Chapter 111
Chapter 111
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: After Everything Was Over
-----------------------------------------------------------------
***
Krrrrack—!!
A spiral current of air burst forth, following the hand of Han Cheon-seong who had thrust his spear.
Under the successive spiral currents, Leteia's hands trembled violently as endless cracks etched across them.
And soon, this created a large opening, revealing Leteia's head.
In that moment... it seemed as if everything would end.
"...!"
To Leteia, this situation felt like a complete anomaly, and with an incomplete descent, even resisting the force felt impossible.
But then, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
As a large gap formed in Leteia's spirit, which was descending upon a human body, the violet light-form of Leteia overlaid on the flesh scattered greatly.
Nevertheless, as the spear continued its straight path.
Crack!
With a sound of complete disintegration, the spearhead and shaft turned to ash and scattered.
It was an anomaly that neither Han Cheon-seong, who had thrust the spear, nor Leteia, whose spiritual energy was scattering, had anticipated.
A single anomaly would have had a great consequence. With both happening simultaneously, neither side could seize victory.
Even Leteia, who could manifest power, had vanished,
"Cough...!"
and Han Cheon-seong, who coughed up blood, collapsed, his spear-thrusting hand failing to reach Leteia.
Swoosh...!
For the man who was escaping Leteia's descent and regaining his original form, it was nothing short of a miracle. The crisis that would have meant death had the spiral flow touched him even slightly had narrowly vanished.
Afterward, as Leteia disappeared, the darkness filling the space also began to slowly crumble. The space itself started to collapse.
Crack! Craaack...!
Like shattering glass made of darkness, the brilliant light of the world began to illuminate the space in fragments.
"Cough! Gack!"
Even after losing consciousness, Han Cheon-seong, who had collapsed while repeatedly coughing up blood, experienced a strange phenomenon where his entire body seemed to be convulsing.
Despite being unconscious, his muscles seemed to spasm, and blood oozed from fine cracks all over, staining his body red.
"This is..."
The man, who had opened his eyes after being freed from Leteia's descent, instantly grasped the situation.
The moment he saw the space filled with darkness, he realized his fears had come to pass, and yet he also knew that, miraculously, the student was still alive.
He was on the verge of death, but the key thing was that he was still breathing.
The man didn't ponder how Han Cheon-seong was still alive.
Believing he could be saved as long as he was breathing, the man did what he had to do.
Swish!
He took a small vial from his bosom, uncorked it, and poured the entire contents into the unconscious Han Cheon-seong's mouth.
The man's hand trembled faintly as he poured the liquid, but in the end, he did not take the vial back.
Crack!
The space continued to shatter, and the outside scenery came into the man's view.
When he saw the presence of several instructors in the light-filled space, the man knew he had no more time.
Tuk.
Having emptied the vial, the man let out a deep sigh and spoke.
"...I am truly sorry."
After uttering those words, the man took a transparent crystal from his bosom and clenched it tightly.
Shatter!
As the transparent crystal broke, an intense light instantly enveloped the man.
Craaack!
Immediately after, the space completely collapsed, revealing reality.
"...What is this!?"
"How did he suddenly appear!?"
"Han Cheon-seong!"
With several voices speaking at once, as multiple people rushed towards Han Cheon-seong.
The man who had accepted Leteia's descent had already vanished without a trace.
In the space that remained, there was only Han Cheon-seong, unconscious and on the brink of death, and the unconscious Karite...
***
A great, unprecedented alarm bell rang at the Grand Royal Academy.
An ominous atmosphere, never before felt, lingered over the academy, which had previously only known good news concerning its students and the reputation of its instructors.
While an entire class was out for an outdoor lecture, a sudden attack, seemingly from an external party, occurred.
As a result, an academy student suffered severe injuries, and one of the unconscious students had yet to regain consciousness.
For such an incident to happen at the Central Academy, where only the most talented individuals gathered, was a major blow to the academy's prestige, and the damage wasn't limited to just the academy.
The academy housed even imperial royalty, and many children of high-ranking nobles were also enrolled.
Considering this, it was a matter so grave that it had to be seen as a problem for the entire empire.
An immediate order for suspension was issued not only for this year's new students but for all academies within the Central Academy, and a massive movement was launched to find the culprit who attacked the students.
Renowned knight orders and mages were dispatched from the imperial court, and even within the famous high-ranking families, the search for the culprit proceeded on an unprecedented scale.
…
The Class C infirmary within the academy.
The day after the incident. The air inside the infirmary was so heavy it felt thick and stagnant.
So much so that an ordinary person would find it unbearable...
"Haaah..."
As an even heavier sigh filled the space, the few people in the infirmary turned their gazes.
There stood a woman with hair as red as crimson flames, yet her face was utterly cold and somber.
Despite her beautiful features, no one dared to speak to her easily.
The atmosphere of this space, the greatest part of its weight, was due to the intense pressure emanating from her.
Unfazed by their gazes, Kalli was looking at Han Cheon-seong lying on the hospital bed.
"..."
A full day had passed.
Yet, student Han Cheon-seong had still not regained consciousness. Even now, all she could see was the student's pale complexion.
Grit.
Biting her lip, anger continued to swell within her heart.
Someone had done this to a student under her charge, the student she cherished most.
And yet, she still didn't know who the culprit was.
During yesterday's lecture, she was momentarily shocked by the news of student Han Cheon-seong's disappearance, left the scene to the assistant instructor, and immediately headed there.
And the reality she faced was...
simply seeing student Han Cheon-seong covered in blood.
...Nothing more, nothing less.
No matter how far she spread her aura, she couldn't sense any foreign presence, and unrealistically, there were no traces left at the scene.
Truly... as if by magic, not a single clue or trace remained.
It was as if the two students had suddenly collapsed unconscious in the forest. And unlike the student Karite, who was with him, only student Han Cheon-seong had suffered extreme injuries, barely clinging to the edge of life and death.
His muscles were torn throughout his body, and his intermittently beating heart was in such a critical state that it wouldn't be strange if it stopped at any moment.
A strange energy circulating through his body was the only thing barely keeping the student alive.
And she... could only watch.
Truly. There was nothing she could do.
She could only stare blankly as the healer and priest arrived and took subsequent measures.
"......"
The more she thought about the situation, the colder her heart became.
An emotion like an endless flame filled her heart dozens, hundreds of times a day, but the culprit on whom she should unleash that heat was nowhere to be found.
She had heard that a massive investigation was underway, with personnel dispatched from the imperial court, high noble families, and even her own family. But even now, nothing had been uncovered.
Watching the unconscious student Han Cheon-seong... she was barely managing to maintain her composure.
"...Instructor Kalli."
At the sound of Instructor Adelia's voice, she turned her gaze, and Adelia slowly shook her head.
It was a signal of sorts, asking her to step aside so they could begin a major healing procedure.
She rose and carefully bowed her head.
"Instructor Adelia. Please... I'm counting on you."
"Don't worry so much. He's safely over the worst of it. However, Instructor Kalli... shouldn't you be taking care of yourself as well?"
...She managed a small smile at the considerate words but slowly shook her head.
In this state of mind, she couldn't bring herself to eat or rest.
Click.
Clack...
As she left the infirmary, her gaze drifted to the academy window.
'When did so much time pass?'
She could see the outside world turning red, like the setting of twilight.
Yet her heart felt no better.
"Instructor Kalli. I am truly ashamed. However, I'm sure student Han Cheon-seong will regain consciousness. And the culprit will definitely..."
At Instructor Vermont's words, she could only nod blankly. No real response left her lips.
Seeing yesterday's situation, it didn't seem like there was anything Instructor Vermont could have done.
...She didn't even feel like blaming her.
She was just relieved that student Han Cheon-seong was alive.
And she, too, understood with her head, with her reason.
-He's over the worst of it.
-He'll be fine.
-He'll wake up in a few days...
That student Han Cheon-seong would regain consciousness and show her his usual self...
But her heart couldn't accept it.
It remained anxious and uneasy.
Seeing the student not opening his eyes, a resentful anger swelled up, and worry and sorrow endlessly consumed her heart.
Above all, yesterday's attack... could only be seen as an act that clearly targeted student Han Cheon-seong.
She could guess why student Han Cheon-seong was in such a terrible state.
‘A crisis. He must have been in a crisis that bordered on death.’
She could picture student Han Cheon-seong resisting by manifesting a power he absolutely shouldn't have.
She didn't know how powerful the opponent was, but that was the only way she could see it.
Because he would have had to resist to that extent just to survive.
That's why... she was even more furious.
She had been so close to student Han Cheon-seong.
'I... could have helped.'
Slide.
Leaning blankly against the academy wall, she blankly covered her face with her hands, overwhelmed by emotion.
Then, clenching her fists tightly, a deep sigh escaped her.
"Haaah..."
As she tried to swallow the emotions she couldn't suppress, her heart just felt bitter.
She knew that almost every possible measure had been taken for student Han Cheon-seong, including the use of holy water from the academy.
And that taking such measures for a single student was treatment comparable to that of royalty.
As she continued to suppress her feelings.
Click.
...Suddenly, she heard footsteps.
Blankly turning her head, she saw a student approaching.
"......"
A student with a complexion just as pale as student Han Cheon-seong, who lay on the bed...