Chapter 71

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on January 22, 2025

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It’s been a full day since I entered the forest.

The heavy rain that had been pouring down has finally stopped.

But maybe because it just cleared up, the sky is still filled with dark clouds. Could that be why? The nightfall in the forest felt terribly dark.

However, there was an exception.

Zoom!

In an instant, light swept away the darkness.

It was the starlight created by Delia. Although it was gentle, it was sufficient. Thus, we were on our way back to the base.

“……”

Delia’s face was tightly set.

No wonder. The night of the second day of the exam that Noah had foretold was just around the corner.

Who knows, the Abyss Worshippers might appear soon.

With such thoughts, the anxiety I thought had disappeared began to creep back in.

At that moment.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to be tense.”

A huge hand patted my shoulder.

It was Ulan’s touch. He spoke in a calm tone.

“I’ve been scanning the surroundings since earlier and haven’t noticed anything suspicious.”

From the moment the sun set until now, Ulan hasn’t let his guard down.

However, he still hadn’t detected any sign of the Abyss Worshippers.

Meanwhile, as soon as he finished his reply, Delia suddenly stopped in her tracks. Turning her body toward Ulan, she stared at him intently.

Her face was completely expressionless.

Though her dry expression was hard to read, Ulan quickly grasped what she wanted to say.

“Do you want to ask me something?”

“Yes, I do.”

Delia nodded.

As if that were the correct answer. After a moment, she asked with a look of puzzlement.

“How do you read my expressions so well?”

She had been curious since the beginning.

When they had been paired together for the entrance exam, Ulan had perfectly read what Delia wanted to say or feel just by looking at her face.

While waiting for his answer, Ulan replied shortly.

“I just say what I see.”

“Can you, see my, expression?”

“I can see it very well.”

Ulan nodded.

Of course, it hadn’t always been like this.

Only after spending years alongside Delia in his past life did he finally become familiar with it.

Meanwhile, Delia, who wasn’t aware of this fact, slightly turned her head and mumbled.

“Ulan is a, fascinating person.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, immensely.”

The more she learned, the more curious she became.

Yet, one thing had changed slightly.

At first, it had just felt fascinating, but now it was paired with curiosity. She genuinely wanted to know Ulan as a person.

‘I want to know more.’

Not only about his past but everything—what he likes and dislikes, his favorite food, hobbies, and talents.

And to truly know someone, spending a long time together is the best way.

Just as that thought struck her, Delia’s tightly shut lips began to move.

“Hey, Ulan!”

Her voice was a bit louder than usual.

With a decisive expression, she hesitated briefly before continuing.

“After, the midterms, would you, like to go out with me…?”

To play outside?

That was what Delia intended to say.

Of course, this was not the kind of thing to say in the current situation, but she still wanted a clear answer. However, unfortunately, she couldn’t finish her sentence.

Thud!

A sudden jolt hit her shoulder.

It was Ulan pushing her unexpectedly. A completely unforeseen move. Delia’s body was pushed backward as a result of the strong force.

“……!”

Just as she was startled by the sudden act.

Something caught her attention.

‘The space…!’

The sight of the air warping.

This was a phenomenon that occurs when space is distorted.

And with that, Delia completely fell backward, tumbling to the ground.

And at that moment.

Whoosh!

A thick vine swept through the air.

The very place where Delia had just been.

Had Ulan not pushed her down, the vines would have snatched her up in the blink of an eye.

“What the hell? Just a moment ago, there was definitely…?”

No sign had been felt at all.

Not even a trace of an Abyss Worshipper, let alone that of a monster.

But suddenly sensing the attack of the vine, Ulan instinctively pushed Delia down.

Meanwhile, perhaps having missed the chance to catch her, more vines than before aimed directly at Ulan.

But this was a mistake on their part.

Slash! Boom!

The vines were torn asunder.

In that instant, Ulan stomped the ground like a beast.

Quickly reaching beyond the bushes, Ulan soon stood face-to-face with the owner of the vines.

“That’s…”

A flower as big as a building.

It had large petals on top, and several tubular structures sprang forth from the flower’s core.

Moreover, its thick trunk was crawling with more than dozens of vines that had just attacked Ulan.

A truly monstrous flower.

As soon as Ulan took its appearance in, he furrowed his eyebrows.

“Why is Candira here…?”

The name of the monster flower was Candira.

It was classified as a bloodsucking plant and a monster.

After snatching up its prey with its vines, it drained the blood and bodily fluids using the tubes that sprouted from its core.

In terms of monsters, it belonged to the 5-star rank.

It was a creature that shouldn’t exist here. However, the reason Ulan frowned was not that.

“…An Abyssal Monster!”

Ulan growled lowly. As that name suggested, Candira was a monster that came from the Abyss.

Of course, it’s considered one of the weakest in the Abyssal Monsters, but it was still a challenge even for students and Special Operations Division agents.

“Could it be the work of the Abyss Worshippers?”

It was a plausible suspicion.

They tend to summon Abyssal Monsters to do their bidding.

However, there was a question looming.

“It shouldn’t be possible for them to summon an Abyssal Monster yet; the gate hasn’t opened for quite a while.”

Based on the memories from his past life, it should take another twenty years for the Gate of the Abyss to open. So how could a monster that dwells in the Abyss roam around here?

Just as such questions began to bubble up.

Suddenly, Candira started to transform.

Crack! Crunch!

As its body wriggled, countless vines surged out from within Candira.

It was obvious that there were over a hundred vines.

And they even bore sharp thorns.

If those wrapped around one’s body, it would drag them along in excruciating pain. Finally, having unleashed its vines, Candira immediately launched its attack.

Bang! Kazakak! Boom!

The ground was bombarded by vine artillery.

It planned to turn its target into rags before slowly having a meal. But the impact felt absent.

What’s this? Did it miss?

As Candira’s tiny brain speculated this, it sensed Ulan’s presence belatedly.

And he was right up close.

“I’m not entirely sure, but…”

Ulan had not let a single one of the creatures that crawled through the Abyss live up until now. And he had no intention of making an exception this time either.

In that moment.

Feeling the danger, Candira poured all its attacking means towards Ulan.

And soon, the results became apparent.

Crack! Boom!

With the sound of something exploding.

Its body burst apart. Not just its body. The flower and the vines were shredded too.

This was the price of being caught up in the Master’s Domain.

Thud!

The remaining body crumpled to the ground.

A moment later, the body and debris wilted until they transformed into gray smoke and vanished.

A common trait of Abyssal Monsters.

They leave no corpses behind, disappearing as smoke, almost as if returning to the Abyss.

After finishing the unilateral hunt.

Ulan used his tracking ability again. This time, there was a different outcome from before.

“Three more are here.”

All of them were ‘Candira’. Not far from this place.

With his eyes shining, Ulan turned his body back to where he originally was. He then called out to Delia, who was likely laying unconscious in the bushes.

“It’s okay now. You can come out.”

No answer came back.

Feeling puzzled, Ulan moved his steps.

Upon arriving at the previous spot, he called her name once more.

“Delia?”

Still, there was no response.

Moments later, Ulan realized it.

Delia, who had clearly been here just a moment ago, had completely vanished.

2.

Meanwhile, at that moment.

Delia, who had been sent tumbling by Ulan, bumped her head against a tree.

“Ouch.”

The shock made her eyes well up with tears.

But that was only for a moment.

She quickly regained her focus.

In an effort to recall the phenomenon she witnessed just before falling, where the space had distorted.

Before long, the nature of the magic would be revealed.

‘It’s a type of space expansion magic.’

In other words, it’s magic that intervenes in a specific space to either narrow or expand the distance of that space.

It was also a magic she had only seen in books.

‘Because this magic is…’

Forbidden magic.

Using this kind of magic distorts space, creating an unstable flow of magical power.

This increases the chance of a magical disaster in that area, leading to a rise in the appearance of various monstrous beasts.

‘And one more thing.’

The catalyst needed for this magic was a ‘human brain’.

Specifically, the brain of a freshly deceased human. For this reason, it was called forbidden magic.

As soon as this thought crossed her mind.

Delia’s expression hardened.

The usage of forbidden magic meant the Abyss Worshippers had appeared.

Moreover, to make matters worse, Ulan was not beside her anymore. Judging by the distorted space at the moment she was pushed, it seemed the space had expanded, separating her from Ulan.

This would lead to serious trouble.

Not a joke, she genuinely felt troubled.

The thought of being isolated in the forest away from Ulan sent a chill down her spine.

But she couldn’t just sit there.

‘First, I need to regroup with Ulan.’

As she set her top priority straight.

While thinking of a way to find him.

“Oh, right.”

Something suddenly came to her mind.

It was the talisman she received from Noah.

The talisman was said to reveal the direction of the person even from a distance.

So with this glimmer of hope, she pulled out the talisman, but strangely, there was no reaction.

‘Why is this happening?’

Delia stared intently at the talisman.

She examined the magic and formula inscribed within it. After a moment, she fully grasped the talisman’s capabilities.

‘The effective range for detection is around 3 km.’

In other words, beyond 3 km, it would be ineffective.

Understanding the limitations of the talisman, Delia frowned. In the current situation, it meant it didn’t serve much purpose.

‘If only there were no clouds…’

With the 4-star Stellar Magic, she could find Ulan’s direction from the star map.

However, to use that magic, she needed to absorb magic from the stars in the sky. In the current cloudy state, that was impossible.

Just as she sighed in frustration.

Rustle!

Suddenly, she heard the sound of rustling in the bushes. Startled, she immediately completed her magic formula.

2-star Stellar Magic, Star Lightning.

This magic condenses the power of stars and strikes the target with speed and force akin to lightning. Just as she was swallowing her dry throat with a tense face.

Something jumped out from the bushes.

“Phew! A, a person?”

A boy with wide, surprised eyes.

He was a student of a similar age to Delia. One after another, students popped out of the bushes.

“Phew, you scared me.”

“I thought it was a monster.”

“Oh, it was just fellow students.”

Three boys and girls with youthful faces.

Delia tilted her head in confusion.

“Who are you…?”

“Ah, I’m Jane.”

“I’m Luke. And this is Amila.”

“We’re in the same class. Don’t you remember?”

I don’t remember.

To be honest, she had no interest in students other than Ulan. Just as she quietly nodded her head, the students reached out to her again.

“By the way, did you sense it too?”

“Sense what?”

“The forest has been a bit strange.”

“There are monsters we’ve never seen before lurking around.”

She agreed with the point about the forest being odd.

Indeed, the appearance of the Abyss Worshippers and their immediate magic of space expansion must have changed things up.

“So, we were wondering, if you’re okay, could we stick together? We’re too scared by ourselves.”

“Yeah, it’s safer with more people.”

“Let’s go together, okay? Please.”

The three students begged earnestly.

Delia could mostly guess their reason. They probably wanted the protection of a powerful mage like her.

Delia nodded.

In fact, she was just as anxious being left alone. Just then.

Rustle!

The bushes shook again.

“W-What is that?!”

“Is something else about to come out…?”

The students wore anxious expressions.

A moment later, beyond the shaking bushes, a familiar figure appeared.

A woman with short green hair.

Seeing her, Delia’s eyes widened.

“…Stella, Professor?”

The supervisor of the hunting exam, Stella.

But something felt off about her reaction. Instead of greeting the students, she looked towards them with a stern face, as if on guard.

In that moment, three students approached Stella.

“Oh no! Are you hurt?”

“Just a moment! We’ll…”

“Don’t come any closer!”

But at that very moment.

A sharp shout rang out as a warning.

That wasn’t all. Stella aimed a crossbow loaded with arrows towards the direction of the students.

“P-Professor? Why…?”

Was she startled by the sudden enmity?

The students, with frightened faces, glanced cautiously at Stella. Then she opened her mouth.

“I’ve encountered five students so far. And without exception, I’ve been attacked by every single one. To be precise, by monsters disguised as students.”

“……!”

Delia and the other students’ eyes widened.

Then the students protested indignantly.

“B-But we’re really…!”

“Then prove it.”

“Prove it?”

“It’s simple. Inflict a wound on your body so that blood comes out. Just for reference, those damn monsters emitted black smoke instead.”

Stella scratched her arm with a dagger.

With blood flowing from the wound, it was a way to prove they were human.

“Hurry! If you don’t, I’ll assume you’re monsters!”

Stella shouted vehemently.

Letting out a sigh, Delia promptly took out a knife for trimming and pricked the tip of her finger.

Thud! Drip!

Clear blood flowed along the blade.

“…Is that enough?”

“Good. Delia can come this way.”

As soon as Stella gave her permission.

Delia made her way over immediately. However, just then, she sensed an intense aura from behind her.

“……!”

The shapes of the students twisted grotesquely.

Soon, sharp claws flew towards Delia. She attempted to respond with magic, but it was too late. Just as she was about to close her eyes tightly.

Wham! Thwack! Thud!

With a refreshing sound, arrows struck the bodies of the students aiming to attack her. More precisely, those that wore the guise of students.

“Ehe, hehe!”

“Kya-hahaha!”

The beings that were hit by the arrows disappeared with bizarre laughter, transforming into smoke.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“……Yeah, I’m fine.”

Delia, regaining her senses, nodded her head.

Stella then asked again.

“But what about Ulan? Why is he alone?”

“Ah, that’s…”

After letting out a heavy sigh.

Delia explained the situation. Everything about being separated from Ulan and that the culprit creating this mess was an Abyss Worshipper.

After her story ended.

Stella’s expression turned somber.

“Ugh, Abyss Worshippers? I never imagined such a thing would show up.”

“……What do we do now?”

“First, let’s get out of the forest.”

She decisively resolved.

“This situation has crossed the line for us to handle alone. So we should quickly report to the Academy and request support.”

“But Ulan…”

“It’s okay. He’ll be fine.”

Stella replied with confidence.

Ulan had reached the Master’s Domain. And on top of that, he had already defeated the two sword masters of the Empire.

No matter how notorious the Abyss Worshippers were, it wouldn’t be enough for them to take on a Master.

“So let’s do what we can.”

To return to the Academy and request reinforcements.

After contemplating, Delia nodded.

Shortly after, the two began to walk.

To escape the forest. But there was something they didn’t realize.

Swiftly!

There lurked a being hidden in the shadow of the forest.

A gray shadow had been watching them the whole time. What’s more, it would follow closely behind them without either of them knowing.

3.

Thump! Crack!

The sound of vines ripping apart.

The bloodsucking plant, Candira, collapsed as if it had fallen down.

It was the last one remaining. Watching it transform into gray smoke, Ulan sheathed his axe and turned his body.

“Since all the monsters have returned to the Abyss…”

Now it was time to find Delia again.

However, finding her seemed daunting.

That’s understandable since he had been using detection techniques, but still hadn’t sensed any trace or sign of her.

What should he do?

As he faltered in thought.

“Ulan.”

Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded.

It was dry yet calm.

Delia’s voice.

“Ulan. I’m over here.”

She spoke in her signature stuttering tone.

Ulan immediately turned his head.

And soon, he spotted Delia coming towards him from beyond the bushes.

But there was a problem.

“Ulan. Who are those?”

“Don’t be fooled. Don’t fall for it.”

“I’m the real one. Ulan.”

“Trust me.”

It wasn’t just one, but multiple figures.

In front of him, there appeared a total of six Delias.

A bizarre scene. Ulan frowned and clicked his tongue.

“Tch, are there illusions mixed in?”

That was all he could say.

Having experienced situations like this many times in his past life, he wasn’t particularly flustered.

Rather, he remembered several solutions to tackle this kind of situation.

‘There are three methods to distinguish them.’

First, he could use Delia’s magic.

Among her spells, there existed one that distinguishes illusions from reality.

But at that moment, it was useless. Because it was an illusion of Delia herself filling the space.

‘Next, the second method.’

Using the Saintess’s holy incantation.

Illusions are invariably constructed using magical power and supernatural forces. As such, they would be easily dispelled by purifying spells.

However, this too was out of the question.

Because the Saintess wasn’t there.

‘In that case…’

He would have to resort to the third method.

It was Ulan’s own method.

And it was also a method that the Barbarians insisted they never wanted to fall victim to.

“Ulan, Ulan.”

“Look at me properly.”

Delia, who had neared him by now.

Ulan fixated his gaze on her amidst the six Delias now standing in front of him. Immediately, she reached out her arms toward him with a gentle smile.

“I’m the real Delia…”

Likewise, Ulan extended his arms.

To be precise, he extended his fist.

Thud!

His fist struck right into her stomach.

With the loud noise of a popping balloon, Delia’s figure lifted into the air. Afterward, her body turned into gray smoke and disappeared.

Ulan muttered softly.

“So that was a fake.”

This was the third method of distinction.

Inflicting a non-lethal blow.

If it had been the real one, she would’ve clutched her stomach and vomited or writhed in pain, but if it was a fake, it would simply dissolve into smoke like that.

No illusion had survived an attack from Ulan so far.

“So that leaves five more.”

“……”

At that moment, all five Delias came to a standstill.

After exchanging glances, they began to back away slowly.

“It’s alright. Don’t worry.”

In contrast, Ulan boldly approached.

With a tightly clenched fist.

“This time, I’ll go easy on you.”

His eyes gleaming fiercely.

Thud! Boom!

A loud sound shook the forest.