Chapter 167
Chapter 167
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: 59 - New Initiative (1)
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“I didn’t underestimate him just because he’s a kid and kept my guard up the whole time... but to get caught like this. Living sure is tough.”
Javelin shrugged his shoulders with a wry, self-deprecating chuckle.
“‘Who would’ve thought’ is a scary phrase. Who would’ve thought that kid would, who would’ve thought our plan would, who would’ve thought there’s no way. Whoever first said ‘who would’ve thought kills people’ must’ve had incredible insight.”
Muttering to himself, Javelin pulled something from his pocket and turned to Jamie.
“Isn’t that right, Teacher Jamie?”
The moment Javelin tried to press what he’d taken out, thorns erupted from the shadows and pierced through the back of his hand.
Or rather, they tried to—but failed. It merely grazed his skin.
Still, the goal had been achieved.
What he’d pulled out was none other than a button.
“I don’t know what you were planning to do with it, but that’s not happening.”
As Jamie reached out, telekinesis magic activated.
But Javelin didn’t panic—instead, he grinned.
“It’s an artifact, so I don’t need to press it with my finger.”
Click—
The button activated.
Unsure what would happen, Jamie layered multiple shields. Yet nothing occurred from the button.
Javelin spoke up.
“Haha. This is just a decoy.”
Catching the falling button from midair, Javelin dangled it between his thumb and forefinger, shaking it.
“A summoner.”
“A summoner?”
“Yeah. A summoner.”
At that instant, enormous mana surged from behind.
It was teleportation.
Jamie clenched his fist, eyeing the spot where the teleport was manifesting.
The ground erupted in a conical shape.
It shattered on impact.
Jamie stared at the stone fragments fluttering to the floor.
Standing atop the pulverized cone was a man shrouded in a translucent gray barrier.
It was the Third Elder, Serpent Gerol.
“I came wondering what was going on... Javelin, you have some explaining to do.”
“We’ve been found out.”
“You fool!”
Serpent bellowed furiously while aiming a staff at Jamie—uncertain when he’d even drawn it.
Mana writhed from behind as well.
They planned to intercept him from both sides. But Jamie had no intention of letting that happen.
Slamming his foot down hard, the ambient mana swirled into Jamie at the center.
He drew Skud and Beyond Avalon.
His opponents: a 6th-class mage and a 5th-class mage.
That was the minimum—and Javelin was likely hiding his true strength.
Both at least his equal, if not superior.
“Sorry, but—”
“I have no intention of fighting you.”
The moment Jamie assumed a battle stance—
Javelin and Serpent’s mana began to resonate.
At their center—precisely where Jamie stood—a gray orb materialized.
A gray orb radiating ominous energy.
‘Dangerous!’
He sensed it instinctively the moment he saw it.
Jamie immediately activated Beyond Avalon.
Attempting to conceal himself within the reverse side of reality.
Crackle—
“We always accounted for situations like this.”
Serpent’s mocking voice.
Excited, he continued.
“Genius types like you are always so careless! That’s why you end up like this!”
The power from the gray orb interfered with Beyond Avalon.
The orb disrupted mana, rendering spells unusable—a mage’s worst nightmare. And for some reason, it didn’t affect them.
A headache-inducing situation, but Jamie’s arsenal extended beyond magic.
He gripped Skud tighter.
‘Cut it down.’
He didn’t know the gray orb’s structure, but now wasn’t the time to analyze.
Jamie infused mana into the upright Skud.
His proficiency was still shallow, but it was his best move here.
For a split second, Jamie’s eyes flushed purple.
The Welton secret sword art cleaved down at the gray orb.
The gray orb split perfectly in half.
“...?!”
“What!!”
Javelin stared in mute shock, while Serpent cried out in alarm.
They watched as the gray orb was bisected.
The Welton Single Stroke Sword could cut even intangible things. No matter its power, if it was visible, it could be severed.
‘If my proficiency had been any lower, it would’ve failed.’
The key point was that it had succeeded for now.
The force disrupting Beyond Avalon rapidly weakened.
Rather than hiding himself in the reverse side, Jamie chose to trap the gray orb there.
A power that might regenerate at any moment.
Leaving it be would hinder his spellcasting.
Beyond Avalon warped the space around the gray orb.
Without this, I can handle two-on-one.
“As expected of a genius. Truly impressive.”
But they were meticulous.
“However, there’s one more.”
Another gray orb formed beside the one vanishing into the reverse side.
No time to hesitate—Jamie swung Single Stroke Sword again.
Boom!!
He couldn’t.
Tremendous pressure crushed his body. Not only that, several gray beams shot from the orb, binding him.
Jamie gritted his teeth.
These bastards had prepared for the worst-case scenarios.
They’d likely planned contingencies from the start.
Multiple countermeasures for various possibilities.
He could guess one of them.
That was the moment.
Kaboom!!
A section of the corridor tore away into space itself.
Javelin and Serpent calmly widened the distance, unperturbed.
In the center of the now-empty corridor.
Siegfried appeared.
His long golden hair stood on end from sheer rage.
“You bastards!!”
Mana rampaged wildly.
He stretched both arms toward Javelin and Serpent, ready to kill.
Space compressed heavily.
The instant he prepared to unleash it, Jamie shouted hoarsely.
“No...!”
“Too late.”
Siegfried glanced at Javelin.
Javelin held up his index and middle fingers crossed in an interlocking gesture.
Serpent mirrored the pose. With sinister smiles, they chanted at Siegfried.
“Seal!”
“Seal!”
Unholy power from their hands began to ensnare Siegfried.
“...Teacher.”
Confirming Pin had somewhat recovered, Anne cautiously stepped out.
Kennyak remained seated in the same spot.
Spotting her, he offered a weary smile and beckoned her over.
She hesitated at first, but he was the teacher who’d tried to save her. Acting timid before such a person felt rude.
“I’m sorry for putting you in this situation.”
Anne shook her head.
“No. You tried to save me, Teacher.”
“I realized too late. I should’ve stopped that from the beginning...”
No. It hadn’t started like this.
Everyone had begun development with pure intentions, united as one.
Talent equality.
How many had struggled for so long to achieve it? But at some point, their original purpose twisted, veering into strange territory.
The first touch of Apophis-like drugs made it irreversible, and at the end lay the demons.
‘It might’ve been the demons’ scheme from the start.’
“I bear great guilt for turning a blind eye to them harming students.”
“Yes. Your fault is huge, Teacher. But even so, you rejected those situations with at least a shred of conscience. So take your punishment. Atone to everyone and live on—wouldn’t that be enough?”
Anne spoke with a sharp clarity beyond her years.
Kennyak smiled at her words.
She was right. He would atone. He didn’t know how far he could redeem his sins from this vile affair, but if he could wash away the guilt that had long burdened his heart, he’d do anything.
But Kennyak knew.
Escaping this horrific karma wasn’t as simple as Anne suggested.
No matter how he denied it, the fact that he was one of them remained unchanged.
Kennyak silently stroked Anne’s head.
She accepted his touch without a word.
“It’s about time to get up.”
“Where are you going?”
“I need to do what I can.”
He wanted to be a good teacher.
Because his creator’s mindset dwelled within him, becoming a good teacher was difficult. Still, he’d taught his students with all his effort.
So many regrets.
More gently, more softly, more kindly.
Why hadn’t he?
Because he was Serpent’s homunculus?
That was just an excuse. If he’d wanted to change, he could have.
Now he understood what heart truly meant.
“Anne.”
“...Yes?”
“You’re a very smart child. What they call a genius.”
“M-Me?”
“Your magical talent is lacking. That’s regrettable, but there aren’t many in the world whose intellect matches yours.”
“...”
“I always worried. What if you gave up on magic? I wanted to reach out first, but I wasn’t the type, nor in the position, so it troubled me greatly. Then Teacher Jamie appeared.”
A boy who’d reached an unbelievable realm at just eight years old.
No—calling Jamie Welton a ‘boy’ was disrespectful.
He was already a full-fledged mage, more than worthy of being called a teacher.
When he first saw him, unnecessary emotions planted by Serpent stirred. A mere eight-year-old brat surpassing him? It was unbearable.
He’d even tried to humble him once.
But he was captivated by Jamie’s display in the first class.
“Teacher Jamie, as you know, is an outstanding mage. Beyond that, he’ll dominate the magical world and stand at the center of it all one day.”
Anne listened quietly.
Good posture, Kennyak thought with a smile.
“You’ve become the student of such a man. Learning from him will surely fill your shortcomings. So study diligently, even if it’s hard. You’re still young, so tough times will come, but don’t give up—remember your dreams.”
“Yes. I will.”
“I’d love to see you grow into a wonderful mage.”
“I’ll show you. I won’t give up—I’ll become a great mage.”
“Yes. I hope I can witness it.”
Anne felt an inexplicable unease in his words.
Kennyak beamed brightly.
Two years since enrolling in the academy. She’d consistently attended his magic circle classes, but Kennyak had always been a stern, silent instructor.
Who knew he could make such an expression?
Then, as Kennyak rose, he said to Anne,
“May glory always light your path.”
“T-Teacher?”
With those final words, Kennyak vanished.
Anne shot to her feet in confusion, but Kennyak was nowhere to be seen.