Chapter 86: Beyond Spring Into Summer (3)
Chapter 86: Beyond Spring Into Summer (3)
“It’s been a while, Navirose.”
At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind. Ronan and Navirose both turned their heads simultaneously. A lean man stood bathed in the setting sun’s rays. Seeing his ominous appearance, Navirose furrowed her brow.
“Jhordin?”
“Did you happen to destroy a wall or something? I could sense your mana.”
“…It was just an accident during class.”
Navirose replied, avoiding eye contact. Jhordin gazed at the remnants of the collapsed wall as if puzzled. Ronan, squinting at him while assessing his demeanor, chuckled softly.
‘Jhordin… is that really him?’
He almost didn’t recognize him. There hadn’t been a significant transformation. The only noticeable changes were his neatly combed hair and slightly fuller cheeks, which had previously appeared sunken like a skull.
Yet, these subtle alterations had completely transformed Jhordin’s appearance. While he used to be just a bookish scholar, he now exuded the air of a decadent middle-aged man.
Navirose remarked coldly, “So why did you come here? You’re not holed up in the tower even after classes are over?”
“I have various matters to attend to. The first is to inform you that my research has been successful.”
“What?”
Navirose’s eyes widened. She was one of the few who knew Jhordin’s secret.
Jhordin continued, “Come see for yourself. She hasn’t regained consciousness yet, but she might be able to hear your voice. I think she’ll be interested in your adventures.”
From his words, it seemed that she had a close relationship with his wife, Sunya. Jhordin patted Navirose’s stiff shoulders as a gesture of gratitude and then turned to Ronan.
“Long time no see, Ronan.”
“Yeah, you look more human now. I couldn’t even recognize you.”
“Sorry, even though I’m indebted to you, I couldn’t properly greet you back then.”
“It’s alright; I did it because I wanted to.”
“That’s true. But regardless of what anyone says, I owe you my life.”
Suddenly, Jhordin lowered his head. Navirose, who had seen an unimaginable sight, furrowed her brow. Even with a body broken to the point of being unable to walk or use the restroom, Jhordin had held his head high. His voice, heavy and sincere, resonated beneath his lowered head.
“I’m truly grateful.”
“Damn, why is someone as high-ranking as a professor acting like this? You can thank me properly later when you’re back with your wife.”
“This is a different matter.”
Despite Ronan’s objections, Jhordin only raised his head after a while. His eyes, now clearer and brighter, met Ronan’s gaze. He spoke earnestly.
“If you ever face difficulties, come find me. I’ll do my best to help you.”
“You won’t take money, will you?”
“It’ll be free of charge even for your children and grandchildren.”
Jhordin chuckled lightly. Seeing a glimmer of youthful energy in his eyes, Ronan heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed that he wouldn’t succumb to the temptations of Nebula Clazier for the time being.
‘It seems I made the right choice by helping him. The more unhappy you are, the weaker you become. I can rest easy for now.’
Ronan genuinely believed that Jhordin would be a formidable ally. A master of earth magic, he was undoubtedly someone who could be counted on in the future. After concluding their conversation, Jhordin suddenly seemed restless.
“What about your girlfriend, where is she?”
“Girlfriend?”
“Yeah, the one with black hair and tall… In fact, I came today because of that girl.”
Ronan furrowed his brow. He was about to retort with his firm preferences, but Navirose, who entered the room promptly, spoke up.
“If you mean Adeshan, she’s not here today. Why are you looking for my assistant?”
“I couldn’t stop thinking about her since I saw her last time. Even amidst my research, it bothered me endlessly. This morning, I finally became sure.”
“What do you mean?”
Navirose raised an eyebrow. Jhordin’s lips parted, and he spoke with a solemn voice, as if declaring war.
“That child’s power is dangerous. Extremely dangerous.”
For a moment, the training ground fell silent. Navirose asked what he meant, but Jhordin’s expression was serious.
‘It’s time.’
Ronan swept his bangs aside in silence. The setting sun cast long shadows from all directions. The journey to reinstate the general had just begun.
***
“Is my power really dangerous…? Professor Jhordin said that?”
“Yes. He made quite a fuss about it. He even grabbed me by the collar.”
“But I’m just an ordinary talented student…”
Ronan and Adeshan met the following day at noon. Due to the rain that had fallen the previous night, puddles had formed in various places on the streets. The atmosphere in the correctional facility was becoming even more profound as they welcomed the arrival of summer.
“Like I said, I and Jhordin just happened to notice it.”
“I’m getting nervous… and excited. Anyway, thank you, Ronan, for giving me this opportunity.”
Adeshan smiled. It was a fitting smile despite the early summer’s warmth. It was hard to believe that such a girl possessed such terrifying power.
Ronan looked ahead and said, “I probably have more reasons to thank you.”
They headed to the main building of the Magic Department, not Jhordin’s tower. Although it looked like Gallereon Castle, the main building of the Martial Arts Department, from the outside, the interior was entirely different.
Ronan muttered under his breath, “These eccentric spellcasters.”
He couldn’t understand why there had to be stairs attached to the ceiling, moving portraits, or violin-playing mechanical knights roaming around. The place was so complex that anyone unfamiliar with it would easily get lost.
“Hey, Aselle!”
“Ro-Ronan?! How did you…?”
Luckily, stumbling upon Aselle, who was wandering aimlessly, was a stroke of luck. Ronan, who had brought him here as if he were kidnapped, guided him to an enigmatic space called the ‘Deep 6 Research Lab’ and introduced him to Adeshan.
“Uh, hello. I’m Aselle…”
“I’m Adeshan, a 2nd-year student in the Martial Arts Department. Nice to meet you.”
“G-Great…”
Aselle looked at Adeshan with a mixture of awe and despair, his head tilted back, and his eyes wide open, as if gazing at a majestic tower or mountain range.
“But why did we come to the Deep Research Lab? It’s a place for experimenting with dangerous magic…”
“This sunbae needs to awaken the power to kill all living beings. If you follow my instructions, she’ll spare your life.”
“Heeeeeek…!”
Aselle’s face turned pale. While Ronan scolded him not to joke around, he wasn’t making a joke or telling a lie.
The Deep Research Lab was located underground beneath the main building, although Ronan decided not to ask how they had gone from climbing the stairs to reaching the underground. Aselle, walking along the corridor, stopped in front of a door with the number ‘6’ on it. The massive iron door, easily ten meters high, had multiple layers of defensive spells enchanted on it. Ronan furrowed his brow.
“Isn’t this where they experiment with new explosive spells targeting us?”
“I… I’m not sure.”
“Alright, I’m going in. In case Elizabeth comes looking for me, pretend you don’t know anything.”
With that, Aselle, after receiving instructions, hastily retreated as if trying to flee. Seeing him grumble about Elizabeth, it seemed like he was still tormented by her.
This is why you need a good head on your shoulders. Ronan muttered as he pushed the iron door. Surprisingly, it wasn’t locked.
Contrary to expectations of narrowness, a spacious area opened up. Adeshan, who was slowly looking around, couldn’t help but be amazed.
“Wow…”
It seemed that about a third of all the magic existing in the world could be experimented with here. Various unidentifiable experimental equipment and machinery were neatly arranged.
“Squeak! squeak!”
“Mewk! Mewik!”
One side of the research lab was made up of cages that could contain animals. Various animals of different sizes, from small mice to foxes, deer, and wolves, were grumbling in their cages.
The gray bear that met Ronan’s gaze, standing on its hind legs, roared fiercely.
“Gwawwr!”
“Oh, damn. What are these things doing here?”
“These are materials for experiments with dark magic and mind control. One of the hidden secrets of Philleon Academy.”
At that moment, a familiar voice echoed from one corner of the research lab. Ronan and Adeshan turned their heads simultaneously. They spotted Jhordin, who was standing with a heavy burden between giant hexagonal pillars.
“You’re here.”
“Professor Jhordin…?”
Adeshan’s eyes widened, clearly taken aback by Jhordin’s appearance. Ronan scolded him.
“Why are you calling people to a place like this?”
“I needed equipment that wasn’t available in my research lab. I couldn’t just leave it anywhere.”
Jhordin pointed to the giant hexagonal pillars in front of him. There were three of them, each about 10 meters tall, arranged in the shape of an equilateral triangle. Numerous unfamiliar symbols were densely carved on each face, suggesting that these were not ordinary objects.
“But why did you come here? I didn’t call you.”
“Well… I was curious, and I thought I might be able to help.”
“So you’re saying you followed him out of concern, in a roundabout way.”
Jhordin chuckled lightly. Adeshan, blushing, turned her head as if she hadn’t heard. It was true that she had followed out of concern, so Ronan didn’t argue. Jhordin pointed to his location.
“Come and stand here.”
Adeshan did as instructed, and as she stood in the center of the equilateral triangle, Jhordin began chanting a spell. The silent hexagonal pillars started to vibrate loudly.
“Why is this happening…?”
“Stay still. I’m extracting your innate mana.”
Jhordin explained. Adeshan, taking deep breaths, adjusted her posture. The vibrations continued, and before long, a strange energy began to surge upwards from her shoulders.
“What is this…?”
Adeshan’s eyes widened. It looked similar from the outside, but the feeling emitted by the mana itself was completely different from ordinary mana. It exuded an eerie and alien aura, seemingly defying the laws of the world. Jhordin, his interest piqued, simply stroked his chin.
“Hmm, now that I see it clearly, it’s unmistakable. This is Shadow Mana.”
“Shadow Mana? What in the world is that? I don’t understand what’s happening right now…”
“You never thought you had no talent for handling mana, right? That everything you did was slower than others.”
“Well, how did you…?”
“It’s only natural. The power you should be dealing with has a fundamentally different nature. I didn’t expect to see someone born with Shadow Mana firsthand.”
Jhordin explained calmly. He talked about Shadow Mana, a concept known to be as rare as Ora, both possessing unique abilities.
“Something generally goes unnoticed. Typically, it takes root within the bodies of those born with it, lying dormant for years, even centuries, before suddenly manifesting their abilities.
“Information about Shadow Mana is scarce. However, those who have manifested it have usually caused significant incidents, often lasting for decades. While we don’t know exactly what your ability is, there’s a high probability it could be dangerous.”
Jhordin explained about individuals who wielded powers akin to Archmages or Swordmasters without forming Circles or Cores, and the unfortunate fates that befell most of them. Nineteen out of twenty had suddenly manifested their abilities one day, unable to control them, leading to disastrous consequences. Jhordin sighed with relief.
“The tragedy often lies in awakening their abilities too late. But you, with steady training, can likely awaken your power without delay.”
“How should I train then?”
“First, you need to eliminate all the existing mana accumulated within your body.”
Jhordin chanted another spell. The pillars vibrated intensely, and the energy emanating from Adeshan’s shoulders grew even stronger.
Soon, the black aura disappeared, replaced by the familiar blue mana that Ronan had known. The blue mana moved in response to Jhordin’s gestures, forming a mass similar in size to Adeshan. Jhordin pointed at the floating mass of mana.
“You need to get rid of all of this. It’s nothing but impurities for someone like you, who handles Shadow Mana.”
“All of this? How…?”
“There are several methods. Nevertheless, it will take around five years if you work diligently.”
Jhordin explained the arduous and tedious effort Adeshan would have to undertake daily. Adeshan looked bewildered, staring at the mana mass as if it were her belly, now visibly distended from the effort. Hearing the five-year timeline, Ronan frowned and asked a question.
“If we remove it all now, would it have any adverse effects on her, like causing death or making her a husk, or subjecting her to some terrible illness?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then let’s do it. Get out of the way.”
Ronan pushed Jhordin aside and stood there. A strange hiss escaped from his lips. Adeshan, who saw the gleaming Lamancha sword, raised her eyebrows.
“Ronan? Why did you suddenly draw your sword…?”
“I’m sorry, sunbae. I can’t wait that long.”
“Huh?”
Adeshan was about to say something when Ronan’s arm disappeared from her sight. Quicker than when he had shattered the vellum earlier, numerous strikes of his sword rained down on the mana cluster.
Crash!
A belated explosion resounded through the room. Dozens of shattered fragments lost their form and scattered.
“Aaargh!”
Simultaneously, Adeshan screamed and fell to the ground. Ronan quickly reached out and helped her up. With a thud, two of the hexagonal pillars collapsed.
“What…?”
Jhordin’s eyes widened. The expensive magical tools, highly valued at Philleon, had turned into rubble. While it might have been acceptable to scream and jump around if one were hit by falling debris, the crucial point was something else.
“…Did the mana disappear?”
The mana that had been temporarily removed was now entirely gone. Inside Adeshan’s body, only Shadow Mana remained, flowing and pulsating.
The shock seemed more significant than expected. Adeshan’s tall body still twitched like a deer struck by lightning. At that moment, a cracking sound echoed from a corner of the research lab.
-Crash!
“What’s that?”
Ronan turned his head. Glass enclosures were lying shattered on the floor. They were cages for animals used in experiments with dark magic and mind control. Some shattered fragments had trapped squirming mice.
Crash!
Another enclosure fell, and a loud sound reverberated through the room. Jhordin’s face froze.
“I didn’t expect it to be this severe.”
It was an ability that went far beyond predictions.
Crash!
Cages that held various small animals were falling one after another, releasing the creatures. Ronan’s mouth hung open as he witnessed the scene resembling the collapse of an entire wall.
“General.”