Chapter 193
Chapter 193
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 193
Chapter Title: Absolute Security & A Strange Sense of Crisis
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***
A sense of security, of tranquility, and of absolute trust.
All of it coexisted in his heart, providing an unshakable pillar for Cheon-seong’s mind.
Glancing at the person beside him, Cheon-seong was a little surprised.
‘So this is what Anastasia looks like without her officer’s uniform.’
He couldn’t help but be taken aback seeing Anastasia in a light blue one-piece dress. In the story, Anastasia was always depicted in the heat of battle.
Her casual attire had never been described.
When he first met her in her officer’s uniform, he had felt a sense of discipline and resolve, but this was different.
The combination of lightness and brightness completely changed Anastasia’s impression.
And yet…
Despite her attire, he felt an ‘absolute sense of security.’
Just having her by his side could alter his state of mind so drastically.
It was truly astonishing how his once-anxious heart could change so suddenly.
The sword at her waist, along with the fact that her aura felt completely different from before, was nothing short of miraculous.
‘No matter how strong the apostle coming for me is…’
I will not be in any danger.
He was certain of that the moment he first saw her.
With Anastasia by his side, his heart could be more at ease than ever before.
“Why are you… staring at me like that?”
As her eyes met his, a laugh naturally escaped him.
“I was just a little surprised. You look so different without your officer’s uniform, Anastasia.”
“Is that so? I find these clothes a bit unfamiliar myself. The officer’s uniform tends to draw too much attention… so I’ve been wearing casual clothes for the past few days.”
He nodded at her calm reply, though he was inwardly puzzled.
‘I’d think these clothes would draw just as much attention in their own way.’
Just as Glacia was a beauty, her older sister Anastasia was no less so.
Even though she seemed to put in less effort in her appearance than Kalli, she had a presence all her own.
Calm and composed. Yet, he could feel a unique beauty that held a certain coldness.
As he thought this, an empty laugh escaped him before he knew it.
‘How can I be having such carefree thoughts?’
Just this morning when he woke up, he had been extremely tense, on edge throughout Kalli’s entire lecture.
But now, he was leisurely admiring Anastasia’s changed appearance.
The shift in his mood was almost laughable.
“Well then, Anastasia. I’ll be in your care… until midnight tonight.”
“Yes. You don’t need to worry. Even if there is any danger, I won’t let a single hair on your head be harmed.”
The unwavering confidence in her voice seemed to engrave trust directly into his heart.
He could believe her.
How could he not believe the words of a woman who stood among the strongest in the story?
Her words alone held more value and conviction for him than an entire army.
“…Yes. I believe you.”
“So, Cadet Han Cheon-seong, I’m telling you there’s no need to be as tense as you are now.”
When Anastasia said this with a slight smile, a laugh escaped him as well.
In truth, he wasn’t tense at all anymore.
It was just that the intense nervousness from earlier in the day lingered in his body, its traces visible on the surface.
*Clack.*
Before he knew it, they had arrived at the entrance to the training ground. It was the special, restricted training ground Anastasia had brought him to before.
“I heard you reached Trait Level 5, Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Shall I help you with your training to pass the time?”
“I would be more than grateful.”
*Click.*
***
*Swoosh.*
He held the spearhead straight, pointing it forward.
Through the past two days of training, the weight of the spear, held in one hand, had become as familiar as his own limbs.
And by focusing his consciousness just a little more on the tip of the spearhead, a great change occurred.
*Swoooosh!*
A natural vortex of spiraling energy erupted, enveloping the spearhead.
—!
A brilliant torrent of blue energy scattered.
He could now manifest the spiral energy with ease, without needing intense concentration. And he had no hesitation in making that spiral larger, more brilliant.
The spear was inherently a weapon that focused its power on a single point.
But the spiral was a concept that possessed not only the idea of circulation but also the vast and magnificent power of infinity.
This meant that depending on his will to control that spiral, the spear’s destructive power could vary immensely.
“Your ability to handle energy has grown tremendously in such a short time.”
At her relaxed voice, I tore my gaze from the spearhead and looked at Anastasia, who was standing at a distance.
In her light blue dress, with her pale white shoulders and arms exposed, she still appeared completely unguarded.
But.
…I found myself smiling naturally as I looked at her.
‘She’s strong.’
I could declare with certainty that she was stronger than anyone I had ever met.
It was a strength of a different nature than the bottomless potential I had sensed from Kalli during our duel.
“……”
As I took in Anastasia’s composed figure, not even raising a hand, I saw something I had never been able to see before.
It was an formless barrier, and at the same time, it was like a strange aura settled in the atmosphere.
A barrier of energy, gently rippling outward from Anastasia as its center. It was so transparent and naturally placed that it was difficult to perceive at a glance.
And the more I looked at it, the more I realized the density of the energy condensed in the atmosphere was unbelievable.
Even as she watched me with a leisurely air, she was scattering the properties of an overwhelming energy all around her.
…It was a breathtaking sight, as if the immense power erupting from her had naturally swallowed the surrounding atmosphere.
“You are truly strong, Anastasia. My words may sound ridiculous, but I feel as if a mountain is blocking my path.”
“Everyone says that.”
I nodded at Anastasia’s unfazed reaction to my words.
Her seemingly arrogant demeanor didn’t feel that way at all. On the contrary, for someone like Anastasia, that level of pride, of confidence, seemed only natural and understandable.
Yes, that wasn’t arrogance… it was confidence.
“……”
Maintaining the spiral energy, I slowly steadied my breath.
The crisis of an apostle’s arrival.
The worry about it had already largely faded from my mind.
The limits of Anastasia’s strength were beyond what even I, at Level 5, could fathom. As long as I was with her, there was no way I could fall into any danger.
In this moment, there was only one thing.
A desire to show Anastasia my full power and gain even a sliver of growth.
“I’ll be coming with everything I have.”
*Tak!*
The moment I stepped forward, the spiral energy coiling around my spearhead instantly spread out, enveloping my entire body.
I was able to surge forward with what could only be described as divine speed.
*Shwoooosh—!!*
With a light thrust of the spear, the spiral energy burst forth to clear the path ahead. Methods of manifesting the spiral, completely different from the power I’d shown in our duel just days ago, endlessly surfaced in my mind.
*Clang!*
Immediately after, the spiral energy vanished against a suddenly formed wall of ice. But I didn’t hesitate for a moment as I thrust forward to pierce through it with my spearhead.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
As I frantically thrust my spear against the ice wall, trying to break through it, the dissipated spiral energy regenerated in an instant, repeatedly enveloping the spearhead only to disappear again.
And it was in that moment.
*Crrk! Crackle!*
Ice crystals formed in the air, and a strange sense of crisis made me kick off the ground without thinking.
*Swish! Swish! Swish!*
A chill ran down my spine as ice shards pierced the ground where I had been standing just a moment before.
“…!”
My eyes widened as I took a sharp breath.
There wasn’t even a moment to rest.
————————————————!!
Countless ice shards materialized throughout my entire field of vision. As the sharp edges of every single one turned towards me, I had to kick off the ground and move quickly.
*Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Clang! Clang!*
As I dodged the ice shards that rained down relentlessly on the ground where I moved, I had no time to think, only to block the ones I couldn’t evade with my spearhead.
I just naturally understood.
Anastasia knew exactly what I wanted, and she was simultaneously presenting me with a crisis and an offensive.
She wasn’t just testing whether I could break the ice wall with my power; she was trying to help me by showing me something more.
“Ha.”
And so, a laugh escaped me.
The spiral energy enveloping my body manifested even more strongly, and I became conscious not just of thrusting my spear, but of the movement of my arms, of the control of my power the moment my feet touched the ground.
‘I can get stronger.’
***
*Step.*
Leonhardt, who was strolling through the park with Yumia, found himself enveloped in a strange sense of unease.
“……”
It was something he couldn’t explain or understand. But his body instinctively tensed in reaction.
*Thud.*
He stopped walking and slowly looked around.
“Leonhardt. What’s wrong all of a sudden?”
At Yumia’s puzzled voice, he nodded… and forced a smile.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Really? You seem a little strange today. Not like your usual self… Is something on your mind?”
“Nothing like that. It’s just… I have a strange feeling today.”
“Hmm… I don’t know. Well, let’s sit on that bench and rest for a bit before we go.”
He followed Yumia, who spoke with a warm smile, and sat down on the bench, but his feeling of unease didn’t change.
As time went on, his mood only sank further.
—Never ignore the signals your instincts send you.
His master’s advice from years ago suddenly resurfaced in his mind.
“Still, it feels a little strange since it’s a rare day off. We’d usually be at the training grounds around this time.”
“…Yeah.”
“And I guess everyone’s feeling motivated. Han Cheon-seong reached Trait Level 5, Glacia reached Level 4… and even you reached Level 4, Leonhardt.”
“Yumia, you’ll get there soon too.”
“I hope so. I feel like I’m on the verge of Level 4, but I don’t know what I’m lacking. I feel like I’m the only one falling behind…”
Even as Yumia’s voice reached him, his consciousness was no longer focused on her.
His hand naturally… went to his scabbard, as an alarm bell continued to ring in his mind.
‘Something.’
There’s something.
There’s something in this park that we don’t know about.
And it’s definitely not something good. His instincts kept warning him, and his mind desperately tried to find the ‘something’ he couldn’t perceive.
*Grab.*
A hand on his shoulder made him flinch, and his vision snapped back into focus.
“Leonhardt… what is wrong with you today? Are you even listening to me?”
As Yumia openly showed her slight annoyance, his senses returned, and he could only manage an awkward smile.
“Sorry. I think… I’m not in the best condition today. I feel like my head’s in the clouds.”
“Really? Are you sick? Are you okay?”
“It’s not… that. I just don’t feel right. So, Yumia. Just for today… could you head back first?”
He spoke carefully… belatedly growing concerned for Yumia, who was right beside him.
*Thump, thump!*
Even now, his heart was pounding fiercely, and his vision was swimming.
But more than anything, he felt that Yumia shouldn’t be by his side right now.
There was definitely something unseen in this park. It felt so unsettling that he didn’t have the capacity to look out for Yumia.
“…You want me to go back first?”
“I’m really… sorry. We can just meet again this weekend. We’ll spend more time together then. I’ll make it up to you.”
He spoke in a gentle, placating tone… but his gaze once again drifted to his surroundings.
‘What could it be?’
He took in everything, one by one: the numerous trees and plants in the park, the surface of the small lake, the various railings, benches, and bushes.
He was feeling a sense of foreboding and crisis.
That much was undeniable.
But he couldn’t identify what it was.
Something incongruous…
“Haa. Alright… I’ll head back first for today, then. I’m a little disappointed, but I’ll let it slide until next time.”
As Yumia stood up from her seat, he naturally rose as well to see her off.
Afterward, as Yumia slowly grew distant, he… did not leave the park.
As the surroundings became deserted and he saw fewer and fewer cadets, he had a strange realization.
‘I’m the target.’
He was certain, without any evidence, that he was the target of whatever it was.
Therefore, he couldn’t leave this place.
Watching Yumia’s retreating back as she disappeared from view… he slowly drew his sword from its scabbard.
*Shing!*