Enjoy.
Also, +1 Skadi Summer ৻( •̀ ᗜ •́ ৻)
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Late at night. Day 5. Shiki P.o.v.
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"Goodnight, Papa."
"Sweet dream, Eva."
As the little witch closed her eyes, I zipped her sleeping bag closed and headed out.
"Phew. Now that she is asleep, I can focus on the elephant over there."
For the past few days, the Leyline had continuously flowing mana in one direction. It wasn't anything bad if it was just the planet coursing its vitality.
But when the Leylines are concentrating at one spot, something is definitely wrong there.
"I should make some insurance for this place. [Turn Imaginary]."
The Boundary Field accepted my mana and removed itself from reality. The campsite slowly blurred away from sight.
"It should last until the end of finals. Time to go."
I quickly made my way to the singularity point. When the giant tree came into my view, I had already got a glimpse of what was happening.
"Just as I expected, the Leyline are nurturing that cocoon. This is not The Counter Force doing. There is no scent of them here."
This came from a third party completely. I had no idea who it was but most of them didn't bring a smile to my face... or to my safety.
*Crack Crack*
"It's hatching. Huuuuu.... Haaaaa.... Let's do this."
Holding tight on the crimson spear of reverse casualties, I prepared for the strongest first impression.
[This is the cumulative of our efforts.]
The copied Noble Phantasm gradually leaked the ominous, cursed energy coating the spear, revealing its law-bending power.
I stood firm, ready to impale at the first second that cocoon hatched. As the being broke off from its shell, I could see the predetermined results. The crimson spear would fly like a comet, piercing the cocoon and tree altogether.
.
.
.
"Huh?"
But when reality came, I saw nothing. There was nothing in the shell.
.
.
.
"The cocoon was empty?... No, it had already hatched!"
Then where is it? The casualty strike was dead set; but if I do it now, I would only strike an empty egg shell.
"OOuugghhhh....."
Next to me!!! When? How?
I didn't have time to think. My body had given its command before that. I twisted my body to the being on my left.
'That face is...'
I had a second to see her face, just barely enough to figure out her name. Her eyes peered straight at mine, I was watching a star through those eyes.
Her jaw gapped, holding a mana sphere in front of her flashing our surrounding with a red tone. My vision then instantly went white before I could call out her name.
'Ah shit...'
"aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...."
*Booom* *Splashed*
.
.
.
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An hour earlier.
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"Hyah!!!" *Splash* *Thud*
"Another one down. As expected of me."
As the girl cut down another monster, she turned to her right to check on her teammates. In the last two day, she had been teaming up with two other who she happened to stumble upon.
"Tch."
There crouched Kim Suho, hovering his smartwatch over the pile of corpses. He had collectively killed nearly twice her number.
"How much longer till the final end, Nayun?" He said.
"There's still half a day left before the test is over, probably." She replied.
Standing to their left was Yi Yeonhang, panting as he wiped down his sweat.
"Huff... Haa... I'll go and rest, then... I'm done." Yi Yeonhang said.
Standing in front of the body pile, Nayun opened up.
"Hey, Kim Suho."
"Yeah?" Suho stood up and replied.
"What do you think of Kim Hajin?"
The forest was still dark. When they were bored and unable to find any monsters, Chae Nayun suddenly asked Kim Suho.
"Hajin? Why are you suddenly asking about him?"
"It just... It's just that... His actions don't make much sense.
Starting from the museum to Paris, it's strange that he is ridiculously strong despite his frail-looking body.
But he doesn't want to show anything to anyone, except for the midterm. He is hiding something but I don't know what it is."
The light shooting gun, teleportation, strange magic,... What Kim Hajin had shown doesn't quite fit his rank.
"That is true, I guess... Ah..."
'Something that he's hiding... Though he didn't personally say it but...'
—I don't know Chae Nayun more than Hajin knows her.—
'I see...'
Kim Suho smiled as he looked back at the conversation that day. Although he was only half-sure about Hajin liking Nayun, it was still better than nothing.
"Oi, what's with that reaction?" Nayun deadpanned.
"Hey, tell me."
"Why ask me? You should find out for yourself."
With a blooming smile, Kim Suho teased Chae Nayun.
"You..."
"Let's focus on our test first, okay?"
"Whatever."
.
.
.
As the three wander around the area, they couldn't help but to feel something was off.
"Strange... No monster, no sound, not even an animal." Nayun said.
They hadn't encountered anything for the past couple of minutes.
"Yeah. There's might be something wrong here." Suho replied.
As they tread forward, they found more strange things lying around.
Weapons of all sorts, cadets' uniforms, and even smartwatches were scattered everywhere. Their conditions suggested that a recent battle had taken place. And yet no sign of life was present at the place.
Judging that something bad was lurking around, Kim Suho quickly gave an order.
"Be on your guard. There's something definitely wrong here."
"What? Is there something here?" Yi Yeonhang replied.
"I don't know. But we have to— *!!!* NAYUN WATCH OUT." Kim Suho yelled.
Time slowed down as Kim Suho rushed toward Chae Nayun. Instinctively, she turned her head to look at what he was screaming about.
...
A big open mouth was closing in on her face. Its hands had already reached near her shoulder.
*Kriiieeekkkk.....*
Nayun dived down just in time to dodge the flying claws and teeth.
The creature went over her head and straight at Yi Yeonhang. Its blackish body flew to him like a cannonball.
"What the?"
Being slower than Nayun due to his build, Yi Yeonhang had no choice but to confront the creature head-on. He caught both of the creature's hands with his own and wrestled with it.
"What is this— Kuah!!!"
Before he could finish the question, Yi Yeonhang felt his stomach bludgeoning. He looked down to see that another set of hands had punched his belly.
Yi Yeonhang threw the creature away and backed out.
"It got four hands? What is that thing?" Yi Yeonhang said.
"I don't know. I have never seen it in any book or reference.
But I'm pretty sure that it was the cause behind all these items lying around." Suho replied.
The creature in front of them resembled a human. Yet it had no distinguishing feature of a human besides its body frame. It also had four arms instead of two and a vertical mouth for a face.
Kim Suho held up his sword tightly, while Chae Nayun pondered whether she should use her sword or bow.
"Is it strong?" Nayun asked.
"Sure as hell it is. It nearly knocked me out with just two punches." Yi Yeonhang answered.
Even though it had no eye, its tongue stuck out in a bizarre way causing Kim Suho and Chae Nayun to flinch.
"It looked creepy as hell." Nayun commented.
"...."
Suddenly...
"Puchi Puchi"
"Aaaaahhhh.... Get away from me!!!"
A scream came out from another direction. The three of them looked at the source of the sound to find a group of cadets running away from the same creature.
"It's not alone?" Nayun asked.
Seemed not. We have to save them." Suho said.
"Yeah. I'll handle the nearest one." Yi Yeonhang said before running off to save the said cadet.
"C'mon, we have to go as well. We can't take these things down alone."
"No need to tell me that."
Suho and Nayun joined the fray, trying to gather more people to fight off the creatures.
.
.
.
Things had escalated to the worst. Unknown monsters popping out of nowhere were killing cadets left and right.
In one place...
"What the hell are these scum made of?" Shin Jonghak said.
He had skewered the same creature dozens of times everywhere in its body. And yet it was still moving, still reaching its hand to his neck.
"Go back to hell, whatever incarnation you are."
Shin Jonghak stabbed the creature again. To no one's surprise, the abomination still brimmed with vitality.
"Tch."
Jonghak flung his spear, tossing the creature into a tree nearby. It soon stood up and screamed at him.
*Kriiieeekkkk*
"Damn cockroach. I'll kill you until you're nothing but a clump of meat."
...
In another place, Kim Hajin was watching hell unleashed in front of his eyes.
Creatures of unknown origin were tearing into the ranks of cadets vigorously. Many struggled to no avail, and many fought back but were overwhelmed by their sheer strength.
'What the hell is happening? Where's the Butterfly Seedling? Did it turn into those?' He thought.
"Hajin... What are those things?"
Standing next to him was Rachel, asking what she was seeing. Before this, Hajin had asked Rachel to hunt a strong monster together to which she agreed. But now, he might have to abandon that plan completely.
"I have no idea what those creatures are. He might have a clue but we can't just stand here and watch. We have to help them."
"Yeah."
And with that, Hajin took the lead. With his newly learn [Mind Eyes (Fake)], Hajin stormed the battlefield raining bullets into the crowd. Each shot hit precisely at its target, disorienting the creature's movements.
Following behind, Rachel took advantage of the openings and delivered surgical slashes at the enemies. Though it wasn't lethal for any of the monsters, it bought enough space and time for others to retreat.
Thanks to their timely intervention, a lot of cadets managed to escape the death doors.
Chaos stirred around the area and the presence of an possible casualties had forced the overseers to make their move.
And with killing these creatures instantly off the board, the Heroes could only be divided into two teams: rescue and defend.
Heroes who had high mobility like Yun SeungAh were responsible for rescuing cadets from the monsters. Their priority is to escort the cadets to the central watchtower.
And the others Heroes were responsible for defending the safety haven. It is the last line of defence due to their limited personnel.
Soon, cadets were brought into safety one by one. Some were carried, some were dragged; no one came here without a large amount of injuries.
As more and more cadets were being rescued, the number of strange creatures they had to deal with in each rescue increased more and more.
Until...
*aaaaaAAAAAAAA.....*
*Trembling*
From the giant tree in the centre of the island, a roar shook the ground with the magnitude of a small earthquake.
The sound burst out like shockwaves smashing through everything.
"What the hell is that scream?" Nayun asked.
She and Suho, who had planted their swords on the ground, were being driven back by the sound waves alone. Yi Yeonhang, on the other hand, was completely blasted off.
"It's on a different level from anything I have faced," Suho commented.
Just screaming alone had pushed them to the brink of being thrown off. So what kind of beast awaits them at the end of that road?
The roar continued, followed by a few flashes of red and black light. And then...
"EVERYONE!!! GET DOWN!!!" Shouted by none other than Hajin himself.
*Distortion sounds*
In the first second, a light beacon shined a light to the ground and travelled in an upward arc.
The second was a moment of silence, just enough for the eyes to see what had just happened. The lasers dimmed and faded when the beacon was angled reached hit the highest angle.
And then the third... The third was a moment of obliteration. The ground erupted into a chain of destruction. Massive energy compacted underground expanded instantly and burst through the layer of dirt.
Casualties went sky high; monsters and men fell all the same. They were all equal under the apocalyptic prowess.
.
.
.
"Urgh... What was that light?" Kim Hajin said.
He had just woken up after a massive explosion hit his location. The scenery went from aurora purple to apocalyptic red after disaster struck.
"Oh god... This is much worse than I had seen."
Even when he foresaw the calamity and warned everyone of the danger, it still was enough.
Bodies were spread across the place, only the lucky few dodged with minimal damage. And the rest? Death might be better than the agonies and pain they're feeling right now. Even the Heroes didn't make it out fully.
[An incredible luck applies, warding you from certain death!]
[Narrow Escape from Death (2/9) – A special stat, accumulation of luck, becomes partly unlocked!]
"If it wasn't for this, I might have been worse off than these guys."
Watching the hellscape unfolding in front of him, Hajin suddenly remembered his companion.
"Oh no! Where's Rachel?"
He frantically looked around and found the blond princess lying nearby.
"Is she okay?.... Still breathing. Thanks, God."
Hajin didn't get to sigh before another layer of despair came to his porch. Grovelling under the debris, those monstrosities had dug their way out from hell again.
His breathing slowly went out of sync, his throat felt suffocated. These things wouldn't die no matter what he tried.
Still, Hajin stood his ground, holding tight to his pistol. His magic circuits kept burning bright. He didn't know how long he could last but it wasn't the time for those thoughts.
The pistol's barrel lined up straight, readied to fire on whatever came first.
*aaaaaaa....AAAAAAAAA.....*
*Puchi puchi*
Luck had taken his side once again as those creatures turned their attentions to the source of the sound. They all dropped whatever they were doing and started scrambling to its location.
"Mmhnm..."
"Rachel?"
"Urh.. Hajin?"
"Yeah, it's me. Take it easy, we've just got through a big attack."
"No need to worry about me... I have to bring this to that person."
"Bring What to Who? I don't see you holding anything. Are you sure you're okay?"
Looking at Rachel's state, Hajin didn't see anything on her hand; and her rapier was sheathed on her hip. He had a feeling that something was there, his [Mind Eyes] had told him so.
"I don't know. I just have a feeling I have to bring him something."
"A feeling?"
'Did Rachel have an enlightenment? A gut feeling might not be big in my world, but it's not something to be brushed off here. It shouldn't hurt to find out what it is.' Hajin thought.
"Alright, I'll come with you. If that's what you wanted then I'll help you out."
"Thank you, Hajin."
"No problem. So where do we need to go?"
"That direction. It's vague but I know that the person I need to reach is there."
Looking at where Rachel was pointing, Hajin couldn't help but sigh.
"The giant tree, huh? Those strange creatures are heading there as well. Let's go immediately or we'll get overwhelmed by them."
With that said, Hajin pulled a head start. He climbed up a nearby tree and parkoured his way to their destination.
Rachel quickly followed him from behind. But somehow, she couldn't keep up with Hajin as if something was weighing her down.
'Why couldn't I exert my strength? Was it because of that dream I had?' She asked herself.
————[Flash back]————
Back when she was unconscious, Rachel's mind drifted apart from her body. She felt that her consciousness was fleeting from her flesh.
Why did Rachel suggest that? Well, it wasn't hard to guess when you smelled flowers instead of grass and dirt in a forest.
Just like her body, her mind laid flat on the surface. Everything was dark despite the aroma surrounding her nose.
'Is this the afterlife?' Rachel pondered.
"Don't worry, you're not dead yet, little knight." Someone spoke, as if he could read her thoughts.
'!!!'
"Sorry about that. You reminded me of a dear friend of mine." He continued.
His voice was soft and sounded very playful. She couldn't see his face but she could tell he was a cheery person.
"Where was I.... Ah right. That dear friend, just like you, was burdened by what shouldn't be carried alone. And yet, she still managed to be the best ruler the country could have ever had.
Because of that, I couldn't help but feel a bit of nostalgia when I was watching over you."
'Just... like... me?'
"I'm getting sidetracked here, please forgive me.
"Anyway, I'm actually here to help you."
'Help me?'
"Exactly. There isn't time to go into detail so listen closely.
I just put something inside your body. All you need to do is bring it to him."
'What? I don't understand? How? And who is he you're talking about?'
"You don't need to worry about it. You'll understand when you see him. You'll know where to go
As for me, I can't stay out any longer so good luck, Little knight."
'Wait... I still have some questions.'
There was no reply to her thought anymore. The scent also started to fade.
'Ah... I must be waking up right now.'
Which led to Rachel slowly opening her eyes.
————End of flash back————
Now standing behind Kim Hajin, Rachel had reached her destination.
Hajin's face was shadowed by a deep frown, and she could understand why. Before them lay a fortress of resilient monsters they had fought desperately to survive.
They stacked atop each other like a violent wall of flesh, held together only by gravity, forming a barrier that completely isolated the inside.
"Urh... Please don't tell me your person is on the other side of that," Hajin muttered with a mix of dread and frustration.
"It seems so. Sorry, Hajin," Rachel replied softly.
"It's okay. We can call him for help if things get too tough," Hajin reassured.
"Yes, you're right," Rachel nodded.
"So, how do we get through this? Do you have any ideas?" Hajin pressed.
"I don't—"
—Cut them down, little Knight.
A vivid voice echoed sharply in Rachel's mind.
'Huh? You are?' she wondered.
—Don't worry about who I am. Close your eyes, hold out your hands, and grip it firmly.
'What do you mean...? Okay.' Rachel hesitated, then followed the instruction, her curiosity piqued.
"Rachel?" Hajin asked, concern edging his voice.
But all she heard was silence, her focus consumed by the mysterious voice's words.
'Hold out my hands... Grip it firmly.'
"Rachel, are you okay?"
*Whooshh*
"Wind? Is that... her doing?"
Gusts violently swept around Rachel's spot. Her mana surged into the sky, drawing Hajin's stunned awe—not because of its sheer power, but due to its mysterious essence.
"[Observation and Reading] doesn't even have an entry for this! What the hell is that?"
Hajin's most trusted scoping tool had failed—not because it lacked authority, but because of what he was attempting to uncover. Despite all his knowledge of this world, Kim Hajin found himself unable to answer what lay before him.
Meanwhile...
'It's... it's heavy. Heavier than anything I've used before."
With a rapier as her main weapon, Rachel instinctively sensed that the power she held was two-handed.
—It's not only the weight of the power that burdens her, but also the weight of her responsibility to her country.
The cheerful voice inside her continued to guide her, speaking directly to her thoughts.
—Swing it, but not with your strength.
—Swing it with your heart. Swing it with your conviction.
—That's how she had wielded her blade.
'My heart... my conviction...'
As Rachel's hand gripped tightly, the raging mana gradually subsided, leaving behind an invisible object.
Neither of them could see what it was, but they recognised its presence. It had been there with them when Rachel first awoke. The 'little knight' raised it above her head, and the object ignited a storm.
She felt her mana resonating with the wind, surging its power outward. With a shout, Rachel brought the storm to fall.
"Haaaaaaaa..."
The relentless wind bore its blades, slicing through the bodies. The eye of the storm shattered the flesh wall like a cannonball—an act of nature bringing down an obstacle.
Eventually, the storm eased, leaving an opening as wide as a tunnel.
"A....mazing," Hajin exclaimed.
In the past, he never expected Rachel to demonstrate such power, nor had he thought he could help her achieve it with his knowledge.
Now, having seen her feat, Hajin felt a faint sense of satisfaction and also worry.
"Could I ever reach that level? No... I have already seen my progress. [Runes], [Displacement], and now [MindEyes], I can do it if I put in the effort."
The pair nodded at each other and pressed further inside.
.
.
.
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"We're here." Hajin said.
"Yes, we are."
The two cadets had made it to the giant tree. Nothing was blocking their way after they went past the wall of creatures.
The scenery before them was scarce of wildlife. No animal, no monster, only trees and grasses were their company.
When they finally saw the giant tree's root, the first thing they saw shocked them to their core.
The giant tree seemed healthy from afar, but when you get to the bottom thenyou can see it withering away.
A clear black pond surrounded the root, slowly spreading out. It wasn't a deep pond as there was something in the middle of the water... Or in this case, someone.
Kneeling with water to his stomach was a person whose features would absolutely frighten anyone. Besides a small part of his or her face, everywhere else was beyond overcooked.
Black char all over their body, ember cracks trailed across the burn. It would be a miracle and misfortune if that person were still alive, somehow. He/she was burned beyond recognition.
Rachel grimaced at what she was seeing while Hajin tried not to vomit up his dinner.
Both of them tried not to look at him/her any further. A gust of wind followed as they started to turn away and move on. And it brought a terrible message to them.
Pushed by the wind was a streak of gold. It floated over near their place, glittered into their eyes. Hajin himself paid no mind to it, thinking that it was a piece of that person's accessory.
However, Rachel didn't think the same. What Hajin might have forgotten was crystal clear to her.
She recognised that floating object. She remembered that wooden box she put it in. She remembered the person she gifted it to
She remembered the Father of her daughter.
"T—Teacher?" Rachel muttered. Her voice trembled.
"What?"
"TEACHER!!" Rachel screamed, running toward the pond.
That person kneeling there had taught her to be strong, physically and mentally. He had gone along with her selfish wishes.
That person had brought a new color to her life. He had brought a new purpose(responsibility) to her existence.
Thus, she must save him.
"Rachel, wait." Hajin said as he followed Rachel behind.
When Rachel first called out to that person, Hajin was confused about how that person could be Shiki. But when Rachel called a second time, he knew she was certain.
As the two of them reached into the water to save their teacher, a strong wind pressure pushed them back.
—DO NOT COME CLOSER.
The familiar voice rang in their head, snapping both of them back.
"Teach? Is that really you?" Hajin said.
—Yeah. I'm using [Illusion Magecraft] to communicate right now. Do not touch the mud.
"What? Why? You're severely burned, and I can't help you?" This time it was Rachel who replied.
—Don't worry, I still need help right now. It's just that the mud is dangerous.
"What is this mud, Teach?"
—The Sea of Life. It is water saturated with True Ether, the original magical power that flowed through the planet. The owner used it to create her child.
—It will pollute your soul in seconds, which is why I'm not recovering right now. My Magic is working overtime to continuously reverse the corruption.
"Then how will you escape?" Hajin asked.
—I can't. You'll have to pull me out slowly with a rope or something. Otherwise, the mud might splatter.
"Got it."
Hajin instantly called forth his [Aether]. The formless weapon shot straight out and over Shiki's shoulders. It was tucked tightly like a fishing line.
"Rachel."
"I'll help."
Rachel stood in front of Hajin and grabbed the line. They both pulled slowly as instructed and the distance between the teacher and student slowly shortened.
Soon, Shiki was separated from the SeaofLife. The corruption stopped the moment he got out of the mud.
The [True Magic: Blue] then immediately took dominance. The charred skin gradually faded, returning to its original colour. Hair grew back to its length.
Shiki's state had been reversed to his top condition.
'Never expected to be nearly turned to ashes a second time.' Shiki thought.
"Thanks, you two."
"No problem, Teach" / "It's nothing to thank me for."
"Now that I escaped. Prepare to run."
"Run? What are we running from?" Hajin asked.
"AAAAAAAAAAA..."
"..."
"You had to ask."
From the direction of the voice, a figure emerged from the Sea of Life. It was the answer to Hajin's question.
Standing at 160cm, she possessed an adult female form that was striking. Her body could be described as full, curvy, and alluring; with barely any clothing to conceal her figure.
Her head was adorned with two long horns, twisting like butterfly wings down to her waist. Teal hair with black tips flowed to the ground, complemented by two braids at her sides.
But the most striking feature was her ruby eyes. The red irises were shaped like a cross, glowing bright red, reminiscent of a star.
Here she was, emerging from the Sea of Life with a single purpose.
ThePrimordial Mother had risen to reclaim her child.
Title: TIAMAT, BEAST OF REGRESSION.
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