Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Why Did You Come Down With Me?
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Krash turned to Anix and spoke.
"I understand."
His mind was currently buzzing with plans to steal the night, but none of that showed on his face.
Only Crimson Garden understood what Krash was thinking and scolded him for it.
Apart from needing to head to the God of Night's Tomb, Krash also understood why the Yellow Magic Tower had issued the request.
If Erosion Eaters were holing up in the ruins, it would be tough and a hassle for the Yellow Magic Tower to deal with them.
And borrowing strength from other nations would just lead to all sorts of power struggles.
So instead, they quickly turned to Raheln Academy, which was gathering requests anyway—it could be resolved without any territorial disputes, just for a modest reward.
Magicians were crafty like that.
"All done looking?"
Krash glanced at Haring as he asked, and she nodded before stepping away.
Krash handed the request form back to Elfin.
"Then we'll head to the inn, unpack, and set off right away. Someone's waiting to guide us from the prepared inn all the way to the ruins."
The distance to the ruins was quite far.
It would take at least over a week on foot.
Since they weren't familiar with the desert region, having a guide would make things easier.
As Anix walked ahead, Krash noticed Haring now walking beside him.
The others weren't showing her any friendly reactions, so she seemed more comfortable next to a fellow freshman.
'Having this one next to me just reminds me of Bianca for no reason.'
They looked different, but both had that fundamentally expressionless vibe.
They seemed to be grouped together as similar types.
'I heard Debram's date palm snacks are famous.'
He should send one to Bianca via magic delivery before heading back.
She loved sweets, so she'd eat it happily.
I wish this one would stop reading my mind.
Soon after, Krash arrived at one of Debram's inns.
The inn was comfortable enough even for nobles.
The claim that the Yellow Magic Tower was providing support must have been true.
Anix met with the assigned guide and gathered food prepared by the inn and various supplies for crossing the desert.
"Wow, the Graiza family is famous even in our Yellow Magic Tower. It's an honor to meet you."
"We're the ones grateful for the Yellow Magic Tower's enthusiastic help."
Anix and the guide magician exchanged pleasantries, laughing heartily as they built rapport.
Watching them, Krash thought Anix was as two-faced as ever.
And rightly so—the guy was flashing the same fake smile not just to the guide, but to his own squad members too.
'Hiding his true feelings.'
Anix might not realize it himself, but Krash could see right through that phony smile.
'Consistent bastard.'
One thing he could never view positively was that smile.
By then, preparations were complete, and Anix approached.
"Everyone, let's head out."
And so, we began crossing the desert toward the God of Night's Tomb.
What happened after that?
Nothing much, really.
First day, second day, and up to the third.
Krash passed through the desert outside Debram's walls without issue.
As a lawless zone, World Erosion occurrences popped up here and there.
But these weren't second-years unfamiliar with World Erosion—they were first-years who had passed training and completed six months of fieldwork.
They had grown accustomed to World Erosion over a year at the academy.
Thanks to that, Krash didn't need to step in; they handled everything smoothly on their own.
'From my memories, these guys were already a well-oiled team.'
Elfin, one of Staron's Three Heroes alongside Anix, went without saying.
The seven from Staron were tight-knit enough to be called Staron's Seven.
Their families had always been close, blocking World Erosion together, so their coordination was seamless.
On top of that, the others Anix had scouted fit harmoniously overall.
Maybe that's why.
Out of the whole group, only two were left floating on the sidelines.
One was Krash, and the other was Haring, who would later become the Poison Peak.
In Krash's case,
With nothing for him to do, the others vied for his favor, stepping up in his place.
Especially Staron's Seven—they were in a frenzy.
As fellow Staron natives, they knew full well the weight of the Valheim name.
'The same ones who were badmouthing me behind my back at the Star Sanctuary.'
The moment they shed their halfwit label, this was how they acted—Krash couldn't help but scoff.
But by now, Krash had little interest in 4-star World Erosion.
He'd absorbed plenty in the Demonic Realm.
Unless he was getting the night, he had no need to absorb more World Erosion now.
So Krash let them handle it and hung back.
Haring, on the other hand, was a total lone island.
No one gave her tasks or helped her.
Thanks to that, Krash spent a lot of time hanging back and observing with Haring.
If it were just a day or two, fine.
But as a week drew near,
Krash ended up chatting idly with Haring.
"Want one?"
Krash offered her a hardtack biscuit he'd brought, and Haring took it without a word.
She popped it into her small mouth and chewed along with Krash while watching the squad battle World Erosion.
Haring hadn't eaten the hardtack the first few days he offered, but now she did— like a stray cat starting to warm up to food.
Maybe boredom with nothing to do.
On one such pointless day,
"We're here!"
The guide magician finally announced their arrival at the ruins.
The squad halted, staring toward the ruins.
But no matter how hard they looked, all they saw was sand.
And rightly so.
The God of Night's Tomb only revealed itself at night.
It was still midday.
So they had to wait until nightfall.
"Looks like it'll take a while, so let's rest in the shade of those rocks."
Thus, the squad unexpectedly got some rest time.
Out of the blazing sun under the rock shade, it was bearable.
Plus, with a magician around, sand wasn't an issue.
A dome of defensive magic kept the blowing sand out.
They enjoyed a fairly comfortable break.
Though for Krash and Haring, who hadn't been active, it wasn't much of a rest.
"Um, Lord Krash."
At that moment, Krash turned at the voice beside him.
There stood Elfin holding a water bottle.
Black hair with her forehead exposed and a tall stature.
Her outfit somehow evoked a magpie.
The woman called one of Staron's Three Heroes alongside Anix Graiza and Ballak Hogma.
Elfin Emilia.
She handed him the bottle, and Krash took it.
She clearly had something to say.
"Sit."
At Krash's word, Elfin smoothed her skirt and sat.
In the meantime, Haring looked uncomfortable and slipped away.
She really was like a stray cat.
"Do you remember what happened with Lord Anix back then?"
The "back then" had to be the Star Sanctuary incident.
Krash had deeper memories than that, but he nodded.
"Thanks to you since then, Lord Anix has changed quite a bit. He feels sorry about that incident in many ways."
"Doesn't look that way to me."
"That's understandable from the outside."
Anix was still having fake conversations with his squad members.
The guy rarely showed his true feelings.
"But he has changed. He's started to grasp how to move forward."
Elfin, called one of the Three Heroes with Anix, had spent the most time with him.
As such, she was the most sensitive to his changes.
"And I think it's all thanks to you, Lord Krash."
"What influence could I have had on that guy?"
"After losing to Lady Charlotte, Lord Anix lost his way."
Charlotte was a star that shone too brightly.
A star too strong could eclipse those around it.
Thus, Anix had lost himself before Charlotte's star.
"He admired her while hating her too, having seen what true genius is."
Charlotte's talent was a double-edged sword for Staron.
The finest sword, yet it wounded those nearby.
Krash understood, having once been cut by that sword himself.
"But the day he met you at the Star Sanctuary, Lord Anix glimpsed something beyond talent."
"So you're saying I'm an easy star to look at, unlike Charlotte?"
Even at Krash's teasing response, Elfin smiled faintly.
"No. You're a completely different star from Lady Charlotte. She's the sun—a blazing sun that blinds you if you stare with open eyes."
Elfin continued calmly.
"Meanwhile, you're the Tian Shu Star—shining as brightly as the sun yet distant enough to behold with both eyes."
The Tian Shu Star, always in its place, serving as a landmark for those finding their way.
Elfin called Krash the star showing a path to follow.
Ironically, the first star of the Tian Sha constellation was none other than Tian Shu.
"Seeing that Tian Shu Star, Lord Anix found his path. It planted the unconscious feeling in him: 'Maybe I can move forward too.'"
"All I did was beat him because I didn't like his attitude."
"Interpretations are up to the beholder, aren't they? Like later generations adding their take to the words of their ancestors."
Who knew she was such an eloquent speaker.
Elfin seemed done, rising from her seat.
"What I wanted to say is, please don't judge Lord Anix solely by past events."
"When did I say anything about Anix?"
"No. It's just... whenever Lord Anix approaches, your eyebrows do this."
Elfin scrunched her own eyebrows, mimicking Krash's face.
No way it was that obvious.
Krash ignored Crimson Garden's remark.
"Just considering my words a little would be enough."
Elfin bowed her head and headed back to Anix.
One thing for sure—Anix had loyal subordinates.
'She pinpointed exactly what others had noticed.'
Krash clicked his tongue and rested his chin on his raised knee.
The sun above was starting to set bit by bit.
Night fell, with stars densely dotting the sky.
A huge full moon hung in the night heavens.
Finally, the forgotten ruins in the desert began to reveal themselves.
The sight was truly mystical.
The endlessly piled sand vanished all at once, unveiling massive ruin structures.
"Move out."
Following Anix's order, the resting squad members rose.
As a place buried in the desert, the sand sloped down.
Descending the slope led to an entrance into the ruin building.
"Then I'll wait here."
The guide magician's job ended here.
From now on, it was all up to the squad.
"Maran, if you would."
"Yes!"
At Anix's request, the one with scouting divination took the lead.
With that, the entire squad entered the ruins.
The interior consisted of stone and moss.
No sand anywhere, impossible to believe it had been buried just moments ago.
"Nothing ahead. Let's advance."
As the scout moved forward, Krash began spreading his Sixth Sense around.
The ruins were practically a maze.
At the same time, presences flickered across the entire maze.
'Nothing my ass.'
Erosion Beasts were swarming everywhere.
"We're the same age, technically."
The treatment was getting worse over time.
At that instant, the entire ruin rumbled with a thud.
"Maran, status of the ruins?"
"I'll find out soon!"
Anix turned to Maran, whose face showed panic.
He hadn't grasped the situation yet.
"It's fine. Calm down. Take your time."
Anix said that while slowly gathering his aura.
Preparing for the worst.
Meanwhile, Krash's eyes narrowed.
Far below the reach of his Sixth Sense,
Something massive was writhing.
'Main culprit is the Erosion Eater.'
His eyes sharpened coldly at the same time.
He'd hoped for an easy resolution, but it seemed it wouldn't be.
Just as they'd sensed this side upon entering the ruins, the other side had noticed them too.
Crimson Garden had sensed the presence below too.
But separately, a question arose in Krash's eyes.
Krash had thought Moon Rabbit sent the Erosion Eater just to check on the tomb.
But this presence suggested something entirely different.
'Looks like they're draining the God of Night's power.'
Later, Moon Rabbit had used the God of Night's power.
But not by extracting it this way.
That risked incurring the God of Night's wrath and divine punishment.
'Now I get it.'
Krash reacted with bitter realization.
He'd roughly pieced it together.
Moon Rabbit had deliberately lured the Erosion Eater to drain the God of Night's power.
If it backfired into divine punishment, it would hit the Erosion Eater, not them.
'If the Erosion Eater succeeds in draining it, Moon Rabbit swoops in to take it. If it fails, they discard the Erosion Eater like a pawn.'
And it would have failed.
That explained why Moon Rabbit never tried extracting the power later.
'No wonder I've never heard the Erosion Eater's name.'
The bastard must have died from the God of Night's wrath and punishment.
'It was doomed to fail, sure.'
But he didn't like them meddling with his target.
At that moment, the presence below intensified.
"Hey, Anix."
So Krash called out to warn him.
As Anix turned, Krash said curtly,
"It's coming."
The moment those words left his mouth, scout Maran’s eyes widened hugely.
"Something's coming from below!"
Too late. Way too late.
"Everyone, get away from here now!"
By the time Anix's order rang out, it was already too late.
As everyone tensed and tried to distance from the floor,
KABOOOM!
The floor exploded.
Debris flew with the shattered floor.
Amid the flying debris,
CRRRUNCH!
Trees sprouted from the walls, surging up to fill the hole and spear toward those caught in the blast.
It was the Graiza family's secret art, Wood Heaven Sword Style.
"Everyone, grab on!"
The moment Anix shouted, squad members swiftly used the trees as footholds to avoid falling.
Having faced World Erosion before, they didn't panic and judged quickly.
"Everyone okay?"
"Y-Yes!"
"We're fine!"
Anix's eyes narrowed at the responses from around.
Maran's presence detection was wide enough to earn him a spot in Staron's Seven.
Anix trusted Maran greatly, but someone had moved even before his detection.
None other than Krash.
'Much faster than Maran.'
Krash had clearly sensed the floor's collapse well in advance.
Even Maran had detected it much later.
That meant Krash possessed far superior presence detection.
'With that level of combat ability, and even better detection than Maran.'
Anix had watched Krash fight in the entrance exam.
He'd seen firsthand how much Krash had grown there.
It went beyond mere bloody effort—something inexplicable.
Gazing at it, Anix had clenched his fist tight.
'Valheim.'
The moment he truly understood what that name meant.
As Anix stood on the tree branch protruding from the wall, his eyes quietly gleamed.
"Lord Anix!"
Elfin's voice came from afar.
She hurried over, using the trees Anix had made as footholds.
"We can't see Lord Krash!"
"What?"
Anix's eyes widened.
He hurriedly scanned around.
Gone.
No sign of Krash anywhere.
Anix's gaze quickly dropped below.
Beneath the crumbling, scattering debris was an abyss too deep to see the bottom.
Had he fallen?
'No, impossible.'
Krash had known the floor was collapsing.
Yet he wasn't here.
At that moment, Anix realized someone else was missing too.
"...Elfin, where's Haring?"
"Ah?"
Elfin belatedly looked around.
Having checked despite her being imperial faction first, then squad mate.
Haring was nowhere to be seen.
That meant,
"No way Lord Krash..."
"Went down to save Haring."
Anix clicked his tongue briefly.
Fine for Krash, but overlooking Haring was his mistake.
Even as a special class, she was second-year.
Unfamiliar with sudden crises, so Krash might have noticed and acted.
Anix's brows furrowed slightly.
This was his squad.
What happened here fell squarely on his shoulders.
"Hoo."
Anix exhaled and turned his eyes to the pitch-black void below.
"Everyone, regroup and head down."
They needed to find the second-years immediately.
Far below in the fallen space.
Krash kicked off the walls lightly and landed on the floor.
The moment the floor exploded, he'd seen Anix react and plunged down without hesitation.
After all, it was a chance to reach the God of Night's Tomb core alone.
He'd moved solo swiftly, but
Unexpectedly, someone followed, so Krash turned back.
"Why'd you follow me down?"
The one landing after Krash was none other than second-year Haring Lagren.
Krash, who hadn't expected her to come down too, looked at her in bewilderment.
Haring rubbed the back of her neck and averted her gaze.
"...Looked like you were falling."
Unlike Anix's guess, Haring hadn't fallen.
She'd seen Krash drop quickly through the collapsing floor, assumed he was falling, and followed.
Then she noticed him braking lightly off the walls, realizing he wasn't falling.
But by then, it was too late.
Hearing her, Krash made a baffled face.
"...Me?"