Chapter 39. Imparting (3)
Snap.
It was the sound of Professor Schud Rapens flicking his fingers.
A highly concise version of the Refraction spell.
Its effect was equally straightforward.
Clang!
The arrow flying straight at them bent downward as if struck by an invisible hammer.
The sharp arrowhead slammed into the floor, the shaft quivering faintly.
Silence fell.
Professor Rapens turned back to them with an exaggerated wink, as if to say, See that?
"There, you saw it, right? Don't break formation without my orders. Some security measures pack too much punch even for your gear."
"……."
"Hm? No response without instructions? I didn't say that."
"Ah, got it, Professor."
"We'll all stick to the line!"
Mihaden and Lorang's replies.
Professor Rapens nodded in approval, and the group pressed forward once more.
At some point, Libiel had slipped behind Kirian, muttering under her breath.
"I just don't get it. Why would Eternalism stick their factor repository in a deathtrap like this? Absolutism built a damn temple to show theirs off. Just slap on some proper security spells, no?"
Her tone dripped with frustration.
And understandably so.
As a disciple of Absolutism, Libiel had probably visited their repository to claim a training factor.
All training factors expired after a year, so hers was long gone by now.
Still, it made the two schools' repositories seem oddly similar in her eyes.
'Why would Eternalism build their factor repository in a place like this?'
Kirian knew the answer.
"Folks back in the day believed the Eternal Factors would change the world. They figured such powerful, dangerous stuff had to be hidden deep away."
"Change the world? The Eternal Factors...?"
"Of course, it didn't pan out."
The Eternal Factors were rated as lowly as Eternalism's status.
A symbol of the most backward.
In this era, it was a taken-for-granted truth.
"……."
Kirian glared into the darkness as he walked.
The faint drip of water echoed from afar.
Nothing had changed here either.
'Arrow trap section for a while now.'
The moment he recalled that, a metallic grind echoed from the ceiling, and something rained down.
This time, arrows aimed at the front of the line.
But Professor Rapens was faster, as expected.
Snap.
The air rippled violently.
A transparent barrier unfurled over everyone's heads.
Arrows smashed into it, sparking and ricocheting everywhere.
Simple spell, sure—but prepping it without an incantation and timing it perfectly? Not easy.
'He knows every trap inside out. Engraved the spells so he can cast fast.'
Meant he'd been here dozens of times.
The arrow barrages continued.
Every two or three steps, another volley.
But the professor's defenses were airtight—no arrows reached the trainees.
Of course, that didn't mean zero issues.
"Eek!"
An arrow grazed Lorang's cheek; he yelped and leaped back, glomming onto Mihaden right in front of him.
Totally spooked.
"Get off me, idiot!"
Mihaden's voice was pure irritation.
But surprisingly, he didn't shove Lorang away.
Scolding the scaredy-cat while pulling him closer, shielding him.
[Those two seem pretty tight now, huh?]
'Yeah.'
Meanwhile, Libiel trailed Kirian from behind, mana raised for an instant defense spell, breathing ragged, eyes darting everywhere in tension.
Still, the group progressed smoothly.
They cleared the arrow zone, then the iron spikes from the floor, then the flame jets from the walls.
'Still working perfectly.'
[Ulfric's finest disciples built it. Unless you smash it on purpose, it'll last another thousand years.]
Which meant the final section—"that one"—was intact too.
Moments later, Kirian spoke quietly.
"Libiel, get in front of me."
"Huh? Why?"
"You're panting behind me like a starving dog chasing me. It's annoying."
"Starving dog...?!"
Kirian nudged the speechless Libiel forward.
Obri switched places right after.
"I'll take rear guard from now on. Move up one spot."
The half-elf notified them flatly and took position behind Kirian.
Libiel twisted back to whisper at him.
"You planned this? Got the Precognition trait or something?"
"Nope. And you know that trait doesn't work on command."
"Tch. Suspicious... real suspicious..."
Whatever weird idea she had now.
Anyway, they entered the final stretch.
With Obri behind him now, her presence should've been palpable.
But no.
'Dead silent.'
No footsteps, no breathing.
If not for her mana flow, you'd swear no one was there.
Elf blood at work.
"Tiberian, silent steps are one of our kind's most enduring traits. Means no elf in the world walks noisy."
"But chatty elves seem to exist aplenty."
"...Harsh."
An old memory surfaced unbidden; Kirian steadied his breath.
Just past this passage, the factor repository.
Right then—
Flash!
A massive flare erupted from the dark.
Razored blades crossed and charged at them.
Professor Rapens surged mana, halting them with Freeze.
But this final trap was bidirectional.
Blades flew from behind too.
"Obri!"
"Yes, Professor."
The half-elf responded calmly to his shout.
Her mana flared.
Transformation spell Werewolfization applied.
The change was instantaneous.
Silver fur cloaked her body; her face elongated into a beast's muzzle.
In a blink, Obri was a werewolf—and she hurled herself into the dark.
Next instant, sharp flashes burst in sequence.
Flash! Flaaash! Claaang!
The wolf-human danced amid sparks in the shadows.
Intercepting a dozen rear blades single-handedly—a wondrous feat.
Orange glints flickered; Obri appeared and vanished amid them.
"Whoa..."
The kids gawked, entranced.
Kirian alone pondered differently.
'So that's the play.'
This final stretch attacked relentlessly until everyone cleared it.
Best tactic: one rearguard tank.
Kirian had figured Rapens for the role—but he'd tasked Obri.
'That much trust, huh.'
But like Kirian, Obri wore training weights—her moves would be sluggish.
Rapens bellowed immediately.
"Everyone, run! Hurry!"
They had to clear fast for her to stop.
Kirian felt the heavy drag on his ankles but turned and bolted.
They dashed to the section's end.
A massive iron door swung wide, welcoming them.
At last—the Eternalism factor repository.
"Haaah... haa..."
"Phew..."
The kids collapsed after the short full sprint.
Moments later, Obri returned.
Not unscathed.
"Hm? You're hurt?"
"Yes, just grazed."
Back in human form, blood trickled from her shoulder.
Rapens inspected it, frowning.
"Obri."
"...My apologies, Professor."
"We'll discuss this later."
* * *
Obri Iark finished treating herself and sighed deeply.
'Injured just from these training weights.'
And in a standard zone, no less.
Pathetic.
She glanced up ahead.
Four first-years squatting on the rough stone floor, hanging on the professor's every word.
"A seal is essentially a spell circuit. But they're incredibly complex, and sometimes need environmental tweaks—so you can't cast them on the fly like basic spells. That's why we make them into 'factors' like this..."
The first-years inheriting this school's unique factors.
They strained to catch every syllable.
One pale face stood out.
'Kirian Kirchheis.'
The kid with all the wild rumors.
Back at Kirchheis Castle, he'd been "the shut-in young master," barely noticeable.
Direct bloodline or not, early parental loss left him precarious as a candle in the wind.
Then the Tomb of Books and Swords—he rewrote history, making his name known family-wide.
'Even got adopted by the heir apparent, Leonir.'
A turnaround too dramatic for words.
Rumors flew: sold his soul to demons? Leonir used forbidden arts to awaken him as a successor?
Gossip from bored tongues.
But—
'He's still an interloper to us.'
To Obri and the seniors, Kirian was unwelcome.
They'd clawed to survive here.
Bailing water nonstop from a sinking ship.
Then a migratory bird lands on deck.
'Could ditch us anytime for another school.'
Truth aside, that's how seniors saw it.
But meeting Kirian face-to-face, Obri sensed something off.
"If a senior beats me, I'll run errands till graduation."
"Answer one question I want. Swear on your mana to tell only truth."
"Bets gotta be fair, or tongues wag."
Odd mannerisms.
No direct-blood arrogance, but boldly audacious.
Did a first-year truly think he could beat a sixth-year?
She puzzled over his angle.
Then, entering this underground, passing traps—
'Huh? What?'
A chill prickled her.
The others were normal, but Kirian—one oddity.
She double-checked: same.
'That kid—his breathing hasn't changed.'
Her keen senses caught it while watching him.
Through the traps, his breaths were astonishingly steady.
Like lounging at home.
Even the familiar professor was tense, eyes on defenses.
This novice boy strolled more relaxed than anyone.
'What the hell?'
Her injury in the final stretch? Mind too jumbled to focus.
Weights slowed her; needed extra care.
But distracted—slash, shoulder gashed.
'Gotta sharpen up.'
Especially in restricted zones—with charges to protect.
As Obri massaged her limbs—
"……?"
Sudden quiet.
Professor Rapens and the first-years stared one way.
All fixated on Kirian.
Obri stood.
"What...!"
An impossible sight.
Unknowingly, she was lunging toward Kirian.