Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: Trial Tower 5th Floor: Explosive Splash Bind (爆灑結) -1
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During the raid.
In the midst of dozens of repetitions, Envers had once witnessed one of Luna's many strategies against the ogre. Luna stood still before the incoming swing of the ogre's club.
"Groooaaarrr—!!"
"Hoo."
She placed her hand on the massive club—roughly the size of her own body—and rotated every part of her frame with fluid grace. Palm, wrist, elbow, shoulder, waist and hips, knee, and leg.
Thud.
A faint ripple spread across the ground where Luna planted her feet.
The ogre's brute force—enough to pulverize a person into a bloody pulp—slipped away sequentially through her evasive motion, ultimately reduced to the power of a pebble-crushing strike.
Like lightning striking a lightning rod and grounding into the earth, Luna redirected most of the force from the ogre's attack into the ground.
A sublime technique that seemed to defy the laws of physics.
Envers had heard a similar tale from a beggar. There are those who trace the Taiji with their sword tip, able to deflect even a collapsing mountain from above.
It was the realm of exalted martial arts. For a moment, Envers wondered if Luna was a hidden martial arts master, concealing her immense power. The creaky, jerky movements were just a facade.
But he knew that wasn't the case. Luna was an ordinary academy student (at least in terms of combat prowess).
That only made it more intriguing.
"How do you do that?"
"Repetition."
"I know you've hunted ogres countless times. But to achieve this with skill rather than raw power... it just seems miraculous to me."
"V."
This girl, who flashed double peace signs without a care, could probably have deflected the ogre's attack even without magic power. Someday.
Perhaps in even more extreme circumstances... even in a state of utter exhaustion, or at the age of ten, she might deflect a club smashing down with earth-shattering force.
It would require far more repetitions than she'd done so far. But undoubtedly.
It was martial arts.
Supplementing deficient strength with technique—that is martial arts.
One day, they had discussed martial arts. Envers had always viewed martial arts as mere power. With his magic circuits damaged, if he were to return to his family and succeed in revenge...
He needed a way to grow strong without relying on magic.
Even with bone-grinding daily effort, his progress was agonizingly slow. Those blessed with shining talent strode ahead effortlessly, casually attaining the realm of transcendence.
He was always left alone behind. At this rate, even in ten or twenty years, he wouldn't achieve it. And after that much time, revenge would lose its meaning.
So it didn't have to be martial arts specifically—anything would do.
An artifact, money, a secret manual, an elixir, even a magic sword or drugs. If only something offered him a chance, he would have seized it.
He craved the "martial," but misunderstood the "arts," had vague "intent," and lacked "righteousness."
There must have been some fascination with the esoteric discipline itself, but bound by his obsession with the Redburn family, he had no leisure to realize it.
To this half-baked martial novice, Luna said:
"Martial arts is the process."
"The process?"
Luna nodded. It was the conclusion of her deep contemplation.
Martial arts was the process for those pursuing—or yearning to pursue—a goal.
Instead of words, Luna conveyed her thoughts through her body. She gripped an imaginary club and swung it through the air. A simple downward strike anyone could mimic.
Probably meant to hit a dog. At first, like this.
But it's awkward. Dogs are low to the ground, so adjust the stance.
Her motion changed. Luna spread her legs wide to lower her center of gravity and altered the swing for a flatter trajectory along the ground. She was battling an imaginary dog.
But the dog dodges nimbly. To prevent that...
If the dog lunges, it'll bite the first thing it sees. Feint offering the club, then...
Luna gradually added conditions, refining her movements. Considering various scenarios, selecting the most efficient actions, layering them. Accumulating. Evolving.
The honed motion that emerged bore a striking resemblance to the Dog-Beating Stick Technique.
"......"
Motions born to thrash a dog, woven together through accumulated forms, became a proper martial art.
She demonstrated the history of martial arts' creation with her body.
"Clear time, same as shaving it down."
If martial arts names the hill of effort built toward a goal—layering intent to achieve it—
Then their hard-won "method to shoot toward the sun" is martial arts, and the knack honed through academy life is too. Thus.
"The goal is key."
"......"
You must know clearly what you're aiming to reach. With that, Luna concluded.
Envers's mind grew tangled. He thought he had a clear goal. He sought revenge, recognition from those who scorned him, and to bring his mother back.
Isn't that... enough?
No one had pointed it out, but Envers excused himself that way.
That discussion left him somewhat confused, but planted one hypothesis about martial arts' pinnacle.
If martial arts is the process to achieve a goal, then a Martial God is one who invariably succeeds.
Imagine a man with near-infinite time. He possesses the knack to stretch one second into a hundred million years, repeating anything as desired to craft bespoke martial arts on the spot.
With a child's strength, he could topple a dragon. As long as the probability isn't zero, infinite attempts end in success.
Then.
From the opponent's view, no technique would seem to work—
A chill sword gleam sliced through the rainy field.
The man with the katana at his side looked gaunt. His vitality ebbed, body emaciated with bones protruding; his eye sockets sunken deep, as if he might topple any moment.
Yet his gaze brimmed with raw, unrefined killing intent—fierce and sharp.
Calm. Motionless. He stood rooted, waiting. Beasts primed for the hunt always look like this. And when the prey moves—
They strike swifter than any other.
"What the—how do I even—gah!"
Clang.
Envers blocked the katana flying at his face, ending his fifth attempt. He hadn't prevented the draw, let alone won.
The spec gap was starting to widen.
Ejected from the Trial Tower, Envers sprawled on the ground like a starfish. Luna and Selvia—having fetched waffles from the academy's famous dessert shop—looked down at him while munching on sugar.
"This bad luck is driving me insane."
Endless challenges with no progress or answers inevitably produce that expression.
Selvia wagged her fork as she spoke.
"That's why I said call for help? I even asked Bennett through Niorre."
"But that won't prove my abilities to Master! You two are average, so it's fine for you, but Bennett... he'll solo the whole thing!"
Then the beggar, impressed by that competence, might say, "You're no longer useful, go chop wood, Envers," and take Bennett as disciple.
With two beautiful girlfriends and now hogging opportunities, Envers would be stuck sucking his thumb in the academy mid-tier, muttering about not wanting to lose his master to NTR...
Luna, cream smeared on her lips, gave a curt assessment.
"Idiot."
He was an idiot.
"Besides, that 'master'... isn't he part of this tower? Ultimately, just an illusion crafted by the professors. Like tentacles or something."
"No. Master is definitely... different!"
"They say some get so immersed in illusion magic they confuse it with reality."
"You'll feel it when you meet him! Proper... conversation is possible, and he knows so much. Above all, martial arts! A realm no mage can touch...!!"
As Envers defended, Selvia struck from another angle.
"Say we clear Floor 5, Floor 6 is impossible for just us, right?"
"Kuh..."
"We need help anyway."
"But up to Floor 5..."
Sigh.
Selvia wiped Luna's mouth with a handkerchief and asked—trusting the word of the Trial Tower clear-time shaving expert.
"Floor 5, think we can do it ourselves?"
"Possible."
"Floor 6?"
"Impossible."
So there's an angle for clearing. Selvia pondered briefly. Jay of the Quick Draw was fast, strong, lethal on hit, then sheathed again. Mixed with basic hand-to-hand.
A straightforward, monotonous pattern—if predictable—but honest enough to sever heads. And to clear while "preventing the draw"...
"See? Call for help."
"But up to Floor 5...!!"
"Hm."
How to stop the draw.
Simplest: glue sheath and blade so it can't be drawn. That meant calling her fated rival, White Snow (Azure Magic Tower / Transcendent).
Her ice could bind Jay's draw.
Then White Snow would gaze down at Selvia impassively, as if asking why she couldn't handle this herself...
Her stomach would churn. Selvia withdrew her call-for-help stance. Better to struggle as three than see that.
Calling Bennett would make Envers flip.
Think. Think. No magic, prevent draw by pinning the hilt faster than her draw speed.
Speed. If lacking speed, supplement it. Within Selvia's fire magic repertoire, to boost speed...
"Ah. Envers, attach thrusters to your elbows."
"Oh."
"......??"
It was the idea of turning a human arm into a rocket.
◆ Elbow Booster, Third Attempt
After exploding an elbow due to unstable incantation, and accidentally elbow-smashing his own side from angle issues. Third try.
Selvia explained the changes.
"Timing the launch myself seems risky... so I implanted the trigger in you. Extend your arm, flames shoot out, speed boosts—bam. Watch the angle this time."
"......No apology?"
"Magic research always requires some sacrifice."
"That line sounded like a classic mad mage from a fairy tale."
Without the Trial Tower, Envers would be a one-armed swordsman with cracked ribs.
Envers approached Jay cautiously, face grim. Entering attack range triggered instant quick draw. Timing was key.
Jay growled her signature line.
"Leave this place, prey."
"......"
He'd heard it countless times. Like Jenny of the Chain Sickle, they always spouted the same line at start. Inevitably, they didn't feel human.
"Here I go."
"Thruster ignite!"
Fwoooosh—!!
Intense flames erupted from Envers's elbow. The propelled right arm shot forward like an arrow (literally)—
Thwack. Click.
Before Jay could draw, he gripped the hilt and shoved it back. Envers, thrilled with success, forgot his aching elbow joint and cheered.
"I... I did it!"
"......Petty tricks."
Crack!
"Guh...!!"
Jay landed a short uppercut to Envers's jaw, twisted sideways to shoulder-thrust Iron Mountain, shoved him off, and finished with quick draw.
Clang. Envers bisected, ejected outside.
Envers left a satisfied review.
"Thruster works well. But after that..."
"You have to hold the draw pinned... but no firepower to finish Jay in one hit. Tougher than she looks."
"So maintain the pin continuously and finish within. Thruster's single-shot, so limited..."
"Just call Bennett already?"
Envers countered.
"Then I'll call Miss White Snow instead. She's more suited for the goal, no?"
Envers and Selvia declared a silent truce. Then sighed in unison. They thought they'd glimpsed hope, but mountains remained.
Then Luna emerged from analyzing Jay's patterns in the tower. Her expression sparkled, smug overall.
Envers asked, brimming with expectation.
"Find something?"
"Pattern, hopeless. But learned this."
Luna instructed Envers to raise guard. Wary but compliant, he did with both arms. Luna readied her fist.
And.
Wham—!!
Luna's fist—at least twice her usual speed—slammed into Envers's arms. With a crack. Both writhed in sharp pain.
"Argh!"
"......!!"
Stunned by the unexpected force, clutching struck and hit spots, groaning. Selvia, watching, covered her mouth in shock.
"Oh? That was propelling your arm with magic power?"
"V-V."
Inside the Trial Tower, death or injury was illusion. Exploiting that, Luna crafted and extracted a new magic circulation method.
Bursting magic in joints for forced propulsion. Inspired by Selvia's arm-launch-thruster.
Miss control by a hair, and it detonates internally, muscles tear from unmanaged speed/force, or fist shatters like now.
But practice more inside the tower!
Infuse whole body, joints ache but sustain speed to match Jay.
"......Head to the temple first? You two look like it hurts."
"Y-Yes. Feels broken. Luna... mad I said no calling help?"
"Control miss."
Why didn't this technique endure in history? Why didn't others conceive it? Why only the academy's genius girl invent it on the spot?
They could but didn't. People avoid actions for reasons.
Explosions inside the body. Obviously dangerous. Need thirty lives, ten priests nearby, still risky aftereffects. So no one did.
But Trial Tower's uniqueness, Luna's talent—and
"These lunatics treat human bodies like what?! Hey, Heavenly Demon! Hurry, make that usable for people! You'll kill the kid!"
The mad mage, horrified by the magic use, goaded the AI for stability ideas, subtly passed to Luna. Thus born.
Luna named it Explosive Splash Bind (爆灑結).