Chapter 53: Pavane For A Dead Dwarf (6)

***Lunch break at Lord Howe Academy.The 'Author' opened his notebook as he sat in the deserted thicket between the garbage dump and the sports field.The notebook contained all the content of the original story of this world that he could remember.It was practically his secret weapon, but there was a big X drawn on the very first page of the notebook.The prologue of this world—The attack by the crazy Necromancer and his countless zombie army didn’t take place.Let alone the Necromancer, there wasn’t even a trace of zombies.The tragedy that should have claimed countless lives in its wake, passed without an incident. Although it was something he should have been happy about, the 'Author' felt anger, not joy.The prologue was his chance—his one chance to get rid of the supporting characters he didn’t like and identify who the 'protagonist' was.The carefully prepared dagger for assassination and poison needles were now useless. The 'protagonist,' who was supposed to draw the world’s attention after dealing with Buzum, didn’t show up.Since it got messed up from the first button, there was no way the rest of the story would progress smoothly.The key figure of Chapter 1 of the story was the Saintess.But not only did she skip the entrance ceremony, she also disappeared from the academy itself.What was even more incomprehensible was her actions afterwards.The place the Saintess made her appearance wasn’t the Holy Nation, her hometown, nor the tourist spots she usually dreamed of, but in Manchuria. Why on earth?Seeing the two hands and the Invisibility Cloak featured prominently in the newspaper, the Author was left dumbfounded and threw his phone away as soon as he read the article.The Author flipped through the pages of his notebook as he fell deep in thought.Manchuria, known as the 'Power Leveling Hunting Ground' in the game, was not only far from being a hunting ground but was also effectively holding off the monsters from Siberia.And his problems didn’t end there. The dragon, which was only supposed to appear in Chapter 5, made the news, and they even mentioned that it had left behind a rib after a fierce battle.Manchuria and dragon ribs. How many events would keep snowballing due to this? He couldn’t even make a guess to begin with.The Author closed his notebook and massaged his temples. Even if he wanted to come up with a new plan, he didn’t have enough information.He needed to find out what was happening in this world and what those damn supporting characters were up to in order to formulate a proper plan.The Author got up and thought of the two major information guilds he had in mind.Blue Rat and Secret Society.As per what he had written in the notebook, his original plan was to contact Blue Rat.Not only would he be able to reach them through the Saintess, but there were many items he could obtain as well.However, since the Saintess didn’t come to the academy, the Blue Rat guild member monitoring her also didn’t show up either.So, in the end, he was only left with one choice.The Author stomped his feet as he left the thicket.He understood that he had no choice, but it was hard to keep the curses from spilling out.Grumbling as he walked to his destination, the Author emerged from the thicket and arrived at the garbage dump.Just like the other facilities at the academy, the garbage dump was a combination of old facilities filled with history and tradition and the latest modern facilities.The garbage dump, completely desolate without even a single fly around, was quiet. Well, it was not like any normal students would come to the garbage dump during lunchtime.Of course, students would hardly visit this place under normal circumstances... but for the Author, this was a good thing. After all, the person he was looking for wasn’t a student.He sat in a corner of the garbage dump, trying to figure out how to start the conversation. Too obvious.’? Too old-fashioned.‘’? That was just plagiarism.So the safest bet would be...‘

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Just as the Author arrived at a conclusion(?), he heard footsteps from a distance.However, it wasn’t just one set of footsteps.The Author quickly stood up, dusted his seat, and hid behind a pile of trash.Peeking out from behind a garbage bag, just as he expected, he saw two people enter the garbage dump.The person leading the way was the spy from the Secret Society, the person he had been waiting for.A janitor wearing a white janitor's uniform, with a neat triangular head scarf and pale pink rubber gloves.As per her lore, she was supposedly a tough cookie who had been undercover as an academy janitor for ten years. Her codename was Auntie Ava.The person trailing behind her was a girl who was both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time.The roommate of the pointy-eared princess, who had risen to fame even before the entrance ceremony, and someone even Jeon Yunseong, a protagonist candidate, found uncomfortable around.She was one of the characters the Author had recently started closely monitoring.It was only natural.Despite being involved with some key characters, she was an unknown figure who didn’t make an appearance either in the novel or the game.And above all... that appearance of hers.It was hard to dismiss her as just some random extra with those extraordinary looks of hers.A beautiful face unmarred even by a cold expression, a well-trained figure, long black hair cascading down, and deep blue eyes like lapis lazuli…Her appearance was on par with that of the pointy-eared Princess, who was a heroine.Some male students had already started referring to the pair who were always together as the 'Black and Gold Sisters', praising them as the academy's top beauties, so there was nothing more to be added....While the Author became convinced of this, the two women began to converse in a corner of the garbage dump, outside the reach of the CCTV.- Ava’s voice was as gentle as ever, but her expression and tone were sharp.- A promise? Did Seti also belong to the Secret Society? The Author focused the little mana he possessed on his ears.And the moment he heard Seti's voice, he involuntarily shuddered.- - - Seti’s voice was colder than he imagined. It was completely different from the quiet, reserved pretty girl image she usually exuded.Just as Ava’s voice was about to rise, a chilling mana pressed down over the garbage dump.- Unlike Ava, who was only sweating a bit, the Author, who had barely managed to touch the threshold of a Superhuman, could tell.That Killing Aura, that mana.Seti was serious. She had gathered all her mana with the genuine intent to kill Ava if the janitor went any further.- Ava tried to refute, but Seti spoke faster.- - - She gently placed her hand on Ava’s shoulder— a terrifying hand imbued with mana.Only then did Ava’s body start trembling like a leaf.- .- - Ava, who was struggling to speak, couldn’t bear it any longer and collapsed to her knees. She trembled as if she had been struck by lightning.Gazing down at Ava’s figure for a moment, Seti replied in a cold voice.- ...- With that threat hanging, Seti left the garbage dump.Until her footsteps disappeared completely, neither the Author nor the spy dared to utter a word.* * *In the vast plains of Manchuria, with the Khingan Range in view.An unconscious dwarf, a horse-headed man on the verge of death, and two people glared at each other as a cold wind blew between them.After a moment of silence, the one in the black winter coat spoke up."Don’t tell me... are you from the World of Meru2?"World of Meru? Hearing that unfamiliar name, Yeomyeong shook his head."No. I’ve never even heard of it.""...Really?"Mana gathered in the eyes of the one staring at Yeomyeong.It was a sharp gaze that seemed to pierce through everything, from facial expressions to the slightest movements, and even the flow of mana."Where did you learn the Surging Wave technique from, and how? Do you have a master, or did you personally discover the secret manual... no, the Arcane Relic?""You sure have a lot of questions for someone who tried to stab me in the back.""...""What, are you afraid?"That taunt was as low as they got. The other person stifled a dry laugh as if in disbelief."You bastard, I was preparing to go easy on you, thinking you might be a fellow countryman...""Go easy on me? At least hide your killing intent before you start bullshitting.""...Ha."The person tossed Darulma, whom he was carrying, to the ground and glared at Yeomyeong with a fierce expression."Whether you're from this world or another, there are always idiots who need a good beating to know their place.""I agree."Without giving the person an opportunity to respond, Yeomyeong lunged at him. In the next instant, Yeomyeong was right in front of his face.Yeomyeong invoked the Surging Wave technique and swung his sword, while the opponent thrust forth a mana-infused fist.!!!!!!The clash, not just between sword and fist, but between mana and mana, resonated with a powerful sound.Mana charged with the waves of the Surging Wave technique collided with the mana generated by another martial art of equal magnitude.What followed immediately was a shockwave that erupted like an explosion, sending the dwarf beside the person flying helplessly.As the sword and fist pushed against each other, the person spoke."Although you have plenty of mana, you lack finesse. It almost seems like you never had a proper master."It wasn’t just some mere taunt. And as if to prove his point, the person began to gather all their mana.And the mana that erupted from their entire body pushed back the sword. No, to be precise, it sent Yeomyeong's entire body flying.When Yeomyeong managed to steady himself, he saw a translucent, dark red mana, shimmering like a heat haze, overflowing from his opponent's body."So then, shall we see if you can die now?"This time, the opponent charged first. Their movements were on a different level from any of the adversaries Yeomyeong had fought so far. The punch they thrust forward as they leaped was so fast, it was almost invisible.The mana accelerated. The surrounding air heated up in an instant, and the delayed sound of the impact tore through the atmosphere.They thrust, rebounded, swung, and struck down. Yeomyeong’s sword that blocked each punch of his opponent rang with each impact.As the opponent's fist began to outpace Yeomyeong's sword, a grenade suddenly dropped at Yeomyeong's feet."Such cheap tricks...!"The empty explosion separated the two. Both moved out of the grenade’s range and quickly readjusted their stances."Carrying grenades around like that, aren't you ashamed as a martial artist?""...Not really."Yeomyeong answered while counting the remaining grenades. He had lost most of them due to the corpse explosion, so there were just two grenades hanging from his waist.He felt a deep sense of regret as he observed his opponent shrouded in mana like a heat haze.His current opponent was someone from whom he had a lot to learn from. Their method of emitting mana from the entire body, the precise control of mana—every move was textbook perfect.If they could just fight for an additional hour or two, Yeomyeong was sure that this opponent had the skill to further his own abilities.However, despite their martial prowess... Yeomyeong did not find their attacks threatening in the slightest.On assessing the situation calmly, it could be seen that their skills were nearly equal.Yeomyeong pondered this as he swung his sword at the opponent again.Even when the opponent’s mana-infused fist struck his body, when he narrowly deflected a palm blast, and when he detonated a grenade, he kept pondering over this.Then, at a certain moment, he noticed that the opponent was deliberately reducing their movements and realized something.For some reason, the opponent’s body was no different from that of a child who had just entered puberty.From the fine muscles to their cartilage, everything fell short from that of a Superhuman's.After all, martial arts were an extension of the method of strengthening the body with mana.Even with great martial prowess, there were limits due to a lacking physical body.Though the opponent was somewhat closing the gap with overwhelming martial prowess… the difference was clear when compared to Yeomyeong's body, which had already surpassed that of an ordinary superhuman.As Yeomyeong's thoughts intensified, the opponent, unable to contain their frustration, shouted."Damn it, what the hell is your body?!"The opponent stepped back, aghast, creating some distance between them and Yeomyeong.“You keep regenerating even after taking a hit. Are you really human?”“…”“Is your mother a monster and your father human, or something like that?”If that was supposed to be a taunt, it was absurd; if it was genuine, it was ridiculous. Yeomyeong shook his head, shaking off his sword.“...And what about you? What’s your true identity?”“Don’t answer a question with a question! Did they teach you to answer questions with questions at school—”Just as the absurd conversation was about to continue, something shot from afar pierced the opponent’s shoulder.A bullet wrapped in white mana. Both Yeomyeong and the opponent turned in the direction the bullet had come from.There, they saw the Saintess riding a motorcycle as she held the handlebars with one hand and aimed a rifle with the other.“A blessed bullet. Is that the Saintess?”The opponent glanced at their bleeding right shoulder and swiftly kicked off the ground.Instead of chasing after the opponent, Yeomyeong leaped towards Darulma Dune, the unconscious dwarf in the distance.Once he ensured the dwarf’s safety, he realized the opponent’s destination was in the opposite direction.If the dwarf wasn’t the target, then perhaps…His suspicion turned out to be true. They embraced the horse-headed man who had lost his right arm and began to walk in the air.The Saintess fired successive shots at them from a distance, but this time, they didn’t just take it like before.Instead, the person used the horse-headed man as a meat shield to block the bullets.“”The horse-headed man screamed as the bullets pierced him, but the person paid him no heed, indifferent to whether he lived or died.After ascending into the sky, the opponent yelled at Yeomyeong.“Hey you, fucking monster! What’s your name?”“...Why don’t you introduce yourself first?”Hearing Yeomyeong’s provoking reply, the opponent’s face contorted as they responded.“My name is Mara. I am Mara of the Six Heaven3. Now, reveal your name.”Yeomyeong hesitated briefly, considering whether or not to hold him back for a bit longer, but seeing the opponent’s burning gaze, he changed his mind.For some reason, he had a feeling that he would encounter this opponent again.“...Cheon Yeomyeong.”“Cheon Yeomyeong, I’ll remember that.”With that predictable exchange now concluded, the opponent stepped into the air and fled.Yeomyeong watched the person’s retreating figure for a moment before tending to the unconscious dwarf and the sound of the engine of the motorcycle the Saintess was riding grew closer.1. I Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie and written by Kevin Williamson. It is loosely based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Lois Duncan.2. 수미세계 (Sumi Segye—Literal translation World of Meru) refers to the range of worlds overseen by a single Buddha.

Mount Meru was originally derived from Indian mythology, first mentioned in the epic Mahabharata.

In Theravada Buddhist texts like the Abhidhamma, Mount Meru is described as floating in space with overlapping circular wind wheels, water wheels, and gold wheels. seaʀᴄh thё nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The area around Mount Meru is referred to as the World of Meru, which comprises the previously mentioned wind, water, and gold wheels, the Four Great Continents, the sun and moon, as well as the Three Realms (Desire Realm, Form Realm, and Formless Realm) and the Six Paths.3. The Sixth Heaven of the World of Desire, also known as the Heaven of Freely Enjoying Things Conjured by Others, is the highest of the heavens located in the World of Desire in the Buddhist cosmology. It is here that paranirmitavasavarti-deva, the devil king of the sixth heaven, resides, sapping the life force of others and taking advantage of their efforts. He is said to harass practitioners of Buddhism to dissuade them from their practice and prevent them from attaining enlightenment.