Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Radiant Jewel
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“Then… I’ll give this to you.”
Veronica opened her subspace and pulled out the 【Dragon's Essence】.
‘Come on… you still won’t come out?’
Veronica’s gaze shifted toward Adel.
‘This bastard… hiding again.’
The corner of Veronica’s mouth twisted.
Her impression of the human called Adel was simple.
‘Selfish bastard.’
An extreme individualist.
A fucking prick who wouldn’t budge if it didn’t benefit him.
And.
‘It’s not a world where good people survive.’
She didn’t hate that point about him.
“Who should I give this to~?”
Veronica dangled the 【Dragon's Essence】 teasingly.
‘You won’t be able to hold back from taking this, right?’
【Dragon's Essence】.
The final crystallization of the strongest race, which disrupted the world’s balance.
The remnant of a past that could no longer be saved.
‘This is the power you crave most, Adel.’
With it, even the ‘self’ you love the most could live a little more securely.
‘You’re a total cripple, you human.’
Veronica was certain.
Among the countless pieces of trash she’d encountered over nearly a millennium, Adel’s body stood out as the most defective.
A congenital lump of flaws.
Abnormal in movement, stamina—everything.
‘And the reason you’re a cripple is simply because you lacked power.’
Without power, he couldn’t move for others.
Without power, he moved only for himself.
It was not selfishness, but survival instinct.
And… that survival instinct took a step forward.
- Thud.
“…?”
All gazes suddenly locked onto Adel as his presence appeared.
Adel fiddled with the edge of his mask’s mouth…
“Freeze.”
――――!!
Flinch.
An intangible shock wrapped around Veronica.
Her body stiffened rigid.
“…”
And.
Grin-
The corner of Veronica’s mouth rose pathetically.
- Swish.
Adel drew his sword and sliced the thread holding the 【Dragon's Essence】.
The 【Dragon's Essence】 settled into Adel’s hand.
At the same time.
- Whirr.
Veronica’s magic coiled around Adel’s body.
‘This cripple of a body would die without at least this, right? Tsk… but I can’t go easy on just you?’
And…
- Bam!!!
Veronica’s devastating kick slammed into Adel’s body.
In an instant, Adel’s body ricocheted away and crashed into the wall.
- Tap.
Veronica snapped her fingers, and the frozen students’ time began to flow again.
“What the hell did I just see…?”
“…Agreed.”
“Nya…nya?”
“…”
“Oh… but isn’t that guy dead?”
At Serros’s words, the students’ gazes turned to the blood-soaked Adel embedded in the wall.
And.
“…”
Those gazes shifted to Veronica.
“…”
Veronica blinked, and only then did beads of sweat trickle down her forehead.
***
A full day had passed since taking Veronica’s kick.
‘Ugh…’
In truth, even without the kick, the backlash from 【Word of Command】 and 【Stigma】 meant that day was destined to be a write-off.
On top of that… Veronica had cast a protective spell right before striking…
‘Her own form of consideration…?’
Tch…
Even so.
‘Hehe…’
The reason he was smirking like this was simple—one thing.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
【Dragon's Essence】
Grade: Legendary
The crystallization containing the essence of dragons, beings called the strongest.
: Awakens the most needed ‘power’ based on the user’s state.
This essence makes a stopped heart beat again.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
‘The power I need most.’
Strength hitting S rank, or stamina surging.
‘Can’t help but have high expectations.’
[ ! ]
[ Consume 【Dragon's Essence】? ]
[ Y / N ]
‘Yes.’
[ Consuming 【Dragon's Essence】. ]
- Crackle.
The orb-shaped 【Dragon's Essence】 crumbled into powder and seeped into my body.
And.
[ Acquired unique trait 【Tuner】. ]
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
【Tuner】
Mana will play music at your touch.
: Receives absolute correction toward ‘mana’.
Even at the world’s end, when all things crumble, you tune the flow.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
‘…Huh?’
They say great expectations bring double the disappointment, and this was exactly that moment.
‘Absolute correction to mana?’
That’s it?
For real?
‘Just this?’
I raised my hand and drew out a mana like thread.
Swish.
A clear, unbroken melody of mana.
Incomparably more stable and precise than before.
‘…It does work well.’
Gotta give credit where it’s due.
Mana density, flow, control… all were improved beyond comparison.
But…
‘Tch.’
It's not what I wanted.
I needed something to boost strength, or stamina.
Or a skill to let me speak for at least a few minutes?
‘I needed something like that.’
I never asked for a unique trait.
Especially one with such vague wording.
‘Even just +10 strength would’ve been appreciated.’
Of course, it was better than nothing.
More unique traits are always good.
Except for 【Stigma】.
‘But who knows, maybe.’
The mana threads I twist shatter the moment they touch someone else.
But if this correction overcomes that?
‘Might be somewhat useful?’
Still…
‘Feels so empty.’
If it was going to be like this, I should’ve used Leviathan’s unique skill instead.
No need to use 【Word of Command】 and cough up blood.
The more I think about it, the more it feels like a loss.
***
“…”
“Hey~ Second Place, what’re you brooding over so hard?”
S Class’s classroom.
As usual, Serros teased Laphia as he spoke to her.
“…”
“Huh?”
But something was off.
There was no reaction from Laphia.
“Hey, Second Place?”
Serros snapped his fingers right in front of Laphia’s eyes—still no response.
“The see-cond-place who lost the top spot to a mute commoner wearing a weird mask?”
“…You fucking prick, keep it up!”
Laphia finally snapped and threw a punch.
“Hah! Dodged it?!”
Serros barely evaded the fist and savored his victory, but.
- Thwack!
“Gahk…!!”
He soon ate a kick from Laphia and went flying.
“I'm already pissed off as it is.”
“…That’s why, even when I worry for you, huff… you’re such a bitch…”
“Hmph.”
Laphia plopped down into her seat.
But she couldn’t shake the thought.
‘…What the hell was that?’
That madman… no, top student Adel.
The info Laphia had gathered was this.
‘Origin unknown.’
First confirmed activity was in the Cradle.
No traces before that.
‘Mana quantity zero.’
Always wears a white mask, never once removed.
And.
‘…Can’t speak, they said.’
Just yesterday.
“Freeze.”
At Adel’s single word.
Her mind had stopped.
Thoughts, movement—everything froze right there.
She’d been drawn in by that voice she’d had zero interest in, as if hypnotized.
‘…Were the rumors true?’
Wandering the Cradle, you’d hear bizarre rumors about the top student.
For example…
They say if the top student speaks, you fall under hypnosis.
The top student toyed with the student council president during the class placement exam.
Whoever hears the top student’s voice three times dies.
…She’d thought they were groundless.
- Slide.
S Class’s door opened.
“Oh! Our top student!”
Serros, revived in no time, and brazenly slung his arm over Adel’s shoulder.
“Yesterday was wild, right? You even spoke~”
[?]
“I thought you were a goner! With your blood gushing like that!”
Adel remained utterly expressionless.
Not that an expression was visible.
He was wearing the mask.
She tried reading his eyes, but.
‘…’
The moment their gazes met, it felt like everything was pierced through—an unsettling chill she hated.
“Sigh… whatever.”
The wall called the top student.
The existence bearing that title, Adel…
No matter how hard she pushed, she might never reach him.
***
“Your major classes are all replaced by me.”
Veronica gathered the students in the training grounds.
“You think I only excel at magic?”
- Whoosh!
Veronica picked up a wooden training sword and casually swung it at the wall.
- Crack!
A deep sword scar was etched into the wall.
“I handle armaments well too.”
“…”
And everyone shared the same thought.
‘Isn’t it just brute strength…?’
But no one dared voice it.
“Of course, teaching all of you with just my body would be tough.”
Veronica snapped her fingers.
Her shadow stretched long, taking the form of another Veronica.
“Now~ I’ll watch from here, so everyone train hard.”
And I.
“Hey.”
Was grabbed by Veronica and dragged to the corner.
[??]
“I’ll specially… beat—no, educate you with my main body.”
…What?
Pretty sure I misheard that.
Who’re you beating?
And more importantly…
‘…Me, with the main body?’
“You ate the gift I gave you yesterday well, right?”
[Yes]
“Then, there’s just one thing you need to do right now.”
Veronica raised her index finger.
“You keep practicing twisting mana into threads over and over.”
…That?
I thought I was already proficient.
[That’s already—]
“You don’t know how special it is to wield natural mana.”
Veronica drew a single line in the air.
“Normally, humans need internal mana force to cast magic.”
Visible through 【Laplace’s Eye】.
The mana flow Veronica was creating.
“But if you manifest magic directly with mana?”
Another line overlaid atop that one.
“No internal mana force is used. Instead, you draw on the infinite external mana.”
- Snap.
With the sound of her finger flicking.
- Roar!
Thick, dark black flames engulfed my surroundings.
‘…How.’
“It's similar to your Word of Command.”
…She even saw through 【Word of Command】.
‘…No, it’d be weirder if she hadn’t.’
Veronica was a dragon from the start.
No way she’d miss the knockoff Dragon Tongue called 【Word of Command】.
But… that magic is similar to 【Word of Command】?
In what way?
“Dragon language, 【Dragon Tongue】.”
“【Dragon Tongue】 is the origin of all magic.”
“Language is magic, magic is language.”
With those words, the black flames subsided.
- Poke.
Veronica’s index finger touched the forehead of my mask.
“You engrave language into every single strand of the thread.”
Yeah, honestly, I did not have a clue what any of that means.
‘I don’t get it, but it means I can use magic?’
The moment that thought hit, my eyes lit up.
[Oh]
Somehow… hope was in sight.
And.
“Wanna make a bet?”
[Bet?]
“Yeah.”
…Out of nowhere?
This was way too sudden.
“Maintain top rank until the first semester grades are tallied.”
…Pardon?
[Is that possible?]
It seems pretty tough.
I’m not Klaus.
“If it’s not possible, make it possible.”
No, Headmaster.
That’s the most impossible thing to say.
He was too flustered to speak.
Not that I need to.
[What do I get?]
“I’ll give you any artifact I own.”
‘…’
That was overly generous.
An artifact owned by a dragon.
No losing here.
‘But…’
[Why are you so obsessed with me?]
He was genuinely curious.
This goes beyond mere interest.
“Hm?”
Veronica’s eyes gleamed with arrogance.
“It's just my greed.”
Like a predator licking its lips before its prey.
‘…Ah, got it.’
So that’s it.
[If I fail?]
“You get expelled.”
Then she lowered her head, bringing her face close to mine.
“Just trust me, okay?”
“…”
“I’ll make you the strongest.”
No, I… don’t really want to be the strongest or anything.
***
“Dragon language, 【Dragon Tongue】.”
“【Dragon Tongue】 is the origin of all magic.”
“Language is magic, magic is language.”
And…
“You engrave language into every single strand of the thread.”
- Poke.
Veronica’s fingertip touched Adel’s forehead.
‘That’s a method only…’
You, who can wield mana while uttering the language of magic, can use.
[Oh]
Seeing those sparkling eyes, Veronica smiled faintly.
At the same time, she recalled.
“Sis! I’m gonna build a school here!”
That voice brimmed with excitement, those pupils with dreams.
Like a small, twinkling star.
“…”
But when that dream returned as her final words.
Veronica… first realized just how cruel the world was.
“There are many radiant stars in the world… but many end up falling without ever shining.”
Stars that never shone.
Countless talents no one ever reached out to.
“So I’ll raise it! So the star shines radiantly! So it never falls in the end…!”
The one who said that ultimately became a star herself, without achieving her dream.
“Sis….”
Her tears, her hand.
The warmth of that final moment was still unforgettable.
“Please….”
Thus… one dragon’s wish became another dragon’s wish.
‘Don’t worry, Spinel.’
A raw gem must be cut to shine, and a cut gem becomes a star in the end.
“If it’s not possible, make it possible.”
She knew it was harsh.
She knew she’d be hated for it.
“I’ll make you the strongest.”
But…
So that radiant light wouldn’t fall in the end.
So it would shine more dazzlingly than anyone.
[Why are you so obsessed with me?]
Because that was your final wish.
“…It's just my greed.”
Now, my greed… and my first wish.