Chapter 75
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 075
Chapter Title: Awakening
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Suppressing the disturbance didn't take long. Even seasoned mercenaries would consider facing that massive wolf beast outright to be utter madness.
The mercenaries scattered like fallen leaves caught in a broom sweep. The noble youth fled alongside them, but the dissipated mage's sprint was far slower than the rest.
"Hurry and protect m... guk?!"
Thud!
The noble sprawled flat. Something had snagged his ankle, sending him tumbling. He scrambled to get up in a panic, but strangely, he couldn't move one leg.
The flustered noble glanced back. What he saw was a tentacle coiled around his ankle.
Shwaaack—!
Rex yanked the tentacle. The noble's body dragged across the dirt ground.
"Uwaaaah! Save me!!"
The youth wailed pitifully, flailing his arms toward the fleeing mercenaries. But they were too busy abandoning their straggler employer to escape.
Soon, the noble was delivered right before the wolf pack. Four wolves encircled him, baring their fangs. The sight left the noble with an expression like he might faint any second.
Pssshhh...
The lower part of the noble's pants grew soaked. A pungent urine stench assaulted the air. Woojin fanned it away repeatedly.
"......I have nothing to say to that."
Claire let out a sigh. She seemed reluctant even to mention the scene she'd just witnessed.
"What should we do with him?"
"Just leave him be. I don't want to waste more time on that guy."
"Honestly... same here."
But they needed some closure.
Woojin stepped forward to clean up the mess. As he approached, the wolves parted left and right, clearing a path for him.
"Hey."
"......"
The youth stared up at him with dazed eyes. It was a rather entertaining look, but Woojin had no desire to deal with this filthy mess any longer.
"Live like a mouse in hiding. If you cross my sight again, something's getting broken."
"......"
"Answer me."
"Y-yes, sir."
The youth bowed his head hastily. Woojin had originally planned to give him a few solid punches...
But the guy was so frail, one hit might kill him. The wolves seemed to think the same; there were no bite or claw marks on him.
"Scram. Before I change my mind."
Woojin shooed him away like a fly. The noble tried to stand but his legs gave out, so he half-crawled in his frantic escape.
Drip, plop.
Yellowish droplets fell from the youth's pants. Onlookers laughed or shot him scornful glances.
Claire muttered to herself.
"The bards have fresh fodder for their mocking songs."
"That's kinda pitiful."
Not long ago, that youth had been beaten by Claire and cried in front of everyone, becoming a laughingstock.
Now, he'd pissed himself in view of a huge crowd too. Socially, he was as good as dead. This would cling to him like a lifelong stain of shame.
'......By the way... what was his name?'
He'd forgotten to ask.
Not that it mattered. He'd have forgotten it anyway even if he'd heard.
"Let's get back to what we were doing."
"Sure."
They resumed walking.
They explained the recent commotion to the belatedly arriving guards. With plenty of witnesses around—and given the noble's notorious reputation—the guards backed off without issue.
"There's a great spot nearby to show off your magic."
Once outside the city, Claire spoke up. She seemed to have a place in mind.
Riding the wolves would get them there quickly. Woojin beckoned Rex, who shrewdly approached and lowered his body.
Claire marveled at the sight.
"Wow... even a custom saddle?"
"The Church Alliance provided it."
"Reminds me of old times."
Claire smiled as she climbed onto Rex's back. She then patted the spot behind her, as if urging him to hop on.
There were four wolves, after all...
He didn't point it out. Yielding to her prodding, he mounted behind her. Claire naturally leaned back against his chest, like reclining on a chair backrest.
"Which way?"
"Over there."
The wolves bolted in the direction Claire indicated. Before long, a vast lake surrounded by woods came into view.
The water was pristine. Long tree branches reflected perfectly on its surface. A male deer drinking at the shore spotted the wolves, panicked, and bolted away.
"Nice scenery."
"Yeah. And we're about to ruin it."
A lake this size was perfect for spell practice. Its depths would dampen the spells' power and prevent secondary accidents from the aftermath.
It was like army training with grenades—tossing them into water to contain the blasts.
"I'll go first."
Claire grinned mischievously and stood at the water's edge. She extended her right hand toward the lake.
"Glacier, Sagitta."
Shwaaa—
Claire's palm glowed deep sky blue. Swirling azure light particles gathered in midair, soon forming sharp ice arrows.
Bang!
The ice arrows launched with a whoosh. They peppered the lake, frosting its surface with thin ice.
Woojin was impressed.
"Ice Arrow is a 3rd Circle spell... and you cast it instantly?"
"Yeah. Not that hard."
Claire downplayed it casually. But it was no small feat. Stable spellcasting usually required pre-drawing rune letters and diagrams on paper.
The prep work commonly called memorization. That was why mages always lugged books around.
Claire stepped aside.
"Your turn, Jin. You said your spellcasting's improved a lot."
"Embarrassing compared to you."
Woojin stepped forward anyway. Claire watched intently, making him feel like a student solving problems before a professor.
'......Kinda nerve-wracking.'
No telling if he'd perform up to par, but he'd give it a shot. Steeling himself, he prepared the spell.
Swish, swoosh.
His hands moved busily, like signing. His palms gradually turned red, as if molding crimson orbs.
The resulting 2nd Circle fire spell, Scorching Shot, fired toward the lake's center.
BOOM!!
A massive water plume erupted amid the explosion. Claire looked surprised beside him.
"That's a rarely used casting method... where'd you learn it?"
"Picked it up somehow."
Forming runes with hand gestures for casting. The mage Enoch, lacking talent, had relied on such tricks often.
Considering Woojin's past skills, this was huge progress.
"You seem gifted in gesture magic. What if you studied at the Magic Tower?"
Claire even made the suggestion. But Woojin shook his head without hesitation.
"It's a cheat ability... wouldn't yield much even if I joined the Tower."
A skill gained from absorbing a dark cultist's core. Just inheriting someone else's knowledge wholesale—his cover would blow the moment he entered the Tower.
He declined for that reason, but Claire didn't seem ready to drop it.
"Even if it's a shortcut, tuning that knowledge in your head might yield great results."
"True enough."
She had a point, but... did he really need the Magic Tower?
"Can't you just teach me? No need for the Tower then."
Once he had more leisure, he could get private lessons from Claire like before. She nodded in agreement.
"That'd be more efficient, yeah. Since we're on the topic, want lessons here?"
"Uh... now?"
"Yep. Quiet spot like this is perfect for studying. I even brought textbooks."
Claire rummaged in her bag and pulled out several grimoires. Woojin couldn't help but admire her.
'Bringing books everywhere...'
Thinking back, he'd dumped a hundred gold coins on her because he'd seen that passion multiple times. Claire was clearly born to be a mage.
Woojin sat beside her readily. Under the tree shade by the lake, the two discussed magic. It felt like a picnic.
......Claire suddenly beamed.
"Why the grin?"
"Just... feels like a dream come true. First time I saw this lake, I thought it'd be nice to read here with you."
Claire smiled innocently. But her joy soon turned to sorrow.
"Wish we could stay like this forever..."
"No need to mope yet. My leave's got plenty left."
"Guess I'll take comfort in that."
Claire steeled herself with those words. Woojin inwardly worried watching her.
'Her mental state's fraying a bit.'
Talent breeds envy.
The noble youth had pestered her earlier, but others jealous of her gifts had too. Stress piling from annoying relationships.
How to fix this...
"......Wanna stand up for a sec?"
Woojin beckoned. Claire rose without hesitation.
"What's up suddenly?"
"Don't you get tired holding back your strength all the time?"
"Yeah, I do."
Ever since gaining Karma, Claire had to be extra careful with her power control. One slip, and she might smash everything around her.
From Woojin's experience, constantly suppressing strength like that was stressful in itself.
He pulled beast hide from his pack and wrapped it around his left arm. A makeshift sandbag. He faced Claire with it raised.
"Hit this with your fist."
"This'll help me?"
"Just try it."
Claire hesitated, then threw a tentative right jab.
Thud.
A timid punch.
"More boldly. Like a low kick."
"Like this?"
Thwack!
"Better. Harder."
Crack!
"Imagine a face you hate."
BOOM!!
"......Oof. You must hold back a lot daily."
"Too much?"
"Nah, I can handle it."
Claire's lips twitched upward unwittingly.
"Can ramp it up more then?"
"Uh... wasn't that full power?"
"Feels like I can hit harder."
"Go for it."
KABOOM!!
Thunder cracked. Woojin gritted his teeth slightly. This felt tougher than studying.
'......Is she stronger than Rex?'
How'd this happen?
Taking her punches one by one, he replayed recent events in his mind...
A memory from the core surfaced.
'Vikram's Insight.'
Vikram's Insight had been incomplete. He'd lost both eyes but failed to fully awaken his mind's eye, leaving him in limbo.
That plunged the young monk into despair. Living in self-abandonment, resigned to defeat... until the dark cultist appeared, granting him power.
'That power was definitely Karma.'
A technique using Karma to awaken and enhance others' latent strengths beyond their limits.
Woojin had apparently done it unwittingly.
'......Worth researching.'