze away as if she was done talking.


    Adjest¡¯s face lightened up again.


    ¡®That¡¯s good.¡¯


    Desir was pleased.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we all have a drink? A toast to Adjest¡¯s return.¡± ¡°Sounds good!¡±


    Pram enthusiastically responded to Desir¡¯s suggestion and Romantica and Adjest responded by raising their sses in front of them.


    ¡°To the eternal glory of Her Highness, Princess Adjest!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡±


    They clinked their sses and drank wine.


    Amid the lightened atmosphere, they began diving into lively conversations.


    Once again, Romantica¡¯s whole body was tinted a shade of bright red. This time, three people couldn¡¯t stopughing.


    Just a few months ago, they were attending the Hebrion Academy.


    Desir recalled the time when the four of them were having conversations at the party office. It was a pleasant memory.


    There were no other times when they were as happy and at ease than that time. ¡®We managed to protect our everyday life.¡¯


    Desir felt as if he was being rewarded at this moment for all the hard work he had put in.


    At that moment, it became bright outside. They turned their gaze towards the outside simultaneously.


    ¡°What a spectacr view.¡± ¡°Fireworks!¡±


    ¡°Wow. It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    Fireworks that were shot up the sky were embroidering the dark, night sky.


    The fireworks, each a different color, harmonized beautifully and the garden itself looked like andscape plucked out of a majestic painting.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, the whole capital is celebrating right now, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think their celebration is evenrger than Founding Day was.¡±


    Desir responded as something suddenly shed across his mind. ¡°Come to think of it, I heard there¡¯ll be a chronicle y at this festival.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I heard about that as well. I heard they¡¯re inviting some famous actors to perform it.¡± Pram responded enthusiastically with ps.


    Desir nced at them, one after the other, before continuing.


    ¡°Do you guys remember? We were nning to watch the chronicle y on Founding Day, but we ended up missing out on it.¡±


    ¡°You still remember that?¡±


    Not without reason, Romantica was surprised. It had been a rtively insignificant event from almost two years ago after all.


    ¡°Well, yeah. I was quite disappointed.¡±


    At that time, Desir had to leave in order to attend the ball held by the Imperial Pce.


    The scale of the Empire¡¯s chronicle y was considerable and extremely impressive that foreigners came to watch as well.


    Even though he was able to keep close ties with Guiltian by attending the ball, the fact that he was not able to watch the famous chronicle y remained a disappointing memory for him.


    ¡°I think Part Four starts at the Evening Star za?¡± ¡°No way, Desir, are you¡­ ¡±


    Romantica realized what Desir was trying to say.


    ¡°Uh-huh, yes way. I think we can watch from Part Four if we hurry a little bit. What do you guys think?¡±


    The four exchanged nces. However, no one raised any objections.


    Rather, they were filled with anticipation. The idea of crushing the lingering disappointment they had all buried was an extremely attractive prospect.


    ¡°Well, I think we¡¯ve enjoyed enough banquets tost a lifetime. Let¡¯s go do something fun!¡± There was no need for further persuasion.


    When a waiter came to check on them momentster, the four of them had disappeared.


    * * *


    The Hebrion Academy officially dered its reopening day.


    It had been seven months since the academy had been closed, and two weeks since the end of the war.


    Hearing this news, the students, who were scattered across various parts of the continent, began gathering one after another. The Hebrion Academy, which had been deadly quiet after all the students left, began to regain its vitality.


    However, many of the students were nning to leave the academy shortly after. The graduation ceremony of Kelt, Radoria, and other seniors was going to be held straight away.


    It was not just the seniors. Through the trials of war, many of the second-years had far exceeded the level the academy could provide for. Staying would only hinder their growth.


    To help those students, Hebrion Academy prepared a graduation examination to measure their new skill levels.


    A surprisinglyrge number of students took the exam, and a majority of the students who undertook Desir¡¯s training regime were able to pass.


    Of course, Desir took it as well.


    Obviously, the academy had nothing left to teach him. Now that he had achieved all his goals, he had no need to stay.


    In the graduation examination, Desir took first ce in the study of magic and Pram stood unchallenged as the top student in the study of swordsmanship.


    Pram, who was on the threshold of reaching King-ss, had risen to the potential Desir witnessed in his previous life. His cing was only natural, especially since Adjest had already graduated.


    The graduation ceremony was held not long after the examination. ¡°Congrattions, Desir.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done for me, Professor.¡±


    Bridgette came close to him and stroked his head. Her touch was soft and warm, as always. Desir felt like a child every time he was in front of her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep in touch often. I¡¯ll invite you to give a lecture when I get a chance.¡± ¡°Any time, Professor.¡±


    Desir promised to see her again and bid her farewell.


    Ronde approached him immediately after his conversation with her was over. Desir smiled and said,


    ¡°Take care of the party for us.¡± ¡°Of course!¡±


    Ronde Fizzlebang looked at Desir and answered with eyes full of envy, the same as when he entered the academy.


    Now that the majority of the talented second and third-years had graduated, Ronde had naturally be one of the top students in the academy.


    He followed in Desir¡¯s footsteps and took on the role of the next leader of the Starling Party. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure we stay in first ce no matter what and pass down your will to all our members!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overreact.¡±


    Desir sent Fizzlebang off and bumped into Professor Pugman, the head of the aristocratic professors. In the past, Desir had often conflicted with him, but their rtionship had mellowed out towards the end of Desir¡¯s academy days. When Pugman¡¯s eyesnded on Desir, his lips twitched as though he wanted to say something. However, he fell silent, seemingly having given up. Instead, he took off his hat and lowered his head.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    It was the best he could do to pay respect.


    Desir giggled.


    He had conflicts with the professor countless times, but he had grown greatly over the past years. Desir wasn¡¯t petty enough to harbor any ill feelings.


    ¡°I look forward to your great leadership in the academy, Professor.¡± With these words, Desir put to rest any unease between them.


    His second graduation ceremony was officially over.


    Three weeks passed in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 275. Collapse (1)

    <h4>Chapter 275. Copse (1)</h4>


    On the 39th floor of the Magic Tower, there was a room filled with numerous magic devices and one-of-a-kind rare artifacts. It was the bestboratory in the world, one that no other institution could hope topete with. It was Desir¡¯sb, personally made by Zod Exarion.


    It was no surprise that Desir could be found within hisb. At the moment, he was examining arge ss mirror, positioned directly in the center of the chamber. It was The Mirror That Holds Shadows, just one of many S-tier artifacts that Skull Mask possessed. As he approached the front of it and ced his hand on it, the artifact whirred to life. The regr ss mirror was reced by a dark screen, nk except for an image of the continent.


    Quickly after, countless characters clouded the disy. It was detailed information about every single event urring on the continent.*Woo-Woong*


    Desir poured through the information presented with a cautious look. Half an hourter, he sighed, took his hand off the mirror, and backed away.


    ¡°Ha¡­ ¡±


    Three weeks had passed since the graduation ceremony. For three weeks, Desir Arman had done nothing but spend his time and effort chasing after Pierrot Mask. As much as he longed to start his education program, there was nothing more important to him than securing the future of the world.


    Pierrot Mask was an entity that posed as much threat as Skull Mask, but in reality, they knew little about who he was or what he was capable of. Given that he had been the one to kill Skull Mask, it was likely he was capable of being even more dangerous than him.


    Therefore, Desir had to collect every bit of information possible. Discovering the true nature of the mirror before him had proven to be the best tool he had at his disposal to do that, but that was not all.


    He mobilized intelligence groups from all over the continent while Pram, Romantica, and Adjest all set out on their own, scouring thend for even a trace.


    ¡°All this effort¡­ wasted. Three weeks of an entire continent and an absurdly powerful artifact searching for one man, and nothing.¡±


    Desir sighed again, a somber feeling taking root in his heart. ¡°I can tell it didn¡¯t go well.¡±


    A familiar voice entered the room, and Desir instinctively gave a polite bow. It was Zod Exarion.


    Desir replied despondently.


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes. I don¡¯t think this artifact works very well against someone who knows how it works.¡±


    The Mirror That Holds Shadows was obviously an excellent artifact, but even it had limits.


    No matter how far away an event was, information about it could be obtained, but it still relied on human interpretation to figure out what the event really meant.


    Even if Pierrot Mask was moving, it was impossible to notice his movement if hepletely hid his identity or acted in a way that did not reveal his intentions.


    Desir spoke bitterly.


    ¡°The only information I have in hand is what I got a week ago.¡±


    So far, he had only gathered one piece of information presumably rted to Pierrot Mask. There had been thirteen murders in Adenia. Each of the victims had been killed in a different way, but their bodies had been so horribly mutted and disfigured that it was impossible to discern their identity. With what little information they had to work with, the authorities could not find anything linking the victims together


    Desir assumed this was the work of Pierrot Mask. There were too many murders done too quickly, and each of them with a different method; it could not have been a coincidence. That sort of action fit Pierrot Mask¡¯s whimsical personality to a T. Desir assumed he had turned their thirteen identities into thirteen unique bodies for himself, but that did not make him any easier to track down. Since the bodies had been left unidentifiable, Pierrot Mask would essentially look like a normal person, with nothing to distinguish him.


    The mirror was powerful, but it was not all-powerful. It informed Desir that the incident had urred, but he had no information on the victims or the killer, just how they died and what actions the locals had taken to investigate. In the end, identifying the victims would be an incredibly arduous task that would take a lot of time.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to figure out each of the thirteen identities and do our best to track any sightings of each of them.¡±


    Desir felt his head throbbing as he spoke. It would be an extremely obnoxious task, but that was not the biggest problem.


    ¡°If we take too long, or he realizes that we¡¯re onto him, he¡¯ll just disguise himself as someone else. We could end up tracking mutted bodies for months. If we don¡¯t hurry up, we¡¯ll never find him.¡±


    ¡°Desir, I think I have some good news.¡± Zod spoke as he approached the artifact.


    When he put his hand on the mirror, specific information about another incident was disyed in the artifact. It pertained to the murder of an Allied Forces soldier shortly after the Pittsburgh showdown, even though everything had long concluded there.


    It was obvious that Pierrot Mask must have disguised himself as the soldier.


    ¡°As soon as I learned this information, I put together an investigation to determine who Pierrot Mask disguised himself as.¡±


    Identifying the victim would not be particrly hard, as the supposedly dead soldier would not reappear after others had seen him fall in battle. But since Pierrot Mask was already assumed to be disguised as one of the new thirteen victims, knowing who he was three weeks ago wouldn¡¯t help them now.


    Still, Desir listened attentively. Zod was not one to tell unnecessary stories. ¡°Did you find anything?¡±


    ¡°Look at this.¡±


    When Zod operated the artifact, the marked information shifted and marked the timing of the murder in Adenia.


    ¡°That murder was seven days ago, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But more notably, that wasn¡¯t long after I discovered the identity of the soldier.¡± Desir noticed what Zod was trying to say.


    ¡°Are you saying that information is leaking from our side?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. It may be a mere coincidence, but we shouldn¡¯t dismiss it as such.¡± Zod kept on talking.


    ¡°I think Pierrot Mask is more dangerous than Skull Mask. His movements are never idental. It might have been a premeditated move to betray Skull Mask and steal the power source.¡±


    ¡°If there was a traitor inside the Allied Forces, as you are assuming Tower Master, and the traitor was cooperating with Pierrot Mask, he would have listened to everything happening inside the Allied Forces and the Outsiders. Every move he made would have been based on that information.¡±


    Desir could not help thinking that the war between the Kingdom of Divide and the Allied Forces might have been controlled by an invisible hand from the start.


    If the worst ended up being true, he might be more of a threat than a Skull Mask, just as Zod said.


    ¡°If such a traitor really exists inside, who are they?¡±


    They couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that Pierrot Mask might be disguised just like he did as the King of Divide, Colora Valdersch.


    With the precedent set in Divide, there was no guarantee that other countries would be able to fare better.


    Most of all, if there was a Pierrot Mask coborator who betrayed the Allied Forces¡­ They could not rule out the possibility that it was one of their trustedrades, those who had fought right alongside them.


    Thinking so, his thoughts gradually became more and more disordered. The more he thought, the worse his state of mind became.


    ¡®Let¡¯s calm down.¡¯


    Desir mentally retorted such, but it was not easy. Anxiety swelled up inside him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to jump to conclusions.¡±


    Zod spoke while grasping Desir¡¯s fist, which was trembling fiercely.


    ¡°It might just be a coincidence. We need to assume the worst, but we can¡¯t let it cloud our vision.¡±


    The hand that held his was rough, but firm and warm.


    He could feel the anxiety rising in his heart slowly begin to melt away at once, the warm hand melting the cier that had unknowingly formed in his heart.


    ¡°One step at a time. First, let¡¯s find out who Pierrot Mask has changed his identity to.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±


    Realizing that Desir had immediately jumped to the worst situation, and his mind had consumed itself with the task of discovering who, Zod immediately rushed to calm Desir down.


    Zod had always been like this, even in Desir¡¯s previous life. He was Desir¡¯s rock, the one who would support him in his times of need. That was why Desir trusted Zod more than anyone else.


    Desir felt grateful for the fact that Zod was by his side. ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough of the heavy talk.¡±


    Zod changed the subject when he seemed to calm down to some extent. ¡°I have some good news. Actually, I only dropped by to share this.¡±


    Zod¡¯s eyes changed. The wise eyes, which seemed to epass everything, were nowhere to be found, and the eyes of an excitable child appeared within a moment.


    ¡®Here we go again.¡¯


    As an engineer, he used to show such eyes when he was discussing things that interested him. No matter how much time passed, Zod Exarion was a reliable constant.


    Thinking so, Desir opened his mouth. ¡°You must have found something.¡±


    ¡°I discovered two important things. First, I¡¯ve decrypted another artifact from Skull Mask¡¯s collection.¡±


    Zod pulled something out of his dimensional pocket. It was an eyeball-shaped ne. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ ¡±


    Desir remembered the artifact. Some of the other artifacts were not yet usable because they had yet to be identified, but that was because additional protections hung over them.


    He was not as much use in decrypting them, contrary to what one might expect from the formidable anti-mage capable of unravelling any spell used before him. Unlocking and figuring out these artifacts was tedious, time-consuming work. It would take a considerable amount of time before these artifacts could be usable.


    It was clear that Skull Mask took the security of all of his artifacts seriously, as he had deployed powerful protection on most of them. Desir recalled that this artifact specifically had incredibly powerful protection ced upon it.


    ¡°What kind of artifact was it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather let you see it firsthand than try to exin it.¡± Desir gestured at the surrounding experimental tools. ¡°Right here, right now?¡±


    At this exaggerated motion, Zod shrugged as if it were nothing.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an offensive artifact, don¡¯t worry about theb. I know how much this space means to you, I wouldn¡¯t try to damage it.¡±


    Desir was reassured and received and donned the artifact.


    Zod calmly taught him how to use it. The process was soplicated that he had to concentrate and try hard not to miss Zod¡¯s words.


    ¡°¡­ and turn the ruby-colored gem at the center of the eyeball three times.¡±


    The moment he finished operating it, he felt his vision dimming.


    When he opened his closed eyes again, he found himself sitting in a white space where nothing existed. It was a space with no end in sight.


    Desir looked at his neck. The artifact he was wearing had already disappeared.

 Chapter 276. Collapse (2)

    <h4>Chapter 276. Copse (2)</h4>


    ¡°Wee to ess.¡±


    It was a familiar voice. There was no way he did not know the voice that had heard over and over again.


    It was the same voice as the rm sound heard when entering Shadow Worlds. ¡®But something¡­ is different.¡±


    The tone was clearly the same, but there was a difference. If the voice he heard before could be considered dull, then he could feel overwhelming vitalitying from it now.


    He wandered around the empty white space and soon identified the source of the voice. A girl with hair long enough that it brushed the floor was staring at him.


    Desir noticed at a nce that the girl was not an ordinary human being.


    Her appearance was by no means ordinary. Tens of thousands of circuits were reflected over the fabric of her ck dress, and above all, her neck and calves that were revealed were heavily inscribed with letters presumed to be runes.


    Desir cautiously threw a question at this being. ¡°Who are you, and what is this ce here?¡± The girl spoke in a rather lively voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lunia, Artemis¡¯s assistant. This is a virtual space created to ess the system, and you can also ess Lunia¡¯s stored information.¡±


    Artemis¡¯s assistant. ess the system. Stored information.


    The words did not make much sense, but Desir could see that this artifact had a lot more to it than he initially thought.


    He decided to grasp the iprehensible things one by one.


    ¡°What is the system, and what do you mean this ce was made to ess it??¡±


    Artemis. This was the name of the religious group to which Prisci, revered as a Saint, belonged, and the name of the Goddess that they believed in.


    Desir questioned the words ¡°system and connection¡± that he knew was not associated with Artemis.


    ¡°Artificial Reality Timespaces for Endlessly Maintaining the Ideal Scenario. Commonly known as Artemis (A.R.T.E.M.I.S.) systems.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The rapid-fire answer left Desir even more confused.


    ¡°Artemis systems are an artificial intelligence, capable of reproducing the past and allowing those that enter the opportunity to make the changes necessary for the prosperity of all intelligent life. essing the system means gaining the authority to change history.¡±


    Desir¡¯s eyes were momentarily struck with consternation. ¡°Reproducing the past and turning it into a correct one¡­ ?¡±


    Reproducing history. Obviously, this was rted to the Shadow Worlds, and what Lunia was saying was not new to Desir. Using Shadow Worlds to reshape history¡­


    ¡®That was Skull Masks goal.¡¯


    Desir looked at Lunia in front of him. The artifact that he now operated was an artifact should have been single handedly capable of bringing Skull Mask¡¯s n to fruition.


    That meant only one thing.


    ¡°Is this artifact central to Skull Mask¡¯s n itself?¡±


    Desir expected that he would be able to get information from Lunia. He had wanted to get more from Skull Mask, but that unfortunately was not possible after his death.


    ¡°Lunia, do you also have information on whether a natural reproduction of the past urs in the present era?¡±


    Skull Mask had seeded in artificially creating Shadow Worlds, but normally, Shadow Worlds are a natural disaster that ur every year at the same time. Up until now, no one had figured out why this was the case.


    It was now clear that Skull Mask had used this artifact to obtain information about the existing Shadow Worlds in order to artificially create his own versions of them.


    If Desir could get a hold of that information, it might be possible to prevent future Shadow Worlds from guing the world. He couldn¡¯t hide his excitement at the thought of suddenly obtaining such unexpected information.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ?¡±


    But no matter how long he waited, there was no answer.


    Lunia, who has been answering questions so far, chewed her lips and hesitated, before btedly answering.


    ¡°I believe that I have no choice but to implement the history reproduction function to provide answers to that question. I will now utilize Historical Reproduction. Please do not be rmed by the changes to our environment.¡±


    As soon as Lunia finished speaking, thendscape began to appear on-top of this space that had, up until then, been an endless void of white.


    * * *


    The view that Desir was confronted with was a myriad of bright colors. It was andscape that was very familiar to Desir.


    Frey Noble.


    What he saw was the city in its original form. It was dazzlingly beautiful and clear, totally unlike the destroyed version from his previous life.


    This was the ce where they defeated the Dragon of Destruction. It was certainly Frey Noble.


    ¡°This is an age now long gone from the memory of mankind. The human race of that time enjoyed abundance and prosperity while living in harmony with various species.¡±


    The city before Desir was one that was hundreds of years more advanced that the civilization of today, perhaps even thousands. Among the citizens were other creatures, mysterious in ways Desir could not quite ce. Something about them was unnatural, but they certainly were not human.


    ¡°The reason why their civilization has developed this much is because of their power to reform history, the Artemis system.¡±


    ¡®I expected it, but it¡¯s amazing to see it like this.¡¯


    When Desir saw Frey Noble in the Shadow Labyrinth in his previous life, he had assumed that there would be an era of great civilization in ancient times.


    Though he knew it must have existed, seeing it in person was something else altogether. That was not the only thing that surprised him though.


    ¡®And I didn¡¯t know that crazy idea started that long ago¡­ ¡¯


    Creating and using artificial Shadow Worlds to reorganize history did not originate with Skull Mask.


    ¡°They used the Artemis system to achieve everything they wanted. By correcting past mistakes, they made the history that they wanted, and as a result, they were able to achieve a highly developed civilization.¡±


    There is no human being who can always make the right choice. Everyone makes mistakes, fails and tries to seed using their growth as a stepping stone.


    But such efforts were not necessary if the past could be changed.


    You could make mistakes and you could then make those mistakes disappear. Their mistakes were corrected. This was why they could reach such heights. ¡°But how do they know which future is right or wrong?¡±


    It was pointless to reform history if it was not judged properly. ¡°Artemis.¡±


    Lunia answered.


    ¡°While Artemis allows the reshaping of history, at the same time it draws and guides the intelligent species to the most ideal future, taking into ount the near-infinite number of variables, including the current number and societal status of intelligent life and future technological advances.¡±


    To derive and guide.


    Recalling the numerous Shadow Worlds he hadpleted, Desir realized that the quests given in the Shadow Worlds were ultimately the best result for humanity every time. This was the power of the system called Artemis.


    ¡°Does this mean that the Goddess Artemis, whom Skull Mask spoke of, is the judge?¡±


    Desir was looking at the sight presented to him while his forehead creased, and soon realized one thing.


    ¡°I know why you¡¯re showing this to me. The Artemis system has something to do with the indiscriminate appearance of the past in our world, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the reenactment of human history now urring every year in the world is due to the Artemis system.¡±


    Only then did Desir know why Lunia struggled to answer his question. ¡®The premise of the question itself was wrong.¡¯


    In short, all Shadow Worlds urred under the control of the Artemis system, and ¡°naturally urring¡± Shadow Worlds did not exist at all.


    But surely there was a difference. ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand.¡± Desir arranged his thoughts before continuing.


    ¡°The reenactment of Artemis¡¯ history is to reshape the past. But there has never been a case of such a result from Shadow Worlds influencing the present era. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because the Artemis system has suffered significant functional damage.¡± *Boom*


    The scenery before him radically changed.


    A huge explosion and shockwave followed along with the screams of countless people. The highly civilized city copsed in a moment and began to change into the barren hellscape that Desir had originally remembered.


    Was it Artemis¡¯s error? Or did God really exist to punish their arrogance?


    No one knew. Not even Artemis.


    ¡°They thought they had achieved what they had long sought, reaching the realm of God. This illusion was the beginning of all the problems.¡±


    Severalndscapes passed before Desir¡¯s eyes. ¡®Dadenewt.¡¯


    The golden sea turned ck, and magma began rising to the surface.


    The ground was ame; the sky was covered with ash.


    ¡®The Beast of Revtion.¡¯


    A sh of light covered the world, and lightning struck the ground. Everything that existed on the ground turned to ashes without leaving a trace.


    In addition, variousndscapes passed by, and different monsters appeared in thendscape. They were all monsters that existed in Desir¡¯s memory.


    And among them was a particrly eye-catching monster. ¡°Napolitan, the Dragon of Destruction¡­ !¡±


    The final boss of the Shadow Labyrinth. The Meteor-Rank Dragon of Destruction, Bhromier Napolitan.


    The giant dragon destroyed mankind with a torrent of draconic spells that could not be fought back with the power of mankind.


    A single appearance from any one of these would spell the end for mankind, but dozens of such monsters appeared at the same time and began to attack humanity.


    ¡°Artemis tried to lead everyone to the best future. But no matter what choice they make, no matter how hard they struggle, the consequences of the destruction of their civilization have not changed.¡±


    It was impossible to prevent the fall of civilization. Atst, even Frey Noble, the final stronghold of mankind, copsed, and civilization, which boasted that it had reached the realm of God, was literally reduced to ashes and scattered.


    ¡°The Artemis system recorded this as the ¡®biggest copse point of humanity¡¯.¡± Thendscape continued to change, never ending.


    ¡°Civilization has been destroyed, but a small number of humans have sought a way to survive.¡±


    Civilizations had risen from the ashes and eventually fell and returned to dust, but there were always people who survived. After the monsters disappeared, these survivors moved to take back the shining era they had achieved.


    Desir could find a familiar face among them. He spotted Skull Mask. ¡®So that was his story¡­ ¡¯


    The ideal that Skull Mask talked about. That was exactly what it meant from the perspective of people from his era.


    ¡°The creatures that destroyed civilization disappeared, and mankind regained peace. But there was one problem.¡±


    Problem. Desir sensed that this was the answer to his question.


    ¡°Artemis was damaged, and now it¡¯s stuck in a loop. It¡¯s continually repeating its calctions, trying to reach a future that is now impossible.¡±


    No matter how hard it calctes to avoid that biggest copse, it is unable to create a future that does not exist.


    But Artemis did not stop. Even now, it continues to recreate the past, trying to create a new series of events capable of bringing new possibilities, all to find a single future for a civilization that is long dead.


    And that was the identity of the Shadow Worlds that appear in the world.


    * * *


    Zod put down his teacup, his face wrapped in a yful smile. The eyeball-shaped ne around his neck was shedding a faint tear.


    ¡°He must be quite embarrassed by now.¡±


    Zod did not have difficulty understanding Desir¡¯s feelings. Because he was also quite shocked after sharing the same experience.


    ¡®It¡¯s going to be a delightful debate.¡¯


    Discuss the missing history, knowledge that had been leftpletely unrecorded.


    It would have been a perfect pleasure for a magician who regarded knowledge as happiness. Someone knocked on the door of theb while he wasughing with anticipation.


    Zod only knew one person who knocked like that. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. Come in.¡±


    Zod weed the man who came in with a bright light.


    ¡°What makes you drop in out of the blue? If you had contacted me in advance, I would have handled everything¡­ ¡±


    Zod¡¯s expression suddenly hardened.


    Something was strange. There was no way that person hade here, and there was no report that they were going to arrive.


    But the moment he made the realization, it was toote. Zod tried to move, but the presence in front of him was a step ahead.

 Chapter 277. Collapse (3)

    <h4>Chapter 277. Copse (3)</h4>


    Artemis created Shadow Worlds in order to reshape the past. However, even if a Shadow World was cleared, reality was left unchanged. It only showed the best possible path for a given historical event. Desir had learned why Shadow Worlds were still being created, but why was the past not changing?


    ¡°After the copse, the Artemis system was severely damaged. Not all of itsponents are functioning as intended.¡±


    Even if Desir didn¡¯t know every aspect of the Artemis system, he was able find the answer to his question.


    ¡°So the function of reproducing past historical events remains, but the power to reshape the past has been lost?¡±


    Lunia nodded.


    Desir spoke after a moment of thought.


    ¡°Then, is the erosion that urs when a Shadow World is unsessfully cleared also because of that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is right.¡±


    ¡®So that¡¯s what happened.¡¯


    Artemis had the ability to recreate past events, allowing humans to alter them under its guidance, and then imnt the newly created scenario into reality.


    However, no matter how brilliant the ancient human race was, it was impossible for them to clear every single Shadow World perfectly. They must have had the ability to retry or otherwise deal with Shadow Worlds that they failed.


    Artemis was an artificial system that was driven by man to all extent and purposes. There must have been a function for the inevitably of failing a Shadow World. However, this function must have also been lost at the time of the biggest copse, as was the function to actualize the changed history. Since then, failing to clear Shadow Worlds would now cause erosion.


    It would have been better if Artemis had lost all function. At least then, people would not have suffered under the Shadow Worlds.


    The Artemis system was a powerful tool, but it had ultimately caused mankind¡¯s downfall. It had no greater intelligence, only capable of recreating history in an attempt to aid humanity, unable to recognize the negative impact the system was having on the world.


    ¡®I understand Skull Mask¡¯s actions now.¡¯


    This was why Skull Mask could not bring his n to fruition, even though he possessed an artifact that could directly ess the Artemis system.


    It would not have been possible to fully implement any n without solving Artemis¡¯s loss of functionality. And his solution must have been using those giant towers to replenish it somehow.


    ¡°Was this enough to answer your questions?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    *Shwim*


    When Desir answered with a nod, the surrounding scenery began to dissipate. In time, the surroundingndscape reverted back to the endless void of white space, just like what he saw upon first arriving here.


    ¡®I¡¯ve gotten a considerable amount of information from this.¡¯


    Desir had discovered the origins of the Shadow Worlds. And, he had a new goal. ¡®Maybe we can get rid of the Shadow Worlds entirely.¡¯


    Until now, the entire human race had no choice but to watch this disaster helplessly because they had no idea why or how the Shadow Worlds urred. But he finally found out the secret behind it all.


    After all, the Shadow Worlds were created by the Artemis system. If only he could control or stop Artemis, he couldpletely solve the problem caused by the appearance of Shadow Worlds.


    And of those two methods, Desir thought he should take thetter.


    Artemis was created to aid and develop mankind, but eventually threatened humanity and drove it to destruction. Unless they could tell when it would cause trouble again, the more certain option was to destroy it.


    Above all, if such enormous power was to be abused, there would be no turning back. ¡®Second and third Skull Masks may appear.¡¯


    The idea was solidified all the more because he had already seen the existence that had been destroyed using it.


    But he could not put anything into action right away. ¡®If I could control this¡­ ¡¯


    If only the Artemis system could be controlled properly, it could be used to immense effect in helping mankind. In addition, it may also be possible to even use it to restore the eroded territory. Even though destroying the system was a straightforward choice, it was hard to give up all the boons reconstruction would bring.


    If fixing the system was even possible. ¡®For now, I should talk with Zod.¡¯


    It was not a matter that he could decide by himself. Desir decided to talk to Zod and decide on his course of action.


    ¡°Lunia, what am I supposed to do to get out of here?¡±


    ¡°You just need to think that you want to leave, and then you¡¯ll return to the ce you left the ne.¡±


    Desir nodded, and as he tried to go outside, he realized one thing.


    ¡°I never introduced myself. My name is Desir Arman. Lunia, you¡¯ve been a great help.¡± Lunia smiled gently and lifted the end of her skirt slightly.


    ¡°I look forward to seeing you again, Mr. Desir.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see you again soon.¡±


    After all, he would need toe back in order to ess Artemis, whether that was to destroy it or repair it.


    Desir closed his eyes at the end of the farewell, and after a moment his body was enveloped in a dazzling light and disappeared.


    Lunia stared at the ce where Desir had disappeared for a long time.


    * * *


    ¡°Zod, I need to talk to¡­ ¡±


    Desir¡¯s words died in his mouth. The scene in front of him¡­


    He had used the artifact while in hisb inside the tower, so he expected to reappear there. But the ce where he opened his eyes betrayed his expectations: he was standing in front of a teleportation gate.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    A murmur came to Desir¡¯s ear. When he turned his eyes, there were numerous magicians around him.


    Desir, who recognized many of the people present, quickly realized that something had gone wrong.


    The magicians of the tower were all terrified, and most of them were injured.


    Most notable was the distinct feeling in the air, or rather, theck thereof. With this many powerful magicians gathered, he should have been able to feel a strong flow of mana, but the surroundings were no different than if they were ordinary people.


    ¡®Was there a battle in the tower while I was gone?¡¯


    Desir, who could see the magicians countless injuries and exhaustion, had easilye to the most logical conclusion, but it did not seem usible.


    After the disappearance of Skull Mask, the Outsiders had finally been wiped out, and there was no other force worthy of starting a war.


    The Magic Tower was where the greatest magicians on the continent gathered. Even if they could be defeated in directbat, the Magic Tower was extremely secure and housed powerful weapons. Sieging it head-on was an act only a madman would consider.


    But he could not think of any other possibility when faced with the groans and injuries of his fellow mages.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally out!¡±


    A man approached Desir. It was the Second Tower Master, Hephaestus.


    He too was covered in wounds. There was a mixture of misery in his deeply sunken eyes. Desir asked urgently.


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡±


    To the question, Hepaestus handed something to Desir. It was the eyeball-shaped ne.


    ¡°Why do you have¡­ ¡±


    ¡°The tower has been attacked.¡± Hephaestus¡¯s expression was dead serious.


    There was no reason for him to tell such a lie to Desir in the first ce. As he guessed, the tower really had been attacked.


    Desir looked around. ¡°Did the main tower fall?¡±


    Hepaestus shook his head with a miserable look.


    Impossible. It was hard enough to believe that someone had actually attacked the Altea tower, but they were defeated?


    Desir¡¯s confusion began to take a sinister form.


    ¡°Who the hell¡­ ? No, more importantly, for what reason?!¡± His expression was distorted.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me!¡±


    Desir had been in the artifact for less than an hour.


    A mere hour.


    Desir¡¯s sanity was falling apart at the seams, his rational thoughts reced by an uncontroble flurry of emotion. Embarrassment, over theplete failure of their defenses; confusion, because there should be no one capable of attacking them; anger, since he had been happily wasting away, giddy as a schoolgirl over discovering long-lost history, all while hell was breaking loose. He was just inside the artifact, mere seconds away. He could have stopped it all.


    ¡°By the time we realized what had happened, we had already lost control. That¡¯s why the


    Tower Master said¡­ ¡±


    Hepaestus stopped talking as his face contorted into a re, traces of embarrassment and distress shimmering just beneath the surface.


    The expression was perplexing enough that it knocked Desir out of his downward spiral. After a brief moment, Desir realized the cause.


    He had not seen him anywhere.


    There was no sign of Zod to be found.


    That meant only one thing.


    Desir¡¯s gaze turned to the teleportation gate, striding towards it without hesitation. ¡°No, Mr. Desir! Are you going back to the Tower now?¡±


    Hephaestus hurried to block Desir¡¯s path.


    Desir shoved him aside, his eyesden with emptiness, his pupils utterly devoid of light. Eyes deep like an abyss, eyes that threatened to suck the soul out of anyone foolish enough to gaze into them.


    ¡°Get out of the way.¡±


    Still, Hephaestus would not give up. He collected himself, and began to move towards Desir, but he could not do anything. Desir gathered an unbelievable amount of mana into an array in front of him.


    *Kii-ying*


    Teleportation gates boasted the mostplicated security spells ever devised, several of them arranged by the Great Sage himself. Wide-range teleportation magic was extremely powerful, and dangerous in the wrong hands, so ess was heavily restricted and powerful spells guarded their use from anyone other than those chosen. Desir inverted it within a second.


    Control of the gate in hand, Desir immediately changed the coordinates to the Magic Tower¡¯s main branch.

 Chapter 278. Collapse (4)

    <h4>Chapter 278. Copse (4)</h4>


    The teleportation gate did not open.


    ¡°That won¡¯t work, Desir. The Tower¡¯s gate was destroyed.¡± Hephaestus spoke forlornly towards the bewildered Desir. ¡°And even if you could get there, it wouldn¡¯t help at all.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Desir¡¯s voice wasced with a sharp edge.


    Hephaestus exined, taking a gulp even though his mouth hadpletely dried out.


    ¡°I was getting to that, before you ran off. Desir, the enemy has artifacts that limit the movement of mana. Because of that, all of the magicians were left powerless.¡±


    Desir recalled having encountered such artifacts before. Leonhardt Pce, where the Emperor of the Hebrion Empire lived.


    Having been within an anti-magic field before, he was well aware of how helpless the situation must have felt. Just as a knight cared for their equipment, or a cksmith valued their forge, magicians had a very personal connection with the mana around them. The mana in the atmosphere felt like a second skin or a third arm; something that had always been there since birth, something that was a conscious part of their being. Having the continuous stream suddenly sputter to a stop and solidify in the air was something that would shake any mage to their core. The more powerful the mage, the deeper their connection. It was not an experience that was easy to forget.


    If the enemy had an artifact that had simr functionality, their defeat was understandable. The mages would have been reduced to infants and the magical defenses would have been rendered useless.


    ¡°Then why is the Tower Master still there?¡±


    Zod was still a wizard. Great Sage or not, if their mana usage had been restricted, Zod was no different than any other human.


    "Someone had to stay and protect the gate to prevent the enemy¡¯s pursuit. And the Tower Master took that role¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Why¡­ ?¡±


    Desir was angry and stopped talking. Because he knew why. He was sure that Zod would have volunteered to y the role. ¡°Who the hell is our enemy?¡±


    Who the hell had artifacts stronger than the Hebrion royal family, and why would they want to attack the Magic Tower?


    Various spections passed through his mind in a short span of time. ¡°The enemy is¡­ ¡±


    Hephaestus began to answer in a somber voice.


    As he continued, Desir¡¯s expression paled.


    * * *


    An ear-splitting roar, shrieks, and groans mingled throughout Altea.


    The source came from a tower, one high enough that it pierced the sky. Debris plummeted towards the surface as the Magic Tower, beloved by all magicians, copsed.


    *Boom*


    *Boom*


    The explosions showed no sign of ending.


    Over and over again the sky was illuminated as a result of the shes and the explosions devouring the surrounding buildings.


    At the scene of the explosion, Zod was breathing heavily.


    He felt simultaneously invincible and awkward due to the feeling of holding his cane in his left hand. Because he was right-handed, he had never held his cane with his left hand before.


    But, it could not be helped. There was nothing where his right arm was supposed to be. *Ping*


    At that moment something flew at him.


    It was a sword coated in aura.


    Zod hurriedly arranged a spell array before himself. [Iron Flowers]


    A Sixth-Circle defensive spell.


    In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of flowers bloomed before Zod¡¯s eyes. Each and every one of them overflowed with magic, with each petal having the same defensive as a Third-Circle spell.


    *Booom*


    Shortly after the flowers were in full bloom, the aura-enhanced attack collided with the petals and set off an explosion.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t the end.¡¯


    Zod shook his hand. The flowers weaved gracefully under his control.


    The advantage of this spell was that the numerous flowers could be arranged differently to defend a wide area.


    *Boooom*


    Another explosion rang out. The enemy¡¯s follow-up attacks from the sides and rear had been blocked.


    ¡®The number of enemies is three¡­ no, four.¡¯


    Zod analyzed the enemy¡¯s strength as he fended off their blows.


    ¡®Given the aura used in the attack, I should be thankful none of them are King-ss.¡¯


    The individuals had a considerable amount of skill and worked excellently together. However, if that was the only thing going for them, the tower would not have been defeated.


    Zod rearranged the position of the flowers in a moment of surprise. The petals began to flutter around him.


    The atmosphere surrounding Zod had be heavier.


    The petals failed to withstand the rapidly rising pressure and were all crushed into fragments, scattered to the wind. It was as if a blooming flower began to wilt and fall apart.


    Zod raised his eyebrows as he looked at the petals that were falling by the second. If this was the result of a spell, it was at least Fifth-Circle.


    But during the attack, no movement of mana could be felt. This was not the result of magic. ¡®This is an ability, not a spell.¡¯


    Within this space, where all mana movement was blocked, his enemies were the only ones free to attack and move. If not for their wless teamwork, he likely could have won by now. *Ping*


    Zod¡¯s defensive magic had all but faltered, and already he was under attack. Three different aura-imbued attacks came from different directions.


    There was little gap between the manifestation of the ability and these attacks using aura. Of course, Zod would not miss such a timing.


    [Eternal Slumber] *Freeze*


    He responded with powerful Sixth-Circle ice magic.


    A bitter chill spread out around Zod. Everything that came into contact with the cold snap froze in an instant. It was a sub-zero attack.


    Zod¡¯s magic did not just end there though. He pointed his cane at the ground, as if he were a god inflicting divine punishment on a sinner.


    [Hell Fire] *Booom*


    The atmosphere howled. Eternal fire swept over the city.


    Blistering heat merged with sub-zero frost and a massive shock wave knocked back his assants.


    The zing hot wind disturbed Zod¡¯s hair and his cut-out hem.


    A chance of victory had been presented with this move. It was an attack that linked two Sixth-Circle spells. No matter how powerful his opponent was, they could not have gotten away unscathed.


    ¡°Impressive, but it¡¯s not enough, old man.¡± A gentle voice came from the other side. Soon after, Zod¡¯s vision turned white.


    Defensive magic was instively invoked as a result of vast fighting experience. *Boom*


    As soon as the defensive spell waspleted, a thunderous explosion burst out.


    The re of light shattered the defensive magic, and Zod was thrown back, unable to ovee the shock.


    His body was thrown against the wall. The three fierce attacks had finally demolished what little remained of the Magic Tower¡¯s original structure.


    Zod swallowed a groan and stood up by leaning on his cane.


    He looked as miserable as the smashed tower.


    Glossy ck hair moved in the breeze.


    As soon as Zod saw her, he felt a phantom pain from his now missing right arm. That was because she was the one who cut it off.


    ¡®Prisci¡­ ¡¯


    He and Desir had considered the possibility of a traitor, and though he had done his best to calm Desir down, Zod had never stopped contemting suspects ever since it urred to him. Even still, he had ruled out the possibility that the traitor was Prisci. Even though she was the head of the Church of Artemis, she had an extremely close rtionship with Zod, far greater than she did with Desir, who she had only met rtively recently.


    ¡®To think she would do this¡­ ¡¯


    Zod looked around. The culmination of his entire life¡¯s worky crumbled and destroyed at his feet.


    Numerous long-standing studies had been destroyed, and many of the Tower¡¯s personnel had been brutally ughtered, including children who were undergoing apprenticeships.


    All by the woman that stood right in front of him.


    Prisci¡¯s eyes and mouth painted small smile lines. That the smile was not much different from what had always been directed at him made Zod once again feel distressed.


    Whether or not she knew how badly she tore apart his heart, Prisci spoke, with some surprise.


    ¡°You¡¯re great, old man. I¡¯ve already used the Choir¡¯s Chorus, and you¡¯re still putting up a fight.¡±


    *Ring*


    A soft bell rang. The artifact, which she called the Choir¡¯s Chorus, had the ability to limit the flow of mana, ultimately preventing magicians from casting spells.


    It was truly an artifact that could be called the natural enemy of magicians. A terrifying weapon, especially against the Magic Tower.


    It was powerful enough that most of the magicians had been unable to invoke a single spell. Zod Exarion was the only exception. As the only Seventh-Circle magician present, he had ess to a vast well of mana that would allow him to defend without having to draw from the atmosphere. Still, that vast well was finite.


    Zod¡¯s breathing had long grown ragged. His mana pool had mostly dried up, only a few buckets remaining. Even still, he had employed far more mana than that. Until about ten minutes ago, Zod had been supplying his spells with mana from a level one mana stone, an item so powerful it was often considered a national treasure. Even it had run dry.


    ¡°All this death, all this destruction¡­ ¡± Zod struggled to open his mouth. ¡°Why have you done this, Prisci?¡±


    Prisci and Zod¡¯s eyes were inextricably tangled. ¡°There was a possibility of interference.¡± ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Desir, who knows the draconguage, and you, who is most versed in modern magical technology, are the biggest threats to my n.¡±


    The Saint carried on speaking with appalling calmness. ¡°So I have no choice but to kill you.¡±


    There was a possibility of them disrupting her n.


    Hearing such an answer, Zod Exarion looked silently at Prisci.


    He longed to believe that, in some fashion, Prisci felt guilty. Zod wanted to understand Prisci, and agree with her.


    He did not want to hate her. He hoped there was some grand reason behind this.


    Even though she robbed him of his right arm and destroyed the entire tower, Zod gave her ast chance.


    But she only proved two facts in her harsh voice.


    The Prisci he knew was no longer there, and Zod Exarion was no longer her friend. He was a threat that needed to be removed.


    An unbearable feeling rose. Perhaps it was anger.


    But he put up with it. He did not allow it to show.


    That was because he realized what he had to do now.


    At this moment of Prisci¡¯s conversation, he had to dig up information somehow. For the sake of the person who will continue this fight.


    ¡°What are you trying to aplish by doing so, Prisci?¡± ¡°To save this world.¡±


    ¡°Save the world?¡± Zod¡¯s mouth twisted.


    ¡°Prici, have you gone mad? You¡¯vemitted an atrocity. You¡¯re damning mankind to failure, and you¡¯re saying it¡¯s to save the world?!¡± Zod¡¯s voice rose somewhat.


    ¡°You won¡¯t understand, at least not now. From your perspective, you¡¯d never realize that this is a necessary sacrifice. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not asking for your understanding.¡±


    Prisci calmly carried on speaking.


    ¡°But, the moment this world is saved, in the truest sense of the word, you wille to understand why I did this.¡±


    Zod recalled hearing her argument somewhere.


    It was the same goal the Artemis system had. Save mankind, no matter the cost. It was likely the same thing Skull Mask had heard from Lunia.


    ¡°So what, are you just another Skull Mask? Fighting to restore a long-dead civilization, even if it means destroying humanity?¡±


    Prisci¡¯s smile fell off her face. For the first time, she showed signs of displeasure.


    ¡°Skull Mask. What an unpleasant man. He wanted to relive the past, fulfill his personal selfishness.¡±


    Her voice was filled with contempt.


    ¡°But I¡¯m different. I¡¯m striving for salvation. The best world, for all of humanity: past, present, and future.¡±


    At that moment, he could feel the heat behind her cold eyes.


    ¡°So, please don¡¯t forgive me. Curse me until the end. Now, can you please do me a favor and die?¡±


    As the conversation drew to an end, Zod had nearlypleted the invocation of a spell.

 Chapter 279. Collapse (5)

    <h4>Chapter 279. Copse (5)</h4>


    Upon hearing Prisci¡¯s answer, Zod¡¯s will was reforged anew.


    She must be stopped here.


    First, he needed to break through their encirclement. He could run, but the moment he did, Prisci would restore the gate and begin hunting Desir.


    That was not an option. [Trinity Lightning]


    Zod invoked one of the strongest Sixth-Circle spells.


    A triangle of lightning formed over Prisci¡¯s head. Shortly thereafter, a vast amount of epilepsy-inducing light began to cascade onto her, creating a scene so bright that even Zod had to avert his eyes.


    Though his eyes had been spared, his ears were assaulted by the deafening roar that followed. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you it was no use, old man?¡±


    Once the aftermath of the shock subsided, Zod saw four knights standing in front of Prisci. They were protecting her like a wall, each of their aura-imbued shields positioned to defend their leader.


    Not one of them had received a fatal injury.


    ¡®Is their defense equal to, or perhaps even greater than, the Aurora System?¡¯


    Between their Blessing of Light, aura, and teamwork, they were an extremely formidable opponent, one that Zod never wanted to face in earnestbat.


    Though he was shaken, Zod did not hesitate. Before the storm had even lifted, he had already begun arranging another spell.


    [Arcane ster] Sixth-Circle explosion magic.


    *Booom*


    A huge explosion swept through, but the knights remained in ce and solidified their defenses.


    The Holy Pdins calmy defended against his attack, but they did not immediately strike back. Until now, they had been fighting for a quick resolution, hoping to quickly defeat Zod such that they could begin pursuit of Desir, but they had realized that was no longer an option. Zod¡¯s counterattack had intensified, and to act rashly against the Great Sage would likely result in defeat. At this point, Desir could be anywhere on the continent, so it was best to ensure that Zod was eliminated, even if it took them a long time to do so.


    Zod had to fight with the limited mana remaining in his body, since the Choir¡¯s Chorus blocked him from gathering mana from the atmosphere.


    Nevertheless, he had no choice but to fight in this unfavorable situation. He could not afford to stop casting spells. As soon as he did, they would repair the gate and go after Desir. Every moment he fought was another second that Desir had to formte and enact a n.


    Prisci and her pdins could simply seize victory by defending Zod¡¯s attack and waiting for his mana to run out.


    However, despite the unfavorable situation, Zod¡¯s expression remained calm. ¡®As expected.¡¯


    It was a fight that he started knowing that it would be disadvantageous to him. Already determined, Zod was calmer than ever.


    [Elemental Punishment]


    Zod Exarion was the only magician on the continent who could deploy multi-element spells. Materials of different properties resonated in harmony. me and wind raged in unison, followed by huge panes of ice that buffeted them from all sides. *Boom*


    The Seventh-Circle spell, its tremendous destructive power unrivaled, shook the entire city. The remnants of the Magic Tower, which had barely stood until now, finally copsed in earnest.


    But the pdins in front of him still remained firm, albeit somewhat worse for wear.


    Prisci waved lightly inside the copsing building. A halo wound around the tower and returned it to the state before the spell had broken it.


    She restored the building itself.


    He had intended to take down the entire tower and make a follow-up hit, but was thwarted by her ability.


    *Wheeze*


    *Wheeze*


    Zod tried desperately to develop more spells, his ragged breath scratching his throat, but his spells failed to eventuate.


    *Slice*


    Blood spattered in all directions, and Zod¡¯s body suddenly fell to one side. *Drop*


    *Drop*


    Blood poured down from his severed left leg.


    Maybe it was because of the continuous invocation of magic. His spell invocation was dyed for a moment, and the pdins did not miss that gap.


    ¡°It¡¯s an unbing mistake.¡±


    It was a tone filled with ridicule.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like a calcting old man to continue such an unfavorable fight in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°Not like me.¡±


    Zod thought Prisci¡¯s words were not wrong. He would not have tried to fight in the first ce if his chances were uncertain.


    Blood trickled from his two severed limbs. His clothes had long been dyed red with blood, and the floor had been slicked with it. It would not have been strange for him to have already drawn hisst breath, considering the amount of blood he had lost.


    [Lighting Road]


    Despite the fact that the chances of victory had already been decidedly tilted against him, he held out. He managed to maintain his posture with the cane in his left hand, and continued to invoke magic, resolving to do so until he died. He was on death¡¯s doorstep. Just continuing to live must have been painful.


    Nevertheless, looking at his serene expression, the Saint pped her eyebrows to an excessive extent.


    Zod¡¯s eyes gleamed with the swagger of someone who was about to clutch victory from the jaws of defeat. How could he be so foolhardy?


    ¡°Really, I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Prici, you¡¯ve seen me for a long time, but evidently, you still don¡¯t know me.¡± ¡°¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°Did you really think I would fight a meaningless battle?¡±


    The moment Zod finished talking, the atmosphere changed. *Roar*


    To be exact, the mana flow around him changed.


    It was impossible. Choir¡¯s Chorus should havepletely stopped the flow of mana. Each of the four pdins, who had been awaiting his next attack, sensed the oing danger and sprung to attack.


    But it was toote. It had been a long time since Zod finished his preparations. *Boom*


    *Storm*


    A vast amount of mana began to umte around Zod, each drop buzzing with energy. Even the Holy Pdins, with no aptitude for mana, felt as if their skin was crawling in response.


    The mere movement of the mana gave off intense pressure.


    The charging attackers began to buckle under the pressure. A sprint slowed to a walk, which then faltered to single footsteps, until they were all kneeling before him, unable to move.


    ¡°No way¡­ Is this even possible? How are you manipting mana? And even still, where the hell did you get that much of it? You shouldn¡¯t be able to stop people with just raw mana, damn it! How?!¡±


    Prisci began tosh out in uncharacteristic rage, but in truth her face was pale white. She was terrified. She had been so certain of her absolute advantage, and she had been made an absolute fool.


    *Rustle*


    A strange feeling gathered at her feet, and her eyes were subconsciously dragged towards it.


    A small piece of silver was digging into her foot. It was a piece of shrapnel from the Choir¡¯s Chorus, which had begun to crack. The artifact had exceeded its limit, unable to stop the impossible deluge of mana, and was falling apart.


    Prisci¡¯s eyes widened in horror. Though damaged, the Choir¡¯s Chorus was still functioning: the mana had alle from within Zod.


    Though it was the only exnation, it was equally impossible. He had clearly already expended most of his mana.


    ¡®How the hell¡­ ?¡¯


    Prisci got her answer. The loud snap of bones cracking burst out from Zod, as he winced over in extreme pain.


    ¡®He just¡­ used a circle¡­ ?¡¯


    Correct. That was the answer Zod hade up with, but the slightest opening of his mouth made him cry in pain and throw up blood. As a result, he closed his mouth and answered with his eyes.


    Mana circles were an organ of ultra-dense mana. They needed to be formed out of mana in order to extend control over it, to perform their duty as a battery and allow their owner to cast spells. The amount of mana required to forge a new mana circle increased exponentially, which in turn allowed the magician to call on even more mana for more powerful spells.


    Zod had unleashed a flurry of spells just moments before,pletely draining his circles of their mana. He was ready to use his most important organ as a sacrifice for an unimaginable amount of mana.


    He shuffled the alignment of his magical circles. Having reached this far, all of his preparations were nowplete. *Crash*


    Seven circles began to copse like dominoes.


    First the seventh circle copsed, followed by the sixth and fifth circles.


    The mana circles disintegrated and returned to being just mana. At the same time, the mana bursting forth from his body grew more and more powerful.


    *Cough*


    The blood he coughed up was mixed with chunks of other organs. He struggled to collect himself.


    The pain was no longer a sharp stab of distress; it had morphed into an agonizing ache. Every moment, his body begged for death, his very being having long forgotten anything naive as human preservation. Not even someone like Zod had the mental strength to hold it back.


    So he did not. Tears gouged out his eyes and his mouth forgot what it was like to not taste blood. He openly epted the wave of misery, and as a reward, barely held onto his sanity.


    ¡®I was off guard.¡¯


    Prisci med herself. She had looked down on the determination of humans too much.


    She judged that if she took mana away from Zod, a magician, she would be able to subdue him just by dragging his feet.


    That was a misjudgment. Her opponent was the foremost magician on the continent. It was arrogant of her to believe she had a chance at an easy victory.


    Even if they suffered losses doing so, they had to make a decision quickly. ¡®This is dangerous.¡¯


    The mana Zod had summoned was formting a single spell, something as strong as Desir had used on the Beast of Revtion, or at least the attack he used to y Dadenewt.


    Either way, this attack was entirely different from any of the spells Zod had invoked so far. Prisci made a judgement. This magic was beyond the threshold of what humans were capable of, unprecedented both before and after the copse.

 Chapter 280. Collapse (6)

    <h4>Chapter 280. Copse (6)</h4>


    Zod looked at Prisci as his vision began to blur.


    She was hurriedly beckoning and directing the knights to defend herself. ¡®When did this rtionship begin?¡¯


    As he cast his mind back, they apparently met each other at a Grand Council more than a decade ago. To have known each other from then until now, their rtionship was anything but short lived.


    Rather than being angry at the fact that he had been betrayed, Zod felt despondent at the fact that he had lost his old friend.


    In fact, when he found out that there was a traitor inside, it was Prisci who first came to mind.


    Skull Mask was the Pope of the Holy Kingdom of Artemis. The Holy Kingdom obviously had some connection to the ancient civilization, somehow the name of the Artemis system had lived on through them. Skull Mask likely learned of the Artemis system through his responsibilities as a Pope.


    And Prisci Haicilkite was the Saint of the Artemis Church that survived to this day. It was natural to think of Prisci through association of the word Artemis.


    There was no direct evidence, but circumstances definitely permitted Zod to harbor doubt in his friend.


    Nevertheless, he did not dare to admit it. Anxiety rose in the corner of his heart, but he forcefully ignored it.


    But it was impossible to ignore and deny any more.


    He had to admit that he no longer had a friend who smiled with a gentle smile and referred to him as an old man.


    Zod Exarion invoked another spell. The blue mana, too plentiful to all reside within him, was concentrated in front of his staff and began to swirl into the most suitable arrangement for magic.


    Its form was circr. A singr massive circle epassed seven smaller circles within it. Zod Exarion had reached the Eighth-Circle, albeit in an unnatural way. For decades he was celebrated as the only living Seventh-Circle magician, and shortly after sharing that title with Crow Mask, he transcended his limit and reached a level unrecorded by history.


    ¡®This is just a Fegatello Attack.¡¯


    It was a chess term. By sacrificing a knight, you could force your opponent to move their king into a disadvantageous position. Against a skilled opponent, having an exposed king meant defeat was certain.


    ¡®Haha¡­ ¡¯


    A Fegatello Attack to create Zugzwang.


    Zod faintly smiled when he realized that he was constantly thinking of this situation in terms of chess strategy. Now that he had sacrificed his proverbial knight, and outed the enemy king, it was his opponents¡¯ turn. They struggled to respond, because every option they had was disadvantageous: Zugzwang. In chess, you can not pass your turn. Even if it means putting your king in harm¡¯s way, you have to make a move.


    ¡®Now that I think about it, we met over chess.¡¯ Desir Arman.


    Come to think of it now, their meeting was bizarre.


    After the young student stopped an Outsider attack on the Ellueli branch of the Magic Tower, he had been offered a small fortune as reward. Instead, he turned down several years worth of party funds in exchange for the right to request a chess match with Zod. Intrigued by the absurd proposal, he epted.


    However, Zod did not ept because he was curious who would win the match. The result was already decided, as Zod was undefeated for the several decades he had been ying.


    But he was defeated by a young boy he met for the first time.


    Desir was able to read Zod¡¯s mind like it was his own, and he thought of Zod¡¯s next move before he even did.


    A smile leaked out. The two had bonded over that game, and over time, they had grown ustomed to the supernatural way their matches yed out. They were more interested in trying to gauge the other¡¯s actions than they were winning the game.


    It was not limited to the realm of chess. It was no exaggeration to say that Desir was the only one who could share ideas with Zod throughout all fields of his expertise, and talk casually with him.


    It was a rtively short connection, but he was the only one who understood Zod. ¡®Now, I¡¯ve yed my final move.¡¯


    As soon as he closed his eyes, part of Zod¡¯s swirling mana began to wind around his cane. Soon after, the cane rose into the air and was crushed to dust before scattering.


    ¡®It¡¯s your turn, Desir.¡¯ And.


    The magic waspleted.


    * * *


    In a military airfield within the Arunbeth Republic, there were an absurd number of airships assembled. Not just the Republic¡¯s military, but additionally the Magic Tower¡¯s, had all gathered in one ce.


    Once the signal was given, several hundred engines roared to life. The atmosphere around the airfield vibrated with energy.


    ¡°Forward!¡±


    The numerous airships were all being boarded by soldiers.


    They were the troops headed for Altea.


    Looking down at the scene, Desir bit his lips. ¡®We¡¯re taking longer than I thought we would¡­ ¡¯


    The enemy had the mysterious ability to neutralize magicians as well as the military might to follow up. To subdue them, they needed knights who could use aura.


    It took a considerable amount of time to organize the troops required to face the enemy.


    In addition, the destruction of the teleportation gate in Altea made it clear that support would be further dyed as they were forced to use other means of transportation.


    As a result, Desir¡¯s face showed signs of nervousness. ¡®I want to move by myself but¡­ ¡¯


    He could not afford to do so. He thought of the reason that Zod made them evacuate in the first ce.


    All he could do, unable to use magic, was earnestly pray that the support would not be toote.


    It was just then. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    ¡°It could be an enemy attack, everyone ready for impact!¡±


    A cluster of light had suddenly appeared outside the Arunbeth teleportation gate, taking shape of a strange rod.


    The body of it was made up of nk?um, and at the end of it was an object with a blue-colored magic stone embedded in it.


    Desir rushed forward the moment he saw it. ¡°Wait! It¡¯s not a dangerous object!¡±


    He picked up the cane, holding back the soldiers who were ready for battle in case of emergency.


    It was Zod Exarion¡¯s cane. And the light show that he saw just now was definitely teleportation magic.


    Desir could only infer that Zod had sent his cane here with teleportation magic. At the same time, two questions were ced in his head.


    Why? And how?


    Why would Zod, who was busy fighting the enemy, send his cane elsewhere?


    Altea and Arunbeth were neighboring countries, but in terms of distance, their capitals were not that close. No matter how strong Zod was, it was impossible to send something this far with teleportation magic.


    Even more so if the enemy had an artifact that limited the movement of mana.


    Desir looked at the cane for a moment, and then hurriedly moved somewhere: the ce where the The Mirror That Holds Shadows had been stored.


    In the rush to evacuate, only a few of the important artifacts had been transferred by high-ranking Magic Tower officials, who stored them in their dimensional pockets.


    One of them was The Mirror That Holds Shadows.


    Arunbeth had provided arge space for the Magic Tower to recuperate and recover. Within that space was a secure location where The Mirror That Holds Shadows had been ced, along with another artifact.


    Desir approached the mirror without hesitation and operated it. ¡®If something happened¡­ ¡¯


    *Whoong*


    At first, the mirror was nk, disying nothing had happened within Altea.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on? We still don¡¯t know how the mirror works¡­ Is theck of mana preventing it from gathering information?¡¯


    Suddenly, several notifications began to pour in.


    [Artifact Choir¡¯s Chorus has been destroyed. Mana flow has been restored.] ¡®This is¡­ !¡¯


    Desir¡¯s face brightened. Since Choir¡¯s Chorus was the artifact responsible for the petrification of mana, that meant that the enemy had been defeated, or would be defeated soon.


    Zod did it.


    A magician had ovee their greatest weakness. The Great Sage really knew no bounds! Desir immediately delivered the news to Hephaestus.


    This information was very useful. With mana restored, magicians would be safe to return to Altea. Their counter-attack would be vastly more effective with their firepower and utility. Most of all, the fact that he could head there to help Zod made him happy.


    [-Magicians, please rejoin the formation.]


    [-It¡¯s been too long to regroup now. I¡¯ll organize a second unit.]


    [-The Magic Tower magicians are now ready to go to war.]


    The members from the Western Kingdoms Union began to regroup, and the tower magicians busied themselves preparing for the battle.


    A new event suddenly appeared in the mirror. [The Death of the Great Sage]


    [Zod Exarion has died.]


    Silence came. The noisy surroundings seemed like a lie.


    Nothing could be heard.


    Desir read and re-read the letters that had appeared on the mirror. His head turned white and his brain struggled totch onto a single thought.


    He moved his eyes from side to side and read the short sentence over and over again. He read it and read it again.


    He re-read it a few dozen times, but the sentence never changed.


    It would never change. The Mirror That Held Shadows only conveyed certain information that remained absolute.


    A pained guttural groan emanated from within Desir. He realized why Zod sent his cane. At that moment something snapped.


    Desir could no longer think rationally. Burning emotions engulfed his whole body, and rage filled his head.


    He moved silently towards the airfield, where the airships were waiting.


    A minuteter, Arunbeth Command received a report of an unauthorized takeoff.

 Chapter 281. Collapse (7)

    <h4>Chapter 281. Copse (7)</h4>


    *Rumble*


    The ground trembled as if an earthquake had just struck. It was one of many side effects after the foundation of thend beneath them hadpletely copsed.


    The center of Altea was once apetitor for the crowning jewel of the continent. A majestic tower, the hub of all magic research and development, once gave the city state theoretical power equal to a member of the Western Kingdom Union. Now, the striking image had been reced with another: a massive, bottomless crater.


    Prisci looked down at the hole with mixed feelings.


    Her face was pale and lips were blue. Her legs had lost all strength and she could only keep herself upright by leaning against nearby rubble.


    But she had survived.


    She won against the greatest magician on the continent.


    It was really a close call. If there was only a little bit more magical power in that attack, she would have been wiped away, just like the tower that once stood before her.


    A slight difference ended up dictating the oue.


    Prisci turned her eyes toward her tightly-held hand.


    As she gently stretched her hand, there was a heap of silver powder on her palm. It was the only remnant of the artifact Choir¡¯s Chorus, which once took the form of a set of silver bells. Prisci looked at it for a moment and closed her eyes.


    At that moment, a swarm of light appeared in the air and began to blow through the powder. The power then began to move and within a few moments, regained their original form of bells.


    Just as the set of bells was half formed, the light swarm suddenly dimmed and disappeared.


    The bells that had been forming returned to powder again.


    A gust of wind came at the worst possible time, and the silver powder was irrevocably scattered throughout the battleground.


    Prisci looked at it and her expression gradually hardened, something clearly bothering her. Suddenly, there was a noise behind her.


    ¡°We seeded in neutralizing the rest of Altea, Holy Saint.¡±


    It was a sly voice. As Prisci turned her head, behind her stood a man with a pierrot mask.


    In his hands was someone¡¯s head. Though she didn¡¯t recognize it, she presumed it was the head of Altea¡¯smander.


    ¡°Things here don¡¯t seem to have gone as nned.¡±


    As Pierrot Mask said, the n itself had failed. Far from achieving its purpose, she lost her secret artifact, and even her personal entourage had died.


    Nevertheless, Prisci looked calm. ¡°We¡¯re lucky to have won.¡±


    The purpose of their attack was to exterminate Desir and Zod, who would be the biggest obstacles in her n. Though the cost was high, they had aplished half of their objectives.


    Prisci decided not to be greedy. However, there was one thing that bothered her. ¡®Thest spell he developed¡­ ¡¯


    Prisci shook her head. No matter how much she assumed, it would be meaningless. Zod was already dead, and there was no way to go back and see what he invoked.


    *Rumble*


    The ground screamed. The magic that Zod had invoked had dealt a serious blow to the ground that the city was built on. Even though massive damage had been dealt, it was strange that it had not copsed further.


    The center of magic engineering, the Magic Tower, and the city state of Altea would disappear today, fated to be part of the annals of history.


    Prisci turned around. ¡°Prepare for retreat.¡± ¡°We¡¯re already ready.¡± *Woo-Woong*


    As soon as Pierrot Mask stopped talking, she heard a deafening ringing.


    Dozens ofrge airships floated above them, surrounding Prisci. No rm filled her face; this was the Artemis fleet.


    ¡°My entourage died. What about your losses?¡± ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°Some good news, at least.¡±


    Prisci¡¯s mouth curved into a slight smile. It was simply tremendous that they had not suffered any major losses against Altea.


    Of course, they had assumed victory from the start, but they did not expect to take the city so easily.


    ¡°As soon as that¡¯s ready, no army will be able to stop us.¡±


    Their n was only halfpleted, but they had already eliminated one of the two biggest obstacles. Victory was beyond feasible.


    Their business here was done. The gship, Brigant,nded, ready for its passengers to board. *Rumble*


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    mes erupted everywhere with a tremendous roar. A heat wave of several thousand degrees melted the ground, and the surrounding rubble began to glow red hot. The soaring me became a tidal wave and washed over the Artemis Church¡¯s forces. To be exact, it flooded towards Prisci, burning everything in its path.


    The Pdins of the Artemis Church responded quickly. Hundreds of pdins responded and a curtain of brilliant light quickly materialized and covered the ship.


    *Crash*


    But the curtain broke in a sh, unable to hold out for even a moment. The right side of the gship, swept away by the tidal waves of mes,pletely melted and disappeared.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s ridiculous!¡±


    Screams came from all over the ce.


    Such reactions were usual. Each of the Holy Pdins gathered were incredibly talented people. It would have been hard for them to understand how theirbined defenses had been instantaneously crushed, unable to hold out for even a moment.


    Prisci looked up at the sky. An airship was barreling towards Altea at a tremendous speed. And she recognized the face of the one boy standing on the deck.


    Prisci¡¯s face was distorted with embarrassment. ¡°Desir¡­ ¡±


    Desir stood on deck and looked down. His expression was chilled to the bone.


    As he continued to elerate the airship¡¯s engine, a gale struck Desir¡¯s face. His hair and the hem of his clothes fluttered like mad, their magically reinforced fibers threatening to rip. Desir¡¯s gaze remained fixed in one ce. He was locked on to Prisci.


    The moment Desir saw her standing with Pierrot Mask, the slightest hesitation he had harbored vanished without a trace.


    With each passing moment, the airship continued to gain speed, locked in a collision course with Prisci.


    Dozens of Artemis Church ships vibrated as they revved their magic engines in unison. ¡°Protect the Holy Saint!¡±


    ¡°Keep him away from here!¡±


    The Holy Pdins did everything within their power to stop the uninvited guest. They re-deployed their abilities and set up their defenses once more.


    A brilliant golden shield began to appear. The remaining half of Brigant was concealed by a wall of pure gold.


    But they knew from the previous attack that it would not be enough. That was why they began to deploy other defensive measures on the fleet at the same time.


    That was a mistake. Desir¡¯s eyes were wide open when he saw the translucent shield that enveloped each ship.


    It was the Aurora System.


    It was the first noteworthy project Desir and Zod had worked on in this world. Together they studied, developed, and perfected the system. These murderers, these bastards, dared to use their research against him after what had happened without the slightest bit of hesitation. Sanity was a concept that Desir had long forgone.


    Something snapped. Desir could feel something erupting like a volcano inside him, and he fully surrendered himself to the feeling. Normally, anger would cause emotional agitation, which was fatal to any magician¡¯s spell casting, but this was irrelevant to Desir, who had a genius level ofputing power. If anything, perhaps the anger would spike his adrenaline, and allow him to eclipse his normal limits.


    He stared forward with bloodshot eyes. The only thing he could think about was toppling the enemy that stood before him.


    As Desir firmly grabbed his cane, mana began to flow and the airship was perfectly cloaked. *Rumble*


    Arge chunk of the pulsating ground was torn off and soared into the sky. It began to copse in on itself,pressing into a massive sphere nearly one hundred feet in diameter. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ !¡±


    All of the Pdins of the Church of Artemis knew what this spellbination was. It was because the magic techniques of Desir, who had been designated as a dangerous person, had been deeply engraved in their mind.


    ¡°Spatial Maniption Unit, forward!¡±


    ¡°Respond to the debris by covering the shield with aura!¡±


    Themanders of the fleet began to respond in a hurry. The pdins moved hurriedly to follow their orders. They were somewhat nervous, but outwardly showed no signs of fear. nning to counter a well-documented attack was easy.


    The magic had already been thoroughly analyzed and they had prepared countermeasures in advance. These people would not havee ready to kill Desir Arman without preparation. Before they could finish preparing, something changed. Several morerge chunks of ground shot into the sky.


    Gasps of astonishment spread amongst the Holy Pdins. They were all caught off guard, their minds caught in a panic of disarray.


    They stared up at the sky nkly, havingpletely forgotten the need to defend, before someone broke the silence.


    ¡°It¡¯s different¡­ ¡±


    Something was different. The magic that was unfolding before their eyes was on a whole different level from what they had prepared for.


    *Rumble*


    As the number of spheres exceeded ten, the sun was obscured and the sky itself darkened. Some tried to figure out the situation btedly and make a move, but it was toote.


    At the moment thest phrase waspleted, Desir pointed before him with his cane. [Meteor Strike]


    ¡°Fire.¡±


    It was only a simple act, but the aftermath was anything but simple. *Duwang*


    A heavy sound rang out in the sky. With countless meteors showering down, the golden walls, which were many times stronger than their first shield, were torn apart. The defenses, the Aurora Systems, and the battleships themselves, were all swept away.


    There was only a huge void left in front of Desir.

 Chapter 282. Collapse (8)

    <h4>Chapter 282. Copse (8)</h4>


    Fragments of airship poured from the sky, a sick twist of wooden and metallic raindrops pelting into the shattered. More than ten ships had been shattered in a single spell, several more severely damaged, and the fleet¡¯s formation had beenpletely torn asunder.


    Desir quickly broke through their encirclement. Fragments of boat mmed into the side of his airship, but he paid it no mind. Instead, his focus was on his own airship¡¯s primary engine. He had been flying well beyond its limits, and was about to give out. The moment it red its final warning, Desir¡¯s eyes shifted towards the remains of Brigant, leftpletely defenseless. With Prisci onboard, he had no reason to hesitate.


    Using all the knowledge at his disposal, a vast number of spell arrays appeared around Desir, seemingly without any pattern or reason.


    A battleship, the Brigant, which sat just beyond the copsed formation.


    With Prisci on board, it was now defenselessly exposed.


    There was no reason to hesitate. Desir prepared another spell.


    Using all of the magic he had at his disposal, a vast number of magical spell arrays appeared around him chaotically.


    [Gravity Control]


    The highest tier gravity magic. *Rumble*


    A massive torrent of mana surged around Desir, and a resulting wave of gravity crashed into everything around the Brigant. It may have been the Artemis Church¡¯s gship, equipped with the strongest defensive magic known to mankind, but it meant nothing in front of Desir¡¯s wrath.


    The massive ship literally crumpled like a sheet of paper. The wings were bent awry, the hull was squeezed and ttened, and the entire ship was left structurally unsound. It was only a matter of time before the defensive spell broke down and the ship waspletely destroyed. But Prisci, who was standing onboard its deck, was calm. A sh of light burst forth from her hand, as brilliant as several concentrated suns, and an absurd sight followed.


    Brigant began to quickly cover as the light draped over it. Broken wings, crushed hull, smashed engine. All of them retook their original form, as though time itself was turning back. Even the other half of the ship, which had been melted by Desir¡¯s [Fire Storm], was being restored.


    *Crash*


    *Crack*


    Desir¡¯s spell continued. The mighty force of gravity continued to weigh into Brigant, continuing to tear into its foundation. Each time it came close to fully breaking the defensive spell, the ship was quickly restored, and the magic remained functional. With each cycle, Desir got further and further away from breaking the spell. The conclusion was obvious.


    Prisci¡¯s resilience overwhelmed Desir¡¯s offense.


    That could not be. Never in his previous life, nor in his present life, had he ever seen her manifest her ability on this scale and in this way.


    ¡®It was¡­ all a lie?¡¯


    She had to have been lying to them.


    The former Prisci must have concealed the true strength of her Blessing of Light right until the end, even when faced with the Dragon of Destruction.


    *Crack*


    Brigant¡¯s copse had stopped. At that moment, the Brigant was quickly restored to its original form. ¡°Hah¡­ Hah¡­ ¡±


    Desir breathed heavily. The aftermath of casting a spell equivalent to the Seventh-Circle was huge. He felt his legs threaten to copse underneath him.


    Nevertheless, it was because of his obsessive desire to enact revenge that he could still stand. Many questions had been raised, but the unparalleled rage was what upied his mind.


    He clenched his teeth and supported himself against the railing. He raised his head and stared forward. Fully recovered, the Brigant took off and began to widen the distance between itself and Desir¡¯s near-engineless airship.


    The eyes of Prisci and Desir, standing on their respective decks, met.


    She was smiling and talking at him.


    [-I¡¯m sorry.]


    Sorry for what? The lies? Zod¡¯s death?


    Or her betrayal?


    Blood flowed as fingernails prated the palm of the hand that grasped the cane so tightly. [-You¡¯ll understand one day.]


    No. Never.


    Brigant was speeding away from Desir, and he still needed to break through the reformed blockade before he had a chance at catching up to her.


    However, it was obvious that he would miss Prisci if he were to deal with every ship in this fleet first. His opponents were not difficult, but they would cost vital time that would give Prisci time to recuperate her losses.


    The situation was the worst. But there was still a way.


    Desir began to channel his cane, Mana Hole, to quickly gather mana from the atmosphere. Desir¡¯s mana circles quickly began to refill themselves, having been drained empty by the strange sound flowing from Desir¡¯s mouth.


    Draconguage was something exclusive to the ancient race of dragons.


    This was the strongest and simultaneously the worst magic that Desir could develop.


    To use it now would be akin to suicide. His body was as battle weary as the airship he stood upon. He had not prepared any artificial magic circles to share the burden, either.


    However, he did not care.


    It was just uneptable. The very existence that took away Zod Exarion¡¯s life was allowed to take another breath, and that transgression fueled Desir¡¯s blistering determination.


    As the mysterious voice flowed from Desir¡¯s mouth, a super massive spell array formation arranged in front of his eyes. The way the intricate violet designs interweaved to develop the array was the epitome of beauty.


    Mana surged from Desir¡¯s body into the spell array, his flesh a conduit for the Mana Hole¡¯s near-endless supply. The human body was not a particrly resilient medium, and he felt all the muscles and fibers that held him together begin to burst under the pressure.


    The outflow of mana was intense enough to strain the Holy Pdins closest to his airship.


    But there was a problem. The spell was being arranged into a massive array, which would take an obscene amount of mana and aparatively long cast time. Even still, it was not forck of a good reason. The power in this spell would be beyond anything that a single person could cast using the modern magic system.


    The Holy Pdins, aware of the strain that Desir¡¯s draconic magic put on him, did not miss the opportunity to end his life. The fleet began to converge towards Desir, and within an instant a dozen ships blocked the path between his spell and Prisci, with more hovering nearby.


    They bombarded Desir with attacks, encircling his airship on all sides, all to prevent thepletion of his magic.


    *Boom*


    There was a violent sound.


    Desir¡¯s body shook incessantly. The upgraded Aurora System mounted on the airship held out, but it would notst much longer.


    But it was also impossible to counter their attacks. No matter how strong he may be, it was impossible toplete his spell while also dealing with their fleet.


    ¡°This is our chance!¡±


    ¡°Attack now, he can¡¯t respond!¡±


    And the Church of Artemis had clearly grasped this point. *Boom*


    The airship shook again. The Aurora System¡¯s effectiveness had noticeably diminished. Theyunched attacks at him nonstop, and Desir certainly felt the pressure.


    There was nothing more annoying than an enemy that knew your weakness. Nevertheless, Desir did not stop casting his spell.


    Instead.


    *Piying*


    Desir flexed his left index finger. He activated a spell stored by Memorize.


    *Crack*


    An electric spell fired from Desir¡¯s free hand. It was only one stem at first, but it soon divided into several branches, increasing whenever it collided with the flood of attacks. By the time it bridged the distance, there were several hundred branches, each ship under attack by nearly twenty offshoots.


    Desir had stored a modified spell in Memorize. It was an upgraded version of [Chain Lighting], a Fourth-Circle spell he had modified to use against Skull Mask.


    In an instant, five ships were utterly destroyed and crashed to the ground helplessly. But the remaining ones did not stop pressuring Desir.


    ¡°Memorize has a five-use limit! Don¡¯t stop!¡± ¡°Four charges left! Have six of our ships charge!¡±


    Some ships had closed in on Desir, breaching the minimum distance required to maintain gunfire on Desir. They were using their vessels as a weapon to take down his airship.


    It was a seemingly reckless charge, but an attack that Desir could not afford to ignore.


    Desir had no choice but to use the magic stored in Memorize to defend once again. The ships that remained back continued to fire between the gaps, trying their best to wear down the already exhausted Aurora System.


    There was no way to stop their strategy, built around their readiness for self-sacrifice. It was an extremely effective tactic to force the enemy to consume their limited resources. They had decided to wage a bizarrely fast-paced war of attrition.


    Would the Artemis Church¡¯s ships be annihted first, or would Desir run out of spells stored in his Memorize?


    Desir had no other choice but to follow their tempo. He aimed at the approaching ship and deployed another spell from Memorize. *Fire*


    Thousands of fire bolts were created this time. The sky turned red as they were ejected in unison.


    *Boom*


    Fourth-Circle magic, [Burst Fire].


    It was reinforced by remodeling the form, and each fire bolt had power on the level of a Fourth-Circle spell.


    *Copse*


    The ships that were approaching were all burned to ashes and scattered in mere moments. Still, they did not revise their strategy. Like moths running towards an open me, they constantly swarmed towards Desir.


    As a result, Desir¡¯s airship had slowly umted damage, and it would ultimately result in a definite blow. In this moment, he keenly felt the shorings of draconic spells.


    Not only was the casting time enormous, but as the spell array waspleted, his body was reaching its limit.


    The Mana Hole, which had been supplying the mana so far, stopped operating. The burden on his body increased several times more.


    His mana circles began to copse. Bones and organs twisted, and streams of blood gushed out of his body as his blood vessels began to burst. His body could not withstand the invocation any longer. Gradually, his vision began to blur, and even following Prisci with his eye was difficult.


    Even if he could not, the end was in sight. Desir¡¯s spell was almostplete. As heunched the fourth spell stored in Memorize, the original fleet was left with just twenty percent of their ships.


    *Crack*


    That remaining twenty percent was all they needed. Desir¡¯s Aurora System was smashed, and the force field shattered with the echo of broken ss. Ten shots mmed into his airship, and two of his four auxiliary engines exploded.

 Chapter 283. Collapse (9)

    <h4>Chapter 283. Copse (9)</h4>


    The airship shook and Desir¡¯s body bounced off and rolled across the deck.


    He managed to stop his fall with the railing. However, his spell array, having nearedpletion, had disappeared. His concentration had been interrupted by his body being flung around. The spell array required delicate application of mana, a few small flecks of paint toplete the finishing touches, and he had just spilled the entire can on his masterpiece.


    He bit his lips. Although the spell had ultimately failed toplete, the attempt alone had nearly destroyed his entire body in the process. Half the airship had been wrecked due to the constant bombardment: it was no longer possible to fly it.


    The ship¡¯s altitude began dropping rapidly.


    Desir clenched his fist. He clung to the railing, desperately trying to keep himself upright. He could not give up like this. His battle was far from over.


    Even if he could no longer cast any magic, he would never let Prisci escape. If his airship was destroyed, he would just need to board another one.


    *Fly*


    Desir¡¯s gaze fixated on something approaching him. A small fleet of airships was heading his way. In response, Desir presented them with an outstretched hand.


    While no spell array appeared, he used all of hisputational power to control the airship movement and in an instant he managed to sessfully invert its control system.


    And thest spell saved in Memorize was deployed.


    Extremely powerful winds rushed through the battlefield. Artillery shells were thrown off course, and the ship Desir had gained control over rocketed towards him.


    At that very moment¡­ *Boom*


    The airship exploded before him. This was not the result of Desir¡¯s actions though. ¡®It self-destructed.¡¯


    Moments after realizing Desir had gained control of it, they blew up their ship without hesitation.


    Desir was speechless at the absurdity of their actions. Aftering back to his senses, Desir was left with only one option.


    The burning airship was crushed, and his remaining mana hadpletely dried up now. Hisst ditch n to seize an enemy¡¯s ship had been blocked.


    Desir let go of his cane, a twisted smile covering his face.


    He had no choice but to admit it.


    Chasing Prisci was impossible.


    But he did not give up. His eyes gazed at something in the distance. ¡®I¡¯m backing down now, but one day I¡¯ll definitely¡­ ¡¯


    *Crack*


    Shortly thereafter, his airship shook greatly. An Artemis ship had rammed into him, dealing significant damage. The engine room had been thoroughly destroyed. The airship plunged head-first towards the ground, carving out its own burial site as it hit the surface.


    The world turned dark. That was Desir¡¯sst memory.


    * * *


    It waste at night when Desir opened his eyes again.


    A faint magic light illuminated the room.


    Three hyacinth flowers, creamy curtains, and a white wall. He woke up in the hospital room of the Adeina National Hospital.


    Desiry down on the bed and looked down at himself. He could see that his entire body was wrapped in bandages.


    He tried to pull himself up, but soon gave up. As he tried to move, he slowly began to feel pain beyond anything else he had ever felt. He groaned subconsciously at the terrible pain that felt like his whole body was being torn apart.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not move too much, your injuries are pretty terrible. By all ounts, you should have already died.¡±


    Someone walked out of the shadows. With a body smaller than others, colorful pink hair, and wolf-like sharp features.


    It was Swan Katarina.


    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle you survived that.¡± ¡°How many days have passed?¡±


    Desir cut off Swan as if he didn¡¯t want to hear her speak of such things. Swan raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Three.¡±


    Desir¡¯s forehead wrinkled. More time had passed than he thought.


    Copsing in Altea, the death of Zod Exarion, Prisci Haicilkite running away before his eyes.


    He clenched his fist as he recalled thest scenes he had been witness to. ¡°What happened to Prisci?¡±


    ¡°You should only concern yourself with your condition.¡± ¡°Lady Swan¡­ but¡­ !¡±


    Desir¡¯s voice raised by several pitches. There was a mixture of unbearable anger.


    But instead of answering, Swan calmly took a cigarette out of somewhere and bit it. ¡°Calm down, Desir.¡±


    The moment he met her cold eyes, Desir certainly realized that he had been too excited.


    He released his clenched fist and took a deep breath. He then spoke again after his rage had somewhat subsided.


    ¡°What happened to Prisci?¡±


    Swan finally answered Desir¡¯s question while puffing cigarette smoke into the room. ¡°We missed her. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s still alive.¡±


    As soon as he heard the answer, Desir felt his blood pressure rise again, his head filling with rage again. Struggling to keep calm, he opened his mouth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    What Prisci did must have been spread far and wide by now, at least reaching every nation¡¯s leaders. And although they ended up allowing them to flee, the Artemis fleet suffered immense damage.


    It was hard to believe that they could not catch her even after three days.


    ¡°That snake-like girl, smiling outwardly, acted like a figure of peace, and made all sorts of ns behind our backs.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about¡­ ¡±


    Swan opened hermunication pad without speaking further. At that moment, a holographic map appeared before Desir¡¯s eyes.


    It was a map of the Hebrion Empire.


    Swan marked some of the cities on the map.


    ¡°It¡¯s like hell out there. More than five cities have beenpletely razed. The number of dead has exceeded thirty thousand. And the damage is still increasing. The Empire is currently facing its greatest threat since its founding.¡±


    He did not understand what she was talking about for a moment, but he soon understood what she meant, and opened his eyes wide.


    ¡°The Artemis Church.¡±


    * * *


    Kansas, a fortress city located in the eastern part of the Hebrion Empire.


    Kansas was one of the cities allowed to possess their own substantial military power within the Empire, an important point directly connected to Dresden, the capital of the Empire.


    At the same time, the walls, which were built with the pinnacle of the Empire¡¯s technology, had developed something of a legend. They were unconquerable, having proved capable of repelling every enemy attack. No other city in the Empire could boast a record even close to this.


    Those walls had failed.


    ¡°Why the hell is the Artemis church attacking us¡­ !?¡±


    Kansas soldiers were helplessly vited, embarrassed by the unforeseen circumstances. In order to bestpliment their powerful walls, Kansas¡¯s military formation was reminiscent of the Suseongjeon Fortress. By overwhelming the opponent with an absurd number extremely powerful archers and magicians, they would be so threatening that attempting to siege the city would be paramount to suicide.


    ¡°We¡¯re detecting a surge of mana from their second temple¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Reinforcements!¡±


    The Church of Artemis, which boasted the prestige of being the de facto religion of the continent, had a ce of worship in nearly every city, and Kansas was no exception.


    And the Artemis Church had secretly installed a teleportation gate in their Kansas branch. Their church was located in the center of the city. Kansas, who had been expecting a traditional siege, had been ughtered from the inside, unable to muster a proper response. ¡°Can¡¯t breathe, can¡¯t breathe, can¡¯t breathe!¡±


    There was an obvious difference in strength between the two forces. Above all, the gap in power between individuals of the two forces was insurmountable. Even well-trained knights would not be a match for Pdins who had received the Blessing of Light.


    The Artemis Church had always been a symbol of peace. Their Pdins had been an extension of that, and as such, no one foresaw the day they might face against them. In hindsight, such a viewpoint was nothing but naive.


    ¡°Sa-Save me!" ¡°Argh!!¡±


    Screams rang out from all sides. Violent sounds and explosions continued incessantly. mes shot up and burned the fields and cities that had once appeared to be dyed golden.


    There was a group of people running through the burning city. Twenty-five of them were mounted on horseback, and though they were not travelling particrly quickly, they were deftly navigating the narrow alleyways of the city. In doing so they could avoid detection, and arrive at their destination as soon as possible.


    They took advantage of the familiar Kansas geography and hastened towards their destination, taking the shortest possible distance. Of course, they could not avoid all enemies. The sound of galloping horses could not be concealed, even if they tried to hide it. ¡°They came here!¡±


    Thirty Pdins were waiting in formation. They narrowed the distance little by little with their shields raised. Between the cramped passageway and the sheer number of opponents, avoiding them was not possible. They would have to fight them head-on, or abandon the current route.


    Themander leading the small group on horses frowned. ¡®Did they read our minds?¡¯


    The knights had ventured behind enemy lines to destroy the teleportation gate within the church. They assumed that the Artemis Church would not predict such a move, especially when the battle was already heavily in their favor. Despite that, they had determined their exact movements and taken action to prevent it.


    It would not be easy to avoid a fight from here on now.


    A knight opened his mouth.


    ¡°Shall we take another detour again?¡±


    In response, themander pulled out his spear. ¡°This time we break through.¡±


    As soon as he finished instructing them, the knights all hefted their spears. And at the same time, a multitude of auras, all varying in color and shape, bloomed on each spear.


    The pupils of the Holy Pdins blocking their way opened wide. Only then did the Pdins realize that the people standing in front of them were different from the other soldiers they had been dealing with up until then.


    Different may have been an understatement. These were the only soldiers present capable of defeating the Artemis Church, even while on an unfavorable battlefield. They were the


    Knights of Kansas, a powerful cavalry unit that had nearly reached the end of the Shadow Labyrinth.


    *Boom*


    Compressed aura tore apart a Pdin¡¯s shield, recing the thick steel with blood. The body was stomped into the ground by the following hooves, leaving an unrecognizable mess. ¡°Speed up!!¡±


    Though they easily broke through, themander still appeared worried. Desperate pleas for assistance continued to make their way through themunication channels. Not a single encounter was a sess. Defeat was obvious.


    ¡®Unfortunate, but not unexpected.¡¯


    Even in the face of defeat, themander did not give up. There was not a trace of fear in his body.


    ¡®So long as we destroy the teleportation gate, even if they take the city today, we can reim it in the future.¡¯


    Argeria G Rogran Nimbias,mander of the Knights of Kansas, once again steeled his resolve.

 Chapter 284. Collapse (10)

    <h4>Chapter 284. Copse (10)</h4>


    ¡®We will not allow the worst-case scenario to happen.


    The Artemis Church could not be allowed to take the city without incurring serious losses. If Kansas fell with the gate present, their enemies would get their hands on a direct path to the capital, Dresden.


    ¡®So long as we can destroy the church¡­ !¡¯


    On the other hand, if they managed to destroy the teleportation gate, their victory woulde around sooner orter. Even if Kansas was upied today, it was isted, surrounded by a sea of Hebrion reinforcements. Without a teleportation gate, the Artemis Church would run out of supplies and be limited to the troops already stationed within the city. Recapturing it could prove difficult, but it was possible.


    Therefore, the Knights of Kansas only had one goal. They had to destroy the church. The entire Empire depended on it.


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    *Boom*


    Aura colliding. Screaming. Hooves wrenching armor. The sounds of war followed the Knights of Kansas wherever they went.


    Time and time again the Knights of Kansas broke through the Artemis Church¡¯s defenses. Long gone was their hesitation to engage in battle. They had ditched their roguish tactics and began charging down open boulevard.


    The Artemis Church had discovered their ns, so the knights were left with only one valid strategy.


    Argeria raised his spear and shouted. ¡°Break through!¡±


    The mounted party blitzed down the once beautiful marketce. As they gained momentum, the cking of hooves thundered throughout the trashed stands. The wind ripping past their ears was, in all honesty, terrifying; but nothing couldpare to the terror of battle. As they grew closer to the church, so too did the density of their opponent¡¯s forces.


    ¡®We already expected this.¡¯


    Even if it meant losing men, breaking through as quickly as possible was the only valid tactic. If they ced forces ahead to intercept them, then they were certainly gathering enough strength to defend the teleportation gate.


    Now it was only a matter of time. *Boom*


    Every time they broke through the enemy¡¯s line of defense, Argeria gave the same signal to his troops. The knights at the front would slow down and allow the rear to eclipse them, giving them their turn on the front lines. In doing so, the front line always remained at their peak, and could exert their entire strength when breaking through enemy lines.


    *Cut*


    Argeria had not reserved himself to the role ofmander. He joined the front lines,unching his aura towards enemies before they could even approach him. Any Bishop-ss knight was capable of engaging in mid-rangebat, disyingbat prowess equivalent to Third-Circle magicians.


    ¡°Be careful, Lord Crowe!¡± *Booom*


    Argeriaunched his aura forward, ambushing some of the Church¡¯s forces who were hiding behind a nearby building. The Artemis Church was powerless to stop the oing cavalry. It was clear that the swordsman stationed in Kansas had not grown soft due to being kept safe by their excellent ranged defense.


    Faced with an unexpected counterattack, Artemis¡¯s power was dispersed, so their response was inevitably insufficient. It was impossible to stop them with hastily prepared defenses.


    ¡°I see the church over there!¡±


    A knight shouted in glee. Just as he said, the Artemis church began to appear in the distance. However, Argeria¡¯s expression was grim. Hismunication channel, which had been delivering news of despair until now, had gone silent.


    What that meant was obvious.


    Kansas had been annihted. They were the only remaining Imperial soldiers in this city. The tter of horses¡¯ hooves was loud. The air of the burning city was suffocating.


    ¡°Since our troops have been wiped out, there is little chance that we can survive here even if we seed.¡±


    Argeria turned his head towards the side, trying to find the source of the voice. It was Lord Crowe, an old war veteran who Argeria had looked up to when he arrived in Kansas.


    Argeria turned his head again and opened his mouth, looking forward. ¡°Do you regret it?¡±


    ¡°Regret what?¡±


    ¡°Joining me. Following themands of a rookie on a reckless operation.¡±


    ¡°Young rookie¡­ well, I cannot deny it.¡±


    Lord Crowe grinned. ¡°But I don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    Lord Crowe¡¯s spear briefly brushed past Argeria¡¯s side, a small wisp of aura on its tip. Within an instant, the aura expanded into arge hemisphere, creating a shield to the side of Argeria. It was an admirable demonstration of precise aura. The youngmander was briefly confused, but ultimately got his answer when an enemy attack arrived a momentter and collided with Crowe¡¯s aura.


    *Smash*


    There was a tremendous shock wave.


    Lord Crowe took out a spare spear from his dimensional pocket and threw it in the direction the attack hade from. The spear prated the enemy¡¯s chest with an urate hit.


    ¡°If this operation fails, Dresden will be exposed to the enemy and its people will suffer.¡± Lord Crowe took out another spear from his dimensional pocket as if nothing had happened. ¡°Whether you are a rookie or not, I understood the meaning of the operation and decided to follow you to the end. So put your thoughts aside and focus on the situation in front of your eyes,mander.¡±


    Determination. He was determined to follow the will of Argeria.


    It was not just Lord Crowe. Besides the Knights of Kansas, there were several powerful individuals who were not only stronger than Argeria, but far more experienced.


    But all of them followed Argeria¡¯s lead without much disagreement. It was Argeria who presented the operation with a calm attitude while everyone was panicked by the Church¡¯s surprise attack.


    He was the only one who remained calm in the embarrassing situation, and everyone followed him because they understood the importance of the mission¡¯s sess.


    ¡®If it were two years ago, I would have been flustered.¡¯


    He still remembered the day.


    The Great Mother Worm. He was an ipetentmander who was unable to do anything but despair infront of a strong enemy.


    And he admired him because he was so desperate that day. The only person who stepped forward and saved him at that moment.


    An idealmander, who calmly led everyone despite his personal experiences, remaining resolute even in desperate circumstances.


    ¡®Did I catch up with you, Desir?¡¯ ¡°We¡¯ve arrived!¡±


    Argeria awoke from his reverie. As he looked around, he saw a vacant lot boasting a vast area.


    Statues of the Goddess adorned the clearing, but what caught the eye was the immacte church in the center.


    All members of the mounted party increased their speed, raising their aura in unison.


    There was an air of awkwardnessing from them as they galloped towards the church. Someone had strode out of the church to greet them.


    A Holy Pdin, d in pure white. Light flowed through the church¡¯s tinted ss and reflected on his armor, resulting in a radiant holy glow emanating from their opponent, with a simr feelinging from his aura.


    ¡®We must not let our guard down just because there is only one enemy.¡¯


    The Church of Artemis would have figured out how strong the mounted party was by now. The fact that only one person stood before them was testament to the confidence they must hold in his strength.


    ¡®But there¡¯s only one enemy. We¡¯ve reached this far, but we can¡¯t back down¡­ !¡¯


    No matter how powerful the enemy was in front of them, they could not back down. It was a life-threatening operation in the first ce. There was no option for them to retreat.


    Of course, it was a judgment made because they thought it was possible to prevail.


    Their opponent, no matter how powerful, could not be any stronger than a King-ss knight. Thebined strength Knights of Kansas were likely just shy of being equivalent to a King-ss, but they were apanied by Lord Crowe and a few others. Not to mention they had the advantage of already being at a full charge. Even if he was King-ss, and the fight took a while, they were confident in their ability to defeat him.


    *Crackle*


    Aura rose like a me from Argeria¡¯s weapon. He poured all of his energy into this charge, only thinking about knocking down the enemy that stood in front of him.


    Others also thought the same. The distance between the white knight and the mounted party quickly shortened, and as soon as the distance became zero, they poured out all of their aura towards the knight in pure white.


    And blood sshed across the ground.


    Argeria groaned. At some point he found himself lying on the ground, looking up at the sky. His memory was clear up until the moment he attacked with his sword, but he was not sure what had happened afterwards, as though time itself had skipped forward. He rolled his eyes to the side, seeing Lord Crowe copsed beside him.


    ¡®What¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    At that moment, Argeria opened his eyes wide as if he could not believe it. Crowe¡¯s head did not have a body.


    Argeria spewed blood and struggled to turn around.


    It was just hell. There was blood everywhere.


    Dozens of dismembered bodies of horses and humans were scattered everywhere. It was impossible to identify which arm belonged to which torso, which torso belonged to which head.


    Everyone was dead. Every single one of them. *Step*


    Looking in the direction of the footsteps, the knight in pure white was approaching him. The knight in pure white had not a speck of damage on him.


    He could not understand it. The situation was beyond allprehension. They were ughtered effortlessly, and their enemy was leftpletely unwounded.


    Most worryingly of all, he had no idea how it happened. *Step*


    *Step*


    *Step*


    The footsteps grew louder and louder. He could not just sit still and die.


    Argeria tried to pull himself up.


    But he could not move. No matter how hard he pushed, he could not put forth enough strength to stand. Only then did Argeria, who looked at his body, realize that nothing existed where his legs were supposed to be.


    The sound of footsteps stopped for a moment. The knight in pure white stopped before his eyes.


    Argeria and the white knight¡¯s gaze met. And the sword held aloft by the pure white knight slowly raised.


    ¡°It can¡¯t end like this¡­ !¡± *Cut*

 Chapter 285. Collapse (11)

    <h4>Chapter 285. Copse (11)</h4>


    ¡°And so Kansas and some other cities fell.¡± Desir¡¯splexion darkened.


    The situation that Swan talked about was terrible.


    ¡®Damn it. I can¡¯t believe we never caught them building teleportation gates¡­ ¡¯


    The strength of instantaneous transportation of supplies and soldiers is impossible to understate. Whether you wereunching a siege or desperately defending, having a teleportation gate nearby could make a massive difference. To prevent abuse, each country thoroughly restricted ess to the teleportation gate, and were careful to prevent an enemy army from simply waltzing into their capital.


    However, the Artemis Church had secretly installed gates inside several of their churches, spread throughout the continent. As a general rule, churches operated outside the realm of any individual country¡¯s restrictions, so no one had noticed their construction.


    Mostrge cities in the Hebrion Empire had more than one church, and a majority of the smaller ones had at least one ce of worship. Even if they knew exactly which churches had teleportation gates, it would have been nearly impossible to respond to several simultaneous surprise attacks.


    Even so, however, the Empire was the strongest country on the continent. It was hard to understand how they were being decisively outssed by a religious group.


    ¡°Centralmand is guessing there¡¯s something else that Artemis was hiding.¡± Swan read Desir¡¯s quizzacle expression and began speaking without prompt.


    ¡°Some of our cities had arge enough militia that they were capable of fending off King-ss assants. Even if it was a surprise attack, it¡¯s hard to believe that a small scale raid was capable of defeating them.¡±


    Desir asked what suddenly came to mind. ¡°Is the capital all right?¡±


    ¡°So far. It is guarded by the strongest shield of the Empire.¡±


    The strongest shield of the Empire. Only then did he feel relieved after hearing Raphahelo was stationed there.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already secured our other cities. Every Artemis church that remains in the Empire has been destroyed, so we won¡¯t have to worry about any more internal raids. The problem lies in what happens next.¡±


    Swan lowered her gaze and connected the fallen cities marked on the holographic map. The fallen cities were all located around Kansas.


    After confirming it, Desir could tell what Artemis had been aiming for from the beginning. ¡°Their target is Dresden, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Swan nodded at Desir¡¯s question.


    ¡°Yes. Artemis is gathering their power around Kansas. They¡¯re moving quickly. Centralmand¡¯s prediction is that they¡¯ll begin their march in less than a day.¡±


    A blurry image was disyed on top of the holographic map. He could see arge collection of airships in the image.


    Desir found one of the airships familiar amongst them. It was the Brigant.


    He calmed the momentary fluctuation of his heart and organized the information presented. Artemis¡¯s movement was way too fast. It was easy to take down the cities of the Empire with surprise raids, but they also had sustained significant damage. Nevertheless, they were preparing for a grand offensive, as if they only needed to upy Dresden.


    Their focus on Hebrion¡¯s capital was strange. Even though upying it would inflict a heavy blow on the Empire, they wouldn¡¯t be able to protect it for long. They had amassed heavy casualties in the raids, and would incur even more when they attacked Dresden. Unless they wanted to burn it, temporarily upying Dresden had no benefit. That being the case, why was Prisci trying to take the capital?


    From the instation of the teleportation gates, to the rapid deployment that followed, it was obvious that Prisci had nned all of this for quite a long time. But there were so many questions her actions raised.


    ¡°The Empire is spread incredibly thin. We can¡¯t afford to leave all our forces in the capital, not when there are several cities that are still under attack, and many more that need to be defended. Not a single magician can be wasted. Especially not when one of them is the greatest magician on the continent.¡±


    Having finished speaking, Swan looked directly into Desir¡¯s eyes, reproachfully. ¡°¡­ ¡­ this is all my fault.¡±


    As Desir nodded gently, Swan spoke unexpectedly. ¡°You know that, huh?¡±


    Having regained some reason, Desir was clearly aware of his mistakes. ¡®I¡¯m blinded by anger.¡¯


    No matter how urgent the situation was, he should have judged the situation calmly and picked the best option. However, hepletely lost his reason to anger and pursued Prisci alone, which eventually led to his defeat.


    If he had moved differently, the current situation might have been different. No, forget that. If he had kept his head straight, he might have been able to eliminate Prisci on the spot.


    ¡°Well, I can understand your feelings. I¡¯m just as angry at that bitch.¡±


    Swan slowly approached Desir and flicked his forehead.


    ¡°But just as you grieved when you lost Zod, remember that if we lose you, there are people who will be sad.¡±


    Only then did Desir think of the people who were worried about him, and his promise to them. He almost lost his temper and broke his promise.


    He clenched his fist. ¡°I¡¯ll be clear.¡±


    Desir took a single deep breath.


    ¡®First of all, I need to do the best I can¡­ ¡¯


    He had to regain hisposure. He realized at this point that revenge alone was not enough. ¡°First of all, you need to get well.¡±


    Swan spoke as if she had noticed Desir¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°The situation isn¡¯t good, but Hebrion isn¡¯t pathetic enough to copse within a few days. You should focus on recovering first, ande back to us as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°But it will take a while to recover enough to fight.¡±


    Desir had an urate grasp of his injuries. Though he had not invoked the spell, and missed out on the worst of the injuries, he was still heavily beaten up. Swan was not kidding when she said he should have died.


    His bones had shattered and his organs were severely damaged. Most notably, Desir had ced extreme strain on his mana circles, and they needed time to recuperate before he could use them properly.


    It would probably take months for Desir to be able to move on his own, let alone fight on the front lines.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡±


    Swan grinned and reached out to Desir¡¯s neck. *Ring*


    The clear sound of iron resounded. ¡°It¡¯s a gift from His Majesty.¡±


    Desir felt the energy flowing out of the ne that Swan had hung on him. His breathing had be much easier. He could feel his condition improving little by little.


    ¡®He allowed this artifact to be taken out¡­ ¡¯


    Desir knew what the ne was around his neck. The string was adorned with various red beads,ing together to a blue cross that sat on his chest. Of all the artifacts present on the continent, it was the only one capable of healing its user: the Immortal Rosario.


    The Immortal Rosario was far short of the restoring abilities Prisci boasted, but even so, it had the power to imbue its wearer with a continuous regenerative effect beyond what modern medical technology could achieve.


    Despite its value, it was rarely used. It had been kept hidden, handed down from Emperor to Emperor. The Immortal Rosario had never left Leonhardt Pce because it was impossible to know when it would be needed.


    For such an artifact to not only be removed from the pce, but to be in a foreign country, being presented to Desir¡­


    Surprise was an understatement.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get well enough in two days. And one more thing.¡±


    Swan pulled something out of her dimensional pocket. The moment heid eyes on it, Desir felt his mouth dry. It was Zod¡¯s cane, which he had sent to Desir in his final moments.


    ¡°Hephaestus found that the cane had a special password.¡±


    Desir took the cane that Swan presented. Unlike thest time he held it, the bloodstains had all been wiped away.


    The surface of it was cold to the touch. Somehow, the cane was heavier than he remembered. ¡°I¡¯m sure the Tower Master left this to deliver something important to you.¡±


    * * *


    ¡®Now I know for sure.¡¯


    After Swan left, Desir was lost in thought for a moment in the dark room. ¡®She has been working on this for a long time.¡¯


    First of all, teleportation gates were not a simple device that could just be installed anywhere. They were something that could not be constructed without meticulous nning, and hiding their existence was substantially difficult.


    ¡®And she was hiding her strength in my previous life.¡¯


    In his previous life, Prisci¡¯s ability while clearing the Shadow Labyrinth was invaluable, but it waspletely iparable to the power she demonstrated during their battle¡­


    The power she had disyed when restoring the Brigant in Altea was on apletely different level.


    Her recovery speed, how thorough it was, and even the ability to restore inanimate objects¡­ none of that was visible in Desir¡¯s previous life.


    Why had she hidden her power?


    ¡®Maybe the timeline didn¡¯t change. She might have been nning whatever she¡¯s doing now in thest world, but was forced to wait until after the Shadow Labyrinth was cleared.¡¯


    It was clear that he had misunderstood her character. The character of the duplicitous Prisci Haicilkite. It was obvious that she had been wearing a mask, all for this moment, from the very beginning.


    But there remained the most crucial question that still remained unsolved.


    Desir simply could not understand what the hell she was trying to gain by invading the Hebrion Empire.


    Even if they seeded in upying Dresden, it did not mean they would sessfully control the Empire. It was only a momentary victory, and it was something that would soon be taken away again.


    Moreover, the Artemis Church was antagonizing every other nation by invading Altea and the Empire.


    The way things are going, the Artemis Church will quickly lose everything they have gained. Prisci was surely aware that the Artemis Church would copse no matter the oue of this incident.


    ¡®There¡¯s only one answer. This isn¡¯t a war of conquest.¡¯

 Chapter 286. Rhapsody (1)

    <h4>Chapter 286. Rhapsody (1)</h4>


    Desir knew all too well that Prisci was not a foolish person.


    ¡®She probably believes that once they capture Dresden, they can ovee everything that will happen after that.¡¯


    Desir was unable toe up with an exact method, but that had to be why she was acting so recklessly. With the resources Prisci has ess to, she shouldn¡¯t be able to continue the war after taking Dresden. So, if it is not a war of conquest, and there is something she wants in Dresden that will allow her to continue the war¡­


    In a sh of inspiration, Desir recalled someone else¡¯s n. Something capable of transcending physical military power, something that would make a war in the present irrelevant.


    ¡®¡­ the Artemis system.¡¯


    Desir hurriedly removed the ne from his dimensional pocket and activated it. Instantly the scenery around him began to morph and distort until it was reced by a nket of white. Looking around, he found what he was searching for: Lunia. Upon seeing Desir, she politely greeted him with a small curtsy.


    ¡°You¡¯re back, user.¡±


    ¡°Nice to see you, Lunia.¡±


    After a simple greeting, Desir asked without hesitation.


    ¡°Lunia, I¡¯d like to know if the city called Dresden has means to operate the Artemis system.¡± Even if Prisci won the battle, their defeat would be imminent. If they used the Artemis system, they could change the past to ovee any burden incurred. But at the moment, the Artemis system waspletely dysfunctional.


    But there were other variables in y. In Altea, Prisci was clearly working with Pierrot


    Mask, who had certainly betrayed Skull Mask. Under the circumstances, Desir was now certain that Pierrot Mask had stolen the core of the power source shortly after killing him, and was nning to use that to activate the Artemis system.


    Lunia closed her eyes in response. Straight away, the circuits that were carved onto her dress and the runic alphabet on her skin began to glow. Her eyes quickly fluttered open, and her mouth soon followed.


    ¡°It existed.¡±


    ¡°Past tense? Does it not exist any more?¡±


    ¡°To be exact, there used to be facilities capable of activating the Artemis system at the geographical location where Dresden now lies, but they were destroyed during the fall of mankind.¡±


    It was as he assumed; this was her goal.


    ¡®Skull Mask had been around since the fall of mankind, so he must have known about the facilities in Dresden too.¡¯


    However, Skull Mask had not been able to use them. He worked tirelessly to build a foundation for his n, going as far as to puppet several nations into working for him.


    In other words, Skull Mask was dependent on building a new foundation in order to repair the Artemis system.


    But Prisci was another story.


    She had a transcendent recovery ability that she had kept disguised as a healing ability up until now. It was strong enough that she was capable of restoring an entire airship within a second. ¡®Perhaps she¡¯s trying to restore the operating facility for the Artemis system.¡¯


    Once Prisci dominated Dresden, she could get the facility back into working condition.


    With the system fixed, she only needed the means to power it, which Pierrot Mask had obtained.


    ¡®She¡¯s probably known about the Artemis system for a very long time.¡¯


    Thinking that the Church of Artemis and the Artemis system were unrted was optimistic at best, and naive at worst. It was likely that Prisci had known about the Artemis system since she became the Saint, or maybe even sooner.


    As Desir organized his thoughts, he continued to ask questions. ¡°Is there anywhere else with such facilities?¡±


    ¡°In total, there are four ces from which you can operate the Artemis system. Unfortunately, the other three are impossible to ess after errors urred in the reproduction of history.¡± She was referring to the erosion caused by failing to clear a Shadow World.


    This was why Prisci was aiming for Dresden.


    Desir spoke with a nod.


    ¡°Tell me the exact ce of the facilities for the Artemis System in Dresden.¡± At that moment, the white-colored space distorted and andscape appeared. The more the view came into focus, the wider Desir¡¯s eyes grew.


    Akeside by willow trees.


    A dorm with a pink tone.


    Thendscape was all too familiar. ¡®What are the odds?¡¯


    The ce where the Artemis System facility was located, the ce Prisci was aiming for¡­ It was the Hebrion Academy.


    Shortly after recovering from his surprise, Desir quickly calmed down and organized his thoughts.


    There was no time to waste on such things. ¡°Lunia, I have a few more things to check.¡±


    * * *


    After finding out what he could, Desir returned to reality and contacted someone on hismunication pad.


    Afterwards, he made his way towards the Magic Tower branch in Adeina. Thanks to the Immortal Rosario, Desir had recovered enough for him to move around on his own, butbat was still out of the question. Having arrived at his destination, Desir made his way towards the basement.


    Given the countless number of branch locations, each Magic Tower had been designed slightly differently. Some branches had specialized in a certain type of research, and some were used as glorified warehouses, but they all had one thing inmon:


    There was a research department for Shadow Worlds in their basements.


    Once the elevator doors parted, Desir was face to face with an impressive array of technological equipment adorning the huge space. Magical transportation tubes shot up and down the walls while several of the consoles whirred in concentration, working tirelessly to discover any iing Shadow Worlds orpute equations given by any of the researchers present.


    As he entered, someone noticed him and approached.


    It was the Second Master of the Magic Tower, Hephaestus.


    ¡°I was waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Is it ready?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Desir headed to the door-shaped structure in the center of theb, following Hephaestus¡¯s guide.


    ¡°Should we get started right away?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    As Desir nodded, Hephaestus struck the ground twice with the cane he held. The researchers, who had already been scurrying around, quickly went into double time.


    Soon the structure in front of him started activating, oozing a symphonic sound. Hephaestus spoke to Desir after inspecting the now-activated gate.


    ¡°All the parameters are as you requested. The clear condition was set to flicking your finger twice in a row, so you can leave whenever you¡¯re finished.¡±


    The giant structure in front of them was the gate that connected to a virtual Shadow World. Though Hephaestus acted nonchnt, Desir was very much aware of the tremendous effort and hard work it took to pull off his request.


    ¡°Thank you, Second Master.¡±


    ¡°As part of Zod Exarion¡¯s will, you inherited all the rights of the previous Tower Master. Following the Tower Master¡¯s instructions is just part of my job as Second Master.¡± Hephaestus made a deep bow to Desir.


    After Desir bowed back to him to show his appreciation, he strode towards the gate. His vision ckened at the same time.


    [-You have entered a Shadow World.]


    The familiar notification rang out, but this time it felt a little strange. This was the first time Desir had entered a Shadow World since meeting Lunia, and the mental image was a little bizarre.


    Still, Desir could not afford to waste time over inconsequential oddities. Desir stretched his joints, well aware of what he was about to face.


    To be exact, the Shadow World he was about to enter was created to his specification, and it was the perfect opportunity for him to train. Even though battle would break out between the Artemis Church and the Hebrion Empire at any moment, this was not something he could afford to dy.


    ¡®Let¡¯s do my best.¡¯


    Although his body had recovered to be up and about due to the effect of Immortal Rosario, it was still too much for him to go intobat. He needed to heal more to be fully prepared and he had to make the most of his time. In that vein, he chose to spend this limited time on further improving his magic.


    ¡®I need to get stronger than I am now.¡¯


    His most recent spell design was far more convoluted than the original system used to create his first modified spell, [Fire Storm]. He had integrated the tesseract¡¯s spell structure into his draconic incantation, and was able to perform overwhelmingly powerful spells as a result.


    But he miserably realized that this was not enough.


    After the violent collision in Altea, he felt that his current self could not reach her. ¡®Draconic magic is the only thing capable of overpowering her regenerative power.¡¯ Draconic magic had apletely different level of powerpared to general magic. It was strong enough to knock down the Ancient Demon, Dadenewt, and The Beast of Revtion.


    However, as it had a powerful effect, it also had a few massive drawbacks. The enormous load that it put on its user was beyond what a human body could withstand and the long time spent casting the spell would put the user at risk.


    Desir had known those drawbacks for a long time, and tried to improve on them. Though he could pull off these spells by using another spell to shift the heavy burden, he had made no progress on hastening the speed he could cast these spells at.


    It seemed that Desir had hit a fundamental limit, something that was inherent to draconic magic that he could never ovee. Desir had given up, to an extent. There was no simple way to ovee such a situation.


    That was, until he deciphered the code Zod had left within his cane. *Rrrr*


    Desir pulled out Zod¡¯s cane from his dimensional pocket. It was adorned with a blood-red stone, carved into the shape of a flower. Zod had transformed the level one mana stone to resemble his favorite flower, and the stone had subsequently be known as the Red Spider Lily.


    Zod had imbued the Red Spider Lily with a highly encrypted cypher, such that no one other than him or Desir could decode it.


    It had taken him a few hours, but when Desir deciphered the code, he discovered a recording from Zod.

 Chapter 287. Rhapsody (2)

    <h4>Chapter 287. Rhapsody (2)</h4>


    Desir¡¯s gaze was fixed on the Red Spider Lily for a while.


    As he ced his hand on it, the reddish energy seemed to flow out, and there was a voice that he thought he would never hear again.


    [-I am so sorry for reaching out to you this way. Desir.] Desir softly closed his eyes, listening to the voice.


    The image of a man slowly appeared, as though he were being painted into the world. The blue eyes that were gently staring at Desir were as deep as the open sea. His wavy hair looked as though it was the crystallization of all the wisdom this world had to offer. Though his presence was overwhelming, there was something disarming about his posture. His half-upturned lips outed his mischievous personality, like a rascal caught red-handed.


    Zod Exarion.


    He was Desir¡¯spanion, his greatest friend, and his mentor. They stood back to back up until the very end of the Shadow Labyrinth, always pushing one another to do their best.


    ¡°¡­ I am sorry, Zod.¡±


    Though Desir struggled to let out words, there was no response.


    His heart ached, wanting to have onest genuine conversation.


    [-It¡¯s a shame. There were many things I wanted to do with you, and so many things I wanted to teach you.]


    Desir¡¯s eyes started getting tinged with red.


    He opened his mouth although he knew there would be no answer. ¡°You¡¯re treating me like a kid.¡±


    [-Do you think I treat you like a child?] ¡°¡­ Of course. I¡¯m a fully grown man.¡±


    The thread of the conversation oddly matched. The two understood each other better than they understood themselves.


    Desir could vividly recall what kind of looks Zod had on his face with just the tone of his voice.


    The Zod in his imagination smiled tenderly.


    [-But it can¡¯t be helped. If I had a son, I always hoped that he would¡¯ve been like you.] ¡°¡­ !¡±


    His gasp outpoured between his tightly sealed lips.


    Desir could not say anything back this time. If he opened his mouth, even a little, Desir was worried the bitter baggage he held in his heart would gush out.


    ¡®I also¡­ ¡¯


    Deep down he was of the same mind as him.


    Zod was hispanion, mentor, and something more than that at the same time. The moment he was about to respond, Zod continued.


    [-So I don¡¯t want you to overwork yourself.] *Drip*


    Zod¡¯sst remaining mana, which had been imbued into the Red Spider Lily, began to coalesce around Desir. It swirled over his hair, as though it was trying to pat his head.


    [-That¡¯s what I¡¯m asking for thest time. That¡¯s all I hope.] *Drip*


    Something kept falling from Desir¡¯s jawline.


    ¡®You¡¯re worried about other people until the end, you really are¡­ ¡¯


    Zod cleared his throat as if he was attempting to change the mood, and spoke with a yful tone.


    [-Well, it¡¯s not going to be easy. You always overdo it unless someone stops you.] ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to fix that.¡±


    Desir wore a bitter smile, thinking back to when he chased after Prisci without further thought.


    [-I guess I should get to the point. By now, you¡¯ve probably figured out what happened.]


    From this point on, the message would go into the actual reason behind why Zod would go to such lengths to reach Desir like this.


    [-Prisci¡¯s healing ability is a lot more powerful than we knew. There¡¯s no magic from this time capable of matching her. I worry even your draconic magic might be bested.]


    Desir paid attention to the message with a nod as he had already observed Prisci¡¯s ability. [-In myst moments, Desir, I sacrificed my mana circles in order to temporarily exceed the Seventh-Circle. In that moment, I found something that could allow you to best her. I diverted some of my mana to encode this message and teleport my cane to you.]


    There was excitement in his voice that he could not hide. [-What I attained is¡­ the essence of magic.]


    * * *


    There was a torrential downpour. It thundered nonstop in the pitch-ck sky. The war situation was as frustrating as the bad weather.


    Dresden waspletely encircled by the Artemis Church¡¯s siege, and the Hebrion Empire found themselves in the worst crisis in their history. Across the city, high-ranking officials were scurrying about, doing their best to respond, and the Hebrion Academy was no different. The professors, single-rankers, and notable party leaders had all convened for an emergency meeting.¡®The atmosphere feels heavy.¡¯


    Ronde Fizzlebang was there, representing the Starling Party. He nced around the auditorium with sunken eyes. Everyone else gathered wore their anxiety on their sleeve.


    It was understandable. It was their first time experiencing a crisis like this after having had more favorable battles than unfavorable ones. Ronde, who considered himself to be rather bold after being on several life and death battlefields, also could not help but be slightly nervous.


    The army led by the Artemis Church was mighty. The military force was unthinkable for a mere religious body. They knocked down the knights that the Empire was proud of, and kept advancing towards Dresden.


    What frightened the Empire¡¯s people more was their cruelty. shing down those who surrendered was far from the ideals that the Artemis Church spread, namely, the virtues of mercy and generosity.


    ¡®Is it their strategy to cause fear¡­ ?¡¯


    If this was their tactic, it seeded perfectly. They had sessfully made the citizens of the Empire tremble with rm.


    ¡°What is the current situation like, Professor twick.¡±


    ¡°The evacuation is going smoothly, following the lead of the Red Dragon Party. Thanks to His Majesty the Emperor opening up the secondary pce, I think we will amodate everyone without trouble.¡±


    Although everyone was inwardly anxious, they remained calm. Now that they helped the people into the Empire¡¯s shelter, the imperial army could solely focus on their defense.


    ¡°How¡¯s the shield preparation going at the academy?¡±


    ¡°We are prepared to activate all the defensive facilities installed at the academy.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re building traps in the invasion pathways and reinforcing the defense seals.¡±


    While helping people take shelter, the Hebrion Academy was also getting ready to defend the academy itself. Students who could not fight were evacuated and the parties that had enough military force were gathered.


    The reason why they were getting ready to protect the Hebrion Academy instead of joining the imperial army was due to a single message.


    Ronde grasped hismunication pad tightly, thinking of the message. ¡®Brother¡­ ¡¯


    The message was from Desir Arman.


    His message was filled with unbelievable information. There were many things it talked about, but to put it simply, the Artemis Church was aiming for the academy.


    People who received it were flustered, but they quickly began moving as though it were fact.It was hard to believe, but they trusted that man, Desir.


    They acted on Desir¡¯s strategy written in the message.


    ¡°If we want to follow Desir¡¯s n, we¡¯ll need to reinforce the northern business district.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it. I know that area well, so I¡¯m the right person.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in charge of the control tower.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for volunteering. You¡¯d be the perfect person for that, Professor Hersaint-nc.¡± Ronde felt his heart swelling while watching everyone work tirelessly to follow Desir¡¯s instructions.


    However, not everything was going perfectly.


    ¡°I think Professor Pelstar should take the lead of the core part of this n.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I couldn¡¯t¡­ ¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Professor Pelstar adjusted his sses. He had a terribly bitter smile.


    ¡°To make this work, we¡¯d need professional personnel and high quality equipment. That¡¯s practically impossible with what we can do here. What we¡¯re trying to do here is far more difficult than simply breaking out of an artificial Shadow World. This is¡­ it¡¯s far beyond what I can do alone.¡±


    Pelstar spoke, his anger seeping out.


    There was no other option when the foremost authority on Shadow Worlds studies said so. ¡°That¡¯s a shame. Then, we¡¯ll need to amodate for it by reinforcing the east¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Professor Lafon, would it be possible if I help?¡±


    That voice came from someone totally unexpected. Professor Pugman, who had yet to say anything until now, began to speak.


    ¡°Do you know much about artificial Shadow Worlds?¡±


    ¡°Not directly, but I can be of enough help when ites to magic stones.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but¡­ ¡±


    Pugman continued with a snort, as though he could read the apprehension in Pelstar¡¯s voice. ¡°One time I nearly lost my own flesh and blood.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Of course, everyone here was aware of that. No one present would forget the massacre brought forth by the Outsiders.


    ¡°At that time, I was frustrated with myself, that I was so powerless. I realized how little knowledge I had.¡±


    As Pugman spoke about it, the entire auditorium grew silent, turning their attention towards him.


    ¡°Hence I studied and studied endlessly. So that I could cope if the same situation happened again.¡±


    Pugman spoke to the apuse of the people gathered.


    ¡°Currently, I should be able to manage a Level Three Shadow World on my own. Do you think that¡¯ll be enough?¡±


    Pelstar¡¯s eyes erged at this deration. Pugman¡¯s self-proimed skill was not too far behind Pelstar¡¯s.


    ¡°With that¡­ I think we can try.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡±


    Pugman sat down again with a grin on his face, having left Pelstar in shock. Ronde felt like he met Pugman¡¯s eyes at that moment.


    ¡®Has he always been like that¡­ ?¡¯


    When Ronde entered the academy, Pugman Nifleka was an infamous professor. Though his notoriety had faded, it still existed in hushed rumors. The person before him was entirely different from what he had heard.


    He was even left reassured for some reason. ¡®I¡­ can¡¯t sit and wait.¡¯


    *Clench*


    Ronde clenched his fist and affirmed his determination.


    It was right then.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be all for the basic announcements, everyone.¡±


    The meeting ended with Justin striking his hammer three times.


    ¡°I will deliver the details through themunication pads again. So everyone, back to your positions!¡±


    That was how the Hebrion Academy set to work.

 Chapter 288. Rhapsody (3)

    <h4>Chapter 288. Rhapsody (3)</h4>


    Brigant, the Artemis Church¡¯s gship, was cruising through the dark sky, despite the torrential rain and cutting winds. On top of its bow stood Prisci Haicilkite, wearing a nun¡¯s ceremonial funeral robes, adorned with crimson red trim and a deep ck stole.


    She nced down with an emotionless face. The lights adorning the Empire¡¯s roads were buzzing from afar. The entire city before her had a massive defensive spell array encapsting it, and numerous knights were standing in formation, ready to block the advancing Holy Pdins.


    ¡°Finally¡­ ¡±


    The time to act had finally arrived. Their n had been in the works for several decades. Prisci had been making connections in secret, growing the power of the Artemis Church across the continent. Powerful knights had left their kingdoms, tradingpanies gave them good deals, and she had even gained the power of the Outsiders. All their previous efforts had culminated together, and they were currently marching towards the finale.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready, Saint.¡±


    Three figures stood behind Prisci.


    One of them was a tall handsome man. If an angel came down to Earth, it would have looked like him. He wore dazzling silver armor.


    He was the leader of the Pdins, someone who had led the Artemis Church¡¯s forces for a very long time.


    There was another person standing beside her, a man that wore a pierrot mask. He was leaning precariously far over the railing, unphased by the prospect of death while staring at her. Finally, there was a single woman dressed in a traditional nun¡¯s habit, who had been walking on eggshells for the past hour. Every one of her actions was timid in nature, and she clutched her holy book tightly. Her chest bore a badge with the inscription of an upturned cross, the signal of the Inquisitors of the Artemis Church, their most fanatical and devoted followers. ¡°They are such pitiful people.¡±


    Prisci spoke without looking back.


    That was extremely generous for abel for an enemy. It was so generous that it was nearly touching.


    ¡°A flock of sheep that shiver with endless fear for a tiny turmoil and struggle eternally. They¡¯re the living proof of the absence of the Goddess.¡±


    If any priest of the Artemis Church heard that, they would have been horrified.


    Nobody questioned her remark, even though what she said was enough to brand her as a member of some cult. Conversely, she was a Saint.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for the true redemption of mankind that humanity attempted at one time.¡±


    ¡°But, Your Eminence¡­ ¡±


    It was the nun who spoke up.


    She continued, lowering her head as Prisci turned her eyes towards her.


    ¡°One thing I¡¯m concerned about is that I am unsure if it¡¯s the right thing to do¡­ to use such cruel methods.¡±


    Her eyes were darting around anxiously. Traces of her fear towards the Saint could be seen in her eyes.


    ¡°Sister Rhea, you don¡¯t need to be afraid. I understand your concerns. I would have dly chosen another way if there was one.¡±


    Prisci grinned. She asked Rhea who was about to smile back awkwardly.


    ¡°But Sister. Look at this world. Are you aware of how much pain there is in this world?¡±


    Rhea could not help but hesitate at the sudden question.


    Prisci¡¯s smile started clearing up slowly. The look on her eyes froze icily.


    ¡°Burning, stabbing, cut wounds,cerations, abrasions, and contusions. The pains from split and torn skin, burst intestines, decapitated heads, and crushed limbs.¡±


    For a brief moment, the leader of the Holy Pdins and Prisci made eye contact, before quickly averting their eyes.


    ¡°There¡¯s more pain other than whates from a human''s senses. An epidemic, starvation, natural disasters, and catastrophe. Not to mention man-made cmity for the sake of profits and ideology: war. This world is indeed full of immense anguish.¡±


    *Drip*


    The rain wasing to an end. The moonlight broke through and the clouds soon cleared. ¡°Do you think this world is right, Sister?¡±


    ¡°I do not.¡±


    Rhea shook her head. The fear on her face faded away slowly. Rather, it started filling with ecstasy slowly. Prisci smiled before continuing.


    ¡°This world is wrong. The fundamentals of it are wrong, to begin with. We need sincere redemption. This war started in order to do that. That¡¯s right. This is a jihad, a mighty holy war, which will redeem all of mankind.¡±


    Prisci¡¯s tone was passionate. Her whole heart was in it. She gave up everything solely for this. Status as a religious body, honor, friendship, emotions. All of them.


    Because she believed it was right.


    ¡°Trust in me, Rhea. The world will be redeemed by me, and it will be born again as an absolutely wless world where there is no pain.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Your Eminence.¡±


    Rhea began to grin with an emotional groan. Her lips stretched up to her cheeks. Her wide veiny eyes were imbued with lunacy.


    ¡°The results of this war will dictate whether we can carry out this world¡¯s redemption. Regardless of means or sacrifice, that redemption will be a reward everyone can bask in. So Rhea, as the Saint, Imand you to treat anyone that blocks your path as a heretic.¡±


    ¡°I will dly obey yourmand, Your Eminence.¡±


    Rhea answered swiftly, grinning from ear to ear and flicking her tongue.


    Prisci now turned her eyes from her to look around.


    While making eye contact with each one slowly, she began to speak again. ¡°Today, it¡¯s finally time to end this fabricated world.¡±


    * * *


    The sky cleared over the eastern ramparts of Dresden. It was silent, save for the icy cold winds ripping through blond hair. The middle-aged man carried an overwhelming presence, matched only by his gigantic build and piercing blue eyes. He had already saved the Hebrion Empire from a civil uprising in the past, and he wasn¡¯t going to let this final gateway fall today.


    Guiltian Zedgar F Rogfs.


    His gaze swept past their frontlines and into the slowly fading darkness. Until just now, heavy clouds had swallowed the moonlight and shielded their enemy. The wind continued to blow, fluttering his white-blond hair as though it was a mane on a lion, lying in wait for its prey.


    ¡°Are theying?¡±


    *Rumble*


    Beneath their feet, the steel rampart began to tremble with the vibrations of the¡¯s crust. Though it was faint, the intensity gradually increased. A silver light began to pierce the weakened darkness, the signature shine of the Artemis Church¡¯s Holy Pdins.


    As they came into view, the silence that had ovee the rampart was reced with agitation. It was a natural reaction; anyone who was aware of their opponent¡¯s strength would do the same. The army before them was twenty thousand strong, and each individual was a well-trained knight capable of using aura.


    No single army was as powerful as them. Not only were theirbat skills frightening, but many of them had received a Blessing of Light, which granted them abilities verging on the realm of superpowers, far outssing the versatile uses of aura. Each Blessing manifested in a unique variety, but all of them carried unpredictable power that defied any ssification system used by the world atrge. Their strengthy in a different ne altogether.


    ¡®It¡¯s practically like fighting a knight and a magician at the same time, while also dealing with unpredictable variables.¡¯


    Mundane strategies would prove useless against them, as they failed to operate under normal rules. That alone made them stronger than any other foreign adversary that had attacked Dresden in the past. They had instantaneously captured several cities, but that was where their insults would end.


    ¡°Swan.¡±


    As Guiltian spoke, Swan walked forward from the darkness and kneeled down in front of him. ¡°Get ready for it.¡±


    ¡°Your wish is mymand.¡±


    Swan faded away somewhere.


    Then immediately.


    *Buuuzz*


    An rm red throughout the rampart, a starting signal for the individuals positioned in the five nearby watchtowers. Each tower hosted four magicians, all Sixth-Circle. Together, they ounted for well over half of the magical military force the Hebrion Empire could summon.


    With the signal given, they all began to invoke a spell, this one consisted of an eerily different magical array. Though they should have been finished being arranged, they all continued to spread out like sentient vines, bing entangled with one another before bing entangled with the other watchtowers.


    The spell arrays of the royal magicians epassed the sky over Dresden. ¡°This¡­ ¡±


    Other magicians understood the significance and admired it.


    Enormouslyplicated spell arrays made by several magicians were connected organically like an orchestra, uniting andpleting a single spell.


    ¡°Commence interception.¡±


    Guiltian had given the order. A sh of light sputtered from each lookout tower. [Baptism of Ruin]


    The beam swept the ground and stretched out towards the Artemis Church¡¯s army, each soldier no bigger than ants at this distance.


    *BAM*


    The tremendous st resounded. The soldiers of the Empire strained themselves to not break formation.


    Soon the shockwave it left behind as it passed overhead abated, and what they witnessed after they narrowly regained their formation was an immense explosion.


    *BOOOM*


    The shocking st echoed through the mountain range around Dresden. The heat was so powerful that the icy winds were shoved aside as a wave of heat passed over the rampart. ¡°Whoa¡­ ¡±


    The magicians quietly marveled at it. What they had just witnessed was twenty Sixth-Circle magesing together to fire a Seventh-Circle spell, the strongest attack humankind was capable of.


    Although the spell waspleted sessfully, Guiltian had a dull face. This was not the end of it. He opened his mouth with a calm attitude.


    ¡°Commence.¡±


    [Nuclear Stream Burst]


    The sight of not one, but two Seventh-Circle spells being fired in session was unreal. The view left behind was nothing short of a disaster.


    Someone let out a smirk.


    ¡°Well, we might have to draw a new map after this.¡±


    Before Desir Arman appeared, the only magician in the highest echelon of power was Zod Exarion, who was decidedly independent of any one nation¡¯smand. Genius was a gift bestowed by the heavens, so all they could do was wait for a transcendent individual to appear. Therefore, Guiltian¡¯s stopgap was simple.


    Quantity.


    If they did not have a genius with one in a million talent, then they would have to make do with twenty gifted magicians who had one in fifty-thousand. With theirbined power, they could invoke spells with power that only Zod Exarion and Desir Arman could use. *BAAAM*


    As the bombing continued, the frustration on the soldiers¡¯ faces diminished. The morale of the army, who had previously cursed their fate, soared endlessly.


    Meanwhile, Guiltian opened his mouth. ¡°They betrayed our loyalty.¡±


    The army gazed at Guiltian.


    His voice solemnly resonated from where hemanded atop the rampart.


    ¡°At the same time, they invaded thisnd where our families established, harmed our citizens, and also aimed to take control of this great empire. What do they look like in your eyes? Do they deserve mercy?¡±


    He lifted his sword.


    Guiltian dered in the tense atmosphere.


    ¡°Today those fanatics will pay for coveting our empire.¡± Hebrion soldiers let out a ferocious war cry.


    The Sun of Hebrion made his first move.

 Chapter 289. Rhapsody (4)

    <h4>Chapter 289. Rhapsody (4)</h4>


    ¡°As you would expect of the Empire.¡±


    Pierrot Mask truly admired the enemies in front of him. He expected the strongest country on the continent to mount a valiant defense, but this was far beyond his wildest expectations. *BAM*


    Every moment, every second, the atmosphere was torn apart and the itself cried. Seventh-Circle spells, a level of strength considered to be the strongest mankind was capable of, continued to gush forth. It was an enormous show of strength beyond what any other nation was capable of. If the Artemis Church had not thoroughly prepared, they would have already disappeared without a trace under such an onught.


    *BOOOOM*


    Several gigantic crosses, tens of meters wide, floated in the air in front of the Artemis Church¡¯s forces.


    nce of the Father.


    It was a technique created through the culmination of hundreds of Blessings of Light being used in harmony, a power capable of reflecting and offsetting any impact. Though the technique was extraordinarily powerful, itcked practicality; having hundreds of Pdins gathered in one ce, all capable of coordinating with one another for a single technique, was much easier said than done. However, once the burdensome conditions were cleared, the users were blessed with overwhelming defensive might, beyond even the Aurora System, which was the best defensive system their opponents had.


    Having sessfully defended themselves from annihtion, they had bought themselves some leeway. The problem was that the strength of the Empire was more than they had anticipated. Even with their absurd defensive capabilities, they could not fully block several rapid-fire


    Seventh-Circle Spells without taking some losses. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to lose the nce of the Father!¡±


    ¡°3rd Division knights, take turns!¡±


    As the spells poured down on the cross, it began to crack. That meant part of the shield had already been destroyed.


    Each time, there were screams resounding from all corners of their formation. Before they even arrived, they had already sustained significant casualties from their previous battles. ¡®What¡¯s more extraordinary is that they are maintaining this level of bombardment.¡¯


    It was Seventh-Circle magic, the so-called most powerful magic of mankind. The force was great, but the required amount of mana to cast these was also mind-boggling. Even Zod Exarion rarely performed Seventh-Circle magic for the sake of efficiency. If he could achieve the same effect with multiple lower circle spells, there was no point wasting mana on a higher circle spell.


    [-Deploy]


    [-Put them all in, there¡¯s no reason to go easy!]


    Despite that, the Empire was firing several Seventh-Circle spells back to back. So, how did the Empirepensate for this inefficiency?


    Magic stones.


    The Hebrion Empire had an enormous stockpile of the gems, each with a considerable quantity of mana stored within them. Each of the stones were worth more than their weight in gold and were being consumed at an rming rate. With each spell cast, the magicians were fed enough magic stones to exceed the annual budget of a small kingdom.


    It was an unmorous way of fighting, but it was only possible for a nation like the Hebrion Empire, which had long dominated as the strongest of mankind, umting untold wealth over the centuries.


    ¡®Under the Sun of the Empire, the capital has been reborn as an impregnable fort.¡¯ Dresden was indeed a fortress blessed with natural advantages.


    In the North, there was Lagran, the thirdrgest mountain range on the continent, which made it impossible for foreign enemies to invade through.


    Simultaneously, the huge river that began in Lagran wrapped around the West and the South of Dresden. The channel was deep and wide, so any infantry would need a bridge or boats to cross, which would make them sitting ducks.


    If they were to head to Dresden, their only route was via the East.


    Unfortunately, their fortress city, Kansas, had already fallen. Between there and Dresdeny wide-open ins, giving advancing armies no room to hide. If they wanted to attack the Hebrion capital with infantry, they would have to pass through there.


    Having only one attack route, the Artemis Church¡¯s troops were forced into an unfavorable fight from the outset.


    ¡®We prepared airships to ovee this, but¡­ ¡¯


    Prisci worked tirelessly to build a substantial air force, one that even the Hebrion Empire could not match, but she had lost more than half of it to Desir in Altea. In the end, they seeded in taking out Desir, but it was at an extravagant cost: they lost their advantage against Dresden.


    They were left with no choice but to brute force their way through the East. They had to advance, even though they knew they were at a staggering disadvantage.


    That was the current war situation.


    *Giggle*


    Though they were faced with such a disadvantage, Pierrot Mask¡¯s lips curled up in glee. ¡°It¡¯ll all be worth the effort.¡±


    The situation was definitely unfavorable. They had only barely managed to fend off the sustained shelling of the Empire, but it was clear that they could notst for much longer. However, Pierrot Mask was not interested in waiting till then.


    As he gesticted madly in the air, tens of cards were summoned in his hands. They appeared to be just paper cards, but each card was an A-Tier artifact containing a vast amount of dimensional space. As the cards began to rotate around him, strange appendages began to force their way out. They writhed and morphed, a nauseating cacophony of snapping bones and wriggling flesh echoing out as they stretched and popped into ce.


    After the unholy sight concluded, they had a human-like shape. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get it started.¡±


    Pierrot Mask grinned at the humanoids that stumbled before him. A wicked grin adorned his face, one that unnerved even his allies.


    ¡°Caprio.¡±


    It was time for the y to begin.


    * * *


    Guiltian sat perched atop a watchtower, overviewing the fortress that had been constructed outside Dresden. Lined up beside him were none other than his Royal Guard.


    ¡°Something is closing in.¡±


    The first person to notice the unexpected change was Jean Euremrin, the Sword of the Royal Guard. He was an old man of at least forty years with a ck eye patch covering one of his eyes, and a grey beard that reached his chest.


    Jean quickly gathered his aura, and recognized the phenomena faster than any detection spell could be invoked.


    ¡°Nearly four thousand¡­ troops.¡±


    Raphahelo next to him added, after recognizing it a bit slower than him.


    His face hardened. It was a very serious matter.


    The scale of the army they faced had increased. Their sudden surge in military strength would certainly affect the progress of the battle.


    Guiltian opened his mouth.


    ¡°¡­ Are they hand-picked soldiers that they were hiding?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe so. They seem extremely crude for that.¡± Jean Euremrin denied it calmly.


    ¡°They¡¯re too slow to be vanguards, and they aren¡¯t wearing anything to suggest affiliation with the Church. They¡¯re also approaching without formation, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯re even a disciplined unit.¡±


    What he said astonished the others present. He had precisely figured out their movement at a distance that was impossible to visually confirm. Even Raphaello was shocked. All he could do was sense their approaching presence, but he had not been able to detect that level of detail. But now was not the time to be in awe. If what Jean said was true, there was only one possible answer, and it was the worst case scenario for the Empire.


    ¡°Stop the bombardment.¡±


    With Guiltians¡¯ order, the torrential bombardment stopped in an instant. As the magic circle that filled the sky deactivated, the spell arrays broke, which resulted in mana fragments scattering throughout the sky, their blue light refracting across the battlefield.


    Raphaello¡¯s eyes nced over the approaching horde, unable to hide his anxiety. Even Guiltian, remainingposed as ever, had an air of nervousness about him.


    Their worst fears had be reality.


    [-Your Majesty, they are¡­ people of the Hebrion Empire.]


    This was the official report of the Imperial magicians, their targets finally within range of their detection spells.


    ¡°Is this certain?¡±


    [-That¡­ we can affirm. They must be members of the imperial army from the cities that have been conquered.]


    Although Guiltian doubted the authenticity of the information, nothing changed. Raphahelo could not help but murmur.


    ¡°I thought they all died.¡±


    That was what everyone thought.


    As the distance between them narrowed, people standing on the walls of the fortress could hear their voices. They were wailing. They were fleeing from something, crying for help. They were indeed running towards here with all of the energy they could muster.


    There was a slight gap between the Artemis Church and them. A vague space that seemed to offer them the chance of saving those people, while simultaneously being close enough to threaten sudden retaliation if they did so.


    They could not continue their bombardment, as that would destroy the captives, but neither could they open the gates of the fortress to save them because the Artemis Church was close enough behind that they could force their way in too.


    Raphahelo groaned, realizing the Artemis Church¡¯s intention. ¡®It¡¯s toxic.¡¯


    This was such a toxic, poisonous strategy.


    They were being forced to choose between saving the captives they thought had died or ignoring them and ughtering them with their own hands by restarting the bombardment.


    ¡®¡­ We have to save them.¡¯


    He wanted to open the gate and demand they be saved.


    However, Raphahelo could not voice this desire. There was a difference between ideals and reality. They had to not only stop the bombardment but also open the gate to embrace them. Doing so would destroy the Empire¡¯s defensive line. Ever since they had stopped bombarding, they had already incurred a massive loss. They would need to spend time to rearrange their Seventh-Circle spells; all while the unrestricted Artemis Church was able to advance at twice the speed. Their defenses, which had previously been half-broken, were restoring themselves significantly. Realistically, the best choice the Empire could make was the heartless one. They had to give up on the captives, give up on their people, and block the enemy¡¯s advance. Guiltian rose to the position he had now because he could make dispassionate decisions better than anyone else and ensure the best possible oue each time. There was no way he would get carried away by his feelings. Raphahelo had to stay silent because he knew that all too well.


    ¡°Open the gate.¡±


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    Resounding shock kept the top of the watchtower silent. The Emperor, who only sought the practical advancement of the Empire, was taking an enormous risk to save captives?


    ¡®Why the hell¡­ ?¡¯


    Before Raphahelo could squeeze out a question, Guiltian continued. ¡°Funny.¡±


    Guiltian had a cynical smile that was immensely icy.


    ¡°Did they think they could win with such a disgraceful tactic?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    He was not shaken in the least. This was not a decision made out of rashness - he held his stoicposure, the signature demeanor the world atrge renowned him for.


    Raphahelo smiled.


    ¡®Yes. That is my master.¡¯ ¡°Raphaelo, Jean.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The two Royal Guards kneeled down at his call.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for us to show them there¡¯s more to our power than just magic.¡±

 Chapter 290. Rhapsody (5)

    <h4>Chapter 290. Rhapsody (5)</h4>


    The Artemis Church¡¯s n had been a sess. By using the captives as bait, they seeded in goading the Imperial army into opening their fortress. Moreover, they had stopped using their Seventh-Circle magic, likely out of fear of killing theirrades. They had given up their defense¡¯s advantage andid down their weapons, all to save a few thousand lives.


    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±


    The Pdins all rushed forward, their leader having given the signal they had long awaited. Despite their heavy silver te armor, they marched as quickly as lightweight infantry, their natural speed reinforced through their various supernatural powers.


    ¡°Make sure to avenge your sorrow!¡±


    The Head Inquisitor, Rhea,manded the Holy Pdins. Soon after, the Imperial army was pelted by supernatural powers. Strange lights shed through the sky, flickering back and forth, before smashing against the Dresden fortress and dismantlingrge parts of its defensive magic.


    The Empire¡¯s magicians swiftly counter-attacked in response. [Blizzard Storm]


    [Lightning Spree] *Bam* *Baaaam*


    The air froze and thunderbolts raged before exploding into shes of light that illuminated the battlefield.


    Endless magic and supernatural powers ravaged the surroundings, enough so that the dead of night was illuminated like day.


    It was not an exaggeration to say that the oue of a firefight during a war would typically determine the victor. Hence the Hebrion Empire had always devoted arge portion of its effort to training magicians. Their absurd efforts were well worth it whenever Hebrion went to war.


    However, they had lost the initiative in this fight. ¡°Is it¡­ impossible to break them?¡±


    ¡°If we continue to pour in all our effort, eventually¡­ ¡±


    If the Imperial magicians wanted to return fire without harming the captives, they would have to refrain from using high-circle spells. As a result, they had opted to take on a massive handicap. Being at a higher circle was meaningless if they could not cast spellsmensurate with their skill.


    As a result, the nce of the Father was able to restore itself and remained unharmed throughout the rest of the exchange.


    It would be one thing if the Empire was only struggling on the offense.


    Supernatural powers were battering the fortress of Dresden with their entric nature and surprising power. It was not easy to defend or attack without understanding the fundamental capability of their enemy. Additionally, the war had broken out without warning, so they were alsocking in terms of preparation.


    [Anthem of Gavilelle] *Bam*


    As the defense magic that was encircled the fortress cracked and partially fell, three magicians swayed then died on the spot. Although it was only one area that had fallen, this was a clear warning that the Empire¡¯s defense was close to copsing.


    Things were no less frustrating when it came to rescuing the captives. They had been released from the clutches of the Artemis Church, however, it was absolute pandemonium. Many were trampled under the feet of the desperate horde of men, horses, and the wounded. Their screams and groans mingled into an unholy cacophony.


    ¡°We have injured men! Please move a little slower¡­ !¡±


    ¡°Get away! Don¡¯t stand in my way!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t break away like this¡­ !¡±


    ¡°This is just a pointless death throe. There is no way we can get out alive.¡±


    They were all certain death awaited them, and when you thought about it, that was obvious. The Artemis Church¡¯s pdins that were chasing behind were marching terribly fast, and they had no way to survive the aftermath of any attacks. All they could do was front a desperate struggle in an attempt to live just a little bit longer.


    *Swoooosh*


    An ear-piercing screech swirled past the ears of the captives, the source being somewhere behind them. Shortly thereafter, several streaks of light simultaneously appeared above them, shredding apart the atmosphere. When the defenseless Hebrion prisoners noticed the attack, they all stopped moving. There was no point in trying to dodge or resist the attack; being touched by those beams was no different from a death sentence.


    ¡°Attacking unarmed prisoners of war¡­ Is this the creed of the Artemis Church?¡±


    It was the voice of a jaunty young man. Their fear-sealed eyes gradually widened at his presence. His blonde hair was their saving grace, a new sun to blot out the enemy¡¯s death rays. ¡°Seriously, this is justically evil.¡±


    There was not a single citizen in the Empire who would fail to recognize his voice. In fact, it would be difficult to find someone on the continent who wasn¡¯t aware of his name: Raphaello Cheriger.


    All it took was the rising sh of his de. *Rumble*


    With an enormous gust of wind and a blinding light, the streaks of light were ripped apart and disappeared into the sky. People who witnessed the overwhelming prestigious glory in front of them could not close their mouths nor avert their eyes.


    Raphaello smiled sweetly, looking at them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about these guys, and keep moving forward. You¡¯re safe now, I promise.¡± *Stamp*


    They stared nkly at their hero, so caught up in the moment that they had not noticed what was happening around them. Several thousand knights appeared and began encircling them, but not to constrain them. The charcoal-colored suits of armor, emzoned with a golden lion, were there to protect them from the outside forces.


    They were the Side Guard, a group of powerful soldiers formed to assist the Royal Guard however they needed. As the strongest knights of the Empire entered formations to guard the captives, the screams vanished and order was restored within moments. The prior scene of agony and terror disappeared as if it were a dream. Although they could not immediately flee the battlefield, their hope of survival had bloomed.


    Raphaello let out a grin, looking at them.


    ¡°Well, the pressing issue has been solved for now.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re definitely perfect for the role.¡±


    Raphaello shrugged as if he easily agreed with Jean Euremrin¡¯spliment. ¡°Not just anyone can be the figurehead of the Royal Guard.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve be cheeky since Ist saw you.¡±


    ¡°Cheeky? Me? Never! So, what are we doing now?¡± Jean stared at the battlefront.


    The military force of the Artemis Church densely upied the entire wide-spread ins. Hebrion¡¯s fortress was under non-stop bombardment from the enemy. In terms of numbers alone, the Church had the advantage.


    ¡°Are we going to retreat while guarding the captives?¡±


    ¡°No can do.¡±


    Raphaello chuckled and pointed his sword forward. ¡°I figured you¡¯d say so.¡±


    Raphaello took action first. Aura began wrapping around his body and de, gradually forming a wheel around him.


    One to two. From two to three.


    The more wheels there were, the more intensely the aura glowed as strong gusts of wind were summoned. Once there were five wheels in total, Raphaello swung his sword, the S-ss artifact Gram, towards the oing barrage of attacks.


    The wheels, which had previously been spinning around the sword, were rocketed forward with a thundering noise as though they had burst forth under extreme pressure.


    *Baaaaaam*


    A sh of light filled the sky with a boom resounding shortly afterward. The once noisy battlefield was left with a deafening silence.


    One strike from the Sword Grandmaster had managed to neutralize thebined strength of countless Pdin abilities. In their bones, the soldiers of the Artemis Church knew they wouldn¡¯t be able to proceed unless they took care of Raphaello Cheriger, and thus began to charge.


    Now it was Jean¡¯s turn to shine. His gaze locked on the approaching frontline, he drew the gigantic saber strapped to his back. As the Pdins felt his determination rise, they in turn began to gather their aura. Thebining colors and swirls seemed like an imprable fortress, capable of blocking any enemy attack, or even capable of being used as a weapon.


    Even faced with such a powerful opponent, Jean calmly waiting in ce, letting the gigantic fortress approach him. Once they entered his striking range¡­


    *Swish*


    A sharp wind swept the ins clear. *Ruuumble*


    With the sound of thunderbolts, a river of blood trailed behind the sword¡¯s de. The weapons, blood, and the pieces of flesh remaining from the Pdins were scattered through the tall grass.


    It was hard to believe that this happened with a single blow.


    But Jean was not done swinging.


    *Ruumble*


    The sword was brandished continuously, cutting everything smoothly. The ground was torn apart in mere moments due to the unbelievably fast speed of his swings, his sword appearing to move in all directions without hindrance. This level of swordsmanship seemed impossible, something that a human would be incapable of reaching.


    It was his swordsmanship, the Sword of the Royal Guard.


    He was the perfect person to be given that title within the Empire.


    *BAAAAAAAM*


    Only two people made their moves, but the battlefield had changed drastically.


    Jean Euremrin¡¯s attack and Raphaello¡¯s defense were harmonized together and formed aplete square. The bombardments from Artemis were simply neutralized and the encroaching Pdins were intercepted by his invincible swordsmanship.


    Realistically though, it was impossible for just two people to take on the entire forces of the Artemis Church.


    ¡°Phooo¡­ ¡±


    Raphaello let out a sigh.


    There were only a few times in his life where he had been forced to consume that much aura in such a short span of time. Even still, he would not stop. He knew that pausing for even a moment would endanger the thousands of lives behind him.


    Once the progress of the battle turned around due to Jean and Raphaello¡¯s hard work, the leader of the Pdins made a decision.


    ¡°¡­ to the center.¡±


    Until that order was given, Artemis¡¯s troops were widespread across the ins, doing their best topletely dominate the eastern nk of Dresden. Soon after, both nks of the military began to converge towards the center, focusing all their attacks on the two members of the Royal Guard.


    Pikemen took the front lines, opting to take the brunt of the damage to protect the Pdins who were strategically positioned at regr intervals.


    Every time Jean Euremrin was injured, the number of casualties they suffered decreased. His power was still mighty, but with fewer people getting minced, the surviving Pdins approaching Dresden significantly increased. ¡°Theirmanding officer is indeed talented.¡±


    Raphaello had to give a small acknowledgement to theirmander. Their ability to read the situation ande up with the best possible response was indeed very excellent.


    ¡°So are we going to withdraw like this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Raphaello smiled slightly at Jean¡¯s question. ¡°They will not cross here.¡±

 Chapter 291. Rhapsody (6)

    <h4>Chapter 291. Rhapsody (6)</h4>


    ¡°Hang in there!¡±


    ¡°Urgh!¡±


    Screams burst and metallic sound from weapons crashing resonated.


    The Side Guard and the Holy Pdins of the Artemis Church had engaged in a fierce close-quarters battle. The Hebrion Empire had attempted to rescue their captives by forfeiting their fortress¡¯s safety, and had managed to seed thus far.


    However, the Artemis Church had still gotten the result they wanted. While the Empire was distracted with the rescue, they had advanced far further, far faster, and far safer than they would have otherwise. Fortunately, the Royal Guard and Side Guard had halted their advance before they met the fortress gate, but the situation was not great: Raphaello and Jean were at their limits.


    [-It¡¯s going to be dangerous like this, Raphaello.] [-I am aware.]


    Raphaello shook his head to wipe the blood off his face. The smile on his face was long gone. Although they stopped the Artemis Church¡¯s advance, the all-out confrontation against them was inevitable. Retreat was now impossible.


    It was wrong of them to think that the problem would be solved if they held out for a bit. ¡®That damned cross.¡¯


    The ultimate hurdle they needed to ovee to im victory was the nce of the Father. While holding back the oing Pdins, Raphaello and Jean were both theorizing how to destroy it, but were ultimately forced to retreat and guard the fortress.


    If the situation went as nned, the Empire¡¯s nonstop Seventh-Circle spells would have been enough to ovee its defensive prowess. However, once they were forced to deconstruct their arrays to rescue the captives, the nce of the Father had recovered to how it looked initially, and further damage had been negated entirely.


    If they retreated, the Artemis Church would break through the fortress defenses easily. As a result, they continued to fight as fiercely as possible, quickly draining their impressive but limited aura reserves. Although the two members of the Royal Guard were extremely powerful, they could not handle an entire military force on their own.


    His blindingly shiny aura began to fade and the wheels that were rotating along his sword started losing their speed.


    Nevertheless, they kept going fiercely and repeatedly cut down the encroaching enemy Pdins.


    *BAM*


    There was a deafening roar. It was the sound of Jean Euremrin¡¯s swordsmanship, which had the power to tear apart the ground with a single stroke, being blocked.


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    At the end of their line of sight, near the origin of the concerning sound, was a Holy Pdin in extremely white armor, wielding a long ornate sword. His pure armor,plimented by his white aura, was the personification of the Artemis Church¡¯s supposed holiness.


    ¡®He appeared in person¡­ !¡¯


    Raphaello frowned. The individual before him was extremely dangerous, and someone he genuinely hoped he would never see on this battlefield.


    He was the leader of the Artemis Church¡¯s Holy Pdins, Argo. Raphaello had seen him a few times in the past, recalling how he often stood near Prisci. Thest time he had seen Argo was during the Divide war, where he had been an extremely powerful asset on the frontlines. If not for his presence, attempting a sneak attack on Divide¡¯s capital might have resulted in their entire formation copsing.


    Even though the person in front of him had the same face of the man at that time, he did not feel like the same person; the spirit Argo gave off was drastically different to what Raphaello remembered.


    ¡°Was he hiding his power?¡± Dangerous.


    Every part of his body was screaming at him in warning.


    Argo quietly wielded his sword, half of his face concealed by its embellished de. Before he could process what was happening, Argo swung it towards Raphaello.


    *BAANG* ¡°Ugh¡­ ¡±


    Raphaello leaked out a groan, the impact surprising him but not inflicting any real damage. *BAM*


    *BAAAM*


    Every time their des collided, those who were unfortunate enough to be within ten feet perished painfully. Their bodies were torn apart and scattered; their blood was sent soaring into the air, only to rain back down onto the battlefield.


    Usually, swordsmen of such caliber limited their offensive actions to prevent damaging their own forces, but the situation clearly went against such niceties. Both swordsmen were barely able to defend themselves from their opponent¡¯s attacks.


    ¡®When did he¡­ ?¡¯


    Argo¡¯s swordsmanship was so quick that Raphaello¡¯s dynamic visual acuity could not keep up. Dodging or parrying was not an option, so he was forced to gather his aura and block it. ¡®Gosh¡­ ¡¯


    At a nce, Raphaello seemed to be fending off Argo easily, but the reality was much more dire. Raphaello was already exhausted from the long battle, and his aura had been drained dry defending the fortress. Every time Argo¡¯s sword connected with his own, his wrists ached from the resulting vibrations and his stance buckled.


    Suddenly, Argo left an opening. His continuous attacks had halted for just a moment, and Raphaello moved to take advantage of it.


    Unfortunately, that was a trap.


    A short st of aura, highlypressed into a high-pressure bullet, wasunched towards Raphaello. Argo had aimed to capitalize on the brief moment it would take Raphaello to shorten the gap, opting to use the time to gather the aura that had been pressing inside him.


    ¡®For this¡­ !¡¯


    If he had not been so exhausted, he would not have fallen for mental warfare at this level. Raphaello attempted to react in a hurry, ming himself, but it was toote. Raphaello was forced to misposition to dodge the attack, and Argo¡¯s sword was on track to pierce through the Royal Guard¡¯s core.


    [-Sorry to interrupt your fight.]


    A ridiculous number of des,posed of pure aura, fell from the sky. Each of them were aimed towards Argo, and each of them were peerless and forceful.


    This was the signature technique of Jean Euremrin, who had surpassed even the Sword Grandmaster in terms of offensive ability: Gxy Sword.


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    Argo quickly withdrew his sword and stepped back to dodge the attack. *KABOOM*


    The ground burst, and a strong dustden wind gushed out of the spot where Argo once stood. In a mere moment, the whole area had been devastated, but it was not enough.


    Such an attack was impressive, but an ultimately ineffective blow to Argo. It simply bought a little time, allowing Raphaello to step back and take a breather.


    [-You can¡¯t afford to get stuck here.] Raphaello nodded at Jean¡¯smunication.


    He was right. With just one of the Royal Guardsmen dedicated to withholding Argo, the Side Guard¡¯s formation had already significantly fallen apart. At this rate, it would not take long for their formation to copsepletely.


    ¡®This is war, after all.¡¯


    The enemy was too strong to insist on one-on-onebat.


    Raphaello wanted to face him alone in his heart of hearts, but he could not afford to waste any more time. He had to sort this out fast.


    After Raphaello sent Jean a signal, the two master swordsmen teamed up to take on Argo. *KABOOM*


    Again there was a desperate battle. Unlike before, this time Jean stepped in so that two members of the Royal Guard stood against a single person. As befitting their strengths, Raphaello concentrated on their defense, while Jean was in charge of attacking Argo. The strongest sword and shield of the Hebrion Empire, and quite possibly the continent, were pitched against a single superpower wielding fanatic.


    However, the situation did not change.


    ¡®We¡¯re in a stalemate¡­ No, we¡¯re slowly losing ground!¡¯


    Over time, Argo slowly dominated the battle against the two Royal Guardsmen. Raphaello could not believe his eyes. Not only was there a person who could match them in terms of strength, but they were being eclipsed; their foe was a tier above the best swordsmen on the continent, and their exhaustion was no excuse.


    ¡°Have you still not realized?¡±


    Argo spoke as if dering something. ¡®What?¡¯


    Before they could even answer, Argo¡¯s sword darted towards the side of Raphaello. *BAM*


    Raphaello stepped back, pushing away his flood-like attack. He needed to build some distance if Jean wanted to attack.


    As Argo was pushed away, he reinforced his body with aura, and persistently closed the gap with Raphaello, despite the shield¡¯s best effort to do otherwise.


    *ng*


    Argo¡¯s and Raphaello¡¯s swords scraped against each other yet again, the immense pressure threatening to finally dmission Raphaello. For a brief moment, Argo¡¯s lips twitched before him.


    ¡°As soon as you chose a head-on-head fight, you lost.¡± Right after his mocking voice echoed.


    *Kaboom*


    *Bang*


    Jean and Raphaello overheard a faint st echo out. On a battlefield, such a sound wasmon, but the concern came from its location¡­ ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ !¡±


    Raphaello¡¯s face crumpled.


    An iingmunication rang out.


    [-The eastern blockade has fallen! Dresden is under attack!]


    * * *


    The Church¡¯s bombardment of Dresden never ceased. After the eastern line fell, their forces moved to encircle Dresden in earnest, the river and mountains protecting the cityscape now irrelevant. Though the majority of their firepower was focused on the southern front, where the Hebrion Empire had chosen to regroup, they did their best to exert pressure across the entire city. A few airships attempted to control the skies over the city, but it was impossible for them to survive outside the safety granted by the nce of the Father.


    Imperial magicians did their best to concentrate their fire on any vessel that approached, and each airship that ran the gauntlet was inevitably shot down in quick order.


    Just when the situation could not get any worse for the Empire, it did. Another group of airships had taken advantage of the ensuing chaos to approach from the west, crossing over the huge river and heading straight towards the city. The magicians split their efforts between the two sides, and did their best to take the new fleet down in the same manner.


    *KABOOM*


    The airship was sted apart, with fragments pelting the buildings below. The magicians were relieved that the oing ships did not have any unexpected defensive measures.


    [-This is ridiculous¡­ !]


    While the ground troops rejoiced, an agitated voiceing over themunication channels painted a wildly different story. Once the dust clouds cleared, all bore witness to the vessel still continuing onward, despite having burst apart just moments ago.


    Though that was surprising, the emotion that overtook the Imperial soldiers was dread. Behind that vessely a mighty gship.


    [-That ship¡­ it¡¯s the Brigant!] [-The Saintess ising herself?]


    As soon as the gship was identified, allmanders were sent an emergency alert. [-Bring it down no matter what!]


    [-We cannot allow it to enter the city!]


    Unparalleled amounts of artillery fire decorated the night sky. Even still, it was not enough to counter the true regenerative power of the Saint of the Artemis Church, and the airships still continued to close the distance.


    Strangely enough, something began to drop from the Brigant. Small fist-sized pieces of rock tumbled off the deck, headed straight down towards the rolling waters below.


    *Ssh*


    Their path only slightly changed by the tide, the rocks fell deep towards the bottom of the river. Though a few noticed the urrence, no one cared about such a seemingly insignificant event.


    After all, no one expected it to lead to such an extravagant oue. *SPLASH*


    Suddenly stone pirs jutted from the waters where the rocks fell, creaking as they soon reached several meters tall. After a brief rest, they once again grew and shifted, stretching straight up towards the sky. Their shape almost looked like the framework for a gigantic weapon, but it soon started to take the form of a structure.


    ¡°What the hell is¡­ ?!¡±


    ¡°¡­ A-Attack! Don¡¯t let it get any closer!¡±


    Commotion erupted across the western wall. The structure had originally only upied the space of the river, but it continued to expand, and was now starting to epass the same area as their western defenses.


    *SPLASH*


    The building could no longer fit within the confines of the river. There was a horrifying noise as the walls of Dresden were literally gobbled up.


    [-What happened! Respond! What¡¯s going¡­ !] [-We lost contact! There¡¯s no response!]


    The Imperialmunication channel fell into utter disarray: all contact with the west had been lost.


    *Creak*


    The bizarre structure, which had seemingly appeared out of thin air, instantly tore down Dresden¡¯s defenses and gobbled up their entire western wall.


    Now that it was finished forming, any historian or member of the Artemis Church could tell you what building had reced Dresden¡¯s western wall.


    It was the headquarters of the Artemis Church, the Basilica of the Sacred Family.


    Prisci leisurely strolled through its ornate doors, exiting the temple and walking a near-literal red carpet into Dresden.


    Nobody could stop her. The only ones who stood a chance, the Royal Guard, were stuck in the southern battlefield.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally here. I have to say, Dresden really doesn¡¯t live up to the hype.¡±


    Pierrot Mask behind her spoke with derision, his personal guard lurking in the shadows behind him.


    ¡°Excellent, Your Eminence.¡±


    Rhea smiled with a blush too. Behind her were many heresy investigators standing in line. ¡°Do not lower your guard. It¡¯s just started.¡±


    Though herpatriots were eager to get started, Prsci¡¯s face was still stiff with unease. ¡®¡­ Desir Arman, just how much of our n have you predicted? What¡¯s your next move?¡¯ The most dangerous man had not yet shown up.

 Chapter 292. Rhapsody (7)

    <h4>Chapter 292. Rhapsody (7)</h4>


    Dresden¡¯s western forces had immediately fallen, their proud wall turned to dust in an instant. Dark smoke curled up from beneath the foundation of the Basilica, the remains of human life and stone coalescing into one ominous plume.


    ¡°Reinforce the front!¡±


    ¡°Someone splint my ankle!¡±


    Nevertheless, the Imperial military reassembled their troops and regained their formation. ¡°¡­ They¡¯re the Empire indeed.¡±


    Prisci generously heaped praise on them. Not only did they have to defend Dresden, but they also had tobat the spontaneous surprise attacks throughout their empire, having topete with the Church¡¯s secret teleportation gatework. The Hebrion Empire¡¯s military was extremely fragmented, a deliberate ploy set up by the Artemis Church, and yet they still continued to defend with a staggering number of forces¡­


    Even then they could not stop them. The military forces that broke through the west of Dresden were considered the elite of the Artemis Church. There were hundreds of knights led by twelve cardinals and Pdins, as well as heresy investigators. Every one of them was skilled enough to deserve the title of elite.


    But among them all, only one individual was necessary to stop the Imperial army from blocking their path.


    *Pad* *Pad* *Pad*


    The heresy investigator, Rhea. With each step she took, a white hyacinth bloomed beneath her feet. They sprouted forth, buds forming shortly thereafter, and then fully blossomed within a second.


    Although it appeared to be a harmless flowerbed, the following sequence was anything but aesthetic. The hyacinths refused to allow anything other than Rhea to touch them, and anything that got too close to them would suddenly vanish, as though they never existed to begin with.


    Stomp.


    Rhea continued to walk forwards, getting rid of anything that blocked her way. ¡°S-Stop her!¡±


    An ashen-faced Imperialmander, who was responsible for guarding the now-copsed west, desperately shouted out orders. However, there was no way that soldiers who failed to understand her ability could stop her.


    For a long time, screams emanated from anywhere she passed. Before long, the ruined cityscape was left silent, save for the Artemis Church and one Hebrionmander. The officer unsheathed his sword with shaky hands, valiantly pointing it at the Head Inquisitor.


    Rhea simply smiled gently and held her hand out. A single white hyacinth petal grew out of her wrist, elegantly detaching itself and riding the winds towards themander¡¯s sword,nding gently on the hilt.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    He threw away his sword with a scream. *Whoosh*


    The pure white petal had formed a brilliant me, which instantly enveloped the entire sword. The entire weapon burned to nothingness, not even leaving behind ashes, failing to survive the even distance between themander¡¯s hand and the ground. If he had waited even a moment longer, that me likely would have spread to him too.


    ¡®What kind of power¡­ ?¡¯


    The officer¡¯s eyes wereden with fear. His whole body was shaking, but not because of the disy: he began to feel a slight pressure around his legs. He did not need to look down to know what it was.


    *Snap*


    Rather than instantly burning him alive, the flower simply encased him in a thick stem, preventing any movement. Rhea slowly meandered towards him, bending over to pluck the elegant flower off of his body.


    ¡°I call this Baptism of Fire¡­ No matter the heresy it needs to cleanse, these beautiful hyacinths never stop growing, and will swallow anything it deems necessary of purification.¡± Her smiling eyes changed ever so slightly. Herposed pretty face had a sinister, sadistic undertone.


    ¡°Erugh¡­ ! Urgh!¡±


    Rhea slowly grabbed his face with her hands. He tried to turn his head away, but the stems of the flower caught his neck and face and began to open his mouth by force. Rhea used the opportunity to shove the flower down his throat.


    ¡°If you were a devout man, one of true faith, then you will not be purified. You¡¯ll be unharmed, right?¡±


    *p*


    Rhea pped in deration.


    The flowers burst into mes, opting to slowly burn the Imperial captain rather than obliterate him. For a few seconds, he screamed in unimaginable agony, as his flesh melted and fused together and his eyeballs liquified in their sockets. Within ten seconds he went limp, and the mes charred the corpse, leaving behind ck ash which scattered to the wind.


    Rhea watched the insignificant dust trail through the sky, a wicked grin etched deep into her face.


    ¡°Aargh!¡±


    ¡°Please spare¡­ !¡±


    Floral mes engulfed the reinforcing units, devouring everyone in its path. Screams echoed from both near and afar, and Rhea¡¯s face was twisted in sick ecstasy.


    ¡°How beautiful it is.¡±


    The Imperial army did their best to fight the fire: soldiers threw buckets of water, magicians cast ice spells, and so forth. But no matter what they did, their efforts were pointless. The Baptism of Fire was a holy ze that wouldn¡¯t extinguish unless its target was fully incinerated. It was a me that existed alongside the veryws of nature.


    Hyacinths bloomed along the western wall, iming the portion of the city as its own territory. ¡°Excellent, Rhea.¡±


    Prisci came up and stood by her. ¡°I¡¯m honored, Your Eminence.¡±


    Before their conversation could continue, a new group ofbatants approached the Head Inquisitor. The number of people summoned was truly ttering; had they mustered everyone they could?


    ¡°I think this is going to be thest one.¡±


    Rhea groaned with pleasure and walked towards them.


    All of a sudden, the temperature around her dropped sharply.


    ¡°What¡­ ?¡± [Frozen World] *Crack*


    The ground froze and a tremendous chill rushed towards the Artemis Church members, freezing the hyacinths that were eating away at Dresden.


    ¡°My baptism¡­ was neutralized?¡±


    Rhea was greatly agitated. There was no ice magic that could stop her Baptism of Fire. [Frozen Pce]


    An ice fortress skyrocketed to be several meters high in a sh, cutting off the Artemis Church¡¯s path. Above them stood a young girl with dazzling white-blonde hair, fluttering in the harsh current. She looked down at Rhea, both literally and metaphorically, with a mixture of disdain and resolve in her eyes.


    ¡°It was you¡­ ¡±


    Rhea understood how her fire had been blocked once she discovered the cause was Adjest Rogfs. Her spells were iparable to ordinary ice magic.


    With the appearance of a single person, the fate of the western front was up for debate. The skyhigh ice fortress had trapped the Artemis Church, keeping their attacks from affecting the city atrge. With the additional time bought, the Imperial soldiers began to reinforce the structure, operating out of Adjest¡¯s [Frozen Pce] as though it were a genuine fortress.


    *Boom*


    *Boom*


    *Boom*


    The Imperial magicians gushed forth with their bombardment spells without worrying after securing a safe area to attack from. In response, Rhea hurriedly began issuing orders of her own.


    ¡°Fleet artillery¡­ !¡±


    Though they had not brought as many ships as nned, their crew was stillposed of heresy investigators with the same Blessing of Light bestowed onto the Pdins. With proper use, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to break through the enemy¡¯s defenses.


    Under Rhea¡¯s order, the airships began loading and aiming their cannons, aiming for structurally important areas of Adjest¡¯s pce. Before she could give the order to open fire, something drew near Rhea, and her hyacinths bloomed to protect their progenitor.


    *Trickle*


    A streak of flesh blood ran down her cheek. Whatever approached her had grazed the flesh beneath her eye before the mes could burn it.


    ¡°How dare you!?¡± Rhea roared in anger.


    ¡°Shame. It was a chance to pierce a hole in your pretty forehead.¡±


    The voice of a cheerful girl reached Rhea. The sound was carried by the wind, masking both her distance and direction.


    ¡°You¡¯re confident as always, Starling Party.¡±


    Prisci spoke icily. Her wandering gaze finally rested when it met with Adjest, who stood atop her fortress.


    ¡°Still, this is painful to watch. Don¡¯t you know that buying time is pointless?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m simple and unsophisticated, so I don¡¯t know what you''re talking about.¡±


    *Whoosh*


    Prisci¡¯s hair began to flutter.


    ¡°But I definitely know one thing for sure.¡±


    As Prisci followed the direction of the wind, she saw something in the sky. Although it was pitch-ck night, she could make out the shape of a huge thundercloud. Within the turbulence, the Artemis airships began to lose their stability and trembled.


    ¡°Pretty soon, you¡¯ll all be begging to leave.¡±


    Atop the Besward Bakery, several hundred meters away from the frontline, Romanticaid stretched across the tacky business sign. She softly gestured with her hand, as though signaling for themencement of an orchestra.


    The concerningly strong winds began to intensify. The gigantic airships were thrown about, forced to crash into each other and burst, or began to plummet towards the ground, unable to maintain their altitude.


    *Booooom*


    Prisci raised her eyebrows.


    The defensive systems protecting the Artemis fleet were rendered useless. Her spells did not directly attack the fleet, but undermined their very functionality, and prevented them from flying at all.


    In this situation, Prisci¡¯s healing ability was of no use. If flying was impossible, restoring them would only be a waste of her effort.


    Rather than be enraged, Prisci just scoffed and opened her mouth. ¡°Bring me her head.¡±


    ¡°Your wish is mymand.¡±


    As soon as her voice was heard, Prisci¡¯s shadow morphed and conglomerated into a thick shadow beneath her. After a brief moment, the shadow pulsed out from her in a rapidly expanding ring. Finally, it came to a stop right in front of Romantica, who hadpletely erased her presence using the Blue Rose.


    ¡°That was an adorable attempt.¡± *Booom*


    The roof Romantica was standing on was smashed and hundreds of wires burst out. Every one of them had an enormous amount of aura infused in them, so it was equivalent to nearly thirty knights attacking her together at once.


    Considering how close the distance was, no magician could have warded off that attack. The corners of the lips underneath his mask turned up.


    ¡°What did you say again? Oh, right! Pretty soon, you¡¯re going to beg to leave.¡± A sh of silver and blue flew past Romantica.


    *CLAAANG*


    Several sharp metallic sounds encapsted the rooftop, silver shes blocking and cutting the wires that were heading towards Romantica. It was fantastic swordsmanship, with unparalleled uracy capable of blocking every single wire near her, countering each wire precisely as necessary.


    ¡°Fantastic! I was wondering when I would get to see you again¡­ ¡±


    Pierrot Mask eagerly tore his gaze from the wires, his vision enraptured by a much more beautiful work of art.


    Pram Schneider.

 Chapter 293. Rhapsody (8)

    <h4>Chapter 293. Rhapsody (8)</h4>


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d be here, Pierrot Mask.¡±


    Pram swung his sword casually and shook off the cut wires that had umted around his de. He set his eyes, which were sparkling like crystal, on Pierrot Mask, standing between him and Romantica.


    ¡°Hoho. That¡¯s great.¡±


    Pierrot Mask let his ridicule show and took one step forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you came here to see me! Afterst time, I really wanted to kill you myself.¡±


    Soon something ck and mysterious spilt out of his shadow and wrapped around his body. It soon solidified after forming a bizarre shape.


    *Gulp*


    Pram swallowed his worries and grasped his sword tighter. It was not just Pierrot Mask¡¯s appearance that changed.


    As he continued to gather aura, the air around the three of them began to pulse, and the pressure exerted by the sheer quantity of his aura made breathing difficult.


    ¡®¡­ He¡¯s a monster.¡¯


    In that moment, Pram realized that their past interaction had only revealed a fraction of Pierrot Mask¡¯s true power. What he used now was not just vastly stronger, but it was incredibly different in nature.


    ¡®Is this even the same person?¡¯


    Pram knew he couldn¡¯t afford to lose the initiative in this fight. Giving Pierrot Mask even a moment¡¯s reprieve could very well result in Pram¡¯s death. As he gripped his de tightly¡­ the world stopped around him.


    In this paused world, only Pram¡¯s sword could move.


    The first blow struck diagonally across Pierrot Mask¡¯s chest.


    The second blow arced upwards from below.


    And the final thrust aimed to skewer Pierrot Mask¡¯s head and rip it straight off his body.


    Three continuous attacks wereunched towards Pierrot Mask, eaching from a different direction with no gap between the strikes.


    *SWOOOSH*


    Pram¡¯s thrust had evolved such that it concerned even Raphaello, a Sword Grandmaster who specialized in defense, the so-called strongest shield of the Hebrion Empire.


    *BOOOM*


    An inhumane amount of aura poured into Pierrot Mask. Wires, which had been deeply imnted into the surrounding stone, were violently ripped out of ce, and Pierrot Mask, the target of the man-made disaster, wasunched several meters away.


    ¡®I just need to maintain the distance between him and Romantica¡­ ¡¯


    Despite achieving his original goal, Pram¡¯s face wasiden with worry. From that attack, Pram realized that his refined skills wouldn¡¯t leave asting impact on Pierrot Mask. His third blow was supposed to pierces his defenses and reap his life, and even though his de clearly made contact, all Pram had felt was the emptiness of air.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­ ¡±


    Pierrot Mask spoke, walking out of the dusty clouds. ¡°That is not going to work.¡±


    *Crash*


    Countless wires soared up and decimated the roof beneath where Pram stood. If he moved a momentter, Pram would have been ripped to pieces.


    ¡°You cannot win, Pram Schneider.¡±


    He could fight him on rtively even grounds in Pittsburgh, but against the current version of him, he could not even imagine himself surviving this encounter.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay.¡±


    However, Pram refused to give up. He nced behind him, confirming that Romantica still had control over the skies of Dresden.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to win this fight. It¡¯ll be our victory when your n fails.¡± *BAAAAM*


    Silver light and gleaming wire collided with one another midair.


    * * *


    While Pram restrained Pierrot Mask, the Artemis Church started their siege of Adjest¡¯s [Frozen Pce].


    *Crack*


    *CRACK*


    Countless spell arrays appeared over the frozen fortress, varying between First-Circle and Fourth-Circle. It was safe to say, between the nearly ten thousand arrays, that Adjest was casting every single ice spell under her belt.


    Adjest¡¯s [Frozen Pce] was still staggeringly powerful. It was an infiniteputational structure, which allowed her to perform countless magic spells in parallel as long as she had the mana to support the spell arrays. After lots of hard work, the current rendition of the spell allowed her to thoroughly dominate everything near her, establishing an absolute zone of supremacy where Adjest could exist unchallenged.


    Bybining that with [Frozen World] Adjest had created the ultimate battleground for both attacking and defending. Around her [Frozen Pce]y an area just over one hundred meters in radius, a region thaty impassible to her foes, lest they wish to be instantly frozen to death. Bybining the two effects, she could invoke thousands of spells until her mana ran out, severely harming the enemies numbers, while also preventing their movement, effectively guaranteeing the lives of herrades.


    Most notably, her biggest contribution was in preventing the spread of Rhea¡¯s Baptism, which had decimated the Imperial army stationed on this front. In order for the Artemis Church to pass through the ice stronghold, they needed supporting firepower from their airships, and unfortunately, Romantica had taken control of the air, so it was impossible for them to operate their airships safely.


    In order to regain control over the airships, the Artemis Church had sent Pierrot Mask to assassinate Romantica, but his attempt to do so was hindered by Pram.


    The Starling Party worked together perfectly. If things continued unchecked, the Artemis Church would not be able to break through the Starling Party.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ ¡±


    Prisci sighed quietly. Three single individuals had managed to ruin their n, oveing the gap between their military forces.


    ¡®We should have taken them out at the same time as Zod and Desir¡­ ¡¯


    She had known there would be some sort of resistance, but the fighting power of the Starling Party was beyond her expectations. She contemted her next move silently, and finding a solution, spoke to the Head Inquisitor in a low voice.


    ¡°¡­ Rhea, I permit you to unseal your power.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Eminence. I was hoping you would let me put these heretics in their ce.¡± Rhea smiled in delight and made a cross gesture above her forehead. At that instant, a petal blew in from afar,nding where she gestured on her forehead and catching alight.


    *Crackle*


    The horrible pain from it searing her skin did nothing to erase her mad smile from her face; rather, it only seemed to intensify it.


    ¡°My holy mandate is to purify all impurities in this world.¡±


    Once the fire was put out, there was a ghastly cross-shaped scar seared into her forehead. Frightful red energy appeared and wrapped around her entire body as blood vessels rose to the surface of her skin. It seemed as thoughva was flowing over her body.


    Rhea raised her hands as if she was praising the Goddess.


    ¡°I shall fulfill my mission even if this body is burned and my spirit suffers for eternity.¡± *Crackle*


    A me appeared in her hand before quivering and transforming into a long hammer. ¡°Caedite eos. Novit enim Domina qui sunt eius. ¡±


    (Kill them. For the Goddess knows those that are Her own.)


    Following her gesture, the flowers beneath her burst into me and zed far more intensely than previously.


    *Whistle*


    The mes began to stroke the stronghold of ice, powerful enough to withstand its chilling factor. Steam began to burst from the newfound seams.


    *Craack*


    Despite the cracks and thick fog that now epassed the pce, it failed to copse. It slowly recovered, reinforced by Adjest¡¯s spell arrays, so it continued to endure the steady rate at which it melted.


    Even still, Rhea smiled at the scene unfolding before her. It would be awfully anticlimactic if such a symbol of infidelity was toppled easily. Ready to join the fray herself, Rhea deratively pointed her huge hammer at the stronghold.


    ¡°Erit enim tunc tribtio magna qualis non fuit ab initio mundi usque modo neque fiet.¡±


    (For at that time there will be great distress, the kind that has not taken ce since the beginning of the world, and never will again.)


    Fluttering petals appeared from all directions and gathered in front of Rhea before forming a giant flower bud.


    Adjest¡¯s eyes widened. The energy she felt it exuding was beyond extraordinary. ¡°Take shelter everyone!¡±


    She also jumped down from the fortress immediately after giving the order. At the same time, the flower bud unfolded and bloomed.


    *BAAAAM*


    There was a tremendous burst in the sky. The moment the flower bloomed, a ze that had been nurtured inside the bud erupted and everything standing before it was vaporized. Even the ice stronghold could not handle such an attack. As one side of the fortress fell, the stronghold slowly copsed in a chain reaction. Obviously, Adjest would no longer be able to cast spells using such a ruined structure, no matter how good she was. A pathway forward had been opened, and Prisci intended to take it.


    ¡°Rhea, clean up after yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Eminence. I will follow you soon.¡±


    As Prisci walked forward, pdins with golden insignias quickly followed along behind her. The heatwave hadpletely obliterated everything left in its wake, neutralizing the situation without further conflict.


    ¡°We must block them quick¡­ !¡±


    ¡°Princess Adjest!¡±


    The Imperial officers called out to Adjest in panic after Prisci broke through, but she did not show any sign of moving. She dryly answered, staring at one person in particr.


    ¡°We can¡¯t fight them with our current military force.¡±


    ¡°What do you¡­ ¡±


    While themandermented, a giant ice shield appeared in front of Adjest. *BAAM*


    The st resonated and the tendrils of me stretched over the lip of the shield. ¡°Ergh!¡±


    Despite Adjest blocking a majority of the st, the Imperial soldiers suffered greatly under the radiant heat. Unwilling to break eyesight with her target, Adjest wordlessly unleashed the Center of Ice, allowing a cold breeze to protect the Imperial military from further hardships.


    ¡°The enemies of the Saint should know their ce. I would ask you to kill yourselves to atone for your sin, but that would take the fun out of doing it myself.¡±


    As the cool fog that formed after the sh of heat and cold lifted, the Imperial army was presented with Rhea¡¯s lunatical smile, reinforced by her silver-d heresy investigators.


    Until the Starling Party had joined the battle, the Imperial military had been overwhelmed by just this one person. Even with their arrival, it would still be incredibly difficult for the


    gathered forces to directly face their enemies inbat, and that was without factoring in Prisci¡¯s restorative ability.


    ¡°B-But, if the Saint is allowed into the city¡­ ¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    There was firm faith in her eyes. ¡°Everything is going ording to his n.¡±

 Chapter 294. Rhapsody (9)

    <h4>Chapter 294. Rhapsody (9)</h4>


    With the ice fortress destroyed, Prisci was able to proceed without hesitation. The noise of battle faded behind her, and the center of Dresden was utterly silent.


    After being trapped in the throes of battle for far too long, the calm wide-open boulevards of the Empire was a rxing change of pace. There would be no military forces gushing towards her, or sudden magical bombardments attempting to kill her and her followers. There was only silence.


    They had finally broken through the final line of defense the Empire could muster.


    Prisci lifted her head and looked at the huge iron gate before her, only visible under the faint light of the streemp. A giant lion was engraved upon it, representative of its cement within the heart of the Hebrion Empire, and a fitting emblem for the pride manner imbued within the graduates from the world¡¯s best academy. Together the magicians and knights of the Hebrion Academy were responsible for clearing the majority of the continent¡¯s Shadow Worlds.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long battle.¡±


    In the end, their n was perfect. They blocked off their enemy¡¯s supply routes, prevented their capital from receiving additional reinforcements, and used decades of nning and gathering of individuals with the Blessing of Light to bolster their military strength. Of course, the Hebrion Empire was strong, and they had hit far more snags than they originally ount for.


    But they overcame everything and reached here eventually.


    As Prisci was close to her destination, she began to walk impatiently, much unlike her usual self. She approached the Academy¡¯s main gate with an outstretched hand, the cool iron nearly within reach.


    *Thud*


    Something sparked under Prisci¡¯s foot. Something invisible was stopping her from moving forward.


    As she squinted and looked around, there was a translucentyer. Hebrion Academy was an international cornerstone, and thus had a defensive barrier ced around it, reinforced and restructured by Professor Bridgette year after year.


    The barrier was very exquisite and solid, even though it was made by a single professor. Professor Bridgette was actually one of the few hundred Fifth-Circle magicians on the continent. The magic shield she established with the culmination of all of her heart and soul was powerful, sure, but it would only dy the inevitable.


    Despite the final stage of her n being riddled with yet another unforeseen circumstance, Prisci did not lose heart. In the end, the only emotion she was left with was pity.


    The Imperial military, the once-strongest force on the continent, had been conquered in less than a week. The professors and students of Hebrion Academy, however powerful, would not be able to stop them. Seeing them try to resist the obvious fate that awaited them was only pitiful.


    ¡°¡­ ?¡±


    Still, something was strange. Despite the defensive barrier being active, there were nobatants in the courtyard. Given the situation, the once rxing calmness began to feel eerie. Surely they didn¡¯t think a thin barrier would block the entirety of the Artemis Church?


    Besides, why was the barrier even active? Was it identally left on? ¡®Or is there something else¡­ ?¡¯


    While Prisci stood there and agonized, one man approached her.


    ¡°Your Eminence.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to report, Cardinal Ninahart.¡±


    Beneath her feet, the natural flow of mana began to mutate. Not only did it circte bizarrely, but a vast amount of it began to gather beneath her. The area around them began to grow darker, but the streetlight beside her hadn¡¯t dimmed or been shut off.


    Once Prisci realized the cause, she panicked. ¡°A Shadow World!?¡±


    *Shatter*


    Noises echoed as if a million windows broke simultaneously in every direction. Shortly after everything was plunged into pitch ck darkness.


    * * *


    Darkness consumed half of the Hebrion Academy. The researchb, training grounds, and dormitories were all eroded away by the generation of a Shadow World. Under normal circumstances, this would be a cause of substantial concern, but the current situation called for celebration!


    ¡°I never thought we¡¯d seed.¡±


    ¡°This was perfect!¡±


    Students and professors huddled within the main auditorium of Hebrion Academy burst into glee, hugging one another and cheering. Arge terminal disyed a live feed of the Academy¡¯s entrance, which had beenpletely obliterated. Professor Bridgette stared at the static image in delight, the fruits of theirbor havinge to aplete victory.


    ¡®We seeded, Desir.¡¯


    Under Desir¡¯s n, the faculty used the facilities in the Academy to generate a Shadow World, making use of it to trap Prisci and other members of the Artemis Church inside. Though it was Desir¡¯s n, it would not have been possible without Skull Mask. He was the progenitor of weaponized Shadow Worlds, and although he used it to throw the entire continent into chaos, Desir was able to use his research to design aparatively simple prototype for the sake of humanity.


    It was a massive amount of work, and the device created was several centuries ahead of their current magical engineering technology. Detailed theories were apanied with massive spreadsheets of data, but the entire process was incredibly convoluted. Even a career engineer with above-average talent and tools would likely take a year to understand they were being presented, but Desir had faith in the Hebrion Academy¡¯s sess.


    In the end, it was Professor Pugman who was able toprehend the technology, and he yed a vital role in ensuring the Shadow World operated correctly and maintaining the necessary infrastructure.


    ¡°Thank you for your work, Professor Pugman. You saved a lot of people¡¯s lives.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Ah, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    Pugman was absolutely ghastly. Whether his current state could be considered ¡°alive¡± was certainly up for debate. He had severe bags under his bloodshot eyes, and his eyelids could barely stay at half-mast. Despite this, there was still an excited glimmer dwelling within his pupils.


    ¡°All I did was adjust the facilities ording to the data. Any engineer could do this. You should be thanking your student, who sent the urate data, not me.¡±


    Professor Bridgetteughed at his answer.


    ¡°Yes, the Starling Party gave us the information, but not just any engineer can dedicate himself like you. Our n went perfectly, so you should rx and celebrate a little!¡±


    It was functionally impossible to replicate the facilities Skull Mask had created within the short period of time they had to prepare. Even if they were able to make a functional prototype, they still had to ovee the inherent obstacle in using a Shadow World against a single person.


    Skull Mask¡¯s Shadow Worlds were generated in a preallocated geographic location, so trying to hit a single mobile target with one would be incredibly difficult. Luckily, Adjest ended up having the answer to that. She waited until Prisci appeared on the battlefield and moved to match her, making sure that her ¡°defeat¡± would lead Prisci directly towards the main gate of the Academy, where she would inevitably be temporarily halted by Bridgette¡¯s barrier.


    Bridgette was lost in thought looking at the darkness.


    ¡®Although the Saint and her escorts are powerful, they can¡¯t easily clear a Shadow World at this scale.¡¯


    The Shadow World was created using magic stones provided by the Magic Tower, and was estimated to be equivalent to a naturally uring Level Two. At that difficulty, even if they were able to clear it without casualties, the quest should be convoluted enough that Prisci and her few dozen soldiers should take a while to clear it¡­


    By the time they emerged from the Shadow World, the war would already be over. They would return to the real world besieged on all sides by the most powerful forces the entire world had to offer.


    ¡®Finally, everything can go back to normal.¡¯


    [-Professor, something is strange¡­ ]


    Themunication came from Ronde, the leader of the Starling Party. She immediately gave the student her undivided attention.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    [-Something is wrong with the Shadow World. The eroded area is starting to distort, almost like it¡¯s been¡­ ]


    The noisy main campus calmed all of a sudden, their gazes falling back to the live feed. There was anxious stillness.


    ¡°¡­ They cleared it already?¡±


    ¡°There is no way!¡±


    Pugman shook his head firmly. It had been less than ten minutes since the Shadow World appeared. It was impossible to conquer a Level Two Shadow World within that period of time. So what the hell was happening?


    Pugman, determined to get to the bottom of the situation, began unfolding several spell arrays. [Owl¡¯s Vision]


    Professor Nipleka Pugman widened his eyes after looking into the darkness with his vision enhancing magic.


    *Crumble*


    A gruesome noise, which sounded as if space itself was shattering, resonated. The pitch ck darkness began to distort again and return the surroundings back to the way they once were. ¡°What¡­?!¡±


    The darkness started to lift. It looked as if it was forcefully erased by something. ¡°That¡­ was really dangerous.¡±


    Prisci¡¯s soft voice echoed across the silent auditorium, her unharmed form emerging from the cloak of darkness. Everyone observing the situation paled in shock.


    ¡°That¡­ ?¡±


    Pugman squinted his eyes. Prisci had a ruby gem as big as a fist in her hands. Stored within it was an unimaginable amount of mana, at least twenty times more than the entire Rogfs family¡¯s stash.


    *Crumble*


    It took him a moment to notice, but Pugman realized the mana within the stone was slowly draining out, moving to restore Prisci¡¯s personal mana pool. After about ten seconds, a Pdin proudly disying a golden badge strode out of the shrinking Shadow World. Then another. And another. With each departure, the professors and students grew more terrified, the prospect of their iing crushing defeat feeling more and more real by the moment.


    ¡°Unbelievable¡­ ¡±


    How could they break the n so easily whichbined all of the technology that the Hebrion Academy had to offer? Was the Saint able to use her power to undo the creation of the Shadow World?


    The fear of the unknown tightly gripped everyone in the auditorium, save for one. ¡°Are all of you just going to stand by and watch this?!¡±


    Professor Hersaint-nc roared.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t had the chance to recover, and Prisci is busy closing the Shadow World! This is our only chance to defeat them!¡±


    Absent-minded people snapped back to their senses. The Imperial military had yet to arrive, but they had prepared encirclings in case of an emergency.


    The Red Dragon Party.


    The Starling Party.


    The Blue Moon Party.


    The most powerful parties the Hebrion Academy could offer quickly moved into formation, using the tall buildings of the surrounding business district as cover.


    ¡°Open fire!¡±


    Ronde Fizzlebang, leader of the Starling Party, gave the opening signal. Hundreds of elite students began invoking spells, concentrating their fire on the few opponents below them. [Wind Cutter]


    [Explosion]


    *BOOOOOM*


    Tremendously powerful sts continued non-stop. They were still students, but they were select magicians with excellent talent from amongst the entire continent. A majority of the spells sent forth exceeded the Third-Circle, and there were a few magicians among them who disyed the prominent signs of a prodigy.


    [ze Fountain]


    As Ronde waved his hands, countless spell arrays formed before him, with torrents of me pouring out shortly afterwards. His zing explosions destroyed the dormitories, which were unfortunately within the range of where Prisci and her knights had exited the Shadow World. The crystal-clearke and vibrant trees whichprised the inner courtyard¡¯s scenery, an area which held significant emotional value to arge number of students and alumni, waspletely ruined. Thekebed had all but dried up and most of the trees had been reduced to burnt stumps.


    Unfortunately, that was not all the damage the schoolyard would incur. ¡®¡­ You¡¯re never going to set foot in this ce!¡¯


    Ronde clenched his teeth and gathered all his mana. Again, the spell arrays formed in front of him.


    [re Meteor Shell]


    A blood-orange colored me rose and formed a gigantic battering ram before shooting towards the Saint and erupting in a show of raw violence.


    *BAAAAAM*


    *BOOM*


    Every single artillery spell he used emphasized strength above all else. His favored spells all had destructive power equal to Fifth-Circle spells as a result. Giant zing pirs soared up and incinerated everything.


    An endless number of spells wereunched towards Prisci and her Pdins. Spells repeatedly bore into them, and it did not seem like they would get a break anytime soon.

 Chapter 295. Rhapsody (10)

    <h4>Chapter 295. Rhapsody (10)</h4>


    Students and professors flung magic spells to their utmost limit.


    It was such a splendid view, a plethora of magic spells spanning all of the attributes melding together and washing over their target. The most eye-catching spells invoked were ceaseless bolts of lightning and mes that raged like an inferno; ground zero almost looked like the crater of a volcano.


    What was left of the dormitory area had been obliterated in mere seconds and the air was soon stank of char and smoke.


    ¡°Huff, huff¡­ ¡±


    Ronde wiped the sweat that had gathered on his forehead. In just this short bout, he had consumed mana beyond his limit, causing a stiff sense of pain in his mana circles.


    *BOOOM*


    The shelling of spells continued even while he took a moment to catch his breath. Although the forces gathered by the Hebrion Academy were merely students, they were the best and the brightest across the continent, capable of matching the Imperial army in firepower.


    ¡®¡­ Is it over?¡¯


    There was no way any human could survive unscathed from this bombardment. Satisfied they had won, his face suddenly hardened as his eyes darted towards something.


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    His stare was fixed on a group of ck shadows that maintained its shape amid the endless bombardment. The Pdins with golden badges, Prisci¡¯s personal levy formed by the church¡¯s cardinals, were protecting their Saint with their shields.


    The magic had not broken through their defenses at all; they had not even burnt Prisci¡¯s cor. Their impromptu defenses rivaled the preemptively prepared arrays that guarded high-level fortresses.


    At the same time, some translucent golden wings had sprouted from behind her back, intermittently covering her forces. They seemed to be frequently getting healed and restored by the second.


    ¡°It¡¯s so pathetic.¡±


    Prisci mumbled to herself with a subdued tone. Ronde felt a sense of dread and fear after making eye contact with her by ident.


    ¡°Obstruct their path!¡±


    Hersaint-nc bit his lower lip and shouted while looking at Priscillia¡¯s entourage. Immediately, walls made of soil and ice encaged the Artemis Church members, but it was not enough to even slow them down. As one of the cardinals shook his hand there was a st that demolished the walls in an instant. They started moving out of the dormitory area, striding through the constant magical shelling.


    They soon took their first steps in the business district. *BAAAM*


    Several magic traps had been activated, ced in advance on the off-chance the Artemis Church managed to escape the Shadow World and attempt to maneuver around the Academy. Unfortunately, they proved to be useless: even when the traps pierced their defenses, injuries inflicted were rapidly recovered.


    As they maintained the situation with a belt and braces, the Hebrion Academy non-stop spell shelling began to weaken and slow. Their mana had run low.


    Finally, Prisci, who had been staying rather passive until then, made a move. She flicked her hand in front of her. One of her cardinals, Ninahart, stepped forward. He thrust out his hand and moved it as if he was grasping something. ¡°¡­ ?¡±


    Ronde seemed to question this action. It was only to be expected though, as they expected some kind of shy disy of supernatural power, but nothing happened.


    Then they noticed. ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± ¡°Giant hands¡­ ?¡±


    There was rumbling from behind. Ronde turned around to check and soon realized the cause of themotion.


    *THUMP*


    There were giant hands made out of unknown translucent material. The hands gripped and tore at the barrier that epassed the main campus of the academy.


    *Shatter*


    Arge crack had appeared on the defensive magic that Professor Bridgette had made with her heart and soul. It looked ready to shatter at any moment.


    ¡°My goal is not you people but thisnd.¡± Oddly, everyone could hear Prisci¡¯s whisper. ¡°Leave. We won¡¯t chase you if you step back now.¡±


    It was not a bad offer for the students and staff of the Hebrion Academy. All of their meticulous nning hade to naught and they had no other means to resist.


    Perhaps it would be best to step back now. ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Professor Bridgette clenched her fist.


    Seemingly, it was a generous offer, but the reality of this was different. If they backed off, they could sustain their lives for a brief moment, but the consequences were likely worse than death itself.


    They had to resist until the end. ¡®But how?¡¯


    Most of them were absolutely terrified due to the overwhelming power of Prisci and her cardinals. Heading them off was already beyond their capacity, facing them in these circumstances was suicidal. They needed a turning point that they could use to reverse this situation. A very powerful ploy.


    ¡®What should I¡­ ¡¯


    She shut her eyes tight, unable to think of a way. *Bzzt*


    A unique wave passed through her. ¡®Detection magic?¡¯


    But there was something strange about the spell. The way the mana behaved was obscure; though it definitely spread out as detection magic would, a Fifth-Circle magician like Bridgette was able to discern that the mana was not there to detect them.


    She turned her head towards the source to see a massive blinding light had appeared on the other side of the auditorium, eliminating the darkness while dispersing waves of mana.


    There was only one living magician that had such a bizarre rtionship with mana. ¡®Desir.¡¯


    He had arrived. Anyone who saw the strange phenomenon and enormous mana waves in the sky realized it without further prompt. Their falling resolve began to harden again.


    Bridgette took a step forward.


    ¡°We will not give up until the very end.¡±


    A magic array unfolded in front of her, unleashing a storm that ripped the giant hands into pieces.


    That was the sign. *BAAAAM*


    Another st and explosion urred.


    The Hebrion Academy, which had just been about to crumble, continued their all-out offensive.


    * * *


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    A southerly wind washed over the area, carrying the ripe scent of blood. Guiltian watched the battle closely with his stern eyes.


    It was a cruel war. The air felt heavy. The smell of blood and screams pressured his whole body, as if he had been plunged into deep water.


    They had been able to block the Artemis Church for this long, mainly due to the efforts of two people.


    Raphaello Cheriger and Jean Euremrin.


    Without these two Royal Guards, the defensive line would have been destroyed already.


    But this would notst long. They indeed had superhuman powerspared to others, but they were also only humans with limits. It was impossible for two people to hold off an entire military on their own.


    ¡®Perhaps my judgment is wrong.¡¯ Guiltian looked around.


    There were people who escaped after being taken hostage by the Artemis Church. Though their war situation had significantly worsened, thousands of lives were able to make it here safely thanks to Raphaello and Jean.


    As the worried citizens and soldiers gazed at him, Guiltian figured out something. ¡®I was not wrong.¡¯


    I''m going to protect everyone.


    That was the greater cause he decided to take. He was simply following the principle someone taught him long ago but had, until this moment, long forgotten.


    This Empire was no exception. *Shing*


    Guiltian agonized about it for a while and pulled out his sword, shouting. ¡°Get ready to open the gate!¡±


    His decision was very bold. He was effectively saying that his side would give up the single advantage they held in this war.


    ¡°Join the Royal Guards and support them!¡±


    However, that was the most reasonable strategy he could employ at the moment. The most powerful force they had was the Royal Guards. Losing those two people would likely mean losing the chance to win entirely. In other words, as long as those two survived, victory was still possible.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready to sortie.¡±


    Swan Katarina reported with her head down.


    Guiltian gently looked at what she held in her hand. It was a bow. Feeling her king¡¯s gaze, Swan chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to try my best for myst duty.¡± Last.


    In a way, she was not wrong.


    Guiltian turned his head away without saying anything, and Swan stood next to him after taking his implicit approval.


    The time for action having arrived, the gate to the fortress spread wide open.


    With his enemies ahead of him and his faithful allies beside him, Guiltian felt a small smile sneak its way onto his lips. He raised his sword in deration.


    ¡°The Empire is¡­ ¡±


    The sword engraved with the lion symbol glowed with mana and emitted light. ¡°Undying.¡±


    *Swoosh*


    A wave of mana scanned them at an outrageous speed. Before thebatants could question it, they got their answer.


    *Whoosh* ¡°What¡­ ?¡±


    It suddenly brightened, the light emanating from a nearby source.


    Their surroundings had been pitch ck since it was the middle of the night. Until now, there had only been glimpses of light from the glow of magical shelling. The phenomenon urring now was beyond any such trifle.


    [Earth Nourishing the Sun]


    One single dot that rose from the darkness grew in size and emitted heat that seemedmensurate with its incredible size.


    Someone had created a star. *BOOOM*


    The st resounded far and wide. The huge cross, which had not trembled in the slightest against the constant shelling so far, began to thrash around wildly.


    As though mirroring the sun, it too began to give off a bright light. Perhaps this was it ramping up to full speed.


    The ins were swept by the shock caused by the sh between the star and the cross. The moment the light disappeared and the darkness was about to consume everything once again, the nce of the Father was revealed. It had unsightly cracks all over it like a ss that was at risk of breaking at any moment.


    The spell that had been released was the same draconic magic used to kill Dadenewt in Prillecha. Originally, this nce of the Father had been made to counter spells of the magnitude witnessed during that event.


    If there was another attack of this caliber, it was obvious that the nce of the Father wouldpletely shatter; but due to the nature of draconic magic, being able to resist a single spell meant that the effort spent creating it had been worth it. They would not be able to break the cross: the Artemis Church had won.


    But then.


    Some sharp-sighted people realized that the residual sunlight was not scattering; rather, it was gathering somewhere else.


    Something immediately streaked towards them.


    [Arrow of Ruin]


    The sky was divided and the cross split in half.


    Everything in the path of the sh of light was incinerated.


    The nce of the Father and airships included.


    Even sound itself.

 Chapter 296. Rhapsody (11)

    <h4>Chapter 296. Rhapsody (11)</h4>


    Prisci looked up.


    There was a red line in the dark night sky, a trace left behind by the draconic magic Desir had invoked. The aftermath of two draconic spells in a row was enormous. The nce of the Father, boasting absolute defense, had beenpletely crushed, and a fair amount of the Artemis Church¡¯s military force had also been wiped out by the attack.


    It was not hard to predict that this would tear apart the bnce of the war. The Artemis Church would struggle to continue fighting after losing the nce of the Father and a significant number of their soldiers, while the Imperial military would be able to find decisive ends to their defensive battles and eventually converge towards Prisci.


    ¡°Indeed. They never disappoint me.¡±


    Although they were clearly at disadvantage, Prisci had not stopped smiling. In fact, her grin seemed brighter than ever.


    ¡°But targeting that was a mistake.¡±


    Prisci, who had witnessed draconic magic being invoked with her own eyes, and subsequently attempted to reverse the damage it caused, knew better than anyone else what the cost of using it was.


    Draconic magic was absolute in might, but it was a dangerous power that ate away at the body of the caster.


    Desir had used it not just once, but twice in a row: the first to weaken the cross, and the second to destroy it. Without someone like Prisci to maintain his body, Desir would have to be extremely wounded, or maybe even dead.


    In exchange for his sacrifice, the Imperial military would arrive in short order, but that was not a problem; it was good news in fact.


    ¡®No matter when they arrive, it¡¯ll be toote. I¡¯ll have taken control of the system by then.¡¯ Prisci turned her gaze from the sky as she wrapped up her train of thought. Her eyes fixed on her final destination, the Hebrion Academy.


    Taking thest few steps towards it would bring an end to this battle. *Bam*


    *Boom*


    The students and professors continued to unleash magic spells, doing their utmost to prevent her advance.


    But the force behind these attacks was significantly weakening. During their brief respite, the magicians had time to gather mana, but it was not much. Only the prodigies, like Ronde, were able to function well for a brief period of time. The majority of the magicians still looked thoroughly exhausted.


    ¡°Use your body to block them¡­ !¡±


    Swordsmen leaped forward to block them in any way that they could.


    However, nothing stopped her stride. Not a single step wavered.


    The battle was entirely one-sided. Despite the overall war being in their favor, nothing had changed to alleviate the overwhelming gap in power present at the Hebrion Academy. Forced to face their powerlessness, several of the students lost the will to continue fighting.


    *BAAM*


    Prisci took steps without ncing at them once. Not one spell could break her cardinals¡¯ defenses, so why should she care?


    There was only one variable that could stop her: Desir Arman. But now, his power had run out. He had proved to be extremely difficult, but the Church had ultimately won. There was nothing left to stop her. [Fear of Wind] *BOOOM*


    The ground where Prisci stood exploded and a massive dusty cloud formed. Bridgette scraped up herst mana and flung a Fifth-Circle magic spell that was powerful enough to split abuilding. ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Prisci stood intact within the non-stop spell shelling. It was impossible to injure her even with a Fifth-Circle spell. But it was not all in vain. She had seeded in stopping her movement for a brief moment.


    Prisci gave Bridgette a cold, subdued look. The professor was incapable of doing anything else after spending all of her mana, and had been pushed right up to her limit. She was barely standing.


    Nevertheless, she managed to squeeze out one more spell.


    It was a First-Circle spell, Fireball. Her calction for this simple spell kept breaking off whenever her concentration faltered, unable to focus with the pain ebbing from her weathered mana circles. Still, she could not just give up, and continued attempting to invoke it.


    Her resilient attitude was not unapanied. Every single member of Hebrion Academy¡¯s faculty, and arge majority of the student base, refused to give up. Even knowing they likely would not stop her for a moment, they threw away the idea of retreat, dlyying down their lives for their friends, family, and world.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Prisci put on a sad smile but dismissed it with a sigh. She did not want needless ughter, every action thus far had been mandatory or near to it. She wanted to make them understand, make them step aside for the greater good, but her efforts had been wasted.


    ¡®This too, is the burden I must carry.¡¯


    Prisci opened a dimensional pocket and pulled out a dry twig before throwing it on the ground. A bright light began to coil around it, and her power began to revitalize the limb. *Whistle*


    The lone, dried up twig became a seedling thatid roots deep in the ground. It grew quickly and spread thousands of branches. Soon from the now massive, adult tree, thorns that looked like long spears sprung out in ce of leaves.


    A giant thorny tree wrapped around the mass of Hebrion students and staff, tightly constricting the thralled group. Countless thorns prated their skin and sucked their mana dry. The thorn tree, which grew by absorbing mana, was nothing but a natural enemy to the magicians present.


    *Boom*


    *BOOOOM*


    The few unrestrained students did their best to cut the thorns, invoking what few spells they could muster or employing their aura. However, nothing they tried worked.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t break!¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t a mere tree be burned¡­ !¡±


    The thorns were as solid as steel, allowing no attack to harm it, and the tree grew bigger and bigger until it soon covered the sky.


    The Hebrion Academy had two choices.


    They could continue to struggle, and die from the thorns ripping their bodies to shreds, or they could rx and allow the increasing pressure to crush them to death. ¡°Take a break before salvation begins.¡±


    This was the end.


    Professor Bridgette knew it intuitively. This was the end. They could not possibly stop such an outrageous thing after reaching the limit of their stamina and mana.


    ¡®I have¡­ no regrets!¡¯ *Crackling*


    A beam of a me rose in the darkness and brightened the area. The fireball she kept failing to invoke was finallypleted. Bridgette felt the warmth of the ze for a moment before flinging it away. It was a magic spell that should have been easier to perform than breathing for magicians.


    ¡®But there was a kid who couldn¡¯t even invoke something like this.¡¯


    It was not the case that he did not try enough, nor was it the case where hecked the knowledge. Unfortunately, he was born without the talent to manipte mana. The amount of mana he could handle in his body was small beyondpare, and even then the mana he gathered was so impure that he barely had more talent than any ordinary person.


    He seemed to have a knack for spell calction, but without mana to utilize it, it was a wasted talent. No matter how hard he tried, he was destined to be only a third-rate magician.


    But the kid refused to give in. He kept trying in frustration without quitting. He worked tirelessly to ovee what seemed to be a cruel fate, his unrivaled efforts likely to prove meaningless.


    Bridgette saw that boy work tirelessly, and was able to live long enough to see what he became, so she did not give up in the face of death.


    ¡°Even if I copse now¡­ You¡¯ll stop this¡­ ¡±


    The fireball shot towards the thorn that was suffocating her but the impact yielded no results; the thorn continued to tighten.


    ¡°Right, Desir?¡±


    Bridgette closed her eyes. ¡°Of course, Professor.¡±


    A very familiar voice caressed her ears. When she opened her eyes, a man with hair as ck as obsidian stood in front of her, as if he had been there from the beginning.


    ¡°I will take care of it from now on.¡±


    He tapped the ground lightly with the staff he carried. At that instant, all of the professors and students of the Hebrion Academy who were suffering due to the thorn tree vanished into thin air.


    ¡°No way¡­ ¡±


    Prisci¡¯s face paled and stiffened after seeing this unexpected turn of events. So many people, caught by the thorn tree, had disappeared in the blink of an eye. There was only one means that could make something like this possible.


    Teleportation.


    Spatial maniption magic was incredibly difficult to calcte, and extremely mana intensive, so there were only a handful of people who could use it, let alone employ it in battle. Outside of exceptions like Crow Mask, these people were often limited to simple actions, like teleporting themselves.


    However, the teleportation she had just witnessed had moved hundreds of people at the same time. Even the Great Sage, Zod Exarion, was incapable of such a feat.


    ¡°Well, then¡­ ¡±


    After the many people had disappeared, the supposedly inferior student stood alone and stared at the thorn tree that writhed in front of him. To be exact, he was looking at Prisci who stood atop its crown.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± *Snap*


    The thorn tree branched out, covering the few remaining corners of the sky. The body of the gigantic tree began to turn greyish before halting and finally solidifying into a gigantic ice sculpture that was fully frozen.


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    Prisci had a confused look on her face, unable toprehend what had just transpired. The thorn tree, which had been nourished by mana, had an enormous amount of magic resistance. It was nothing other than the natural enemy for magicians and was strong enough to resist and even consume the magical barrage of any magical corps.


    *Thuud*


    The surface of the frozen thorn tree began cracking before the entire nt broke into a million shards and scattered. The shattered shards rained like snowkes, and amid them, a boy walked forward.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, Prisci.¡±


    Prisci¡¯s pupils shook violently as she heard his voice. ¡°¡­ How?¡±


    The air in her lungs forcibly exited her body. The current situation had so many things that didn¡¯t make sense. Her defenses were useless, her attacks left Desir unharmed, and he should have been left devastated after using two draconic spells.


    But he looked fine, there was not even a trace of tiredness on his face. Rather, he exuded a powerful pressure, far beyond thest time she had seen him. His deep, calm eyes were impossible to read. There was not even a trace of anger or hatred present in them.


    His eyes seemed far-sighted, as though he was not even looking at Prisci, as though she were below him. The distance between them terrified Prisci far more than any overt rage ever could.

 Chapter 297. Rhapsody (12)

    <h4>Chapter 297. Rhapsody (12)</h4>


    ¡®I don¡¯t need to worry.¡¯


    Prisci clearly remembered the fierce battle in Altea. He invoked spells from many different circles during that battle, but his power still fell far short of her recovery ability.


    His draconic magic was definitely a setback. Moreover, Desir was still alive and kicking after using draconic magic twice in a row. She needed to proceed while ounting for the possibility of him using it again.


    But she was not just going to meekly step back and allow him to use it. Its major weakness was in the amount of time it took to invoke those kinds of spells. So long as she could keep him upied, or interrupt him when he attempted to calcte it, he would not be able to use it.


    ¡°Deal with it.¡±


    It was Cardinal Ninahart who moved first at Prisci¡¯s order. As he creased his brow, a bludgeon that was tens of meters wide appeared in the sky and struck the ground as if it was trying to chop it up.


    ¡°I will make you regreting here.¡± *BAM*


    With the st, the earth pulsed and screamed as if there had been an earthquake. As the whole area exploded outwards in some ces and sunk in others, big clouds of dust billowed up restricting all visibility to zero.


    This one blow was so amazingly powerful that it destroyed an entire academy district. It did not just stop at one hit though, but continued numerous times. The bludgeon appeared time and time again creating an endless series of dusty clouds.


    Ninahart¡¯s skill was to create objects of huge mass in any shape he desired. This skill was top-tier in terms of physical force. *BAAAAM*


    Several ear-piercing explosions echoed one after another.


    The gigantic bludgeon kept chopping away without break and ttened the ground without mercy. It seemed like overkill to deal with a single person, however, Ninahart could feel it: amid the countless explosions, Desir¡¯s mana signature was calm and unshaken.


    He could not help but look confused. Desir did not have the time to invoke any spell, nor could he block the attack with any other type of defensive magic.


    ¡®How is he still alive?¡¯


    ¡®Is he using the Aurora System¡­ ?¡¯


    With the improvements Desir and Zod made, it was definitely usible. Fortunately for Ninahart, the magical device had a limit. As long as he continued to bombard Desir with attacks, the situation would naturallye to an end.


    *BOOOM*


    If his logical assumption was wrong, then it meant Desir¡¯s ability was beyond allmon sense.


    ¡°¡­ ?¡±


    After a dozen seconds of non-stop attacks, Ninahart noticed something was wrong. Amidst the dust clouds lied a haze of me, distorting the atmosphere around it. Whenever his attack woulde into contact with the me, it would redirect itself, leaving everything within ten feet of Desirpletely untouched. Recognizing the phenomenon, Ninahart¡¯s had to physically restrain himself to prevent himself from gawking in front of his Saint.


    ¡°He can¡­ control the space around him?¡±


    Being able to directly distort space like this had only been done once before, to the best of his knowledge. The revolutionary, Icarus Quirgo, had reached this level of control over spatial magic after dedicating his life to perfecting his craft, only reaching it shortly before being defeated by the Starling Party.


    Spatial distortion was the ultimate defensive technique. All magic spells and physical impacts could bepletely negated by distorting the space around the user such that they were never in danger to begin with. Repeated weak attacks would be rendered useless.


    Swan Katarina, the Bow of the Royal Guard, had found its weakness. She burnt the source of her power to create an attack so overwhelmingly powerful itpletely overpowered the distortion and hit Crow Mask directly.


    In other words, this defensive magic was ultimate, but not invincible.


    But something was terribly wrong. Though Ninahart¡¯s power didn¡¯t rival Swan¡¯s sacrificial y, it should have been more than enough to ovee the distortion¡¯s barrier.


    [Dream of Contradictory World]


    What he was performing was enough to be called invincible. The ultimate magic that was created by Icarus had now been improved andpleted by Desir. As long as the spell remained in effect, nothing could touch Desir, even if they kept at it for an eternity.


    Desir raised his staff in silence. Some light seemed to flow out of the staff and numerous spell arrays upied the sky outside of the distorted space.


    Ninahart could not help but feel shocked again after seeing this. He had studied and pitted himself against all sorts of spells, all so that he could face great magicians like Zod and Desir. Proficient in many of these magic systems, he was able to deal with any magic if he saw even just a part of the technique. However, he could not possibly understand the technique unfolding before him no matter how hard he tried.


    He could not understand it, but he knew one thing for sure. ¡®This is dangerous.¡¯


    Ninahart and the other cardinals started preparing themselves, gathering their Blessings of Light capable of nullifying naturalw. Their powers having synchronized, extraordinary energy began to emit from above the Academy.


    ----------------!


    A ripping noise emanated from the sky before a massive chasm erupted above them. The air itself began to crack in agony.


    *Crrrrck*


    *Crrck*


    The crevice began to bulge as something dark pressed into it from the other side. Pushing, tearing, before finally gushing out from the gap like a waterfall. Enormous ck beads poured forth from the sky, wriggling as though alive, moving to consume everything they touched.


    With each consumption they divided into two and multiplied endlessly. Within a few moments, several thousandrge ck beads upied the space around the Academy, blocking out the sky as the tree Desir destroyed once did.


    The sight before them was bizarre and unorthodox. It was divine punishment taken straight from the holy text of the church, a biblical event being reproduced in the real world. This was the Artemis Church¡¯s final trump card they could use against Desir. Though it was meant to be paired alongside the nce of the Father, they would have to make do.


    In truth, the Church could notpletely control the phenomenon. It took the gathering of all their strongest powers just to summon the attack, and the best they could manage was to adjust the direction it went. Anyone unfortunate enough to be along its trajectory would be treated as an enemy.


    However, against a single Desir Arman, this was more than enough. The now innumerable ck beads swarmed towards the mage, blotting out his existence on this.


    *Craaack*


    Beneath the rumbling pile of beads, Desir¡¯s spatial distortion worked tirelessly. Each bead that came in contact with it was thrown aside or destroyed, the remains scattered into whatever oblivion it was summoned from.


    Unfortunately, their rate of propagation exceeded Desir¡¯s destructive capabilities, and the incrementing count began to surge into a singr giant sphere, expanding at a rampant speed. At this rate, it would easily swallow not only the Hebrion Academy but also the entire city of Dresden. And when that time came, Desir would not be able to protect either.


    This was justmon sense. [Supernova]


    A streak of light leaked through the darkness caused by the ck beads. The red-colored light started losing its red hue and the temperature of the air around the Academy began to soar. ¡°Argh¡­ !¡±


    Though the cardinals tried to resist the heat with their aura, they could not even breathe when the color of the light shifted towards a blinding white. The scorching air melted the airways of those who breathed.


    *Sizzle*


    Those ck beads that surrounded Desir began to bubble and ooze. The coagted darkness began to ooze into the air, as though it was nothing more than melting snow.


    The Artemis Church would have been melted away long ago if not for Prisci¡¯s ability. The translucent golden wings that had sprouted from her earlier began to shine even brighter, as though trying to match the heat and re of the supernova before her.


    ¡°Lay down your life for Prisci!¡± ¡°Everything for the Saint¡­ !¡± ¡°Arghhh!¡±


    Cardinals brought out theirst handful of aura, and Ninahart was no different. He tried his best to protect Prisci with intangible barriers.


    ¡°Is he¡­ trying to die with us?¡±


    If he were to perform a spell this powerful at such a close distance, it meant mutual destruction. The cardinals wanted to protect Prisci no matter what. As long as she survived, they had a chance.


    That was the only thought going through their heads.


    A small blue sphere appeared behind Desir, the origin point for the spell, swaying freely in the air. A deranged smirk naturally took over Ninahart¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ha¡­ ¡±


    It was strange if you thought about it. Thanks to Prisci, they were holding out, but everything else beyond their domain should have been demolished by now.


    The sheer heat in the area should have been enough to melt the entire Empire, or at least the entirety of Dresden, but that was not happening. For some reason, the heat was only affecting the several hundred meters around Prisci.


    Beyond that distance around them, all of the buildings remained intact.


    This was because Desir was blocking the heat escaping the perimeter by encircling the area with spatial magic,while also managing the heat that should have melted himself.


    Following the origin point¡¯s shift in color, all the white mes around them began to grow hotter and hotter, evolving to be a brilliant sky blue.


    For a brief moment, just when it seemed impossible to hold out any longer, the intense heat subsided. Ninahart¡¯s gaze shifted up from the ground towards Desir, before rising even higher to see a thousands of blue meteors raining down on them.


    ¡®Wait, this is ridiculous! No, seriously, what the hell¡­ ?¡¯ Ninahart could not think clearly.


    Prisci¡¯s ability could not endure the blue zes any longer. Her power began to wane. In the scorching heat, a scream emanated from someone whose mind had faded.


    Bullets of pure blue me raining down from the sky, smiting them for the sin of opposing Desir Arman.


    That was herst memory.


    * * *


    Prisci opened her eyes.


    As she looked around, she found the horrendous aftermath of the battle. The ground had turned to magma. She heard bubbles popping below her feet. And there was nobody left standing. The cardinals who should have protected her until the end were all gone without any trace.


    ¡°Your sacrifice¡­ ¡± *Cough*


    Prisci could not continue to speak and intensely coughed up several mouthfuls of blood. The strain on her body from exerting her skill so thoroughly was unparalleled by anything Prisci had ever gone through.


    She looked as horrendous as the surrounding area. Her face was as pale as a dead body and the burns that covered her entire body were more grotesque than Crow Mask¡¯s face.


    And she did not have a left arm. ¡°Ahh¡­ ¡±


    This damage to her body had all been caused by a single one of the endless blue bullets that managed to get through the defenses that her subordinates created at the expense of their own lives.


    She barely managed to pull herself up before cing her unscathed right hand on her grievous injuries.


    A light covered her wounds, but nothing happened. She tried several times but her holy glow only flickered and faltered.


    *Clomp*


    Hearing someone approach, Prisci gave up on her ability and icily red at the boy who approached her.


    ¡°¡­ So you figured out how to handle thenguage of the draconic tribe?¡± ¡°No, that would be impossible unless I became a dragon.¡±


    They spoke in a calm tone. If you ignored the burning surroundings, ming corpses, missing limbs, charred flesh, life-threatening injuries, hostile res, and serious undertone of the conversation, they just looked like two normal people chatting.


    ¡°Then you must¡¯ve reached the same level as Zod?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get to that level as a third-rate magician.¡± ¡°Then¡­ ¡±


    Prisci frowned.


    ¡°Then what the hell is with that power?!¡±


    Her cry burst out, filling the empty surroundings. It was a cry against a power that was close to the realm of pure irrationality, an unfairness that destroyed her n as she was so close to sess.


    ¡°Simple.¡±


    *Drop*


    Desir stood in front of Prisci.


    ¡°¡­ I abandoned draconic magic entirely.¡±


    In front of him was a spell array. As he said, it clearly was not draconic in nature; it looked simr to the modern magical array, but there was something different about it. Prisci strained her blurry vision, doing her best to discern what exactly led to her demise.


    ¡®No way¡­ ¡¯


    The frustration on her face disappeared for that moment. Instead, it was subconsciously reced with awe.


    Finally, she understood why she had lost.


    What hung in the air before her eyes was a spell created using a new system of magic totally different from anything else she had seen before. What Desir had done was entirely different from applying modern magical principles to draconic magic, or arranging his calctions to optimize a spell.


    It meant that Desir Arman had truly designed his own magical system.


    ¡°A returner¡¯s magic should be special.¡±

 Chapter 298. Praying (1)

    <h4>Chapter 298. Praying (1)</h4>


    A white space where nothing existed.


    It was a training Shadow World created by mobilizing all of the technology that the Magic Tower had at its disposal. It was a seemingly ordinary space, but it had some special functions, unlike the usual training Shadow Worlds.


    The most important of them, time flew by sixty times faster than the outside world.


    In most other Shadow Worlds, a day was equivalent to an hour, a whopping ratio of twenty-four, but in this Shadow World he could spend more than twice as much time. In short, the two months he spent here were equivalent to a day in the outside world.


    In such a space, Desir stood tall while holding a cane with a red-colored magic stone. [-What I attained is¡­ the essence of magic.]


    Zod reached a level unprecedented in human history, the Eighth-Circle. And at the same time, he was able to achieve a dramatic realization.


    [-As soon as I reached the Eighth-Circle, I sensed that the Eighth-Circle spells could not fully utilize my mana with the existing spell system we used. That magical system of calction was created without considering the Eighth-Circle spells in the first ce, so while unexpected, this is obvious in hindsight.]


    All of the magical spell systems, especially our modern algebraically derived system, were designed to be optimized for universal use by the magicians of that time. It was only natural that Eighth-Circle magic, which had never existed until that point, was ipatible with such a system.


    [-But nevertheless I moved my mana to forcefully attack Prisci without using any spells. At that very moment, the mana began to move in a way that felt like a spell array, even though I was not consciously developing one.]


    Spells were the result of moving mana under the thorough control and calction of a magician. This was an absolute rule, a fundamental truth, in this world. But Zod was saying that the mana was willing to assist in development of a spell. Even for Desir, who dealt with magic far beyond allmon sense, Zod¡¯s story seemed far-fetched.


    [-The form that was made through this method was different from the ones in our conventional magical system. The basis of the form that made up the magic had not changed, but the detailedposition and expression of it was certainly different.]


    At first, the sound of the voice, which had sounded crystal clear, gradually began to mix with static noise. It would not have been easy to capture his thoughts in the middle of an urgent situation. It seemed that his limit was approaching.


    [-The power of the Eighth-Circle magic changed ording to my will.]


    The noise worsened and soonpletely swallowed Zod¡¯s voice. No matter how much he strained himself to listen, it was too hard to understand anything. But Zod¡¯sst few words sounded clearer than any other.


    [-I¡­ believe in you.] *Cut*


    That was where Zod¡¯s voice message ended. ¡®Thank you, Zod Exarion.¡¯


    Desir shuddered. Of course, there was some admiration for the extent Zod had reached, but thanks to him, Desir was able to jump over a wall.


    ¡®I¡¯ve been stuck thinking within the system.¡¯


    Desir had limited ability to develop spells using the modern system with his mana capability, so he had recreated other magic systems using the modern system as a base.


    The magic that was created was so efficient that it was iparable to the widely used modern magical system, and it boasted unparalleled power. However, it was not without limit; there were only so many variables he could adjust while working within the framework of modern magic.


    ¡®When Zod reached Eighth-Circle, he left the realm of our magic system and found something powerful waiting outside of it. If I can do the same, if I can deviate from the framework of our magic system¡­ ¡¯


    To break away from the framework of the existing magical system was no different from creating a new one.


    *Smile*


    Desir could not helpughing. He felt like a Fourth-Circle magician attempting to be an expert magician.


    ¡®But, if this is possible¡­ ¡¯


    Instead of efficiently changing existing magic, if he created magic that was best suited to him in the first ce¡­


    If that was possible, Desir might be able to go beyond what Zod had achieved in his final moments.


    But there was one problem.


    ¡®Although I have sixty times the amount of time, that only gives me two months to work with.¡¯


    Prisci¡¯s attack had already begun, and the situation was dire. There was no time to waste. Desir hurriedly began his research, but it was moreplex and nuanced than anything else he had worked on in the past. If modifying the current spell system to make his spells more efficient was akin to adjusting the sybic emphasis of a single word, Desir was having to make new words bypletely altering the way words were spoken.


    Ultimately, Desir had to move each particle of mana in its most optimal form, which presented a nearly limitless number ofbinations. Just trying to process a reasonable system for managing all the possibilities made him dizzy.


    ¡®I wonder how the existing magic systems were created. It was hard to connect words together, but to rebuild the units that form them¡­ ¡¯


    Desir sighed and went back to work, immersing himself as deeply as he could in the nature of mana.


    ¡®Wait, hold on.¡¯


    Desir''s mind, which had be as sharp as a de, reached a sudden burst of inspiration. ¡®Maybe there¡¯s a rule in the mana arrangement itself?¡¯


    It was an idea that was derived unconsciously, but Desir quickly embodied it.


    ¡®The movement of mana is akin to ink that writes letters, which are only lines, but those lines have meaning because of formalized and assembled rules. Using those rules, we give meaningless lines purpose through the sounds that eventually form a word.¡¯


    If this logic was correct¡­


    ¡®There is a principle of creation that epasses all magical systems.¡¯ That proved to be the turning point.


    Desir began his analysis of all existing magical systems that he had mastered. Any magic left within raw data or literature he had encountered, from ancient times to the modern magic system, the physical structure of mana circles themselves, the rearrangement of spells to increase efficiency, abnormal spells like Imagery Magic and Blood Magic, and even inherited traditions like Davinachon and his grandmother used.


    After detailing the process used in each magical form, he broke them apart and stored mana equivalent to sound in his head. Holding such raw mana was reckless, but Desir was filled with conviction. He mashed the mana together and formed a tight sieve around it, letting the mana arrange itself however needed.


    Five days passed. ¡®Found it.¡¯


    When the tens of thousands of arrangements werepleted, a sieve of ovep began to form. It was a testament to Desir¡¯s theory.


    After much consideration, Desir ultimately decided to call it the rootnguage.


    Desir Arman had theoretically identified the creation of magic that each species instinctively mastered over the thousands of years. The next step was all too easy. Less than eight dayster, Desir had used the rootnguage to reform all of the sounds that would be the backbone of his new system.


    A weekter, a word-level form waspleted using his new equivalent to an alphabet. ¡®All that remains is the implementation of spells.¡¯


    For Desir, who had studied the modern system in the past and had already been manipting spells as entire phrases, the rest of the process was child¡¯s y.


    After two months, Desir Arman had truly mastered the most efficient system of magic possible.


    * * *


    *Whooong*


    The resonant sound of mana rang out. Desir¡¯s spell array developed before his eyes at a tremendous speed. Prisci just stared at the array that continued to spread, as if her soul had been taken away by its splendor.


    Such a situation was so absurd it was impossible to predict. Everything was meaningless in front of Desir¡¯s level that exceeded allmon sense. At the moment the spell wasplete, a dazzling sh came up that could hardly be seen directly with the naked eye.


    A huge pir of light soared. It was a huge spear of epilepsy-inducing light that discharged huge electric currents.


    Desir looked down at Prisci with a dull look. ¡®Let¡¯s finish this, Prisci.¡¯


    Desir put his entire heart and feelings into the massive spear, shooting it forward as memories of past and fallen colleagues zed through his mind.


    *Rumble*


    An eardrum-bursting sound erupted from his right, reaching its peak velocity far past the speed of sound. If the attack had started at that speed, it would have snuck up on Desirpletely undetected.


    A st of aura was rocketing at an unbelievable speed. Any knight who had reached Bishop-ss was capable of shooting their aura in an attack that exceeded their weapon¡¯s range, but this was clearly far beyond that level.


    Would this beparable to hundreds of knights making a simultaneous attack?


    The scene of a crescent moon, which was tens of meters wide, cutting down everything in its path was quite frightening.


    ¡®If I ignore that, I¡¯ll die.¡¯


    Desir¡¯s intuition warned him as much, even though it should have been impossible to even reach him through his spatial distortion shield. He hurriedly redirected the spear and sent it rocketing towards the iing aura.


    *Spark*


    His vision was dyed white by the enormous current that erupted when aura and electricity collided. The aftermath of the collision between two huge forces swept over the entire area, leaving nothing behind.


    ¡®That will work.¡¯


    Desir turned his eyes toward Prisci. In her current condition, she waspletely incapable of defending herself. Though she had not been hit by the spear, there was no way she emerged from the resulting shockwave uninjured.


    However, the dust cloud disappeared and her appearance was perfectly fine. Someone had blocked the aftermath from reaching her.


    A man of enormous build reminiscent of an old oak tree. A knight in pure white armor stood in front of Prisci.


    Desir¡¯s eyebrows arched up. It was obvious that the man was the one who had justunched the surprise attack. And him standing there meant that he was moving faster than the aura he fired.


    It was a phenomenal speed. Prisci managed to open her lips and barely call out his name. ¡°¡­ Argo.¡±


    Argo, themander of the Holy Pdins of the Artemis Church. ¡®¡­ Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be fighting the Royal Guard?¡¯

 Chapter 299. Praying (2)

    <h4>Chapter 299. Praying (2)</h4>


    Argo had numerous sword marks across his body, and the blood from his numerous wounds had wet his skin and dyed his clothes red. It would not be a surprise if he were to keel over and die at any moment.


    This was the price he incurred for forcing himself out of the battle against the two most powerful knights of the Empire, Rapaello and Jean. It was indeed a reckless and bold judgment, but his intuition paid off. This war would end in their defeat the moment Prisci died.


    ¡°How did you¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°Because I thought you might be in danger.¡± Argo answered, keeping his eyes on Desir. ¡°¡­ Thank you foring, my loyal knight.¡±


    The stab wounds on Argo¡¯s entire body began to be healed under Prisci¡¯s recovery ability. Prisci¡¯s expression had somewhat brightened. Argo was the most powerful knight in the church. His ability wasparable to thebined might of the two Royal Guard members. If they fought together, they stood a chance against Desir¡¯s new system.


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    But Argo had something different in mind. ¡°Argo?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯tst long, your highness.¡± *Whoong*


    Most of his wounds had recovered, and even his broken armor and weapon had been restored. However, there was something that was not restored no matter how much time passed. Strips of raw flesh lined the path between his right forearm and the center of his chest, the irrecoverable wound he incurred defending against Desir¡¯s spell.


    The mana of the atmosphere suddenly began to tremble and churn like a gushing tidal wave. Desir had decided they did not deserve any more time.


    ¡°Your highness, there is nothing more we desire than seeing your wish granted. The world may not know it yet, but they, too, long for it.¡±


    Argo, who had just finished his recovery in time, poured his aura into his sword. *Rumble*


    A roar erupted just by gathering and imbuing his aura. At the same time, Desir¡¯s spell wasunched at them.


    Argo lifted up his sword, facing the wave of magic head-on. At that moment, the aura in his sword began to swell exponentially, forming shields reminiscent of a wall.


    *Booom*


    A roar broke out. Again Argo failed topletely block Desir¡¯s magic, and his fingers, which had taken hold of his sword, were burnt ck.


    Even with these new injuries, he did not have a problem in swinging his sword. That was enough. Just before Desir¡¯s magic waspleted again, Argo kicked against the ground. His body shot forward like a sh; at the same time, the space around Desir began to distort.


    *Booom*


    A huge amount of aura flooded the surrounding area. The attack would have been powerful enough to significantly damage arge mountain, but it failed to break through the spatial distortion.


    Desir¡¯s gaze remained on him for a while before moving on. Argo was clearly the most powerful enemy present, and Desir judged him to be the biggest risk, but even this amount of power proved to be inconsequential.


    There was no need to pay any more attention to him. In addition, it would clearly be a mistake to close the distance tounch an attack. It was possible to kill Prisci without interruption now.


    Desir ignored Argo¡¯s attacks and began developing another spell to ensure that Prisci met her demise.


    *Crack*


    A gruesome sound reached his ears. Turning his eyes, Argo¡¯s sword was slowly forcing its way through the spatial distortion.


    Desir¡¯s eyebrows shot up. The amount of aura imbued in Argo¡¯s de was increasing several fold by the second.


    ¡®Wow¡­ ¡¯


    An enormous amount of aura was condensed andunched at Desir. It was a quantity of aura beyond what any living being should be capable of possessing. Desir genuinely doubted humanity; even Swan Katarina was incapable of umting such an absurd amount of aura. ¡®Was he always this strong?¡¯


    Desir had memories of being on the battlefield with him in his previous life. He was undoubtedly one of the strongest knights of the allied forces at the time, but never to this extent.


    Given Argo¡¯s simultaneous dealings with Raphaello and Jean, he thought that the skills he had seen in his previous life would not have amounted to even a fraction of this power, but this was not that kind of story.


    Desir and Argo¡¯s eyes met.


    At that moment, Argo eximed proudly, as if there was no more need to hide. ¡°My Inheritance allows me to absorb things.¡±


    He kept talking as if to draw Desir¡¯s attention away from Prisci and to himself.


    ¡°What is embedded in this sword is the aura of thousands of knights. No matter how hard you try to deny Prisci¡¯s reality, you¡¯ll lose.¡±


    The intention behind him revealing his ability in detail was clear, but Desir had no intention of falling for this petty trick. Although it was quite dangerous to ignore him like this, he decided that even if it meant he died alongside her, Prisci had to be dealt with here.


    Before he could begin fighting, Argo made a demonstration. ¡°Witness, Desir!¡±


    A red aura began to bloom from Argo¡¯s sword, and Desir¡¯s expression rapidly distorted. Having seen it several times before, he would never forget it. He had fought alongside the user, and had worked with them at the Hebrion Academy.


    It was the aura of the Blue Moon Party¡¯s leader: Argeria G Rogran Nimbias. *Whoong*


    ¡®Please, Goddess¡­¡¯


    Argo smiled faintly as he observed the blossoming spell array take aim at himself instead of Prisci.


    ¡®Please fulfill our wishes.¡¯


    * * *


    The furious battle being waged on the western border of Dresden had yet to cease.


    Screams and shouts burst out at every moment. The situation on both sides was simr; there was a series of bloody skirmishes between the two forces without either side gaining the upper hand.


    *Boom*


    Arge vacant space had naturally formed in the middle of the battlefield. None of the soldiers dared to fill it, lest they have a deathwish. Both sides naturally parted to form an arena where their leaders could fight uninterrupted. The constant collision of intense cold and heat between Princess Rogfs and Head Inquisitor Rhea, and the resulting shockwaves from their violentbination, were far too intense for any rank-and-file soldier to survive.


    ¡°That¡¯s all you got?!¡±


    Rhea smiled frantically and swung the hammer of the me. Along its trajectory, vast mes poured out, forming a huge tidal wave of several thousand degrees.


    *Booom*


    Adjest also gathered her mana before flinging it at Rhea.


    She condensed the cold air flowing from her Center of Ice along the edge of the sword. The now even icier sword waspleted, instantly freezing solid anything the tip of the sword passed.


    When the sword and hammer met, yet another explosion ured due to the huge temperature difference.


    *Boom*


    Adjest¡¯s body bounced back. After quickly recovering, she shook off the fire that danced around her figure. Rhea was enraptured by the sight, a gruesome smile upying her face. ¡°I¡¯ll make you regret choosing to stay here.¡±


    ¡°You talk too much.¡±


    Though Adjest took a casual attitude, the situation was far from one-sided or even optimistic. With each round of me fired, Adjest had no choice but to retaliate, and could rarelyunch her own attacks.


    *Boom*


    ¡®It¡¯s certainly an annoying ability.¡¯


    In terms of raw power, Adjest was slowly being pushed back. The reason was simple. Rhea¡¯s ability had considerable range, and the force behind these attacks simply devoured the surrounding area entirely.


    Adjest had offset this with her ice, but it was impossible to stop her mespletely. The overflowing heat was the source of Rhea¡¯s power. Rhea¡¯s mes were building up their strength, burning Dresden at this very moment.


    ¡®Then¡­ ¡¯


    Adjest hurriedly developed a spell before Rhea¡¯s mes flooded everywhere again. [Forest of Crying White Crows]


    Dozens of heavy ice columns soared around Rhea. Immediately after the sharp cold snap, like a de, broke the column, and dozens of ice columns turned into tens of thousands of ice fragments.


    At the same time, Adjest created a storm of ice that tore everything within its range to shreds. *Smile*


    But Rhea maintained a smile in the midst of the overwhelming spectacle. Though beautiful, the spell was only Fourth-Circle.


    ¡°Ha, you¡¯re no match for me with such attacks.¡±


    As she grabbed her hammer with both hands and hit the ground, a stream ofva burst forth from the ground and soared like a fountain. It devoured the ice storm and desated everything.


    Adjest then reached out towards her again.


    ¡°If that attack wasn¡¯t enough, then how about this?¡±


    At that moment, pieces of ice that had not yet melted were concentrated in the air and formed a knife of ice. Subsequently, the edge of the knife, bearing the extreme chill, began to be oveid with Adjest¡¯s aura.


    This was an attack that was not consistent with Rhea¡¯s mockery.


    That sword, having been imbued with both aura and mana at the same time, was more threatening than any other attack, despite its small size.


    Rhea stepped back half a step, and nearby hyacinth petals began to gather before her. Immediately after, an explosion had burst forth from in front of her, giving birth to a single enormous flower bud.


    The moment it bloomed, it shot towards Adjest¡¯s sword and flooded the de with cier-melting heat.


    The sound created by the highlypressed steam was so sharp it overpowered all other sound on the battlefield. Though Rhea had sessfully offset Adjest¡¯s attack, it took all of the heat she had gathered to do so.


    Predicting this series of events, Adjest surged her frost towards herself, and dashed towards the gap in her opponent¡¯s defenses, making quick use of the opportunity she created.


    *Spark*


    [Ice Empress]


    The moment the re of gold lost its light and turned white, an unbearable chill upied the whole ce.


    After developing her abilities and gaining the ability to reach King-ss or perhaps even higher, Adjest shot at Rhea like a sh of light. mes several thousand degrees in temperature rushed to protect Rhea, but Adjest¡¯s body had already reached behind their barricade.


    Adjest¡¯s sword was smoothly pulled down towards Rhea¡¯s nape of her neck. *Spark*


    Rhea blocked this attack with superhuman reflexes, but at that moment Adjest¡¯s attack morphed and continued its trajectory from her rear.


    It was a move impossible to follow with human eyes.


    Rhea moved her heat shield around to shake off Adjest, but even that waspletely offset by the deployment of the [Ice Pce].


    Rhea, who thought it would be disadvantageous if this pattern continued, hurriedly tried to back down, but the frozen surface of the earth began to move as if it were alive and caught her footsteps.


    Sword and hammer crossed again, and the eyes of their wielders met. Rhea was captivated with a sneering smile, staring at the white-colored hair of Adjest.


    ¡°That was the same power, too.¡± And spat out unpleasantly.


    ¡°Well, you wouldn¡¯t have stopped me if it wasn¡¯t for your Inheritance.¡± ¡®Inheritance?¡¯


    Adjest¡¯s eyes were stained with iprehension.

 Chapter 300. Praying (3)

    <h4>Chapter 300. Praying (3)</h4>


    ¡°That¡¯s a bad joke.¡±


    Adjest answered nervously. Being treated as the same kind as those who invaded her hometown and ughtered her people was unpleasant, to say the least.


    ¡°You think I am messing with you?¡±


    Adjest, who stared at Rhea, involuntarily shuddered; Rhea¡¯s eyes were filled with deep hatred. *Crackle*


    mes jutted out from the veins within her arms and legs, before slowly epassing her entire body. Despite the grisly sight, Rhea seemed immune to the pain. In fact, she had a grisly and sinister grin.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ !¡±


    Adjest had an incredulous look on her face. Rhea¡¯s body had begun to change into me itself. Having half turned into me already, the surrounding area burst into a massive ze. Rhea thrust her hand towards Adjest, and energy surged through the floor beneath the two.


    *Burst*


    Immediately after, a stream ofva cut through the ground and lurched towards Adjest. The radiant heat poured into the atmosphere and engulfed the surrounding soldiers.


    ¡°What is that¡­ !?¡± ¡°Run, run!¡±


    When the swellingva flowed all over the ce like a tidal wave, the buildings melted away without a trace. The Imperial soldiers began to run away in the chaos.


    ¡°My Inheritance is called the Preynople, and it was thest-ditch effort of mankind from the vanishing era to fight their imminent copse.¡±


    Rhea¡¯s voice came from all three-hundred and sixty degrees around Adjest. She searched restlessly for the source, but all she could find was fire andva.


    ¡°They discovered how to take an imprint of a powerful enemy and imbue it within an individual. This hateful power is directly inscribed within one¡¯s genes, and is passed down through their offspring.¡±


    Just before their copse, the ancient civilization made onest invention to preserve their species. They created what they referred to as Inheritance, a gic technique that allowed them to extract the powers of the demons that gued their society and inject them into humans.


    In the end, the brilliant civilization crumbled, but those that possessed Inheritance survived and passed their power down to future generations.


    ¡°Because of the power¡¯s activation requiring mental focus, it became known as Imagery Magic to those who forgot its true nature, and the Church rebranded it as the Blessing of Light to mask its origin. In other words, you are our kind.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Nonsense.¡±


    Adjest¡¯s reaction was perfectly normal. Imagery Magic and Inheritance. Come to think of it now, the two forces had something inmon in that it was impossible to identify the principles behind them.


    But if one was to say that these were demon-derived abilities, of course no one would believe them.


    ¡°Haha. Yeah, it¡¯s hard to swallow, isn¡¯t it? The power you¡¯ve been praised for all your life is nothing more than the power of those damned devils.¡±


    *Step*


    *Step*


    Rhea walked out of the soaringva looking indifferent. Adjest¡¯s pupils, now focused on Rhea, shook violently.


    Because her appearance was clearly different from before.


    Behind her back there were two huge pairs of scarlet wings, and the skin all over her body had turned red likeva. The figure was half evil rather than human.


    Adjest had encountered a presence that looked the same in the past. ¡°Dadenewt¡­ ¡±


    The Devil of Destruction, Dadenewt. Rhea looked just like the demon that appeared in the capital of the Prillecha Kingdom, Deltaheim.


    ¡°While I was raised as a fighting dog in an underground battlefield because of this ability, you must have been loved for your skill and noble lineage.¡±


    Though they were strictly illegal, the continent was home to a few ck market fighting arenas. Humans would gather for pleasure while their ves, forced to fight like dogs, would risk their lives.


    ¡°While I was eating food worse than vomit, forcing it down my throat with my bare hands, you must have been dining on sumptuous and delectable foods, and gorging yourself on fine wine and ciders, huh?¡±


    The bubblingva shot up again from all sides.


    ¡°You¡­ you wouldn¡¯t be able to imagine my life, being a nobledy, would you? Imagine being forced to burn your best friend alive, their tear-ridden screams haunting you every time you tried to let yourself sleep. Howe only you¡­ ! We both have the same cursed power, but why did you¡­ ?!?!¡±


    The increasingly exuberant voice soon mingled with madness and turned into a cry. Just then,


    Adjest opened her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t you dare patronize me, I¡¯m just¡­ !¡±


    As she continued, Rhea noticed something strange and her face hardened. Adjest¡¯s mouth was drawing a line.


    She was smiling at Rhea.


    ¡°Your story got boring so my mind wandered. I was thinking about other things, so would you mind starting over from the beginning?¡±


    ¡®If I beat you here now, can I say I¡¯ve caught up with the Desir from back then?¡¯


    Adjest muttered to herself and aimed her sword at Rhea. She stared at the swellingva with an expression of indifference. At this moment, no matter the identity of her power or the heartfelt story Rhea shared, nothing else was as important to her. She could not hide her excitement at the fact that she might be able to confirm that she had reached Desir even a little. Her extremely rude attitude clearly struck Rhea¡¯s ego.


    *Boom*


    A momentary burst of heat gathered in the buds that appeared around her. In the past, the heat was caused by mes, but this time, it was created by gathering boilingva. In an instant, thepleted heat wave was fired at Adjest. She developed a pce of ice and made dozens of shields.


    *Boom*


    Adjest had a look of dismay. Even though sheyered many protective spells and focused her entire effort into defending one side, using the Ice Pce to support her, it was only possible to twist its trajectory.


    The beyond-all-limits heatwave crossed Dresden and burned everything in its path. Damage reports flooded the line ofmunication magic Adjest was connected to.


    Judging that she should not be given a chance to repeat that attack, Adjest quickly scattered her cold air everywhere. It was offset by the heat emitted byva and began to change the flow of the surrounding atmosphere.


    [Pray of Ice st]


    Thousands of bullets of ice were fired at Rhea in unison, drawing different trajectories. The power of each bullet reached a level of power equivalent to Fourth-Circle magic.


    At that moment Rhea¡¯s red wings spread wide. Soon after she hit the ground, she approached Adjest with great speed. With the bullets alling from different angles, if Rhea broke through the ones approaching her head-on, she would be able to minimize the damage she took.


    *nk*


    When the hammer and the sword collided, Adjest was pushed back a little. Her dazzling gray hair was gradually losing its light; she was rapidly approaching her limit.


    The amount of mana she couldmand fell and the amount of cold air under her control began to drop sharply. Rhea took advantage of her opponent¡¯s deteriorating state, contorting her body and attacking again.


    *Boom*


    Adjest felt the burning heat in her hand despite grasping her freezing sword. If this heat had touched her directly it would have been impossible to withstand it.


    Despite her situation, Adjest pushed deeper into her opponent¡¯s attack. Feeling her own power reaching its limit, she knew she had to hurry if she wanted to force a victory. The dangerous act caught Rhea off guard, who was expecting her opponent to back off and attempt to recover. A swift de was swung four times in a row, each aiming for a different spot.


    As Rhea hurriedly retreated, Adjest dug in again and struck her sword out diagonally. The sweeping chill ripped Rhea¡¯s left wing. At the same time, a me of intense heat grazed Adjest¡¯s cheeks.


    Adjest had managed to pull off her sword technique,unching Rhea into the sky. Before Adjest could follow up, five buds erupted in the air above her, already fully bloomed.


    A huge wave of heat tried to burn Adjest without leaving a trace of her existence. Adjest angled her sword to block her head, her face utterly calm.


    [Magic Sword: Eternal Slumber]


    A Sixth-Circle ice magic that stops all molecr activity within range at absolute subzero temperatures. The force, expressed through the magic sword, froze everything along its trajectory.


    *Whoong*


    The aftermath of the massive collision of two forces cleared the entire surrounding area where the two stood. Adjest staggered, coughing up many mouthfuls of blood. Her internal injuries were serious, and her sword-wielding right arm waspletely broken.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ Sigh¡­ ¡±


    Rhea was not in good condition either. One of her wings was nearly severed, leftpletely functionless, and her body refused to move properly with how much force she exerted all at once.


    Due to this, the pair found themselves in a lull during this life and death battle. Even still, Rhea¡¯s dominance was too obvious. The ground was crawling withva and cylinders of me were spiraling around herself, while Adjest was struggling to maintain even a small area of ice.


    ¡°In a few moments, I promise that you¡­ !¡± Suddenly, Adjest opened her mouth.


    ¡°Was it Prisci who saved you from the underground battlefield?¡± ¡°Huh? You want to quiz me?¡±


    Adjest raised her head without a word, her silver hair gracefully parting to reveal an intense pair of eyes. For some reason, Rhea feltpelled to answer her question.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to die anyway. Might as well learn why she¡¯s like this.¡¯ ¡°Yes, you guessed it.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you follow her to the detriment of tens of thousands of lives?¡± ¡°¡­I recognize that is an unpardonable sin.¡±


    Her entire life had been distorted by despair. She had long given up on anything naive as hope. Her only wish was to live a normal life, so she spent every waking moment cursing the ability she had been forced to receive.


    One day Prisci led a group of soldiers into the arena where Rhea was being held captive, saving her from her cursed fate. After spending years in the church, finding genuine purpose in her life, Rhea¡¯s devotion was rewarded when she became the Head Inquisitor, and finally learned the origin of her Inheritance.


    ¡°But the Holy Saint promised.¡±


    She was finally allowed to feel hope again; shownpassion despite believing she was worthless. This was the point Rhea was set on a path to redemption. She willingly pledged her undying loyalty to Prisci.


    ¡°Once all of this is over, humans will never suffer again. Past, present, and future, there will never be anyone like me ever again.¡±


    The superficial evil, the Outsiders, were gone, but the position would one day be filled by some other group. Victims like herself would continue to exist throughout the future, and had obviously existed in the past.


    Rhea could not tolerate such a thought. The world should exist without sin, and Prisci was going to create just that. Everyone who followed her had their own trauma, their own vices, that Prisci would end as though their suffering had been no more than a gue on thend fixed by a simple cure.


    ¡°I would do anything for that.¡±


    Prisci gave her the mission of eradicating heresy, and she would fulfill it for the betterment of the whole world. That was why Adjest would die here and now.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The eyes of Adjest Kingscrown sank in disorder. Rhea was mysteriously irritated by the sudden show of sympathy.


    ¡°You will never understand.¡± *Squeeze*


    Rhea tightened her grip around her hammer, her eyes narrowing on Adjest¡¯s drained face. She kicked hard, dashing towards her opponent tond a finishing blow.

 Chapter 301. Praying (4)

    <h4>Chapter 301. Praying (4)</h4>


    *Ssh*


    Whenever Rhea¡¯s fist mmed into theva pooled beneath their feet, it gushed into a surging wave. The intense heat and molten rock formed tidal waves that continued to rapidly grow, surging towards Adjest. The epitome of a fiery death was ready to im her, even if it had to sweep away the sky or in the process.


    Rhea was sure. No matter how much power Adjest had, there was no way she could defend against this attack.


    No matter how much power one possessed, it was pointless if they could not make proper use of it. With a smashed right arm and the inability to properly grasp her sword, there was no way Adjest could retaliate.


    Rhea, unable to hide her excitement, watched Adjest with great anticipation. ¡®Now, Adjest, how are you going to struggle this time?¡¯


    However, Adjest just stared at the tidal waves silently, even as they approached at a rapid pace, without showing any sign of movement. As Rhea questioned her sanity, the white hair of Adjest regained its color and turned golden. The Imagery Magic that had protected her from the heat until now had been released.


    Rhea squinted her eyes. ¡°What¡­ ?¡±


    Adjest then closed her eyes gently; Rhea¡¯s expression filled with disappointment. ¡®Has she given up?¡¯


    The tidal wave progressed unhindered, and swallowed Adjest whole. In the end, it was an anticlimactic ending to an epic battle; the final blow that doomed Adjest to her fate.


    ¡®Well, that¡¯s fine.¡¯


    In the end, the method or specific oue wasn¡¯t what mattered. Rhea was here to assist Prisci, not enjoy herself.


    She turned and looked at the Hebrion Academy. Unfortunately, their n had been dyed more than she thought. To keep to their original timetable, they would need to hasten their efforts.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    ¡®Wait. Did she really give up?¡¯


    Despite having deactivated her Imagery Magic, Adjest never dropped her sword. As the image shed through her mind, Rhea¡¯s senses returned to her like a jolt of lightning.


    *Crack*


    A cold snap exploded amongst the tidal waves, freezing theva and sending frozen chunks flying.


    Rhea was swept away by the explosion and debris, and was sent flying into a nearby building. Her arms and legs shot searing pain straight through her nervous system, the sensation akin to her limbs being severed. Her eyes were locked on one ce in particr, and her face was contorted in pain.


    A me had been frozenpletely solid and had crystallized into a piece of muted light, with Adjest standing on top of it, very much alive. Rhea was breathless.


    ¡®Did she really figure out¡­ ?¡¯


    From atop the me, Adjest¡¯s noble eyes looked down on Rhea, her body now adorned with strangely shaped armor. Her form had mutated to be more reminiscent of a demon: an Inheritance¡¯s final form.


    Adjest had tapped into the origin of her ability. Working with the power directly was an entirely different scale of strengthpared to using a piece of it.


    Rhea waspletely bbergasted. After she learned the true nature of her power, it took her over a decade to unlock its true power.


    ¡°Just one look¡­ You looked at me once, and you already figured it out?!¡±


    It was a lie. It could not be. Rhea desperately tried to deny the reality of the situation unfolding before her eyes.


    ¡®Not yet¡­ ¡¯


    Rhea ignited her magical sparks again. ¡®There is still hope.¡¯


    Even if she reached that level, it would be impossible for her to fully wield that power immediately.


    Despite the pain, Rhea rushed straight towards Adjest, aiming to end the battle in one swift blow. As long as she could end the fight quickly, Adjest would not be able to adapt to her new strength. When Adjest unfolded her hand in response, Rhea felt the coldness of the air moving towards her.


    *Sizzle*


    As the cold gale swept through, petals of me fluttered around Rhea, offsetting the cold.


    But in the heat of the moment, Rhea overlooked one fact. Adjest was not just a magician: she was a magical swordsman.


    ¡°Ah¡­ ?¡±


    There was no time for her to make an expression of disbelief. *Shwing*


    Something pierced Rhea¡¯s chest. She spat out blood and crashed to the ground. The petals of the me, which had been in full bloom, returned to being magical sparks and disintegrated in moments.


    Unwilling to give up easily, Rhea managed to pull herself up. Even though her heart was pierced, her dedication to Prisc¡­


    *Bam*


    Something forced her back down. [Eternity Guardian]


    Rhea, who managed to raise her head, could barely make out what had struck her. Hundreds of knights, made of sheer ice, were pointing their des towards her. Their armor, shields, and weapons all had the faint silver glow of aura.


    It was a perfect disy of overwhelming strength. Adjest had created her own knighthoodparable to the power of an entire country.


    Rhea expressed pure admiration. Even though she was an enemy, she could not help but acknowledge her opponent¡¯s strength. Not only did she catch up to the level she had reached after more than a decade of hard work with a mere nce, she had seeded in making this new power her own and using it in a way that suited her best. This was beyond merely copying an ability.


    ¡°It¡¯s a truly¡­ tremendous talent.¡±


    Before she knew it, Adjest stood above Rhea¡¯s body, ring down towards her without a word.


    ¡°With such power, it¡¯s such a shame that you can¡¯t understand the Holy Saint¡¯s intentions. It must be because you¡¯re living a life that¡¯s hard to give up, unlike everyone else. *Cough*¡­ !¡±


    Rhea vomited blood and the demonic power she had cloaked herself in faded away, returning her body to its original figure The white nun suit she wore was half torn and coated in blood, its integrity severelypromised as it barely hung together.


    ¡°You will never be able to sympathize with the dirt of this world, the feelings of the countless people suffering in it.¡±


    Rhea shouted furiously, her sentences only interrupted when she paused to expel more blood. ¡°You could have returned the world to nothing and recreated a clean version of it¡­ ! I will curse you. I¡¯ll curse you for frustrating the path of salvation for everyone¡­ !¡±


    Adjest, who had been staring at her silently, opened her mouth.


    ¡°Returning the world to nothing and recreating it? Prisci must have been working on a really crazy n.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ ? The path you have hindered will result in the salvation of everyone!¡±


    ¡°From your perspective, sure. But does everyone else really think so?¡± Rhea¡¯s body trembled.


    ¡°How ridiculous. In the end, all you¡¯re doing is collecting everyone¡¯s lives, trimming them, carving them, and redistributing them. In what capacity are you capable of judging all of their lives? Even a god can¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! There¡¯s no value in the lives of those who have been so far absorbed in their own happiness that they¡¯ve turned a blind eye to those who are suffering!¡±


    ¡°Yes, obviously that¡¯s wrong. But that¡¯s all we need to cut out. That part alone. And I can¡¯t allow you to sacrifice the whole poption to aplish that.¡±


    The expressionless eyes of Adjest began to look bitter.


    ¡°For thousands of years, the world has been tested every moment at the crossroads of extinction and survival. And with a near-miracle chance, we managed to reach this moment in time. It is a world created by millions and millions of people who barely managed to achieve it. And now you guys screwed it up.¡±


    Adjest grabbed Rhea¡¯s jaw roughly and lifted her face up. It was difficult to recall the past in Dresden, which waspletely swept away after a fierce battle.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to aplish peace by throwing away all their efforts? What about their sacrifices? In the end, it would all mean nothing! Who do you think would appreciate a world like that?¡±


    Adjest dered in a forceful tone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool. I will defend the people who live in this country now, which has been established by their will. Although the fake you would make might be better, this is where I was born, and I¡¯ll make it a country worth living in!¡±


    * * *


    The battle between Adjest and Rhea had a tremendous impact on the weather and environment in Dresden. Romantica, who was controlling Dresden¡¯s airflow in real time, recognized this fact more than anyone else.


    ¡°Is she trying to make my job harder?¡±


    Though sheined, Romantica continued to uphold her duty. [Punishment of Tempest]


    *Rumble*


    A huge, spear-shaped storm hit the Artemis gship, Brigant. The hull was pierced and its magical defenses copsed, unable to withstand the powerful spell.


    Brigant was caught up in an abnormal air current, had its sails busted, and its magic engine could only barely withstand the increased workload, at the cost of inefficient mana consumption. With its fusge given a new massive hole, the ship could no longer maintain its altitude and fell to the ground sharply.


    ¡°Well, the skies are clear now.¡±


    That ship contained the main fighting force of the Artemis Church, more than half of the troops that had actually made it within the city Now, even if Romantica took no further action, the Empire could cope well enough. Even if they had not lost more of their fighting force, the Artemis Church had already lost several key battles, which meant all of their formations were at risk of copse. Their forces were inefficiently deployed.


    After confirming the circumstances, Romantica continued to invoke magic without taking any break.


    [Sonic Vibration]


    A vibration rushed through the air at the speed of sound, traveling with enough force to tear through even nk?um.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    Pierrot Mask, who was about to sh Pram with one of his daggers, quickly stepped back and scattered wires from his arms.


    The wires, coated with aura, shook finely before resonating in face of the rapidly approaching attack, altering its trajectory slightly.


    *Boom*


    The wave was sent towards a nearby clock tower, which easily copsed once Romatica¡¯s spell crashed into it. Pram used the opportunity to steady himself and take several deep breaths.


    ¡°Thank you, Romantica. You saved my life.¡±


    Pram¡¯s entire body was filled with stab wounds. In his current state, it was extremely difficult to find a patch of skin that was not injured.


    He thought he had be stronger, but Pram had been going all out since the beginning. In the end, he could only barely defend himself from fatal wounds, which resulted in him slowly incurring a lot of damage. When they confronted each other in Pittsburgh, Pram managed to maintain a favorable situation, but now he was really just hanging on without dying.


    If Romantica¡¯s support had been just a littleter, the fight might have already been decided. ¡°Hmm, yes. This should be far more entertaining!¡±


    His voice was disturbingly pleased. There was not a single scar on the smiling Pierrot Mask. Forget a flesh wound, not even his clothes were torn.


    Pram swallowed his saliva, finally having a chance to surveil his foe properly. This was not a matter of a difference in total aura, or the level of difference in technique. There was an unmeasurable difference overall.


    Pram had seeded in attacking Pierrot Mask several times, but apparently only a light scrape remained on his hand, as if he had prated the air. In fact, Pierrot Mask had no injuries at all.


    Pram felt as if he were dealing with a ghost without substance. ¡°The war is over.¡±


    Romantica opened her mouth in a calm fashion.


    ¡°This fight is meaningless now, so why don¡¯t you just give up?¡±


    Romantica was able to detect the entire situation of Dresden while blocking the battleships of the Artemis Church alone.


    The eastern front, directly headed by Guiltian, that had seemed dangerous at first, now had a stable lead. On the western front, the battle was over with Adjest¡¯s victory.


    Most importantly, Prisci, who led the Artemis Church, was at the Hebrion Academy. The surrounding area had turned into a battleground, where she was ultimately defeated by Desir. As far as Romantica knew, Pierrot Mask was thest one left, and the war was over.


    Thest finger of the Outsiders, Pierrot Mask, and some of the Church¡¯s remaining forces continued to struggle, but the situation would notst much longer.


    ¡°You¡¯d better keep your guard up right until thest minute, bravedy.¡±


    At that moment, Pierrot Mask¡¯s body became cloudy and melted into the shadows.

 Chapter 302. Praying (5)

    <h4>Chapter 302. Praying (5)</h4>


    The moment Pierrot Mask disappeared into the shadows, Pram kicked against the ground, propelling himself away from his opponent.


    Thousands of wires suddenly appeared where Pram once was, and soared upwards where Pram lept. They narrowly missed by a close margin, but the wires did not stop there; they gathered together mid-air and formed a spear, which rocketed itself towards Pram.


    [-Lower your head, Pram!] [Punishment of Tempest]


    Romantica invoked the same spell she used to shoot down Brigant. A massive spear of storm appeared before her before it shed with Pierrot Mask¡¯s dark spear.


    *Rumble*


    Pram maneuvered gracefully through the air and swung his rapier towards the spear, which suddenly split with a shrill screech. Hundreds of silvery trajectories tore apart the air, each of the wires carrying deadly force behind them.


    *sh*


    The attack had already been weakened by Romantica¡¯s sniping, so it was unable to withstand Pram¡¯s attack. The nk?um rapier easily tore through the wires, splitting them in two. The shrapnel scattered through the sky before returning to darkness.


    [-Front, 200 meters.]


    Shortly after Romantica¡¯s voice came to his ears, Pram activated his Cloud Walkers without dy. And at the location Romantica mentioned, he found himself face-to-face with Pierrot Mask.


    The world hade to a standstill. As the world paused, Pram¡¯s sword shot forward, his speed a testament to the extreme level of refinement his strikes carried.


    *Boom*


    The timing was perfect. Avoiding it was impossible.


    But Pram¡¯s expression hardened. The moment his sword prated Pierrot Mask¡¯s face, his body scattered like it was an illusion and melted back into the shadows. Pram clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    That was what had happened every time Pram nearlynded an attack. Time and time again his de pierced smoke.


    ¡®How the hell is he¡­ ?¡¯


    He was practically invincible. No matter how many times he swung, or how badly Pierrot Mask was caught off guard, Pram¡¯s attacks were destined to miss. Pram thought it was as though there was some supernatural force protecting him.


    ¡®Wait, supernatural? Does he have a Blessing of Light?¡¯


    Though there was not anything concrete to suggest it, the situation before him was so inexplicable Pram had no other ideas. If Pierrot Mask always had a Blessing of Light, why was he only using it now? Pram was befuddled, but trying to think through the new development wouldn¡¯t give him any answers.


    ¡®Whether that¡¯s what it is or not, this technique is nearly impossible to deal with.¡¯


    Pierrot Mask had created spaces of pitch-ck darkness around the battlefield, he seemed to be able to pop in and out of them as he pleased. He would suddenly jut out at an unnatural angle andunch his attack unannounced.


    Pierrot Mask was basically invincible and could attack from anywhere he wanted. When he made use of his King-ss aura, Pram¡¯s opponent had an unprecedented level of strength. Without Romantica¡¯s backup and keen observation, he would have been unterally vited and lost miserably. [-Right, 147 meters!]


    But with the continent¡¯s top sniper supporting him, Pram stood a chance at survival. Under her direction, Pram was able to avoid his sudden attacks and even attempt counter-attacks, useless as they may be.


    Of course, that did not give him the upper hand. Even when he managed to close the gap, if his de were capable of hitting, the wounds would have been ncing at best.


    But Pram was not an impatient fighter. ¡®Just one time¡­ I only have to hit him once.¡¯


    He was confident that if he seeded innding just one attack, he would knock down Pierrot Mask with that blow. With Romantica¡¯s support, they were able to maintain a tense standoff, so if he fought calmly, that chance would surely arise.


    [-Let¡¯s try attacking simultaneously. Left rear, 39 meters!]


    Upon grasping the position of Pierrot Mask, Pram again approached him. As he moved, Romantica fired her shot towards Pierrot Mask¡¯s head, such that Pram¡¯s sword and her st would threaten him at the same time.


    *sh*


    Pram¡¯s sword stopped mid-thrust. ¡®Wire¡­ !¡¯


    In the dark, a thin wire that was indistinguishable to the naked eye had twisted around his sword, strangling it. Setting such a trap was imusible, unless Pierrot Mask had read the exact trajectory and timing of his attack as he made it.


    ¡°If this is the limit of your power, I¡¯m disappointed.¡±


    Pierrot Mask¡¯s painful remark hurt, but not as much as the aura-coated dagger he threw would. Rather than use it to capitalize on the immobilized pram, he used it to casually deflect Romantica¡¯s seasoned sniping. The dagger and st collided midair, and the resulting collisionunched the knife right back towards Pierrot Mask¡¯s hand, where he naturally caught it.


    ¡°Prisci promised me a good show, but this presentation is pathetic!¡±


    A voice tinged with madness rang out. Pram hurriedly gathered his aura, cut himself free of the wire, and backed away.


    *Booom*


    More wires rushed forward from the darkness, aiming to constrict Pram¡¯s arms and legs. ¡°Even the two of you working together is just in boring! Forget a fun fight, you don¡¯t even constitute a good warm-up for Desir Arman.¡±


    Pierrot Mask¡¯s voice rang from the sky above.


    As Pram turned towards the source, his face paled. An innumerable number of wires encapsted the sky above him, strung out in a spider¡¯s web.


    Looking down on his opponents, Pierrot Mask spoke decisively, his usual erratic nature eerily absent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end this.¡±


    Pram¡¯s intuition screamed at him to run, to flee. If he stayed, they were going to die.


    When Pierrot Mask beckoned, the wires covering the sky were fired at the ground in an instant. Attacks poured in from all directions, making it impossible to dodge. Survival was dependent on deflecting or offsetting the iing wires.


    Romantica quickly began manipting the air currents, sweeping the wires away from both her and Pram, sending them safely towards the ground. [-Sh*t!]


    Pram swung to cut what he could, but with theirbined might, they barely managed to neutralize thirty percent of the wires. With the remaining attacks still flooding towards them, Pram quickly activated his Cloud Walkers to defend Romantica.


    ¡°Urgh!¡±


    Numerous silvery traces were drawn and unfolded in the air. Thousands of attacks and defenses crossed in a few moments, and whenever there was a sh, Pram felt several handfuls of his aura being exhausted.


    Pierrot Mask looked down from the sky and smiled at their struggle. *Booom*


    Soon after all of the wires reached the surface, a dust cloud rose apanied by the violent collision of stone. All of the buildings in the surrounding area had been diced into small pieces and mmed into the ground, scattering into powder.


    ¡°Pram!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I managed to avoid a fatal wound.¡±


    As the dust cloud lifted, Pram was seen clutching his shoulder. Blood dripped down from the fresh wound. Pram¡¯s face distorted, but it was not just because of the pain.


    ¡®I still haven¡¯t caught up with him¡­ !¡¯


    After their encounter in Pittsburgh, Pram was certain he had caught up to the assassin, but his hope was only an illusion. In terms of offense and defense, he was wildly outssed. The difference between their skills and experience was too wide for Pram to ovee in a short period of time.


    ¡°Pram, let¡¯s back off for now. The war is already progressing in our favor. You don¡¯t have to deal with him anymore.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same no matter how much you try. Your sword can¡¯t reach me. Don¡¯t bother me anymore. Just back off.¡±


    Both Pierrot Mask and Romantica spoke at the same time. Ironically enough, they weremunicating the same message: ¡°Admit defeat, Pram Schneider.¡±.


    ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t give up here.¡±


    Defeat was not something Pram could easily ept. If he surrendered now, Pram was certain he would never reach his full potential.


    ¡°Pram¡­ !¡±


    ¡°I can reach him.¡±


    Pram¡¯s tone was firm. In it, Romantica could feel an unwavering determination that said more than any words could.


    Resigning herself, Romantica sighed deeply. ¡°¡­ All right.¡±


    *Kyiing*


    To believe in one¡¯s colleagues under any circumstances; this was the Starling Party¡¯s character. If Pram thought he could win, then Romantica was determined to see his goale to fruition.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure your sword can reach him.¡±


    * * *


    ¡®Boring.¡¯


    Pierrot Mask slovenly weaved his hand, clearly disinterested in the fight before him. Though his wires show towards them, the two people he was fighting had already left his mind.


    ¡®Desir Arman, got even stronger, didn¡¯t he?¡¯


    Pierrot Mask had felt the overwhelming power that Desir had invoked as he appeared on the battlefield. It was clear that he had found a way to gain unimaginable strength.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure he can get me excited enough.¡¯


    He briefly imagined fighting him. Elegant wire would dance with brutish strength, their conniving minds constantly trying to one-up each other. Just when Pierrot Mask was about to falter, he would swing back and nearly kill Desir, only to have his attack deflected. The glorious vision elicited a shudder from his body, as a tingling sensation traced his spine.


    *Boom*


    Silver aura exploded and scattered all over the ce. The wire that he thought would rip Pram apart had been cut off. Though he was surprised by his survival and subsequent counterattack, it was not enough to vie for his attention. He cast a begrudging nce at Pram, only to be taken aback. The silver aura that epassed his de emitted a dazzling light, strikingly different from its previous intense glow.


    That was not the only thing of concern. [Mistral st]


    [Sonic Breath]


    Fifth-Circle spells poured towards him incessantly. Romantica unraveled shot after shot, making excellent use of her specialization to restrict his movement. Such an attack was so thoroughly coordinated that even Pierrot Mask could not afford to respond in moderation.


    ¡®Yes! Yes! Are you struggling with all your might?¡¯


    Pierrot Mask unleashed a wicked grin. For a brief moment, they presented him with a genuine conundrum, but that was not the only cause for his joy. Their reckless approach in their determination to pressure him would only result in their quick demise.


    ¡®First from above, then a shot from behind, followed from a strike to the side.¡¯


    Pierrot Mask dodged the first two attacks, and then faded into the shadows, causing Pram¡¯s third strike to harmlessly fall through the air.


    His opponent had left himself wide open. Pierrot Mask instantly appeared behind Pram, andunched a dagger towards the base of his neck.


    *Crash*


    Romantica quickly turned to disce the attack, but without enough time to prepare, she could not alter its trajectory entirely.


    *Ssh*


    Blood gushed from Pram¡¯s trapezius, narrowly missing the side of his neck. He stumbled and the sudden imbnce, but he quickly recovered and made distance.


    *Wheeze*


    *Wheeze*


    After fighting for so long, Pram had finally run out of stamina. Though he was upright, he seemed destined to fall over any moment now. He could barely continue to wield his sword. Pierrot Mask shrugged.


    ¡°Hey kid. Are you ready to die yet?¡±


    ¡°One¡­ more¡­ ¡±


    Pram kept mumbling.


    ¡®Has the kid lost his mind?¡¯


    Pierrot Mask shook his head at the sight and waved his hand, his signature attack once again rushing towards Pram. Countless silver trajectories and wires intertwined in the air, causing an explosion.


    The superiority of Pierrot Mask was clear.


    ¡®Well, let¡¯s put a little more effort into this and end it.¡¯


    With an air of decisiveness, Pierrot Mask fired a fire from Pram¡¯s blind spot. [Sonic Voice]


    Just before it could sever Pram¡¯s leg, the wire twisted from its original trajectory and shot towards Pierrot Mask¡¯s head. Romantica had manipted the air to take fine control of a single wire.


    ¡°Damn it! I said I was done! Why won¡¯t you both just die?!¡±


    This whole situation was driving him crazy. It was annoying before, but Romantica¡¯s support always impeded his attacks with impable timing. Her constant intervention had turned a one-sided battle into a long, drawn-out ughter.


    ¡®I¡¯ll give them one thing, they know how to work together¡¯


    He quickly stepped back to avoid the rogue wire, the sudden step interrupting his rhythm. Pram used the momentary gap to strike with his rapier, but Pierrot Mask had already expected the attack. It was the same tactic used time and time again, just with a new twist of weaponizing his own wires against him. He simply invoked his ability and safely dodged several meters away.


    ¡®Normally I wouldmend their efforts, but they¡¯re just doing the same thing over, and over, and over again. Seriously, why won¡¯t they just¡­ Huh?¡¯


    Something was different. A warm feeling blossomed from Pierrot Mask¡¯s face, so he moved his hand towards his cheek. A red line had been drawn across it. Pram¡¯s rapier, which he had not allowed to touch him, had somehow made contact.


    Pierrot Mask¡¯s gaze turned to Pram, a flicker of cool anger in his eyes. ¡°No way.¡±


    The moment their eyes met, Pram attacked again. Swords from both sides shed once again. This time, Pierrot Mask poured wires towards the gap where Romantica would likely fire, hoping to prevent her annoying distractions before they had a chance to intervene.


    For a brief moment, Pierrot Mask had once again entered into a one-on-one matchup with Pram. Only then could he make out what Pram had been mumbling all this time.


    ¡°¡­ Barely couldn¡¯t reach, but I just need one hit. A little more time, and I¡¯ll hit him. Just a little more¡­ ¡±


    Pram had not lost his mind; he had entered a deep trance where he focused on his own swordcraft and nothing else, oblivious to everything but his own weapon and his opponent¡¯s. Pram had broken his mental block and taken his first step into King-ss.

 Chapter 303. Praying (6)

    <h4>Chapter 303. Praying (6)</h4>


    *sh*


    The swords from both sides struck incessantly in the air. As of just moments ago, the one-sidedness of the battle had slowly reversed. Pram began to hold his own grounds against Pierrot Mask, and soon reached the point where he could attempt genuine counterattacks. This sudden situation left Pierrot Mask slightly shocked.


    ¡®This is¡­ ¡¯


    The reason why Pierrot Mask had been able to gain an overwhelming advantage over Pram so far was simple.


    There was a clear difference in ability.


    Pierrot Mask was able to detect not only the timing of Pram¡¯s attack but also any counterattacks by observing the changes in Pram¡¯s breath and the involuntary twitches of his muscles. With his cold reading, he could stay one step ahead of Pram¡¯s attacks and return them with his own.


    That alone was enough to dere Pierrot Mask the victor in this fight, but it was not his only advantage.


    Unbeknownst to Pram and Romantica, Pierrot Mask held an Inheritance of his own. At first, he was limited to flickering in and out of shadows, but with time and practice he learned to not only create shadows, but could even turn himself into one. Doing so created an insurmountable defense, but the utility of being a shadow allowed him to move unhindered; he could pop in and out of the myriad of shadows on the battlefield as he pleased.


    Despite that, the once wide gap was narrowing at a rapid speed. *Boom*


    Whenever a silver trajectory was drawn, an ear-splitting noise would ring out and engrave a cut on Pierrot Mask¡¯s body. After being struck a few times, he realized the cause of the sudden change.


    ¡®Is he putting his ability into every single blow?!¡¯


    Pram¡¯s signature attack was an unrecognizable quick blow. He wouldnd three strikes at the exact same time, resulting in a lethal attack that was impossible to evade or deflect. Between its speed, low wind-up time, and close range, the attack surpassed the reaction time of even the strongest King-ss swordsmen.


    Nevertheless, it had been useless against Pierrot Mask. So long as he knew when Pram was going to attack, he could activate his Inheritance before Pram even started to swing, rendering the invincible attack worthless. But somehow, Pram was managing to make all of his attacks move in such a fashion.


    As far as he knew Pierrot Mask was invincible while he used his power. Unfortunately, the technique only allowed him to disappear for a few moments. If he failed to recognize the exact timing of any attack, it would be impossible to avoid taking damage.


    ¡®I have to hurry up and end this.¡¯


    He readied his daggers after that thought took the center of his mind. A ck aura rose like a soft mist and spread all over his body. He struck out at Pram with all of his might. The speed of his attacks may not be on par with Pram, but they certainly had enough strength.


    *sh*


    Pram¡¯s attack was disced and his defenses were left wide open. Without missing the opportunity, Pierrot Mask stepped into his opponent¡¯s blind spot and jabbed his dagger towards Pram¡¯s exposed neck.


    ¡®If I don¡¯t fall back, I will die.¡¯


    A nauseous feeling rose from Pierrot Mask¡¯s stomach as some voice within him screamed to retreat.


    ¡®Was that a feint¡­ !?¡¯


    He rushed to back off, but before he could move far, silver aura crashed onto him like a waterfall, covering his escape from all sides.


    *Booom*


    The shock of formidable power swept dozens of meters in all directions. ¡°Ok, now that¡­ that was a proper blow!¡±


    Hundreds of meters from where such an attack was shot. Pierrot Mask walked out of the alleyway between some abandoned buildings. Contrary to his condescending attitude, he had incurred some fairly serious wounds. One notablyrge gash ran from his shoulder de to the base of his back.


    ¡°I never thought you¡¯d be capable of moving even faster. Honest. I didn¡¯t even consider it!¡± That was the first time Pierrot Mask had sustained a serious injury since realizing the true nature of his ability. Despite the bad situation, he thought he was lucky to get away with what he did.


    ¡®I was only able to avoid half those attacks¡­ No, only forty percent?¡¯


    In the end, his survival instincts had been what saved him. Something more primal than intuition had guided him to safety. If Pram had poured all of his overwhelming might into that attack, the fight would have been over.


    At that moment, Pierrot Mask was sure of one thing. ¡®A new Grand Master has been born.¡¯


    Atst, Pram had reached the peak of his craft. Not only had he reached King-ss, but in his battered condition he was still able to suppress Pierrot Mask. Upon realizing the fact, Pierrot Mask stifled his excitement and let a wicked grin take its ce.


    ¡®If I let my guard down even a little, I could have died there.¡¯


    His voice was filled with creepiness and carried an ominous melody. ¡°How long has it been since I felt this feeling?¡±


    This was the battle he really wanted. He was here for this kind of fight, whether it came from Desir or not.


    ¡°I¡¯ll retract my earlier remarks, Pram Schneider.¡±


    Pierrot Mask gathered his aura with all of his might. The ck-colored smoke rose rapidly with unparalleled energy.


    ¡°You deserve my whole strength.¡±


    The ferocious aura stretched epassed everything around him and soon permeated the shadows created by the remaining rubble.


    When Pierrot Mask raised his dagger and smashed it into the ground, the shadows fluttered in unison and gathered towards the shattered remnants.


    *Kying*


    The ground was nothing but ck. It was a grotesque sight, as though an eldritch horror was consuming the world around him.


    *Boom*


    An explosion rang out. Feeling something dangerous approaching, Pramunched himself towards the source. He had gained an instinctive control over his aura, one that easily surpassed the frightening control he already held. By imbuing it directly into his legs, he was able to move far faster than before, despite not activating his Cloud Walkers; the artifact was slower than him.


    But it was alreadyte.


    Pierrot Mask had thrown a dagger at the approaching Pram.


    [Moon Reflected in the Mirror, Flower Reflected in the Water (Kyoka Suigetsu)] *Boooom!


    Shadows condensed on the dagger speeding through the air at a tremendous speed. They devoured everything in their path.


    There was no escape. In the blink of an eye, all of the surrounding area had darkened significantly.


    Pram was no exception. He was swallowed up by the shadow and erased as if he had disappeared from this world.


    [-Pram¡­ !]


    There had been a fierce battle, but as if it were all a lie, only silence remained.


    Pierrot Mask barely managed to keep his faltering body together due to the rapid exhaustion of energy and looked into the pitch-ck space. And he sighed with relief, confirming that Pram¡¯s aura had disappeared.


    ¡®It¡¯s done.¡¯


    In the end, he had died in vain. Although it may seem to have ended quite simply on the surface, the attack that did it was anything but.


    Thest skill used by Pierrot Mask was his ultimate skill, an attack so intense it pushed the user to their very limit. It was the peak application of his Inheritance, only possible because of the tremendous aura he poured into it.


    The technique was untenable. It was not a matter of strength or speed. Aura was used as a medium to temporarily relegate reality to the shadow realm, a ce without substance. Whatever was swept away by this attack would be lost and destroyed forever.


    It was a technique that Pierrot Mask preferred not to employ. Though the following silence was poetic, itcked the glorious performance only capable through knives and wires.


    ¡°A glorious ending, Pram Schneider.¡±


    * * *


    Pram had been swimming in a sea of his own consciousness, his mind focused entirely on his sword.


    ¡®Not enough.¡¯ *Stab*


    There were innumerable skills swordsmen were capable of using, but Pram had constantly practiced just this one.


    ¡®It¡¯s totally not enough.¡¯


    Everything was poured into the simple movement.


    Faster, sharper.


    His sword elerated with only that thought in mind. And in the end, he reached King-ss, but Pram knew that this was not the end.


    ¡®Still not enough.¡¯


    He was reaching it little by little, but he stillcked the necessary speed to cut the opponent in front of him. Just one step further and he would likely catch them, but no matter how hard he tried, no matter how close he got, it still could not be reached.


    It was not long before Pram knew why.


    He could not focus on the sword itself.


    The desire to be faster. The urgency of knocking down the opponent immediately in-front of him. Such things shook his mind and blunted the tip of his sword. This was thest mental obstacle that blocked his ascension.


    After realizing it, Pram stopped thinking. ¡®Nothing.¡¯


    Do not think of anything at all. That was the answer and the realization that Pram had found. Forgetting his desire to be strong, or his purpose behind knocking a specific person down, he swung a sword that contained nothing. And at that moment, Pram could reach it.


    The highest level a knight could reach, King-ss. *Booom*


    As soon as Pram reached that level, something lurched before his eyes.


    ck space was flooding towards him at a tremendous speed. It devoured everything that existed around it greedily, and the buildings and atmosphere in its path was wiped out as if they were dissipated.


    From the energy it emmenated, Pram could see that it was an ability of Pierrot Mask.


    It was really powerful. There was no other word to express it. Aura stretched out and mixed with the shadow, using it as a medium, swallowing all entities that touched it.


    The skill shown by Pierrot Mask was something normal people could never replicate. A transcendental blow that waspleted after the delicate grafting of aura with an impossible, world-defying power. The power demonstrated by the technique was only matched by its absurd barrier to utilize it.


    ¡®However¡­ ¡¯


    Before he knew it, the ck space beneath him suddenly surged, swallowing Pram¡¯s toes. ¡®There is a gap.¡¯


    Pram remained unshakable in the face of overwhelming force.


    Like pulling a bow, he drew his sword hand behind his head, and lowered his center of gravity. And¡­


    *Ping*


    Shot forth with the sword.


    A moment when the shadow was substantial due to beingden with the aura using it as a medium. The moment when the shadow appeared to cover everything around him.


    A stab that had been perfected to an unrealistic standard had been unleashed, and a sh between nearly perfect aura ensued.


    *Boom*


    Because of the nature of Pierrot Mask¡¯s skill, his aura was not deeply concentrated, but instead widely spread out like morning fog. There was no way such a skill could withstand the concentrated strike of Pram Schneider, an attack will all its forcepressed into a single point.


    Pierrot Mask¡¯s aura was shattered and broken. When his aura dispersed, the shadows that had been spreading began to scatter.


    Beyond the scattering ck shrapnel stood Pierrot Mask. For a moment a look of dismay appeared on his face, but he regained hisposure and tightened his grasp on his dagger. He tried to summon his remaining aura, and moved his dagger towards Pram¡¯s extended arm.


    *Crack*


    The dagger broke with a crisp sound, having been shattered by a powerful wind. Even hisst counterattack had been thwarted.


    Pram¡¯s rapier continued forward, having not reached its final destination.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s too bad. I wanted to fight with more strong people and have lots more fun. I wanted to put on a truly miraculous show¡­ ¡±


    Pierrot Mask looked at Pram and smiled faintly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m satisfied that myst opponent is you.¡± *Slump*


    A dull noise marked the end of the fight.

 Chapter 304. Praying (7)

    <h4>Chapter 304. Praying (7)</h4>


    Argo was confident that he would not lose to anyone. He was not conceited in the least. After all, his Inheritance was to take the aura of those who had been cut down by him.


    Several decades had passed since the Saint had saved his life. Afterwards, he pledged his loyalty to her and followed her into numerous battles. In the meantime, the number of knights he had killed had reached into the thousands. It was no exaggeration to say that his record of kills, let alone the amount of aura he umted, was unrivaled.


    But the moment Argo faced Desir, he realized that he had never faced a stronger opponent before.


    [cial Precipice] *Crack*


    The atmosphere froze and the gruesome noise of ice breaking rang out. The vast cold air seemed to be concentrated in the air, and it formed the shape of a giant ice dragon.


    *Growl*


    The moment it spread its wings with a roar, an icy storm of knife-like des swept the area before it.


    Argo felt the coldness squeezing his whole body to the point where the aura around him was overshadowed. Had it not been for the enormous amount of aura umted in his body, he certainly would have snapped frozen.


    It was a scene reminiscent of something from myth. The magician in front of him must have achieved the pinnacle of magic. The ice dragon he created made Argo nervous, as it proceeded to approach him at a tremendous speed.


    ¡®Is this feeling called fear¡­ ?¡¯


    The first time he had felt such a thing in his life. Argo realized that he had no chance of winning. It was stupid to try to confront such divine magic with a human body. It was right to retreat at any moment.


    But he did not back down and picked up his sword. He had no choice but to; he was protecting something more precious than his mere life behind him.


    The ice dragon howled. The distance between them had closed further and further. The surrounding space had already beenpletely covered with white fog.


    ¡®Even if I waste a little bit of my aura, I must destroy this.¡¯


    Made entirely out of magic, the ice dragon moved as if it possessed a mind of its own. In other words, the situation was now a two versus one.


    While he was struggling with the ice dragon, if Desir was allowed to invoke other spells, the battle was as good as lost. In order to avoid such a result, it was necessary to deal with the ice dragon in front of him first, and quickly at that.


    Argo, who made a quick judgment, raised his sword. Aura then burst out like an active volcano and began to cover his sword. A vast amount of it concentrated within the nk?um de, causing the powerful metal to give out a painful groan. Though nk?um was practically perfect for conducting and maintaining aura, it could not handle the sheer amount Argo had gathered over the years. The atmosphere around the de began to shake, and the weapon itself seemed to be pulsing.


    Soon after, as the ice dragon opened its mouth to swallow him, Argo kicked against the ground and leapt straight into its mouth.


    *Stab*


    Argo jammed his sword straight into the beast¡¯s neck, causing the surrounding ice to illicit cracks. His de adequately inserted, Argo condensed his aura and shot it deep into the dragon¡¯s body. Rainbow aura danced around its interior, the beautiful disy perfectly visible due to the dragon¡¯s translucence.


    *Crack*


    The infused aura exploded in unison, instantly crushing hundreds of meters of ice. Argo shook off the tip of his sword and re-positioned himself. There was no time for a break. There were countless shes of light from far away approaching him, like the night sky¡¯s stars were hurtling with intent to kill.


    [Stream of Stardust]


    The immeasurable spread of magic embroidered the sky. Each and every one of them was carrying a transcendent force, but Argo faced them without a single change in expression. ¡°Attack me with your all might.¡±


    Argo got into position. As if he had taken a new bucket of water from a well, his aura spewed out again and again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll defend against everything you have.¡± *Boom*


    There was a violent noise. Hundreds of magic bullets and aura collided, creating countless shes of light. Desir¡¯s magic poured out incessantly, and Argo¡¯s sword did not stop either. Every time sword and magic collided, a huge bacsh swept the town of Dresden. As evidenced by the aftermath of the fierce battle, the surrounding area was now reminiscent of a meteor crater.


    But there was one exception. The area behind Argo was the one piece ofnd that remained untouched. No magic harmed the ce behind him, where Prisci slowly traversed. *Booom*


    ¡°Cough¡­ !¡±


    A line of blood flowed out from Argo¡¯s mouth. Even with the absurd defensive power he had, it was impossible to fully block spells with such immense power. In order to protect Prisci behind him, he had to even stop attacks that he would normally avoid, which put him in even more of a corner.


    Argo felt his aura, which seemed almost endless, beginning to run out. ¡®But he is in the same situation.¡¯


    Each and every one of Desir¡¯s spells had the power akin to the Seventh-Circle.


    There was obviously no magician or individual as powerful as Desir currently was. In the face of his extreme strength, Argo felt a sort of kinship, having finally met someone who could match his umted power. Had they not fought today, perhaps one day Desir would fall into the same istion that his strength had brought him.


    *Whoong*


    The area where Prisci had been was reced by a deep staircase that stretched far into the ground below. Bizarre lights adorned the alien entrance, but what caught the eye was a massive pir of light shooting out from within it. Shortly after, a sound echoed from within it. [-A.R.T.E.M.I.S system ess point restored. Beginning assimtion progress¡­ ]


    A faint, familiar voice struck Argo¡¯s ear. Prisci¡¯s n had progressed sessfully. The moment of their triumph was on the horizon.


    ¡®I can hold on.¡¯


    Soon, with just a little bit more, and then his prayer would be fulfilled. Argo remained on alert and raised his aura again to defend himself. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡±


    However, Desir¡¯s shelling, which had been pouring out without a break so far, suddenly slowed down. Argo expressed his wonder, feeling nervous at this inexplicable turn of events. And he was soon able to grasp the situation.


    Desir¡¯s strategy had changed. Until now, he had not given Argo a single chance to strike back with countless rounds of artillery, but Argo admirably managed to hold on. It was an achievement that could only be realized after his plentiful experience in striking down hundreds of spells.


    Desir, who could not afford to dy any longer, was forced to change his strategy. He decided to take a little more strain and end the situation in the one go.


    Numerous forms of spell arrays ovepped in unison, drawing a geometrdscape that the average magician could never hope to understand.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Their eyes crossed as he looked in the direction of the voice. This time, Desir¡¯s face was pale, as if he had used his power too much. With his aura-enhanced sight, Argo could see Desir¡¯s hands visibly shake in exertion.


    However, his eyes were fiercely still.


    As soon as Argo met his nce, he felt his blood freeze. However, he soon regained himself and regarded the moment as an opportunity. A magician''s biggest weakness was their mana dependency, but they were alsopletely exposed while invoking spells. Until now, Desir had been using spells that were rtively weak (for him) which meant Argo did not have any breathing room. Now that he was preparing a final attack, Argo had the chance to strike back.


    ¡®Before the spell isplete, I have to cut his neck!¡¯


    This was a big enough opportunity, and Argo had already confirmed that his sword could cut through Desir¡¯s spatial distortion.


    When he hit the ground, the gap between Desir and himself narrowed in an instant. When he was about to sh with his sword and use the full force of his aura¡­


    *Crack*


    A tremendous force pulled him from behind. ¡®What the hell is this?¡¯


    Argo stuck his sword into the ground, nting himself, and looked back. His mouth opened. A small sphere floating in the air was spinning endlessly. It was in the process of grinding down and inhaling everything around it haphazardly.


    The little sphere possessed a greater power than the sum of all of the magic that Desir had invoked in the fight until now.


    [Apocalypse Star]


    It was a phenomenon created by the concentration of astronomical masses. The powerful gravity emitted from the star distorted the surrounding space and restricted the area, but its effects extended far beyond just this area and attracted all nearby material, growing in size and power.


    While Argo was in shock, barely supporting himself by strengthening his whole body with aura, Desir gestured toward the air. Then the white star began to converge rapidly toward a point.


    Gravity was copsing. The amount of heat and light expelled increased tenfold. At this moment, a dying star had been created above Dresden, and it was about to burst.


    If the vast amount of energy generated in the process were gathered in one ce, the power would be beyond imagination. It was neither a power that man should be able to produce nor a category of power that he could prevent.


    ¡°Haha, ha¡­ ¡±


    Argoughed in vain.


    He realized how idiotic his attempts had been. The minutes ofbat they had was not because Desir could not defeat him, but because he did not want to do unnecessary damage to the surrounding area. Once Desir determined that Argo would be able to hold out for too long, he begrudgingly upped the amount of damage he inflicted. He knew Argo would not be able to stop this spell, and willingly forced him into a desperate situation.


    Argo felt hopeless again in the face of overwhelming force, but he held his sword tight. He knew from the beginning that he had no chance of winning.


    ¡®If I can buy just a little more time¡­ ¡¯


    Argo pulled his aura up to his limit. His flesh was torn apart, unable to ovee the pressure of his own aura, and his muscles, which were harder than steel, were burnt to ash.


    ¡®If I could take a little more¡­ !¡¯


    It was a very short window until the spellpleted.


    In the meantime, Argo did his all to protect the woman who would save the human race from itself. Confirming she was still alive, he let out onest grin.


    Desir¡¯s spellpleted.


    Everything died.

 Chapter 305. Praying (8)

    <h4>Chapter 305. Praying (8)</h4>


    A dusty ce, unused for centuries,id deep beneath the Hebrion Academy¡¯s basement. Though no one born today knew how the broken devices operated, Prisci sat before them, with her eyes closed in a reverent manner.


    Suddenly, a brilliant splendor rose up into the sky, forming a huge pir. Prisci, despite being in critical condition, put her full might into repairing the machinery before her.


    The light gradually restored the broken devices that had beennguishing in this underground location for what must have been a very long time. Numerous cables wriggled out in all directions, as if they were alive, and soon covered half of the vast floor space.


    However, the device that hummed in resonance continued to grow in size without showing any signs of nearing full restoration.


    Its identity? It was the culmination of high-technology from an ancient civilization whose prowess neared the realm of God. It was the A.R.T.E.M.I.S. system¡¯s primary ess point. Prisci muttered to herself after finally opening her closed eyes.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful, Desir?¡± *Spark*


    As soon as she finished speaking, a triangle of lightning began to form over her head. It was a high-level, Sixth-Circle, parallel invocation spell, Trinity Lightning.


    *Rumble*


    A downpour in the form of electricity poured down on Prisci like a waterfall. But just before it swept her away, it dissipated in an instant, as if it had only been an illusion. The thunderstorm and the immense heat it generated had disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°At this point, it¡¯s better to just give up.¡± Prisci¡¯s voice was perfectly at peace.


    As she rose up, a silver cable had connected to the stump of her left arm. The cable connected to the main system of Artemis: a huge device that had nearly been restored in this underground room.


    ¡°The restoration of the Artemis system is almostplete, and I¡¯m already connected to it. The fight is over, Desir.¡±


    ¡°Is it everything you hoped for? Was it worth the lives you so mercifully crushed?¡±


    The phenomenon that just urred was something that defied the natural order of the world. Instead of analyzing the magic and blocking it or offsetting it with the same force, it seemed that the existence of it itself had been literally erased.


    ¡°Why do you want that power so desperately?¡±


    Desir had no intention of understanding whatever reason her actions had, but he could not stop himself from asking. Without figuring out the reason why Zod had to die, he could not control his anger.


    ¡°With this power, I can erase sin from this world. It can be reborn anew, and no one will have to suffer ever again.¡±


    *Kyiiing*


    A massive gem was embedded within the center of the ess point, and as the system continued to whirr to life, it began to glow a deep red. Both it, and a pocket dimension on the floor, reeked of concentrated mana. This must have been the power source that Pierrot Mask seized after betraying Skull Mask. If he had ess to this much mana, the fact that he had lived for so long began to make sense. It was akin to how Zod used mana to retain his youth, but taken to an absurd degree.


    ¡°I knew it¡­ what a joke. You¡¯re just trying to rip off Skull Mask¡¯s n all over again!¡±


    ¡°Are you naive, Desir? He and I are very different. His n was selfish. He wanted to repair the system to restore some dead empire; I¡¯m going to save the people who are around now.¡± Desir¡¯s anger red up again at the fact that Prisci¡¯s delusions had cost the lives of many good people, including Zod. However, he kept his cool and managed to reign his emotions in while looking objectively at this situation.


    ¡®Is she gradually assimting with the Artemis system?¡¯


    The machine, which had dug into her left arm, has now begun devouring her healthy flesh. She was giving up her body to the Artemis system, forcibly enduring the pain of losing her flesh and bone.


    Desir looked at her with a stiff look. ¡°So what, you want to be God?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will enact God¡¯s will, with this power that was granted to me. This is something only I can achieve; this is my destiny.¡±


    Prisci¡¯s eyes shed dangerously, the heat of madness leaking from just below the surface. ¡°I will save all mankind.¡±


    *Fwip*


    Wings of brilliant splendor rose from behind her back, and the light softly illuminated their surroundings. At the same time, her terrible appearance from the numerous burns she had sufferedpletely restored themselves. Her power, the power of restoration, now worked on her body. The wounds that she could not previously restore were healed within the blink of an eye.


    Prisci¡¯s lips curved upward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see Zod Exarion again?¡±


    *Boom*


    Without any forewarning, an explosion urred in the front of Prisci. Desir had invoked a spell without leaving her with a single moment to react.


    ¡°Lashing out? Is that your choice? So be it, Desir Arman.¡± Prisci put her hands together silently in the rising dust.


    [-Confirming the existence of an enemy. Reactivating self-defense functionality.]


    [-Error. Self-defense functionality damaged. Transferring a portion of system power to the first-degree executor who is assimting with the system. Executor, please remove the hostile presence.]


    [-Current rate of assimtion is 62%.]


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you the suitable ending you desire.¡±


    At that moment her wings spread wide and glowed brighter. The light that gathered then took on the form of a huge sword.


    [Dream of a Contradictory World]


    Witnessing this change, Desir immediately invoked the strongest defense magic he knew. The moment he finished invoking the magic, the scenery around him distorted and twisted. Soon after, a huge sword of light was fired at Desir.


    *Kriii*


    And at that moment, Desir felt a chill. Every one of his senses, honed after countless battles of life and death, were screaming at him.


    ¡®I have to avoid this at all costs.¡¯


    But the Dream of a Contradictory World was a spell that could be called invincible; distorting space and blocking all unauthorized contact should be enough to block her attack. Desir calmed himself, confident in his defense¡¯s capabilities. There was no reason for him to take action. As he reassured himself, he noticed something.


    ¡®Light¡­ ?¡¯


    A subtle light began to permeate his distorted space. [Teleport]


    Desir, who judged that this was not an attack he could defend against, hurried and moved out of its path. Soon after, a huge sword of light passed through the spatial distortion he had erected as if it had never been there.


    ¡®I need to figure out what that power is.¡¯


    The spatial distortion had been ignored, so it could not be an ordinary light. Desir fled back towards the streets, with Prisci desperately in pursuit. Hoping to stall or finish her, Desir invoked one spell after another.


    [Disengaged Chaotic Beings]


    [World¡¯s Mistrust]


    A momentter dozens of Desir mirror-images appeared.


    They were not just clones, but clones that possessed their own mana. In addition, he had also invoked a spell to paralyze the five senses, so even a King-ss swordsman should be incapable of discerning the truth. It would take an army many hours to destroy every single one of these copies of Desir if they engaged them one at a time.


    But Prisci¡¯s actions were simple. When she sped her hands together, the sword of light was disassembled and burst into a sh of light. The now scattered light flooded all over the area in a sh, and he could not help but be astonished at the sight that followed. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡±


    As the speckles of light passed them, the clones that existed were easily destroyed.


    Desir, who was positioned the furthest from Priscillia, felt sweat begin running down his back. He almost died before proper battle had begun.


    Desir nced towards the edge of the wave of light. Everything it touched disappeared without exception, leaving no trace, as if these things had never existed in the first ce.


    ¡®Is this attack twisting causality?¡¯


    Artemis functioned by manipting causality to change history, which Skull Mask employed to create powerful homunculi. His final products were capable of near-infinite regeneration, and even had minor time-bending powers.


    Desir guessed that the light must be another manifestation of such force. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that this is only part of its power¡­ ¡¯


    The system was still being repaired, so this wasn¡¯t even its full power. Prisci would soon have even more strength.


    It boasted an absolute attack power that erased everything it touched and this attack moved near the speed of light. It was iplete, but the power she had already gained was beyond the range of force that humans could ever contend with.


    ¡®If Artemis¡¯s main system is fully restored¡­ ¡¯


    It was impossible to predict what kind of power Prisci would soon wield. He had to prevent this at all costs.


    *Kii-ying*


    As Desir lifted his cane, countless spell arrays developed.


    [Supernova]


    *Flutter*


    A great amount of heat was gathered in the air, and a white me appeared. The extreme heat swept through only the surrounding areas where Prisci was located.


    However, Prisci remained silent, sping her hands together again. A crowd of light sparks appeared and gathered in front of her, a new pir of light rising above her in response. Desir felt the heat of his spell begin to rapidly subside, so he began invoking another spell.


    [Stream of Stardust]


    The heat, which had dispersed over the surrounding area, gathered and formed a bullet; a vast expanse of splendor that would cover the entire field of vision. The attack was reminiscent of a number of stars floating in the night sky.


    ¡®You may be able to reverse causality, but you won¡¯t be able to reverse this.¡¯


    Each of Desir¡¯s three attacks thus far had allowed him to narrow down what limits her power currently had. The clones revealed that she could not automatically distinguish her target. The supernova proved that she could not alter arge area, but could affect arge area by reversing one source. Once the next multi-projectile attack hit, Desir would be able to ascertain the range and scope of her defensive capabilities


    *Boom*


    The light around her began to shine even more brilliantly, and wiped out the pouring splendor as it approached her from all sides. Though she was defending without much effort, Desir had all the pieces he needed.


    [Burn up, howl, yearn for, and¡­ ] *Sparkle*


    A super high pressure current of mana began to swirl around around Desir, the magical substance roaring like a wild beast trapped inside a cage. The spell he was about to unleash held overwhelming power, and he was the only human being capable of using it. Desir did not hesitate to unleash the magic, which well deserved its mythical name.


    [¡­ bite off, Fenrir!]


    Blue-colored thunder rippled out, swarming Prisci. It absorbed the heavy manaden air, growing in size and intensity as it surged forward. Attacks of different timing, strength, and direction all focused in on her, creating one single attack that she would not be able to dispel.


    [-Current rate of assimtion is 80%.]


    The wings behind her back suddenly grew a sizerger, and speckles of light surged towards the originating cloud. Just before the first attack couldnd, the spell disappeared without a trace.


    Desir clenched his fist tightly, his nails breaking the surface of his skin. ¡®Damn it, if I had been a moment sooner¡­ !¡¯


    However, he was not allowed even a moment to vent his grief. If he relented for even a moment, the light which erased everything was going to pour down on him too. He had no choice but to engage in a war of attrition until he found a suitable solution.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ !¡±


    Desir, sweating a lot, exhaled deeply. His face was pale. Due to the constant consumption of massive quantities of mana, he had to lean into his cane in order to stay upright.


    ¡®At this rate, I¡¯ll lose. No matter how effective the magic I create is, if it just gets dispelled, then¡­ ¡¯


    Prisci was growing stronger with time, while Desir continued to consume mana and stamina.


    ¡®¡­ ¡­ Wait a minute!¡¯


    A smile came to Desir¡¯s lips, the inexorable despair that gued it finding reason to leave.

 Chapter 306. Praying (9)

    <h4>Chapter 306. Praying (9)</h4>


    [-Current rate of assimtion is 80%.]


    Prisci internally celebrated. If her left arm had fully recovered, she would have pped in joy as hard as she could.


    The scene that appeared before her eyes was worthy of being recorded in legend. Desir¡¯s magic reminded her of every natural disaster, and he could still manage to stand against her, who had reached the realm of God. Prisci, as a human being, was in awe of him reaching such a level.


    ¡°This is beautiful.¡±


    No trace of the old Prisci who used to speak in a lovely fashion remained. Her beautiful voice that used to resonate like a song had disappeared entirely, and had been reced by a mechanically unpleasant sound, as though iron could speak.


    Her eyes that used to shine like ck pearls had lost their color and now felt cold; hideous teeth now sprouted through her snowke-like skin.


    At first, only her left arm had been like that, but before he knew it, half of her body had been eaten and transformed by the machine.


    ¡°But is this the best you can do?¡± *Spread*


    The wings of light fluttered again, and their surroundings were illuminated by the incredibly bright light. Desir¡¯stest spell, which had been flooding towards her, evaporated in vain.


    This situation was repeated over and over again. Desir was unable to touch even the tips of Prisci¡¯s hair.


    She never lowered her guard. She was certain that this was not all Desir had to offer. Actually, she ¡®looked¡¯ at him to confirm this, instead of relying on her human knowledge.


    ¡®These spells are nothing but tricks.¡¯ Prisci was astonished.


    When her assimtion rate exceeded eighty percent, another feature of the Artemis system became avable. The new function allowed her to analyze the situation and urately predict the future. It was originally the function that guided users to reach a better future while reproducing historical events, but Prisci used it in a unique way.


    ¡®Left.¡¯


    *Crack*


    She destroyed all of the iing spells, anticipating exactly which direction Desir¡¯s magic was headed. It was an ability equivalent to seeing visions of the future.


    At first, she could only predict a few seconds ahead, but as the rate of assimtion increased, she could gradually see a clearer and farther future.


    At this point in the battle, she was capable of predicting up to a week¡¯s worth of time, approximately one-hundred and sixty-eight hours. With it, she was able to see that Desir was preparing something.


    Against a power capable of interpreting all possibilities, petty tricks were a waste of time. ¡®Now, let¡¯s slowly savor the answers you¡¯vee up with.¡¯


    Prisci closed her eyes, and golden light enveloped around her. Desir stepped forward, and ced his hands onto the cold street above the room where the Artemis system lied. At that moment, the air around both the main system and Prisci began to distort.


    Desir had invoked [Dream of a Contradictory World], summoning a spatial distortion, and protected himself with [Dream of a Contradictory World].


    However, something was different about it. Additional spell arrays had been added and the spell itself had been subtly changed. *Crack*


    The area around him that had been distorted soon began to break apart and disappear. He had added spatial movement to the spell.


    [-Assimtion rate is falling!]


    The Artemis main system was split into hundreds of branches and rapidly flung far and wide throughout space. This was a method of attack that would be impossible to cope with, even for Prisci who wielded absolute power. Her ability removed anything it came into contact with, but the attack never physically existed; the space was just distorted.


    In order to cope with that, she had to restore the space itself and restore the main body of the separated Artemis to resume assimtion.


    It was a much moreplex job inparison to Desir¡¯s, who simply had to keep destroying space and moving it elsewhere. It was only natural that the speed of her restoration would not be able to keep up with his speed of destruction.


    She felt her strength declining at a rapid pace. The Artemis system, which had been firmly connected to her until now, began to leave Prisci. If it continued at this rate, Prisci would be helpless to losing her strength.


    Her visionplete, Prisci opened her eyes. She had gleaned the future, and it was time to change it.


    *Whooong*


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Desir.¡±


    The sound of heavy machinery began to reverberate. The noise came as the Artemis main system whirred into full operation.


    [-Confirming the order of the first-ss executor. Activating emergency freeze mode.]


    As soon as he began to distort the area around the main system, the space suddenly began to resist his spell. Desir tried gathering more mana to ovee this sudden resistance, but his efforts were useless. No matter how much force he applied, he waspletely unable to affect the Artemis system.


    ¡°It¡¯s meaningless. I¡¯ve fixed causality.¡±


    With cause and effect fixed, no matter what one did, they could not change the present state of things. No phenomenon could ur within this realm.


    ¡®I can¡¯t use it anymore, but¡­ It¡¯s the same as over.¡¯


    Though the function created a genuinely invincible defense, it had a fundamental problem. Not only was it impossible to assimte with the system while using the freeze function, but it was incredibly intensive in terms of power. Right now, only the gem powering the Artemis system was free of its stasis. Once she turned the stasis off, she would not be able to turn it back on for a very long time.


    Of course, even though this was an incredibly strong function, it would have been useless if it was invoked toote. It was only possible because she had predicted the future, and used the knowledge acquired to act ordingly.


    It was not long before the area had be eerily quiet. Only vain despair encroached on this bubble of silence.


    ¡°Pant¡­ pant¡­ ¡±


    Desir barely supported himself, breathing hard and leaning on his cane. He thought he had caught her off guard, so he poured all of his mana into it, leaving him with barely enough strength to stay conscious.


    [-Disabling the Emergency Freeze mode. Resuming the assimtion process with the first-ss executor.]


    The means remaining to Desir no longer existed. This was neither conceited nor careless. She saw. She created a new future by blocking Desir¡¯s spell¡­ and in the process of doing so, effectively cut off the remaining resistance Desir could put forward. He had no other means at his disposal now, and she could see his demise.


    Though he was alive, Desir was powerless. Only now could Prisci release her tension. After taking a moment to appreciate what had transpired, she bounced her finger, as though pressing an invisible button.


    *Rumble*


    At that moment, the atmosphere fluctuated and a tidal wave of mana began to gather. Desir¡¯s eyes nced at the sight before him. It was because the magic spell array he knew all too well now hung in the air.


    Soon after, the air condensed and a blue me appeared. It heated up at a tremendous speed and began to burn white.


    ¡°Supernova¡­ ?¡±


    Desir¡¯s face paled. Supernova was a magic that only he could develop. When it began to unfold out of Prisci¡¯s hand, he was at a loss for words.


    ¡°No way¡­ ¡±


    Desir finally figured out what Prisci had done. A trace of mana he used remained in the atmosphere. She used her power to reconstruct it and use it against him.


    Prisci¡¯s ability and its varied applications continued to exceed Desir¡¯s expectations. [Burn up, howl, yearn for, and bite off, Fenrir]


    [Stream of Stardust]


    The spells that Desir poured out towards Prisci began to emerge one by one. ¡°Now, Desir. Struggle.¡±


    Prisci continued with a smile around her mouth. ¡°Isn¡¯t inverting spells supposed to be your expertise?¡±


    ¡°Urgh¡­ !¡±


    *Boom*


    The trajectories carved into the air were altered, some of them colliding with each other and others plunging into the ground or soaring vertically into the sky. Desir knew better than anyone else because it was his own magic. The fact that it was impossible to invert all of these spells in such a short time.


    ¡®I struggled up until thest minute, but¡­ ¡¯


    Desir, who had already reached his limit, eventually knelt down. *Boom*


    ¡®It¡¯s alling to an end.¡¯


    A huge explosion swept through the ce Desiry.


    [-Confirmed execution of hostile presence. Disabling emergency self-defense function.] The Artemis main system announced Desir¡¯s death.


    It was no exaggeration to say that the conclusion drawn by the Artemis system was an irrevocable truth, so there could not have been any reversal of this fact.


    Prisci finally reached the victory she had desired.


    [-100% assimtion rate has been reached. First-ss executor, Prisci Haicilkite, has been transferred full authority over the system.]


    Something appeared in her head. The entirety of the information the Artemis system had umted and analyzed over the course of its existence flooded into Prisci¡¯s mind. If a normal human being received this information, if she had not assimted with the system, she would have died of insanity, her mind unable to maintain itself.


    ¡®I will save¡­ ¡¯


    Prisci¡¯s will survived the process, her aspirations guiding the machine¡¯s actions. ¡®Everyone who was not saved¡­ ¡¯


    A firm goal. She used it as a prop to withstand the pain attacking her and straightened her resolve. Her brain endured the burning sensation and she internally muttered hermand. [-Save the world.]


    A beautiful voice resounded like a song. It was the original voice of Prisci, who had lost it in the process of assimting with the Artemis system.


    She could feel it. She finally had her hands on the entirety of the Artemis system. As Prisci reached out to the sky, the ground began to tremble as if there was an earthquake.


    *Kiiying*


    Through the perforated ceiling, the clouds in the sky twirled at her will. It was a sign heralding the outbreak of a Shadow World.


    ¡®The erosion range is the entire continent.¡¯ *Rumble*


    The sky of Dresden, which was almost dawn, was overshadowed by the shadowy dark clouds, followed by a static crackling. Soon the Shadow World would encroach the whole continent, and a new era would begin.


    Just when Prisci thought so¡­ Noise began to distort the future she was envisioning. In her clear future, cracks urred and the image faded.


    The future was changing? Prisci hurriedly looked up and nced around. And she found the source.


    Desir Arman was alive and looking at her. ¡°It¡¯s over, Prisci.¡±

 Chapter 307. Praying (10)

    <h4>Chapter 307. Praying (10)</h4>


    ¡°Good work, Lunia.¡±


    An eyeball-shaped ne popped out of Desir¡¯s dimensional pocket and fell into his palm. It had lost its original brilliant color and turned a pale, grayish brown.


    [-No way¡­ ]


    The results of the Artemis System¡¯s analysis was absolute. And this absolute analysis had dered the death of Desir Arman. It was unthinkable for any other result to ur.


    However, Desir stood in front of Prisci, looking fine.


    [-Since when have you had¡­ I thought Lunia was in the possession of Skull Mask.]


    Lunia had introduced herself as Artemis¡¯s assistant, and while that was still true, she did so by functioning as the system¡¯s auxiliary mainframe. She was not powerful enough to create Shadow Worlds or manipte the world itself, but she could reverse causality on a small scale. Like how Crow Mask was able to restore his body during his fight with Swan, Desir was able to survive Prisci¡¯s attack unscathed.


    It was a single-use action, with an extremely long cooldown, but that was enough for Desir. ¡®It worked just as Lunia said it would.¡¯


    If this was an attack calcted and predicted by the Artemis system, even a reversal of cause and effect would have been useless. But Desir was able to use Lunia to act outside of the calctions of the Artemis system. Because the auxiliary system, Lunia, was the same as the Artemis system itself. This exclusion had be a blind spot: there was no need to calcte the actions of oneself.


    [-But what¡¯s the point of holding out like that?]


    In the end, the situation had not changed. For some reason, Desir had very little mana left; he would not be able tounch many more attacks.


    ¡®His struggle is futile. I am already a god. I already beat Desir when he was in peak condition, and now I¡¯m several times stronger. Our fight wasn¡¯t even close; it was time-consuming at best.¡¯


    When Prisci thought so, Desir spoke in a calm voice. ¡°I made time. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Despite the desperation Desir should have felt, he had a faint smirk on his lips. The scene infuriated Prisci. When she attempted to peer into Desir¡¯s future, she instead recalled part of the world¡¯s lost history.


    Despite the creation of a divine power, the Artemis system, humankind still copsed. The demons that appeared were powerful, but with the ability to reverse causality and manipte the fabric of the world, they would have eventually been dealt with. What eventually pushed humanity to the brink was the appearance of an extraterrestrial being, a dragon, something that the Artemis system could not calcte the actions of. Its appearance caused the system to malfunction, and mankind¡¯s greatest invention was reduced to a pile of scrap metal. Humanity was destroyed.


    ¡®Why did this suddenlye to mind? The copse of the past should be irrelevant¡­ ¡¯


    Prisci let her thoughts wander. Conting the two situations would have to be the product of a wild delusion. Desir, who had now been weakened to the point of helplessness, was no different to her than a flying bug that made an annoying noise.


    *Flutter*


    The wings hanging behind Prisci¡¯s back unfolded in unison. [-This is the end of your struggle.]


    Her wings unfolded, and a dazzling array of shimmering strands of light covered the entire area, spanning many kilometers in radius.


    It was the light of extinction. The core of Dresden was wiped out without a trace. The brilliant light only allowed Prisci to maintain her existence.


    If this attack were to be repeated many times, Desir would die every time, even if he had the power to reverse cause and effect at will. Prisci smiled and turned her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s you who will meet their end, Prisci.¡±


    She could not help but be astonished. This was because Desir, who should have disappeared, was still standing¡­ again.


    *Flow*


    An irritating noise continued to throb in the background. At that moment Prisci noticed that something like ck mist was flowing out of Desir.


    The pure-ck darkness gradually encroached upon the light that covered everything else. [-What the hell is this¡­ ?!]


    The darkness that seeped out of Desir did not shrink away when touched by the mighty light of destruction. Instead, it was the light that was devoured.


    Prisci¡¯s power of extinction, granted by the Artemis system, was a force that shook cause and effect, ignoring even the naturalws of the world. It was no exaggeration to say that she had ess to the powers of god.


    But Desir was incapacitating such power. In that case, had his strength surpassed that of the gods?


    *Step*


    *Step*


    Desir took a step towards Prisci, and each time he stepped forward, darkness spread and covered the light. Being witness to such a sight, Prisci only felt one emotion. Futility.


    Even though she could no longer see the future, she started getting premonitions of defeat. ¡®I can not¡­ end like this!¡¯


    Prisci concentrated all of her strength into a single attack, halting the darkening of the world. A vast expanse of light that made the whole world pale. Light concentrated at a single point, eventually releasing at Desir.


    The power to destroy all beings in the world had been directed at a single person. But Desir did not stop.


    ¡°The source of your poweres from the magical element of light.¡±


    As soon as the vast beam of light reached the darkness, it simply lost its strength and disappeared into the vast darkness.


    ¡°Though it seems supernatural, light is a physical part of the world. It¡¯s a wave that conforms to physics, with a natural and tangible manifestation.¡±


    *Step*


    *Step*


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to block your power over causality. If I divide my mana small enough, I can block your light directly.¡±


    ¡°¡­ !¡±


    The darkness was not some cursed power; it was just mana that was blocking out all light, resulting in the terrifying scene created.


    [-Only¡­ that shouldn¡¯t be able to overwhelm the power of a god!]


    ¡°God? The Artemis system is no god. It¡¯s a piece of technology, something invented by humans.¡±


    Desir had to invent a magic system that existed outside of any preexisting structure discovered by humanity. To do so, he had to work with mana on a microscopic and fundamental level. The deconstruction of mana into something small enough to block light was abstract, but not that difficult.


    ¡®Of course, it had aplicated structure that caused me a great deal of frustration.¡¯ One problem was that the process itself was veryplicated. That was why¡­


    ¡°All I needed to beat you was time.¡± Time.


    The moment she heard it, Prisci seemed to have been hit hard on the back of her head. ¡®Have you been calcting my strength since the beginning?¡¯


    Inversion. To do so, you needed to grasp your opponent¡¯s strength, analyze them thoroughly, and then neutralize their attacks. It did not require powerful magic, or an unusual artifact, but in the end a counter-attack that Prisci had dismissed was what eventually caught her off guard.


    Finally, Prisci realized. Most of Desir¡¯s attacks had been directed towardsprehending her power, and once he had done that, they had been used to buy him time.


    [-For this¡­ only from the very beginning¡­ ]


    ¡®When did it start? Since when have I been ying in his hands?¡¯ *Step*


    *Step*


    The distance between Desir and Prisci gradually narrowed. [-Think about this again, Desir.]


    Prisci shouted at the approaching Desir.


    [-I admit that what I¡¯m trying to do will require a lot of sacrifice. But imagine the results! Can you really say that I¡¯m in the wrong?]


    But Desir walked silently, as if he did not hear Prisci¡¯s voice. As Desir gradually neared, her tone became urgent.


    [-You should see the big picture, Desir! In the perfect world I will bring about, all of mankind can be happy! Even you! Zod can be brought back! So please¡­ !]


    ¡°Give up.¡±


    There was a strange ring to Desir¡¯s voice. It was a voice that seemed to be a mixture of hatred and sorrow.


    ¡°You lost.¡± *Touch*


    Before she knew it, Desir reached out his hand and touched Prisci¡¯s forehead. *Kiiying*


    Magic began to unfold in front of his hand. Since he did not have much mana left after dismantling her light, he could only use spells up to the Third-Circle, which were drastically weaker than the spells he had been using up till now. But Prisci, whose only remaining power had been blocked, could not resist this paltry level of spell. Soon after the spell arraypleted, the spell waspletely revealed.


    It was a spell that Prisci had seen many times. [Fire Storm]


    Third-Circle magic. But Prisci knew it held more power than any other Third-Circle spell. The moment the spell was unleashed, the Artemis system would be reduced to ashes as well. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯


    At thest moment, she decided to take a final gamble. *Fire*


    The heat slowly rose. Just before the storm of vast mes hit Prisci. A cold mechanical sound resonated in both Desir and Prisci¡¯s ears.


    [-Proceeding with world reversal.]


    A dark cloud sprawled over Dresden and devoured the two.

 Chapter 308. Praying (11)

    <h4>Chapter 308. Praying (11)</h4>


    Desir opened his eyes, feeling somewhat disconcerted. The scene of a party hall appeared in his hazy vision.


    ¡®This is¡­ ¡¯


    He squinted his eyes; the blurry scenery was so familiar.


    A sapphire chandelier, an antique oak table, and thousands of students filled the room.


    The party room was abuzz with anticipation, mingling with the noise from hundreds of excited conversations.


    ¡®No way!¡¯


    Desir bolted up without realizing it, and the ss in front of him fell and spilled the wine inside. This was the grand auditorium of the Hebrion Academy, the ce where the entrance ceremony was held.


    ¡°Desir, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    A gentle voice came from Desir¡¯s side. Turning his head, Professor Bridgette, who was sitting next to him, looked worried. She wore an elegant ck suit. It was an outfit quite unusual for her to wear in the midst of a battle.


    Noticing something was off, Desir wiped off his bewildered expression and put on an admirable performance. It was an act that would fool anyone into thinking he was pure and innocent.


    ¡°Haha, I drank some wine and I identally dozed off.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you really can¡¯t help it. I told you to drink in moderation today.¡±


    When Bridgette beckoned, a damp breeze blew and wiped the spilled wine clean. ¡°Do you feel dizzy?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Not to that extent.¡±


    Desir sat down again and drank the cold water thaty on the table. He pretended to be calm on the surface, but a myriad of thoughts passed through his head.


    ¡®That alert said world reversal, didn¡¯t it?¡¯


    For just a moment before the dark clouds consumed them, an alert warning of an iing world reversal sounded out. If the world had been reversed, that could only mean one thing: he was in a Shadow World.


    Prisci artificially created a Shadow World around herself and Desir just before her death. ¡®But this is¡­ ¡¯


    Desir felt doubtful on one point in particr. Shadow Worlds were set in turning points in history. So why did Prisci choose to make a Shadow World against this backdrop? If the goal was to kill him, there must have been a better option.


    ¡®That¡¯s not the only thing weird¡­ ¡¯


    Desir looked around. Professor Pugman was sipping dark beer alone at a table right next to him, and Professor Lafon and Professor twick were sitting opposite and talking.


    Desir was seated at a table amongst the professors. He was certain this situation had never existed in his memory.


    ¡°Desir, how are you today?¡±


    While Desir was in agony, a middle-aged man spoke to him in a friendly voice.


    He was Professor Benquick Periamoss who had been giving him a warm look over the thick lenses of his sses. Born as amoner, he was a professor in charge of teaching runguage. But he was actually an Outsider who manipted the settings of a virtual Shadow World in an attempt to provoke war, at the cost of sacrificing almost all of the promising young talent.


    ¡°No problems here, Professor.¡±


    Desir confirmed that there was no ring on his finger. As soon as he checked it, Desir could be certain. This was not a normal Shadow World.


    Benquick¡¯s mouth opened before Desir even had a chance to answer his question. ¡°That¡¯s great. Then, shall we proceed with the Academy¡¯s tradition?¡±


    Tradition. There was only one tradition at the entrance ceremony of the Hebrion Academy. Typically, the keynote speech would be given by the Professor of magic.


    Desir naturally looked to his side. This was because Bridgette was the Professor of magic. She returned his gaze with a brief smile, before speaking.


    ¡°You must be nervous. Let me give you a quick tip as your previous professor and the dean of Hebrion Academy. Be confident, try to keep it short, and speak powerfully.¡±


    Desir¡¯splexion immediately paled.


    ¡°I look forward to seeing what you prepared, Desir Arman.¡±


    This was not just a Shadow World. It was not a reenactment of a past historical event, but a world created by changing history.


    As soon as Desir recognized it, a message rang out in his ear.


    [-Entering the main quest ¡®The Ideal World¡¯. The details of the quest will not be disclosed until special conditions are met.]


    * * *


    Warm sunlight shone through the dense vegetation. The sky was extremely clear without a cloud in sight, and the fragrant smell of the blooming pansies filled the garden.


    The sound of studentsughing in groups of three to five made the atmosphere bright. It was a truly peaceful scene. Desir sat on the garden bench and enjoyed the peace to his greatest capacity.


    ¡°Hello, Professor Desir!¡±


    ¡°Good weather, Professor! Are you out for a walk?¡±


    The students bowed their heads whenever they saw Desir. A week had already passed, but Desir was struggling to adapt to the situation.


    ¡®I want to move on fast and get back to reality.¡¯


    But it was not easy, due to the unprecedented setting added to this Shadow World. ¡®It¡¯s impossible to believe that the content of the quest itself has not been disclosed¡­ ¡¯


    The aim of a Shadow World was to solve the problems existing in the reproduced historical event, and a minimum clue would be given immediately after appearing in the world.


    For some reason, this Shadow World had not given him any clues to work with, even though he had entered the main quest. When he had no idea what needed to be done, there was not a thing he could do.


    Of course, that did not mean Desir was left idle. Over the past week, he spent all his free time scouring the world for clues and information.


    Desir Arman. His role in this Shadow World was also one of the lines of inquiry he pursued. He was a technical adviser to the Magic Tower. The youngest Professor of magic. An unparalleled talent for leading-edge modern magic.


    There was no end to the list of titles and monikers that followed. The reputation of the name Desir Arman carried in the field of magic was unparalleled.


    ¡®Truly, it¡¯s a dream-like world.¡¯


    Desir closed his right eye and looked around with only his left eye. His vision in his left eye, which should have been lost after he defeated Dadenewt, was all too clear.


    That was not the only thing that changed. The distance between the nobility and themon people, which Desir struggled topletely eliminate despite so much effort, was gone. There was no conflict or disgust between the two.


    It was simply an ideal world for him. As much as he wanted to, Desir could not ept it. ¡®This world is a lie.¡¯


    No matter how borate it was, this ce was not based in reality. Living here was no different from living in a well-made y.


    To keep himself from losing his way, Desir repeated this fact over and over again.


    Suddenly, someone hugged Desir from behind. With a warm body temperature, a subtle perfume invaded his nostrils. Desir could tell who it was, even if he did not look back.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Romantica?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching some flowers for a while.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a perfect day to enjoy the flowers.¡± Romantica hesitated for a moment before speaking again. ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we take a walk together for a while?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. I just happened to be free this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°I marched over here in person, so even if you had a busy schedule, you better clear it for me.¡± Romantica deftly smiled and utched herself from Desir. Only then did Desir look over his shoulder at her.


    Romantica was wearing an exotic dress with a broad shoulder cut. The frills at the end and the ck wave patterns were strangely blended. In contrast to the ck dress, her bright blue rose earrings popped, giving her style a fresh charm.


    In this world, Romantica was a world-renowned fashion designer and the founder of Diva, an eminent fashion magazine.


    ¡°What are you staring at?¡±


    Romantica hit Desir¡¯s nose staring at her with her finger. Their eyes met for a moment. They smiled at each other, not speaking at all for a long moment.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen that one before. Did you design it yourself?¡±


    ¡°Huh? How did you know that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one capable of designing a dress as intricate as that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, haha. Thank you.¡±


    The triumphant Romantica equivocated and bowed her head. Desir smiled at her ears, which had turned red, like lumps of hot iron.


    ¡°Oh, so you still turn red. You used to turn red whenever you gotpliments.¡±


    ¡°S-Stop it! Don¡¯t make fun of me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. Thatpliment was sincere.¡± Desir smiled again and rose from his seat.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to theke. The cherry blossoms must have bloomed by now.¡±


    They walked along the path, and the conversation they shared bloomed like the flowers and trees they passed.


    When they got to theke, they bore witness to the cherry trees havinge into full bloom. When Romantica beckoned, a fresh wind blew in and they began to be peppered by light pink petals. It was an ecstatically beautifulndscape.


    ¡®She looks happy.¡¯


    Romantica looked perfectly happy. It was a matter of course. She had gotten the one thing she wanted from this world.


    Just like Desir, she had also achieved her secret wish in this dream-like world. ¡®Everyone looks so happy¡­ ¡¯


    In the process of gathering information, Desir looked at not only himself but also what the people he remembered were living like.


    Radoria von Dorice. Argeria G Rogran Nimbias. There were so many other people who had achieved their wishes.


    As far as he could tell, there were no exceptions. Because of theck of time he had at his disposal, he could not follow up with everyone, but at least as far as he knew, this seemed to be the truth. Even Crow Mask, Icarus Quirgo¡­


    ¡®Maybe¡­ ¡¯


    Had it not been the fate of the world to perish¡­ If everything had gone smoothly without any threat¡­ Is this how the world would have turned out?


    ¡®¡­ Maybe this world isn¡¯t so bad.¡¯


    As soon as he thought this, Desir suddenly felt like he had forgotten something important. ¡®What did I forget?¡¯


    He did not know. He was sure he forgot something, but he just could not recall. Eventually, he gave up and looked towards the sky in defeat.


    The blue sky filled with showers of pink blossoms was so beautiful.

 Chapter 309. Praying (12)

    <h4>Chapter 309. Praying (12)</h4>


    He had a dream. It was a perfectly scary dream.


    In another life, he endured all of the pain and even hypocrisy necessary to save the world. He killed a colleague who once held the same ideal, and killed countless enemies who blocked him.


    And he lost his precious friends in the process.


    It was a terrible, terrible dream. He longed to forget all of it.


    But Desir knew, it was not just a nightmare, it was an undeniable reality. One day, he would have to wake up from his dream and return to reality.


    Broken free from his restless sleep by an rm from hismunication bracelet, Desir checked the iing message.


    [Sorry for contacting you in the early hours. Can you spare me some time this evening? I¡¯d like to talk to you about what we went overst time.]


    He had received a message from one of his friends, Zod Exarion. Though in this world they were just coworkers, Zod had been a cornerstone of Desir¡¯s real life: someone who had worried about him until the veryst moment.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡± *Squeeze*


    Desir grasped the pad firmly. He had been enjoying a debate with Zod every daytely. It was a perfectly joyful time.


    But all he could do was be sad. The present time was nothing but a lie that would disappear when the Shadow World was cleared. And once he returned, there would be no more Zod Exarion.


    ¡°Really, it¡¯s a dream world.¡±


    As Desir spent his time here, he was able to see with his own eyes how many people enjoyed this fake happiness. This was a world where each person lived his or her own ideals. Desir¡¯s purpose was to destroy this world, and destroying this world was like depriving countless people of their entitled happiness.


    ¡®Do I have a right to do it? Is that really my choice to make?¡¯


    It was hard to even breathe under such pressure. It was literally the weight of the world. When Desir was in such agony, a mechanical voice came in.


    [-Special condition, ¡®The Weight of the World¡¯ has been cleared.]


    This was what Prisci strived for. Desir Arman was allowed to see her ideal with his own eyes. She hoped he would understand her intention in the truest sense.


    [-Starting the main quest. You must either ¡®deny this world¡¯, or ¡®recognize this world¡¯. Once you have done so, the future of the world will be decided.]


    Prisci wanted a battle of pure ideology without any preconceptions. That was thest gamble she threw.


    * * *


    At a low hill near the training area of Hebrion Academy, Desir and Romantica were spending their time lounging on the wooden benches there. Romantica was designing a new uniform for the hard-working students.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been training really hard recently.¡±


    ¡°They remind me of the old days. Something about that is really inspiring.¡±


    Desir looked at the side of her passionately sketching, then took a moment to pause before opening his mouth.


    ¡°Romantica¡­ are you happy right now?¡±


    Romantica¡¯s furious scribbling came to a sudden halt. She turned and looked at Desir, concern hidden within her expression.


    ¡°Asking something like that out of the blue. Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong. Just curious, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Hold on. I¡¯ll finish this and answer you.¡±


    Romantica, having given a temporary answer, began to move her pen again. Lines began to form over the sketchbook one after another, and quickly took the detailed form of clothing. Desir looked at Romantica without saying anything. She seemed to be having a hard time during her training, but now she looked happier than ever.


    Soon after, the picture waspleted, and Romantica handed it to Desir.


    ¡°This is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Now that I¡¯m doing it, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m not happy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are.¡±


    It was obvious. In this ce, everyone reached their ideals. They were able to do whatever they wanted to do. It was a world made like that after all, so there was no one could ever not be happy.


    ¡°Onest thing.¡±


    ¡°If you ask me another useless question, I¡¯ll hit you with the wind.¡± Fortunately, this question was very ordinary.


    ¡°The dress you designedst time, when will it be released?¡± Romantica shrugged.


    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know. All I can do is design, so I¡¯ve never thought about anything else.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is that so¡­ ¡±


    Desir stared at the sketch Romantica handed over for a long time.


    It was a training suit. Not only did it take advantage of the practicality of the existing training suit, but it was also a design that added oddly aesthetic charm by adding various additions and embroidering.


    ¡°I hope ites out soon.¡±


    * * *


    That afternoon, Desir went to a mansion in downtown Dresden without going to the academy. It was a rare,rge-scale building in Dresden that stood out amongst the many other mansions. As he slowly passed the iron gate, a garden of roses and other flowers was revealed.


    Someone was waiting for Desir in the garden. He was a first-ss beauty with sky-blue hair, an individual who stood out even amongst the many flowers. He was like a silver drop in the middle of the garden.


    Pram Schneider. It was the name of a friend he could never forget. Pram looked up and smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, Professor Desir!¡±


    There was no name in this world that he remembered with as much rity. Desir answered with a smile.


    ¡°Long time no see, Pram Germia.¡±


    The House of Germia. Distinguished by its noble history, it was a family that was destroyed after Dresden was upied by theirmoner revolution.


    That was why Pram was never able to find his father, despite having received a very specific and ornate weapon from him and rising to national poprity as a member of the Starling Party. He had no family capable of recognizing him, and he could not find a family that did not exist.


    But it was different in this world. Because the revolution itself did not take ce, the family existed, and in the first ce Pram was born and raised there from the beginning. In other words, Pram had a family in this world. It was a dream and an ideal that Pram had always wished for.


    ¡°I was surprised to hear that you suddenly wanted to have a meal with my family.¡±


    Pram led Desir into the dining room of the mansion. The hall was as long as the size of the mansion, and the two could have quite a few conversations on their way.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have to check something.¡±


    Pram tilted his head at what Desir was saying.


    ¡°Well, anyway my family and I have all been anticipating your visit. You¡¯re a celebrity.¡±


    Soon the two reached the dining room at the end of the corridor. When Pram opened the door, he saw people who had arrived early and taken a seat in advance.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. Professor Desir Arman.¡±


    The man sitting at the top of the table rose up and approached Desir. A middle-aged man with sky-blue hair that resembled Pram.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I couldn¡¯t meet you thest time you stopped by, but I¡¯m d to be able to share a meal like this.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, Sir Germia.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you don¡¯t need to use Sir with me. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been knighted.¡±


    With a good smile, he urged Desir to shake hands. Their hands were strong and firm. Desir recalled that he likely would have been amander of the Hebrion army. ¡°Sit this way.¡±


    The moment Desir sat down at the rmendation of Germia, the two sisters, who were shing their eyes, poured out questions like a waterfall.


    ¡°Professor! Is the entrance exam for the Hebrion Academy really a Shadow World?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you seem to know quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true! But what if there¡¯s an ident?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s used for entrance exams is a virtual Shadow World, and it¡¯s under theplete control of the academy.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ !¡±


    ¡°And¡­ !¡±


    As questions seemed endless, Mrs. Germia, who had not been able to stand it, tried to stop the sisters.


    ¡°Carina, Abe. You guys are troubling the professor.¡±


    ¡°But I have a lot more to ask about the academy!¡±


    ¡°One more question! No, just two things! No, wait, three!¡±


    ¡°You two, really¡­ ¡±


    Mrs. Germia sighed as if she could not stop it. Desir waved his hands. ¡°I¡¯m fine, ma¡¯am. It¡¯s a question from my prospective students.¡±


    ¡°You are the best, Mr. Desir!¡±


    ¡°Can I call you brother?¡±


    The Hebrion Academy maintained its reputation as the best institution in the world. It was the most prestigious ce for everyone that craved to learn. So Desir, who became the youngest professor there, was literally the man who received all admiration. ¡®That¡¯s why everyone said they didn¡¯t mind me visiting.¡¯


    Desir smiled gingerly and kindly answered the sister¡¯s sessive questions with no sign of displeasure. Since the atmosphere was so weing, even the couple asked questions one by one. Since the sisters were about to enter the academy, the parents seemed to have a lot of questions too.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn to ask questions!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my turn! You just asked a question!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve asked twice!¡±


    The two sisters made a lot of noise, but the meal was very pleasant and they could not stopughing. It was easy to see that the everyday life of this family would normally be this joyous.


    As Desir turned his head slightly, Pram was looking at his sisters in front of him with a very friendly look. His eyes showed just how much he valued and loved his family.


    ¡°Are you happy, Pram?¡± Desir asked.


    ¡°Of course, I''m really happy.¡±


    Pram answered with his eyes firmly fixed on his family. Even though it was an embarrassing question, it was an immediate answer without hesitation.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because, as you can see, I¡¯m with my family.¡±


    He was with his family. Pram had desperately wanted this, and it had happened. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡±


    It would have been a perfect ending if it had been just that, and if it had really happened.


    But the question had intrigued Pram, and so he suddenly turned his head towards Desir. In that following moment, Pram Germain became extremely perplexed.


    ¡°Professor Desir?¡±


    He felt sadness emanating from Desir.

 Chapter 310. Praying (13)

    <h4>Chapter 310. Praying (13)</h4>


    There was a tavern located in the center of Dresden. It was not a fancy ce, but the price of alcohol was cheap and the meal was good enough, so it was the perfect ce for ordinary people to escape their hard lives.


    Thanks to this, he was barely able to move amongst the crowd. The sound of beer sses bumping into each other and theughter of excitement from the crowd came from all around him.


    While looking around, Desir found and approached a person sitting in a corner with a hood concealing their face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d like this kind of noisy ce.¡±


    ¡°Haha, but isn¡¯t the lively atmosphere good? You¡¯ll like it when you get used to it.¡±


    At the moment when the person wearing the hood pressed down on Desir¡¯s word lightly, a dazzling white blonde hair spilled out of the hood.


    A colleague of Desir and one of the strongest of mankind who had been with him until thest moment. At that time they were a Kingscrown, specifically, they were the former princess of the Hebrion Empire.


    ¡°More than anything else, the beer here tastes good.¡±


    When the beer they ordered arrived, the two tilted back the sses and drained them. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not bad.¡±


    Obviously, as Adjest said, the taste of the beer was not bad. But that was all. It was rather dull and objectively did not taste very good. It certainly was not a taste that Desir would like, and after scouring his memory, he doubted the Adjest from reality would care much for it either. But this Adjest, as if it were a heavenly sweet drink, drunk the whole mug at once.


    ¡®Is this also because history has been changed in this world¡­ ?¡¯


    In this world, there was no revolution, and the Hebrion family, the existing Imperial family, survived without being destroyed.


    As a result, there was no history of the Rogfs bing the royal family. In a world without discrimination, the Adjest before him was not much different from amon citizen, lower in status than the Imperial maids.


    Taste in food and drink reflects a person¡¯s life. It was a natural result that she had a different taste inparison to when she was the princess.


    ¡°How¡¯s the Royal Guard work going?¡±


    Fortunately, Adjest¡¯s talent remained intact in this world. She belonged to the Royal Guard, the most powerful group in the Hebrion Empire, and was living a life that was notcking in any respect.


    ¡°It¡¯s a vicious working environment. I can confirm that we are forced to live a terrible life.¡± *Boom*


    Adjest set down her ss roughly, whileining.


    ¡°In the midst of a shortage of manpower, the idents never stop, so there¡¯s no time to rest.¡± Desir shook his head. Here, everyone was living the life they longed for and enjoying happiness. And not many of them really wanted to carry a sword. Therefore, to prevent various disasters, a few of them had no choice but to work without a break. But Desir was able to read a different emotion from the facial expression of Adjest.


    It was pride that caused the corners of her mouth to rise slightly. ¡°You seem to like your work.¡±


    ¡°I take it to heart.¡±


    Adjest listened attentively. The inside of the tavern was filled with all sorts of sounds. The tter of a ss of beer, the mor of voices, a loud call to the barmaid. It was just noise that would have been loud or obnoxious to the average person, but not for Adjest.


    ¡°If I¡¯m working to protect their smiles, then wouldn¡¯t anything be worth it?¡±


    The noisiest ce in the Hebrion Empire. The reason why Adjest frequently visited this ce, where all kinds of people gather, was simple. She relieved the fatigue of the day¡¯s work by watching the countless people she had protected enjoy their daily lives without any worries. Her ideal of protecting the people of her country was that way.


    ¡°Adjest, are you happy?¡±


    Desir asked, even though he knew what answer woulde back. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t think I could get any happier than this.¡±


    It was a matter of course. Everyone was happy in this world. The world was made like that in the first ce.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Desir quietly closed his eyes. He could see a chessboard in his mind. It was the grand version of thepeting ideologies of Prisci and Desir.


    The two sides were so different. His side did not have many pieces. It was deste and cold. No one else existed there.


    On the other hand, the other side had many more pieces. A number that was too great to count. They bore a warm glow.


    His actions were fighting against the happiness of mankind.


    Romantica, Pram, and Adjest. Not just them, but all of mankind¡¯s happiness had been concentrated on Prisci¡¯s side. It was checkmate.


    ¡®Will I be able to take their happiness from them? No, is that something I can do in the first ce?¡¯


    Desir already had a hunch that his resolve had declined since asking himself and others such questions.


    ¡®Maybe¡­ ¡¯


    Maybe he was just being stubborn now. Maybe the right choice was abandoning his stubbornness and living as one of the countless pieces.


    ¡®I¡­ ¡¯


    Desir had decided on what course of action he would take. However, he was jolted out of his reverie when he felt something cold at his fingertips.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing with your eyes closed, Desir?¡±


    Adjest was looking at him with a smile. The shot ss in her hand was full of ck liquid, and there was a terrible smell of alcohol. It was strong enough to make his nose tingle right away.


    Adjest opened her mouth with such a bright smile in front of him. ¡°Drink up, Desir.¡±


    ¡°Adjest, I need to think for a moment¡­ ¡± Adjest then raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Are you thinking of rejecting my offer? You called me, who has work at dawn tomorrow? You¡¯re going to ask me your own questions, and abandon me right after.¡±


    Desir was enchanted by her cute scoff.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been holding my ss up for so long my shoulders are starting to feel heavy. Any longer and I won¡¯t be able to lift my sword tomorrow. Are you going to take responsibility for the fall of the Empire?¡±


    Adjest again held out her ss, and this time Desir received it. ¡®Let¡¯s hang out here for a moment.¡¯


    Just for a moment. Let¡¯s postpone the decision for a very short time.


    Desir and Adjest shed sses. And the moment he tilted his ss, Desir almost spewed out the liquid in his mouth. It was a strong drink beyond imagination. His throat burnt.


    The two coughed, almost in sync. Their eyes were intertwined, and they began to giggle. They were probably drunk, but they did not care, and could not stopughing.


    ¡°That¡¯s what whiskey tastes like.¡±


    Adjest filled the ss with another drink, and Desir received it without a word.


    Again. Again. The type of alcohol changed every time. Adjest was about to taste all the liquor here, and Desir was going to join her or die trying. While he was figuring out how many sses he had drunk, while draining his current ss, Adjest opened her mouth.


    ¡°I see stars, Desir.¡±


    She was staring at the light reflected by the alcohol. ¡°You¡¯re drunk, Adjest. Of course you see them.¡±


    Desir squinted at the empty bottles of liquor piled up like a mountain. It was strange not to be drunk. Adjest nodded with a heartyugh.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure my head feels dizzy. I see all kinds of things. Right now, my right hand has ten fingers on it, and the cup I¡¯m holding is twice as big. And I see you grieving.¡±


    Adjest approached him. She stood so close that he could feel the warmth of her breath. Her fingers wiped Desir¡¯s dry eyes. ¡°Desir, are you happy?¡±


    Desir stopped breathing without realizing it. This was because the question he had been asking so far, had been thrown back at him. It was a simple question, but it dug into a part of himself that Desir had never stopped to think about.


    ¡®I was overlooking the most important thing.¡¯


    Adjest¡¯s question helped Desir realize that he had never thought about his own happiness. He began to think slowly. This time, it was not about others, but about his own happiness. ¡®Am I really happy?¡¯


    In this world, Desir Arman was a professor. Every day, he could focus on the research he wanted to do, and he felt rewarded while teaching students. It was a life of stability that was desired in a reality where the limits of status and fitness had been met. It must have been a reflection of his ideals.


    ¡®But can I really be confident that I wanted this? All of the effort I made so far has been to achieve this kind of life.¡¯


    ¡°¡­ No.¡±


    Desir put down his ss. The brown surface of the wavering whiskey felt like a deste desert. It looked like the final appearance of the fallen world. What it looked like before he returned, the shape the world took after it was destroyed by the Shadow Labyrinth.


    Why was that world destroyed? ¡®There was no talent.¡¯


    Why was there no talent? ¡®There was ack of education.¡¯


    Many people died without realizing their talent, even though they had the potential to shine brilliantly. Desir was also one of them. But through the miracle of returning to the past, he was able to seize the opportunity to stand on his own two feet, and at the same time he possessed one other thing.


    An image of spring.


    The people of the world were like flowers lined up in a single garden. In this world, every single person received the perfect amount of water and care needed to bloom, and in doing so, found something that made their life worth living. In the real world, Desir had to act as a nourishing light, but in this one, it was no exaggeration to say that their innermost ideals had been achieved perfectly.


    ¡°This world is far from satisfying my ideals.¡±


    Only then did Desir realize what he really wanted. His ideal was not something that could be achieved by universally granting everyone a one-dimensional happiness.


    ¡°You found your answer.¡±


    Adjest smiled and lifted the ss she was holding. She returned to the alcohol she had started the night with, beer.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to see your face has brightened up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Adjest.¡±


    Desir also raised his ss.


    Two sses collided and a clear sound rang out.


    That was thest thing Desir saw in that world.

 Chapter 311. Praying (14)

    <h4>Chapter 311. Praying (14)</h4>


    Desir poured thest ss into his mouth, recalling why Prisci created this Shadow World. Persuasion.


    That was why Prisci showed Desir the Shadow World that contained her ideals. She thought that if he lived in the world and saw what she wanted to make, he could not deny it.


    In truth, Desir became sympathetic to Prisci¡¯s ideals. A world where everyone lived happily and fulfilled their dreams in their own way was not terrible.


    The perfect world, where even impossible things that could not be achieved in reality were realized, gradually encroached on Desir. He would have conceded, had he not noticed at the veryst moment: Prisci¡¯s world had distorted in a way she did not intend.


    He recalled a conversation he had with Romantica under a tree that was fluttering petals.


    * * *


    ¡°The dress you designedst time, when will it be released?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know. All I can do is design, so I¡¯ve never thought about anything else.¡±


    * * *


    In the world created by Prisci, Romantica became a famous designer. She showed her talents to create a design that anyone would admire. In the real world, people are forced to take up jobs for survival, unable to pick what they would actually like to do. In this fake world, people instantaneously achieved their dreams.


    There was only one copy of her dream. No one wore the clothes that Romantica designed. No, to be exact, no one could wear them. Her designs would never be real clothing, at least not for anyone else. Romantica had achieved the ideal of ¡®design¡¯ but it would never amount to anything more than that.


    A life where you did not have to try anymore because you had achieved what you wanted.


    Was that really the ideal Romantica desired?


    Desir recalled dinner with Pram¡¯s family. In the world that Prisci created, Pram lived with his family. His dream was impossible to obtain in the real world, but here it was able toe true.


    * * *


    ¡°Because, as you can see, I¡¯m with my family.¡±


    * * *


    Desir was bombarded with endless questions at the dinner table with Pram¡¯s family. But there was no asion where Pram stepped out of the shadows and opened his mouth.


    It was inevitable. Because Pram was the child of a concubine.


    True to his good nature, he would always keep his mouth shut in order to avoid sowing discord. But Pram was satisfied; he was happy with this situation. His ideal of ¡®living with his family¡¯ had been fulfilled.


    Merely being around a family. Was that really the kind of family Pram wanted? ¡®It can¡¯t be.¡¯


    Desir recalled the time when he drank a muggy, but cool beer with Adjest.


    * * *


    ¡°If I¡¯m working to protect their smiles, then wouldn¡¯t anything be worth it?¡±


    * * *


    Adjest, who wanted to defend the people of the Empire, magically became a Royal Guard. It waspletely different from the ¡®process¡¯ she would have gone through to actually protect the people of the real world.


    The princess and the Royal Guard clearly had entirely different standing and power, but they were in the same boat. So, even if the process was different, did the distinction between the two matter if the results were the same?


    ¡®Of course it does.¡¯


    It was by no means a decision that should be made by others. But in this world, everything had been predetermined by Prisci, or at least by proxy of her decision.


    A life in which one ideal had been achieved. But that was a mere shadow of real life. ¡°You made everyone happy with it.¡±


    Human greed is endless. But you can not listen to it all. This was why Prisci had achieved a single ideal for each person in an attempt to keep them from craving more. These people were satisfied with that.


    As a result, everyone¡¯s lives were coordinated, and as a result, everyone living in the world could feel happy because they achieved their ideals in some form.


    ¡°But can you really say that their life is worth living?¡±


    In the world created by Prisci, people live a set life. It was not a self-decided life, but one determined by a machine. It was not something Desir could be satisfied with. It was a world of eternal silence.


    Perhaps it was the best solution, even if not perfect.


    But¡­


    ¡°You¡¯ve put limits on everyone¡¯s lives under the pretext of saving them all.¡±


    Desir believed in the possibility that the human collective possessed. He was sure that he could exceed all limits.


    ¡°I cannot ept this world, Prisci.¡±


    [-Answer has been given to the main quest ¡®The Ideal World¡¯.]


    [-As participant Desir Arman firmly denies this world, no world reversal will ur!]


    Unlike any other Shadow World, no rm sounded indicating sess or failure could be heard. Instead, only the sound of broken ss resonated low, ending a world that could have be a reality.


    [-¡­Then what is your alternative?]


    Having forcefully merged with the system, Prisci¡¯s voice had lost all trace of humanity. The only thing that remained of her was a slight impact in the tone it carried.


    Moreover, her body, connected to the backbone of the Artemis system, was not able to keep its form. Even though it was warped and broken, it did not look too strange. She was still able to maintain a very rough outline of her original shape due to her near-disgraceful obsession.


    Prisci wanted to be convinced. She knew it was all over when Desir denied everything, but she could not help asking. But Desir¡¯s answer made her despair.


    ¡°There is no alternative.¡± [-Then why¡­ ]


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit greedy.¡± Desirughed.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to achieve only one ideal, and I don¡¯t want to be satisfied with any limit imposed on me. I¡¯m going to go beyond all limits you have set and achieve a lot of ideals.¡± [-That¡¯s absurd optimism!]


    Prisci raised her half-broken body, the jostle separating her from the backbone of the Artemis system. In the process, her arms were crushed to ash, and her legs were smashed to the point where it was difficult for them to support her body, but she stood before Desir, not as a machine but a human, limping without regard.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen it so many times! Those who have fallen apart without achieving even one wish!¡±


    This was certainly the case. Even Desir himself had died before his return, failing to achieve any personal goals before his life was shattered by the appearance of the Shadow Labyrinth.


    It was not just him. Through the Shadow Worlds, he learned that there were many such people throughout history.


    Like Lord Wilhelm Evernatten, who sought to save all those who asked, whether they were a citizen or refugee, but ultimately failed to stop the Shadow World encroaching. He and his men had their own ideals, but they never came to fruition, and they ultimately disappeared into the annals of history.


    ¡°Even if limits exist, so long as everyone is happy within it, what could make a world more perfect!?¡±


    Prisci cried out at the absurdity. Wailing in a hoarse voice, she denied Desir¡¯s idea.


    ¡°If there are no fixed limits, I¡¯m sure you know that some will end up dead and hopeless! But can you prove that this reality is better than a world where everyone is happy?!¡±


    Prisci wanted proof. Otherwise, this oue waspletely uneptable.


    She was mortified. She was angry. It was more than she could dream of because so many people believed and followed her. She could notprehend the absurdity that came with being denied by groundless beliefs.


    Prisci grabbed Desir by the cor. ¡°Anything¡­ anything¡­ I need some proof¡­ ¡±


    Prisci, who had continued wailing, noticed something strange. Desir¡¯s eyes were fixed on something behind her. Turning her head, the center of the Artemis system, which had lost its original shape, came into view. Only then did Prisci realize why Desir¡¯s gaze was directed there.


    It was strange. When Desir denied the world she wanted to create, she gave up maintaining the Artemis system. From that moment on it was nothing but a cold lump of scrap metal, unrecognizable as the pinnacle of technology from a transcendental, ancient civilization. But she still felt the flow of mana within it.


    *Psssst*


    A fine noise came as she paid attention. Then an eerie red light began to flow from beneath the facade of the half-pierced machine, emanating from the red-tinted jewel embedded in the center.


    What started as a dim glow slowly spiraled into a dazzling light that bathed the surrounding area. As the intensity of it increased, so did the powerful gush of mana that flooded their surroundings, distorting the air and ground alike.


    *Crash*


    *Crackle*


    With time, that red color gradually began to color the surroundings an infinite dark ck, like a dark abyss hade to im the world and turn it into nothingness.


    The light was eroding the surroundings.


    Typically, erosion only urred once a Shadow World was unsessfully cleared as a result of damage to the Artemis system. The system had been fixed, and the power source should have been drained, so where had all this manae from, and what was eroding the world?


    ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s¡­ impossible!¡±


    Prisci btedly realized the problem. The Shadow World she created waspletely different from the usual Shadow Worlds. If the original Shadow Worlds were a reproduction of history, then Prisci¡¯s Shadow World was the creation of history.


    To aplish this task, which was literally recreating the entire world, the Artemis system had exhausted all of the mana in its power source. If everything had gone as nned, the ideal world that Prisci had dreamed of would have been fully realized, and all of that mana would have been used in the process.


    However, Desir denied that world, and it never came into existence; the mana, which was enough to permanently change the world, had lost its purpose and been dumped back into the air where the Shadow World existed. If such a high concentration of mana were to be forced into the atmosphere at a single moment, it would surely go out of control.


    This time, the world would be changed for certain.


    This time, it would be the destruction of history.

 Chapter 312. Praying (15)

    <h4>Chapter 312. Praying (15)</h4>


    *Roar*


    A heavy roar rang out far and wide.


    This was it. Prisci attempted to reverse causality with her remaining strength, but there was no course of action capable of stopping this imminent disaster. No matter what method she used, she could only see a future of doom.


    ¡°For this kind of ending, everything I¡­ It was all for nothing.¡±


    Prisci flopped down, giving up. The world that she wanted to save at the expense of countless sacrifices ended up being destroyed by the power she wanted to use to fix it. All she could do was fall into despair.


    Desir began to walk towards the power source of the Artemis system. ¡°Ha¡­ ¡±


    Prisci smiled dejectedly. Desir refusing to give up right until the end could be said to be the same. However, it was different nowpared to before.


    ¡°It¡¯s meaningless. It¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Due to several fierce battles, Desir¡¯s physical condition was far from perfect. His mana had been drained so thoroughly that he might not even be able to cast a Third-Circle spell.


    Even his magic, which reached the realm of mythology, was far from enough to offset such an obscene amount of mana. Even Desir¡¯s specialty, inverting spells, would be useless; the immediate disaster was pure mana spiraling out of control.


    There was a reason why the Artemis system dered this situation was beyond salvage. A definitive ending that could not be prevented by any means they had at their disposal.


    *Crack*


    The power source of the Artemis system cracked and began to show signs of copse.


    *Bang*


    It was only a fine crack, but with a roar, a huge amount of mana shot into the sky. The surrounding distortion began to surge and churn, the world twisting and bending in impossible ways. The movement of the mana was enough to distort space itself.


    Soon this mana would devour the entirety of Dresden, and there after, the entire world. If this city fell to the erosion, then it would herald the beginning of the world¡¯s destruction.


    That was the inescapable future Prisci foresaw, but Desir kept forcing his way against the unyielding current.


    ¡°You wanted proof that you were wrong, Prisci.¡±


    As the sky brightened with the light of dawn, a ringing sensation began to emanate from Desir. The small amount of mana he held, not enough to cast a single spell, began to tremble in opposition to the veritable tsunami before him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prove it to you now.¡±


    It was his moment to shine.


    The tidal wave of mana continued to surge forth, only to suddenly slow down and stop, as if a massive wall had arisen to block off the flow.


    No, it just looked like it had stopped. The mana was continuing to sprout forth from the power source, but it was dissipating at the same rate it was being released. By controlling the overflowing mana at the particle level, Desir was able to manipte their trajectories. Rather than gushing forth, he twisted and turned them such that they collided with one another, forcing them to disperse their violent energy into one another.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s impossible. How did you do that?¡±


    Prisci, who witnessed the scene, could only speak while looking at him nkly. Desir agreed inwardly. It was the first time he had tried such a thing, so he honestly expected it to fail.


    Unlike the mana used in magic, which was organized ording to a certain system, what was in front of him was just pure mana. A flow of mana that was irregrly made without any pattern or predetermined form. The additive number of its flows was finite but it could converge into an infinite number of patterns.


    In other words, to offset it, you had to calcte all of the possible flows; a number that was close to infinity. Even if Desir¡¯sputational power was phenomenal, it was impossible for him to calcte something like that in a moment.


    But if it was something he had been preparing for in advance¡­ If it was something that he had been calcting for many years¡­ The story changed.


    ¡®Our connection is uncanny at this point.¡¯


    Desir smiled faintly as he looked at the red gem in front of his eyes.


    Other than Skull Mask, he was likely the only person in modern times who would be capable of recognizing the ¡®jewel¡¯ before him. It had been the crux of Skull Mask¡¯s n, and the core of Prisci¡¯s ideal. Most importantly, it was what had caused the copse of the world before his return.


    ¡®A dragon heart.¡¯


    The central node of a dragon, one of several creatures that destroyed humanity. Over the thousands upon thousands of years, the bones, flesh, and mana that constructed it had warped and fossilized, but the source of its mighty mana had been preserved.


    The actions of a dragon heart were outside the scope of the Artemis system. If it was capable of doing so, then the ancient civilization would not have disappeared.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know we¡¯d face each other like this again.¡¯


    Desir continued to step into the turbulent mana. A small road was built as the mana calmed around him.


    *Step*


    *Step*


    Something shed before Desir¡¯s eyes as he took thest step forward. It was his life; that is, his current life, the one he had lived since returning.


    Romantica Eru. In Desir¡¯s previous life, Romantica reached the Third-Circle at the end of her first year and progressed no further. In this life, she reached the Fourth-Circle before graduating from the academy and learned how to invoke magic without a spell array.


    Pram Schneider. He barely reached the King-ss just before dying in the Shadow Labyrinth. This time, he had already reached King-ss at such a young age and without such soul crushing adversity.


    Adjest Kingscrown. She learned of the Center of Ice ten years sooner and was able to obtain it, giving her the perfect tool to realize her Imagery Magic in several new ways.


    And Zod Exarion. He reached the Eighth-Circle, a tier that mankind had never thought possible, and granted Desir the opportunity to build an entirely new magic system.


    Everything about their destinies had changed, and there were countless other things that Desir could not even begin to list. All this was possible because they fought for what was right, and continued trudging forward no matter the obstacle.


    No Shadow Labyrinth had appeared, and the world avoided extinction.


    This world had undeniably changed. This world was the proof Prisci desired so desperately. Desir¡¯s steps stopped.


    *Boom*


    Desir grabbed the dragon heart in front of him. Even at this moment, a huge amount of mana was spouting out from it. Right now he was controlling and offsetting the flow of mana emitted, but it was only a stopgap measure.


    He would not be able to stay in that state forever.


    ¡®I did so much to change the world. I fought enemies with powers I never thought possible and I went ces I had never been before. But in the end, I guess my final fight will be against you after all.¡¯


    Desir had a bitter smile on his face. It was because a memory from just before his return came to mind.


    The end of the Shadow Labyrinth. He reached the end of it at the expense of countless heroes. ¡®There was no way I could handle it at that time, but¡­ ¡¯


    A vast amount of mana had umted within the dragon heart over the countless period of time since its appearance. Even now, there was no way to physically offset enough mana capable of encasing the entire.


    To anyone else, stopping the destruction of the world might seem like an impossible task. It could not be inverted, and there was too much mana to use by repeatedly casting spells, so why not give up and ept death?


    ¡®It¡¯ll be hard, but it shouldn¡¯t be impossible.¡¯


    ¡°Most schrs only have theories about how a dragon casts magic, but I know: a dragon¡¯s heart is its engine, and it functions like our mana circles.¡±


    If dragon hearts are like mana circles, then the solution was simple. [Circle Synchronization]


    Desir assimted his mana circles with the dragon heart, utilizing the magic he developed to bring down the Beast of Revtion.


    Controlling and offsetting the mana released was a stopgap measure that would onlyst for a while. In the end, it would be necessary to control the dragon heart itself to solve the fundamental problem.


    A gruesome gurgling epassed the area as the dragon heart began to stretch and liquidate. It grewrger andrger, and gradually broke apart into smaller pieces within the air. Suddenly, they clicked into ce and transformed into over ten thousand magical spell arrays, which began to ovep with one another and dig into Desir¡¯s body.


    Previously Desir had used an outside conduit to bear the brunt of spells, manipting his own mana circles to allow him to assimte an external source as his own. But in this case, he had to do the opposite; the dragon heart was too unstable: it was impossible to change his own circles to match it. In order to assimte it, he would have to transform the dragon heart and assimte it with his own mana circles.


    ¡°Urgh¡­ !¡±


    As the dragon heart slowly fused with his mana circles, his entire body was torn apart, only to be held together by the surging mana. Amongst the raging pain, he began to feel his consciousness slip away.


    He clenched his teeth and managed to grasp them. The suitable environment for them had finally been created. He could not afford to lose his mind now.


    *Whoong*


    The chords rang out. The particles of blue mana began to vibrate one by one. ¡°Slowly.¡¯


    He was patient but made haste.


    The frequency of Desir¡¯s mana slowly changed. *Whoooooong*


    At one point, red mana also began to harmonize. The chords began to grow bigger and soon became a tremendous roar that shook the mountains.


    Resonance. The two sources of mana made each other cry.


    As the two different mana sources resonated with each other, Desir slowly rotated the mana. The dragon heart, which had been making unstable movements in his body, gradually began to find a steady flow.


    At that moment Desir could feel a rapid decrease in the outpour of mana. The tidal waves that pierced the sky above gradually died down.


    *Whoong*


    The dragon heart¡¯s mana, spinning in the form of a mana circle, elerated at an ever-increasing rate, and had finally reached the necessary threshold. Even with Desir no longer in direct control of it, it had begun to move steadily.


    Now, the dragon heart should not explode. Now the fate that gued the end of the Shadow Labyrinth had been conquered.


    ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯


    Desir could feel that the dragon heart hadpletely assimted into his body. *Flop*


    The moment he recognized his sess, his legs gave out and his body copsed.


    He could see the sky. A dazzling sun was shining through the white clouds. The night hade to an end, and the morning had arrived.


    It was the morning he kept.


    He wished he could see this view again.


    He tried to get up, but not even his fingers moved properly. ¡®I think¡­ today will be myst day.¡¯


    What he had endured so far had been nothing short of a miracle. By forcibly assimting the dragon heart with his mana circle, his whole body waspletely destroyed. His personal mana circles had been ravaged by the foreign mana, and no longer functioned properly. Even if he managed to survive, his days as a magician would be over.


    But a faint smile hung around Desir¡¯s mouth. Strangely, there was no lingering attachment to his life itself.


    Maybe it was because he could see the ending he was not able to in his previous life. No, maybe it was because he was prepared for this all along. A happy ending for a world he would leave behind, dying to save everyone.


    Desir¡¯s eyes slowly closed, and soon his vision waspletely ck. ¡°¡­ I¡­ ve you, ev¡­ it kills¡­ ¡­ okay Desir?¡±


    A small voice could be heard.


    ¡°This¡­ enough¡­ apologize¡­ ¡­ need to promise me¡­ please don¡¯t¡­¡±


    He could not hear the voice well; his consciousness was too far gone.


    But one thing was certain: the voice was awfully sad.

 Chapter 313. Epilogue (1)

    <h4>Chapter 313. Epilogue (1)</h4>


    It was a humid, sultry summer. The bright afternoon sunlight reflected off of the newly paved street.


    *Rattle*


    I was used to the rattle of the carriage, so it didn¡¯t bother me, but I spent my time admiring the passing view.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing new, but I still can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    The city¡¯s distant skyscrapers were magnificent and vibrant. The buildings lining the street were tall, and the street itself was wide and well-maintained. When you took in the beautiful scenery, nobody would think the final battle of a war had unfolded in this very city.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been four years, and things are way nicer than they were before. What an excellent restoration.¡±


    This was the imperial city of Dresden. It had been the heart of the Hebrion Empire for one-thousand years, regarded as the best city on the continent. It was the home of an international figure of mour, the Hebrion Academy.


    However, the entire city and its academy were razed due to that unsavoury incident. For all of the glory it had historically held, it was not a city trying to heal its wounds from the past and get back onto its feet, but a city that used the opportunity to rebuild with advances in technology and redefine itself. It was no longer just a city of historic value, but a bustling metropolis that pioneered the way towards the future.


    Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I forgot to introduce myself.


    My name is Pram Schneider. I graduated from the Hebrion Academy, and I¡¯m now serving as one of the Empire¡¯s knights!


    ¡°Mr Pram, hello!¡±


    Sometimes there are people who recognize and support me. I thought this was something I would get used to, but I¡¯m still shy so I end up giggling.


    In response, I waved my hand while directing a smile in their direction. ¡°Mr Pram, are you a woman or a man?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure which title to use, Sir Pram?! Miss? or Mister?¡±


    From time to time, the children ask me mischievous questions. I sighed and closed the window, pretending I didn¡¯t hear them.


    ¡®Argh¡­ ¡¯


    I clenched my fist tight.


    Anger.


    How could they be so ridiculous? I am obviously a man!


    I tried to gain some muscles to avoid the misunderstanding, but no matter how hard I tried, I was stuck with this effeminate form.


    Perhaps it has something to do with my constitution, but unless I figure something out, I¡¯ll be stuck with questions like those forever. Sad. How very unfortunate.


    ¡°We have arrived, Sir Pram.¡±


    Before I could grow despondent, my carriage arrived at the destination. What a relief! I nearly started wishing that I was actually a woman.


    ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll be back soon!¡±


    Once I stepped out of the carriage, I was greeted by the main gate of an iron fence that encircled a giant dome-topped building several hundred meters in diameter: the new Hebrion Academy. The harmony between the restored original gate and the modern architecture made for a picturesque sight.


    It¡¯s also the head office for the Ministry of Education.


    Ah, what is the Ministry of Education? It is a state institution that was built under the order of His Majesty the Emperor three years ago. The Ministry of Education maintains the country¡¯s educational system on a national level. They recruit numerous professors and build new schoolhouses wherever people live.


    This was the establishment of public education.


    The foundation of the Ministry of Education brought about many changes. Under the Empire¡¯s bold and wholehearted support, they seeded in providing all citizens with education, something that used to only belong to the nobles, the rich, and the lucky. Thanks to the expansion, they found a good number of talented individuals who would have otherwise remained hidden.


    The future of the Empire is bright, and it will continue to remain as such.


    On my way towards the new main building, a structure caught my eye, and for a moment my heart stopped. Twelverge gravestones were arranged in a semi-circle just off the main path. When I stood in front of them, I felt solemn. Inscribed within them were the names of over three thousand people. They were those who had fallen during the Artemis Church¡¯s invasion.


    I paid a silent tribute to them briefly. ¡®Thank you, everyone.¡¯


    The Empire survived thanks to all of you. No, not just the Empire, but this whole world was saved.


    ¡®And sorry.¡¯


    If I were just a bit stronger, then perhaps¡­ *Clench*


    I began to walk again, leaving my mixed feelings behind. [-Sir Pram Schneider, your identity has been confirmed.]


    When the inte buzzed its approval, the building¡¯s entranceway automatically swung open. Once I walked in, I was greeted with the maze-like tangle of corridors that made up the building¡¯s first floor. While trying to make my way through the unfamiliar terrain, a familiar voice sounded from behind me.


    ¡°Oh my, oh my. What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Pram.¡±


    I turned around towards the source of the voices to see a man and woman holding hands, approaching me. Excited to see old friends again, I lowered my head politely.


    ¡°Hello, Radoria and Kelt.¡±


    After Argeria graduated, the two of them had been the leaders of the Red Dragon Party and the Blue Moon Party, which were known as the strongest parties when I was a student at the academy. Now, they were aplished Sixth-Circle magicians who co-represented the Empire¡¯s Magicology Lab, their new magic research facility.


    ¡°Wait, is that you Pram?¡± *Startle*


    I unintentionally flinched after I met the eyes of the surprise third arrival. The person had such an intense disposition that he bordered on the edge of hostility whenever he spoke. Even though I already knew him, it had been a while since Ist talked to him, so it caught me off guard.


    ¡°Ronde! It¡¯s so good to see you. It¡¯s been a long time!¡± Ronde Fizzlebang.


    He was currently acting as an assistant professor. While he was a student, he was a member of the Starling Party. As my junior, I¡¯m very proud of what he¡¯s aplished.


    ¡°Are¡­ you alright? You look like you haven¡¯t slept for days¡­ ¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re correct. I¡¯ve got a lot on my te right now, so I¡¯ve been pulling all-nighters recently.¡±


    ¡°Goodness¡­ ¡±


    As I gave him a concerned look, Ronde shrugged as if it was nothing.


    ¡°Well, if they keep giving me work, then it means they recognize my talent, which isn¡¯t a bad thing. Once I finish this current project, I¡¯ll ask for a holiday.¡±


    The Hebrion Academy always held renown, but now that it was the center of a national education system, it had even greater prestige. To be an assistant professor at such an education institute was a testament to hispetency.


    ¡°But what brings you here¡­ Ah, is it because of the asion?¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. Though I¡¯m not quite familiar with this ce, so I¡¯m a bit lost.¡± Ronde smiled and pointed in a direction.


    ¡°Dean Pugman and Bridgette will be in thest room at the end of this hall.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I bid goodbye to them and walked along the path Ronde gestured.


    Ah, Professor Pugman had be the new dean of the Hebrion Academy after Dean Justin retired.


    He used to discriminate against themoners unfairly, so he used to carry a poor reputation, but once that side of him disappeared he started to gain the trust of the students. His ability is first-ss, so this could not have worked out any better. Though he still has a bad temper, he¡¯s still an excellent teacher than everyone acknowledges.


    As I reached the end of the hall, I found a room with a namete: [Ministry of Education]


    I was about to knock, but a sudden raised voice from beyond the door surprised me. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be an issue. Please approve the program.¡±


    It was Dean Pugman, but his tone wasn¡¯t that of the arrogant aristocrat I remembered. ¡°There¡¯s no way. If you thought you could get approval for arge budget by providing poor documentation, then you¡¯re greatly mistaken.¡±


    Her response to him was soft but firm.


    Professor Bridgette, no, that wasn¡¯t her title. She was Bridgette, the Minister of Education. ¡°But the documentation you¡¯re asking for is double what we normally give for this kind of project.¡±


    ¡°And the budget you¡¯re asking for is higher too. The more money involved, the stricter the procedure.¡±


    ¡°But we don¡¯t have the time. I need to leave soon.¡±


    ¡°Then take your time. I¡¯ll dly wait until you have time to finish.¡±


    ¡°Dear me¡­ ¡±


    They had always opposed each other since bing professors, and their rtionship had not changed. Although, the power dynamic seems to have reversed since my days as a student. The contrast between the old Pugman and this one is too much; I can¡¯t stop giggling.


    *Knock*


    *Knock*


    After getting the giggles out, I opened the door to the office and confronted the two.


    ¡°Are you ready yet? It¡¯s time for both of you to leave.¡±


    As I entered, they exchanged joy and sorrow. Minister Bridgette looked extremely disappointed, and Dean Pugman nearly cried tears of relief.


    ¡°Is it that time already?¡± Bridgette pouted, ¡°Don¡¯t we have a little longer?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re on a tight schedule. I¡¯ve already prepared carriages, so let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I couldn¡¯t possibly bete to miss Adjest¡¯s coronation ceremony.¡± *Thud*


    Finally, Minister Bridgette set down her seal, and Dean Pugman nearly cheered in victory. He used to have so much pride, and now he had be someone who could find joy in such petty things.


    Bridgette and I both broke out inughter at the absurd sight.


    * * *


    Even if I never knew my father, that didn¡¯t stop me from finding a family.


    No matter which Imperial pce you went to, you would be greeted by a magnificent sight, but Leonhardt Pce was in its own ssification of decorum. ssy, vibrant fountains adorned the gardens; chandeliers,iden with the prettiest jewels money could buy, decorated the arching ceilings; priceless works of art garnished the elegant hallways that connected the rooms.


    Every bit of decor was a priceless treasure, the total of it reflecting on the status of the pce¡¯s upant. Even after several of them were sold to help fund the country¡¯s reconstruction, the pce remained gorgeous thanks to the quick recovery.


    It made me wonder if I even belong here. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought this but¡­ ¡±


    Considering the dignity of this atmosphere, I tend to reflect on what I wear. ¡°I don¡¯t think clothes like this suit me.¡±


    I felt heavy, looking at the shiny golden lion insignia on my shoulders. Because this insignia was only given to four people, the Royal Guardsmen of the Empire.


    That¡¯s right.


    Some time after the war ended, I joined the Royal Guard.


    Jean Euremrin was regarded as the master of swords after mastering over ten-thousand techniques, but he resigned from the Royal Guard to train after he lost against Argo. He felt his absurd skill was insufficient, and so I was able to take over his position.


    At some point, people stopped calling me the Silver Light Swordsman, and started calling me the Invisible Sword.


    ¡°What, are you saying? Are you saying the clothes I designed especially for you don¡¯t suit?¡±


    ¡°N-no, I didn¡¯t mean that¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Hah hah. Just kidding, Pram. You¡¯re so fun to tease.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Adorable!¡±


    This person who is smiling at me while pinching my cheek, is Romantica.


    Romantica started her fashion business after the war ended and she is currently managing severalrge-name brands, and had be a true leader of the fashion industry. After doing so, she was offered the opportunity to be the sole designer for Hebrion¡¯s royal family.


    ¡°Nuuh. Please stop that, miss Romantica. I need to focus on my guard duty.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    Although miss Romantica stopped pinching my cheek, she still continued to bother me. She hugged me tightly from behind, like I was some kind of stuffed toy, and ran her hands through my hair.


    Well, this is bearable.


    I looked around the corridor, leaving my hair in her hands.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that man with the whiskey bottle Donape An? He¡¯s supposed to be the strongest barbarian of the north!¡±


    ¡°Jeez¡­ He¡¯s as gigantic as the rumors say. The rumor that he split a mountain with a giant axe might actually be true.¡±


    ¡°Hey, the one sitting across him is the king of Prillecha!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he make a massive fortune when he secured an exclusive trade dealst year?¡± Incessant babble spewed forth amongst the countless reporters. At the event where the new ruler of the Hebrion Empire was revealed to the world, many distinguished guests and nosy reporters naturally flocked.


    Would this not be the first time this many celebrities gathered together? ¡°Incredible.¡±


    Sir Raphaello approached me. He, too, was trying his best to perform his duties as a member of the Royal Guard.


    ¡°Who would have thought this many people would attend?¡±


    I nodded at his remark. Until rtively recently, the Hebrion Empire and the Western Kingdom Union had a poor rtionship. Even when they were united against the Outsiders, it had been done so begrudgingly, but with time the two powerhouses had grown to respect each other. If not for¡­ If not for his actions, it would have been impossible to see such a sight. ¡°It would¡¯ve been nice if thed was here too¡­ ¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Perhaps Romantica had a simr thought.


    I felt a chill in the corner of my heart.


    Desir Arman, my one and only teacher. He was the man who made me who I am today, and the greatest magician in history. He single handedly saved the world, sacrificing everything in the process.


    *Ding*


    As I was caught reminiscing, the signalling bell echoed throughout the pce.


    The gathered guests quickly grew silent, fixed their posture, and stared towards the front of the main corridor. The gallery¡¯s gate slowly swung open, and Adjest strolled forward, the crowd respectfully parting for her.


    She was beautiful.


    The pure white dress Romantica made and her tinum blonde hair harmonized together and emphasized her beauty even more. I thought I was used to her stunning looks, after being around her for so long, but today¡¯s Adjest looked especially extraordinary. Every person gathered, man and woman, were absolutely stunned by her beauty. A few even failed to keep their mouths closed.


    Soon, miss Adjest stood in front of Guiltian, the Emperor, who held a ss of consecrated oil. ¡°You¡¯re here, Adjest.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Guiltian looked at Adjest with sentimental eyes.


    ¡°Thank you foring all the way here.¡±


    ¡°I did what I must.¡±


    There was a brief silence between the father and daughter.


    What broke the silence after a while waspletely unexpected. ¡°I''m sorry.¡±


    Miss Adjest widened her eyes.


    ¡°In order to raise you to be strong, I chose to be indifferent. In order to keep you safe, I chose to suppress your freedoms. When I did what I thought to be the right course of action, I coerced you into taking a path you never would have chosen for yourself.¡±


    His Majesty Guiltian did not hesitate at all in disgracing himself in front of the crowd. He treated his absolute dignity as the Emperor of the Empire as worthless and said unbelievable things.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve been a good Emperor, that¡¯s for history to decide, but I know I was a failure of a father. Despite that, you grew up perfectly.¡±


    His Majesty Guiltian blessed Adjest while sprinkling holy oil over her head. ¡°My daughter, I¡¯m so proud of you.¡±


    Miss Adjest lowered her head without saying anything, taking a moment to collect herself, before eventually raising her chin and responding in a teary voice.


    ¡°I will do my best to be the daughter you¡¯re always proud of, and try to be an Empress that the Empire can rely on forever.¡±


    Now with the holy pledge and the crown presented to her, the session ceremony was over. The only thing that remained was for Adjest to pledge her vows to the people of the Empire. *Whistle*


    An ear splitting ringing echoed out before reddish mana appeared as space itself distorted. Teleportation magic. The Side Guard quickly readied their shields to protect the guests. Lord Raphaello also moved quickly to shield His Majesty, the Emperor, and miss Adjest, while I pulled my sword loose in preparedness.


    This was an unprecedented event. For someone to intrude upon the Imperial session ceremony, where people of international importance were gathered, was nothing short of ridiculous. The quiet hall suddenly became uproarious.


    ¡°That idiot!¡±


    But Romantica seemed displeased at the scene, and some of the dignitaries looked excited instead of afraid. In fact, the other knights and I had only moved to guard those present as an extra precaution. The chances of an enemy appearing in the middle of the ceremony was extremely unlikely, especially when there was only one person who could cast that kind of teleportation magic.


    *Whistle*


    Soon someone walked out of the distorted space. ¡°I¡¯m not toote, am I?¡±


    It was a man with ck hair as dark as the night sky.


    Desir Arman.


    As he showed up, the hall was filled with raucous apuse, surprised murmurs, and even a few screams of admiration.


    His Majesty Guiltian smiled bitterly at his appearance.


    ¡°Though you areter than the time I informed you of, the ceremony has yet to conclude, so it is fine.¡±


    Even though Desir had interrupted the middle of an extraordinarily important session ceremony, Guiltian didn¡¯t seem too offended. After all, when you considered what Desir had been busy doing, his sudden arrival was understandable.


    ¡°Sir Desir!¡±


    I threw myself in Desir¡¯s arms, forgetting my role.


    ¡°W-Wait. You¡¯re pushing into me too hard. You¡¯re heavy, Pram!¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m doing it on purpose!¡±


    It was his punishment for beingte. His Majesty, the Emperor, might have forgiven him, but I could not.


    ¡°Fool. How could you bete for something like this?¡±


    Romantica felt the same as I, and she pped Desir¡¯s back forcibly. ¡°Sorry. Things endedter than I thought.¡±


    Desir grinned awkwardly. Then he turned his head to look at Adjest.


    Adjest wore the warmest smile she had ever shown anyone when they made eye contact. The corners of her lips turned up slightly. She did not say anything but it wasn¡¯t hard to guess what she was thinking.


    ¡®Thank you foring.¡¯


    Desir responded to her silence with his own. ¡®It''s a matter of course.¡¯


    Once the crowd finally calmed down, the ceremony continued.


    I held Desir¡¯s and Romantica¡¯s hands in mine, and looked at Adjest in front of me. We stood in silence for a while, watching the ceremony unfold, when Desir suddenly broke the silence. ¡°¡­ This is it, Adjest. Now I¡¯m happy.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just a little inside joke. Hehehe.¡±


    Desir chuckled to himself before ruffling my hair. I gently closed my eyes and basked in the warmth of his hand.


    I used to be lonely and sad. I thought that was because I missed my family, despite never knowing them. I always wanted to find them, to fill that hole, but now I realize that¡¯s no longer necessary.


    Because now I am no longer lonely nor sad.

 Epilogue (2)

    <h4>Chapter Epilogue (2)</h4>


    While the northernmost point of the continent was ravaged by blistering cold, the southernmost point was host to a chillingly indifferent hellscape. Reddish sand stretched beyond the horizon, like ked of rusted iron. Within this barren desert, it had not rained for hundreds of years.


    And yet for some reason, this ce was referred to as the Green Sand Sea. It was a ce no sane human would venture, a physical manifestation where neither humans nor monsters could live.


    However, there was one man traversing this hellscape. From time to time, clueless explorers would challenge themselves to cross the hellscape. Of course, they only took off after many months of thorough preparation and utilizing tens of camels.


    But he was different. He was walking in the desert in ck full-dress uniform and without any obvious supplies.


    Though he appeared extremely reckless, he couldn¡¯t have been more prepared. His clothes had a feature to regte his body¡¯s temperature, which helped him endure the extreme heat, and he had a dimensional pocket that stored a vast amount of food and camping equipment¡­


    The man, Desir Arman, was not aimlessly strolling about with a small fortune in equipment, but was clearly searching for something.


    ¡°ording to the records, it must be around here¡­ ¡± Desir unfolded his hand in front of himself. [Spread Wind]


    Blue-ish mana scattered in front of his eyes before it could even gather.


    Such a phenomenon would ur when someone attempted to invoke a spell without possessing any mana circles.


    Desir let out a bitter smile. Though he lost his mana circles years ago, it was difficult for him to ovee a habit built over decades of having them.


    ¡°Ah, got it.¡±


    Though it had taken a long time, he had finally found whatid hidden within the extensive desert. It was not an oasis, some rare creature, or a valuable treasure buried years ago.


    On top of the sandy a dense ck fog. Despite being directly exposed to the air, it did not dissipate or spread. It simply sat within the ground, as though it was perpetually bound to a confined border, staining a dark patch on the surface of the.


    This was the result of a failed attempt at clearing a Shadow World, or more specifically, the erosion the failure left behind.


    ¡°¡­ Based on the size, it had to have been a Level Two Shadow World.¡±


    Desir tried to look inside but could not see anything. Nobody knew what it was like inside an erosion zone. No one hade back alive after passing through one.


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Desir Arman stepped past the invisible line, the point of no return. *Whistle*


    Once he went in, the sunlight disappeared. He could not feel the dry temperature that gued the desert air. He could no longer feel the course sand he had grown ustomed to wading through.


    There was only darkness after losing his senses.


    Nothingness.


    Desir remembered seeing a sight like this before. Back in Divide, Skull Mask had dragged him into a Shadow World before the world¡¯s boundaries had been established, when only fragments of space existed.


    Though this ce was not quite the same. The void that epassed it was exactly the same, but the fragments of space that survived within this one hade from what remained within its boundary.


    The world had been eroded in the truest sense, corrupted by a damaged Artemis system. Having arrived, and now trapped within the confines of the world, Desir stretched his arm out before him.


    *Cliiing*


    Ominous reddish mana flew out of him, not the clear blue mana usually associated with magic spells. The mana increased in quantity by several fold and soon formed a tidal wave as it spread out in all directions, trying to fill up the endless expanse of the dark space.


    ¡®¡­ I must say, I didn¡¯t expect this to happen.¡¯


    Desir assimted his mana circles with the dragon heart in order to control it. Fortunately, he seeded in regting the mana of the dragon heart, but his mana circles, which could not handle this strain, were entirely destroyed.


    It was the worst thing that could happen to a magician.


    However, something unexpected urred. As the dragon heart reced the broken mana circles, it became a part of his body.


    It was an unexpected boon. Desir expected the heart to be uncontroble but instead he had been left with a nearly limitless amount of mana. Looking back at where he started, he found the twist rather ironic.


    That alone was enormous, but it was arguably the least notable thing that was urring within Desir¡¯s body.


    *Whistle*


    Countless particles of light floated, reacting with the reddish mana. They were the elemental fragments that made up this Shadow World. Kingdoms would vye to clear Shadow Worlds to get the crystalized form of this: mana stones.


    ¡®So this is how thend used to look?¡¯


    Desir murmured after he received a vision of the past world. [Restore]


    He spoke softly. There was an enormous vibration as the scattered mana moved all at once. A white light then began to thoroughly mix with the red mana.


    This was the second power Desir received after assimting with the dragon¡¯s heart. He was able to control the Artemis system.


    * * *


    ¡°This won¡¯t be enough to apologize, but¡­ ¡±


    * * *


    Desir briefly remembered the faint voice he heard before he cked out.


    It came from someone who had given up on this broken and shattered world and wanted to start anew.


    Desir denied her idealism.


    As they fought, she never gave in. She truly believed that the world was fundamentally broken and needed to be fixed, even though it was a fruitless endeavor. But now, Desir could only guess what had happened in the end.


    ¡®Did she believe in the potential of humanity?¡¯ *Ruumble*


    The violent stream of mana skimmed against the edge of the dark fog, forcing it to part and dissolve into the air. The world began to restore itself.


    A cool breeze brushed past him, and the feeling of sand began to epass his feet. Dark smoke wrapped around his body as the once achromatic nothingness began to turn to color. ¡°Done.¡±


    Blue waves filled the world.


    After the dark fog had fully dissipated, emerald-colored sand surrounded a sapphireke asrge as the sea itself. This natural beauty had been consumed by the Shadow World, and the surrounding terrain had been turned into a home befitting a devil.


    Once the restoration process wasplete, it was finally an area befitting the name Green Sand Sea.


    Desir resolved himself to return the world to its original form. If he continued to restore the encroached stretches ofnd, one by one, then maybe one day nature would look like how it used to.


    It clearly would not be easy; half of the continent had been imed by the shadowy erosion. No one knew how long it would take him, but that was not what mattered to Desir. He did not do this out of a sense of justice, but for a much more personal reason.


    ¡®How many more ces are there in the world?¡¯


    Even though this was not the first time he had done it, Desir was once again amazed by the scenery before him. The sensation of discovering an extinct bit of the that no one alive had seen was indescribable. Magicians were the type of people who researched whatever struck their fancy, and Desir was no exception. Being the sole person capable of discovering what secrets the erosion held had absolutely captivated him.


    *Ding*


    At themunication pad¡¯s rm, Desir was stirred from his reverie. It was his reminder rm.


    ¡°I should get going soon.¡±


    As Desir opened his hand, reddish mana seeped from his palm and raged in the space before him. It began to distort, and he stepped into it, his vision blurring into an iprehensible mess. After a few moments, it began to restructure himself, and an all-too-familiar group of people unfolded before him¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m not toote, am I?¡±


    * * *


    ¡°How is Professor Bridgette doing?¡±


    ¡°As far as the Ministry of Education is concerned, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. It seems to suit her; she works even harder than when she was a professor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s her true calling, really!¡±


    Inside the garden behind the Leonhardt Pce.


    There were lilies of the valley in full bloom that resembled the color of Adjest¡¯s hair. She strolled through the quiet garden, apanied by someone else; both having fled from the crowded ballroom after the ceremony subsided.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame. I know that Professor Bridgette is excellent, but I wished you would have taken that position.¡±


    The Ministry of Education was established ording to Desir¡¯s request, so he was supposed to be the minister. However, after he set up the organization, picked out the right people, and set some preliminary policies, he delegated everything to Bridgette and quit.


    ¡°I thought it was too difficult to focus on the Ministry of Education while also taking care of Magic Tower business.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. It¡¯s understandable, but I still wish you took it.¡± After Zod¡¯s death, Desir became the Master of the Magic Tower.


    Being the Master of the Magic Tower was an extremely busy position. His role was to oversee all of the branches around the continent, hence there was a never ending amount of work. He often questioned how Zod managed to do everything.


    ¡°I heard you founded a schrship foundation. You never change.¡±


    ¡°That was my goal for this year, but it¡¯s not as selfless as you think. I¡¯m just investing in humanity¡¯s future.¡±


    The Magic Tower made enough profit that their unimed budget rivaled that of a small country, and Desir had gotten a reputation for ¡®investing¡¯ a fair share of that into education systems. After the Hebrion Empire¡¯s system had been such a sess, other countries had taken notice, and followed suit. As a result, there were academies with state-of-the-art facilities not just within the Empire, but all over the continent. With a little more time, everyone who wanted it would have ess to free education.


    Desir had managed to actualize his ideals, and not in a one-dimensional manner like Prisci¡¯s world would have. And soon enough, other people could begin to do the same.


    ¡°I still think it¡¯s a shame. Am I being too greedy¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°Greedy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Adjest turned her eyes away at Desir¡¯s question.


    ¡°Uh, literally, I mean. Losing someone as talented as you would be a big hit to the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you wereplimenting me? You¡¯re embarrassing me.¡±


    Desir chuckled and indulged in his own thoughts. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect at first it would be like this.¡¯ Adjest.


    In the Shadow Labyrinth, her name was both a legend as well as thest ray of hope for humankind. She was amander who rallied a mankind that had split apart and copsed in the face of the worst catastrophe they thought possible. Without her strength, they never would have reached the deepest part of the Shadow Labyrinth.


    She was a woman who was admired as a heroine by all. But ironically, she was always alone. She had never grown close to anyone, nor did she show her emotions freely. She was never shaken by arade¡¯s death because she never made friends with those she led. She suppressed any feelings of regret and continued tomand without so much as being agitated by the state of the world.


    The stronger the threat, the more feelings she repressed. In order to save lives, that was the choice she had to make. Even after the ten years of deadlybat had finally subsided, and the final six heroes of the world believed they could genuinely rx, she did not smile.


    She had forgotten how to smile. While everyone was discussing their futures, she had remained silent.


    All she knew was a life filled with the screams of the dying. ¡°Seriously, how dare you!?¡±


    Though the contrast was jarring, Desir greatly preferred the Adjest next to him, who was currently whining like a child.


    ¡°Did you really have to draw all the attention away from my one moment of glory?¡±


    Actually, calling it whining was inappropriate. Even though sheined, her voice was full of spirit.


    Desir dramatically knelt down on one knee, ced a fist on the ground, and hung his head in shame.


    ¡°I was too inconsiderate. Please have mercy, Empress.¡± Adjest grinned and yed along with him.


    ¡°Very well, I shall pardon you of your sin. Instead, devote yourself to the Empire, for the good of citizens everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that sounded pretty dignified.¡±


    ¡°It was exceedingly difficult to acquire.¡± *Ba-Bang*


    A loud noise could be heard from a considerable distance away, proof that the festival to celebrate the Empire¡¯s new Empress was in full swing. The two stopped speaking and nced up towards the sky, reveling in the firework disy. Adjest was the first to open her mouth.


    ¡°I remember when we first met.¡±


    ¡°You told me I was weak, right?¡±


    ¡°I gave you some advice because I was worried. Turned out it was just my arrogance and prejudice speaking though.¡±


    Adjest grinned, reminiscing of the past.


    ¡°Now that I think of it, it was so satisfying. You delightfully crushed my skewed thoughts and the gaudy atmosphere of the academy.¡±


    Both of them kept talking, looking back on the bygone days. Looking back, every single thing was an unforgettable memory. ¡°After I got the Center of Ice¡­ ¡±


    ¡°You piggybacked me. That¡¯s slightly embarrassing.¡±


    Suddenly, Desir found it marvelous to talk with Adjest like this, without her usual indifferent expression. He never thought he would be talking with her in this way, someone who used to show no feelings.


    When Desir first met Adjest, she was not that different from the version of her he had in his memory. She was like a sharp de.


    Then at some point or another, that de had been blunted.


    As if the ice in her heart had melted.


    ¡°Do you happen to remember the Foundation Day celebration? We went to this fortune teller¡¯s shop and¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Mhm. We did a song fortune-telling.¡±


    They made eye contact and recited the divination in sync.


    ¡°A thing that still exists even after everything in the world copses.¡±


    ¡°Either of you will be this pir when the other faces a downfall.¡±


    ¡°You do remember it!¡±


    Adjest put on the brightest smile.


    It was dazzlingly beautiful.


    Even at the end of a terrible war, that smile had remained hidden. ¡®Is this another change I¡¯ve made?¡¯


    Adjest¡¯s current life waspletely different from her previous one. In this world, she was no longer alone. She was surrounded by people with whom she could speak in earnest. She could smile because she was willing to open herself up to a reason to do so. She did not have to hide her feelings just to live.


    That was enough.


    Even if everything else had failed, that smile was worth all the effort and hardship Desir had gone through to get to this point.


    ¡®But howe¡­ ?¡¯


    The corner of his heart ached. ¡®Why do I feel this way?¡¯


    Desir questioned his own emotions. ¡°The prophecy was indeed urate.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The reason why I could be ¡®Adjest¡¯ was because of you.¡±


    The sky was filled with tens of thousands of stars. As the wind blew, the lilies of the valley fluttered like a wave.


    ¡°I¡¯m the same.¡±


    ¡®Could I have gotten this far without her?¡¯ ¡°I existed, because you existed.¡±


    Every time he was frustrated and was about to copse, she was by his side.


    Now that the world was at peace, now that there was not a terrorist organization or impending apocalypse, Desir finally allowed himself to slow down and be human. He finally looked at himself and realized what some part of him had felt for a long time.


    He nced towards Adjest, only to see her staring at him, and the two hurriedly looked away from each other without speaking.


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re going to make me say it, aren¡¯t you?¡± *Crack*


    The atmosphere began to freeze calmly.


    In the peaceful center of the lily of the valley garden, an ice pce that reflected the radiant moonlight was built.


    ¡°I care for you, Desir Arman.¡±


    Adjest reached out her hand with a flushed face. ¡°Would you like to be with me now and forever?¡± Desir carefully took her hand with a smile on his face. The white, soft and very warm back of her hand. ¡°Forever.¡±


    He kissed it.


    (This was thest chapter of A Returner¡¯s Magic Should be Special)


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!