Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: The Beast King's Test
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An incredibly ferocious aura pressed down on the area.
Objectively speaking, Gaion was a good two heads taller than Allen. But was his eye level really just there? Wasn't it higher?
The ridiculous thought that his eyes might be in the sky even crossed Allen’s mind.
His presence was greater than that of the ancient monster he had faced just a short while ago.
Was he a monster in the form of a man, or a man in the form of a monster?
Allen’s pupils dilated. Gaion’s presence filled his vision, and a tension so palpable it made him hesitate to even twitch crawled up his skin.
"Snap out of it!"
At Vestla's cry, Allen forcibly squeezed his eyes shut and took a step back.
When he looked again, Gaion was still there. He hadn't moved a single step since their initial exchange, merely staring at him.
A thin smile formed on Gaion’s lips.
“Oh, you broke free?”
His smile deepened. *Better than I thought.* He had summoned Allen simply because of the Sun of Light he’d supposedly used, but his potential was better than expected.
“Closing your eyes… well, it’s your first time, so I suppose it can’t be helped.”
The Beast King clenched and unclenched his fist, as if recalling the sensation of his earlier punch.
“You’ve got decent guts. A sturdy body, too.”
Allen didn’t answer. No, it was more accurate to say he *couldn’t* answer. It was all he could do just to withstand the pressure.
However, Gaion, seemingly unconcerned with Allen’s state, slowly began to walk. Allen’s senses sharpened, taking in his every move, every detail.
“Hmm, right. I was originally planning to just trade a few blows and gauge your skill… but that won’t do.”
He stopped walking.
“Five minutes.”
*Isn’t that too little time?* After a brief moment of thought, Gaion nodded.
“If you can last for five minutes, I will accept you as my disciple.”
“…Are you serious?”
“Wasn’t that your goal from the beginning?”
Allen, who was just barely adapting to the oppressive aura, looked surprised. What had Gaion seen in him to make such a decision already? If this was the case, was there any point in approaching Iliana?
*No, that’s all the more reason I must heal her.*
It would allow him to forge an even stronger connection.
“However, there is one condition.”
“I’m listening.”
*So respectful.* Gaion let out a pleased chuckle and continued.
“Three years from now, you must unconditionally follow me and carry out one task. Do you agree?”
Gaion’s expression was dead serious as he spoke. Even the smile that had graced his lips and eyes had vanished. His question made Allen suspicious.
“…Is that all?”
“Yes, that’s all. Not a thing more, not a thing less, just one time. What are you mulling over?”
Honestly… was this something that even required mulling over?
The terms were too generous. To become a disciple of one of the Eight Strongest. The benefits were clear. His power would increase, his reputation would grow, and he could maintain the gap between him and Julius without being overtaken by his growth.
"Don't do it!"
And what would he lose? He just had to handle one task three years from now.
He could worry about that when the time came. Who knew, by then he might already be in the middle of a showdown with Julius?
"You're my disciple. I'm telling you to refuse right now! Are you actually considering this?"
If the task were too difficult or dangerous, Gaion wouldn’t have involved him in the first place.
"Of course, that man is similar to, no, weaker than me in my prime, but he can still teach you a lot… but I can do that too."
Allen made his decision.
“I’ll do it.”
"Allen!"
Vestla screamed. Her tone was serious, a stark contrast to her usual lighthearted nature.
"How could you! Without even consulting me! I have pride too! To let someone I taught become another's disciple without my permission…!"
*I’m sorry. But… you don’t have a body, do you?* Her voice cut off abruptly. A brief silence fell. What Allen meant was clear.
The limits of her teaching.
Allen and Vestla were of different races. A giant and a human. Although she taught him techniques suited for a giant’s body, which he possessed, it was fundamentally difficult for him to fully comprehend them.
Furthermore, as he learned swordsmanship from her day by day, his own limits were bound to be exposed.
The mediocre versus the genius.
At some point, Allen had begun to fall behind her teachings.
To solve this, he either needed to master it through an overwhelming amount of training time or have a teacher by his side who could break it down for him.
However, her form, flying about on its own, could not be shown carelessly, and Allen himself had a mountain of things to do, so he couldn't pour all his time into the sword alone.
"…Still, still!"
Just as Allen was about to reply to her, Gaion cut in.
“Are you still not done talking?”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“What do you think I mean?”
He pointed a finger at Allen’s sword.
“That sword, isn’t it an Ego Sword?”
Before Allen could deny it, Gaion shook his head as if he already knew everything.
“Once you reach this level, you start to see things. From the looks of it, your Ego Sword is trying to stop you from becoming my disciple, isn’t it?”
“……Yes.”
“Well, it’s a common occurrence. They’re afraid their own outdated techniques will be pushed aside.”
"What did you say? This old geezer! How dare you call the sword of the giant race…!"
“If its own techniques were superior, would it object? If it were confident, it would have given its permission.”
"That's…."
“A true master wouldn’t have even cared. Or perhaps… it’s afraid of losing its disciple to me.”
*Of course, I am quite confident,* he thought. He said as much, laughing loudly.
"Ha! Fine, do whatever you want! Allen! Go ahead and learn that old man's techniques! This is absolutely ridiculous! What? Afraid? I'll knock him down a peg right now!"
Vestla shrieked hysterically, the entire sword vibrating with her rage.
Having grasped the whole situation from that alone, Gaion asked with a mischievous smile.
“So, did it give you permission?”
“…Yes, it did.”
“I thought so. I’ve used that line a few times before.”
“Do you know a lot about Ego Swords?”
Gaion nodded as if it were obvious.
“What kind of people do you think come here? Out there, an Ego Sword might be rare, but that’s not necessarily the case here. Of course… that’s not the only reason I know.”
Gaion’s voice trailed off as if he was recalling something.
Allen hesitated for a moment but didn’t press for details. For Allen, who had yet to establish a clear relationship with him, it would have been crossing a line.
Noticing this, Gaion grinned.
“Excellent.”
He slowly backed away, putting distance between himself and Allen.
“If you had crossed that line, it would have been over. Knowing the distance between one another is the most important thing.”
Whether it was the distance of a warrior, the domain of a mage, or the relationship between two people.
The Beast King’s laughter deepened. Now, it was mixed with the cackling characteristic of an old man.
“I’ll give you three minutes.”
The Blessing of the Stars.
His enhanced senses absorbed all information within a small area.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a decent one…”
His five senses, expanded to their limit, forced his body into unconscious movements, and the gathered information went beyond prediction, reaching a temporary state of foresight.
“Survive as long as you can.”
Allen couldn’t answer. Gaion’s form had stretched out long. His current movements and future predictions were jumbled together.
Instead of retreating, Allen closed the distance. He had already gauged Gaion’s speed and power from the previous attack. If his opponent was holding back, it was better to show him everything.
The sword came down in a straightforward arc from top to bottom. A simple strike, taught by Vestla, devoid of tricks. However, the power erupting from his dynamic muscles could not be ignored.
Gaion’s response was simple.
“Haha, a contest of strength! I like it!”
Gaion swung his greatsword repeatedly, blocking Allen’s attacks. He looked playful, as if indulging a grandchild’s antics, which made Allen’s face harden.
He knew his strength wouldn't work, but he hadn't expected it to have no effect at all.
Seeing this, Allen’s response changed in an instant. Vestla had said that technique was meaningless before overwhelming power. But she never said not to exploit an opening.
Allen’s shadow surged. With each step, the shadow melted into the night’s darkness, creating countless afterimages.
The shadows instantly mingled with Allen, dazzling Gaion’s eyes.
Gaion simply swung his greatsword once, hard.
FWOOSH—
The air burst, and the shadows scattered like the wind.
“Don’t you have anything else? For example, that Sun of Light you used before.”
Allen’s attempt to exploit an opening was seen through in an instant. He saw such a future. The fixed prediction forcibly stopped his body.
Allen’s brow twitched, and he swung his sword from that very posture. The blade, honed by fury, fell strangely from his twisted stance.
Gaion reacted a full beat slower than Allen. But the result was no different.
“Have your eyes opened? No, that’s not it. A shortcut. That’s not bad either.”
“Kuh…!”
A fist buried itself in his stomach, and Allen’s body convulsed.
“Except for the fact that it’s inferior to the real thing.”
The impact reverberated through his organs, and Allen’s body bent over. Then, Gaion kicked him. Allen couldn’t dodge it.
CRASH—
Allen’s body bounced twice off the ground like a skipping stone before he barely regained his balance. He felt dizzy for a moment.
As Allen fought to keep his legs from buckling, Gaion’s voice pierced his ears.
“Well, how was that? I disrupted the balance between the left and right sides of your body. Impressive, isn’t it?”
When he lifted his head, he saw Gaion walking towards him, casually spinning his greatsword.
Allen gritted his teeth. His opponent wasn’t even using aura. And yet, there was such a difference?
He knew there was a gap, and he knew he would obviously lose. He also knew that the command to survive for three minutes was just a pretext for Gaion to accept him as a disciple.
*Even so.*
To this extent?
Even using a giant’s body and Vestla’s sword, he couldn’t even lay a finger on him.
Even now, his amplified senses and perception predicted Gaion’s movements. But he couldn’t be sure. Allen wasn’t even certain if what he was seeing was correct.
Because in the future shown by his prediction, Gaion was rushing toward him.
Unlike the Gaion of the present.
“What, are you frustrated because you can’t see properly?”
Gaion laughed heartily, as if he knew exactly what was flustering Allen.
Allen cast aside his hesitation. The notion of fighting with only a sword was arrogant. He had deluded himself into thinking that because Gaion was a swordsman, he too should stick to only the sword, at least in front of him.
Even though all Gaion had said was to survive.
Threads of prana unspooled. There was no time to cast a spell. The moment he tried to form a hand seal, it would be over. No warrior would give a mage an opening to cast a spell.
So, if he could just create an opening.
*I’ll aim for a single chance.*
Allen charged. The clash was instantaneous. Allen’s entire sword turned red. He couldn’t dodge based on speed, and he was outmatched in strength. In that case?
*Give a bone to take the flesh.*
The threads of prana became a long, dark green spear and shot toward Gaion. As if it were no threat at all, Gaion simply twisted his body where he stood to avoid the attack.
Allen lowered his stance and planted his right foot deep into the earth. An upward slash from a diagonal angle. The full-force attack made Gaion’s greatsword lift slightly.
Through that gap, dozens of dark green spears pierced through, restricting his movement, and Allen closed in tight.
A range where the greatsword was ineffective.
Seeing Allen enter that space, Gaion snorted as if to say it was a futile effort.
“Heh, good. Very good!”
Gaion’s massive frame accelerated on the spot. His wrist twisted and slammed into his own side. Allen let out a yell and grabbed his wrist.
“Aaargh!”
He endured the pain. An unbelievable amount of strength flowed into his grip, and for a moment, Gaion’s body froze.
He emptied the Dragon’s Heart.
All his mana was sucked in, and the sword was enveloped in light. Before Gaion could react, the light coalesced into a sphere. His eyes widened.
“You’re taking me with you?”
The Sun of Light exploded. There was no answer. Allen closed his eyes. But no matter how long he waited, he felt no pain.
Puzzled, he opened his eyes to see a crimson light enveloping his sword.
The Sun of Light struggled beneath it before fizzling out into a small ember.
“Now that you’re in your right mind, get away from me.”
As Allen unconsciously took a few steps back, Gaion slapped him on the shoulder.
“You were reckless at the end, but it was good. Damn right, if you lack the skill, you should at least have the resolve to die together.”
It wasn’t quite the resolve to die. He was confident he could withstand an attack of that level, and he thought it would be enough if he could land a single blow on one of the Eight Strongest, even at the cost of his own injury.
"…That's what people normally call stupid, you know? Seriously! What do you think you're doing, being so reckless!"
*I had to show him something, didn’t I?*
"You could have just held out and surrendered if it got too tough! Who said you had to win?"
Allen was speechless.
“You pass. From this day forward, you are a disciple of this old master.”
Only Gaion seemed satisfied, letting out a hearty laugh. He recalled the final attack.
*An attribute of pure light and sun. This should be enough.*
It couldn't be mixed with divinity like Zaqnir's, nor could it be an artificial power like that of the Director, or her disciple, Maria.
*I’ve found a suitable candidate.*
His narrowed eyes landed on the half-moon in the sky.
Allen pushed his aching body up. The impromptu midnight stroll had come to an end.