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“Pathetic. Are you about to die from just this?”

“Y-You could have been a bit gentler…”

“Tsk, just rest for now. I’ll need your help to kill the one trailing me.”

Gomon asked in a startled voice, “Are you talking about Hersel?”

Berme scowled. “That blonde guy’s name is Hersel? I can’t believe that monster is still a student… What on earth is going on with this year’s Frost Heart?”

Although he didn’t know the details, it seemed Berme had fled from Hersel.

‘So he’s figured out Hersel’s strength… Just as the rumors say, he’s got a keen eye. It makes sense now why active Pathfinders find it difficult to hunt him.’

Berme drew his sword.

Sssng—

The purple blade gleamed menacingly. It was a falchion, 70 centimeters long, with the blade widening towards the tip.

Gomon could feel in his bones that Berme was no easy opponent.

‘If he can destroy reinforced stone like that, armor won’t do much good.’

Spots began to appear on Gomon’s skin. These formed lines that eventually merged into a magical pattern.

Berme’s eyes lit up. “Is that Spirit Magic?”

“Indeed, say hello to Stone Bear.”

From the magical pattern on his skin, a bear made of stone emerged. The bear was small, barely the size of a palm, floating in the air. It had no intimidating presence, but Berme’s expression remained serious.

Spirit Magic—high-level magic that only those with exceptional talent in elemental magic could achieve.

“It may look unimpressive, but I’d be a fool to underestimate it.”

Tatatat!

In an instant, Berme closed the distance to Gomon, but the stone bear blocked his advance, forcing him to defend with his sword.

Clang!

The force of the impact made his wrist tingle. The weight behind that tiny bear was far greater than its size suggested.

Berme felt a thrill. “Interesting. It’s been a while since I’ve faced a spirit.”

Berme’s sword emitted a sharp aura, and for a moment, his eyes widened. His sword cleaved through the bear’s shoulder, slicing it smoothly.

But then the blade stopped, stuck in the bear’s chest, which had turned thick and viscous like mud.

‘It’s become sticky. Did he change its properties?’

When Berme tried to pull his sword free, it wouldn’t budge easily. Gomon grinned and fired a massive boulder like a cannonball.

Boom!

The boulder hit Berme square in the stomach, sending him flying backward. The impact was so strong that it yanked the sword out of the stone bear.

Cough!

Blood trickled from Berme’s mouth. Yet Gomon didn’t let his guard down. Berme, despite the blood dripping from his mouth, smeared it on his sword with a twisted grin.

“Heh, I needed some blood anyway, so this works out well.”

Gomon hurriedly conjured stone pillars from the ground, lifting himself into the air while looking down at Berme.

‘The reports said to be cautious of his blood. They say it can even melt steel. That sword must be made of some special metal, then.’

Berme was as infamous as he was well-documented among Pathfinders. He had survived a bite from the venomous snake monster, Viper Silus. Whether the venom had been neutralized or something was done to his body through some experiment, Berme’s blood was now mixed with a corrosive venom.

“You don’t plan on letting me get close, do you? Mages always try to maintain their distance.”

Berme began leaping from tree to tree, his speed far exceeding that of the enhanced instructor from earlier. Gomon quickly showered him with stone spikes like rain.

Crash!

Berme cut down all the stones coming his way as he leaped towards the pillar. The stone bear moved to block him, but Berme’s vertical slash sliced it in half with a sizzling sound.

Gomon’s eyes widened in shock. He hadn’t just cut through the bear; he had melted it.

‘He melted Stone Bear that quickly?’

Berme reached the top of the pillar, where Gomon hurriedly conjured ten layers of protective barriers. However, they only served to slightly slow down Berme’s sword.

Thud!

Gomon quickly jumped off the pillar, creating a makeshift slide in midair. The situation was so urgent that he didn’t have the luxury of creating proper stairs. His round body rolled down the slide, crashing into a tree.

Thunk!

“Ugh. Was that an Aura Blade?”

Gomon groaned as he rubbed his aching back but considered himself lucky. Berme’s sword had cleaved through ten layers of barriers. It was better to be thrown around than to be sliced open.

‘Damn it, fighting two instructors in a row has drained my stamina… I need to get up quickly.’

Gomon struggled to his feet, but Berme, who had already landed, sheathed his sword.

“Huh?”

Berme’s eyes lost their spark of excitement. “The fight’s over.”

“What…!”

Suddenly, Gomon’s legs gave out. A sharp pain shot through his arm. Cold sweat ran down his face as he looked at his left arm—a shallow cut in his clothes, just a minor scratch. Yet even that small cut had poisoned him.

“Gurt, have you recovered?”

“Don’t even start, Berme… Finishing it so quickly…”

Gurt, still recovering, grumbled. “It’s a bit much to expect me to be fully recovered already. Besides, his students are likely hiding around here somewhere. We should deal with them first.”

“There’s an easy way to handle that.”

Berme approached the barely-conscious Gomon. Gomon could do nothing to resist as Berme rifled through his pockets.

“Just as I thought.”

Berme pulled out a red stick meant for signaling an emergency.

“Gurt, you know which direction they fled, right?”

“I do. But what are you planning to do with that?”

Berme’s eyes glinted like a snake’s as he grinned. “Before I face the blonde, it’s best to eliminate all other obstacles.”

“Heh, I think I know what you’re planning. But what about this fat guy?”

“He’ll die on his own eventually. Leaving him here is better. If he’s still clinging to life, he might slow down the blonde. He’ll be here soon enough.”

Guided by Gurt, Berme began tracking the three students. As they moved, a thought crossed his mind.

“By the way, have you heard anything about Amul?”

“Nothing yet. He must be struggling quite a bit. That magic swordsman up there isn’t an ordinary opponent.”

Berme glanced up at the high ground before continuing on his way.

***

Limberton’s eyes were bloodshot. The mage had cunningly erased all the green footprints.

“To track him, you need eyes that can see clearly even at night.”

“Professor, my eyes are killing me. Is there any other way to track him?”

The young professor shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. Finding a mage who’s determined to hide is always difficult. That’s why we allocated the most people to this unit.”

Limberton wet his eyes with water from his canteen.

“Hey, look! There’s a broken branch up there too.”

The young professor raised his hand. “Professor, over here!”

The skinny professor asked skeptically, “There’s a broken branch here too. Are you sure it’s that way?”

Limberton spoke up, “The cut is too clean. It looks like it was done intentionally to mislead us.”

The skinny professor jumped closer to inspect it. He shuddered.

“You… you can see that from this distance?”

“Yes.”

“Ahem, I see. Everyone, gather up! We’ve found the target’s path!”

The young professor looked at Limberton in awe. “You’re surprising me, Limberton Bel Delsi. You were always last in class, but it turns out you had a talent like this? No wonder you took down that three-headed alpha wolf. You’ve grown a lot.”

Limberton’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait, what? So, you saw everything that Luon’s group did? What the hell were you doing? I almost died!”

“Well, that’s how it was during the dungeon training too, wasn’t it? We didn’t intervene when you students fought each other. In training, we don’t interfere in conflicts between students. If you want to blame someone, blame the school rules.”

Limberton glared with resentment. The young professor chuckled bitterly.

“It’s all for a reason. When you go deep into the demonic realm, you’ll encounter truly bizarre things. Eventually, you’ll realize that even fellow Pathfinders can become your enemies.”

“Huh? Why would we turn against each other?”

The professor glanced around at the gathering students, avoiding a direct answer.

“You’ll understand when you’re out in the field. But why on earth are so many of your batch such soft-hearted kids? Saving the roaming gang members? Really?”

“What’s wrong with that? They’re still just kids, and it’s all because they were pushed to the limit.”

The professor spoke with a hint of concern. “When you go active, you’ll have the hardest time. Remember, mercy is something only those with the ability to grant it can afford.”

“Right. I’m only alive because of some lucky break.”

A voice suddenly interrupted.

Limberton flinched and turned to see Riamon looking down at him.

“Damn, you scared me. Give a warning before you sneak up like that.”

Riamon ignored him and continued speaking. “You talk about honor and whatnot, but honestly, isn’t it just because you couldn’t bring yourself to kill them? You’re justifying it by telling yourself that you’re noble because you did everything you could.”

Limberton frowned. “You’re such a twisted guy.”

“And I can never understand you, Limberton. Showing mercy with that frail body of yours is as good as putting your life on the line. What’s the point if you die? You’ll just be a fleeting topic of conversation for a bit and then forgotten.”

Limberton couldn’t argue, knowing there was some truth to what Riamon said. Nobody was going to praise him for his actions, and there were few things more precious than his own life.

“Ah, whatever. We can think about the complicated stuff later. We’re short on time, so let’s get moving.”

Limberton signaled the professor to lead the way. Just as they were about to cross through the underbrush, everyone’s backpacks or pockets flashed with red light. The young professor pulled out a stick.

“A distress signal? Professor, what’s going on?”

“Judging by how fast it’s blinking, it’s not far. It’s probably Gomon.”

The skinny professor nodded and suddenly whipped his head around at the sound of rustling bushes.

“Who’s there?!”

As everyone prepared for battle, Ricks emerged, holding a telescope. Leana and Gravel followed, all sweating profusely from the rush.

Panting, Ricks spoke. “Huff, huff. Professor Gomon is in danger.”

The young professor asked for details. “What happened?”

“I briefly saw it through the telescope… but it looks like that guy, the Venomous Viper, has shown up…”

Ricks held out the flashing red stick, and the skinny professor’s expression grew grim.

“Damn, they’re nearby. Gomon must be heading this way.”

The skinny professor turned to the young professor. “It could be a trap, so let’s go check it out together. The rest of you stay here.”

As the two professors left, Limberton scratched his head. It would be safer if they all went together. But this felt as if…

“Do they think we’d get in the way?”

He didn’t expect an answer, but Riamon replied. “Isn’t it obvious? This is no longer a test; it’s a real battle.”

Limberton nodded. After all, they were still first-year students, just about to finish their first semester. It was only natural that the professors didn’t trust them completely.

“Still, is it okay for us to just stay here doing nothing when time is running out… Who knows when the holy herbs will burn out?”

Just as Limberton was feeling anxious, Riamon drew the greatsword strapped to his back.

Sssng—

“W-What’s going on? Why are you drawing your sword?”

“Someone’s coming, Limberton.”

Limberton focused his hearing and heard the faint rustling.

“That Berme bastard, he’s really enjoying this.”

It was an instructor. The one who had gone to the central area was now smirking as he turned to look at them.

“Ah, there you are. You’ve had a rough time tracking us down, haven’t you, brats? Now it’s our turn to be the hunters.”

Everyone assumed a battle stance. Then, to make matters worse, a mage who had been hiding in the trees revealed himself as the trees rippled like water.

“Gurt. Is Berme planning to take on both professors by himself?”

“Heh, were you hiding in there?”

“Don’t even start. Their tracking speed was no joke. I was buried in that tree for so long, my whole body’s cramping.”

The mage glared sharply at Limberton. “All because of that damn brat.”

“Eep!”

Limberton quickly ducked behind Riamon. “What’s going on?”

“What do you think? We walked right into a trap.”

Leana, Ercel, and Aslay stood protectively in front of Limberton.

“Limberton, we’ll need you to snipe.”

“But where’s the big guy? Did he die or something?”

“Don’t speak disrespectfully about the boss.”

“What? A savage talking back to me?”

“I am a foreigner.”

The instructors chuckled.

“Good posture. The ones who followed you must be talented too.”

“They’re worthy of note.”

“Oh, by the way, have you heard anything from Amul? Berme was curious.”

“He’s probably toying with him right now, but he’ll show up soon. Alright, let’s get started.”

The instructor drew his weapon and began to approach.

***

Meanwhile, on the high ground.

Amul, the instructor who had gone hunting alone, trembled as he stared.

“Ugh!”

Blood trickled from the corner of Amul’s mouth, and soon a chill ran through his gut.

“Damn bastard… To think a magic swordsman already knows how to wield a Mana Blade.”

Amul rolled his eyes to check on Luon, who had stabbed him in the stomach. Luon’s shoulder sleeve was stained red, and his thigh bore a deep stab wound as well.

Sssuk!

Luon pulled out his sword. The blood on the blade froze, glittering like a ruby.

Amul’s eyes widened.

“He’s freezing the blood!”

He must have frozen the wound to stop the bleeding. Amul had to admit it—this wasn’t prey in front of him but a monster.

‘This bastard can channel cold into his sword? What on earth is he?’

Luon spoke in a detached tone. “It would be a waste if you died already. I’ve finally found an opponent who’s perfect for gauging my level.”

Amul grimaced and shouted, “Are you trying to humiliate me?!”

Amul quickly reached into his pocket. When a glass vial popped out, Luon’s eyes flashed. His hand shot forward like lightning.

Pat!

In an instant, Luon snatched the vial. He examined the purple pill inside with curious eyes.

“You kept reaching into your pocket, so I figured you were hiding something.”

“Ugh…”

“What is this?”

“You think I’ll tell you?”

“You don’t need to. I can experiment with it myself.”

Just as Luon was about to pocket the vial, Amul stabbed his own throat with his sword.

Thunk!

A ragged voice escaped his mouth. “I’d rather… die than… be humiliated…”

With his secret weapon taken from him, Amul knew he couldn’t win. He preferred death to disgrace.

Amul collapsed to the ground, twitching a few times before becoming completely still. As the battle ended, Luon’s legs gave out, and he fell to the ground.

The three who had been watching from a distance rushed over, pulling out bandages.

“Are you okay, Luon?”

“Damn, that bastard was insanely strong, but you took him down alone.”

“Now’s not the time for admiration! Start treating him already!”

“R-Right. Got it. Don’t glare at me like that, Kruel.”

They began treating Luon’s deep wounds with herbs and bandages. Even as he was being treated, Luon wiped the blood off his sword, releasing a bit of cold air.

“Still far from the old man’s Frost Sword.”

A few minutes later, as his strength began to return, Luon stood up.

“Luon, don’t push yourself. You should rest…”

“I’m fine, Kruel. I just have something to take care of.”

Ignoring their protests, Luon walked into the bushes. He whistled, but there was no response. He whistled again, and finally, a pigeon flew down.

“You called, Luon?”

Luon opened the vial and held out a pill to Felia.

“Do you know what this is?”

Felia, a disciple of the Archmage, was also a warlock knowledgeable in alchemy. But her answer was disappointing.

“Hmm, the scent is unfamiliar, and so is the color. I’d need to run some reagent tests to figure out what it does.”

“So even you don’t know?”

“With the time gap between my knowledge and modern knowledge, how could I know everything?”

Luon conceded the point and put the pill back into the vial before looking at Felia.

“But you’re a bit late. Did you go somewhere?”

“Yeah, I did. Staying in one place is boring, so I went exploring.”

“Hmm, now that you mention it, I’m curious. What’s happening with the others down below?”

Felia smirked and perched on Luon’s shoulder.

“Oh, there’s some real fun going on down there. It’s quite a sight.”

As she whispered in his ear, a slow grin spread across Luon’s face.

***

It’s been a long time since the green footprints disappeared. Just as feared, it seemed that Professor Gomon had either fainted or died. However, since the footprints had been heading straight all along, there was no worry of losing the way.

-Hersel, someone is up ahead.

“Really?”

I quickened my pace. In the distance, I could see Professor Gomon leaning against a tree. I hurried over and checked his complexion.

“This is bad…”

His forehead was burning, and his breathing was faint, indicating a very serious condition. Still, there was no need for excessive worry. Knowing that the opponent was Berme, it was only natural to prepare for the venom of Viper Silus. I quickly pulled out an antidote and placed it in Gomon’s mouth.

“Swallow this.”

The medicine seemed to take effect quickly, as his breathing gradually stabilized. If I had been even slightly later, he might have died. As I sighed in relief, Professor Gomon began to move his arm.

“Ugh…

He struggled to extend his index finger and pointed in one direction. It seemed he was trying to tell me that Berme had gone that way and to hurry and assist…

If I stepped in, there was a high probability that I would end up fighting him directly. The other instructors were one thing, but Berme… Without Gomon, even if the two professors and the students worked together, they might barely manage to take him down. He was a formidable opponent.

‘Are you sure you can win?’

-If you doubt me, look at your own arm.

As Donatan suggested, I looked closely at my arm. It had become thicker, so much so that I could hardly remember when it had been so thin.

‘It seems I’ve gained a bit more muscle?’

-Well, in any case. The swordsmanship you could handle before was just the tip of the iceberg. But now, things are different. You’ve grown enough to barely skim the surface.

Tip of the iceberg, either way.

‘Still, I can’t help but find you unreliable…’

-Hmph, even after mastering the Mana Blade, your doubts remain.

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