All-Master Player Of The Academy [EN]: Chapter 171

◈ Chapter 171

86. Eat or Be Eaten – 1

Having dealt with the Mushroom Men blocking the path, Ian arrived at the castle’s main gate.

The castle gate stood open, likely a result of survivors fleeing.

However, a faint mist of blue spores lingered along the roadside, clinging to the walls, and hovering near the gate.

Anyone passing by, unaware, would inhale these spores carried by the slightest breeze.

“Wind.”

But Ian, ever cautious, simply activated his magic.

-Whoosh!!

The wind stirred with a low hum.

The magic, responding to his will, swiftly gathered the blue spores into a concentrated mass.

“Fireball.”

He unleashed a fireball, larger than usual, incinerating the spores completely.

‘So, spores can be burned away like this.’

‘Human experimentation? That’s not my style. Let’s see how things unfold first.’

Ian burned away the remaining spores and continued onward.

What posed a dangerous threat to others presented little challenge to Ian.

He incinerated the spores with magic and cut down any Mushroom Men who dared to charge him.

As he approached the village center, he spotted over a hundred Mushroom Men besieging a large building.

‘Is that the Temple of the Sacred Tree?’

Unique patterns adorned the temple walls.

The windows and doors were firmly barricaded with wood and iron plates.

They were holding out, but the cracks in the walls suggested their defense wouldn’t last much longer.

“Hey!!”

Ian shouted loudly at the Mushroom Men surrounding the temple.

Perhaps startled by his shout?

The Mushroom Men attacking the Temple of the Sacred Tree turned their attention toward him.

-Creak. Squeak. Squeak.

They began to approach, staggering with strange, jerky movements.

Seeing them charging with only instinct, devoid of any real hostility, Ian slammed his sword down.

Demonic Divine Art, Solar Stance.

Infernal Flame.

-Kugugugung!!

The ground split open, and a massive blaze erupted from the fissure.

The Mushroom Men engulfed in the flames turned to ash in an instant.

Having incinerated all the Mushroom Men at once, Ian approached the temple and knocked on the door.

“Is anyone inside?”

-Creak.

The door opened, seemingly in response to his voice.

A young girl peeked out.

Terrified, the small girl gasped upon seeing Ian.

“W, who are you…?”

“Ian Brandon.”

“Ian…?”

She didn’t seem to recognize the name.

He gently stroked the girl’s head and stepped inside.

The situation inside was grim.

There were many children and a few adults, all suffering from days of deprivation without proper food.

“Wh, who are you?”

A burly man, who had been observing the situation through a hole in the wall, hurried down.

Witnessing Ian take down those terrifying Mushroom Men so easily, he was surprised.

He asked, and Ian calmly replied, “Ian Brandon.”

“Ian… that Ian?!”

Hearing Ian’s name, the mercenary rejoiced and shed tears.

While others looked puzzled, another mercenary guarding the other side of the building shouted, “They’re coming again!! Again!! Bliman!! Protect the children!!”

“We’re saved!! We’re saved!!”

“Why are you suddenly acting like this?!”

“Ian is here!!”

The man called Bliman was startled by the shout from above.

He climbed down the rope and looked at Ian with suspicion.

“This guy is Ian?”

“Yes!! The Ian who obtained the Magic Kingdom’s legacy and is among the strongest on the continent!! Ohh!! Ian-nim [esteemed Ian]!! Ian-nim!! Have you come to save us?!”

Bliman shouted joyfully, but the man who had come down spoke with a lack of expectation.

“Are you really Ian? The one on par with the Sword Saint over there?”

He glanced to one side.

There, a swordswoman with a sword in hand was sitting next to a young girl.

With thick red hair and flowing clothes, she occasionally flashed her eyes from behind her hair.

But regardless, he still spoke in a dry tone.

“If you are really that Ian and have the power to get us out of here.”

He gripped his sword tightly.

“Forget about us and take care of those kids.”

“Kids?”

“Yes. Kids. We, being weak, couldn’t protect all those kids. If you obtained the Magic Kingdom’s legacy, I hope you’re better than the Sword Saint.”

-Thump!! Thump!!

The sound of something hitting the door and walls echoed again.

Hearing that, Kosen looked at the children and shouted, “Kids, get ready!! Be ready to run away at any time!!”

The children scurried around, packing their meager belongings.

Some of them were trying to take the Divine Marks [sacred symbols] from the temple.

Kosen looked at them disapprovingly and shouted, “Don’t just sit there and act important, Sword Saint!!”

“……Hmph.”

The young woman rose at his shout.

Seeing that, Ian calmly said, “Tiel. You should get up too. And go towards that wall. They might come in from that side.”

“Amazing.”

The elf girl who had been sitting opened her eyes.

With eyes as red as blood, she smiled at Ian.

“When I’m with my disciple Yerin, most people assume Yerin is the Sword Saint.”

Outwardly, she didn’t appear old enough to be called a Sword Saint.

Yet, Ian recognized her immediately, and she was impressed.

“How did you know?”

“I also know that there are special ways to make the body younger.”

“Hehe. Yes. A few years ago, I consumed the Fruit of the World Tree in the Elven Forest. So my body is perpetually at its peak.”

As she explained the reason for her youth, Ian nodded.

Something that has the same effect as the Fruit of the World Tree.

There were quite a few in other dimensions, so Ian didn’t dwell on it.

“I see. By the way, someone like you should have been able to escape this place.”

She shook her head.

The problem was the spores.

If it were just herself and her disciple, they could have escaped with a barrier using Aura [magical energy field].

“But those children wouldn’t be able to.”

Looking at the children who were gathered and frightened, she sighed.

“To save even those children, the priests of the Temple of the Sacred Tree and their fellow mercenaries were captured by the Mushroom Men. And I… I decided to protect the remaining children at their request.”

That’s why she wasn’t escaping but waiting for those who had escaped first to call for support.

And, as she had hoped, the best support had arrived.

“Ian. You should be able to escape with those children, right?”

“Well, it’s not difficult, but are you going somewhere else?”

“Yes. I have to go save the captured people.”

She pointed to one side.

It was the location of the castle, the center of Tormbe Village.

‘Kirke. What’s going on there?’

‘Why?’

‘It’s similar to making a chimera [a creature made of different animal parts].’

And there will be chaos in the process.

While Kirke quickly grasped the situation and reported, one wall shook violently.

-Wood crackling!!

“Th, this!!”

The wall that had been holding out until now was on the verge of collapse.

-Kooong! Crash!!

The sound of Mushroom Men hitting the wall as a group echoed from outside.

Eventually, the cracked wall collapsed, and enemies poured in from the opening, and the Sword Saint reached for the sword that Yerin was holding.

-Swoosh!!

And the sword came out on its own and quickly severed the heads of the Mushroom Men.

“I’ll go out that way. I’ll lure them and gather them…….”

Demonic Divine Art, Shattering Demonic Stance.

Demonic Finger.

Ian pointed his finger at them.

At that moment, a powerful black aura burst out like rain.

-Kwaaaang!! Bang!! Bang! Bang!!

The Mushroom Men swept away by the black aura all collapsed.

And Ian, who even gathered the bursting blue spores with Wind and burned them with Fireball, calmly said, “I’m thinking of going there too, so let’s go together. Ah. And.”

Ian glanced at the Sword Saint, who was staring blankly at him, and asked, “Does your disciple know that you’ve joined hands with Crowley?”

“……Ah, I do know. But she won’t help. Although she and I are working together, our goals are different…….”

Then that’s enough.

Ian infused magic power into the ring to summon Crowley.

After a moment, a woman in a red dress appeared through the hole that the Mushroom Men had created.

“Huh, huh?!”

“Such a beauty…….”

The mercenaries seemed captivated by Crowley’s beauty.

But she didn’t acknowledge them and only approached Ian and the Sword Saint.

“I was already nearby investigating this area. I didn’t expect you two to be together.”

“That’s what I want to ask. What were you investigating here?”

“Five of my subordinates and seven of the old demons I was watching were here.”

“Old demons? Why were they here?”

“I don’t know.”

She was so nonchalant that Ian almost chanted the Tightening Headband Sutra [a Buddhist chant for calming unruly individuals].

Ian stared at her and nodded before saying, “Anyway, I’ll send you outside the castle, so take them and evacuate.”

Crowley was dumbfounded and started to shake her head.

After all, she was a demon.

Why should she save humans from suffering?

Just as she was about to refuse, Ian moved his lips, speaking telepathically.

“Ha, haha. I have to. Come on, Sword Saint. Please help me.”

The Sword Saint looked at Ian with a puzzled expression, noticing his uncharacteristic behavior of helping humans.

Going outside the castle wasn’t as difficult as coming in.

Because he had blown away all the spores on his way in.

New spores had been deposited, but they would disappear with Ian’s magic.

Once outside the castle, the Sword Saint groaned.

“There were definitely quite a few Mushroom Men around here…….”

“I caught them all on the way. Myane. Come here.”

“Myaa~!”

Myane, who was in the arms of the girl who had opened the door to protect the children, jumped and climbed onto Ian’s shoulder.

Seeing that, Crowley frowned.

“Are you really going to go inside?”

“I have to go.”

If left unchecked, a king will be born, and that king will try to expand its influence.

Ian said lightly and was about to go back into the castle when.

‘Faster than I thought?’

Ian, who received Kirke’s report, nodded and looked at the castle.

The castle was collapsing.

And from there, a giant mushroom began to rise.

“Good heavens. What is that…….”

“……J, just a moment.”

Crowley was horrified to see the giant Mushroom Man.

“What is that?! Why do I feel malice emanating from that?!”

The head of the Mushroom King moved.

The end of that gaze was Crowley.

“Huh?!”

Hyphae [fungal filaments] like threads with a bluish tint flew toward her.

Ian reached out to stop it from devouring Crowley.

-Whoosh!!

He blocked the attack instantly and pointed his sword at the Mushroom King.

‘This is a bit interesting. Kirke. Prepare for the test.’

The moment Ian, who quickly ran, kicked off the wall, and jumped towards the Mushroom King, swung his sword.

Kirke, who had finished preparing, calmly reported.