Chapter 641

641.

“…….”

The problem with the 4th and 5th years isn’t simply a matter of teamwork.

There was a decisive difference between the current 3rd years and the 4th and 5th years.

‘The relentless drive toward greatness isn’t present in these guys.’

It couldn’t be helped.

As there was Lord Leo for the 3rd years, there were Elena and Lil for the 4th and 5th years.

If there was a difference, it was that Leo initially walked in step with his peers.

And he kept making everyone look up to his back.

No matter how far apart they grew, he ensured they never lost sight of their goal.

That’s why, even now, if there’s an immeasurable distance between them and Leo that cannot be seen, the 3rd years don’t give up.

Not now. Not even in some distant future where they might never catch up.

‘But who knows?’

There’s no law that says someday they won’t be right behind him, grabbing onto his back.

However, Elena and Lil didn’t walk in step with them.

Because of this, the 4th and 5th years gave up chasing Elena and Lil.

Instinctively, they decided that Elena and Lil were their limit.

It wasn’t their fault.

Unlike Leo, they were too young to care about their surroundings.

“Even as things are, they will likely become heroes.”

Getting their name on the Hero Record.

That is the goal of hero candidates.

But…

“Just until there.”

‘This way, the result is obvious.’

Leo knows.

That they are excellent hero candidates.

His seniors will never avert their eyes from the calamities awaiting in the future.

‘They will stake everything to fight for the future.’

But will they survive the chaos?

‘Our fate is likely to end as the Heroes of the Cataclysm, sacrificing ourselves for the times.’

There’s nothing wrong with that.

Rather, it’s an incredibly noble and pure matter.

But…

‘It’s preferable to live and see that future.’

During the Era of Catastrophe, Leo never dreamed of the future.

Even so, this era is enjoyable and happy for someone like him.

That’s why his heart feels so heavy now.

It would’ve been even more joyful and happy if they were together…

‘Even if it weren’t me and these guys were reborn instead, they might’ve thought the same.’

That’s why Leo hoped the future generation would be different from them.

He sincerely hoped that those dear ones could advance toward the future together.

The wish for the next generation to live in a better future…

‘That’s what being an adult is, isn’t it?’

Therefore, Leo decided to be cold-hearted.

‘Once they set their own limits, that’s truly the end.’

But the battlefield they will stand on in the future isn’t a place where those who have set their limits as Elena and Lil can survive.

A person becomes stronger the more they see.

The higher the goal, the better.

Even if the goal is so impossibly high that it can’t be seen, when one stretches out their hand towards it, that’s when one truly transcends their limits.

‘Perhaps the seniors have already set their limits beyond which they can’t progress on their own.’

Their mold is already set.

After graduation, the limits they themselves have determined will bind them even more firmly.

Even if they break the limits, it will take a long time, and who knows, they may never surpass them in their entire lives.

‘And there won’t be enough time to wait that long, I think.’

So…

“You… what kind of future are you looking at?”

At Runba’s question, Leo laughed.

“Do you want to know?”

“…”

“Then I’ll tell you.”

Goo-o-oh!

Gray mana flowed from Leo’s body.

I can’t take those who clearly know they will d*e to the battlefield.

‘So, thoroughly stomping on them is the answer. To the point where revival is impossible.’

The only way to break the shell of their limits is by this method.

And if they rise again even after being crushed like that… only then do they truly gain the qualifications.

“Show us proof.”

“What?”

“Prove that each of you is the kind of hero suited to the new era.”

*

Luke was closing his eyes and concentrating.

Whishh! Boom!

“Ugh!”

A pain-filled scream from one of his classmates at the Department of Knights echoed.

At that, Luke tightened his grip on the sword in both hands and recalled what Chen Sia had said earlier.

‘I may be the strongest in the third year, except for one person in the darkness.’

She proved that her words weren’t empty.

Chen Sia began hunting down the second-year students, one after another.

“The terrifying thing about Senior Sia is… she can’t be found in the dark.”

No matter how hard the second-year students searched using detection magic, spirits, summons, or sharpened senses, it was impossible to find Chen Sia hidden behind her shroud of darkness.

But…

“Haaah!”

Phoooha-haha!

Habidden swung his sword at the hidden Chen Sia.

Chen Sia deftly evaded his attack with graceful movements.

Ki-ing! Kwahng!

A massive explosion followed as Juen, who had been under protection from a knight student, fired off a magical cannon.

Shasha’s familiars surrounded Chen Sia and launched an attack.

Summoners are divided broadly into two types before considering their spirit mastery or summoning abilities.

Summoners who call forth powerful familiars and enhance them for battle or commanders who summon countless numbers of familiars.

Shasha was clearly the latter.

Based on overwhelming magical energy, Shasha summoned a hundred familiars and commanded them.

A tightly woven formation like an inescapable net.

But Chen Sia slipped through these like flowing water and disappeared into the darkness once more.

“Similar to the spirit of water!”

“Beautiful…”

“Is now the time to admire it?!”

Juen gritted her teeth and shouted.

Despite the situation, Chen Sia’s appearance was undeniably beautiful.

The water cloak draped over her body fluttered gracefully every time she revealed herself.

When she stepped with aura steps like silk, it was as if a water spirit glided across the lake.

The smooth, gentle movements of her attacks.

Frankly, even to Luke, she looked beautiful.

She was elegant and exquisite to the point where men could only marvel.

But…

Bang!

“Ugh!”

The power of her attacks was ruthless.

Appearing suddenly behind Aina, Chen Sia pushed out her palm, striking her back.

Like an exploding water bomb.

Aina fell to her knees and clenched her teeth under the immense water pressure.

There was no way to attack Chen Sia who had vanished back into the darkness.

Even using light magic wouldn’t help. The whole forest was shrouded in darkness, and this darkness was Chen Sia’s domain.

But even Chen Sia couldn’t help revealing herself to attack.

And the second years wouldn’t miss that moment, trying to capture her.

Chen Sia smoothly escaped the attacks and disappeared.

They were getting hunted down one-sidedly.

But there was surprisingly no sign of frustration among the second years.

“The time is on our side!”

Shasha muffled a laugh with a handkerchief.

She was right.

The time was on the side of the second years.

It was true that Chen Sia had made many of the second years unable to fight.

It was also true that they were helpless against her right now.

But Chen Sia was consuming mana as well.

It was impossible not to consume aura while hiding presence in the darkness.

Naturally, the same went for attacking.

Chen Sia was facing a number of second years not in tens, but hundreds.

She would get tired in a prolonged battle.

They would win when the time came…

While they thought this and focused on defense, the body of Luke, who had closed his eyes to concentrate, began to ripple with silver aura.

“Transcendence.”

Luke’s unique magic that took him one step beyond the limits.

With silver lightning enveloping him, Luke charged at Shasha.

“Eh? Eek? Kya-aaaahh!”

“Sorry!”

Shocked by the lightning emitted from Luke’s sword, Shasha screamed in terror as Luke narrowly cut past her, then sincerely apologized.

“At least it’s better than Aina! She didn’t even apologize to me!”

Startled, Shasha let out a sharp scream.

Realizing that meant it wasn’t that bad, Luke chuckled and chased after the revealed Chen Sia.

“Remarkable concentration.”

Chen Sia smiled as she performed an aura step.

Her white foot splashed water gently as she glided along.

An incredible speed.

But Luke was confident in his speed.

‘There! I’ve got…’

Luke’s eyes gleamed as he aimed to cut the hem of Chen Sia’s clothes.

But in the next moment, Chen Sia evaded Luke’s attack.

‘What?’

The reason Luke’s sword failed to reach Chen Sia was simple.

Chen Sia was faster than Luke.

But…

‘Why?’

Luke’s face was clouded with confusion.

He was one of the fastest students of the second year in pure speed.

To the extent he was considered superior to Chen Sia.

Unless he couldn’t predict her movements beforehand?

Until now, he wasn’t able to chase Chen Sia because he couldn’t predict her path of movement.

But it was different now.

He was predicting and countering Chen Sia’s movements.

So, catching Chen Sia should’ve been possible.

Yet, he was left behind by her speed.

‘Did Senior Sia hide her power?’

Luke’s face was clouded with confusion when suddenly Aina and HabIDDEN appeared on both sides of Chen Sia, wielding their swords.

Chen Sia extended her palms to both sides.

Bang!

The water aura she unleashed clashed with the aura of Aina and HabIDDEN.

The powerful shockwave sent Aina and HabIDDEN flying back.

“Eek?!”

“Wait! The power just now… It’s increased?”

The eyes of Aina and Habidden were wide open.

By the time they realized this, Chen Sia had vanished again.

‘She’s getting faster… and stronger?’

Luke dumbly stared at the direction Chen Sia had disappeared.

Like flowing water; carefree and graceful…

‘Like flowing water…?’

“Ahhh!”

Luke suddenly screamed in shock.

“What’s wrong? Luke?”

When Aina asked curiously, Luke replied.

“The flow! The flow!”

“What do you mean?”

When Sasha tilted her head in confusion, Luke urgently said,

“Look around! There’s no wet mark anywhere though Senior Sia attacked!”

In spots where fire aura swept through, the area burns.

In spots where water aura swept through, the area gets soaked.

But there was none of that around them.

“Senior Sia’s aura has never dispersed! It has been flowing around her all along!”

Understanding what he meant, everyone’s face stiffened.

Just as flames grow stronger the more they burn, and the earth grows stronger the more solid and firm it gets, water accumulates and grows stronger.

But water aura is one that doesn’t flow around the user.

Once used, it spreads in all directions.

This was why water aura users had weaker offense compared to other elements.

But what if that water continued to flow around its user?

That flow would become stronger, faster, and heavier.

“The time was not on our side!”

The longer the time passed, the more destructive the aura grew.

Just as Luke finished speaking,

“That’s right.”

From the darkness, Chen Sia revealed herself with arms spread wide.

“I make water flow around me; that’s my aura attribute.”

Chen Sia smiled gently.

“But if the flow of water is broken, the water just disperses.”

Breaking the flow means the opponent’s attack touches the water.

But in the darkness, the opponent’s attack can’t touch her.

So Chen Sia could confidently say:

‘Besides Lord Leo, I am the strongest in the darkness.’

Chen Sia clenched her fist.

Koo-goo-ooh!

A gigantic water aura formed like a wild wave around Chen Sia’s fist.

“In the darkness, one’s actions are unpredictable. You may set cowardly traps or prepare your ultimate techniques, like I do now. We do things outside your common sense without hesitation.”

Chen Sia approached slowly.

“That’s why countless heroes have been hunted down by traitors in the dark and why Shadows have guarded heroes.”

Chen Sia smiled faintly.

“During a real battle, I could’ve killed all of you.”

The statement didn’t feel like an exaggeration at all.

Right now, Chen Sia’s appearance was utterly shattering the second years’ common sense.

“So, it’s time to punish you, our juniors.”

In an instant, the second years were wiped out by Chen Sia.

Sitting alone on a rock, Chen Sia wiped the muddy water off her clothes and smiled faintly.

“Next time, I will set traps.”

In the forest devastated as if hit by a tsunami,

Chen Sia’s innocent smile seemed slightly eerie.