Chapter 102

Chapter 102

While Kraush stood frozen in place, a person walked steadily towards him.

Despite the lingering late summer, he was impeccably dressed in a suit with his hair neatly combed back.

Wearing a tie and adjusting his glasses, he said,

“Training for the Heavenly Slaughter Star, huh? You’re helping with quite a range of things.”

[Do it to the fullest extent possible.]

“The level a 14-year-old can endure was surpassed long ago.”

[No, he needs to do more.]

“Pardon?”

He questioned Crimson Garden’s words.

Kraush was currently under a curse-type illusion.

So, he was desperately fighting within the illusion.

The black flames constantly emanating from his body were proof of that.

“This is a pretty strong illusion-type curse.”

He said, shaking an empty bottle in his hand.

But Crimson Garden clicked her tongue.

[See, it’s already breaking.]

As Crimson Garden continued, the sound of something shattering accompanied Kraush’s black flames flaring up intensely.

Kraush’s eyes, reddened from Annihilation Erosion, shone brightly.

Seeing this, the man’s eyes widened in surprise.

“...How? This is a Level 6 curse, the Dark Night.”

As he spoke in a bewildered tone, Kraush took a breath and swept his hair back.

Seeing him, a certain person came to mind.

‘So, this guy is one of Crimson Garden’s disciples.’

He was known as the world’s best curse expert, yet he neglected his duties in favor of wandering the world and researching curses.

Veltoa Lacroix, the world’s greatest curse breaker.

He had given Kraush the most advice on curses and was also one of the craziest people Kraush knew.

The man before him was one of Veltoa’s twelve disciples.

The curse breaker, Osper.

‘Wow, they really gather all sorts of people.’

In Kraush’s view, curse breakers were all abnormal.

This was because being able to break curses was merely a byproduct of their primary interest.Nnêw n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com

They could break curses because they studied and handled them.

In other words, the premise that they became curse breakers to break curses was fundamentally wrong.

These people simply found curses fascinating and, in the process, stumbled upon ways to break them.

‘They’re more like curse masters than curse breakers.’

As evidence, Osper’s eyes were gleaming with interest.

This was because Kraush had quickly broken the intermediate-level curse, Dark Night.

‘Well, I’ve experienced it before.’

Apologies, but when it comes to curses, Kraush had experienced more than even his mentor Veltoa.

Having endured the highest level curses in forbidden areas, he could easily break a Level 6 curse.

However, Kraush also understood Crimson Garden’s intention.

The Heavenly Slaughter Star strengthens curses.

So, even intermediate-level curses on Kraush would have the effect of high-level curses.

Considering this, Crimson Garden had devised a curse training method.

[Osper, from now on, cast the curses I mention on that boy.]

Crimson Garden began listing curses.

The Yin energy of the Heavenly Jade Star, the murderous intent of the Heavenly Authority Star, the power of the Shaking Light Star.

The plan was to awaken these three traits more strongly through curses.

“Master Crimson Garden, if all those curses are cast, he won’t endure it.”

And the hardships and trials that would follow would all fall on Kraush.

As Osper said, an ordinary person would go mad under such curses.

And Kraush would have to endure the full brunt of these curses without any mitigation.

Enhanced by the Heavenly Slaughter Star, these curses’ effects would be amplified.

Crimson Garden looked at Kraush.

Her eyes seemed to convey how arduous the path was for those who sought the quickest way.

“I told you.”

Kraush exhaled, responding to her gaze.

“That’s what I’m best at.”

It wasn’t by chance that he had endured until the end of the world.

“Hmm, really gonna do it?”

Osper’s eyes, usually expressionless, curved into crescent moons.

As a curse breaker, it was a rare occasion for him to unleash his curses freely.

With both Kraush’s and Crimson Garden’s permission, he immediately extended a finger and pulled out long bottles from his waist.

“Let’s see how far Balheim’s body and mental strength go.”

Osper let out a crazed laugh, pleased with the experiment.

“Hold my hand too.”

“I’m holding it now.”

“That’s good.”

Perhaps because she was sleepy, her conversation was all over the place.

It was amusing, and Kraush chuckled softly.

Bianca’s forehead touched his chest.

“Don’t forget me when you go to the academy.”

“I have a good memory. I hardly forget things I want to forget.”

“Then just remember me.”

“I wish it were that easy.”

In her sleepiness, Bianca said things she wouldn’t usually say.

She suppressed her desires, but in her drowsiness, she let them out.

“Mr. Kraush, I’m sleepy.”

“We still have a long time until morning. Go back to sleep.”

“Okay.”

Watching Bianca soon snore softly, Kraush also closed his eyes.

He thought he had to prevent the world from ending, even to protect this little one in his arms.

For some reason, he felt he could train even harder tomorrow.

***

Time flies like an arrow.

No matter how hard you try to catch it, it continuously moves toward the target.

When it will reach the target is unknown.

Time had passed, and winter had arrived, surpassing autumn.

Large white snowflakes fell gently from the sky.

Kraush felt the cold of the snow on his nose and exhaled a white breath.

The snow-covered midwinter wouldn’t last much longer.

Soon, green sprouts would emerge, and the scent of flowers would fill the air.

When the pink cherry blossoms bloomed, it would be full spring.

[How do you feel?]

Crimson Garden’s voice came from Osper’s shoulder.

Hearing her question, Kraush swallowed a light smile and gripped Rain Thunder Prime.

As the golden blade rose with a thunderous roar, a blue aura formed into a blade.

“It feels great.”

The beginning of mastery.

Kraush had finally crossed the threshold into mastery.

He had struggled to reach this level before entering Rahelrn Academy, and he had managed to do so just in time.

‘This means I have met the minimum standard.’

The level of mastery was considered the basic level of a genius.

Of course, surpassing the initial stage of mastery was another story.

But reaching the entry-level of mastery at 14 years old was enough to be called a genius by anyone.

Even Charlotte had only reached the entry-level of mastery at 15 years old.

‘But Rahelrn Academy probably has quite a few at the mastery level.’

The academy had been in operation for a year already.

Among the 15-year-olds, none apart from Charlotte had likely reached the entry level of mastery.

But Rahelrn Academy accepted students aged 15 to 20.

Considering those aged 18 and older, there would be students at the mastery level.

And those were the ones Kraush would have to compete with.

Kraush planned to surpass not only his peers but also the Ten Strongest Under the Heavens and the Four Strongest Above Heaven.

So, he had no intention of being satisfied with the entry-level of mastery.

There was still a long way to go to become stronger.

‘This is just the starting point.’

It was time to compete with true geniuses.

“Now my curses won’t be as effective.”

Meanwhile, Osper smacked his lips in regret.

For him, testing all sorts of curses on a direct descendant of Balheim had been enjoyable.

But that was effectively over.

Kraush had firmly anchored the three stars of the Heavenly Slaughter Star within his body.

[The preparations are roughly complete.]

Crimson Garden remarked that it was at a level she could accept.

Indeed, the preparations were done.

All that remained was entering the academy.

‘Time to weed out the rotten ones from the sprouting ones.’

Let’s go to the academy and steal some skills.

End of Chapte