Chapter 122
The Chief Instructor gazed down at the Special Task Force Commander, who writhed like an insect still clinging to life. It was a pitiful sight.
“A fitting end for you,” the Chief Instructor mocked before turning away.
He then walked towards Yan, Leon, and the other instructors.
Leon, with a look of surprise, asked the Chief Instructor, “Were you hiding your strength all this time?”
The Chief Instructor nodded affirmatively.
“Regardless, it’s fortunate that things worked out. You’ve dealt with the taboo-breaking Task Force Commander, and his followers have been annihilated.”
“For now,” Leon mused. “The empire’s landscape will change after this. His Highness the Crown Prince must…”
While the Chief Instructor and Leon discussed future affairs, Yan stood alone, his expression grave.
It was too easy.
Yan had seen the Chief Instructor overpower the Task Force Leader with sheer skill.
But the opponent was the leader of the Special Task Force, a master among masters in the arts of strategy and assassination.
He wouldn’t have given up so easily if he were truly defeated.
With a furrowed brow, Yan slowly approached the Task Force Leader.
The Chief Instructor and Leon, puzzled, called out to Yan, “Where are you going now…?”
That’s when it happened.
GROOOOOOAR!
A disturbing flow of mana emanated from the Task Force Leader, still twitching on the ground.
* * *
The Roar of Mana
The mana, not just in the hearing chamber but from all around, began to converge at an alarming rate.
Like a violent waterfall, the mana surged into the body of the Special Task Force Leader.
Duke Beowulf’s expression hardened slightly at the sight.
“That’s… dangerous.”
Lorena brushed the goosebumps off her arms.
“What in the world…”
“It’s a warning from the body. The Task Force Leader’s actions are far from normal.”
“Yes, but what does that mean…?”
Duke Beowulf didn’t answer Lorena’s question, instead, he watched the Task Force Leader with a heavy gaze.
Even now, an immense amount of mana was pouring towards him.
‘Why would he do such a thing?’
Duke Beowulf narrowed his eyes as he kept watch over the Task Force Leader.
Mana is like a balloon; if the body holds more than it can bear…
Pop! It bursts.
The Task Force Leader, even if he had lost his reason, wouldn’t waste his life so recklessly.
But how could this be…
Suddenly, Duke Beowulf’s eyes snapped open.
“Self-destruction?”
The Task Force Leader’s body, influenced by the Reverse Blood Technique, could hold an enormous amount of mana.
It might be just shy of Duke Beowulf’s own level if only the amount of mana was considered.
But to hold more than that, with the intention to explode…
“He’s gone mad.”
Perhaps this area would cease to exist after today.
Duke Beowulf clenched his fist.
A chilling aura spread out from it.
Whoooosh.
“Soul Frost Final Form – Eternal Frost”
Duke Beowulf quietly deployed his ‘domain.’
The frigid aura flowed from his fist, spreading out from him.
Crackling!
Soon, thick ice erupted from the ground.
It formed a wall, an absolute shield to protect Duke Beowulf, Lorena, and Ria.
If he had brought the sword that resonated well with Soul Frost from the North, he could have isolated the Task Force Leader completely.
Lorena, seeing Duke Beowulf’s response, opened her mouth in dismay.
“But Yan is…”
“If I had brought the sword, perhaps, but without it, I can only ensure your safety. Anything more is uncertain.”
“What if we strike down the Task Force Leader now?”
“Then I’d lose even the leeway to protect you.”
“But we owe that guy from before!”
“I repaid that debt with Ascalon and the Spatial Pouch. And…”
The Emperor was likely behind this.
Otherwise, the Task Force Leader wouldn’t resort to self-destruction.
If it were related to the North, maybe, but otherwise, it’s better not to get involved.
The Emperor was a troublesome opponent even for Duke Beowulf.
It was better for one’s mental health to pretend ignorance than to make an enemy of him.
Lorena tried to say more, but…
“It’s a political issue.”
Duke Beowulf’s firm words bit her lips.
When he was this resolute, not even his daughter’s words would sway him.
Lorena hastily looked towards Yan and the others.
* * *
A vicious maelstrom of mana crashed over the fallen Task Force Leader’s abdomen, its ferocity painting a grim picture.
Yan and his companions’ faces turned ashen at the sight.
“What is this…?”
“Didn’t we shatter his core?”
In that moment, a thought flashed through Yan’s mind.
‘Reverse Blood Explosion?’
If the Reverse Blood Technique amplified physical abilities and mana for a brief period, then the Reverse Blood Explosion was a step further—overloading mana to turn one’s body into a living bomb.
It was the last resort for a Task Force member, and its power was fittingly catastrophic. A fifth-tier member could obliterate an entire village with it.
‘But wasn’t the Reverse Blood Explosion undeveloped in this era?’
Yet, the unfolding events bore an uncanny resemblance to its harbingers.
Yan had to assume the Task Force Leader had initiated it.
Biting down hard, Yan pondered the implications.
‘The blast from someone of the Task Force Leader’s caliber would be immense.’
An exaggeration, perhaps, but it could potentially decimate half the imperial city.
If it detonated here and now, only Duke Beowulf and the Crown Prince might escape death.
Mana swirled tumultuously above the twitching Task Force Leader, turning the hearing chamber into chaos.
It was as if a storm had breached the chamber’s walls.
Then, the Chief Instructor scoffed, wielding his Shadow Blade.
“I don’t know what this broken man has done, but ending him should finish it, right?”
With disdain, he approached the raging vortex of mana and swung down his blade.
Boom!
A massive explosion sent the Chief Instructor flying back into the wall.
“Damian!”
Leon shouted, and the Chief Instructor grunted uncomfortably.
“Hmm, this is no ordinary force.”
He hadn’t unleashed ‘Dual Cut’ as when he split the dragon’s hide, but he hadn’t expected to be repelled so forcefully.
Yan chewed his lip, watching the Chief Instructor.
‘If that’s truly the Reverse Blood Explosion, we’re running out of time.’
The Chief Instructor’s rebound was somewhat predictable.
When the Reverse Blood Explosion is unleashed, mana frenziedly rushes towards the caster, forming a sturdy wall of mana that’s nearly impenetrable.
That’s why it’s the Task Force’s last resort.
Once initiated, it’s nearly impossible to counter.
But Yan’s eyes gleamed.
‘It’s not entirely uncounterable.’
If they could breach the mana barrier and sever the core that’s drawing in the mana…
The explosion would be averted.
Yan finished his thoughts and called out to the Chief Instructor and Leon.
“Chief Instructor! Your Highness!”
“Speak.”
“What is it?”
Yan pointed to a spot.
“Both of you, unleash your techniques at that point with all your might.”
“What?”
“That would obliterate this hearing chamber!”
“The chamber is not the issue right now!”
Yan’s words hardened their faces.
“If the Task Force Leader explodes, half the imperial city could vanish!”
“…What?”
“How do you know that…?”
Leon shook his head mid-sentence.
How Yan knew was a question for later.
If Yan was right, and it could level half the city, they needed to act fast.
‘And the mana flow feels dangerously unstable.’
Leon, with his high affinity for mana, could sense it more acutely.
Whatever the Task Force Leader had done was unclear.
But the mana in the atmosphere began to rage like a furious bull.
The thought of half the city being destroyed was hard to believe, but it wasn’t something they could ignore either.
Leon asked with a heavy voice, ready to act.
“Understood. Give the signal, and I’ll strike with full force.”
Beside him, the Chief Instructor rested the Shadow Blade on his shoulder, a smirk on his lips.
“Me too.”
With their agreement, Yan nodded.
He then stared intently at the mana barrier.
It wavered like a mirage, seemingly fragile.
But appearances were deceiving; its core was as durable as diamond.
Yan’s eyes followed the movements of the mirage.
He was searching for the moment when the Chief Instructor and Leon could break through.
Soon, the fluctuating mirage hesitated—a sign that the mana pouring into the Task Force Leader had lessened.
Yan bellowed.
“Now!”
At his command, Leon and the Chief Instructor’s eyes sparkled.
Leon drew a pure white sword from his waist and poured an immense amount of mana into it.
Dragon’s Breath.
Secret Art, Descent of the Golden Dragon.
Whoosh!
A golden radiance filled the chamber, nearly blinding to behold.
Leon thrust the now-golden blade towards the targeted spot.
The Chief Instructor, too, filled the Shadow Blade with dark energy.
The ordinary longsword stretched out.
Within it was a destructive force that could cleave anything in its path.
Shadow Blade Technique 2 – Dual Cut.
The elongated Shadow Blade tore through the air, aiming for the target.
With the combined might of these transcendent beings…
Crash! Bang! Boom!
The mana barrier erupted with noise, crumbling bit by bit.
A flush of victory crossed the faces of the Chief Instructor and Leon.
But it was short-lived.
“It’s… regenerating?”
“Is our power insufficient?”
The mana barrier began to draw in more mana from the surroundings, reconstructing its formidable wall.
At that moment, Yan’s eyes shone as he filled his legs with mana.
“Haste.”
Normally, he would avoid casting spells in such a setting.
But the situation was dire.
Fortunately, the Chief Instructor and Leon were too preoccupied with the anomaly to notice his magic.
Yan forcefully stamped the ground.
Thud!
The ground shattered, and Yan’s form became a streak of light.
Swoosh!
His target was the still-recovering mana barrier, its interior.
The barrier greedily absorbed surrounding mana, attempting to heal its wounds.
“That madman.”
“Is he fearless?”
Yan was faster.
Had he been even slightly delayed, the regenerating mana barrier would have torn him apart.
Crash!
Yan tumbled inside the mana barrier but quickly raised his head.
Before him, the Task Force Leader lay prone, watching him.
“Kekeke.”
A tiny laugh echoed, almost mocking.
The Task Force Leader seemed to retain his sanity.
He chuckled at Yan.
“…Yan, was it? Can you stop it? A self-destruction wagered with life itself?”
“I don’t know.”
Yan stood, channeling strength into his hand gripping Ascalon.
“But I have to try.”
With that, Yan assumed his stance.
Knees slightly bent, waist tilted at an angle.
The tip of his sword pointed directly at the swelling Task Force Leader.
His mana heart pulsed vigorously.
Thump! Thump!
In his mind, Yan rapidly conjured the method to counter the Reverse Blood Explosion.
He had to precisely locate and shatter the ‘core’ causing the rampage within the core.
If he failed…
‘We all die here.’
And shattering the core was no easy feat.
The Task Force Leader’s abdomen was shielded by layers of protection.
It was a clear attempt to buy time.
And those shields, forged by burning life force, couldn’t be broken by ordinary force.
Yan couldn’t yet fully manifest his own force.
‘At my current level, forcing out force would be futile against that.’
There was only one answer.
Mind Manifestation.
He had to bring it to life.
‘The success of this endeavor hinges on whether I can use Mind Manifestation.’
Before his regression, it was a simple task, but now, in this body, it was uncharted territory.
Yet, the sensations from that time lingered faintly, guiding him.
Yan closed his eyes.
And in his mind, he envisioned a dagger.
Silent yet certain, targeting its prey.