Chapter 641
Chapter Title: The Flow of Water
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641.
“……”
The problem with the fourth and fifth years wasn't a simple lack of unity.
There was a decisive difference between the current third years and the fourth and fifth years.
‘These guys lack the drive to reach the top.’
It couldn't be helped.
Just as the third years had Leo…
The fourth and fifth years had Elena and Lil.
The difference was that Leo had initially walked in step with his peers.
And he constantly made them keep looking at his back.
So that no matter how far he got, they wouldn't lose sight of their goal.
That was why, even with an unfathomable distance between them now, the third years hadn't given up.
Right now, and even in the distant future, they wouldn't be able to reach him.
‘But you never know.’
There was no guarantee that they wouldn't one day be right on his heels, ready to grab his back.
But Elena and Lil hadn't walked in step with their peers.
That was why the fourth and fifth years had given up on chasing them.
And they had instinctively set Elena and Lil as their own limits.
It wasn't their fault.
Unlike Leo, the two of them were too young to worry about those around them.
“They could probably still become heroes like this.”
To have one's name recorded in the Hero Record.
That was the ultimate goal of all hero cadets.
But…
“That’s as far as they’ll go.”
‘At this rate, the outcome is obvious.’
Leo knew.
He knew they were excellent hero cadets.
His seniors would never turn a blind eye to the disaster that would befall the future.
‘They’ll risk everything and fight for the future.’
But would they be able to survive that chaos?
‘There’s a high probability they’ll end up being sacrificed for the era, just like us… the Heroes of the Beginning.’
That wasn't wrong.
No, in fact, it was an incredibly noble and virtuous thing.
However…
‘If possible, you should live to see the future.’
During the age of calamity, Leo had never once dreamed of the future.
Even someone like him found this era enjoyable and happy.
That's why his heart felt even heavier.
If they had been together, it would have been even more enjoyable and happy…
‘If they had been revived instead of me, they would have thought the same thing.’
That was why Leo wished for the future generations to be different from them.
He sincerely hoped that they could advance into the future with their loved ones.
The desire for the next generation to live a better future.
‘Because that’s what it means to be an adult.’
And so, Leo decided to be cold.
‘The moment you set your own limits… it’s truly over.’
But the coming future…
The battlefield where they would stand was not a place where those who saw Elena and Lil as their limit could survive.
People grow as strong as what they see.
The higher the goal, the better.
Even if it’s so dizzyingly high that it’s out of sight, it’s only when people reach for that goal that they can finally overcome their limits.
‘The seniors probably can’t overcome it on their own anymore.’
They had already been confined to their own molds.
After graduation, the limits they set for themselves would only grow stronger, binding them even tighter.
Even if they did overcome their limits, it would take a long time, and they might never manage it in their lifetime.
‘And I don’t think we have that much time to wait.’
In that case…
“You… what kind of future are you seeing?”
At Runba's question, Leo smiled.
“Do you want to know?”
“……”
“Then I’ll show you.”
*Goooooooo-*
A gray mana flowed from Leo’s body.
He couldn't take people he knew would die to the battlefield.
‘If that’s the case, then the answer is to crush them completely. To the point of being unable to recover.’
That was the only way to break the shell of their limits.
If they could stand up again even after being crushed like that… only then would they have earned the right.
“Prove it.”
“What?”
“Prove that you too are heroes worthy of the new era.”
***
Luke closed his eyes, concentrating his mind.
*Whoosh-! Bang!*
“Keuk!”
The pained scream of a fellow Knight Department student reached his ears.
Luke tightened his grip on the swords in both hands, recalling what Chen Xia had said a moment ago.
‘You know, in the dark, aside from one person, I’m the strongest third year there is, you see?’
As if to prove her words were no bluff.
Chen Xia began hunting down the second years one by one.
‘The frightening thing about Senior Chen Xia is… you can’t find her in the darkness.’
No matter how much the second years used detection magic, employed spirits and summons, or sharpened their senses, it was impossible to find Chen Xia, who had concealed herself within the veil of darkness.
But…
“Hah!”
*Fwoosh-!*
Habiden swung his sword at Chen Xia, who was targeting him.
With a fluid movement, Chen Xia dodged Habiden’s attack.
*Kiiiiing-! Kwaang-!*
With a massive explosion, Juen, who was being protected by the Knight Department students, fired a magic bullet.
Sasha’s phantom beasts surrounded Chen Xia and launched an attack.
Summoners, beyond spirit users and phantom beasts, are broadly divided into two types.
The combat-type summoner, who summons a powerful beast and strengthens it.
And the commander-type summoner, who summons countless beasts.
Sasha was clearly the latter.
Using her overwhelming spiritual power, Sasha summoned a hundred phantom beasts and commanded them.
A tight encirclement, like an inescapable net.
But Chen Xia gracefully flowed through the encirclement like water and then vanished back into the darkness.
“She’s like a water spirit!”
“Beautiful…”
“Is this the time to be admiring her?!” Juen shouted, gritting his teeth.
But Chen Xia’s movements were so beautiful they made the situation feel unreal.
The clothes of water draped over her body like silk fluttered beautifully whenever she revealed herself.
When she used Aura Steps with her bare feet, she glided across the ground as if a water spirit were running on a lake.
Her gentle hand movements when she attacked.
Honestly, even to Luke, it was beautiful.
So elegant and beautiful that any man would be filled with admiration.
But…
*Kwaang-!*
“Keuk!”
The power of the attack unleashed from her fingertips was nothing short of brutal.
Chen Xia, who had suddenly appeared behind Aina, struck her back with an open palm.
Like a water bomb exploding.
Aina fell to her knees from the immense water pressure, gritting her teeth.
There was no way to attack Chen Xia while she was hidden in the darkness.
Even if they used Light magic, the entire forest was shrouded in darkness, and that darkness was Chen Xia's world.
However, even Chen Xia had to reveal herself to attack.
And the second years tried not to miss that moment, attempting to catch her.
But Chen Xia would effortlessly evade their attacks and vanish again.
They were being hunted one-sidedly.
But surprisingly, there was no anxiety in the second years' eyes.
“Time is on our side!”
Sasha said, covering her mouth with her folding fan.
She was right.
Time was on the second years' side.
It was true that Chen Xia had incapacitated many of the second years.
It was also true that they were currently helpless against her.
But Chen Xia was also consuming mana.
Hiding one's presence in the dark inevitably consumed Aura.
The same went for attacking, of course.
The number of second years Chen Xia had to face wasn't in the dozens, but in the hundreds.
In a prolonged battle, Chen Xia would also get tired.
When that happened, they could win.
It was as the second years focused on defense with that thought in mind.
A silver Aura began to ripple from the body of Luke, who had been concentrating with his eyes closed.
‘Transcendence.’
Luke's unique magic, which allowed him to take a step beyond his limits.
Becoming a silver flash, Luke charged toward Sasha.
“Eh? Eek? Kyaaaaaaah!”
“Sorry!”
Sasha shrieked in terror at the flash of light that erupted from Luke’s sword.
After narrowly grazing past Sasha, Luke offered a sincere apology.
“At least you’re better than Aina! She didn’t even apologize to me!”
Startled, Sasha let out a squawk.
Knowing that was her way of saying it was okay, Luke let out a small laugh and pursued Chen Xia, who had just revealed herself.
“Such incredible concentration.”
Chen Xia smiled as she performed an Aura Step.
*Splash-!* As her white soles stepped on the water, she glided forward.
Incredible speed.
But Luke was confident in his speed.
‘Got it! I caught…’
Luke’s eyes gleamed as he tried to slash Chen Xia’s clothes.
At that moment, Chen Xia slipped past Luke’s sword strike.
‘Huh?’
The reason Luke’s sword didn’t reach Chen Xia was simple.
Chen Xia was faster than him.
But…
‘Why?’
Luke’s face filled with bewilderment.
Luke was one of the fastest students among the second years.
He was even considered superior to Chen Xia in terms of raw speed.
It would be one thing if he hadn't anticipated her movements.
The reason he hadn't been able to pursue Chen Xia until now was because he couldn't predict her path.
But it was different now.
He had predicted Chen Xia’s movement and intercepted her attack.
If so, it should have been possible to catch up to her.
And yet, he had just been outpaced by Chen Xia.
‘Was Senior Chen Xia holding back?’
As Luke’s face clouded with confusion, Aina and Habiden were already swinging their swords at Chen Xia from either side.
Chen Xia extended her palms to both sides.
*Kwaang-!*
The unleashed water Aura clashed with Aina and Habiden’s Aura.
Aina and Habiden were sent flying by the tremendous impact.
“Ugh?!”
“Wait! The power just increased…?”
Aina and Habiden’s eyes widened.
Chen Xia had already vanished again.
‘She got faster… and stronger?’
Luke stared blankly at where Chen Xia had disappeared.
A leisurely appearance, like flowing water.
‘Flowing water…?’
“Ah…!”
Suddenly, Luke let out a gasp of shock.
“What is it, Luke?”
As Aina asked with a puzzled look, Luke replied.
“The flow! It’s the flow!”
“What do you mean?”
As Sasha tilted her head, Luke spoke urgently.
“Look around! Even though Senior Chen Xia has been attacking, there are no wet spots!”
Just as a place swept by fire Aura burns…
A place swept by water Aura becomes drenched.
But there was nothing like that around them.
“Senior Chen Xia’s Aura never scattered! It’s still flowing around her!”
The faces of everyone who understood his words hardened.
Fire grows stronger as it burns. Wind grows faster as it blows, and earth grows harder as it solidifies.
Similarly, water grows stronger as it gathers.
But water Aura doesn't flow around its user.
Once used, the water scatters in all directions.
That was why the attack power of water Aura users was somewhat weaker compared to other attributes.
But what if that water continued to flow around the user?
The current would become more intense, faster, and heavier.
“Time was never on our side!”
As time passed, the destructive power of her Aura would rapidly increase.
The moment Luke finished his words.
“Correct.”
Chen Xia appeared from the darkness, her arms spread wide.
“Making water flow around me, that’s my Aura’s characteristic.”
Chen Xia smiled gently.
“But if the flow of water is broken, the water will scatter.”
The flow of water being broken.
That meant an opponent's attack making contact with the water.
But in the darkness, an opponent's attack couldn't reach her.
That was why Chen Xia could declare it.
‘Except for the Young Master Leo, I am the strongest in the dark.’
Chen Xia clenched her fist.
*Kugugugooo-!*
The massive water Aura gathered in Chen Xia’s fist began to rage like a stormy wave.
“You never know what someone in the dark might do. They might set a cowardly trap, or prepare a hidden trump card like this. They do things beyond your common sense without hesitation.”
Chen Xia slowly walked forward.
“That’s why countless heroes have been hunted by traitors living in the darkness, and why the shadows have protected the heroes.”
Chen Xia grinned.
“If this were a real battle, I could have killed all of you.”
Her words didn't sound like a bluff at all.
Chen Xia’s current appearance was literally shattering the second years' common sense.
“So now you must be punished, my dear juniors?”
The second years were instantly annihilated by Chen Xia.
Sitting alone on a rock, flapping her feet to shake the mud from them, Chen Xia grinned.
“Should I try setting a trap next time?”
In the forest that had been devastated as if struck by a tsunami.
Chen Xia’s innocent smile looked a little eerie.