Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Spiral Storm (6)
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***
Aile Forest, Sector B2.
Vermont, the instructor for C-Class's close-range combat division, was moving swiftly through the forest, spreading his mana wide.
The vibrant blue mana that filled his entire being spread out magnificently, yet Vermont's expression was dark and somber.
“Meren. Where did you say the two students were last seen?”
“A few students saw them at the southern edge of Sector B2.”
An assistant instructor was now keeping pace beside him.
Unlike lectures held within the academy, practical training sessions were always accompanied by assistant instructors who were meticulously focused on student safety. It was a precaution against any unforeseen accidents, but…
an unexpected incident had already occurred.
In the middle of a smoothly progressing class, two students had suddenly vanished without a trace.
Han Cheon-seong and Karite.
Upon receiving the assistant instructor's report, Vermont had immediately set out to find them.
*Thud!*
As Vermont, moving like a flash of light, landed in the spot where the two students had disappeared, Meren also touched down, his face tense.
*Step. Step.*
He walked calmly, taking in the entire surrounding forest from the point where their trail went cold.
A vivid blue light instantly filled the two instructors' eyes as they began to detect the presence of every living creature, seeing past the trees and undergrowth.
“...”
“...”
How far did the two instructors walk after that?
Within the designated Sector B2, their steps soon came to a halt.
When the two instructors used their mana in earnest to scan the area, their detection range expanded to a level an ordinary person couldn't even imagine.
...And so, they were able to conclude their search before long.
“There's... no trace of them.”
At Instructor Vermont's somber voice, Meren's eyes twitched. He quickly lowered his head.
“...I apologize. This is clearly my failure. I didn't properly keep track of the students.”
“Meren. I have no intention of blaming you right now. For now, let's focus solely on resolving this situation. There must be a clue we missed.”
Vermont spoke calmly, but he couldn't understand it.
Among the missing students was Han Cheon-seong. He was known for his excellent attitude in class, not just in Vermont's own lectures but in those of other instructors as well.
Although all sorts of rumors circulated about Han Cheon-seong, every instructor unanimously praised his passionate approach to his classes.
Instructor Kalli, in particular, had praised student Han Cheon-seong, and Vermont felt the same way.
Despite being far ahead of the other C-Class students, he always attended lectures with diligence and integrity. So naturally, Vermont also had a high opinion of him.
And because of that…
Vermont had been at ease, even knowing he was with a student like Karite.
In fact, he had even been pleased to see Han Cheon-seong supporting and helping a struggling student like Karite. It was hard to understand why the two of them would suddenly disappear together.
There were certainly cases of students running off on their own at the academy. That usually happened at the end of the semester, when incidents tended to occur due to extreme psychological distress.
But this was still the beginning of the academic year.
Besides, student Han Cheon-seong didn't seem like the type to run off at all.
Then…
“...It's highly likely we should view this as the work of an outside party.”
As Vermont casually reached a conclusion close to the truth, Meren's face turned pale.
The implication of his words was anything but light.
“The work of an outside party, you say?”
“The Han Cheon-seong I know is not a student who would run off or harbor foolish thoughts. Especially not in the middle of a class like this... We must seriously consider the possibility of an outside party. We might even have to prepare for the worst, just in case.”
With Vermont's resolute words.
A change occurred in an instant.
The practical training for C-Class students was suspended entirely, and at the same time, the news spread quickly to other classes, halting all other lectures as well.
And when the news that two students had disappeared reached Han Cheon-seong's and Karite's respective homeroom instructors.
The two instructors from C1-Class and C3-Class began to move with urgency.
…
For Kalli, who was in Sector C3, quite a distance from Sector B2, the news hit even harder.
Her face turned icy the moment she heard the news, but only for a moment.
*Fwoosh—!*
The instant a red light seemed to carve through space.
“...This is.”
The assistant instructor who had brought her the news could only turn his head in a daze.
Kalli was moving at a speed he could never hope to match, practically leaping through space.
And just like that... the situation began to escalate at an uncontrollable pace.
***
*BOOM!*
Sent flying through the air by a massive explosion, Cheon-seong felt his thoughts stuttering and breaking apart.
"..."
His vision was blurred. The coppery taste of blood at the corner of his mouth was enough to tell him his condition was critical.
Both arms holding the spear felt as if they were tearing apart, and blood flowing from his torn palms stained the shaft red.
Yet his gaze remained fixed solely on Leteia.
That was why he could see it.
*Swoosh…*
Leteia suddenly waving her hand.
As Karite's body was pulled toward Leteia, levitating in the air, the light returned to Cheon-seong's dazed eyes in an instant.
“Cough!”
As he regained his senses, he coughed up blood from the excruciating pain that wracked him, but he manifested what little mana he had left to right himself.
*Fwoom—!*
An explosive burst of blue spiral energy enveloped his body instead of his spear.
*Thud!*
The moment he landed, he stomped hard on the ground and charged forward.
“...!”
As his vision expanded faster than ever before, he bit his lip, suppressing the pain that flooded his entire body.
Forcing strength into the arms holding the spear, he closed the distance that had opened up in an instant.
He could still see Karite's body, levitating as if being pulled toward Leteia.
‘I can't let Karite reach Leteia.’
As he thought this, he felt the last vestiges of hesitation, even the smallest doubt, fade from his mind.
‘If I'm going to die anyway…’
wouldn't it be right to at least save Karite?
As he kicked off the ground and charged, the thought occurred to him unconsciously.
If things continued like this, the only future was one where both he and Karite died at Leteia's hands.
And if they were to die a pointless death, he felt he had to save Karite, no matter what.
—!
The moment he made up his mind.
It was as if a restraint binding his body had been released in an instant. His mind grew calm, and even the pain coursing through him vanished.
‘……’
Immediately after, the flow of time itself seemed to slow down.
He saw the strange violet light emanating from Leteia's outstretched hand, and watching the unconscious Karite being pulled toward it, he knew he had to press forward now.
He knew that if he tried to contain that power he had yet to reach, the strain on his body would be on a completely different level than before.
Yes, I understood it all… instinctively.
But I had to do it.
*Shhhhhh…!*
The moment the thought crossed my mind, I was already engulfed in a massive spiral current.
The brilliant blue current illuminated my vision, but there was no time to stop.
*WHOOOOOOOSH—!!*
With each step, my entire body seemed to ride a storm, accelerating endlessly. The spiral energy coiling around the spear shaft was now so fierce that its source was invisible, forming a tempest around the spear itself.
The endlessly circulating blue spiral current already contained an absolute power within it.
This was the power I had been hoping for at the end.
At the same time, a twisted smile escaped my lips as I felt every last bit of strength drain from my body, leaving it empty.
‘This is enough.’
I had definitely reached it.
The power I was certain to reach in the not-so-distant future.
I was now fully unleashing a power that I shouldn't have been able to manifest.
...And so, I felt it to my very bones.
That I could manifest this complete power.
only for this single moment….
Even so, there was no hesitation.
*Swoooosh—.*
In the slow passage of time, I saw Leteia's hand pause and turn toward me.
It was completely different from her previous movements, which had been so hard to follow.
Slow.
In fact... to my current self, it was far too slow.
And so, I was already in front of her.
“...!”
Facing her grotesque violet eyes, I thrust my spear without hesitation.
*Shhhhk…!*
A spiral current, different from the blue storm at the spear's tip, rose up and enveloped the hand gripping the spear.
It felt as if another spiral current was pushing my hand forward.
It was as if it was guiding me, showing me how to thrust the spear to shatter Leteia's form in a single blow, so I completely entrusted my body to it.
—!
I saw an intense violet light radiate out and envelop Leteia's hand.
I knew it was a stronger power than before, but it didn't matter.
*Pierce a single point and twist.*
Watching Leteia try to block my spear with her immense power, I naturally realized something.
That I was trying to erase everything by scattering someone's power,
that my spear could scatter even the power of an opponent at its destination.
The power I had awakened to in that instant was not one meant for blocking or self-defense.
It was a power that could twist the opponent more intensely than any other.
*Srrrrrrrrk…!*
First, the blue spiral storm advanced toward Leteia's hands and completely erased the violet energy,
*Shwook!*
The spear, surging smoothly along the path created by the spiral storm, reached Leteia's hands in an instant.
*CRACK!!*
But the sound that followed wasn't one of piercing.
It was a bizarre, gruesome cracking sound.
"...!"
Biting my lip, I tried to pour even more strength into the hand that had thrust the spear.
‘I have to pierce through!’
I had to end this with Leteia right now, even if it meant pouring out everything I had.
I had to end it all with this single move.
There was no turning back for me now.
The moment I resolved myself.
I twisted the spear, which had stopped as if hitting a wall, even more fiercely.
*KRRRRRRACK—!!*
Following the hand that thrust the spear, the spiral current erupted once more in a violent explosion.