Ian stared at the mana in his hand.
‘Am I dreaming?’
Mana imbued with the Dark attribute.
If one were to see only this, they might wonder why he was making such a fuss. After all, it was just mana he used on a daily basis, right?
However, there was clearly a difference.
Ian extended his index finger and poked the mana in his left hand.
It used to feel like thick liquid before. But this time, it was different.
Tap! Tap!
‘It’s solidified.’
It wasn’t completely solid, but a layer had definitely formed on the surface.
And that was why Ian was surprised.
He knew what it meant for mana to solidify.
‘Only those who have reached the Master level can solidify mana.’
People below that level could only use mana in its liquid form, no matter how hard they tried.
He himself had been the same before.
Even when facing off against Lilith, he had handled mana in the form of sticky liquid.
But not anymore.
‘It’s thin, but definitely a layer has formed.’
While the inside was still squishy, the surface had begun to harden slightly. That meant Ian’s level had increased.
Crackle!
Fizz!
As he manipulated the mana, it crackled and turned into vapor, disappearing.
‘This should put me at least in the upper expert level.’
He had risen from upper intermediate to upper expert level.
Ian couldn’t contain his excitement at this fact.
Having more mana to work with was certainly an advantage.
‘It’s a good thing to have such growth when I have to fight demons in the future.’
He was confident against Lilith. From now on, the demons would show no hesitation in revealing their claws to him.
Once one high-ranking demon perished by his hands, they would stop hiding in the abyss and prepare for a full-scale attack.
‘Even Asmodeus, the closest, will do that. And the Demon Kings who notice Lilith’s demise will also take an interest…’
Those who suspected some interaction between him and the Demon King of Sloth would try to find out.
It was clear they would choose threats as their means.
‘They will try to kill me somehow.’
Fortunately, this time it would be easily overcome due to Lilith’s carelessness. But others wouldn’t make such mistakes.
He had to use this incident as a lesson and prepare more thoroughly.
‘So, I have to work as hard as him.’
Ian didn’t forget his purpose.
To uncover the hidden secrets and reach a true happy ending.
For that, he needed to kill the Demon God and survive to the end.
That wasn’t the end of it.
Ian looked at Neltalion sleeping next to him.
– Mmm…
‘In order to properly use Neltalion’s power, mana growth was necessary anyway.’
Using Neltalion’s skills required a considerable amount of mana, befitting its status as an ancient god.
Of course, things had somewhat improved since obtaining the Ether, but there were still lingering issues.
‘Neltalion’s strength isn’t just limited to being a weapon.’
That was evident with the recent acquisition of Instant Regeneration.
A skill that instantly healed any injuries on his body. What was more amazing was that it could be used on others as well.
Neltalion probably had many such abilities.
If he continued to grow, the next abilities would also take the form of skills, which he could then use.
‘But if I can’t use them properly due to lack of mana? Just the thought is dreadful.’
But now, that could be resolved.
That was why Ian couldn’t help but be satisfied.
With a genuine smile, Ian looked at the sunlight coming through the window.
‘Ah… It’s been a while since I felt so at ease.’
It had been quite some time since he rested so comfortably without any thoughts.
Since he had the opportunity for rest, it would be best to fully alleviate his fatigue.
Ian picked up the beef soup placed next to him and carefully brought it to his mouth.
“Mm…”
Feeling a gentle warmth spread throughout his body, Ian smiled.
The soup tasted quite good. It was so delicious that one might wonder who made it. To be honest, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say it was the most delicious food he had ever eaten.
With a relieved heart, Ian began to sip the soup.
– Hi-Hi.
Watching Ian secretly while pretending to sleep, Neltalion smiled contentedly.
***
Due to the sudden intrusion of Lilith, Ark had to face unexpected chaos.
To ensure the safety of the students, training was conducted using illusions.
However, ironically, the illusions became prisons for the students. If not careful, they could have lost their lives to the demons.
What made matters worse was that all of these scenes were witnessed by the nobles of the empire.
After the training concluded, the nobles continuously voiced their doubts about the safety of Ark’s training.
Under such circumstances, proceeding with the originally scheduled mid-term training, which was supposed to be a war game, was sheer madness.
That’s why.
“Hey, watch where you’re pushing! Ah! Who the h*ll are you?”
“If you’ve seen enough, step out! You’re not considerate of those behind you?”
People crowded around the bulletin board in the main building.
Realizing that the illusions were not safe, Ark canceled the scheduled mid-term training.
Instead, they decided to divide the grades based on performance in war games and the grades of the subjects they had taken.
The grades of elective and major courses, which were not usually considered important, now had a decisive impact.
It was inevitable that the students would be obsessed with the rankings posted on the bulletin board.
Of course, even though they crowded around, it didn’t change their grades. But being in a crowded place made them feel like they had to let off some steam, even if it meant nothing would change.
The crowd around the bulletin board began to disperse gradually after Ariel appeared.
“… ”
Seeing Ariel walking with her party members with a stern expression, the students subtly moved away from her.
It wasn’t because they wielded significant power at the academy.
“Phew… Look at her expression. It’s so intimidating.”
“Hey! What if she hears us? She already looks in a bad mood.”
They feared scratching the nerves of those who had become alley cats. It was terrifying to think what might happen if they got under her skin.
As they glanced at those who were groveling before them, Reyna, who was assessing the atmosphere, hesitantly approached.
“Ariel? Don’t worry too much… You can do better next time…”
Was it an attempt to lighten the mood? Reina forced a smile and said, but Ariel didn’t regain her spirit.
“Thank you, Reina.”
“Y-yes…”
After conveying formal gratitude, Ariel immediately turned her gaze to the ranking board.
Her name, which had always been at the top, was now at the bottom.
[Ark 1st Year War Game Overall Rankings]
.
.
.
#54 Ariel Volkanov.
“Haha…”
A dry laugh escaped Ariel’s lips as she looked at her ranking.
54th place. Considering that there were about 60 students in the first year, it was a ranking that could be considered in the lower ranks.
Of course, considering the power she had shown in the war game, it was an inexplicable ranking.
But Ariel didn’t bother to argue.
‘It’s my mistake.’
What was the point of showing her strength? She had led her party to their demise with poor strategies.
Given that she had received a ranking of 54th, she should be grateful.
Ariel, standing still and checking her grades, looked around.
The gathered students were all staring at her.
She could feel the emotions mixed in those gazes on her skin.
Sympathy… Anger… Ridicule.
Feeling those emotions, Ariel lowered her head and smirked.
‘Why did it come to this…?’
Since she was young, Ariel had always been the center of attention for everyone.
Her parents and the people of her lineage looked at her with affectionate eyes.
Those like Celia spared no effort to become friendly with her as soon as they saw her.
She was always a beloved figure. Even after enrolling in Ark, those arrogant geniuses who were called so-called prodigies would rush to her like a dog meeting its owner when she reached out to them.
Even the instructors and officers treated her sincerely.
To think that she was now receiving mixed gazes of pity and ridicule was…
‘…Ha.’
Even thinking about it made her laugh bitterly.
Ariel raised her gaze again and looked back at the ranking board. Next to the paper with her grades written on it were the grades of the second-year students.
[Ark 2nd Year War Game Overall Rankings]
1st, Ian Volkanov
2nd, Alan Kegan
3rd, Eri Everhart
4th, Igor Pendia.
.
.
Her brother, who always ranked at the top, and the members of the 3rd Platoon.
Seeing them, she felt like her heart was going to burst.
‘Why am I always…’
It was always like that.
Though she was loved by everyone, acknowledgment always went to Ian Volkanov.
Even as the hero, she was overshadowed by him within the party.
Despite being the leader, her party members followed Ian’s commands. They only allowed her to shine at the last moment.
Perhaps it was truly out of affection, but… Ariel didn’t like it.
‘I can make a difference too.’
She was a hero. The one burdened with the noble duty of leading the charge to sweep away the demons, standing at the forefront and striking down the enemy. That was the ideal she had envisioned, and it didn’t suit her temperament to only wield her sword when it was crucial.
So she had decided.
She was determined to prove that she could do it too, that she could achieve results even without Ian.
Thus, she planned to create her own party, centered around herself, and bring down the Demon God.
However, that plan never came to fruition.
Once again, she failed, and Ian succeeded.
‘Why can Ian do it while I can’t?’
The 1st Platoon she was a part of, was at the bottom, while Ian’s was at the top.
What was even more surprising was that Ian hadn’t even used his original weapon, the sword, yet she was falling behind.
‘Is it really talent? Ian is better than me?’
Ariel looked at her holy sword, Elysion, attached to her hip.
She had been chosen as a hero and had been with Elysion for over ten years, but Ariel had never spoken to Elysion.
Although it lent her its power, the fact that she couldn’t communicate with her Ego Weapon was almost as shameful as it was not speaking to her at all.
‘Why won’t you talk to me?’
According to the ancient texts, heroes had always communicated with the spirit of the Holy Sword to improve their skills.
So why wouldn’t Elysion speak to her?
If there was something lacking, she wished it would at least tell her. But the Holy Sword remained silent.
“Sigh.”
Grumbling at the reluctant holy sword, Ariel turned her gaze forward again.
Though she wanted nothing more than to return to her dormitory and rest, she couldn’t.
‘…I have to go to the liberal arts class.’
Even though a self-declared day off would have been desperately welcomed, giving up attendance points in the situation of receiving disastrous scores in the war game was out of the question.
“Let’s go.”
“Ah, Ariel? I’ll come with you!”
Dragging her heavy feet, Ariel headed to the lecture hall.
***
The next day, having rested comfortably, Ian headed straight to Ark.
In fact, due to this recent incident, he could have easily applied for a sick leave for the whole week.
Ian didn’t bother.
‘Anyway, it’s almost the weekend.’
Moreover, since today’s schedule involved only one class, Ian didn’t feel reluctant about going to school.
‘And being at Blue Moon Pavilion isn’t exactly comforting either.’
It was practically exile, but at least there were minimal staff for security.
It was much better to go to school than enduring their gazes.
Feeling the cool breeze, Ian took out his device to check today’s scheduled class.
‘Come to think of it, today’s class was Strategic Analysis and Discussion, wasn’t it?’
Strategic Analysis and Discussion… It wasn’t exactly a highly regarded class.
The teaching method involved students selecting topics themselves, researching materials, and then discussing them, which was exhausting enough for students majoring in other subjects. There were good reasons for the students to dislike it.
‘So Strategic Analysis and Discussion is a class for those who failed to get into other classes, but not for me.’
On the contrary, Ian had been the first to sign up for this class.
‘As long as I know the original plot, it’s not that difficult.’
As he knew how the future would unfold, researching materials wasn’t particularly challenging for him, and he could easily get good grades.
There was no reason to reject such a sweet class.
Swoosh!
As he opened the door and entered the lecture hall, all eyes turned to him.
In the early days of the semester, most of the gazes were filled with jealousy, but now it was different.
‘It feels awkward…’
The gazes were mixed with favor and awe, which Ian was experiencing for the first time.
It was at that moment when he calmly felt the unfamiliar mixture of favorable gazes.
In one corner of the lecture hall, there was someone sending intense stares in his direction.
‘Ariel?’
It was Ariel Volkanov, and she was looking at Ian with an unmistakably melancholic expression on her face.
