Chapter 77
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: The Essence of a Master
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Arion gazed at the demonic spawn charging toward him.
Having ravaged the university up to this point, they were unleashing their feral savagery in a frenzy of excitement.
No matter where he turned his eyes, all he saw were monsters.
He wanted to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand, but his trembling legs wouldn't let him lift it.
Arion's vision blurred as he sank into a brief reverie.
It was before Radia and Elin had come to meet him—when he had been standing alone to defend the alchemy building.
Just like now, monsters had been swarming from all directions.
But unlike now, with his companions here, back then he had been by himself, and despair had outweighed any hope of holding out long enough to turn the tide.
No matter how many he cut down, they never ended.
Arion spat out a curse through gritted teeth.
“…Damn it.”
With the collapsing bodies of monsters at his back, he watched the horde waiting for him to tire.
No one stepped forward readily, but in doing so, they were dragging out the time, steadily wearing down his stamina.
It was as if they were forcing a rotation on him.
And if he grew too exhausted to swing his spear any longer…?
‘They’d definitely kill me.’
A chill ran down his spine, making Arion grit his teeth even harder.
‘I didn’t want to give them false hope…’
His head drooping, Arion tried to hold on using his spear shaft as a brace, but despite his efforts, he began to crumble bit by bit.
Shrill screams of regret erupted from behind him here and there.
The alchemy department was where magic tools and potions were made.
Unlike the university’s big three—Magic and Arts College, Martial Arts College, and Spirit Studies College—the alchemy college was distinctly skewed toward the sciences, with a strong scholarly bent.
They had held their own at first with the magic tools they’d produced, but the monster horde overwhelmed them in an instant, forcing Arion into this desperate stand.
But even that defense was now faltering.
Arion squeezed his eyes shut, accepting that it was truly over.
Before the monsters’ enraged claws could tear into his flesh, a stream of water grazed the tip of his nose.
A cool jet of water that brought a refreshing chill.
It soaked his sweat-drenched body, and Arion cautiously opened his eyes.
“Ha…! Seriously…….”
Sure, he was filthy with grime, but that blue hair wasn’t common.
As Arion sighed in relief, a soft voice came from behind.
“I’ll cast a recovery spell. Whether it purifies the potion’s toxin… I’m not sure.”
Vitality seeped into his weary body, and Arion finally let himself slump.
“You’re late. I asked you to come quicker.”
“What’re you saying? Be grateful we came at all.”
Even in this situation, Arion cracked a joke, and Elin grumbled while playing along—they shared a playful rapport, but their appearances told a different story.
Torn skin and abrasions from rolling on the ground countless times.
Dirt particles embedded in their clothes, with no chance to brush them off.
Blood beaded on cracked nails, as if they hadn’t even noticed the pain until now.
Their hollow eyes and ragged breaths spoke of how desperately they had rushed here.
Arion, aware of it, chuckled softly.
“I’ll repay the favor later.”
Elin tilted her head.
“Favor? What favor?”
“For saving me.”
She snorted at how seriously he said it.
“By that logic, you’d owe them too?”
Elin glanced back at the alchemy department students.
Arion denied it.
“I already owe Professor Aiden in installments.”
“He said it was only as long as you weren’t in danger?”
“Couldn’t back out midway.”
Elin took in the fading sunset view before looking up at the sky.
“Fine by me. Either way, trading favors like that from here on out would be pointless.”
Arion started to say more but closed his mouth.
“…Yeah, maybe.”
Night still lay ahead.
The sky darkening.
A serene twilight settling into quiet darkness.
Who knew what dangers still lurked.
Ironically, Arion had a gut feeling he might have to overcome hurdles like this countless times ahead.
‘If we’re heading that way.’
The place where Professor Aiden was fighting.
If they arrived to find someone dead and a gap left behind, things could spiral out of control.
Your reason for living becomes my path to survival.
Remembering each one to repay favors—demanding repayment—held no meaning.
Time would pass, and they’d save each other endlessly anyway.
Elin withdrew her hand as the recovery spell finished.
Just then, Radia finished clearing the surrounding monsters, sheathed her sword, and looked toward Elin and Arion.
Arion shot a glance at Radia approaching from afar with a welcoming face.
“Sunbae suddenly leaped over the stairs.”
“You won’t be able to keep up soon either?”
“…Yeah.”
While Elin treated Arion, Radia had fully integrated the martial principle she’d comprehended into her swordsmanship.
Each swing of her blade whipped up a vortex that pulverized everything.
The whirlpool surged along the sword’s edge like waves, its sharpness and cutting power utterly unlike before her enlightenment.
It cleaved through any armor or flesh in a single strike, regardless.
The sight of monsters failing to breach her and being shredded was nothing short of awe-inspiring artistry.
Arion shook his head in amazement and raised both hands in surrender.
“Professor Aiden must’ve done something. He’s really incredible.”
Elin let out a scoffing laugh at the sight.
“You’ll be like that soon too, if you stick under that professor?”
Arion stared at Radia before trailing off somewhat seriously.
“The pace is so intense, maybe I should rethink enrolling. What do you think?”
Elin laughed it off, as if the professor would ever allow that.
Arion shrugged playfully, then stood to match Radia’s approach.
“What’re you talking about that’s so fun?”
“Why’d you come to the alchemy department?”
“Oh, that? So that’s what you were chatting about.”
Elin stared daggers, as if calling out his bald-faced lie, but Arion didn’t deny it.
Radia looked at the alchemy department, then squeezed her eyes shut.
“We’re heading to Professor Aiden, right?”
“Yeah, you guessed it?”
“More or less. Even if we bust our asses……”
She turned her head to glance elsewhere.
After eyeing the fierce battles raging in the distance, she looked back at Radia.
“If we can’t resolve that, it’s all meaningless, isn’t it?”
Radia, Elin, Isel, Arion, and the countless professors and students from the magic tower and department buildings.
They had indeed fought desperately, teetering on the brink of life and death.
Arion’s words about meaninglessness might belittle their struggles, but they weren’t wrong.
If that earth dragon broke free.
If the culprit behind this disaster freed their hands.
If monsters far stronger than any they’d faced so far began moving.
Arion let out a hollow laugh.
“We’ve gotta cling to his coattails, ready to die, and maybe Professor Aiden will handle the rest.”
Radia nodded in agreement.
If the academy couldn’t resolve it, the horde would spill into the capital’s residential districts, causing catastrophe.
They’d anticipated fierce fighting, but this exceeded all bounds.
So they had to somehow make it work.
* * *
Snapping out of his reverie, Arion faced the pouring demonic spawn and drew a sharp breath.
“Really, no end in sight.”
“Less griping, more slicing.”
Elin, watching from the side, added coldly.
Just as at dusk when the sunset still lingered, the night’s descent brought no real change.
In this grueling, exhausting bind where defeat loomed any second, Elin summoned spirits one after another.
They filled the gaps left by the injured, delicately maintaining balance.
With resounding cries, the demonic spawn toppled under the spirits’ strikes.
The same went for Radia and Isel.
Physically, they were at their limits.
Only their mental resolve kept their bodies moving when they should have collapsed long ago.
The moment they let their guard down in relief, the outcome was obvious.
“…You said trading favors is meaningless.”
If even one of them fell, the front line would collapse.
To survive, they all had to survive together—or collapse together.
Arion gripped his spear.
“Yeah, maybe so.”
Wind slowly gathered around Arion.
* * *
Two Gigantes and Bielle.
There was a bit more leeway than before, but their onslaught was no less fierce.
I steadily calmed my mind.
Dragging this out could lead to some bizarre twist.
I had to finish Bielle—who didn’t know I still had margin—in one go.
“Professor! What’re you thinking so hard about?!”
Ignoring the shout-like words, I glanced up.
A black spear larger than her body thrust down, bending my rapier like a bowstring drawn taut.
“Quiet.”
“You know where I am even without me yelling.”
Doesn’t mean you can charge in screaming.
Holding back the retort, I repelled Bielle.
With her teleportation, she had a high chance of fleeing in a pinch.
So, inevitably, my target had to be the Gigantes behind her rather than Bielle herself.
‘If I handle those two, Bielle will bolt, and the beast tamer already vanished into the chaos.’
Bielle would be a bonus, but I was in no position to chase extras.
‘One powerful strike. Just that.’
I exhaled the hot breath swirling in my lungs.
Aiden’s ultimate technique.
There are many reasons one becomes a Master, but commonly, the title stems from comprehending a single truth.
Mana is generally a second consciousness.
Through it, one contacts, controls, and wields atmospheric mana.
It might follow fixed formulas or equations like a mage’s, or reflect the user’s imagery like aura.
Many terms describe it, but one commonality: mana is a conduit for consciousness.
Those at higher consciousness levels assimilate mana to manifest imagery.
To divide realms, the baseline is…
‘Using mana within the body as the first stage.’
No more, no less—mastering mana in the limited space of the body marks the start.
Second is manifesting imagery through that mana.
Third is drawing in external mana.
Here, “external” means nature beyond the body.
‘Absorbing nature’s mana without filtration nears the growth limit…….’
At the realm of accepting unrefined nature as part of the body, one’s usable mana equals the ambient total.
Mana depletion becomes negligible.
But a Master steps one further.
If mana is a conduit for consciousness, wielding external mana means extending consciousness beyond the body.
A Master not only accepts the external but controls it.
Dominion over the domain one’s consciousness touches.
That is a Master’s essence.
Thus, their ultimate techniques inevitably incorporate such truths.
‘Aiden has only bared it once before, against Oshu…….’
I steadied my breath, gazing at the rapier.
Extend consciousness outward based on imagery, twist and shatter phenomena where it reaches, then reconstruct desired truths.
The singular ultimate proving a Master.
The question wasn’t could I do it—I had to.
My gaze on Bielle grew ever colder.