Chapter 293
Chapter 293
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 293
Chapter Title: Dismantling the Trap
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Endless stairs.
And giant iron balls that rolled down relentlessly.
This barrier maze, blending the two, was pure chaos.
Black flames scattered through the maze.
Clang!
Krash, nearly caught by the accelerating ball, had shattered it once more.
This was already the eighth one.
Krash had handed Vioren off to Aslan by now.
The two were descending without getting caught by the iron balls, thanks to flight magic and weight-reduction spells.
A bead of sweat formed at Krash's temple.
Slicing the iron balls was no issue.
But separately from that, he still hadn't found a way out of the barrier.
'More psychological pressure than I expected.'
Krash took a light breath to shift his thoughts.
Thud thud thud thud thud thud!
At that moment, another iron ball began rolling down from above.
"Vioren, barrier progress?"
Krash called out to her, picturing the incoming ball.
But Vioren's face, floating midair via Aslan's flight magic, looked uneasy.
"...Working on it. But keep descending like this, and it keeps breaking midway."
The iron balls accelerated endlessly without pause.
Normally, they'd cap at a certain speed, but these seemed infused with some special force.
As a result, Krash, Aslan, and Vioren had no choice but to keep plunging down the stairs without rest.
Thud thud thud thud!
"Krash, incoming."
"Tch."
Krash clicked his tongue and resumed descending with Vioren and Aslan.
It was still a speed they could outrun.
"Vioren, any other way?"
Part of him wanted to smash the barrier outright.
But that risked warping it, dooming them from reaching the goal.
So Krash's only hope now was Vioren's barrier arts.
Vioren exhaled at his question before speaking cautiously.
"Not none. But we'd have to check the stairs one by one."
"One by one?"
"The barrier's on these stairs. It loops like a Mobius strip from a specific step. Find that stair, and we dismantle it."
Krash now understood why Vioren hadn't cracked it yet.
Even a genius like her couldn't pinpoint the loop while sprinting at this pace.
"Then we just find the stairs' endpoint?"
Aslan spoke up, eyeing them both.
"You have a method?"
"2,534 stairs total. Been marking them steadily with magic midway. Step on a marked spot, and I know the position."
When the hell did she do that?
"Thought it might help. I know the count, but start and end are the issue. So..."
Aslan glanced at the iron ball tumbling from above.
"Iron ball spawn point's probably the stair start. Trap-like setup from the loop point. First drop's from the top for max acceleration."
The balls hadn't always come from overhead.
Sometimes rumbling rose from below.
Though soon after, it'd thunder from above again.
Either way, they had starting points.
Aslan turned to Vioren for confirmation.
"Reach the spawn, and we check."
Spawn confirmed as start meant 2,534 steps down hit the end.
"Worth a shot."
Krash halted mid-stride and gripped Thunderclap.
"Aslan, magic to track the spawn."
"Got it."
Aslan stopped with him, summoning mana instantly.
She shaped it into a spell and swept her hand across the wall.
Thud!
A light beam bloomed where her magic sank into the stone.
It traced the wall down to the stairs, then hugged the outer edge, racing downward.
Krash confirmed activation and channeled black flame into it.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
The hyper-accelerated ball closed in.
Just like the first.
Krash unleashed black flame-laced Thunderclap without hesitation.
Clang!
The ball split cleanly, halves tumbling down the stairs.
Krash whipped toward Aslan.
The silent mage snapped her head up moments later.
Thud!
The fallen ball rolled anew.
"Krash!"
"That way. Move."
Krash bolted stairside with Aslan and Vioren.
Stairs he'd run to nausea.
Breakthrough in sight, he accelerated—then Aslan froze at a landing.
Her light beam halted dead there.
Vioren dropped, hands probing the step.
She soon jerked her head up.
"Yes! Starting point!"
A grin tugged Krash's lips.
Found it.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
Meanwhile, the ball revved up, tailing them tight.
Start here meant end just above—but ball imminent.
"One more loop, then dismantle!"
"Counting on the run."
Aslan wrangled the beam again.
It plunged ahead down the stairs.
Aslan re-flew Vioren, resuming descent.
Thud thud thud thud!
Krash clocked the ball gaining faster.
'Tenth ball adds conditions?'
Seemed post-threshold, survivors sped up.
At this rate, caught mid-descent.
Predictably, a ball loomed soon.
"Aslan, keep going!"
Krash yelled to the leaders, sword in hand.
He lunged Thunderclap at it again.
Zing!
Vibration jolted his grip; he winced.
'Not just speed!'
Heavier. Tougher. Vastly.
Slash!
Power surged; Krash clove it, exhaling.
Thud thud thud!
Short reprieve.
The next plunged stairs even swifter.
As if hellbent on thwarting their ploy.
Absurd velocity ditched stairs for outer wall.
"Damn it."
Krash spat, Excel firing as he leaped below.
Aslan and Vioren's backs soon hove into view.
Excel bridged the gap.
"2534!"
Aslan barked the tally, halting.
Vioren touched down, palms slamming the step.
"Dismantle time?"
"Three minutes—no, two!"
Vioren dove into focus, words a luxury.
Krash gripped Thunderclap.
Ready to bisect again.
Shrieeeeeek!
Wall-scraping roar hurtled down.
Thunderclap poised—
Insight struck.
Spawn point: start.
Split it, spawn anew.
Directly over Aslan, Vioren.
Adjacent loop ends.
Paste fodder.
'No slice this time.'
Sword sheathed, Excel self-buffed, Krash roared.
"Vioren, keep at it! I'm topside! Aslan, guard her!"
Vioren zoned deep.
Barrier bowels.
Unknown threats.
Aslan assigned, Krash rocketed upward.
Shrieeeeeek!
Space-filling mass barreled wall-ward.
Krash met it head-on, body igniting.
Hellfire Erosion seared flesh; muscles ballooned.
He layered Jail Dragon Lock's tempering truths, power surging.
Collision instant.
Hands, body rammed the ball.
Boom! Kagagagagagagagagagak!
Black flame erupted on impact.
Raheln Academy uniform shredded by spin, lashing his frame.
Teeth grinding, Krash bore speed and mass.
Ramped Hellfire Erosion, power peaking.
Rotation flayed skin; blood sprayed.
Non-Dragon King flesh? Shredded to bone.
Legs gouged stairs deep.
Perfect sphere: hell to halt.
Teeth clenched, black flame fingered.
"Rot in hell—stop!"
Fingers stabbed rotation; arms maxed.
Kudududududududududuk!
Shock buckled arms; lip split under bite—
Chiiiiiik—
Smoking halt, barely.
Massive outpour; Krash panted ragged.
"Tastes like death."
No erosion beast, no World Eroder—an iron ball?
Barrier crafter reunion: grievances.
Krash whipped frontward; the ball glowed faintly.
Ominous light leaked.
Untapped trap, thanks to his prior slices.
"This..."
Stair-swallowing blast.
Krash blanched, Thunderclap drawn.
Sword arced blindingly fast.
Slash!
Sliced—the glow died.
Crunch!
Krash pulverized footing, slamming peak Excel into flesh.
Kwaaaang!
Gale chased; meteor-Krash plummeted.
Reverse path in seconds—new ball spawning over Aslan, Vioren.
Dashed, arm shot out pre-impact.
Kuduk!
Weight buckled arm near-snap.
Dragon King flesh trusted; held.
"Krash!"
Aslan yelled, magicking the ball.
Lightened, wind-blasted—it ricocheted below.
Krash, freed, steadied wobble—prepped ascent.
Next blocker.
"Done!"
Vioren's cry.
Oblivious in trance, she unleashed barrier art.
Step beneath her hands gilded golden.
"Down!"
Krash scooped Vioren sack-like.
With Aslan, they plunged—stair's end, lone door emerged.
Krash booted it.
Boom!
Door pulverized; Krash tumbled in clutching Vioren.
Aslan slammed it shut late.
Thud!
Iron ball halted outside, resounding.
"Ow ow."
Vioren, rolled in Krash's arms, clutched her limb, rising.
Spotted her wrapper—eyes bulged.
"Hey, you—you!"
Krash gore-smeared everywhere.
He met her stare, set her down, stood.
"Just scraped up."
Arm creaky; wounds trivial.
Chiiiik—
Dragon King regen: absurd.
Breath caught—skin knit.
Vioren gawked, baffled.
"Monster?"
"Close enough."
Krash owned it, head up.
Underground, yet night moonshine kissed skin.
And lofted gaze met vast reed grove.
Unknown breeze swayed reeds slow, shattering ceiling moonstone glow to glittering dance.
"...Here."
Vioren stared, dazed murmur.
Her power's seal site.
Arrival.