Chapter 188. Enlightenment (4)
“Is that all?”
The core Starling Party members were fighting against their rookie members as part of their practical battle training.
It was being held in a virtual Shadow World.
The setting was tropical forests, with numerous large clusters of trees impairing their vision and movement.
If it was hot and humid in Dresden, the weather in this Shadow World was closer to a fire to say the least. Everything was left warm and damp due to the extreme humidity and heat mixing together. Overall, it was rather unpleasant.
Even though enduring the extreme heat was hard enough, to top things off there were many poisonous insects and violent animals inhabiting the Shadow World too.
Remaining vigilant at all times in the sweltering heat was not an easy feat.
Desir calmly, but firmly, spoke to the first year party members who had been caught by one of his spells.
“I applaud your ambition, but think carefully about what advantages you have. Remember, only you guys can use the communication function of your bracelets.”
Thunder and lighting struck a first year party member, his shape quickly becoming indistinct and disappearing as he was pulled into the outline of the Sun.
[-One person was eliminated. Twelve people remain.]
Desir agonized over how to remedy the students’ weaknesses after analyzing the ones he had already knocked down.
‘If we increase their spell casting speed, it should help them become a lot stronger.’ Strong, that word reminded him of what happened yesterday.
‘Six days left now.’
Zod gave Desir one week for him to calmly think things over.
Desir continued to think over the mana circle implant while conducting the training session for the party.
‘Making a decision on the spot was definitely a clueless thing to do.’
Normally Desir would have realized this immediately, but he was inexplicably consumed by rage, on a subconscious level, that day.
As a result, he ended up doing something rude to Zod. ‘Was I too hasty?’
*Crunch*
Desir felt the trace of mana at the same time as he heard the person step on the leaves. He quickly invoked a spell.
However, the other person completed their spell before Desir, even though he started first. A bullet of wind hit the center of the tree behind Desir.
But Desir did not counterattack.
He had already long let go of his spell, allowing its formation to collapse.
“You didn’t fight back?”
“I knew it was you.”
It was a coincidence that Desir and Romantica had encountered each other.
Detection magic and communication magic had been banned for the core party members during the training session. As a result of pure coincidence, Desir and Romantica ended up together before the rest of the core party members could gather. “How are they doing?”
Romantica shrugged her shoulders at Desir’s question.
“I think their basic skills are good enough, but they’re all working separately.”
“Hm. Maybe this is something too hard for them to realize on their own. I gave them enough time to discuss though.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just tell them directly?” Desir shook his head.
“I can help them make up for their weaknesses, but they need to learn situational decision-making skills by themselves. It’s hard to forget what you learnt on your own.”
“It’s better than not realizing at all.”
“Give them a little more time. They’ll figure it out.”
“Hmm.”
*Boom*
There was an explosion in the distance.
Desir decided to focus on the training without thinking any more about the circle implant. [-One person was eliminated. Eleven people remain.]
He figured it would be more efficient to agonize over his decision and weigh his options afterwards as the training session was rapidly coming to an end.
“Where is Pram and Adjest?”
“I think Pram is in the East, according to my communication wiretap.” Desir heard her answer and shook his head.
‘He’s not even properly equipped, failing to keep communication security in mind.’
He was full of flaws.
“The blast we just heard might be Pram.”
“No, I doubt it.”
As they approached the direction of the blast, Desir and Romantica noticed a sudden drop in the temperature of the surrounding area.
It was chilly, as if the sweltering heat they left behind was a lie.
As the temperature plummeted further, entering the range of uncomfortably cold, the pair sensed the movement of very strong mana ahead. The cold breeze that washed over them was definitely the work of ice magic.
Desir and Romantica hid themselves behind a giant tree.
Other enormous trees collapsed around them, and some parts of the tropical forest froze and shattered due to the ice magic.
Romantica let out a short exclamation as she took in the scene unfolding around her. “Woah.”
Six of the first year party members stood face to face against Adjest.
Those first year party members were different to the ones Desir and Romantica had encountered so far.
There were three swordsmen at the front and three magicians in the rear. They had made a formation to maximize the strengths of their respective roles.
Adjest hadn’t drawn her Center of Ice. She had faced off against them with a normal steel sword and her usual ice magic.
Ice gathered and formed a sphere near her head. It then flung out ice bolts in all directions. “Spread out and attack! She’s using our numbers against us!”
The one leading the first year party members was Ronde Fizzlebang.
Desir spoke with satisfaction.
“I think they’ve figured out the purpose of this training.” They deserved every bit of Desir’s praise.
“Let’s continue observing.”
Desir and Romantica decided to continue spectating the battle.
This training had nothing to do with winning, but everything to do with remedying their inexperience in handling different and unexpected situations. Joining up with Adjest would be too much and likely hamper their growth.
*Crack*
The ice scattered.
The first graders struggled against the onslaught of Adjest’s spells. “She’s fighting and manually controlling her spells too.” Romantica spoke without taking her eyes off the battle.
Adjest was not using her best technique, imagery magic. She was, instead, relying on just her normal spell usage and sword mastery.
“If she exerted herself, it wouldn’t be training for them.”
Even though she was holding back, Adjest was still winning by far. [Burn-out]
A fireball from the sky flattened the spot Adjest had been just a moment before. *Bang*
It was Ronde’s bombing magic that boasted overwhelming firepower.
But Adjest was intact. Ice pillars had soared up around her. Even though everything else had been swept away around her, the ice pillars remained intact. “Strong, as expected.”
“Adjest? Yes. You couldn’t find anyone stronger than Adjest in this continent.”
“… What do you mean?”
Desir turned his head to look at Romantica. Romantica also looked at Desir. Their pupils reflected each other’s faces, like two mirrors aimed towards each other.
“You don’t think so? Adjest defeated a swordsman at the Bishop Level, using her Center of Ice and imagery magic.”
You’re strong enough.
Desir choked those words back. He knew that she wouldn’t want that kind of comfort. “As long as Adjest is here, I guess I’m not really needed.”
Her voice deepened gloomily. “… ”
Desir knew how she felt right now.
“You felt pathetic when you couldn’t do anything as your party members fell one by one.” *Crack*
The sound of ice rupturing echoed out.
“You were frustrated after finding a wall that you couldn’t climb, no matter how hard you need to, in order to protect your colleagues.”
Romantica replied with a shaky voice.
“It’s like you’re in my head. How did you know?”
“Because I was the same.”
Romantica opened her eyes wide.
“Lies. You’re strong enough to defeat Adjest.” Desir chuckled.
“I mean it.”
There was no trace of falsehood in his tone.
“I once blamed myself for my colleagues falling too.”
Desir related to the Romantica in front of him today. He looked at her deeply. His position in his previous life wasn’t all that different from hers.
The Shadow Labyrinth.
The disaster that destroyed the continent and flipped his life upside down.
As part of the expedition formed, his job was to block the enemy’s attack while staying in the rear.
Desir was exceptional at neutralizing the attacks of enemies. However, he needed a fair amount of time to analyze their spells before inverting them. At the start of the expedition, this time was bought by the sacrifice of his colleagues. Some of them even gave their lives to save his life.
Desir reproached himself thousands of times as he saw comrade after comrade die before him. He was always the one being protected. Desir repeatedly inverted the enemy’s spells for the sake of his colleagues’ sacrifices.
As time went by, he was numbed by the sacrifices. It had become the norm. Desir was well aware of the fact that it was bound to continue happening. He got used to it, but he did not forget.
Feelings that weren’t worn down still smoldered within Desir. ‘Maybe that rage flared up towards Zod because… ’
Desir finally worked through how he felt the previous day.
He wanted to be stronger.
He could not stop there.
It wasn’t only because he wanted to exceed his limit by reaching the Fourth-Circle. He wanted to protect his colleagues that stood next to him.
Desir spoke, staring straight at Romantica.
“As someone with the same experience, I’ll tell you this. Don’t rush.” That was what he told himself as well.
“Simply rushing won’t do you any good. If you move forward while maintaining your composure, you can always improve.”
“… even if you say that, my talent amounts to a mere Third-Circle.”
Desir shook his head from side to side. He knew exactly what Romantica was capable of. “Do not dictate your own limitations. You can do much better.”
Romantica frowned.
“B-But you haven’t told me how. You haven’t assured me that I can really reach the Fourth-Circle. Like when I achieved the Third-Circle… ”
“I believe in you.”
Desir spoke with an assertive tone.
“Just like how I didn’t say anything to Ronde Fizzlebang. I believed he’d figure out my intention. Just like I did with him, I believe you can achieve Fourth-Circle by yourself.”
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