Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Intersection (2)
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Lucien took a deep breath and continued.
“…Yes, so by slightly altering the order of the incantation like that, the blessing’s power increases dramatically. It might be a bit tricky at first, but after a few practices, you’ll get the hang of—”
“Like this?”
“…”
Lucien fell silent upon seeing the divine protective barrier of two intertwined colors manifesting before Dawood’s eyes.
Inside, she was barely stifling a scream.
Anyone would feel the same upon witnessing Dawood immediately applying what she had just taught him.
‘He said it was his first time…’
She inwardly grimaced as she looked at him.
Certainly, when they had first started the lessons, she had been full of confidence.
She had seen it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to correct this man’s ‘attitude.’
She didn’t even expect him to treat her with the reverence due a saintess like the others did.
However, no matter how you sliced it, she had to put a stop to him popping up out of nowhere, bossing her and Yuria around at his whim, and then vanishing.
This wasn’t treating a saintess—it was treating her like a servant!
‘This is definitely supposed to be difficult…’
Among all superhuman abilities, divine power was the most variable and capricious, even though everyone possessed it.
It was easy to get started with, but mastering it was another story.
So when he claimed he could raise his divine power to a third of her level within a month, she had just snorted in disbelief.
Indeed, her prediction had held true for the first two days.
She had inwardly cheered at the sight of Dawood, who couldn’t even memorize the incantations or properly manifest the most basic blessings.
‘Even this guy isn’t perfect!’
She had finally found his weak spot!
Then, by helping him with that, she could make him realize how important she was, stop him from leaving Yuria alone to fool around with other women, and ensure he relied on her in the future…
She had been lost in such delightful fantasies.
But all those hopes had vanished today.
“…”
He was fast.
Too fast at learning.
To be precise, he was undoubtedly a complete beginner in the very basics of ‘manipulating’ divine power, but once she showed him the method, he was absorbing all knowledge like a sponge.
Today alone, in less than half a day from lunch to evening, she had no idea how much he had learned.
Even she had struggled for at least a week to master the ‘cross incantation’ she had just taught him!
‘That’s why he set such an absurd goal…’
A sudden realization dawned on her.
The target he had set at the start of the lessons.
He had genuinely believed he could achieve it!
‘So this is what it feels like.’
Unlike Lucien, who was staring at him with the eyes of someone beholding a monster, Dawood himself was casually manipulating his divine power without a second thought.
After all, he knew the skill system of Savior Rising from A to Z. Simply ‘utilizing’ it was something he had done hundreds of times in the game.
The only hurdle had been learning how to ‘handle’ divine power itself, which he had overcome after a few days of wriggling around with Lucien.
It was like having memorized an entire game from start to finish but not having a controller plugged in.
“And next, what I was going to teach you is…”
Her voice half-choked with emotion as she rummaged through her prepared papers.
She had finally thought she could seize the initiative after always being dragged around by this man, her heart pounding with excitement.
Yet it had only been a few days into the lessons, and already more than half of her month-long curriculum was gone.
“Multiple blessings, um, activating them in combination…”
“Oh, I think it’s something like this.”
Whoosh. Several divine shields materialized around Dawood.
“…”
Lucien’s hands trembled as she set the papers down.
“Just do it on your own.”
“…Pardon?”
“You’re doing fine without me teaching you! I even prepared a bunch of beginner tips…! You, idiot, ugh, uuugh…”
“…”
Now she was sniffling, her nose running.
As Dawood kept his mouth shut, the door to the otherwise empty lecture hall slid open.
It was Yuria, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
She glanced around the awkward atmosphere in the classroom, then spoke in a drowsy voice.
“Mr. Dawood, are you bullying my sister again?”
“I’ve never bullied her.”
“Sister looks tough, but she’s actually really sensitive inside, so be a little more considerate. She loves playing the big sister role, so pretend to rely on her or something.”
“…”
Wasn’t that something to say in front of the person herself?
As he mulled over that thought, Yuria yawned again and continued.
“You should wrap up for today. Lady Ophelia asked me to pass that along.”
With that, she slipped out of the classroom.
Watching her go, Dawood spoke in a nonchalant tone.
“Hasn’t her condition improved a lot lately, all of a sudden?”
When they first met, she couldn’t even speak properly and had to float letters in the air to communicate.
But nowadays, even without Lucien nearby, she could speak like that quite often.
To the point where it hardly interfered with daily life anymore.
“The curse from the Disconnected Ones has slowed down a lot lately. It’s all thanks to you. Thank you.”
Lucien managed the gratitude through her sniffles.
As expected of a saintess. Even in such a situation, she never forgot her ingrained etiquette.
However, instead of responding graciously, Dawood merely narrowed his eyes.
“You should keep a close watch on her for the time being. Be careful.”
“Pardon?”
Rather than explain, Dawood just gave a wry smile.
Because.
He had experienced a similar case before, where the ‘vessel’s’ capacity greatly increased like this.
It was exactly like Elnor after the Purifier battle. The fusion rate with the fragment had risen, boosting the vessel’s physical specs dramatically.
And there was one more event that followed.
“…”
There was no need to tell Lucien anything. What he really needed to be cautious of was himself.
Once the first vessel, Elnor’s fragment fusion rate increased, the second vessel, Yuria, appeared not long after.
And now, the second vessel, Yuria’s fusion rate was rising.
In other words.
It was a sign that another ‘vessel’ was about to appear.
●
[System Log]
[ You have successfully operated divine power! ]
[ Proficiency of ‘Trait: Divine Power Operation’ increases. ]
[ Proficiency has skyrocketed! ]
[ Trait rank advances from ‘Basic’ to ‘General’! ]
[Mastery Info]
[ Trait: Divine Power Operation ] [ Rank: General ]
[ Current Proficiency: 0% ]
[ Uses divine power to manifest various blessings. The foundation of all techniques wielded by priests. ]
[ ■ Can deploy up to 2 identical blessings. ]
[ ■ Can use all blessings derived from ‘Beginner Incantations’! ]
Not bad.
He nodded as he reviewed the results from the past few days of lessons with the saintess.
Now he could activate a few buffs himself, beyond the ones built into Ultrim.
Of course, being beginner incantations, they were all straightforward, brute-force effects.
‘Red Blessing’ for attack power, ‘Blue Blessing’ for defense, ‘Yellow Blessing’ for agility… pretty much like that. All basic stat boosts.
The effects weren’t impressive on their own, but for someone with skills like ‘Desperate Situation’ or ‘World of Imagery’ that could multiply their efficiency several times over, it was more than enough.
Alright, time to check once more.
[Status Info]
「Dawood Campbell」
[Standard]
Strength: F (98% to rank up)
Agility: F (98% to rank up)
Durability: F
Luck: F
Influence: D
After days of agonizing full-body muscle pain from training non-stop with Talion day and night, with the exchange student exam just one day away, rank-ups were right around the corner.
‘For a week, that’s some serious progress.’
It was growth that would normally take a generous estimate of a month.
Thanks to the Lion’s Necklace speeding up training and constant recovery even amid life-or-death struggles, it was possible.
‘…This should just barely make it.’
Right after the exam ends, he’d head straight to the ‘Crucible of Struggle,’ so combining stat rank-ups with buffs should scrape him over the ‘cutoff line.’
If his memory served, brutal events that would thrash his body awaited immediately upon arrival there.
“…”
He silently scrolled through the system window floating before him.
[ Main Quest ]〖 Chapter 3 – Apostle of the Inverted Tidal Wave 〗
[ Related event will occur soon! ] [ D-2 ]
This one.
Unlike Chapter 2, which kindly warned when the stage boss Valkasus would attack so players could prepare, Chapter 3 was packed with breathless progression that dumped endless hardships on the player from the start.
He needed to prepare in advance.
“—That’s it for today’s class. Enjoy your lunch.”
As he pondered that, the professor stepped down from the podium with those words.
The classroom filled with lively chatter as students broke off into groups and headed to the cafeteria. For them, this was probably the happiest time of the day.
Not for him, though.
First things first, find an escape route.
The side door nearby, which he’d eyed upon entering, seemed best.
Time was short. He slipped out that way as naturally as possible.
“Dawood—”
Fortunately, he escaped the classroom before that voice could fully reach him.
He blended into the crowd in the hallway and kept walking until he reached a deserted spot.
“…”
He let out a sigh of relief.
He survived again…!
“…Are you okay?”
He jumped in shock at the voice right beside him.
Turning, he saw Eliya crouched there with an awkward smile.
“You’re stalking me too?”
“I always eat the lunch I bring here. The nearby cafeterias aren’t that great.”
“…You have time to eat?”
Lucky…!
“…Teacher, what exactly have you been going through lately?”
“…”
What else?
[Gift-Related Character Alert]
♥ Elnor Erinarije la Tristan
[ Affection Stage 2 ]
[ Related event is on standby! ]
This thing.
Unlike other events marked with ‘days remaining,’ the ‘on standby’ label was terrifying.
It felt like the moment they crossed paths, she’d shove a ring onto his finger.
And if he accepted it…
“…”
He didn’t even want to imagine.
He couldn’t fathom how the rampaging White Devil inside Yuria would chew, tear, taste, and savor him.
“…Why are you sweating bullets like that?”
“There’s a reason.”
“…”
Eliya gave him a puzzled look, then cleared her throat and held something out.
“But it worked out well. I was just about to go looking for you.”
“Why you? What’s your goal…!”
“…How has this guy been living lately?”
A chill ran down his spine at her retort, and Eliya narrowed her eyes as she extended something.
A lunchbox neatly wrapped in cloth.
“…Eat. You always eat on the go, right?”
“Huh?”
“Even without lately, I heard you skip meals a lot because you’re always rushing around. I made this, so eat it.”
“…”
Dumbfounded, he took the lunchbox.
Well, he did skip meals more often than not with everything going on.
“…Thanks.”
As he blinked and said that, Eliya beamed.
“Hm, you were a bit prickly about homework, but you really do listen well.”
“Homework?”
“There’s that~”
With that, Eliya hummed a tune and opened her own lunchbox beside him.
She seemed in a much better mood just from giving him the lunch.
“…”
He sat down next to her silently and opened his.
It looked surprisingly decent.
Meat, noodles, and vegetables arranged neatly.
A few bites, and the taste was good too.
She’s got real skill?
“Hey, this is delicious. You’re a good cook?”
“…”
Eliya beamed again.
A radiant smile like a flower blooming.
“E, ehehe. Ehehehe. Y-yeah?”
“…”
Her twisting and turning while smiling was a bit creepy.
After fidgeting like that for a while, Eliya cleared her throat and continued.
“…Actually, there’s one more thing I wanted to ask. Homework comes in two parts.”
She seemed to agonize right up until she said it.
“What?”
“…If you’re too busy to even eat lately, how about I take charge and—”
Before Eliya could finish, a massive roar shook the building nearby.
Students’ screams drowned out the end of her sentence.
“…”
Eliya’s eyes narrowed, but he stood up first.
He had a rough idea what event this timing meant, but better to confirm with his own eyes.
Peering out the window on the landing, it was happening in the plaza outside the building.
‘…Just as I thought.’
Exactly the person he expected entered his view.
“What did you just say?”
Liru Garda, wearing a demonic scowl. And before her, a male student pale as a ghost.
The earlier tremor was likely from Liru stomping in front of him. The ground beneath her foot was shattered into a crater.
“Wow… That girl again.”
Eliya, standing beside him, clicked her tongue at the sight.
“She’s beaten up who knows how many people for picking fights. Doesn’t she ever get tired?”
“…”
Instead of replying, he smirked.
No, she wasn’t the one picking fights.
Liru didn’t bother starting brawls with worthless opponents. She had zero interest.
The reason for her terrible reputation was that when someone disrespected her, she crushed them with full force, heedless of their status or background, leaving no regrets.
So she was seen as aristocratic and arrogant by lowborns, and vulgar and rude by highborns—contradictory evaluations.
“…”
Unbelievable.
She should tone down that temper.
“What did you say about my family? I asked what you just spouted.”
“I-I didn’t say anyth—”
Yeah, he probably did.
Considering the game’s progression, that male student must have acted arrogantly toward Liru before, gotten thrashed once, held a grudge, and now scratched her nerves again.
Liru’s eyes narrowed.
Her fist rose. She intended to beat him black and blue.
But a fleeting triumphant expression crossed the male student’s face.
That’s because it was a ‘trap.’
Clack. Someone grabbed Liru’s raised arm from behind.
“Enough.”
He knew that one too.
The one gripping her arm was the barbarian warrior Luca.
Behind him, his comrades with eyes wide in surprise, prepping for lunch.
Archer Falco. Mage Grid. Priestess Trisha.
The entire ‘hero party’ minus Eliya.
The male student must have spat his insult knowing someone would step in if she used force.
Given Liru’s current reputation, the hero party wouldn’t tolerate such ‘injustice.’
“…Huh? What are they doing down there?”
As Eliya muttered in confusion beside him, Liru scowled and shook off Luca’s arm.
“Get lost.”
“I said enough. I don’t know what he said, but swinging fists first doesn’t look good.”
From his perspective, knowing everything, it was justified violence. Forget the law—that student deserved a beating to near death.
He had insulted Liru’s family… quite harshly.
Especially considering the state of the ‘family’ she lived with now.
“…”
Liru sighed and turned toward Luca.
Murderous intent boiled in her eyes.
“I said get lost.”
“I can’t. How many times has it been you beating up fellow department students? It’s gone too far—”
Liru’s fist slammed straight into Luca’s face as he tried to continue.
Yeah, that hot temper was the problem.
She always struck first instead of explaining calmly.
The instigating student probably knew that and set the trap.
“Th-that! Isn’t she a crazy bitch?!”
Eliya shrieked, but Luca merely grimaced and stepped back a few paces, unscathed.
A fist-sized divine shield had formed before his face, erected by tense Trisha clutching her holy relic.
“S-stop! Why are you so violent?!”
At Trisha’s cry, Grid and Falco, who had been watching blankly, hardened their expressions and drew weapons.
No matter what, they couldn’t just stand by after their friend got hit.
“…You wanna go?”
Liru grinned more ferociously at the sight.
4 vs. 1, against the notorious top quartet of freshmen. Yet she showed no sign of backing down.
“Fine. Come at me.”
“…”
Luca, who had been watching silently, sighed and spoke.
“…How long are you going to live like this?”
Liru froze mid-motion.
“…What?”
“Even in a distant land, there are always a few from the same region.”
Luca continued calmly.
“I’m Luca Han-Chai of the Highrule Mountains. I know the tribal alliance’s situation and who you are. Daughter of the great chieftain. The last bloodline of the mighty leader.”
Liru’s eyes widened slightly.
“I heard you fled here because of that violent streak. Isn’t smearing the chieftain’s face that much enough?”
“…”
Liru fell silent briefly.
But not because he hit a nerve.
A creepy laugh leaked from her lips.
However, her eyes held the complete opposite emotion.
That was Liru’s reverse scale itself.
All nearby students paled.
Killing intent poured from Liru like it would incinerate everything around.
“Luca Han-Chai of the Highrule Mountains.”
An emotionless, icy voice flowed from Liru.
“I’ll remember you. You’re dead.”
“…Looks like we’ve passed the point of resolving this peacefully?”
Grid and Falco sighed at Liru’s words.
“I-I’ll go help too!”
“Leave it.”
“…Pardon?”
He stopped Eliya as she tried to dash out.
“They’re not weaklings. 4 vs. 1, they’ll win that much.”
If he rated fragment-absorbed Elnor’s combat power at 10 and Eliya’s at 5, the four together in sync would be about 7.5.
Even for Liru, too much to handle alone.
‘…She gets thoroughly crushed here.’
Then, with a change of heart, Liru realizes her shortcomings, befriends the hero party.
That’s how he remembered the story progressing.
So he’d let it roll as in the original, grab what he could, and be done.
A tamed Liru wouldn’t be hard to convince to return ‘home’ via this exchange student event.
Probably.
[System Message]
[ Demonic energy is detected. ]
[ ‘Seal of the Otherworldly’ reacts! ]
If not for that popping up.
“…”
A chill gripped his spine.
Looking toward Liru, a ‘blue aura’ billowed thickly from her body.
Familiar. He’d seen something ‘similar’ twice already.
Demonic energy.
“…”
You’ve got to be kidding.
Even with the omen of a new vessel from Yuria, this fast?
The chill deepened.
Liru Garda was a prime vessel candidate in the original too, but if she harbored the ‘Blue Devil’ like this.
Hero party or not, they couldn’t survive in combat. No joke— all four could die right here without it being weird.
“…”
And, naturally.
That couldn’t happen.
The hero party was a core story piece, less vital than Eliya but still. Losing even one would derail the entire scenario into ruin.
So, what was his move here?
“…”
Thought was swift, resolve swifter.
He opened the window and took a deep breath.
“…Teacher?”
Ignoring Eliya’s puzzled voice beside him.
He immediately hurled himself out the window.
Pretty high up, but he needed to get there as fast as possible.
“…! You crazy son of a—!”
Eliya’s curse echoed behind, but his body was already plummeting.
Boom. He landed with a thunderous crash, smashing nearby objects to bits.
“…”
One leg shattered too. Bad fracture.
But injuries like this barely drew a whimper now. Just a scrape.
He stood casually, limping between Liru and the hero party.
Everyone in sight gawked at him. What the hell is this madman?
In that moment.
“You lot.”
He stood before Liru, shielding her behind him.
Then addressed the hero party.
“Keep that up, and you’ll die?”
“…”
Liru’s eyes widened.
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