‘So, there must be a way to solve this again. A solution. Let’s find the solution.’
If this wasn’t a test, as he had assumed, they should have been killed without even a chance to resist.
Sean had already assessed that the owner of this nest was of a Dragon King’s caliber. In other words, the power that creature possessed in its lifetime was equivalent to that of a deity.
Naturally, such a being could obliterate intruders with just a breath.
However, the actual owner of the nest couldn’t, and even when awakened, it only knew how to rampage like a starving beast.
This meant it was acting solely on instinct, devoid of rational thought.
So, Elric focused on his senses.
He believed that by examining the magical structures surrounding the nest, he might find a clue.
Affinity.
Responsiveness.
He was born with the talent to detect and handle mana.
Not long after his unconscious horizon expanded, the residual sensations in his body heightened his senses to an extreme level.
Coupled with the extreme focus of a potentially life-threatening situation, a part of his brain felt a sudden, strong impact.
Because of that, he didn’t notice that…
Shine!
The pendant he wore around his neck—a magical instrument—was shining brilliantly.
Then,
Crack!
It sounded as if something in his head made that noise.
A sensation of something hard breaking.
He even felt a refreshing sensation.
Simultaneously, Elric felt the world around him flip upside down.
It was as if he were forcibly peeling off the skin of the world and seeing the contents inside.
“…!”
All shadows and colors vanished, and objects were reduced to thick and thin lines.
Truth.
The original form hidden behind the world, as most creatures perceive it to be, was revealed!
It was the moment when the Inner Eye opened.
‘Ah!’
The Inner Eye, as a supernatural power that discerned the truth, provided a vast amount of information.
It gave Elric an indescribable catharsis.
However, it also gave him a headache so severe that it felt as if his brain would explode.
Feeling dizzy to the point of fainting, Elric tenaciously sought a way to survive.
Then,
“13 steps to the left! 7 steps forward!”
Elric precisely pinpointed where the magics interlinked, or where the ‘truths’ intertwined.
To Elric, they appeared as ‘paths’.
Paths leading outside.
“Follow Elric’s directions! Hurry!”
Sean couldn’t see what Elric saw, but he anticipated that Elric had come up with another solution and quickly issued commands.
The soldiers, having witnessed Elric’s skills numerous times, began to move without hesitation.
“8 steps to the right!”
“Straight ahead!”
“Stop for 4 seconds!”
“Turn left at a 15-degree angle for 12 steps!”
Every time Elric shouted, the guards moved swiftly.
Each time, they narrowly passed through the encirclement of the Dragonbone Soldiers, and the dragon’s breath whisked past over their heads.
Any misstep or slight stumble could lead them down a perilous tightrope, putting them at risk of being swept away.
The soldiers from the distance, drawing the dragon’s attention, promptly came together, allowing the group to reach the vicinity of the stone door in unison.
“We… We made it!”
Someone exclaimed. The moment the group passed through the stone door, the dragon and Dragonbone Soldiers seemed to be obstructed by an invisible barrier.
But preparing for them to pass through it at any moment, Sean quickly attempted to exit the cave.
“We don’t know when they’ll burst out! Keep running, hurry!”
The wizards, casting spells like ‘Rapid’ or ‘Agility Enhancement’ to make their movements nimble, started running towards the cave entrance without looking back.
Then, Sean realized a familiar face among the survivors was missing.
“Elric…? Elric! What are you doing, you fool?!”
Sean looked around, and upon seeing that Elric was still near the stone door, he felt a sinking feeling in his chest.
However, Elric just glanced back and said,
“Far. Away. Go.”
His voice couldn’t be heard due to the loud noise.
But clearly, Elric’s lips were moving in that manner. His eyes were resolute, as if he had made a decision.
Just like the time when he first received a failing grade and still expressed his determination to study magic even when everyone pointed fingers at him.
With that, Elric went deeper into the chamber.
Boom!
The stone door closed as if it had been waiting.
“This crazy bastard!”
Only Sean’s scream remained, echoing loudly.
‘His swearing is really top-notch.’
——————
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Hearing Sean’s distant echoing shouts beyond the stone door, Elric chuckled.
He knew Sean would worry, but Elric had no choice.
He could sense through his intuition that the transparent barrier of the stone door wouldn’t hold on for much longer.
Therefore, someone had to stay behind to draw attention.
So, Elric decided to sacrifice himself.
He didn’t care about the lives of Riben or the others, but Sean was different. Sean was an elite and promising talent who would make a significant contribution to the world.
Above all, he was a friend who acknowledged Elric.
‘I can’t leave such a guy to die, right?’
Moreover, Elric was curious.
He wanted to know the end.
The conclusion to this test that was left by some unknown entity.
“What’s the final challenge?”
Saying this, Elric ran.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
He rushed in the opposite direction, towards where the dragon was.
“This guy, what the hell is he trying to…?!”
Sean felt like his hands were shaking violently.
From a distance, the tightly closed stone door seemed to heavily press down on his chest.
“Sean! What are you doing? Hurry!”
“If we stay like this, we’ll all die!”
However, the other team members suddenly tried to forcibly push Sean, who had stopped in his tracks.
“But…!”
“If we go looking for Elric now, everyone here will be annihilated, just like that guy!”
Riben shouted in an urgent tone. His wandering eyes were filled with the madness of wanting to escape from this place.
Seeing those eyes, Sean felt as if his heated mind had been suddenly doused with cold water.
Yes.
These guys were indeed the problem.
From the beginning, if they hadn’t forced their way into the exploration team, Elric wouldn’t have been left in that place.
Sean wanted to shake them off and run to the stone door.
But he couldn’t. The trembling pupils of the other team members caught his eye.
‘What could be wrong with them?’
Elric wanted to save them. Therefore, Sean couldn’t ignore his wish.
“Hey, the Dragonbone Soldiers are coming down!”
Then, someone screamed upon spotting the Dragonbone Soldiers gradually showing their heads by breaking through the corridor ceiling.
Sean bit his lower lip hard. In Elric’s absence, he was now the leader of this exploration team.
All the members’ gazes were desperately fixed on him.
“…Let’s go.”
He suppressed his frustrations and took the lead.
Riben and his team hurriedly followed.
‘Elric! Just wait a little… I will bring the family elders. Please!’
All sorts of emotions swirled violently in Sean’s eyes.
“【Activate】“
As Elric ran towards the dragon, he took out a red bead that he had been hiding all this time.
Gehenna’s Breath.
The sealing tool of hellfire that was said to have been obtained by ‘Johanna Schmitt,’ the second Dean of the academy following Usdun Melvinger, during her visit to the abyss through a contract with a demon.
Upon chanting the activation spell, the cap of the sealing tool opened, releasing the stored hellfire.
Once unleashed, it burned the targets until they turned to ash, and it couldn’t be extinguished with ordinary water.
Ping.
Elric felt a strong dizziness, as if the world were spinning.
Gehenna’s Breath absorbed some of Elric’s life force in order to activate.
To others, it might have looked like a suicidal act, but fortunately for Elric, it was a calculated move, sacrificing only about five years of his lifespan.
Whooosh!
The space inside was filled with fiery flames in an instant.
Due to the intensity of the fire, the Dragonbone Soldiers were swept away by the waves of fire.
Roar!
Although the dragon, unlike its followers, could hold its ground, it was also trapped in the inferno, screaming in agony.
Roaaar! Roaaar! Roaaar!
Writhing in pain, it slammed its head on the ground and lashed its tail against the wall.
Whizz!
Amidst the flames, Elric ran forward.
The hellfire tried to engulf even the caster.
“【Open】“
Then Elric activated another 4-star magic tool.
Zing!
A cluster of white light burst forth, and a milky radiance spread along his limbs, forming a solid armor.
Sky Armor.
A replica made in the image of a holy relic that, in the distant past, the Sky God bestowed upon an Apostle performing evangelical deeds on his behalf, a relic now scarcely remembered by many.
Due to his strong resistance to most elemental magics, including physical attacks, the Sulfur Flame couldn’t touch even a single hair on Elric.
‘This is a test. A trial set by someone to test the virtues and skills of the challenger.’
Thus, one must quickly discern the intentions of the creator and provide a solution.
‘They wouldn’t want the challenger to die in vain. Ordinary people might die without knowing what to do, but if one has talent, the test would allow them to survive.’
What could the meaning be?
It was simple.
‘A spear?’
Whoosh!
Upon approaching the dragon, Elric fiercely struck the ground. As a result, some of the magic inscribed within his armor activated, granting him agility.
As if he had wings on his back, he soared upward in a flash. The dragon’s huge eyes, distorted in pain, were right in front of him.
The creature roared mightily, tilting its head back.
As if trying to bite and kill Elric for causing such agony.
‘This spear connects the dragon’s larynx to its spine. This means there’s some mechanism here…!’
Of course, he was well aware that if his assumptions were wrong, he would die on the spot.
Perhaps this wasn’t a test with any underlying intention, but just a toy left for amusement.
Yet, Elric chose to firmly trust his judgment.
After all, even if he returned to the academy as it was, his fate was predictably grim.
Initially hailed as a troublemaker, he would soon fade into obscurity.
If one couldn’t use magic directly, the best they could hope for was to become a researcher or magician in some remote village.
But that wasn’t what Elric wanted.
He had to restore his fallen family’s honor.
Although hailed as heroes by some, those very people turned their backs on them with a cold laugh. The royal family that just stood by as his lineage fell and even instigated their fall.
The Magic Tower that was greedy for their family’s legacy.
The central nobles who acted like a mob.
The old divine families that easily turned their backs on them as their fortunes declined.
And the shamans, martial artists, and executioners…
He wanted to shout at all of them.
Your choices were wrong.
We are still here with pride!
‘This is undoubtedly a relic left by the dragon. I don’t know what the reward might be, but one thing’s certain.’
Elric’s eyes sparkled.
‘It won’t be ordinary.’
Elric gritted his teeth, reaching out towards the spear perched atop the dragon’s skull.
Flash!
Suddenly, a blinding flash erupted from the tip of the spear.
So bright that it felt as if one could go blind.
And then,
Rumble…
Boom!
A sound like a collapsing dragon resounded.
Along with a tingling sensation on the back of his hand.
Elric’s consciousness faded away.
When Elric regained his senses,
‘…Where is this?’
He was standing in a pristine white world.
Wondering what was going on, he looked around. Suddenly, the scenery flipped, and multiple images opened up before him like a panorama.
