“Let’s move a little faster.”
I led the children swiftly down the narrow stone corridor.
Tap, tap!
At the same time, only one thought consumed my mind.
[Shadow]
A high-ranking member of the Bloodstone Cult who primarily uses shadows.
‘Even at Fantasy X Academy, their true identity was never fully revealed.’
Only a few traces and hints had been pieced together.
Even those were fragmented clues related to their abilities.
Of course, I know the profiles of the executives to some extent, but not enough to make a definitive match.
We need to proceed with maximum caution.
“... Over here!”
Elena, who was leading the way, pointed to a spot.
Following her gaze, I saw an iron door.
This must be the entrance to the vast empty space beneath the academy.
“Everyone, get ready.”
This place is practically no different from a dungeon’s boss room.
No—this might even be worse, closer to hell itself.
That’s the kind of beings the Bloodstone Cult’s executives are.
— BOOM!
I forcibly swung the iron door open, and an eerie gust of wind rushed out.
The interior felt less like a man-made structure and more like a cavern.
We moved quickly while staying alert to our surroundings.
“Ah!”
Elena, who was leading, suddenly stopped.
A massive pile of rocks blocked our path.
The rocky heap stood as tall as a four-story building.
It was unmistakably an artificial structure created to obstruct the way.
“We might need to find another route. It’s too steep and high to climb over.”
Silvia said as she examined the wall.
I followed her lead, tilting my head back to look up.
Beyond the rocky wall, a faint red light was seeping through.
It was the signature hue of the Bloodstone Cult’s magic circle.
“We have to get over it. The ritual has already started.”
“But it looks so slippery...”
The height was roughly 9 meters.
It was within reach of a [Leap].
Good thing I practiced for moments like this.
“I’ll go first and pull you up.”
I magnetized both the floor and the wall.
If I fine-tune the force just right...
— Whoosh!
The ceiling rushed closer in an instant.
‘Damn it.’
I barely adjusted my posture, avoiding a collision with the ceiling by a hair’s breadth.
I need to get more used to this.
“Whoa—!”
Cheers rose from below.
Everyone was staring up at me in awe, but now wasn’t the time to linger.
— Whoosh!
The light from the magic circle was becoming a deeper crimson, like blood.
Twisting Ether like a rope, I tossed it down and shouted.
“Grab on and climb up!”
Then I lowered myself back down.
As I stepped onto a few rocks and landed, the scene ahead became fully visible.
A vast cavern, with an enormous magic circle drawn at its center.
It was painted in a blood-red color, as if crafted from life itself.
And within it, countless cats had gathered.
“... Ian Blackangers?”
A single glance was enough to tell the figure addressing me was immensely powerful.
Despite the faint muttering, their words reached my ears with eerie clarity.
— Crash!
A shadow shot up from the ground, slamming into the cavern ceiling.
Thud-thud-thud.
Fine rock dust fell heavily around us.
As expected—this guy really was a Shadow Caster.
“Quick reflexes, I’ll give you that.”
Evan said, leisurely tucking his extended hand back into his coat.
Seeing that, fragments of information about him floated to the surface of my memory, piecing themselves together.
If this mysterious Shadow Caster turned out to be Evan Kessler, the Fifth Disciple of the Bloodstone Cult...
That fact alone filled my mind with countless realizations.
For instance, Evan Kessler was monstrously strong—so powerful that he was beyond my league.
And, of course, he was someone who loved to show off.
— Whoosh!
Without hesitation, I activated [Leap] at full power.
The space before me compressed, folding as if reality itself was bending.
The disorienting sensation had become second nature to me—a speed so fast, it was nearly indistinguishable from teleportation.
Evan’s back came into view.
[Extract]
[Transform]
[Accelerate]
Using my skills in tandem with the velocity from [Leap], I swung the Berserker’s Shield with all my might.
This was my most powerful, all-or-nothing attack.
‘When the gap is this big, you have to end it in one hit.’
Swinging a shield as a weapon meant leaving no room for retreat.
This was a raw, destructive strike that combined enhanced physical strength with sheer momentum.
If it landed, it wouldn’t matter who the opponent was—they’d be pulverized.
Not even the Bloodstained Balmacaan, with all its resistances, could withstand this kind of brute force.
— KABOOM!
A heavy impact rippled through my body, convincing me I had succeeded.
Even if Evan managed to block, the sheer shockwave should’ve been enough to cripple him.
But Evan’s response surpassed all expectations.
— Whoosh!
His body melted into a black, liquid-like substance, disappearing into the shadows of the ground.
— BANG! BANG! BANG!
Without a target, my attack slammed into the ground, unleashing all its energy into the earth below.
“Ugh!”
The recoil forced a groan from my lips as pain shot through my body.
Evan emerged from the shadows nearby, a mocking smile plastered across his face.
“Hehehe. That was a decent attempt, kid.”
“...”
“I’ll admit, when it first connected, I was surprised. That was an absurdly destructive attack. But you know what? Dodging it was just too easy.”
His grin widened, his tone dripping with amusement as he watched me, shield buried in the ground like a failed jester’s prop.
But just as Evan raised his hand to mock me further—
— Crack-crack-crack!
The sound of rocks splitting filled the cavern.
The ground trembled lightly beneath us.
“...?”
Evan’s smirk vanished.
His face twisted into urgency as he spun around.
The reason was clear.
The tremor originated from his magic circle.
As the shaking subsided, the massive circle he had painstakingly crafted had become fractured, as though the ground beneath it had been disrupted by an earthquake. R
The magic circle wasn’t erased, but the surface it was drawn on had been completely warped, rendering it useless.
Evan’s brows furrowed deeply as he took in the scene.
“You damned little brat.”
“When working on the ground, you should always lay a solid foundation first,” I said with a smirk, standing up and brushing off the dust.
“Was this your plan all along?”
“Who knows?”
With a sly grin, I locked eyes with him.
“I just happen to enjoy a bit of chaos myself.”