Chapter 130: In Search of a Scream (7)
Chapter 130: In Search of a Scream (7)
“Is the Leader of Nebula Clazier my father?”
“Hoo.”
The shadow shrugged as if finding it interesting. In truth, it had been a thought lingering in his mind for quite some time, but he had kept it buried deep, almost like a beggarly notion.
‘I’ve had suspicions ever since I was able to use those bastards’ abilities…’
But by now, leaving the possibility open was inevitable. It wasn’t merely the face revealed beneath the robe that bore a striking resemblance to his own.
If the hypothesis is correct, it would resolve a number of unanswered questions. Things like the ability to cut mana or how he came to be able to manipulate the sparkling mana. The shadow that was sipping tea opened its mouth.
“The Leader… it might be, or it might not be.”
“Can’t you just speak straight?”
“I have no obligation to do so. Why are you so sure that man is the Leader?”
“…At least he didn’t seem stupid.”
Ronan reflected on the memory for a moment and gritted his teeth. It was his first time experiencing such a crushing defeat. He hadn’t been able to make the fight with that man come to fruition until his neck was almost severed.
Even Elysia and Alivriha, who were immensely powerful, were helpless against the man. Even before the betrayal, that man’s strength was unusual, but after taking the Savior’s power, it was impossible to even estimate his strength.
“He had strength and ambition. Those bastards don’t end up as lackeys unless they’re fools.”
“An interesting deduction.”
“Fuck, if you don’t want to talk straight, I’ll make you.”
Ronan spat out curses, rising to his feet. He brushed aside the multitude of questions flooding his mind. Family ties weren’t important right now.
Regardless of who that white-haired guy was, if he was the leader of Nebula Clazier, Ronan had to kill him anyway. Those bald-headed fanatics aimed to bring about the destruction of the world. He pointedly spoke while rubbing his forehead.
“So, why did you show me all of this?”
“To give you a chance.”
“A chance?”
“Yes, a chance to make a better choice. The caster of this curse hoped you would never fully realize your own power.”
The shadow muttered incomprehensible words, rising from its seat. He spoke while gazing out the window.
“Insects are bound to be attracted to flowers with a strong scent… But you’ve already broken three curses and turned Nebula Clazier into a enemy.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“The stronger you become, the more predetermined your fate. Do you still intend to oppose Nebula Clazier?”
Crack! Suddenly, the shadow’s form expanded widely. The battle between Ronan and the robed man unfolded before his eyes over its expanded form. It took less than five minutes for his head to go flying after their encounter at the cliff.
‘Fuck.’
Ronan frowned, once again feeling the despairing gap in strength. Watching his own head fly off from a third person point of view was not a very pleasant experience.
“That man is still alive. As time passed, he has probably gotten even stronger.”
“Haa.”
“If you continue to fight against Nebula Clazier, you will meet that person again in the not too distant future. At that time, you won’t have the luck of having a severed head healed.”
Ronan clicked his tongue. He felt the hairs all over his body stand up. The shadow continued speaking in a heavy voice.
“But it’s not too late. Give up trying to undo the curses now and return to a peaceful life. However, If you really wish for it, I will tell you how to break the curse, but I will not hide the fact that it is a foolish choice.”
Swoosh… The size of the shadow decreased to its original size, and it spoke.
“Now decide. I will respect your choice, but I will not ask you twice.”
“Dammit, did you go through all this nonsense just to say that?”
Ronan chuckled bitterly. In the end, it was similar to the questions Sekreet had posed before the fight. Choosing comfort over perilous challenges, the kind of cowardly decision.
Of course, fear was real. Just imagining a reencounter with that man made his hands grow clammy. Maybe, just after those words from the shadow, his head would roll the moment they met.
‘It fucking sucks.’
But none of that mattered. Once a promise was made, it had to be kept. Ronan, spitting on the ground, answered without hesitation.
“Tell me how to break the curse.”
“Very well. Follow me.”
Surprisingly, the shadow neither taunted nor asked twice. Leading the way, he strode out through the front door.
Ronan followed suit, and as he stepped beyond the threshold, his eyes widened. In the midst of the garden stood a colossal rock.
“What’s this now?”
“It’s the being you must slay for the curse to be undone.”
It was a truly hideous rock. What a rock would look like if a giant had chewed and spit it out and left it in the desert for about a thousand years.
“It is the materialization of the core of the curse, sealing your potential so that it cannot be revealed.”
“This?”
“Yes. Try touching it.”
Ronan placed his hand on the rock. Indeed, there was a powerful force writhing from deep within the stone.
‘Hmm?’
But something felt off. There was a distinct mana emanating from the rock itself. With a strange sense of unease, Ronan raised an eyebrow. The shadow spoke up.
“As soon as you cut this down, you can return. Of course, it won’t be easy.””
“The rock’s tough.”
Ronan gripped the hilt of his blade. The crimson-stained Lamancha emerged. Before the shadow could speak, he struck the rock.
Crash! A fierce collision echoed. Ronan, seeing the entirely undamaged surface, grimaced.
“…It’s damn solid.”
“As I said, it won’t be easy.”
The hardness exceeded his expectations by far. No matter how many attempts he made, the sharp edge only scratched the surface while the rock remained resilient.
“It might take considerable time and training before you can break this nucleus.”
“Training?”
“Yes, until you’re capable of splitting this rock.”
Thund!
The shadow unexpectedly flicked its fingers, and the scenery rippled as Nimberton’s image vanished. Ronan glanced at the sight of the adventure club area training ground that appeared the moment he blinked.
“It’s not even surprising anymore.”
“Do you not like it? I thought it’d be the most optimal environment for you to train.”
“…Continue then.”
Ronan Nimberton’s home transformed into the headquarters of the Elite Adventure Club. The unsightly rock protruded on the spacious training ground’s floor. Various training equipment and tools were neatly arranged around the area. Nodding in acknowledgment, the shadow spoke up.
“You can manifest whatever you desire here. You may sleep or eat in that building. Your sole focus should be on splitting that rock.”
“It seems like you want me to sit around, but I don’t have that much time.”
“Did I not tell you? Ten days here equals merely an hour outside.”
Ronan’s eyes widened. This was new information.
“Only three days have passed outside. Training in here also affects the physical body in the outside world, so it might not be a bad idea.”
“Your personality seems more affable now. Quite different from when you were tearing me apart.”
“Respecting your choice is also the caster’s intention. And something like this is also possible.”
As Ronan surveyed the training ground, the shadow flicked its finger once more. Suddenly, the door to the club building opened and a sharp-looking young man strode out. Ronan frowned at the unexpected appearance of Shullifen.
“Fuck, what is it now?”
“It’s been a while, Ronan.”
Even his voice matched perfectly. Approaching a training dummy, Shullifen pulled the hilt of his sword.
Swoosh!
A sharp gust swept the training ground as thirty heads simultaneously rolled off. Sheathing the sword, Shullifen turned to Ronan.
“How about a spar?”
“Huh.”
Ronan chuckled dryly. The shadow mentioned it could summon anyone necessary for training. Once again, the club’s door opened.
A tall woman appeared. Her truly desirable attire caught Ronan’s eye. Dressed in her Imperial Army uniform, Adeshan strode forward in her high leather boots.
“Corporal. How have you been?”
It was the Adeshan from her days as the General. At her waist was the whip Ronan had given her as a gift. She came up to Ronan and grabbed his face with both hands.
“You’ve taken quite the beating.”
“…General.”
“You don’t have to worry alone. I, along with the Raising Star of The Empire, will help you.”
Her ash-gray eyes were captivating. Despite knowing it was an illusion, a vague sense of nostalgia crept in. Closing his eyes slightly, Ronan grumbled softly.
“Get rid of it.”
“Of course.”
Thwack!
The sound of flicking fingers resonated. When he opened his eyes, Shullifen and Adeshan were nowhere to be seen. Taking a deep breath, Ronan gazed at the rock.
“Yeah… it’s tempting.”
Honestly, it was an offer that there was no reason to refuse. Not only could he get everything he wanted, but he could also summon anyone as a sparring partner. There was no need to explain about the advantage of time passing slower than in the outside world.
“Then call me if you need anything. I will come right away.”
“Wait a minute.”
However, only under the premise that all of this was not false.
“Hmm?”
The shadow that heard the call stopped in place. At the same time, Ronan tugged at the hilt of his sword. A crimson sword strike shot out toward the shadow.
“What…!”
The shadow urgently distorted its shape. However, the slash was faster than before and did not give enough time to avoid it. Swoosh! A red line was drawn across the shadow’s body.
“Argh!”
Cut off parts of the shadow scattered on the ground and started to boil like bubbles. The shadow looked up at Ronan and opened its mouth.
“Did you notice from the start?”
“That’s right.”
“Huh… I thought my acting was flawless.”
The shadow muttered as if lamenting. Its body, which had been cut to its core, did not recover.
Swoosh… Everything that made up the space began to crumble into dust. The club building, the hideous rock, the dying shadow and even Ronan’s body.
Ronan pointed to the rock with the tip of his chin and spoke.
“The thing trying to break out from below, it’s a curse.”
The shadow remained silent. In fact, it had been noticed midway through.
What was suppressed under the rock wasn’t something like Ronan’s potential. A much stronger curse seemed ready to explode at any moment.
The rock was containing the curse from spreading further. If that rock were destroyed, the pent-up curse would burst out and corrode the entire body. The dissipating shadow spoke up.
“How did you figure it out? I’ve ensured the curse couldn’t be sensed.”
“Can’t say…”
Ronan trailed off. Certainly, in the past, he might not have noticed. Various disguising spells were layered over the curse lurking beneath the rock.
However, following his journey through memories, his senses had become much sharper. It felt like the fog obscuring his vision had lifted.
Moreover, from the hideous rock, he sensed mana similar to what he had felt from Seniel’s essence. The conglomerate of will that Elf Sarante revered. There was no sense that such a presence hindered his growth.
‘Seems quite similar in a way.’
Ronan smirked. Considering the surrounding scenery was disappearing, it seemed the objective was achieved. The origin of the curse was, indeed, that very shadow.
The diminishing shadow had now reduced to a pitiful sight, barely more than a handful of ash. Consciousness began to fade gradually. In the vanishing world, the voice of the shadow echoed.
“As expected… your insight is remarkable.”
****
“Ughh…”
Ronan opened his eyes. His mind felt muddled, as if he had just woken from an extremely long sleep. A thick, icy wall reminiscent of an iceberg blocked his view.
“…What in the world is this?”
An unidentified wall encased Ronan’s entire body like a cocoon. Only enough space was available to move his arms and legs, with no way to see the outside.
‘Dammit. Am I still inside the Mental World?’
A faint uneasiness brushed through his mind. Though the typical sense of dissonance was absent, he couldn’t afford to be complacent.
Slowly reaching out, Ronan touched the wall. Crack! A substantial fissure appeared, and the wall shattered into pieces.
“That was unexpected…!
Ronan hastily got up. He hadn’t expected it to break so easily. Fortunately, he didn’t sustain any injuries from the fragments. As he surveyed his surroundings, a familiar landscape finally caught his eye.
“…Separacio.”
The enclosed study was filled with books. On the floor, the magic circle used when delving into the Mental World remained intact.
Suddenly, Ronan noticed his line of sight had significantly risen. The size of his hands and feet didn’t seem much different from when he was inhabiting the Savior’s body.
‘Shit, how long was I trapped in there for?’
Just as he was about to touch his face with his hands, a familiar voice came from behind.
“…It’s been a really long time. Ronan.”