Chapter 31

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 31

Chapter Title: Elective Subjects (10)

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After Eris's teleportation magic circle activated,

the landscape unfolding before my eyes was simple.

Just a vast plain.

However, the plain was shrouded in thick fog, making it impossible to see the end with the naked eye,

and the mana filling the space made it clear this was no ordinary place.

'Where is this...?'

This strangely familiar place didn't ring a bell at first,

but a translucent window soon popped up, revealing its identity.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Protected by Eris's barrier,

this was the place that opened after Eris's death at the academy's branching point,

where the capital of the ancient kingdom once stood.

There were no special ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠opportunities or treasures, just one achievement to claim,

but it was a place very familiar to me.

However, at this point in the story, it was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a place I absolutely shouldn't be able to enter, so I was taken aback for a moment—

"This should be safe."

Eris's following words snapped me back to reality.

"You're right... this place definitely is."

As Eris said, it was undoubtedly safe here.

This spot, guarded by Eris's barrier, never opened in the game until right before her death.

"Hah... You even know about this place?"

"Yes, it's the site of the ancient kingdom's capital."

Of course I knew it.

In the game, it was after Eris's barrier was gone.

That's why, without the fog hiding the plain's edge, it took me a moment to recognize it, but

this was—

'The AFK spot...'

The place where I always parked my character when I was away from the game

or when boss tries broke my mental—

'Seeing it in reality hits different...'

"I'd come here to kill time mindlessly whenever I got tired."

"Man... Every time you say stuff like that, I get so curious about what you've been through..."

Eris gave me a curious look after hearing my words,

then suddenly surged her mana and put distance between us.

"...? What are you doing all of a sudden?"

"Nothing beats a spar for testing your power, right? We can also gauge just how far ahead the coming destruction is."

"A spar?"

A spar...

It was such a sudden proposal that I was a bit flustered.

Life and Death Resolve would probably summon my character from the hidden achievement with high certainty,

and a spar would indeed let me experience the power of destruction as Eris said, giving me a sense of urgency.

But...

'I'll just overwhelm her...'

I was worried she might get overwhelmed, despair, or give up.

My character from the hidden achievement had all stats at 1000,

and even without skills, pure stats that could rival the final boss, the evil god.

No matter that Eris was the strongest in the world right now,

she'd be overwhelmingly outmatched one-on-one.

"You sure you're okay with this?"

"Hah... Cocky brat. Let me remind you who you're talking to. Come at me."

It was a question laced with concern,

but she took it as a taunt, her reply sharp and edged.

"Well... if you're fine with it, I don't mind."

She didn't look like she'd back down if I refused,

so in the end, I matched her edged tone and put distance between us.

'Gotta experience it anyway.'

I'd have to face it eventually to deal with the Evil that Swallowed God,

so I decided to think positively.

As we widened the distance to prepare for the spar,

I noticed someone I'd forgotten.

A figure watching us with faint interest at the sudden start of our duel.

'That could be dangerous in her state.'

It was an automatic thought upon seeing Elina, defenseless and not far away, watching us.

Even if the spar was only two minutes, who knew what could happen,

so just in case, I asked Eris to protect Elina with a barrier.

"Chairman, could you put a barrier or something on Professor Elina...?"

A magic circle instantly drew from Eris's hand, completing a barrier around Elina,

and then she spoke with anticipation in her voice.

"Good? Then no more stalling—let's start right now."

Eris seemed more excited about this spar than I'd expected.

"Alright, here I go."

We'd both taken some distance and assumed stances,

no need to drag it out, so without hesitation, I activated the skill.

The moment the translucent window announcing the skill activation appeared in the air,

a pitch-black crimson aura, just like when Defying Heaven activated,

roiled as if denying the world's existence and engulfed me.

My entire vision blackened under that aura,

and soon it felt like all my senses vanished.

Then, before long,

all the aura that had swallowed me vanished in an instant, and my obscured vision and lost senses returned.

For a brief moment, I marveled at the heightened eye level and alien sensations,

then a translucent window floated up, confirming my suspicions.

'Amazing...'

An omnipotent sensation washed over me, as if I could do anything.

Though it was my first time using all these skills and powers, everything felt familiar and natural, like I'd wielded them my whole life.

Even without the Pioneer title, my mind and body remembered exactly how to move in every moment.

At this instant,

the Last Hero who slew destruction alone had appeared in this world.

As the pitch-black crimson aura engulfing Aden dissipated,

his figure came into view.

His eyes were even more hollow than usual,

as if he'd lost everything.

Not his usual youthful look,

but a matured form, stepping into adulthood.

Yet there was no time to admire it.

Any excitement or anticipation for the fight had vanished.

Only instinctive fear remained,

the dread that surged just from looking at him.

'This much...?'

The world's flow surrendered its resistance, aligning solely to Aden,

one man.

Her dragon eyes, which observed all mana, gave up measuring his and sent a warning.

Flee—he was unbeatable.

A strength like a god's, something even she, who had lived nearly 700 years, had never encountered.

Even the nightmare that first instilled the fear of death in her would be overwhelmingly defeated by the being before her now.

Her body trembled.

Fear she'd never felt in nearly 700 years of life.

As a dragon with eyes that perceived ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mana and the world's flow,

she could roughly grasp the extent of the power radiating from Aden, making the emotion hit even harder.

'He's moving...!'

Recognition.

Her dragon eyes successfully tracked Aden's movement,

but that was it—

Boom—

"Guhk—"

Before she could move based on that info,

Aden's strike had already landed cleanly.

A simple swing.

Not even using a sword—just an uppercut to her abdomen with his fist sent her body rocketing skyward with a sonic boom, too fast to follow.

Flap—

She hastily regained her senses midair, spreading her dragon wings to hover and draw a magic circle.

A high-tier spell that most mages dreamed of casting even once,

{Purgatory}, unfolded from her hand.

But it never activated from her hand.

Crackle—

The high-tier magic circle above her hand

was being devoured by an entirely different mana.

And soon,

the completely hijacked high-tier spell redirected toward her.

'Insane...!'

Simply pouring mana to steal control of the spell,

but done so fast and cleanly she couldn't react.

She hastily deployed defensive spells to block the incoming {Purgatory}.

Blue flames that could scorch the world vanished against her layered barriers.

And when all flames cleared and vision returned,

Aden was still there, casually watching as if nothing happened.

'He's got the leisure to hold back...'

There was undoubtedly an overwhelming gap between her and Aden now.

If he hadn't held back,

and pressed the attack, she surely couldn't have even counterattacked.

'Then...'

She didn't miss the chance, starting to deploy magic circles again.

But this time, not just one high-tier spell.

Hundreds of magic circles unfurled across the sky in an instant.

Too many to overpower with raw mana alone,

each weaker than the last but individually unignorable.

In the tight window where evasion was impossible,

hundreds of circles completed and began to glow.

Aden seemed to give up dodging too,

holding a sword that appeared from nowhere, preparing something.

Then, spells burst simultaneously from the hundreds of circles,

and the moment she thought her attack succeeded—

A sword aura wrapped in overwhelming golden mana slashed through every spell, reaching her.

"Hah..."

A sigh of futility escaped her lips at that strike,

truly overwhelming.

But the futility lasted only a moment,

just as she prepared to attack again—

Crrrackle—

"Grahk—"

Pitch-black crimson lightning crackled around Aden,

and as he reverted to normal, he clutched the ground, groaning in pain.

The two-minute limit,

that time which felt longer than ever, had finally ended.