Chapter 305
Chapter 305
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 305
Chapter Title: Impending Crisis & Training Begins
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***
—First-Class Alert Status.
The personnel at the northern wall immediately scrambled into action.
The faces of numerous officers fell, and the soldiers on duty couldn't hide their fear.
A first-class alert was typically issued under one specific circumstance.
The appearance of an Apostle classified as a 'Special-Grade Threat.' Massive casualties were expected, making fatalities inevitable.
And so, some time passed.
*Gulp.*
“...”
Even officers who had endured years on the northern front grew tense. As if to prove her right, Glacia's intuition hit the mark.
Far beyond the wall, at the edge of the endless white snowfield, a sign appeared.
*Ruuuumble—!*
With a colossal roar that shook the very earth, a massive body comparable to the high walls came into view. Its pitch-black skin seemed to absorb the light, exuding a bizarre presence. The monster's distorted, vicious face and the building-sized chunk of metal on its shoulder radiated an overwhelming pressure, even from a distance.
—A Black Ogre.
It was clearly an Apostle known as a Special-Grade Threat.
As it began to move, accompanied by a horde of monsters, a crisis soon descended upon the front lines.
…….
*BOOM!*
*CRASH!*
*Roooar! Rooooooaaaaar!!*
Thunderous explosions echoed, and bursts of multicolored light erupted from all directions.
It was a symphony of dozens of different powers, unleashed by the elite officers and soldiers who had ventured outside the wall to surround the Black Ogre's colossal form.
Confronting the Black Ogre at the wall would have resulted in catastrophic damage, so they had no choice but to meet it outside.
“There is no need for fear!”
Under the iron-fisted command of Glacia at the vanguard, the battle to subjugate the Black Ogre began.
And in the midst of it all.
The overwhelming mass of the Black Ogre's massive body slammed into the ground.
*Swoooosh—!*
Even a simple movement, merely shifting its body, produced a sound like the air itself was being crushed as the enormous chunk of metal crashed down toward the ground where countless people stood.
*KRA-BOOOOOM!!*
With a deafening roar, the very ground exploded and scattered.
And that wasn't all.
Hordes of monsters rushed in, fighting to the death against the officers and soldiers who tried to cover the Black Ogre's blind spots.
Blood began to spray and splatter everywhere.
...! ...!!
Amidst the death throes of the monsters, human screams could be heard.
Despite this, the officers fought valiantly, coordinating their efforts to block or nullify the Black Ogre's fierce attacks.
The state of the battle could be considered relatively optimistic.
Glacia led the officers from the front, responding in a timely manner, and with each exchange, the Black Ogre’s massive body clearly accumulated damage.
*KRAAANG!!*
As the ground cratered and exploded, an officer erased the aftermath of the shattered earth that rained down like shrapnel.
Furthermore, treating the Black Ogre's attack as an opportunity, the officers unleashed their individual Traits, clashing fiercely with its colossal form.
A fierce, close-quarters battle.
In the midst of this scene where no one could let their guard down...
A clandestine presence was on the move, unnoticed by anyone.
…….
*Rustle.*
Silent footsteps continued.
Two figures strolled casually through the bloody battlefield.
Yes, surprisingly, they appeared to be 'human figures.'
A silver-haired girl who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, along with an alluring woman with long, flowing black hair, walked slowly. Their appearance was striking enough to draw many eyes.
And yet, no one spared them a glance.
“What a pain.”
*Thwack!*
Even as a monster just a few steps away was crushed and burst apart by some unseen force, the girl's voice was filled with boredom.
“Yusillia, must we really expend an Apostle like this?”
The black-haired woman, who called the girl Yusillia—Azazel—asked cautiously. Yusillia, in her girlish form, gave a slight nod.
“There is a human here with exceptionally sharp senses. Even with your power of invisibility, you cannot pass through the barrier without leaving a trace. It's better to expend this much power to create a diversion and avoid any complications.”
The power of invisibility.
At the girl's words, the black-haired woman glanced toward a nearby space.
There, the colossal body of the Black Ogre could be seen, slowly crumbling under the combined assault of many people.
*Thud!*
It was down on one knee, dark red blood streaming endlessly from all over its black skin.
Despite this, it continued to swing the chunk of metal it held, threatening a considerable number of humans.
“What a waste of a Black Ogre. I feel like it could have been put to better use.”
“Azazel, this is completely meaningless.”
Yusillia replied coldly, her brow furrowed, and Azazel said no more.
Thus, they slowly passed through the fierce front line and headed toward the inner wall.
Two of the Nine Apostles.
—Yusillia of Prophecy.
—Azazel of Light.
This time, they were heading into the Empire as avatars possessing even greater power than before. Even the renowned officers on the front lines failed to perceive them.
The power of invisibility, a unique attribute of Azazel, was manifesting more strongly than ever. Only Glacia had felt a strange sense of it earlier.
The Nine Apostles, who had remained hidden for centuries while accumulating power, were now beginning to act in earnest...
Once again, they were able to set foot inside the Empire.
The infiltration of two of the Nine Apostles, something that should never have been allowed...
***
Meanwhile, at the academy's training grounds.
Han Cheon-seong, who had returned to the dorms last night, was at the training grounds early in the morning.
“...Hoo.”
He let out a long breath, gripping his spear blankly.
The cool touch of the iron in his hand, its very weight, felt unfamiliar.
To be honest, I really didn't like this spear. The one I had custom-made was completely destroyed by the Apostle I faced before.
...When I told the academy about it, they said they'd craft me a new one free of charge, but that would take time.
*Clack.*
I planted the training spear on the ground, stopping my movements, and suddenly shook my head.
*‘This isn't the time to be complaining about something like this.’*
I couldn't afford to be picky. Now that my rest was over and I was back to my routine, I had to start again.
Just like yesterday, now that I had reignited my passion for training, I had to look forward and press on.
To grow even stronger.
“......”
Aware of the other cadets' gazes in the training grounds, I wiped away my sweat and sat down.
As I caught my breath and took a moment to recover, the cadets who had been watching me returned to their own training.
A dazzling feast of various elements decorated my vision, and I could also see the peculiar movements of cadets who wielded unique powers.
*‘Everyone looks so serious.’*
The mindset of the cadets who had survived the direct crisis, the catastrophe, had clearly changed completely.
I could see they had all grown significantly in the past few days, dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to their training.
Just as I caught my breath and gripped my spear again.
“...What are you doing here?”
An unexpected voice reached me.
When I turned my head, the first thing I saw was a pair of pink twintails.
“Luna?”
“Han Cheon-seong. Aren't you supposed to still be in the infirmary?”
I shook my head at her curious question.
When I told her I'd returned to the dorms yesterday, she replied with a simple "Oh, really?" Beside her, Millia was staring at me blankly.
*‘So they were both safe.’*
They didn't seem to have any injuries.
Then again, they were two of the top cadets, so it was only natural. I felt relieved.
“Is it really okay for you to be training again already...?”
Millia looked even more surprised than Luna, and a smile escaped my lips.
“I’m fine. That’s why I’m training. There’s nothing wrong with my body anymore.”
“But I heard you faced an Apostle. It must have been incredibly dangerous... I'm glad you're safe.”
“Instructor Kalli saved me back then."
I replied softly, thinking once again how fortunate I was.
The choice I made in the end, and Kalli's miraculous appearance...
*Srrk.*
Luna and Millia then sat down near me, and we naturally started talking.
“You’re so intense. If it were me, I’d want to rest a bit more.”
“Luna, sometimes resting is more uncomfortable.”
“You’re probably the only one who’d say that.”
While my conversation with Luna was relatively casual,
“I don't know. I was really worried about you... Are you truly okay now?”
"I’ll be much safer from now on. A Golden Knight has been assigned to guard me."
“Really? That’s a relief, but... I’m still not sure. With all these incidents happening one after another, I don't know if it's really okay. What happened this time was too big. I wish you would rest a little more."
My conversation with Millia was a delicate one, even for me.
The worry in her eyes was so palpable that I could only offer an awkward smile.
Thinking about it... it was strange.
Even though I said I was fine and felt fine, did others really see me that way?
...Still, I felt that I was okay.
Moreover.
*‘Maybe it’s a good thing I’m at the center of these incidents.’*
The thought suddenly crossed my mind.
If it had been anyone else, I don't think they could have endured it.
In the original story, Leonhardt would have been the one to bear this burden. But now, I'm here in his place.
...And I felt that was actually a relief.
The continuous crises were far more dangerous than in the original story, and from my perspective, no other cadet could handle them.
That’s why I had a vague feeling.
*'A target worthy of an Apostle's attention.'*
Even though everyone else was growing at a dazzling rate, it was only natural that I, who was growing the fastest, would catch the Apostles' eyes.
And so.
I believed I had to be the one to bear it.
As I was steeling my resolve during our conversation.
“Han Cheon-seong.”
Luna suddenly looked at me with a peculiar glint in her eyes.
“What is it?”
“I’ll ask again, are you really okay?”
“I’m fine. And if I weren't, I wouldn't have been allowed to leave the infirmary, so there's no need to worry.”
“It’s not that I’m... worried about you. I just want to have a go.”
Seeing the corners of Luna's mouth curl up at the end, I couldn't help but let out a laugh.
*‘Where does she get this confidence?’*
Everyone knows by now that I've awakened a skill and reached Trait Level 5.
My standards have become so high that I can't easily spar with just anyone anymore.
Just as I was marveling at Luna's display of confidence.
“Luna.”
A cold voice rang out.
It was Millia, responding before I could.
I glanced at her and saw her shaking her head vigorously, as if telling Luna not to do it, but Luna didn't back down.
“Millia, I only said it because Cheon-seong said he was fine."
“Still, don’t push him. A spar, really?”
“Fine. If Cheon-seong refuses, I won't say another word.”
Listening to their exchange, I suddenly found myself asking.
“Luna, I don't really mind... but are you confident?"
Accepting the spar wasn't a problem for me at all.
But I was curious.
Where on earth was Luna's confidence coming from?
“Hmph.”
Luna then gave a strange smile and held her hand out to me.
She opened her palm to show the number four, and I blinked blankly.
“I’m Trait Level 4 now.”
“......”
For a moment, I was about to speak, but I closed my mouth.
What... was that supposed to mean?
*'Does she really think she can beat me just because she's Level 4?'*
I couldn't make any sense of it.