All-Master Player Of The Academy [EN]: Chapter 249

◈ Chapter 249

125. Twisted Individuals – 1

“Damn it!”

The ten-legged shadow monster faltered.

As one of its black, translucent legs transformed into a blade and hurtled towards her, the Sword Saint brandished her sword.

“What?!”

However, her sword failed to cut the shadow; it only sliced through the air.

And the shadow monster’s leg aimed directly for her face.

“Ugh!”

She barely managed to twist her head to avoid it, but a shallow wound remained.

It was only a very thin scratch, but the Sword Saint was taken aback by the fact that she had been hit.

“Hmph!”

Danju quickly darted forward.

“It’s dangerous!”

“This is nothing!”

– Thwack!!

“Huh?!”

Gust and Baba were astonished.

As Danju’s sword brushed past, the shadow monster’s leg was severed.

Watching Danju fight the shadow monster alone, Ian nudged Charles forward.

“You try it too.”

“Me? When even the Sword Saint couldn’t?”

“You can do it.”

At Ian’s words, Charles hesitated before stepping forward.

The shadow monster extended a sharp leg towards her as well, and she swung her sword as she had been trained.

– Thwack!!

It was cut again.

Gust and Baba, surprised by what they saw, also stepped forward, but…

“Ugh?!”

“Uwaaaagh!”

Their attacks couldn’t cut the shadows.

What on earth was going on?

The astonished Sword Saint looked on as Ian nonchalantly said.

“It’s just a difference in method.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Watch closely.”

As Ian stepped forward, the knight once again began to utter strange cries.

And countless shadows appeared.

“Hmph.”

Ian snorted and brandished his sword.

Gust, Baba, and the Sword Saint silently watched Ian’s swordsmanship.

Each time he swung his sword, a shadow began to disappear.

“What difference is there, exactly?”

“Hmm. Difficult to explain.”

But the Sword Saint was different.

Watching Ian’s movements intently, she took a step forward.

– Thwack!!

She cut the shadow.

“What?! How?!”

“It’s hard to explain in words… Anyway, you’re amazing.”

He was looking at Charles.

She already knew Ian was amazing.

She had also known for a while that the leader of the Sword Flower Troop was no ordinary person.

But she never imagined that Charles, who hadn’t even become a Master yet, could do this much.

“You’ve received amazing teachings, Princess Charles.”

“Ah… um.”

She had been beaten relentlessly every day and had suffered tremendous pain, so she was indeed amazing.

As she nodded slightly, Danju beheaded the knight.

“◆◆◆◆◆◆◆!!”

With an indescribable scream, the knight collapsed.

His body turned black and disappeared into the shadows.

All that remained was a small bead with black energy swirling around it.

As Ian picked it up, the people who had been trapped in the shadows were spat out.

“Hah… hah….”

“I’m alive… I’m alive….”

Those who had been trapped in the shadows, unable to die, rejoiced with tears and snot.

Danju approached them and calmly asked.

“What happened?”

“I-I don’t know.”

One of the mages who managed this tower replied in a trembling voice.

The management of the territory had become difficult due to the Iron-Blood Duke’s execution.

And Kirishnan, the owner of this territory and this tower, had been holed up on the top floor of the tower for several days.

“After that, the tower started to feel a bit strange.”

Strange things appeared at night.

People suddenly went missing inside the tower.

The contents of books that had been fine completely disappeared.

Strange things kept happening.

“There was no such story in the Magic Tower’s information.”

“Princess Kirishnan told us not to report it.”

“I guess so.”

Gust quickly agreed.

The Magic Tower’s main goal was to recover the lost heritage of the Magic Kingdom.

And in the process, they often forcibly took research materials using their authority and power.

That’s why some mages hid their research.

“But to think something like this would happen…….”

The mage muttered with a gloomy face.

Danju patted him on the shoulder and pointed to the corpse.

“Did that come out today?”

“Yes.”

“Ian. Can’t you sense anything strange in this tower? Is there any chance that another dimension will unfold if we go up there?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Really? That’s a relief then. Alright. Let’s all go.”

As Danju spoke and went up, everyone followed him.

As Ian was about to follow them, Charles asked.

“What… exactly is it that I learned?”

She never thought she would be able to do what even the Sword Saint couldn’t.

Wasn’t it all thanks to the swordsmanship she learned from Ian?

“That’s a pretty good swordsmanship, so keep practicing it. If you do well, you might become the next Sword Saint.”

“Is that true?”

“Of course, it depends on your efforts.”

As Ian nonchalantly spoke and went up, Charles blankly watched him.

She was grateful to him.

But an even bigger question was swirling in her head.

“Just what… are you.”

As Danju had feared, no other dimension had opened in the tower.

The problem was that things that seemed to be from another dimension were taking root in this tower.

“What on earth are those shadow monsters… No, more than that, how on earth do you cut shadows? Hey. Danju. Teach me the trick.”

Gust was confident in her strength, but in the tower, that strength was useless.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get a feel for it.

She said, feeling frustrated, and Danju snorted.

“Why would I teach you that?”

“Tch. Then Ian.”

“To gain power, you need to pay the price. I don’t mind if you watch and steal it, but I don’t want to teach it for nothing.”

“Then what about that princess?”

“She paid the price.”

“What price?”

“Her life. The price is that she has to live resisting for the rest of her life.”

Ian glanced at Charles, who was panting with exhaustion, and Gust grimaced.

“She won’t be able to live comfortably.”

Charles shuddered at Gust’s words.

Meanwhile, the Sword Saint, who had struck down a shadow monster, sighed and approached.

“We’ve finally come all the way up. The next floor is the end.”

“By the way, we’re catching monsters from another dimension, but it’s a shame we’re not getting anything.”

“Why aren’t we getting anything? We got this.”

“Yeah. What is that? Why are you picking up every single one of them?”

“It’s called the core of the shadow.”

“What’s it used for? If you have that, can you control shadows like those shadow monsters do?”

“Not really. It’s used when using some techniques.”

“Oh? How?”

As the bead disappeared, Ian’s arm turned black.

Everyone was horrified as dozens of eyes appeared within the darkness.

“Ugh!”

“Gross.”

“You can protect your body like this to create armor that blocks physical and magical attacks.”

“Huh? Isn’t there something like that in black magic too?”

“It’s a little different from that. Black magic has a duration and requires mana, right? But this isn’t. Once you use it, you can say it’s semi-permanent.”

“That’s scary. If that’s the case, you’re invincible.”

As the Sword Saint worried, Ian shook his head.

“You’ve been cutting them down well so far, haven’t you? If you know the method, it’s easy to deal with.”

Anyway, this is also a shadow in the end, so just cut it as you’ve been doing.

As Ian nonchalantly spoke, Danju nodded in relief.

“Really? Then that’s good. Let’s go up now. Are you okay, Princess?”

“…I’m fine.”

She got up, having replenished her stamina by resting a little, and Ian’s group immediately moved to the top.

When they arrived at the last floor, the Sword Saint unconsciously gripped her sword at the strangeness of the place.

Light was being emitted from an artifact on the ceiling.

But everything on this floor that received that light had no shadow.

“Ian. Over there…….”

“The culprit is over there.”

In the center of a huge and complex magic circle that filled the floor, there was a woman.

A beauty with thick blonde hair and red eyes like Charles.

But she also had no shadow.

“Princess Kirishnan de Blad.”

Danju raised his hand to the sword hilt and bared his teeth.

“What have you done?”

“Do you think she’ll answer if you say that? Looks like she’s been possessed like the other guys.”

Baba interjected.

Kirishnan opened her mouth.

“…Why have you come here?”

“She spoke?!”

Those who had lost their shadows and had been encountered so far could not be communicated with.

But Kirishnan was different.

She had no shadow, but she could understand the language here.

As they were surprised, Kirishnan turned her eyes to Charles.

“It’s been a while, Charles.”

“Princess Kirishnan. There’s something I want to ask.”

“Hmm.”

She lightly exhaled and raised her finger.

At that moment, shadows soared from everything around the magic circle.

Charles clenched her fist slightly as she watched the objects being swallowed by the shadows.

“Why did you do that?”

“Why?”

“Why to me…….”

“Are you asking if I was trying to use you? Heh heh. Still so naive?”

Kirishnan smiled faintly.

It was quite a beautiful smile, but Charles felt a sense of dread.

“A long time ago. When I received the territory and first came here. That’s when the person who would lead me came to find me.”

Kirishnan’s legs moved.

Each time she took a step, the clothes she was wearing began to change.

The bright dress disappeared, and a black suit began to wrap around her body.

And here and there the suit began to split, and eyes began to appear in between.

Just like Ian’s arm had done earlier.

“That person told me. The world is either using or being used. If so, these must be used…….”

“Sorry to interrupt, but let me ask you something first.”

“Speak. Insignificant one.”

Ian asked Kirishnan, who was standing confidently.

“The guy who gave you the power. And the guy who taught you how to connect to another dimension like this. And the guy who gave you the power you’re using now.”

Ian asked without changing his expression.

“Is it Rubellin?”

“Heh, heh heh… Uhehehehehehe!!”

Kirishnan, unable to contain herself, laughed, swept her hair back, and replied seductively.

“Yes.”

That’s all I needed to know.

Ian grinned and drew his sword.

“Then die.”

“Ahahaha!! Don’t underestimate the power of the Shadow King! With this, I am……!!”

The moment she laughed and shouted, Ian swung his sword.

– Thwack!!

“Huh……?! H-How could this happen?!”