Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Crack!
The classroom was empty. Melana was biting her nails, trembling all over.
‘I’ve been found out.’
Anxiety and fear had robbed her of rational thought. Being caught by Johan was just bad luck.
During the psychological counseling, she had dredged up what she’d buried deep inside her, and the effects hadn’t yet worn off. She couldn’t maintain her composure when she came face to face with him.
‘Surrender? Surrender and they’ll show leniency?’
Melana knew. Nothing had happened yet. So, as Johan said, there was room for leniency. She still had a chance to redeem herself.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
But she wouldn’t surrender. If she had hesitated out of fear of death, she wouldn’t have even started.
She had already been “dead” half a year ago. The day she should have died. Someone had saved her life, nothing more.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to bring Rain back.”
She repaid the life she had borrowed. That was why she had joined the Under Chain organization. Its leader, Daehyeon, was a monster capable of bringing even someone back to life.
She had to earn his trust. To do that, she had to risk her life.
Yes, death was nothing. Once you knew you could overcome even death, there was no need to fear it.
Crack! Crack!
She countered her anxiety with faith. Death must not be feared.
‘Calm down.’
She needed to steady her trembling body.
Crack!
Death must not be given meaning.
Crack!
That was the rule of the Under Chain. The path of asceticism to transcend even death and unite as one.
“Melana!”
“Ah...”
Melana snapped out of it at Jeff’s voice shouting at the door.
Biting her nails had left her fingers bloody. She had been that anxious.
“Are you okay?”
Jeff held her hand and began to treat it. Ointment and bandages—items he always carried to treat injuries anywhere, anytime.
“Jeff.”
“Huh? Wait, let’s handle this first.”
Melana watched Jeff treating her hand with a face full of disgust.
“You’re an idiot.”
“...Yeah, I’m an idiot.”
“And I’m a moron.”
“Maybe so.”
Jeff answered with a bitter smile.
“Haah...”
Melana had been using Jeff. She had been leaking key information outside through him. Jeff was such an idiot he didn’t even notice. And she, using a friend who trusted and followed her so completely, was the moron.
“Life’s really hard.”
“But you have to hang in there, Melana. You’ve been doing well so far.”
Had she really? Melana looked at Jeff, ever so positive, and shook her head.
“Johan.”
I was learning magic from Ariel. Why was I learning magic from her, when I had asked for her cooperation? Not because I wanted to face this crisis with my own power.
“Okay, this is Fireball. One of the most basic spells.”
“I know.”
“Then why can’t you cast it? I heard you could use mid-level Camouflage magic.”
“That’s one of the few things I’m good at.”
I was good at it because it was my specialty. It didn’t mean I was good at magic in general. Fireball—how barbaric to start with such a spell. No hope, no dreams.
“If I’m trying to help, and you can’t even send a signal, how can I?”
When I became the bait, Ariel wouldn’t be nearby. If she were, I couldn’t be bait. So I was learning Fireworks magic from her to signal her in an emergency. A beginner-level spell, by the way.
“If you can’t even cast Fireball, how... it’s the simplest basic spell.”
“Fireball was created by history’s greatest archmage. It’s not a spell to be belittled as ‘basic.’”
“Faust became the greatest archmage because he made even the simplest spells. Magic is the formalization of innate abilities into a system. Only one who formalizes their ability so others can use it is called an archmage. That’s why a great archmage made magic so easy even a monkey could use it.”
Even simple Fireball had once been someone’s innate ability.
“Then just use signal flares.”
“What if it’s blocked? Magic can be retried as long as mana remains, but a flare fails if blocked before reaching the sky.”
“Carry several then.”
Carrying several would raise suspicion. Whether someone carries one or three is noticeable. For bait, suspicion must be minimized.
“Okay, try again.”
“Ariel, I’m not a genius like you.”
“Don’t want to? That’s fine, but if you don’t, Johan dies.”
So prickly.
“No! I’m not saying that. Geez... You think I don’t want to learn Fireball?”
“...Not?”
That’s how geniuses are. What I wanted to say was more fundamental.
“You want me to do it after showing me twice? I need time to practice.”
“This is basic magic. Just do it like this.”
Ariel frowned and drew magic circles in the air without moving her hands.
Once completed, all the Fireballs spun around her.
Was she showing off? Or mocking me?
“Besides, your registered abilities are already magic-optimized, so why can’t you do this?”
“Shouldn’t you first ask if I can use it?”
“Can’t?”
“Not everyone is a genius like you.”
Ariel’s ability is telekinesis. She uses it naturally, like moving her own limbs. Not limbs, even—extensions of her consciousness.
That’s why she has archmage potential. And it’s consuming her, slowly killing her.
“It’s a shame. It seemed like a good ability.”
“Is it? Until you use it, no one can say it’s good.”
Even the same ability’s usefulness depends on mastery. Most born with abilities can’t use them fully in their lifetime. They must discover for themselves.
So very few can wield their power freely. Either extremely sensitive or incredibly intelligent. Robelia is the former, Ariel the latter. I am neither.
“Still, if you train...”
“Let’s stop talking about abilities. My head hurts just thinking about it. Let’s focus on what can be done now.”
“Right, first, we need a signal spell.”
I can’t even use Fireball, yet I have to learn a more difficult spell. No time for my innate abilities.
“When do you think you can manage it? How many minutes do you need?”
“Eh?”
Is this the ‘ample time’ geniuses think they need? My knees shook.
“Forget it. I just need to do something that draws attention.”
“Do you have something in mind?”
“How about creating a burst of light with Illusion magic?”
“...?”
Ariel looked at me like I was insane. I couldn’t even cast Fireball, yet I said I would use a more difficult spell.
“But I can’t draw magic circles well. I’m better at memorizing incantations, so this suits me.”
Magic usage varies greatly. Everyone’s method is different, based on their own abilities.
“Ah, I see.”
So that explains why someone can use mid-level abilities even if they can’t use basic ones. The difference is aptitude. Basic and mid-level differ like elementary school versus high school.
“Can’t you just say you don’t want to do it? Don’t waste time.”
Ah, that much? Ariel pouted. At this point, her trust in me was all but gone.
But I had no choice.
Yoram was a dormitory-based school, so the facilities could be used late at night: training grounds, library, dining hall. Students moved freely, even late at night.
But there were differences. During the day it was crowded, at night some places were deserted.
One such place was the outdoor combat training ground. Unlike a regular training hall, it preserved natural terrain like mountains and rivers for real practice.
Without streetlights at night, few reasons existed to go there.
Which made it perfect for deceptive plans.
‘Damn it...’
Melana had been secretly watching Johan for days. Fortunately, he seemed unaware. Or maybe it was deception. Maybe he wanted to lure her into a trap knowing everything.
Johan moved alone to an isolated place in suspicious attire. The situation felt staged.
But...
‘Would Johan Damus have a reason to trap me?’
If he wanted to capture her, he could have reported her to the princess immediately.
Melana, anxious, was extremely cautious. No one was around. No one was watching. Johan was acting alone.
‘A traitor among the royal family? A double agent...’
Suspicion twisted in her mind. Without knowing Cult or Eden, she couldn’t understand Johan’s inefficiency. The confusion grew...
“Ah...”
The moment she saw Johan bury something in the ground, her thoughts vanished. Now. Miss it, and there’s no other chance.
She had to act.
‘Kill Johan Damus!’
That thought filled her mind, and she acted before thinking.
Chains extended from her hands.
Five interlinked rings—chains of life, given by Daehyeon, the leader of Under Chain—blackened.
Whoosh!
The black chain became a massive scythe of life. Melana swung it lightly, as if feeling no weight, striking at Johan. A perfect ambush, even the princess couldn’t have reacted in time.
“What...?”
But Melana realized she couldn’t kill Johan.
“How?”
He wasn’t in a state to evade. Every gap was open. Yet Johan easily dodged her scythe.
Impossible.
Unbelievable speed. No afterimages, no wind from speed, not even dust. No hint of movement.
Melana’s skin crawled. Unspeakable terror pressed down on her back.
Johan dodged her attack. And it was...
“What did you do?”
Like time had stopped, he moved silently and calmly.