◈ Episode 343. In My World (2)

The top floor of the Magic Tower.

“I’m back!”

The location of this quest was one of the hundred thousand caves in the Zero Mountains.

It wasn’t easy.

At the end of the quest, the cave itself collapsed, forcing us to return to the Magic Tower through a portal. Jesse’s pinched cheeks spoke volumes about the difficulty.

“It’s quiet today……?”

Out of the corner of her eye.

Jesse’s rounded head twitched.

Jesse was right.

“That’s unusual.”

It’s Elder Mage, Yugweed or Chief Marcelo. They’re never far from the tower’s affairs. In fact, they rarely show their faces on the top floor of the tower in the first place.

But.

“No cats.”

Jesse’s voice trailed off for a moment.

Gooooooo-!

“!!”

Suddenly, magical power stirred on the top floor.

Mary was dumbfounded.

This magic, the difficulty of manifestation, was no joke.

‘…… Did they bury the portal?’

Like a trap spell.

It was a portal that manifested when certain conditions were met.

To be able to bury such a high-level magic as a portal so secretly that even she wouldn’t recognize it. In her knowledge, there was only one person in the Magic Tower with such manifestation power.

The Chief of Magic Tower.

At the same time, Claudi’s vassal.

A man called Grandfell, or Lee Hoyeol.

Mary spoke softly.

“It seems that Chief Lee Hoyeol has returned.”

“Oh, I see……!”

“……?”

Mary was a little surprised by the calm response.

‘I thought you’d be a little more excited.’

He wasn’t the kind of man to go away for a week without telling her.

Something must have happened.

Faith was worried, as were she and Jesse.

As proof, Jesse wouldn’t let go of the product of anomaly – her smartphone – during class breaks.

Jesse wondered herself.

“Something doesn’t feel right about …….”

She should be a little happier.

A greater concern had surfaced and was eating away at her joy.

Mary didn’t ask Jesse why.

We’re not that close.

She just tells her.

“Then I suppose we’ll have to dip our toes in the water, since it seems Chief Lee has something he wants us to do. Is that all right, Miss Jesse Heinness?”

As she spoke, she released her twilight magic.

She checked the tower for a reaction.

But there was no response in return.

What it meant was simple.

There was not a single mage in the tower.

“Yes, I’m good.”

jeobeog─

Jesse nodded and immediately followed Mary through the portal.

The scenery changed, and the Zero Mountains came into view.

For some reason, the Zero Mountains were deserted.

And then.

“!”

The colorful uniforms were unforgettable.

A bloodied cat wrapped in a dawn jacket. Before Mary could recognize the cat, Jesse leaped forward and scooped the jacket-wrapped animal into her arms.

Recognizing the warmth, the cat spoke softly.

” …… nyang.”

No, the cat spat out a meow.

It was the cat’s own shameless act.

He didn’t want to reveal his true identity to Jesse.

But since when?

“……Don’t say anything.”

You knew it all along, apprentice.

Rather, it was you who pretended not to know.

The master finally spoke up.

“You are a cheeky student who deceives your master.”

“Don’t say that.”

“I didn’t find your tricks so funny, you stink. I’m ashamed of myself for being fooled by your act and swinging my front paws this way and that. That’s why I used to play tricks to get treats…….”

“Don’t say anything……!”

A violet aura.

Twilight magic flows from Jesse.

Twilight magic, combined with healing magic, envelops Tower Master’s body.

However, the healing magic does not penetrate Tower Master’s body.

Tower Master looks at the twilight magic.

“It’s dazzling.”

“…….”

“After all, you have achieved something truly remarkable for a disciple of mine.”

The manifestation of magic with the addition of twilight magic is a dozen times more powerful than magic without it. This means that Jesse’s healing magic, which is only at the beginner’s level due to her lack of training, is comparable to that of Bellier, the best healer in the tower.

“……Why?”

But it didn’t work on the Tower Master.

Jesse looked up at Mary with trembling eyes.

She knew.

Tower Master was already dead.

No healing magic can bring the dead back to life.

But what even she can’t explain.

Tower Master was still speaking, even in death.

“Praise is poison to a mage. So I desperately endured it. In the end, you make me spit it out like a cat like this You’ve suffered a lot for a bad teacher, Jesse.”

Is it the intensity of the thought?

Or was it some kind of magic she didn’t recognize.

Mary couldn’t tell.

She could only watch.

She sensed Tower Master’s end.

Jesse Heinness hugged Tower Master harder and harder.

And for some reason, she smiled bitterly.

In the silence, the cat spoke.

“……As expected, you have many sins, Chief Lee.”

*

Sword Aura.

It’s ironic.

The light, usually so faint, shone brighter than anything else at this moment. I could feel it in my gut. That this was truly the difference between life and death.

Nam Taemin.

[Warning: Physical damage begins with excessive muscle strength.].

Hisagi.

[Warning: Magic power that cannot be controlled by muscle strength flows back.].

And Leonie.

[Warning: Health is too low].

The Barbarian, the Magic Spearman, and the Berserker.

Different messages come to mind for each of them.

Warnings as different as their classes.

There was one thing they had in common.

They says it’s a candle that doesn’t seem strange even if it goes out at any time.

pababag─!

But now that they had stomped their feet and leapt onto the dragon’s back, there was no turning back. Of course, none of them had any regrets left.

Because they knew.

Hoyeol’s sword aura always shone brightly.

What kind of battle have you been fighting all these years?

It was only when the shadow of death fell that he truly realized.

There are no shortcuts on the sword path.

Only when they truly walked the path of life and death did their swordsmanship become clear.

It was impossible not to think about it.

What kind of path has Hoyeol been traveling alone?

And at this moment, when he is missing.

What kind of path are you walking alone?

Quack!

It wasn’t an idle thought.

Yes, it was a kind of intense motivation.

It made each of them grip their weapons tighter and tighter.

kwang─!

The massive body of a dragon.

The situation in front of them couldn’t be seen in the slightest.

Even now, when Tower Master threw himself down to attract attention.

Harkon,Taemin, Hisagi, and Leonie didn’t know the exact situation.

They could only guess.

‘Reaching. To the dragon.’

No matter how quickly he reacts, this strike will definitely hit. The crossroads of life and death. My intuition, which was sharper than usual, was not wrong.

pug!

pupug!

pug!

Four directions.

Swords, greatswords, twin swords, spears.

Four weapons pierce Eunaxus’ scales and sink into its flesh.

The dragon skin, which is supposed to deflect all attacks, was cut by a mere sword?

No, it wasn’t just a sword.

‘……Was it cut more easily than I thought?’

‘It was weakened.’

‘No, that’s not it……!!!’

‘Magic, it is magic.’

The seemingly ineffectual bombardment of magic from the senior mages had pushed the dragon skin’s defenses to the breaking point.

Of course, compared to the enormity of its flesh, the current wounds were trivial slashes.

But it wasn’t something that could be dismissed out of hand, either. After all, it was the first effective hit the Holy War Alliance had dealt to Eunaxus.

Crumble!

As proof, Eunaxus began to writhe.

Harkon shouted.

“Gentlemen, I have nothing to say to you from now on.”

On the battlefield, life and death.

What you have to trust at the crossroads of life and death.

It is only a judgment made by one’s sixth sense.

Waiting for someone else’s orders was suicide.

“Only.”

Harkon felt compelled to add the word.

“You’ve been through a lot. Thank you for following my lead.”

The three were instantly annoyed.

“Please don’t raise that flag, Master……!!!”

I may be prepared to die, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to die.

Everyone should live if they can.

Of course, that wasn’t what Harkon meant either.

“Flag……? What is that?”

Because it was just something he said out of pure intention.

Even though he was covered in blood, he didn’t fall and climbed the mountain range.

After all, it was a tribute to those who had slain the dragon.

It was just a matter of circumstance.

No matter what words he spit out.

A hopeless situation that would become a flag.

Nam smirked.

“If you want to know what a flag is……. I’ll let you know if I survive!”

“Nam Taemin, isn’t that also a flag?”

“Eh. Cancel then.”

“Anyway, if you can’t talk.”

And that’s it.

ssaeaeaeaeaeaeg─!

The sound of strong wind that threatens to tear the eardrums.

Eunaxus’s tail flew like a whip.

Nam Taemin was the first to move.

Knight, Magic Spearman, Berserker.

A party that didn’t give a shit about tanky balance.

The Barbarian was the only one who could fulfill the tank role.

[Frenzy] activated.

The Nam Taemin howls in savagery.

[Eunaxus, the Elder Dragon who swallowed the evil fruit, resists “Taunt”].

Level 2,500 vs Level 600

Needless to say, there was no expectation that the stats would work.

He had to focus his aggro on himself in some other way.

“Ugh.”

The seething wildness moves instinctively in search of answers.

puuuug!!

It was too late to dodge.

Instead, he plunges his greatsword deeper into its flesh.

Even Harkon, who had been avoiding this action, had no choice but to stop.

“That’s how……!”

It was as if the greatsword had been driven in like a stake.

Of course, it was effective.

A slightly different Dragon Cry.

keukwalwa!

It may not have been a poison, but it struck a nerve.

But it was a vital weapon for a warrior.

Especially a greatsword of that size, which could double as a shield.

‘How can you make such a judgment……?’

Harkon’s question didn’t last long.

He heard a sigh beside him.

Hisagi and Leonie spoke first.

“Looks like that hunk of muscle needs another weapon.”

“As expected, you are the person in charge of the deficit for the Great Alliance.”

“……!”

That’s right.

Become more beast than man, [Frenzy].

What was a greatsword to a Nam Taemin who activated [Frenzy]?

In fact, it was no different from heavy shackles.

Pabababak!

As if to prove it, Nam Taemin accelerated to all fours.

tas─!

He leaps like an animal to avoid the tail.

The jumping force was unbelievable.

His feral muscles made it possible.

Of course, Nam Taemin didn’t just dodge.

Upon landing, he grabbed the scales with his muscle and bloodied hands.

kkudeudeug─!

The scales were ripped right off.

As strong as it was, its cross-section was no different from a sharp sword.

Blood gushed from Nam Taemin’s upper body, but he didn’t stop.

“Grrrr!!”

It tore at the scales with such relentlessness that it was almost painful.

Harkon swallowed hard.

‘I……. I’ve been underestimating you.’

A biography of the Arcana continent, a virtual reality game.

Harkon nodded at the truth that before the Cataclysm, the Arcana Continent had been little more than a playground for adventurers. Hence the casual attitudes.

But not as much as these men.

Who could doubt their sincerity any longer?

The change must have come at some point.

Harkon, who had trained countless knights in the Knights of the Lionheart, knew. You can train someone’s body, but you can’t train their mind.

In that sense…….

“You are indeed great.”

For Hoyeol, he could only swallow his admiration with pride.

Phew!

Of course, the action doesn’t stop there.

At this moment, everyone was testing their limits.

This meant they couldn’t waste this golden opportunity.

Pabat!

Harkon, Hisagi, and Leonie rush forward, using the massive body of the Eunaxus as a battlefield. As they say, there is no strategy. Just dodge, slash, and follow your senses!

The scene was not the least bit spectacular.

It was simply desperate.

It was enough to leave onlookers speechless.

It was enough to make a sigh escape from Nam Cheolmin’s mouth.

“Enough……!”

He didn’t even need to draw on the analyst’s knowledge.

Taemin’s deterioration was rapidly outpacing the damage accumulating on Eunaxus.

Likewise, the deteriorating condition of the three was more noticeable.

“……There’s no way we can defeat a monster like that.”

That was what everyone watching was thinking.

Everyone saw the same thing.

“We will begin judging at this time.”

The person who was looking at them from a different perspective.

“Nam Taemin, your instincts are admirable. However, we’ll have to wait and see if that instinct translates to everyday life. Still, it was a good performance. I’ll give you a lot of credit for improvisation.”

“……!”

Facing the dragon.

Meanwhile, the top ranker.

“Hisagi, Leonie, not a bad performance for your roles. Just being able to overcome the disadvantages of the competition and reach this point deserves praise.”

Someone who can give a sour assessment of Nam Taemin, Hisagi, and Leonie.

They were unique, both in reality and on the Arcana continent.

“……!!”

Yes, it’s Lee Hoyeol.

“Finally, Harkon.”

“…….sir”

“I don’t think you’ll need an examination.”

“Haha……. Is that so?”

“Finally.”

Hoyeol’s gaze shifted slowly.

Not recognizing himself.

He turns to the dragon, who is grinding his teeth.

“You’re making a fuss, Eunaxus.”

His voice is gentle.

“Why don’t you stop crying first?”

Then a message popped up.

[A ‘calm’ occurs to Eunaxus, the Elder Dragon who swallowed the evil fruit].

“……!!!”

In front of everyone’s eyes.

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tl/n: Sword Energy -> Sword Aura