Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: So, What About Arthur?
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"They're treating Sister Charlotte like a regressor?"
As the first exam wrapped up and the results were about to be announced, Krash heard the entire conversation between Mary and Sigrin through Crimson Garden's voice transmitted via his brooch.
'Charlotte's actions have definitely been very different from before.'
Krash figured that if he were in their shoes, Charlotte would be the first person he'd suspect too.
She was a walking variable.
'The most likely candidate, no doubt.'
"More importantly, you said the Arthur there was a fake?"
Krash's eyes narrowed.
A fake Arthur?
Suddenly, some unheard-of figure had popped up.
From Sigrin and Mary's reactions, it seemed she didn't know him either.
'Was there a guy like that?'
'Is this one of Arthur's other tricks?'
At the same time, a question arose in Krash's mind.
What did Arthur gain from this?
No matter how many variables this move introduced, it was far too passive compared to Arthur's usual bold actions.
Hiding his presence entirely, no less.
Krash crossed his arms and took a moment to sort his thoughts.
'I still haven't confirmed which regression loop the current Arthur is from.'
Arthur's previous regression had clearly failed.
Once Krash stole his skill, the Arthur he knew never returned.
The current Arthur was undoubtedly someone else.
Someone extremely passive and cautious in his actions.
'But even so, for Arthur to be this passive?'
The three women didn't know that Krash had stolen Arthur's regression.
So they probably thought he was just playing it safe this time.
But Krash, who knew the truth, saw it differently.
For Arthur—who had no information—to be this passive sparked all sorts of suspicions.
'Wait.'
In that moment, Krash's pupils began to dilate slowly.
A "what if" flashed through his mind.
'......I've been assuming the current Arthur just lacks the memories from the loop we shared.'
Krash had figured that since he'd stolen Arthur's regression, the current Arthur only had a gap from their shared loop.
But what if that wasn't the case?
What if regression wasn't about "inheriting" memories from a future self...
But about "carrying" one's memories back to the past?
'The hint is in Arthur's Memory Succession.'
Krash had been puzzling over how Arthur performed Memory Succession.
And with today's intel, he was certain.
Arthur had dragged Sigrin, Mary, and Abella into his regression somehow.
He'd found some method, no matter what.
But Arthur lost his regression to Krash.
As a result, the Arthur who should have returned with all those memories died in the collapsing world.
So who was this Arthur in the world now?
Loop 8? 6? 5? 2?
No.
'The current Arthur...'
He might be from loop 0.
The Arthur with memories died.
Without memories to inherit, this was an Arthur without even the concept of loops.
Krash's face hardened.
He slowly swept his bangs back with his hand.
Sweat beaded on his exposed forehead and trickled down.
It was just a hunch.
He hadn't seen Arthur himself; it was merely a suspicion from the unfolding situation.
But as the pieces started fitting, cold sweat broke out.
The thought that he'd completely erased the regressor Arthur gnawed at him.
'Damn.'
He hadn't expected much from Arthur anyway, but now that it came to this, his feelings were mixed.
Ironically, if true, the reason the three women's memories could connect might be Krash himself.
They were more like parasites on the regression.
'Still just speculation.'
More importantly, the current Arthur had somehow realized the three women inherited memories.
And Krash had figured out who tipped him off.
'Abella, that one.'
Abella, whom Krash had been searching for but who had vanished from sight.
Krash judged that the current Arthur's actions were definitely tied to her.
He'd likely gleaned info on Mary and Sigrin through her too.
This might make things even more of a headache.
'......If Arthur sent the fake to hide from Sigrin and Mary that he has no memories, that's manageable. But if Abella noticed he lacks memories and acted on her own...'
Abella's motive was simple.
She'd always had an intense possessive streak toward Arthur.
Krash cracked his neck.
If things went wrong, it could spark an instant three-way war among the regressors.
'Fake Arthur, huh.'
Krash glanced at the fake Arthur emerging alongside Mary just in time.
He was a complete stranger, even from Krash's memories.
'No idea what his deal is.'
But he was surely the key linking to either Arthur or Abella.
"For now, let's let them keep their misunderstanding."
Before coming to the academy, Krash had warned her that there were other regressors besides himself.
Crimson Garden was the best choice to gather intel on the four at the academy.
She hadn't been surprised at all.
She seemed utterly accustomed to regressors.
"It's fine. It's Sister Charlotte."
Krash said it nonchalantly.
"Besides, we've got a rough idea of their goal, right?"
A chilling smile crept across Krash's lips.
They wanted to recruit him to take down Charlotte.
How could he not laugh?
Their past bullshit was still vividly etched in his memory.
"Might as well let the misunderstanding run and milk it for all it's worth."
In the end, they'd be the ones spilling everything.
"Now, we'll announce the list of first exam passers."
At that moment, the entrance exam proctor, Kairan, finally revealed the list.
Magical letters aligned in the sky alongside the panel floating above her head.
Krash immediately confirmed his first-round pass.
His name was plastered right at the top.
Proof it was ranked by score.
'And the names below...'
All familiar faces.
"M-My name's not there."
"This... this has to be a mistake!"
Despondent voices echoed from here and there among the kids.
All they'd done to get this far was place a hand on the Aurora Stone.
They'd shown absolutely nothing.
Krash briefly empathized.
Back then, he'd barely scraped by the cutoff himself.
'I enrolled a year later than now.'
After Aliod's poisoning attempt backfired and he drank the poison himself, dying.
Krash had trained desperately and devoured every elixir he could.
Even then, barely making the cut highlighted his abysmal talent.
'Raheln Academy isn't so low-class that it accepts every reject.'
This was an academy dedicated to raising elites specialized against World Erosion.
Low-tier applicants wouldn't keep up with classes anyway.
'Most of the dropouts are probably family plants building connections with Raheln anyway.'
Still, their numbers weren't small.
About half had failed.
The kids who'd refused to accept it at first...
Reality was reality.
They trudged out of the arena training ground.
"Now, we'll begin the second exam."
The second exam kicked off immediately.
As mentioned, it involved three matches: against someone stronger, equal, and weaker.
But there was a flaw.
Exactly one person couldn't face a stronger or equal opponent.
The top name on the list: Krash.
His aura output was undisputedly the strongest.
So Krash only needed one match.
The perk of first place.
Passing the first exam in first solidified admission anyway.
"For the second exam, we'll start with equal opponents. When the proctors call your name, head over."
That's why, as kids were summoned one by one, Krash waited leisurely.
"I'll be back!"
Even Ballak left, leaving Krash's surroundings quiet.
Makes sense—only one opponent awaited him.
Mary Diana, right below him.
"You look bored."
Then Krash heard a familiar voice.
He turned to see black hair and a beauty mark near her eye.
The Pirate Empress herself, Kairan.
"Entrance exam proctor."
"Call me Assistant Professor Kairan. You won't fail, Krash."
"Isn't announcing that unfair?"
"You know it yourself, don't you? Then again, being a Valheim, you'd expect it."
Krash chuckled briefly.
"Even Valheims aren't guaranteed."
Kairan paused at his firm tone.
She knew the rumors of his past as a halfwit.
"......My apologies."
It might've touched a trauma.
Krash shrugged lightly at her apology.
"No offense taken."
His demeanor exuded ease.
Kairan eyed him.
This level of composure...
Not typical for a 15-year-old fresh adult.
It carried an inexplicable aura of experience.
Unrelated to raw strength.
Curiosity stirred in her.
"Must be a shame for you alone to only do one second exam match, unlike the others?"
How strong was he, exactly?
Pirate Empress Kairan.
Since becoming assistant professor, she'd reined in her wild side.
Everyone she met praised her diligence and gentleness.
Even fellow professors acknowledged and liked her.
But that was just her crafted facade.
Her true nature: a rampaging sea pirate.
Thankfully, Raheln's headmaster had scouted and tamed her.
Leading to her current self.
Still, her instincts sometimes surged.
Especially facing promising young talents up close.
Since the Aurora Stone shattered, her body had itched constantly.
Her inner self screamed to clash with Krash right now.
She was barely holding back.
"......Not particularly."
Krash knew her nature too.
Several students had suffered from getting on her bad side.
"No. As you said, proctors can't cheat. Let's keep it fair."
But she was the exam proctor.
She could bend the rules just fine.
"We'll apply the 'stronger opponent' second exam, but do your third exam—against a proctor—first instead."
Wipe that battle lust from your eyes first, Krash wanted to say, but swallowed a sigh.
The third exam was inevitable anyway.
Early or late, he'd face her regardless.
'Gotta hold back some for Mary, though.'
On second thought, maybe not.
Go all out here, collapse, and botch the Mary match.
'That'd really screw Sigrin over.'
Sigrin wanted Mary to beat him in the entrance exam.
Malice gleamed in Krash's eyes.
His brain kicked into high gear for schemes like this.
"Sounds good. If the entrance proctor says so, I'll follow."
Smiling, Krash decided to stoke her battle thirst too.
"But one correction?"
"A correction?"
"Yeah. We won't know if you're stronger until we clash, right?"
Kairan's red eyes flickered.
Her pupils began curving slowly.
"So, you're saying an assistant professor like me is equal?"
"Who knows."
She barely suppressed a cackling pirate laugh at the bold taunt.
This guy was even more reckless than expected.
Are all Valheims like this?
Kairan controlled her rising smirk and stepped forward.
"Fine. Better check right away then?"
"Quite impatient."
"Pirate days make waiting tough."
Her true nature was slipping.
Krash shrugged at her feral grin.
"Let's go."
Third exam before the second it was.
Amid the ongoing second exam.
As a few kids caught their breath after barely toppling equals.
In one roped-off arena corner.
Two familiar figures faced off.
"H-Hey, no way."
"The proctor and... Krash Valheim?"
Kids spotting them late wore baffled expressions.
They couldn't fathom Krash facing the proctor.
Arena spectators felt the same.
The kids' fights were too loud to overhear the pair.
"Assistant Professor Kairan's quirk is showing."
But current students guessed the situation.
A few had fallen victim to her quirks.
"Who wins?"
"Kairan, obviously. She was slated for full professor. Begged the headmaster to make her assistant."
"But we all saw Krash shatter the Aurora Stone. Can't call the win."
"Heh, whoever wins, it'll be a show."
Amid the students' chatter.
One woman seethed with displeasure.
'Why's Kairan stepping in like that.'
Sigrin, who'd hoped Mary would crush Krash.
This risked scrapping the Mary match entirely.
That guy annoys me from one to ten.
Past and present.
He never once helped her.
Sigrin took his curse-bringing as a given.
"Lady Sigrin, something bothering you?"
"......Nothing."
She forced a smile at the frail voice beside her.
To maintain her crafted image.
As Sigrin obsessed over her facade.
Krash faced Kairan.
"Attack anytime. The third exam tests full power anyway."
Kairan smiled leisurely, twirling a dagger etched with octopus legs.
Even so, Krash sensed it.
'No openings.'
No wonder she was professor material.
Her aura dominated her space utterly.
'Giving me first strike.'
Krash stifled a short laugh.
He drew Thunderclap from its sheath.
An empty blade.
Confusion flickered in Kairan's eyes.
Clang—
Krash's sheath hit the ground.
Kairan watched curiously, wondering his play.
Meanwhile, Krash slowly pulled his back foot.
Positioned Thunderclap at his waist with one hand, empty fist ready.
In the quiet silence.
As eyes locked on him.
Crackle—
A brief spark echoed.
Kairan's ears perked at the thunder.
She froze.
Krash's stance: Gathered Strength Art.
Before the empty blade.
A strange flow gathered.
Ambient light swirled toward him.
Even space around him warped visibly.
Crackle!
Another spark rang out.
Kairan's eyes widened slowly.
Through Krash's fluttering clothes, Thunderclap's blade extended, locked in the thunder sheath.
The issue: inside the sheath.
Chaotic black flames thrashed wildly within.
Growing stronger by the second.
Chills!
Goosebumps erupted on Kairan's skin.
Her instincts screamed.
That attack is dangerous.
Hiss.
Smoke trailed from Krash's mouth as he inhaled.
His presence intensified with each bodily tempering.
Kairan's hair stood on end.
She gripped her dagger tight.
Her body reacted instinctively.
Block it now.
As she realized, her body leaned forward.
Bang!
Her body launched like from a catapult.
Krash's smirking lips met her eyes.
"You took first strike, Assistant Professor."
Biting her lip at his smile.
She'd been had.
Sly freshman.
But regardless, his sword shattered the thunder sheath.
Full power from the first blow.
Flame Erosion Annihilation
Triple Form
Heavenly Flame Extinguishing Thunder
'That's more my style.'
Kr-boom-boom-boom-boom!
The academy arena turned to rubble in an instant.