Combat Training Practice (4)
TL/ED: Lolz
The typical dungeon is a confined space.
Stony floors, stuffy air, the fear that one wrong step could lead to an untimely demise.
Each of these elements combines to create the endlessly fantastic space known as a “dungeon.”
But suddenly, a space opened up just a few steps ahead, with the setting sun filling the sky beyond, and it left one breathless.
‘We almost got screwed for real.’
And then.
“That shock just now, if it had hit us, there wouldn’t be anything left.”
Danya shivered as she raised her tail, and it was understandable. In that moment, the story of the game suddenly came to mind.
[A massive crash resounded. The dungeon shook. Lina Rosewell sensed that something was happening.]
In the combat training scenario, Lina Rosewell was essentially the protagonist. She must have felt that the source of the crashing sound was on their side.
“Ian! Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.”
Danya rushed over to him.
‘Just a moment.’
Suddenly, a thought crossed Ian’s mind: Perhaps…
Danya not being an official character in Fantasy X Academy, and the reason why he couldn’t see her while playing. If she was involved in this incident, it would make sense.
Ian swallowed hard.
The weight of Fantasy X Academy’s story was starting to be felt.
“As expected, people should worship good gods, right?”
Yurran grinned.
If this guy hadn’t called, they might have all turned to dust.
Knowing about the Bloodstone Cult, and the fact that capturing this guy itself was an episode.
The Bloodstone Cult was one of the few organizations in the game with scarce personal information. This chilling guy might be more formidable than expected. At least, he had the power to interfere with the academy’s training exercises.
“I’m starting to get interested a bit.”
“Haha, what an honor this is.”
The right to life and death, for a moment, was in Yurran’s hands.
Indeed, Fantasy X Academy was not a game where you could have casual thoughts.
Anyway, right now, everyone was alive.
They had to move forward.
“Once everyone is ready, let’s go.”
At the center of the dungeon.
Originally, the central square of the dungeon should have been a bit further.
But due to a sudden part of the dungeon being blown away, the destination became more visible.
A murky swamp and, at its center, a boss monster in a dormant state.
Originally, it should not wake up.
Since it was a minimum Level 4 threat, the fresh-faced rookies couldn’t confront it yet.
“Let’s go.”
This scenario was, after all, a significant one because the first “Blackened” student would appear.
But suspicions started to creep in naturally.
‘What if the story’s flow changes like this?’
Originally, Lina Rosewell was supposed to lead the finale of this episode.
To suppress the boss monster that Jacob, the blackened student, was running to awaken.
However.
In the first place, Lina’s appearance also changed greatly.
It was inevitable to feel anxious.
‘It absolutely must not wake up now.’
One silver wolf, sleeping in the center of this place.
It was a prerequisite condition that had to be protected for the future story.
Their footsteps quickened.
◆
A massive crash resounded.
The dungeon shook.
— Trembling.
Lina Rosewell almost stumbled but quickly regained her balance. She had a gut feeling that something was happening, but she didn’t stop her steps.
Unwavering footsteps.
“Lina… Slow down a bit. You’re going too fast.”
From behind, a groaning sound was heard.
A seemingly useless front-liner. It was the voice of the priest supporting Jacob.
“Haa.”
Lina let out a sigh.
Why did that damned Jacob join the team and become a burden?
— Crumbling!
Her sigh was not heard as it was overshadowed by the sudden appearance of Twilight Wolves.
“Lina! We need to step back! The Twilight Wolves are immune to magic…!”
Ignoring the scout’s words, fast incantations flowed from Lina’s mouth.
“Burn everything.”
In an instant, Lina’s hair turned a brilliant blue.
Followed by a tremendous amount of flames engulfing the pathway.
“…!”
Nothing remained beyond.
“Let’s go.”
The members of Team 7 blinked their eyes.
Did they miss something?
Wasn’t there a pack of wolves ahead?
Lina’s abilities were clearly showing abnormal traits from some point on.
‘We need to go faster.’
In fact, Lina’s mind was clear with only one goal.
Gradually, a humid atmosphere surrounded them.
Silver rays of light shone through the dark passage.
When they turned the corner, a vast open space stretched out before them.
With the waxing moon above her head in the background, the swampland, just as she had heard, unfolded before her eyes.
“Scout, priest. Go ahead. I’ll follow. It’s better that way.”
“B-but what about Jacob?”
“I’ll support him. Leave him there for now.”
A cold command.
The two followed the orders.
As they departed, Lina looked down.
Jacob, writhing on the ground, looked like some kind of bug.
Should she step on him like this?
“Get up. Hey.”
“Ugh.”
Lina propped him up.
Points.
In order to earn points in training, not only speed but also teamwork was essential.
Points and competition. That was all that was on Lina’s mind.
“Walk. Endure the pain.”
“Ah… I understand.”
The marshland was getting thicker.
With her spirit’s support, Lina opened her mouth.
“In this world, it feels like it hates me too much.”
“Ugh…”
“What do you think, Jacob? Why is everyone making it so hard for me? I treat everyone kindly, and why is it so hard for me?”
“I-I’m sorry….”
“You too, Jacob. You’re from the Knight Department, right? You told me you had confidence. But is this all you’ve got? Can’t even prevent a skeleton head from exploding, and you’re groaning like this, becoming a burden to the team.”
Jacob lowered his head.
Lina looked down at him and raised her head.
The brilliant moon hung above.
For some reason, the more moonlight she received, the more something inside her seemed to boil.
At that moment, in her eyes, she saw someone in the distance.
“… Ian Blackangers.”
As expected, it’s him.
Lina grit her teeth.
“You know, Jacob.”
“…Uh?”
“I need to get good grades in this training, right?”
“… I’m sorry.”
“I’m not blaming you.”
Lina’s voice had an inexplicable fiery tone.
“So, pretend you didn’t see anything, okay?”
Her hair glowed with a deep blue under the moonlight.
Then, her hand flashed red, and flames unfolded.
— Shiiiiiiik!
The flames turned all the moisture in their path into steam and advanced in a straight line.
At the end of it all, a man stood there.
— Kagaagang!
A massive explosion erupted.
◆
Ian was searching for Lina Rosewell as he made his way through the swamp. More accurately, he was searching for Jacob.
In case they couldn’t stop him from becoming blackened, and the boss monster woke up, this place would become a massive grave.
It was manageable with Aether students, but it was impossible for ordinary students.
“I sense something.”
Danya suddenly perked her ears and listened.
The forest people’s intuition was generally trustworthy.
As he focused on mana detection, he felt a heat behind him.
“Watch out!”
He shouted and immediately shielded with Lunar, covering the front of his body.
— Kagaagang!
The terrifying sound of magical power and metal resistance clashing. The flames were soon extinguished. If it weren’t for Lunar, reinforced by moonlight, they would have pierced through.
It was strong.
He managed to block it once, but most of Lunar had already melted away.
Besides, they were surrounded by a swamp, and there was no sign of effective elemental extraction.
‘Are they targeting this situation?’
It was clearly malicious.
At the end of the spell, Lina Rosewell was standing there.
Jacob stood beside her, his face dazed.
◆
Jacob blankly stared at the unfolding scene.
The transformation of Lina Rosewell was certainly surprising, but that wasn’t what left him in a daze.
From the moment she was berated, her mind was cleared. Her endless feelings of regret, self-destruction, and futility toward her teammates… All of that disappeared as if a string had been cut.
— Stop it.
Kirilik.
Jacob looked up at the sky.
He heard a man’s voice.
An irresistible command.
— Stop the one beside you.
He had to stop Lina Rosewell?
But he didn’t have the power to do that.
— You are strong.
His heart raced.
A black something began to gather in his chest.
Feelings of inferiority, hatred, defeat, and all his rough thoughts became a driving force.
He felt it instinctively.
Every single one of his veins was turning into a magic circle.
Power.
The powerful strength he had always longed for.
Jacob’s lips curled upwards.
— Kung, kung
His heart beat fiercely.
Overwhelming power lifted his body.
In an instant, black energy enveloped him.
And when Lina Rosewell’s incantation ended, Jacob leaped forward.
— Kwagaagang!
Flames and darkness clashed fiercely.
◆
“…”
Ian silently watched the scene in front of him.
A massive explosion.
At the end of the magical tug-of-war, the defeated Jacob vanished without a trace.
A passage from the story came to mind.
[The blackened student was stopped by Lina Rosewell.]
The result was the same.
But the process was significantly distorted.
It wasn’t Lina who stopped the blackened student.
The blackened student had stopped Lina.
… The cause and effect were twisted.
Is this insane story going somewhere?
“….”
His mouth felt dry.
There was a variable.
A variable that could alter the course of the scenario.
And with just a little thought, it was obvious who that variable was.
There were three main characters in this scene.
Lina Rosewell, who seemed ready to kill him.
Yurran, who looked at her in amazement.
And Ian himself.
Two of them were originally in this scenario, and one was an absent figure.
‘… F*ck.’
Suddenly, a cold sweat ran down his spine.
It finally dawned on him.
The Bloodstone Cult and the heroine were both moving, each considering himself the destination.
Perhaps the one who had underestimated himself the most was Ian himself.
He said he might be himself.
He looked back at the central role he had to play for the sake of the story.
… Fortunately, the boss had not awakened.
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