Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Friendly Spar (2)
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Ten minutes after the spar began.
Badel was genuinely feeling fear.
“You’re not gonna use a weapon?”
“If I did, it’d end way too fast.”
He recalled the exchange they’d had at the start of the match.
And in fact, in all his previous fights, Badel had never once used a weapon. From start to finish, he’d beaten his opponents bare-fisted.
Watching them writhe in sticky agony was his thing, after all.
“You serious? You’re gonna beat me with your fists?”
“...”
“Jackpot.”
Thinking back on it...
The moment his face lit up like that after hearing those words, he should’ve been on guard.
“...Are you insane, you freak?”
But because he hadn’t, now it was Badel’s voice that trembled as the words slipped out.
The difference in skill was utterly overwhelming. He’d picked this guy precisely because he looked like someone he could torment nice and slow.
But.
-!
The heavy swing of a fist slammed straight into Dawood’s jaw. He could feel it transmit through his hand. His seasoned battle instincts assured him.
This was a blow that any human would crumple from. A punch to the jaw would rattle the brain.
Yet.
This guy didn’t go down.
Just like he hadn’t, countless times before.
He staggered back a step or two before casually cracking his neck and trudging right back toward him.
“Huh, that was fine.”
The casual tone, like he was genuinely enjoying it, sent chills racing up Badel’s arms.
“...Let’s end the spar. Go to the infirmary and get some treatment-”
“Why stop?”
The utterly sincere tone of confusion made Badel step back this time.
It was pure instinct.
‘...Me, backing away from some Imperial punk in a fight?’
Realizing that twisted his face in fury.
Even more sadistic violence rained down on Dawood. Strikes so powerful it almost felt cruel to unload them on just one person.
Dawood’s body was tossed around like a ragdoll. Flesh sprayed, blood fountained.
But.
“...You picked a good opponent. Nice.”
Even now.
Looking half-dead, he was grinning ear to ear.
“...”
Badel’s face was starting to drain of color.
If this were just some weakling acting tough, he’d have welcomed it. Crushing guys like that had its own appeal.
But this one...
He was genuinely ‘enjoying’ getting one-sidedly pummeled.
Like there was some massive payoff for him!
“Again.”
Seeing him mutter that and shuffle closer, terror finally crept into Badel’s eyes.
What the hell was he even doing?
Was this even a spar anymore?
Was this guy even human?
“...Don’t come any closer.”
“Why? That last one felt good. One more-”
“I said don’t come closer-!”
His face ashen white, Badel stumbled back toward a red button on one side of the stage and reached for it.
Pressing it would probably count as surrender.
He’d never have touched it under normal circumstances, but facing this monstrous freak any longer felt worse than a moment of humiliation.
But there was a hand, dripping blood, grabbing his jaw.
“No.”
Dawood said urgently.
His eyes burned with desperate plea.
“No, don’t. You can keep going, right? You said you’d beat me until time’s up.”
“...”
Seeing Dawood flash a near-servile grin while clutching his arm, Badel’s face went even paler.
It shouldn’t have been a scary face normally, but how out-of-place it was in the moment efficiently shattered his sanity.
“You can do it. You’re still fresh. I’m the one taking the hits—why’re you surrendering? You messing with me?”
“Eek...!”
“Keep your promise. Please. I’m begging you.”
“Get off...!”
In the end.
Badel let out a shrill scream and slammed the surrender button.
●
“Mm...”
As my sparring partner bolted like he’d seen a ghost, shaking uncontrollably, regret clung to my face.
It really was a shame.
[System Log]
[ You exchanged blows with an opponent displaying excellent fighting technique! ]
[ A new move set is added to ‘Trait: Fighting Technique – Stand-up’! ]
[ You exchanged blows with an opponent displaying excellent fighting technique! ]
[ A new move set is added to ‘Trait: Fighting Technique – Stand-up’! ]
[ You exchanged blows with an opponent displaying excellent fighting technique! ]
[ A new move set is added to ‘Trait: Fighting Technique – Stand-up’! ]
.
.
.
[System Log]
[ You successfully continued combat despite severe injuries! ]
[ ‘Trait: Iron Man’ proficiency increases. ]
[ You successfully continued combat despite severe injuries! ]
[ ‘Trait: Iron Man’ proficiency increases. ]
[ You successfully continued combat despite severe injuries! ]
[ ‘Trait: Iron Man’ proficiency increases. ]
.
.
.
He seemed like a decent hitter, in his own way.
Just standing there and taking punches had racked up two whole proficiency levels. That’s the kind of thing you usually need a serious rival for, right?
I probably could’ve stacked more if he’d kept going, but for some reason he just ran off. What a bummer.
[System Message]
[ Target ‘Elnor’ is furious that target ‘Badel’ dared to strike you. ]
[ Intense hatred toward the target! ]
“...”
Which meant I’d be dealing with that glare from across the way.
No way a window like this would pop if she wasn’t watching.
Badel, why’d you run...!
You said you’d spar till time was up...!
“That Badel guy got scared and ran...!”
“There’s a crazy lunatic like that in the Empire too...?!”
“What a maniac...!”
“...”
The whispers from the Tribal Alliance students stabbed at my chest.
Why do you guys have to phrase it like that?
‘...Anyway, check the gains first.’
Elnor wouldn’t show even if I went looking. Might as well see what I got.
[Mastery Info]
[ Trait: Iron Man ] [ Grade: Basic ]
[ Current Proficiency: 88% ]
[ Tribal Alliance warriors repeatedly train by pushing themselves to the brink to hone their coping skills. It’s extremely dangerous, but the results are guaranteed. ]
[ ■ Increases resistance to various injuries and pain. Reduces pain intensity and allows easier movement even with severe wounds. ]
[ ■ Effect scales with Endurance stat. ]
One trait I’d grinded out by taking a brutal beating.
Even with basic first-aid kit salve and bandages, the wounds were visibly improving.
Unless the meds were top-tier, normally I’d have to scrape every point from the shop for an expensive potion after a thrashing like that.
And above all.
‘...It didn’t hurt that much?’
The effect listed: reducing ‘pain intensity.’
Way more useful than expected.
Polished right, it could be a core ability for this chapter.
The pain from those hits just now wasn’t that bad, honestly?
[...Even with a trait like that, normal people wouldn’t think to tank that much?]
“It was bearable.”
[Is this the same guy who was just asking me how to endure pain?]
People grow.
[You’re not growing—you’re just going nuts.]
“...”
Shut up.
Ignoring Kaliban, I checked the next trait.
[Mastery Info]
[ Trait: Fighting Technique - Stand-up ]
[ Efficient moves honed over a lifetime by a genius boxer. Even unfinished, they pack tremendous power! ]
[ ■ Strength correction in unarmed combat. ]
[ ■ Agility correction for evasion moves in unarmed state. ]
[ ■ Practice to unlock various moves in this fighting style. ]
[ New move unlocked! ]
[ Progress to completion: 10% ]
This one mattered more than Iron Man.
Especially that last line about ‘completion’ progress.
The description wasn’t lying—it’s unfinished. Even the founder couldn’t perfect it.
“...”
But completing this is how I steer Chapter 3’s ending my way.
The final ‘enemy’ there can’t be beaten with weapons.
Gotta keep grinding.
[ Updating rankings. ]
As I thought that, the stadium’s scoreboard flashed the message.
Showing who had the highest ‘score’ in the friendly spars.
Judging based on overall ‘better fight’ from various factors.
Even a weakling holding out against a much stronger foe gets higher marks than their opponent.
I scanned from the bottom up.
Top three’s all I need...
[ 1st – Liru Garda ]
[ 2nd – Eliya Chrisanax ]
[ 3rd – Dawood Campbell ]
Barely made it.
Considering the power gap without Desperate Situation active, squeezing out a surrender scored huge.
‘...Liru made it too.’
Obvious with her strength, but she had to rank for the ‘Main Quest’ to progress.
I eyed the rest scrolling by.
Didn’t care about most...
[ 4th – Feynol Lifec ]
Seeing that name right below mine made me grimace.
Right—story-wise, he’s crammed in as an exchange student. Not someone I wanna run into.
He’s Chapter 4’s key figure, the ‘core’ of the Inquisition I’m desperately avoiding.
The problem?
[System Message]
[ Target ‘Feynol Lifec’ is showing interest in you. Related event incoming! ]
[ Contacting the target will immediately unlock ‘Inquisition - Special Interaction’ from ‘Boss: Boy King’ clear reward! ]
[ ‘Skill: Fatal Charm’ cannot be applied to the target! ]
Windows like this popped the second I saw his name.
I frowned hard.
If memory serves, Feynol’s a villain. High chance demon-linked.
And Fatal Charm—which skips plot, logic, everything—won’t work on him?
“...”
That skyrockets the ‘related event’ importance.
His personality means that skill was my bare-minimum insurance. Without it, meeting him dumps me straight into ‘danger.’
‘...Deal with it later.’
When have I ever?
No solid info anyway. System won’t even say when the event triggers.
No point overthinking—handle it when it hits.
I sighed and stood.
Because.
[ Friendly spar event concluded. ]
[ Top three students, please assemble at the Hall of Honor. Awards to follow. ]
The announcement blared.
Time for Liru to use the token from Luca. And for me to snag that Endurance boost to patch my constantly battered body.
Reward time.
[System Message]
[ Target ‘Elnor’s’ corruption rises by 10%. ]
[ Target in ‘Suspicion’ state. Corruption tripled! ]
[ Target’s corruption now near 100%! Fragment ‘Rampage’ risk unlocked! ]
“...”
Gotta fix this somehow.
But ‘fragment rampage’ isn’t some casual event. Gotta exceed 100% for the vessel to even ‘manifest’—never reaches rampage.
Probably needs 200%+ for a shot.
‘But.’
When it blows, the destruction’s on another level.
Fragment rampage... it’s just different.
Like, the kind that shows why a demon vessel could solo world-end on a whim.
Of course, it’s rare as hell. Main scenario big events only.
‘...Not like it’ll happen.’
No reason for me to poke Elnor here.
Right?
●
To give special meaning to honoring glory, it’s the spot at the peak of the Crucible of Strife dome.
You get a clear view of the sea encircling the academy—rare sight normally.
High Priestess Tatiana waited there, squinting as usual, to greet the three students.
Liru Garda. Eliya Chrisanax. And me.
The onlookers were all sour-faced. Imperials never climbed this high, no matter the years.
“...”
I smirked inwardly.
As glimpsed during the spars, the Crucible overall quietly looked down on Elpante. That vibe everywhere.
‘...Makes this possible, though.’
Recalling what I’d demand, I faced forward.
Tatiana’s gaze swept me and the two women beside me.
“I hear you all posted excellent results. In the Crucible of Strife, those who excel in blood-for-blood combat always get rewarded.”
Tribal Alliance tradition. Especially for ‘fighters,’ a prize is mandatory.
“First place first—what do you want?”
Her eyes lingered on Liru; the crowd’s faces hardened.
Murmurs of curses and contempt drifted over.
“...The bastard’s back. Challenged the Great Chieftain’s clan first and got his wiped out instead?”
“No idea why he returned, but he’ll learn his lesson. We don’t welcome trash like him.”
The Alliance pegged Liru as ‘coward’ or ‘scum of the earth.’
One: Kasa Garda vs. Allan Ba-Tor happened because Liru ‘couldn’t hold his temper and picked a fight.’
Two: Garda clan publicly ‘extinct’ because Liru ‘cheated’ mid-chieftain duel.
“...”
Knowing the truth, that summary made me want to puke.
That squinty woman right there orchestrated it.
“...Let me into my clan’s ‘territory.’”
Liru spat at Tatiana.
Good she realized charging in was dumb—thanks to me stopping her before.
“There’s unfinished business.”
Instant uproar from the crowd.
“Disgrace to the Alliance!”
“The spirits of the fallen warriors will curse you! Stepping foot in the land of those you killed?!”
Quiet gossips now screamed, veins bulging, throats raw.
To them, she was the scum begging to tread home soil after killing her own family.
“Luca Han-Chai of the Highrule Mountains guarantees my rights. Chieftain’s authority.”
Ignoring them, Liru raised the dreamcatcher I’d tied from Luca’s. Crowd recognized it; shouts died fast.
Chieftain authority rivals Imperial royalty here. No backtalk allowed, gripes or not.
“Very well.”
“...?”
Even accounting for that...
Tatiana’s easy yes caught Liru off-guard; her eyes widened slightly.
She’d probably braced for dirty tricks from her clan-killer.
“...”
Same here.
I narrowed my eyes at Tatiana.
She’d know what Liru entering meant.
The biggest hint to kill her ‘ancient being’ was there.
Expected sabotage.
“Then, second place—what would you like?”
“...Um.”
Eliya glanced around awkwardly.
Not vibing with the hostility.
“...Can I think it over and tell you later? Not sure what to pick.”
“As you wish.”
Probably figured any pick meant hate, so safe choice. Tatiana agreed smoothly.
Not a hard request.
“Then, you?”
“...Can I think a bit more too?”
I had demands ready: access to the Crucible ‘forge’ you must hit in-game. Or rights to tag along to Liru’s land for Endurance.
But something felt off about her.
Starting with accepting Liru’s no-hassle.
“Sure.”
“...”
Her casual nod narrowed my eyes further.
What’s her game?
As I pondered.
Tatiana stepped down from the podium to me.
Onlookers stared—what’s she doing?
“Especially your requests—I’ll grant anything, Dawood Campbell.”
Bathing in the stares, she kept smiling.
Drew closer, like whispering.
“Since you’ll die here anyway.”
And then.
Her necklace pulsed green.
Meaning hit instantly.
No words needed.
The vast sea near the dome churned.
Synced rhythmically to her necklace’s flashes.
Deeply.
‘Ominous.’
Tatiana’s squint widened slightly.
“I hear planning and prep is your trait, Dawood Campbell.”
“That’s your weakness.”
Poison seeped into my ear.
She pressed closer, hugging me lightly. Crowd startled by the sudden move, but she didn’t care.
“Summon that, and everyone here dies. High chance includes me.”
Her widened squint oozed dizzying madness.
Her muttering carried the chaos unique to lunatics, amplifying it.
“But I’ve waited for you to step outside academy ‘structures.’”
“You never expected this recklessness from me.”
“The Foreseer ordered your death full-force, so I’ll burn everything to kill you right here-”
But.
“Hey. Shut up.”
“...”
I cut Tatiana off urgently.
Her face blanked.
But I had no time for that.
“I get it—you wanna kill me, prepped some trump card, fine!”
Felt like she’d cooked up some grand scheme in her own world.
But that wasn’t my priority.
“Back off, please!”
I twisted to escape her tight ‘hug.’
“...”
Sadly, no dice.
Not a fighter, but she’s a chapter’s final boss.
Her physicals outclass mine.
My struggles barely registered—like a bug crawling.
“...Teacher, what’re you doing?”
Even Eliya tossed an incredulous line from beside.
I was dead serious.
“You said summoning it has high odds of killing you too! Means you can survive!”
Beyond serious—vision swimming, frantic.
I rapid-fired at her blank face.
“Let go now, or that slim survival drops to zero-!”
But.
Before finishing.
[System Message]
[ Target ‘Elnor’ snaps at seeing you rub up with yet another woman! Rage beyond reason! ]
[ Target in ‘Suspicion’ state! ]
[ Target’s corruption surges 3x! ]
[ Target ‘Elnor’s’ corruption exceeds 300%. ]
[ Target enters ‘Rampage’ state! ]
[ Damage radius: Entire ‘Crucible of Strife’! ]
[ Survival odds: 0%! ]
“...Fuck.”
With my curse, the messages flashed.
And.
-...
Everything around.
Started breaking.
“...H-Huh? What?”
“W-What’s that?”
Murmurs rose.
They sensed ‘something’ instinctively too.
First second.
Gray energy erupted everywhere. Everything slowed. Like when the Gray Devil manifested before.
“...”
But.
Demon ‘rampage’ doesn’t end there.
Second two.
The world split.
“Wh-What?!”
“Crazy-!”
Screams everywhere.
Like a giant blade cleaved the dome sphere in half—the space warped grotesquely, stretching, splitting the whole building.
This massive structure, built over ages by thousands, fused with world-top tech, continental pinnacle.
All defenses, barriers, even cherubim wards—useless.
In one second.
Cleft in two.
Crashing down.
----!!!!!!!!
-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ears rang from the collapse roar. People’s throat-shredding screams drowned in the dome’s rending.
Stunned at the massive destruction, ugly sobbing, fainting—plenty of each.
“...F-Fucking hell...!”
In the inferno, I whipped around for the culprit.
Spotted her instantly, blended in the crowd: Elnor.
And seeing her...
Hit the most chilling truth.
She hadn’t ‘intended’ this.
Just breathing there, the world couldn’t handle her presence and crumbled.
No malice in it.
How’d I know?
“...”
Her eyes, blood-redder than blood, proved it.
〚...I held back once. With Liru Garda, I could chalk it up to mistake, step back a hundred times.〛
Right here, now.
〚But twice. No way.〛
Elnor, truly ‘wanting harm’...
Someone who unleashes that power just standing—now pouring full force...
〚Who’s that woman now, Dawood?〛
Only at me.
●