Chapter 98

【98】97.

Having arrived at the lake south of Neglang, Leo clicked his tongue.

“This isn’t it either. This makes it the second dead end, doesn’t it?”

Leo pulled out a map and marked an X on the lake.

“Now, there’s one to the east, one to the north, and the last one is…”

Leo turned his head to look at the ruined castle.

“There’s one at the castle ruins.”

Since Leo’s final destination overlapped with the one at the castle ruins, he could check it last.

“Hmm…”

Leo put the map back into his bosom and turned around.

“So why have you been pursuing me all this time?”

At that question, the owner of the sound that had been lurking between buildings appeared before Leo.

“Did you know I was following you, Lord Leo?”

“Yes.”

“Indeed, you are remarkable.”

“So, why are you here? The castle ruins are on the opposite side. Why did you follow me all the way here?”

“Why has Lord Leo come here?”

“For personal matters.”

“I have personal matters too.”

“What is it?”

SHIIIIK-!

“It’s a duel.”

When Chen Sia summoned her aura, a wave resembling silk formed around her. Encasing herself in it like a winged dress, she extended her right hand toward Leo while placing her left hand on her back and lowering her stance.

“All of a sudden, why?”

“I’ve grown curious. Just how far is the gap between Lord Leo and I? And…”

Chen Sia wore a serious expression.

“Just what kind of person you are.”

Leo drew his sword.

“Is that all?”

“The seat of the first-year representative also intrigues me.”

Upon hearing her words, Leo burst out laughing.

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s just… this is the first time I’ve seen you openly reveal your ambition.”

Chen Sia is one of the top students in the first year.

The top-tier students all had their eyes on Leo’s position as the first-year representative. After all, for those who had lived their whole lives at the top, anything less left them unsatisfied.

However, one of them had always kept their distance.

That was Chen Sia.

‘She definitely had ambition before, but…’

“I’m curious why you suddenly revealed it.”

“It’s the Battle Royale, isn’t it? It’s a stage where we can truly measure our skills. And…”

Her eyes dimmed.

“I just wanted to watch.”

“Huh?”

PAANG-!

Chen Sia dashed toward Leo after stomping the ground.

‘She’s attacking first?’

Chen Sia was fundamentally a defensive type due to the water attribute, which favored defense and evasion over attack. There had been discussions among the Department of Knights’ students, wondering who could pierce her gentle defense.

‘The only two predicted to have a chance are Celia and Duran.’

But still, it was just a possibility. No one was confident that even these two students, regarded as having the strongest attack among their peers, could break through Chen Sia’s formidable defense.

And yet, she had abandoned this advantage to launch the first attack.

‘So she isn’t weak just because she’s attacking first.’

HOAR-!

Leo summoned fiery aura.

Chen Sia’s small hand moved gracefully. However, the attack that followed was absolutely vicious. Her water aura broke into tiny droplets scattering all around. These droplets transformed into sharp needles.

“!”

Leo quickly wrapped himself in fiery aura.

PA-BA-BA-BANG-!

Hundreds of needles attacked from all directions.

SIZZLE!

The water needles collided with the fiery barrier, creating steam.

The overwhelming number of needles failed to penetrate the barrier of fire.

“You’ll need a spear, not needles.”

A drop of water appeared on Chen Sia’s palm, then quickly transformed into a sharp spear.

POOF-!

The water-formed spear pierced through Leo’s fiery aura aiming for Leo.

WHOOSH!

Leo leaned back to evade the attack. As he stood up, Chen Sia’s foot came into his line of sight. Chen Sia’s main skill was unarmed combat. The biggest drawback of unarmed combat was that it was hard to close the gap with an opponent who wields a weapon.

But, conversely speaking, once the gap was closed, it rendered the opponent helpless.

Leo raised his hand that wasn’t holding the sword to block Chen Sia’s attack.

KABOOM-! PHOOMK-!

A bone-breaking shock attacked his upper arm, and his foot sank into the dirt.

But there was no time to worry about it. Chen Sia’s fist that had retrieved was now heading for Leo’s right side.

With an aura-laden punch, Leo let go of his sword and urgently blocked her with his left hand.

PUCK-!

As if being struck by a massive bat, Leo’s body was flung away from its spot.

SPLASH-!

Leo’s body crashed into the lakeside, causing a tall spray of water to sh**t up.

“Indeed, Lord Leo… to counterattack even in such a situation.”

Chen Sia frowned, tearing off her left sleeve that had been scorched by Leo’s fire aura.

‘Even while being flung away, his fiery aura managed to pierce my defense.’

SPLASH.

Leo emerged from the water’s edge and looked at Chen Sia, shaking his frozen right hand.

Looking at Leo, Chen Sia smiled.

“As I expected, Lord Leo is remarkable. You were completely unaffected after receiving all my strength.”

“Unaffected? Does it look unaffected to you? It hurts like hell.”

While grumbling, Leo saw Chen Sia smile wryly.

‘Isn’t the fact that you can joke around itself proof that you’re fine?’

While thinking this, Chen Sia prepared for Leo’s impending attack.

‘I’ve already tried a surprise attack. Lord Leo won’t fall for the same trick twice.’

Though she had other tricks up her sleeve, now was not the time to rashly attack him.

‘That attack of Lord Leo’s.’

Chen Sia recalled the first day she learned the Hero’s Breath.

‘That’s definitely the maximum firepower Lord Leo can unleash.’

ROAR-!

Chen Sia released her aura. Her black hair fluttered with the aura.

Her obsidian-like black pupils turned sapphire blue.

‘If I can only divert that slash!’

“You’re not yourself today, Chen Sia.”

“Huh?”

“Water always changes to match the flow, doesn’t it?”

Leo tilted his head.

“But you’re too stiff right now.”

“…!”

“Is something wrong?”

Firmly staring at Leo, Chen Sia smiled faintly.

“Nothing is wrong.”

Leo extended his hand.

VROOOM-!

Responding to the aura, the sword was summoned into Leo’s hand.

HOOAR-!

‘If I can only block that slash!’

While concentrating, Chen Sia saw Leo adjust his sword grip.

GOO-!

Powerful heat enveloped Chen Sia’s skin.

Chen Sia tensed her whole body.

‘It’s coming!’

KUGUUUUUNG!

As the wall of Leo flames approached, Chen Sia inhaled. The Hero’s Breath activated, generating a powerful flow of water around her.

The water aura engulfed Leo’s sword slash and redirected the flow.

At that moment, Chen Sia realized something was wrong.

‘There’s no way it’s this simple.’

“I told you…”

Hearing the voice from behind, Chen Sia was startled.

“You’re too stiff.”

THWAK!

Chen Sia felt Leo’s palm land on her back.

The concentrated aura from the tip of Leo’s palm was pushed into her back.

PAOONG!

“Ugh?”

The compressed aura exploded, sending Chen Sia flying.

Rolling helplessly on the ground, Chen Sia caught her breath as she felt a sword at her neck.

“You’ve lost.”

Chen Sia smiled in frustration.

“Lord Leo, are you really fifteen years old?”

“Well, how old do I look?”

“You seem like an uncle who’s been rolling around on the battlefield.”

As she playfully laughed, Leo tapped her head and stepped back.

“What? You’re not going to eliminate me?”

Immediately upon hearing the question, Chen Sia’s face turned cold.

Her usual demeanor completely gone, her tone was icy.

“No matter how great Lord Leo is, I can’t allow this kindness. This kind of mercy is unnecessary…”

“You seem mistaken.”

Leo smirked.

“This is the Battle Royale. What I do with the loser is up to me.”

“Are you saying…”

“The loser should obey the winner, right? Some annoying ones are coming after me. Could you take care of them?”

After saying that, Leo leapt away.

“What…?”

While still dazed, Chen Sia suddenly saw a flash of light from around the buildings.

“That man is my target. Don’t interfere, Eliza Hergin.”

“Don’t joke around! Leo Flove is my prey!”

A familiar voice echoed.

Moments later, when Duran and Eliza arrived at the lakeside and saw Chen Sia, they paused.

“Duran, Eliza. The castle ruins are over there, so why have you come here?”

“And you, why are you here? You’re targeting Leo Flove too, aren’t you?”

Duran frowned as he approached, and Chen Sia responded with a wry smile.

“It seems so, since you’re asking the same thing, Duran.”

‘Ah, this is what he meant.’

Understanding the meaning of Leo’s “take care of” statement, Chen Sia sighed.

“Did you lose?”

“Yes.”

“Which way did the guy go?”

She replied,

“Over there.”

As Duran was about to pursue Leo, Chen Sia spoke.

“Duran, because of my injury, could you accompany me to Nella?”

“And why should I?”

“It’s the Interdepartmental Competition, right, and we are from the Department of Knights. Surely you’re not going to ignore your department mate for a personal duel, are you?”

Smiling sweetly, Chen Sia observed Duran’s troubled expression.

“A fox-like person!”

Duran couldn’t ignore the mention of the Department of Knights.

“I’ll do my best. Since I’m going to end Leo Flove, that’s fine.”

Eliza smirked, contorting Duran’s face.

“A! Then let’s go together! Both of us! Si-a! We’ll just go to the Central Ruins! Afterward, we’re enemies!”

“Thank you, Eliza.”

Chen Sia, who was manipulating the two students, sighed as she glanced in the direction Leo had disappeared.

“I don’t know why you aren’t heading to the Central Ruins, but please come back soon, Lord Leo.”

*

Central Ruins.

“Who dares trespass!”

HOOOSH! BOOM!

“Ugh! It’s Celia Zerdinger!”

“d*mn! We were so close!”

Of course, the only safe zone in this city, the Central Ruins, was crowded with students.

To enter the Central Ruins, one had to go through the gates at the east, west, south, or north sides.

While it was possible to climb the castle walls, doing so would expose oneself to the concentrated attacks of surrounding students, so no one rashly attempted it.

However, passing through the gates was no easy feat either.

This was because of the students from other departments guarding each gate.

“d*mn! That’s impossible! Let’s go somewhere else!”

The Jureddan party gave up on the castle wall, guarded as it was by Celia, and reached the west gate.

Seeing the student guarding the west gate, they anxiously scratched their heads.

“Chloe Mueller!”

At the west gate, Chloe, holding a staff about her own height, stood tall.

‘Now, only the south and east gates are left. If there’s another top student from another department guarding them, that’s trouble!’

Eliza, who ranked second in the Department of Summoning, had already pursued Leo.

‘Please, Warden! At least control one gate!’

If the curse activated while outside the ruins and they were weakened, they would become targets for the students inside.

Depending on the type of curse, there was a high probability they would be wiped out without much resistance.

While Jureddan was about to move toward the south gate, feeling his mouth dry, a terrifying shriek sounded from above.

KYAAAAAA!

“What?”

Puzzled, Jureddan looked up at the sky.

Chloe too turned her gaze upward with a look of bewilderment.

There, a ferocious-looking black wyvern was flying.

“Black Wyvern?”

“Impossible! Why would a top-tier familiar appear?”

As the Jureddan party was surprised,

CHARRK-!

The black wyvern opened its mouth and started spewing its breath attack at the Jureddan party.

“AAAAGH! Wh-what is this!”

The powerful acidic breath melted the ground.

With a grim expression, Juredden looked up at the sky.

‘This isn’t a familiar! Could it be a monster? Does such a monster exist?’

Using the knowledge in his head, Jureddan tried to identify the unknown wyvern.

It was impossible to recognize the extinct monster, Paphnir, eradicated by the Great Heroes during the Era of Catastrophe.

Paphnir, with its mouth wide open, spewed breath aiming at the Jureddan party.

KYAAAAAA!

“d*mn! Let’s evade first!”

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