Chapter 178

Unfortunately, Calix’s expectations were greatly off. His companions had encountered the worst of obstacles.

Luck was a limited resource, and one person’s fortune often translated into another’s misfortune.

“Ugh, cough cough…”

Cedars crawled on the ground.

Blood seeped from a fist-sized hole in his abdomen, soaking the floor, yet he barely clung to life with the superhuman strength unique to the Awakened.

He couldn’t help but wonder how things had turned out this way, recalling the events from earlier.

“Destruction of the Forward Base in the Northern District. Annihilation of the search party…”

Their operation had been proceeding smoothly just five minutes ago. This desolate highland dungeon was the perfect place to launch an ambush.

The elite search party and officers of the Arcite Clan, their intended targets, had been caught off guard and were wiped out in an instant, while the remaining survivors at the base were also set to be dealt with shortly.

Once everything was over, they would blow this place up and withdraw.

That was how it was supposed to be.

“Call sign Cedar, real name Ruben Moss. Am I right? Final rank in the Federal Army was Sergeant…”

Suddenly, that intruder messed everything up.

“Cough… How do you know that?”

Ruben’s eyes, which had not lost their will despite the agony, trembled violently.

This monster that intervened in the clash between the Clan’s Forward Base members and Legion Agents dominated both factions as if a child were playing with toys.

He even brutally tore apart the monsters that had escaped the base.

“I know all about you. Not everything, but…”

Ruben barely managed to turn his body to face the opponent. A large cavalry spear glimmered ominously at his face.

A few drops of blood fell from Ruben’s face. The spear that had pierced his abdomen had indeed been fierce.

“I see… then whose side are you on? Why did those guys attack?”

It wasn’t an argument. It was a pure question borne from facing death.

The man had massacred both him and the Clan’s forces.

Unlike them, he showed no signs of pursuing any specific benefit or political objective.

“Because what they’re doing over there is ruining the world.”

Feeling a sense of absurdity, Cedar suddenly recalled something he had forgotten—a rumor circulating within his unit.

“Aha, so you were that one…? The one who hunts the crazies from beyond the dimensions. What a shock, that it was a new Scholarship Officer this time. Was that position just for show…?”

“…”

Even with Cedar’s sarcasm, the man remained silent. Suddenly, he asked.

“…Let me ask you a question. Do you know the name Dandelion?”

Even amidst the haze of consciousness, Cedar felt a sense of unease. Who was Dandelion?

“What are you talking about…?”

“Call sign Dandelion, one of your agents. Name is Violet, gender female. Blonde hair, red eyes, doesn’t ring a bell?”

The dying man calmly opened his mouth.

“Seems like you heard wrong. We rarely have any females among our members… You must be mistaken…”

Cedar cut off his answer, gasping for breath. His end was near.

The man thrust the spear he was holding. With a thud, the cavalry spear pierced his chest.

Seijis walked through the chaos left behind by the two factions that had annihilated each other.

Behind him lay a grotesquely formed giant monster.

It was quite a bounty. He had thwarted the Clan’s experiments and retrieved the relic he had been searching for. In the process, he had also eliminated a high-ranking member of the Obsidian Legion.

Once again, he had achieved results.

Even so, he felt something lacking inside.

“Is it my delusion after all?”

Pondering over the response he had just heard, Seijis thought about it. He still had not encountered any witches.

Months ago, he had miraculously jumped through time. Afterward, utilizing tricks and knowledge, he had become a Scholarship Officer several years ahead of schedule.

He had abused all given authority to the maximum, moving between various dungeons and dangerous areas, rapidly gaining power and outcomes.

If it had been the Seijis of five years hence, he wouldn’t even have considered such madness.

But it was insufficient. There were still too many things he didn’t know, and too many enemies to face.

Variables had arisen as well. More and more instances diverging from the original timeline of events he was aware of were occurring.

“Information I know is gradually drifting away. Did my existence act as a variable?”

Minor details, from the timing of incidents to locations and processes, had changed. The incident involving the monsters attacking the Aegis Academy, the attempted kidnapping of Irene Solstice.

And the movements of organizations were also gradually changing.

“The identity of the Ariel Group is still a mystery.”

Direct contact was impossible at the moment, yet he had heard a quick update about Irene being safe near the Central District through his sister.

However, he couldn’t ascertain the situation of other students and hunters despite searching.

Many were either not students yet or were currently outside the academy city.

Some students were absent from the academy that should have been their original place, contrary to his knowledge.

“Where on earth is Miss Daphne? What about Kalia?”

Though he had resolved to check on the students’ status, he keenly felt that he had only been wandering outside.

“No, I left that task for someone else, didn’t I? I need to deal with urgent matters first.”

He exited the dungeon.

Nearby, a girl with red hair and cat ears was waiting in front of a car she had set up.

Upon spotting him, the girl ran over in surprise.

“Scholarship Officer! Scholarship Officer! Hurry over!”

“Milia, what about the aircraft?”

At the mention of the Scholarship Officer, Milia began to scold him as if he were foolish.

“The Palcion? Didn’t you ride it over to the Infestation Zone last time and break it? It’s still under repairs! Did you forget? More importantly, there’s something even more crucial right now!”

“I need an explanation…”

A loud, crisp sound rang out.

Though it wasn’t painful, he was startled and turned back at the sudden impact.

A slight tremor appeared on Seijis’ previously frozen face.

Because he recognized the person, he saw his twin sister, a beautiful woman with black hair, standing with her arms crossed and a sulky expression.

“Hey? Why are you here…?”

As he stumbled over his words, his twin sister responded.

“You fool! I came to fetch you since you’re always wandering around outside! What are you doing leaving everything to me? No matter how busy you are!”

“I told you. I—”

Sophie El sighed.

“I know. You came from the future and are doing something important. It’s that very task that’s making you come home battered every day, right?”

“…”

He remained silent. After getting into the car, she continued.

“I get that you’re doing something important. But how long will you keep doing it alone? You keep blabbering about taking care of future students, yet you leave everything to me and go about on your own. What’s the reason for that?”

Seijis quietly replied.

“Because it’s something I have to do.”

“Then gather more people to help! There’s no reason you have to bear it all alone.”

He kept his mouth shut. His sister was right. He didn’t have to take on everything by himself.

But… he didn’t want to.

Considering the events that would occur in the next few years, cooperating with others would also pose a risk for them.

This time, he couldn’t afford to lose everything.

Seeing her twin brother’s hardened demeanor, Sophie El watched him with a frown for a moment before suddenly grabbing his ear.

“Ow? What’s up with that?”

“Look at that face again! The expression of a person who carries the weight of the world! You’re so stubborn. It’s obvious why you don’t want to be alone. You don’t want to see anyone else get hurt, right? Then just ask me for help. I may not be as good as you, but my skills are no joke either, you know?”

She complained while looking at her brother’s face.

“It’s funny how you act like a big sister just because you were born a few minutes earlier, but I’m still your family. Plus, there’s Milia too. So don’t try to do everything by yourself, okay?”

As she tugged on his ear and scolded him, perhaps from accepting the worry hidden behind those words, his expression softened slightly.

“Alright, let’s go back to the Inspection Bureau and discuss things. You have no idea how many things I had to handle. There’s a ton of stuff I couldn’t share while you were wandering outside the academy city. Don’t you dare run away, got it?”

The Scholarship Officer declared his surrender.

“Fine, besides, I’ll have to stay in Rust Room for a while anyway.”

Seeing that, his sister confidently pulled out a tablet.

“Great! Then let’s start with who we should talk about first? Irene Solstice?”