Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Dilemma
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Most games treat debuffs as importantly as buffs.
Apocalypse Academy was no different. Hadn't I grinded the Sword of Shatter specifically for its defense debuff?
But specializing in debuffs was a bit tricky.
Luna's Violet Flame differed from the burst-damage-focused Crimson Flame—it was tuned for sustained damage.
Compared to Crimson Flame, it dealt more than twice less damage over the same timeframe.
It seemed like the developers had put thought into adding variety to combat, but unfortunately, sustained damage didn't mesh well with the original game's combat meta.
The core of Apocalypse Academy's battles was dodging or parrying enemy attacks, then pouring on burst damage during their recovery frames.
Especially after breaking an enemy into stagger, you could unload high-powered arts on them defenseless.
It was more efficient to slam in a stronger art than waste time on status effects or DoTs.
Of course, some debuffs were useful.
Things like defense or attack reductions.
But those could easily be replicated by handing out Shatter-series gear to other characters.
To make matters worse, boss monsters resisted most debuffs, and trash mobs got shredded before debuffs could even land.
Violet Flame Luna was competitive in the early-to-mid game, but the fatal flaw hit in the endgame.
Once you hit endgame, the party split into two groups, and that's where Luna's role got awkward.
The most reliable endgame comp was main DPS, sub-DPS, healer, buffer.
Canonically, Luna served as the main DPS for the second-string party without Aren.
Pulling her into a debuffer role left that second-string main DPS spot vacant.
That's why players who ran Violet Flame Luna for fun would bang their heads in regret come endgame.
But my shock at seeing the Violet Flame wasn't just because the main DPS had vanished.
"That flame..."
"Oh, it's the Grace Family's secret magic."
Unlike Lumen & Kaligo, you couldn't just flick a switch between Violet and Crimson Flame.
Violet Flame was more like a job change.
Only after clearing a specific quest from the magic tower run by the Grace Family could you switch to the Violet Flame tree.
True to their reputation as the foremost magical house, the Grace Family wielded immense influence over the empire's mage society, with their magic tower at the center.
A pure mana flame closest to magi, learnable only through a hidden grimoire in the tower—that was Violet Flame's lore.
In other words, Luna using Violet Flame meant she'd already cleared that quest.
At this point in the story, which was still just early-to-mid game by original standards.
The Violet Flame quest was a nightmare in difficulty.
A solo climb through a tower styled like Shadow Dungeon, with boss monsters on every floor.
No mid-run recovery either, so even veterans had to tread carefully.
Only then did I piece together the reason for the scars etched across her body.
'Why the hell?'
There was no reason to clear it.
Crimson Flame was just stronger.
If, on the first day of school, Luna had grabbed my hand and we'd partied up instead of with Cecilia...
I never would've recommended Violet Flame to her.
Yet Luna had gone and picked the Violet tree on her own.
'There has to be a reason.'
My theory that she was a stalker still held water.
But separately, I had to consider she might hold some key intel.
'Well, now I know.'
I shelved the complicated thoughts and turned to our original goal.
Twisting the final dial opened the safe, revealing bundles of cash that looked like church funds, some consumables, and several ledgers.
"Let's see... Is this a roster of church members?"
Adelin's expression hardened as she skimmed the ledger.
It logged entries and exits from the Getel branch, plus a map marking locations of a few other branches.
Even routes sneaking into the empire via western highways, and names of spies planted here and there.
"These bastards even slunk into Luft."
"Hand that to Her Highness the Princess."
"Will do."
Adelin clicked her tongue and stuffed the ledgers into her bag.
Unlike her, what caught my eye was the murky ore hidden among the ledgers.
A stone that, despite torchlight, didn't reflect light—instead seeming to swallow it all.
'There it is.'
[Abyss Fragment]
[A fragment brimming with abyssal magi. Processing it might yield something.]
Abyss Fragments were a farming material that dropped at a set rate from monsters starting mid-to-late game.
No immediate use, but essential in endgame for crafting final weapons like Hyperion—ones that awakened via specific methods like Seivain or Blue Night, not ritual awakenings.
Canonically, each weapon took three fragments; conveniently, the other two branches we planned to hit had one each.
Later, once Elia awakened as a craftsman and left the playable party, you'd process fragments through him to forge everyone's final weapons.
Not sure if 'Halibal Belder' had a dedicated final weapon, but if so, this would cover it.
Worst case, hand 'em to other characters.
As I pocketed the Abyss Fragment, Adelin spoke up.
"Ha, look at these rats."
The map marked the Getel branch plus the other two from the schedule.
Adelin's finger traced the three branches in sequence.
The destination pointed by the line connecting them.
"This is... Neivil."
"Correct."
Our journey starting from Neivil would end back in Neivil.
That's right. The final branch we were raiding was right inside Neivil.
'Though it doesn't exist yet, of course.'
Before setting out, I'd told Adelin we'd hit four branches.
She'd been puzzled.
The schedule only listed three.
It had to be that way.
The last target, the Neivil branch, wouldn't appear for about a month from now.
In the original, the Neivil branch's emergence was the turning point where the story truly darkened.
Bishops began operating openly starting second year, first semester.
While Aren and crew spent first year gallivanting across the empire cleaning up others' messes, the church evaded their eyes to establish branches everywhere.
They converted imperial citizens to cultists or drained their vitality to grow stronger, ultimately planting a tumor inside Neivil itself.
That tumor was the Neivil branch.
It became the gateway letting bishops like Malius infiltrate the academy freely.
But the biggest issue? The Neivil branch was where they kidnapped students for monsterization experiments.
When Aren and crew deployed to the frontlines as second-years, the church used it as a base to build power inside the academy.
Some nobles' heirs fell victim to the experiments amid the chaos, and Yustra Raigal bared her fangs to naturally segue into the noble civil war scenario.
On the map, Getel, Rainport, Ashpole—these three branches were the key supply lines for building the Neivil branch.
Especially the last one, Ashpole, where original Halibal Belder had been captured by the church.
I'd decided during this break to dig into Halibal's past.
Racking my brains to recall aimless wandering through the wilds, I traced my path to Belheim.
Only by remembering a roadside signpost did I confirm I'd been held in Ashpole.
Had I not escaped then, I'd have been brainwashed there and infiltrated the academy via the Neivil branch.
Being held in Ashpole implied original Halibal's hometown was nearby too?
Kill two birds: scout his traces, uproot the Neivil branch early.
"These filthy rats..."
Adelin's face twisted upon spotting the linked routes on the map.
An expression I'd never seen, even in the squad.
She was fundamentally dutiful.
Not just as Stormstrike Squad captain, but as academy instructor too.
Always seeming laid-back, yet she'd scored high in first-semester staff evals.
The church nesting eggs in her own backyard of Neivil? Unbearable insult for her.
"Halibal."
Adelin turned to me.
"I won't pry how you knew this anymore. Point is, without you, we'd have let enemies waltz into the academy's heart with eyes wide open."
She added,
"This settles it. At least you're not with the church. No more suspicions."
Adelin gazed at me, her face full of trust.
Luna just listened to our exchange, her expression unreadable.
⁎⁎⁎
Shortly after, we returned to the branch entrance.
We'd searched the fallen cultists' bodies on the way up, but found nothing noteworthy.
Fanatics steeped in magi—interrogating survivors wouldn't yield squat anyway.
"Alright. I'll report these findings to Her Highness immediately."
"What about this place?"
"Gonna bury it."
Adelin peered down the underground entrance.
"So they never even dream of rebuilding."
Sound plan. But burying an underground facility like this would take time.
Then Adelin drew her sword.
"Everyone, cover your ears."
Confirming Luna and I had, she gathered energy into her right arm.
Her forearm muscles ballooned like balloons, veins bulging stark under her skin.
A ferocious storm of pure sunlight like an angry Buddha swirled around her.
The pitch-dark forest drowned in solar blaze instantly.
Soon, a lion-shaped mass of solar sword aura, like a meteor from the heavens, plummeted down.
"Hundred Kings Descent."
KABOOMBOOMBOOMCRASH!
Even with ears plugged, the eardrum-shattering roar reverberated.
The lion devoured the area in a flash of blinding light upon ground impact.
Much later, opening my eyes revealed a crater spanning dozens of meters around our clearing.
The branch, erased without trace.
One sword aura blast from her collapsed the local terrain, entombing the branch alive.
"Cleaning done."
Yeah. Definitely cleaned.
'Went straight for the ultimate art, huh.'
In the original, finishers were replaced by breaks.
But ultimate arts—ougi—on par with finishers did exist.
What Adelin just unleashed was hers: viewable only once in the game.
By lore, using an ougi drained your whole body, but Adelin wasn't even winded.
'...This is the bus.'
Empire's Greatest Sword's class.
"Get a good look?"
"Too flashbanggy—couldn't see."
"Huh? Want an encore?"
"No thanks..."
Adelin giggled at my curt refusal and sheathed her blade.
"Alright! So, next spot?"
"Next is... Rainport."
"Port city Rainport. Sail from there to Baran, right? Heading straight there?"
"No. Got a detour first."
I glanced back at Luna standing behind me.
She too wore a stunned expression at Adelin's divine feat.
'What to do.'
Normally, I'd never consider it, but seeing Adelin's power stirred greed.
Luna could be plenty useful at this stage too.
My eyes drifted to the schedule entry underlined as 'on hold.'
Elia's hometown, site of the fourth Evil God's Dungeon: the mining and crafts city, Grabner.
Raid the fourth Evil God Dungeon, Demon Dungeon, here? Or skip?
A dilemma.