Chapter 52: Finishing Touch (1)

༺ Finishing Touch (1) ༻

“How is my Senior Brother Valtazar doing? My dear nephew Fermack?”

“Nephew...?”

Fermack was probably suspecting that I was a ‘martial brother’ of his that he wasn’t aware of but...

“You’re the disciple of the renounced disciple of my master, so that makes me your uncle. Come show your respects to your elder.”

“Uncle...? Don’t tell me!”

He seemed to have finally noticed who I was.

“That can’t be! That woman shouldn’t be able to leave the ‘Palace’ right now! How could she possibly take in another disciple?!”

“It’s not like you need to believe me.”

His decision after seeing me use the same spearmanship as his master was very wise.

From Fermack’s knowledge, his master should be the only spearman out there who used ‘Six Ways of the Spear’ to reach the ‘Void’. Therefore, judging from what I showed him, it should have been highly likely for me to be that man’s disciple.

But why would his master not tell Fermack about another direct disciple even though he was here for a mission that was given by him?

As a traitor... or rather as a subject of the ‘King of Paradise’, what would have been the right call for Fermack Daman?

Ignore. Ask for help.

Ignoring was the safer option. Even after ignoring me here, he could still reveal his identity at a later date.

Asking for help was a foolish choice, because one Rune Mage was more than enough for this plan. He didn’t even need to receive my help for this plan, and what if I didn’t have the same master as him? What if I was antagonistic, and what if I had nothing to do with them?

Instead of bearing the risk, he decided to ignore me. On top of that, Fermack added a clever move.

He sent me outside the city using the ‘reassessment of a Grade 5 Knight who performed well against Lunia Arden’ as the excuse.

The subjugation of a semi-Grade 1 demonic beast and spirit would normally take a week or two at the very least. Considering the time it takes to travel back and forth, I wouldn’t have been able to come back before it was over.

Meanwhile, he could create a ruckus with the ‘King of Iron Mountain’ incident and escape after the whole thing was over. My identity was something he could ask his master and king at a later date.

He probably wasn’t expecting me to return using a long-distance dimensional travel through Lady Josephine’s marker.

“Professor Deina’s experiment and Senior Marie’s incident were great events for you, right? Because you have been waiting for the right opportunity.”

The boss of the 1st Arc, Marie Dunareff’s incident was a coincidental accident whereas the outbreak of the 2nd Arc’s boss, King of Iron Mountain, was a thoroughly devised plan.

One of the key requirements of the 2nd Arc’s boss fight were the questions about Eriu Casarr’s right as the chairman, which was triggered by Marie’s incident.

In this iteration, it was substituted by questions about Marie’s safety and security issues but the important part here was ‘Chairman Eriu Casarr’s absence at the Academy’.

The absence of the ‘Primal Guardian’ that was created with the strongest ‘rune stone’ must have been the best opportunity for Fermack, who had been waiting for it for over 10 years.

“You are not going back with that ‘Primal Rune’.”

“!!!”

Fermack’s eyes widened behind his sunglasses. That wasn’t something a mere student should be aware of, and the only ones that knew about it were his master and...

“Did Josephine... No, that can’t be right.”

If the ‘guardians’ were aware of his existence, they wouldn’t have watched this happen in the first place.

I could sense his confusion from the torrent of undecipherable information. A normal villain would have gone, ‘Who are you!’ and lingered on the topic but...

“I see. So you’re my enemy, huh.”

He concluded it with that one sentence.

“Yes. I am your enemy.”

“...”

Fermack Daman.

The real mastermind behind this incident, who lifted the seals cast on the final boss of the 2nd Arc, ‘King of Iron Mountain’, that would later appear with the ‘King of Paradise’ as one of his 4 attendants.

He was known as a famous Grade 1 Knight in the world, but no. At the very least, he was a semi-Unique Grade just like Lunia Arden and had the potential to reach the power of a Unique Grade after meeting certain conditions.

“...”

It was such a distant past... Actually, it wasn’t even that far back, because it was 1 year ago before the end of the last iteration.

This guy did the same thing last time, and reappeared later to kill a large number of my comrades and innocent people.

Everything was for the Advent of Paradise – for that stupid ambition of theirs.

When I first met him at the grading test in this iteration, I had vowed to myself that I would kill him without fail.

“Looks like you have gotten overly arrogant from all the compliments of your peers. Do you think you’ll have a chance against me?”

Fermack Daman was the first one to move.

“Arise, my shadow.”

❰Shadow Servant❱

A clone stood up from within his shadow and created another version of him.

That was his specialty. It doubled the user’s attacks as long as there was shadow nearby so it was a wondrously powerful ability when paired up with boxing.

“It will be over in no time.”

Fermack gave an arrogant declaration but... there was a reason why I had chosen this place as the battlefield.

– Crack! Rip! Kajijik!

The created clone suddenly fluctuated before dissipating due to the radiant light of the sun.

“Sowilo...!”

“The natural counter to shadow-type moves. You already know the biggest weakness of your skill right?”

It might be obvious but shadow-type skills required shadow in the first place. Like how water-attributed spells required moisture and fire-attributed spells required oxygen, everything had a necessary cost and a procedure whether it be a specialty or an elemental spell.

“...”

Fermack avoided the rune of the sun that was eliminating his shadow and took a step to the side.

– Pajik!

However, there was another rune of the sun in that place. He realized something after noticing that his shadow had been removed once again by the same rune.

“Don’t tell me... you covered this entire area with Sowilo?”

That would be the only difference between us two.

『System Back-up in Operation. Reviewing the Precept.』 1st Precept: Duty 〚I will not disregard the misfortune of the good.〛

〚Relativity: A+〛 2nd Precept: Restriction 〚I do not perceive spirits.〛

〚Support: 50% Additional Damage〛 3rd Precept: Pledge 〚I will save the world.〛

〚Fermack Daman – Relativity: A〛

〚Support: A+〛 Aura – { Medium (5,530 + 5,530) }

Mana – { Low (4,170 + 4,170) } Strength:> 67 + 67

Agility:> 66 + 66

Vitality:> 68 + 68

Aura:> 64 + 64

Mana:> 64 + 64 『Regeneration of the Tenacious Warrior』

『Pain Tolerance』

『Domain Comprehension』 x100%

『Aura Core (Medium) – Storing 3,500』 『Defeat Fermack Daman, and take a step forward to saving the world. Good luck, Hero Korin Lork.』

****

Fermack rationally analyzed his opponent.

The enemy was someone who had been fighting against Lunia Arden on equal grounds, although momentarily. Besides, his Precepts were also unclear.

He was Grade 1 at the very least, and could even be considered a semi-Unique Grade.

On the other hand, Korin knew what Fermack’s Precepts were about. At least he knew exactly what his Restriction was.

After some time, the uproar will subside and others might surround them. Fermack had to go with a short decisive battle.

“It is rather annoying but I will admit it.”

– I shall use my everything to crush you.

Fermack gave an arrogant statement before gathering mana at his fingers to write down runes.

[ᛏ] — Tiwaz

[ᛟ] — Othala

His fingers beneath the gauntlets wrote various letters at a supersonic speed.

War and death.

The two letters of the Runic alphabet that represented great power were engraved in the air. When he added the rune, [ᛝ] — Inguz and several other letters on top...

❰Segment of Paradise, Shadow Fortress❱

Pitch darkness swallowed the ground, the empty plot of land as well as the sky.

Something dark began to infiltrate the real world. The fortress covered the sun like a screen and did not allow any light to pervade inside.

This fortress that turned the barren plot of land more desolate than ever, and swallowed it with the deep darkness of the abyss was a portion of the otherworldly Paradise that existed somewhere beyond the dimensional gap.

[ᛊ] — Sowilo

ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ ᛊ

Runes of the sun erupted out in retaliation. However, after the heavy shadows of the huge fortress came to contact with the ground, they weighed down from above with its immense weight, destroyed the runes carved on the ground and spread across endless darkness.

A world without a sun.

A glimpse into the abandoned Paradise.

The fortress of shadows devoured all the nearby light as if it loathed the sun that refused to shed light unto their world.

“With your petty skills, you won’t be able to remove this shadow. Your defeat has been decided the moment this fortress arrived here.”

“...”

Removing the shadow with solar runes. It was a great idea but he probably had no idea about this point of entry into the Paradise, which had only been permitted to the great warriors of the Paradise.

– Grrrhhh...!

– Kyaoooh...!

Demonic beasts of the Shadow Realm crawled into the enclosed fortress. They faced the two infiltrators of the Paradise with endless hostility and hatred.

This was a double-edged sword to Fermack – these demonic beasts would attack him as well.

However, Fermack was confident because his 3rd Precept, the Pledge 〚I will serve the Shadow.〛 gave him a ridiculous amount of power when inside the Paradise.

Now, the only future ahead of Korin Lork was either being ripped to pieces by the demonic beasts of the Paradise of Shadows or being killed by his fists, and yet...

“...”

Within the world covered and walled off by the shadows, Fermack, who had become used to darkness due to wearing sunglasses all the time, spotted a grin on Korin’s lips.

“Right. I knew you would use this when you’re in a rush.”

Korin scavenged through the bag which had been on him from the start, and took out something from inside that was covered with ‘dirt’.

– Flop!

“...Kieee?”

The plant that looked like a human gave out an adorable gasp. It was radiating in bright gold despite being inside the Paradise of Shadows.

Korin’s lips curled up with a haughty light. He was smiling.

Countless runes carved on the ground; an empty plot of land; and Fermack’s hidden trump card which could nullify any locational disadvantage.

There was no way Korin Lork hadn’t been expecting this move from him, and that was why he took out this very item right here and then.

Yellow Gold Mandrake.

It was the medicinal herb which he did not pluck out despite its astonishing effect – the hidden item that had 7 times the noise and magic damage of a normal Mandrake.

KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKK!!!!!!!

The Golden Mandrake howled inside the fortress of shadows which had landed on the empty plot of land. That enclosed structure, which would echo from the softest of whispers, was filled with the scream of a Mandrake.

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