Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: The Sword Sage's Scrutiny
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My heart sank with a jolt.
*How in the world?*
I'd hidden it as best I could.
The energy I possessed wasn't mana, after all.
Worried that Ban Slaine might notice, I hadn't drawn upon my chaos energy for even a single instant.
And yet, he'd seen right through it.
*...He's a step above me.*
Even those who had reached the transcendent realm weren't all on the same level.
I'd won against the Lion more easily than expected, so I'd gotten a bit arrogant.
Ban Slaine probably could toy with and kill someone like the Lion without breaking a sweat.
I racked my brain for a moment before opening my mouth.
"I've hit level 100."
I could see Ban Slaine's eyes widen.
"Already?"
He'd always taken a keen interest in heroes.
Just the fact that he knew the tales of the D-rank hero who once thwarted the Demon King proved it.
With that level of interest, he was quite knowledgeable about levels too.
"I figured you'd be around level 50 by now."
But level 100?
He couldn't help but be astonished.
Of course, Ban Slaine's estimate wasn't wrong.
If I'd truly been a D-rank Sword Soldier and hadn't gotten explosive level-ups through a series of lucky breaks, I'd have been around level 50.
"I got a lot of help from the Sword Sage."
I exaggerated a bit about the summoning stones.
"There's something like that in the Sky Tower?"
Curiosity lit up Ban Slaine's eyes.
"I'll show you later."
Having glossed over the level-up part vaguely, it was time to explain away the chaos energy.
"Anyway, once I hit level 100, my mana started changing."
"How so?"
"I'm not entirely sure myself. Maybe because there were so many demonic beasts around, or because it was the Forest of Death. Other energies started mixing into my mana."
And voilà—!
Chaos energy.
I shrugged, claiming I didn't fully understand it myself.
"Does hitting level 100 cause that kind of change?"
"Who knows? No one's reached it besides me yet, so I can't say for sure."
Ordinary humans who weren't heroes could never comprehend this 'level system.'
And the other heroes were still a long way from level 100, so this bought me time until then.
*By the time they do, I'll have grown enough not to need excuses like this.*
I vowed to get stronger, even if just a day sooner.
"May I take a closer look?"
Ban Slaine phrased it as a request, but his expression was closer to a demand.
It wasn't suspicion, though.
Quite the opposite—he seemed worried that something might be wrong.
*What do I do?*
Honestly, I didn't like the idea.
If Ban Slaine realized chaos energy was born from mixing demonic energy and mana?
Unlike now, he might even draw his sword.
*But I can't refuse either.*
That would only arouse needless suspicion.
After a brief internal debate, I nodded.
Woooom—
I raised my hand, and gray, murky energy rose up.
Even this tiny fragment held terrifying power.
Enough to reduce the train we were on to dust.
"Hmm."
Ban Slaine examined the chaos energy.
Mana gathered in his eyes, suggesting he was analyzing it intently.
*I hope nothing comes of this.*
I stayed calm as best I could, praying he wouldn't hear my pounding heart.
"...I can't make sense of this either."
Tension melted away in an instant.
"It's clearly mana mixed with something else, but the two have fused into a completely new energy, beyond recognition."
It might have been disappointing for Ban Slaine, but I was cheering inwardly.
"Well, as long as I can use it right."
I shrugged, and Ban Slaine smiled.
"Quite right. No matter its origin, what matters most is the will of the one wielding it."
He was easy to talk to, as expected.
I let out a deep sigh of relief as I withdrew the chaos energy.
*No need to worry anymore.*
Even Ban Slaine hadn't detected the demonic energy.
The other guardians probably couldn't either.
No point hiding my chaos energy out of excessive caution.
"But you'd best use it with care. It's far too destructive."
It combined mana's purity with demonic energy's ferocity.
No wonder it boasted such devastating might.
"I'll need quite some time to get used to it anyway."
I mentioned planning to train with the summoning stones in the indoor practice hall for the time being.
Ban Slaine looked pleased.
"Keep that in mind. Power you can't control may one day become a disaster."
"Yes, I understand."
I nodded, and Ban Slaine gazed fondly at his disciple with a warm smile.
[Next stop: the Imperial Capital.]
Just then, the announcement rang out.
"Already here, eh?"
"Looks that way."
I'd splurged on first class, yet hadn't relaxed for even a second.
Pushing aside my regrets, I prepared to disembark.
*Next time I ride, I'll savor every bit before getting off.*
As I made that simple promise, the train pulled into the Imperial Capital station.
"...Feels like forever."
It hadn't been that long, time-wise.
Barely a week.
But the events had been so spectacular that it felt like months had passed.
*I'm back.*
Gazing at the bustling capital, I stepped forward lightly.
Thinking of those waiting for me at the academy brought a smile to my face.
* * *
"You got utterly crushed, Lion. What a pathetic sight."
"...Is that mockery?"
The Lion replied in a flat, emotionless voice devoid of any ups and downs.
"If it came across that way, then it was."
His opponent seemed unfazed by the Lion's demeanor.
"But who did it? The Northern Sword Ghost? Or the Empire's hounds?"
The man asked.
"A hero."
To be precise, not just any hero, but the Gray King.
The Lion didn't mention that, though.
"Ha! You lost to those power-brute brats?"
He knew full well this ridicule would come, yet he'd concealed Seo Woo-jin's very existence.
"He's no one to take lightly. He's already reached the transcendent realm."
That caught him off guard.
The man's mouth hung open in surprise.
"You're not fabricating this to justify your defeat...?"
"I won't tolerate further insults, Mardetain."
At the Lion's icy tone, the man called Mardetain fell silent.
He knew well the Lion wasn't one to lie about something like this.
"So it's true."
All the more astonishing, then.
It meant a novice summoned less than a year ago had truly attained the transcendent realm.
Mardetain let out an incredulous chuckle.
And no wonder—he knew how long they'd toiled to reach this realm.
Even with demonic energy allowing faster growth than mana users, it had taken decades.
And that was only because they were born with far superior talent.
In just one year?
Even with the cheat-like divine power of the 'system' aiding him, this was impossible.
At least two years.
Even that was questionable, even for top-grade heroes with level support...
"An irregular outside the norms."
Shaking his head in disbelief, Mardetain turned to the Lion.
"Did Ruonbali die to him too?"
"I judge he fell to another."
"...Another?"
Seo Woo-jin alone was headache enough, but another foe? Mardetain's brow furrowed.
"Another hero, perhaps?"
He snorted derisively.
But the Lion shook his head.
"Ban Slaine."
"The Northern Sword Ghost?"
Mardetain jolted in his seat.
"That bastard killed a vampire and now the clown too?"
"I was in combat myself, so I couldn't confirm. But circumstances point to him as the prime suspect."
Mardetain pondered the Lion's words.
Assessing if Ban Slaine could take on Ruonbali.
Conclusion: yes.
Given their intel on Ban Slaine's power, he had a solid chance against Ruonbali.
But that assumed one-on-one.
"Brutal was in the Forest of Death too, wasn't he?"
The perfect card to shake Ban Slaine mentally.
His personal combat prowess fell short of the Apostles, but no better choice against the Sword Ghost.
If Ruonbali and Brutal had ganged up, even Ban Slaine couldn't have endured.
"Brutal was captured alive and is being transported to the Empire."
"...Far too many surprises."
Leina's death had been unforeseen from the start.
Then Ruonbali dead, Brutal captured, and the Lion returning half-crippled.
All in mere days.
A sigh escaped him.
But not everything had gone awry.
"And him?"
Mardetain's tone shifted to utmost deference.
"He still needs more time to complete his preparations."
"...Is it really him?"
He hadn't met Baek Si-woo in person yet.
The Lion had blocked access, citing preparations.
The Lion wasn't an Apostle, but held an even more vital role.
Devising, executing, and leading the plan for Him.
Thus, Mardetain couldn't bulldoze his way through.
"Doubt breeds mistrust."
The Lion fixed him with cold, sunken eyes.
"Tch."
Dissatisfied, but no intent to clash.
"A new king... To think he's already descended through a hero's body."
"How could we fathom their will? We prove our faith by discerning and acting on our own."
The Lion had ensured no other Apostles met Baek Si-woo.
So that even if the true Demon King descended in Pandemonium later, they wouldn't yield to him.
*Much work lies ahead for that.*
Nurture Baek Si-woo, instill demonic energy and power befitting a king.
Preparations galore.
*But first things first.*
The Lion glanced at his severed arms.
*Fix these arms.*
Seo Woo-jin's face flashed in his mind—wreathed in gray chaos, slicing off his limbs.
Grit—
*Next time, I won't fall so easily.*
The Lion swore the most wretched revenge on Seo Woo-jin.