Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: Preemptive Beating
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Krash had demonstrated the ability to overpower even an associate professor during the entrance exam.
As he gazed back at her with an expression that seemed to say he wouldn't go down to something as trivial as an explosion, Haring looked like she had nothing left to say.
"Sudden crises can happen anywhere."
He wouldn't deny that.
Still, sensing her genuine intent to save him, Krash decided not to press the issue further.
Not that he had the time to argue anyway.
Krash drew Thunderclap.
Haring belatedly pulled two daggers from her waist in tandem.
Beneath the collapsed floor stretched a long corridor of ancient ruins.
Beyond that corridor, presences of erosion beasts pulsed simultaneously.
Their target was none other than the plummeting Krash and Haring.
"Enough talk for now. I'm heading straight to the erosion priest. What about you?"
"I'll follow."
Well, she had no other choice.
"Tell me what you can do."
At this point, Krash didn't have much intel on Haring.
Which made sense—she had left the Generation of the Sky on her own.
She'd abandoned the group back then to kill Bianca, who was the Hundred Ghosts at the time.
Krash harbored no hatred toward Haring.
His feelings toward Bianca had been pure guilt.
So he only felt sorry for her death.
He had no intention of seeking revenge against Haring for it.
Just as Bianca had killed the Poison King who massacred her family, Haring had simply avenged that.
"Stealth, poison, daggers, frontal assaults, and marksmanship are my weaknesses."
"Then I'll take the front. You look for openings and strike."
Krash lightly summoned Annihilation Flame Erosion.
Black Flame began to flicker atop the golden blade protruding from Thunderclap.
Kaboom!
In that instant, an erosion beast burst through the outer wall.
Steel-like spines protruded from its body.
A body curled into a perfect sphere.
The beast rolled toward Krash like a cannonball.
Its rolling speed could shred a human body in an instant.
Yet Krash swung Thunderclap head-on without a hint of hesitation.
Kwaaaaaang!
Smoke billowed as Krash collided with the erosion beast.
From within the haze, the beast peeked its head out, still curled up.
Panic was etched across its face.
Krash had halted its charge without even taking a step back.
"You done?"
"Pew?!"
As Krash's Black Flame surged fiercely, the beast flailed in shock.
But it was too late.
Haring, who had vanished into the shadows, was already swinging her twin daggers.
Slash!
The purple aura coating Haring's daggers sliced into the beast's neck muscles, severing its head clean.
The blade cut through the thick neck without resistance.
Krash recognized it immediately.
The Lagren family's poison secret art: Ten Thousand Poisons Piercing Kill.
A technique that wielded every poison imaginable.
The one she'd just used was likely the flesh-melting variety.
It was her go-to poison back at the academy, so Krash remembered it well.
'Still packs a punch even now.'
Poison was one of the most aggressive weapons.
Incredibly useful against erosion beasts.
If the Lagren family hadn't sparked the war, they could've been real assets against World Erosion.
Krash clicked his tongue, reminiscing.
'This time, I'll keep them all alive.'
To fend off World Erosion, every talented soul needed to survive and fight.
No letting them die pretty.
Krash turned after slaying the beast and seeing Haring land.
Sixth Sense had already pinpointed the erosion priest's location.
"Haring."
Krash spun Thunderclap downward with a chilling smile.
"Ever tried digging a tunnel?"
"Huh?"
As Haring blinked in confusion, Krash plunged Thunderclap into the floor.
Black Flame erupted from his blade.
"If not, now's your chance."
Special buddy treatment—a special experience.
Erosion Priest Juyo Irema.
The middle-aged man with prominent wrinkles sat before an altar.
In his hand was a crystal skull.
The eerie crystal glowed faintly, following the darkness flowing from Juyo's grasp.
The altar's shadows rippled in sync.
It was the power of the Night God.
He had been extracting the Night God's power into the crystal here nonstop.
But divine power was tricky.
The extracted essence was still a mere fraction of the god's true might.
Thud!
And now, an intruder at the worst timing.
Juyo smirked slyly as he sensed one of his erosion beasts felled far away.
"Those idiot Yellow Tower bastards don't even realize the trap."
He'd caught wind of the Yellow Tower commissioning the academy to take him out.
They wanted to use them cheap, no doubt.
Foolish thinking.
'I'll capture the academy brats and hold them hostage.'
Academy folks were mostly noble kids.
No matter how skilled, in the Night God's tomb, he was invincible.
So he'd ambushed them the moment they entered.
Hold them to deter the Yellow Tower and others.
Then absorb the Night God's full power.
No one in the world could stop him then.
'Rot in hell, you Yellow Tower scum will learn soon enough.'
He'd been born in Debram to lowly slave parents—abolished now, but back then.
Born with magic talent, but that lowborn stigma stuck.
The Yellow Tower never acknowledged him, fueling his inferiority complex daily.
One day, he found these ruins.
The tomb of a nameless demigod slain challenging the gods long ago.
Even in death, its power lingered.
Realizing that, Juyo's eyes lit up.
He could harness it.
After that, he toiled in the ruins, researching relentlessly.
But ruins weren't for magic alone.
After endless deliberation, he turned to World Erosion's power.
By chance, he learned of Wolmyo, an erosion being.
Crossing lawless lands, he knelt before Wolmyo, begging to serve.
Wolmyo was merciful.
Granted him World Erosion's power, urging him to chase his dream.
In repayment, he'd claim the Night God's power for himself.
Become a god—the pinnacle of the caste system those Yellow Tower caste-obsessed fools loved.
His face brimmed with eager anticipation as he bared his desires.
Krunch! Kwaaaaaang!
That was the moment.
The ceiling above the altar shattered abruptly.
Juyo looked up in shock.
He hadn't expected the ceiling to cave.
Someone dropped through the breach.
Landing wreathed in Black Flame, dark blue hair fluttering, golden blade gleaming.
"You the moron messing with my stuff?"
"What?"
Juyo gaped at the blunt remark.
Undeterred, Krash sensed the Night aura from the crystal skull in Juyo's grip and smirked.
"Yeah. You."
Time for a preemptive beating before the god.
Inside the Night God's tomb.
Before the altar holding its corpse, Juyo swallowed a dry laugh at Krash.
His uniform screamed Raheln Academy student.
A kid barely out of boyhood.
'Ballsy enough to come this far.'
Now he knew why he hadn't sensed the approach.
The aura wafting from Krash's body and sword.
'Curse? World Erosion?'
An uncanny energy leaked continuously.
The ruins teemed with his erosion beasts.
He'd detect non-Erosion powers entering.
But Krash mimicked World Erosion perfectly—undetectable.
Though he'd never guessed a ceiling crash.
"What are you?"
"The guy here to beat your ass, like I said."
Krash cracked his neck casually.
The dismissive attitude furrowed Juyo's brow.
But separately, Krash's power was master-class.
A realm impossible for someone so young.
No room for complacency.
'Yellow Tower sent a real monster.'
Monsters born from elite bloodlines.
No wonder nobles obsessed over pedigree.
This kid was highborn for sure.
'Perfect.'
Such lineage meant the family would treasure him.
Prime hostage material.
"One proposal."
Juyo spoke first.
Krash stood silently, Thunderclap sheathed at his waist.
"Attack me, and your friends up top die to erosion beasts. This ruin's crawling with ones you don't know about."
Some were truly dangerous.
He barely kept them leashed, no full control.
Gathered for a potential Yellow Tower war.
"Surrender quietly, and I'll spare them."
He knew kids this age well.
Academy bonds made them value "friendship."
Pointless drivel.
Krash's eyebrow twitched for the first time.
"Friends?"
That word alone grated, fire in his eyes.
Juyo grinned sleazily at it.
"Yeah, your friends. Can't let that slide, huh?"
"You fucking prick, don't lump me with that asshole as 'friends.'"
The response was pure profanity.
Juyo blinked, stunned—he hadn't expected curses for mentioning friends.
Too foul-mouthed for a noble?
"You need a beating."
Krash stomped the floor.
Heat surged from his body, faint smoke from his mouth—Juyo's eyes widened.
The power rushing at him had multiplied instantly.
"You bastard!"
Spotting the hidden trump, Juyo thrust his hand out.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Space quaked following his hand.
Krash charged straight regardless—but that was a mistake.
This was Juyo's custom battlefield.
Time to pay for barging in.
"Devour him!"
With his shout, a massive worm-like erosion beast pierced the ceiling.
It filled Krash's path, mouth yawning wide in an instant.
Teeth lined its throat—grotesque.
Right before the maw.
Krash exhaled smoke calmly.
His focus peaked, ripples surging.
His eyes flashed; Thunderclap unsheathed.
"Annihilation Flame Erosion" "First Form" "Annihilation Flame Draw"
⟨ Extermination Flame Erosion ⟩
Thunderclap thrust with Black Flame.
The slash cleaved the beast in half, streaking toward Juyo's neck.
"Hiiik!"
Kwaaaaaang!
Scream and explosion overlapped.
Black Flame scattered embers, wrecking the tomb.
Juyo stood intact, arms crossed defensively.
His Night God-infused crystal barrier had held.
"What... what kind of slash power..."
One Annihilation Flame Draw had shattered the barrier.
He'd survived, but the sheer force horrified him.
Dangerous.
As he reached out in judgment—
Pfook—
A sound from his side; his eyes shifted slowly.
There stood a short-haired girl, black and purple dagger sunk deep.
No presence detected.
Too late, he realized it was a skill.
She yanked the dagger free as their eyes met.
Pop!
Blood gushed from his waist.
Worse: his vision split into triples, spinning.
"Kuhuk! Ack!"
Blood poured from eyes and mouth.
He knew.
Poison.
Coated thick on her dagger, now ravaging his body.
A neck strike he'd have blocked somehow.
But stunned by Krash, this blindsided him.
'That bastard planned this from the start.'
Krash had acted cocky, emotional.
All to draw his focus—realized too late.
Krash was meticulous.
A lifetime as the weak taught him that.
Without full intel, he baited reveals, then struck.
Inducing maximum complacency meantime.
That's how he'd survived.
Juyo gnashed his teeth, fully played.
His sclera blackened.
World Erosion power surged, staving off the poison.
One option left.
Unleash the Night God's power.
As he gripped the crystal skull to shatter it—
Slash!
Krash's blade, now at his face, severed his right arm.
The limb flew; the skull clattered across the floor.
"Told you."
As Juyo's eyes bulged, Krash's fist was already flying at his jaw.
"You need a beating."
Crack!
The punch smashed his chin, dazing him.
Inch Strength
A follow-up launched him airborne again.
"Gehk!"
Two brain-rattling blows later, he tumbled across the floor.
Eyes rolled back, out cold.
Krash exhaled as Haring reappeared, daggers retrieved.
Her help made short work of the intel-poor foe.
"That an instant-kill poison?"
"Not quite. Just leaves permanent paralysis, even with treatment."
Vicious.
Might learn poison myself.
Krash rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Then it hit: curses and poisons were pretty similar.
'Could yield something good.'
New curse lineage, maybe.
"Haring, what's your department?"
"Special track."
"Perfect. Later..."
Krash's eyes narrowed.
Juyo's severed right arm was rising behind Haring.
"Haring."
Krash infused Black Flame into Thunderclap.
"Jump this way."
As he spoke, pitch-black darkness spread from the crystal skull.