Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: The Apostle of Sacrifice, Leteia (2)
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***
Grrrr…
With a bizarre cry, the ghoul I faced kicked off the ground and charged in an instant.
I immediately raised my spear, my brow furrowed.
‘This is definitely not an easy monster to fight.’
I felt it the moment I saw it.
At first, I had assumed the instructors had gone somewhat easy on us since it was our first practical training.
That the monsters would be relatively easy for the cadets to handle.
Clang!!
But facing the ghoul directly, that was far from the truth.
The repulsive force I felt in my hands the moment I struck the ghoul with my spear was like hitting a solid block of iron.
“…Karite. Keep your distance and watch calmly.”
I didn’t forget to say something to reassure her.
In my field of view, other cadets were nearby, each fiercely confronting their own ghouls.
It wasn’t that I was completely overwhelmed by the ghoul before me. More than anything, it was a relief that the ghouls weren’t acting as a pack.
Grrr!
Splat! Thud!
As the ghoul, sent flying by my spear, leaped at me again.
“…”
I coated my spearhead with mana and calmed my mind.
The ghoul’s body was as hard as iron.
And it probably wasn’t just this specific type of monster.
'This world.'
All monsters possessed an overwhelming resistance to physical attacks.
And so, I had anticipated this.
There were several ways in spearmanship to deal with monsters of such solid mass.
Either concentrate extreme force on a single point to pierce through that mass in one go, or swing the spear diagonally to deflect the incoming mass.
Of the two, I chose the latter.
Clash—!
The ghoul’s body, like black mud, felt sturdier with each clash, and sparks flew continuously from the spearhead as it met the creature’s fiercely swinging claws.
As I continued to parry the ghoul, I thought about its weakness.
The method I heard from Instructor Vermont was not physical force but elemental—specifically, a weakness to the fire element.
Most of the pairs were comprised of one physical and one elemental user for this reason. But the situation wasn't right for me to borrow Karite's power just yet.
—To fight a ghoul with physical force, you should aim for its vital spots. A ghoul's weaknesses are human vitals, as they were originally human before being transformed into monsters.
Recalling the instructor's voice, I steeled myself.
The vitals that came to mind were the head and the heart. And between them, the one easier to pierce and destroy with a spear in a single blow was…
‘The heart.’
Piercing the head would probably be best, but it would require much more power.
With its natural physical resistance combined with an already hard skull… piercing it with ordinary force would be impossible.
Most decisively, my mana reserves weren't large enough for me to be confident I could pierce the head.
Grrrr!!
The moment I parried the ghoul's fiercely lunging hand with my own strength,
Swish!
I took a step back with my left foot and quickly withdrew my spear.
Whoosh!
Gripping the spear shaft tightly as it retracted even faster than it had been thrust, I concentrated mana at the tip of the blade.
The moment a clear blue light formed on the spearhead.
Whoosh!
My spear was already cutting through the air.
Thunk!
The spearhead mercilessly pierced the chest of the faltering ghoul.
Shrouded in blue light, the spearhead had completely run through the ghoul's heart.
"..."
Even in that moment, I didn't let my guard down.
Grrr…
I was checking to see if the ghoul's movements had completely stopped, and it collapsed more easily than I’d expected.
I let out a short breath and retrieved my spear.
Flick!
As I shook the ghoul's rotten blood from my spearhead and turned, I saw Karite looking at me with a surprised expression.
A sphere of water was forming in her hands. I couldn't help but smile.
“…Amazing.”
I shook my head as I approached Karite, who was admiring me.
“Not really. So, was that sphere of water to help me?”
“I didn't know if it would help… but just in case.”
Even though Karite answered apologetically, I really didn't mind.
In fact, I felt proud of her for managing to manifest her power like that.
“The will to help is good. And I hope you use that power you manifested to protect yourself."
“But… then I wouldn't have been any help to you.”
“Karite.”
I called her name firmly and met her gaze.
As she looked up at me, anxiety once again flickered in her light-red eyes.
It seemed that just feeling sorry for me was enough to trigger her negative thoughts. I gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
“I told you when we first teamed up, didn't I?”
“…But.”
“I'm really fine. I teamed up with you because I saw your potential. So, you don't have to feel sorry like this. I might need your help a great deal someday.”
I had set a condition for her from the start.
That my dedication to her in today's class was so that I could receive just as much help from her later on.
It was to keep Karite from feeling sorry, and also to give myself a reason to be with her.
In truth, a Unique-grade trait was extremely rare to begin with. Even among A-Class cadets, fewer than thirty percent possessed one.
That's how high-level and rare the Unique grade was.
“So. You understand?”
When I spoke a little more firmly, Karite hesitated but accepted.
“…Thank you.”
“You don't have to thank me. You can just pay me back later when you're more successful.”
Even as I said it with a smile, I genuinely believed such a future was possible.
'If I can just change Karite's future today.'
She was like a flower that would one day bloom magnificently.
Once she shook off the negativity that enveloped her, Karite would surely be able to move forward properly. Then, her trait, which had yet to see the light of day, would blossom even more grandly.
If that happened, I was half-certain she would surpass every other cadet in this C-Class.
Actually, even if that didn't happen, it didn't really matter.
‘Because I'll make it happen.’
I planned to continue investing my time even after today so that Karite could properly look forward.
“Then, I think we can just move forward step by step.”
I spoke lightly as I organized my thoughts.
“Okay. I'll trust you.”
Seeing Karite reply as if she had regained her spirits, we started walking again.
Clang!
Whoosh!
Crackle…
Even while seeing various cadets confronting ghouls all around us… I had no intention of straying far from the others.
The greatest danger, in my view, would be ‘isolation’.
So, I planned to stay with the other cadets as much as possible.
'I can meet the subjugation quota easily enough.'
The subjugation target for each pair was ten.
Having just taken down one and collected its left ear in a pouch, I thought I could easily manage it on my own.
Just then.
Click.
…For a moment, I had the illusion that a footstep was out of place.
I turned my head blankly and saw Karite staggering.
Greatly surprised, I supported her.
“…Karite? What's wrong?”
“Ah, it's nothing. I think I just misstepped.”
As Karite straightened up with an awkward smile, I couldn't help but feel an inexplicable anxiety.
Click.
…Afterward, as Karite began to walk naturally again, I matched her pace, my heart tense.
‘What on earth was that?’
What was that just now with Karite?
Staggering suddenly like that was unusual. Of course, being in a forest, it wasn't impossible she had misstepped, but…
What happened just now felt strange.
“Still, the path is rough. Be careful.”
“Okay… Thank you for worrying about me.”
Even while watching Karite give me a faint smile…
The anxiety that had taken root in my heart wouldn't easily fade.
***
….
…….
……….
A soundless echo.
The echo continued to travel through space, leaving no trace.
Moreover, as time passed, the intensity of the echo grew ever so slowly stronger.
The recipient of the echo had no time to realize it was coming. Like cloth slowly soaking, the echo was transmitted as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
…
-It would be nice if he just died.
-What would happen if Han Cheon-seong died right here?
-What if he fails to parry the ghoul's claws in time?
-Don't you think the ghoul will devour Han Cheon-seong in an instant?
Endless auditory hallucinations swirled in Karite's ears.
…As if forcibly injecting negative thoughts into her, the hallucinations captivated Karite more intensely than ever before.
Yet, biting her lip hard, Karite endured the countless hallucinations ringing in her ears.
“……”
Instead, she held her ground and focused her eyes even more on Han Cheon-seong, who was fighting the ghoul alone.
His calm, deep black eyes.
The steadfastness felt from the arms gripping the spear shaft.
Grrr…!
Watching the fiercely charging ghoul with composure, Han Cheon-seong's spear didn't waver for a single moment.
Clang!
He simply blocked the ghoul with such ease that before more than a few sparks could fly, the spearhead was enveloped in a deep blue aura.
It was a prelude.
The extreme mana manipulation Han Cheon-seong displayed before finishing off a ghoul.
—!
The mana imbued in the spearhead condensed greatly in an instant, forming a brilliant blue light.
It was a kind of artistry that could only be shown when one's mana utilization reached a high level.
Thunk!
And as the blue spearhead mercilessly pierced the ghoul's heart, I could feel relieved once more.
‘Han Cheon-seong is strong.’
So strong, in fact, that I could say he was unrivaled by any other cadet here.
That's why my heart could remain unshaken, despite the hallucinations constantly ringing in my ears.
I couldn't picture a scenario where Han Cheon-seong would lose to a ghoul. Instead, it felt natural that he would defeat them.
Flick.
When Han Cheon-seong turned his head toward me after lightly flicking his spear to shake off the blood, a smile escaped my lips unconsciously.
-He'll die next time.
-Do you think Han Cheon-seong's mana is infinite?
-Han Cheon-seong is clearly overexerting himself.
-Don't you think he's only acting like that because you're by his side?
And at that moment, my smile vanished at the sound of the hallucinations.
“…Karite?
At the voice of Han Cheon-seong, who had approached me at some point, I gave an awkward smile.
“That was really amazing just now.”
“Not really. But your expression seemed stiff just now. Is something worrying you?”
And though his gentle concern warmed my heart…
A small seed of doubt also took root in a corner of my mind.
‘What if he's overdoing it….’
The clear use of mana I saw when Han Cheon-seong pierced the ghoul's heart. I could tell just by looking how much mana it consumed.
…And that he obviously couldn't use it indefinitely. Such an intense concentration of mana wasn't something one could display easily.
“I'm not worried. But, Han Cheon-seong… can you give me your hand?”
“My hand?”
Though puzzled by my sudden request, Han Cheon-seong extended his hand to me.
Shhh.
As I carefully took his hand, I saw Han Cheon-seong flinch in surprise, but I focused my concentration in that instant.
!
A faint stream of mana flowed from my fingertips into Han Cheon-seong's body.
And as I tried to sense through that mana, I soon saw it clearly.
How much total mana Han Cheon-seong's body could hold, and how much usable mana he had left.
“……”
The moment I confirmed it, I felt my heart drop.
‘There's almost none left.’
Compared to his total capacity, his usable mana was far too low.
“Karite?”
At his surprised voice calling my name, I carefully let go of his hand.
“I'm sorry… for suddenly grabbing your hand. But Han Cheon-seong, let's rest for a bit.”
Even as I spoke, I felt like my voice was trembling.