All-Master Player Of The Academy [EN]: Chapter 59

That implies that all the critical information regarding the Forgotten City is contained within that tower.

“It wouldn’t be possible in just a day or two, right?”

“Then, should I undergo Rebirth and proceed?”

“Time is the real constraint. I can’t keep someone who’s expecting me and coming to find me waiting indefinitely. But just in case… check on what he’s doing.”

As he is indeed waiting as promised, Ian scratches his cheek thoughtfully.

Just then, a faint voice reaches his ears.

“Ugh… Help… Please, someone help… Help me…”

A weak moan emanates from a dark alleyway near the entrance.

It’s distinctly different from the vocalizations of the slime-type dimensional creatures he encountered earlier, and as Ian’s interest is piqued, Kirke, who has completed her reconnaissance, reports:

It’s a priest of the Lunar Order, no less.

Without hesitation, Ian heads directly toward the alley from which the sound originated.

A beastman boy with striking white rabbit ears is suspended in a silver spider web.

“Are you alright?”

As Ian approaches the boy clad in the Lunar Order priest’s robe, the boy’s long rabbit ears twitch nervously.

“Run away! It’s, it’s coming!!”

-Rustle! Rustle!

The sound of something large moving rapidly grows louder.

A massive creature is crawling swiftly from the depths of the alley.

-Crack! Crunch! Shatter!!

A gigantic spider emerges, violently breaking through the confines of the narrow alleyway.

It’s significantly larger than the Arachne [a spider-like monster] he captured in the Mial Mountains previously.

Furthermore, its front paws are disproportionately large, and it possesses a greater number of legs than the Arachne.

He can tell immediately.

This spider is considerably more powerful than the Arachne.

-Kroooooooo!!

The spider roars as if declaring its presence the moment it spots Ian.

“Moon, protect those who stand alone beneath your light!!”

The rabbit-eared boy priest channels holy power.

A faint, ethereal moonlight shield envelops Ian’s body, and the spider immediately spews a stream of white spider web toward it.

“Quickly! Quickly eva…”

Ian reaches out and touches the shield.

He absorbs all the lunar energy contained within, effectively dispelling the shield, and swiftly avoids the incoming spider web.

-Kyaaaaa!!

The spider’s numerous eyes track Ian’s movements.

But even those eyes cannot anticipate Ian’s precise actions.

He effortlessly dodges the descending front paw and leaps onto the spider’s back, then plunges the dagger he crafted earlier into its carapace.

-Thwack!!

The shell, significantly thicker than the Arachne’s, shatters upon impact.

The spider writhes in agony, and Ian speaks calmly.

“Kirke.”

Magic circles of magnetic energy materialize in both of Ian’s hands.

But not just one at a time.

Several, no.

Dozens.

A multitude of magic circles unfold simultaneously, overlapping and merging into a single, potent force, amplifying the magnetic magic to an extreme degree.

-Kyaaaaaaa!! Kaaaack!!

The dagger embedded in the spider’s body begins to pulsate and writhe, drawn by the intensified magnetic magic.

The spider senses the anomaly, the agonizing stimulation tearing through its body, and struggles desperately, but the dagger remains firmly lodged in place.

And then.

-Crack!!

The spider’s movements cease entirely as the dagger pierces through its head.

“Uh… Uhh…”

The rabbit-eared boy priest, who has been witnessing the entire scene unfold, can only stare in stunned silence.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. Ah. Yes… I’m, I’m alright… But…”

“First, let’s get you down from there.”

Ian casually swings his sword.

The spider web, though stickier and tougher than the Arachne’s, proves no match for Ian’s blade.

Released from the web’s sticky embrace, the boy sighs in relief and bows his head respectfully.

“Ah. Thank you. It’s truly the grace of the moon. Thank you, Saint. Ah, my name is Aute, a priest of the Lunar Order.”

“I’m Ian Brandon from Fredon Academy.”

“I see. Saint Ian. Thank you again.”

He bows deeply to express his sincere gratitude.

Ian acknowledges his greeting and inquires:

“But why are you here, Priest?”

“Ah. Uh. That’s… I’m on a dispatch mission… The Lunar Order is, well…”

The Lunar Order isn’t exactly known for its vast wealth.

Therefore, they often send out priests to earn money by accepting requests from explorers, mercenaries, and knights.

“So, I was traveling with them and ended up all the way here.”

“Ah. Then, are those corpses your companions?”

When Ian gestures toward the scattered corpses, Aute shakes his head sadly.

“…No. I was abandoned.”

He had come here with a group of explorers.

While exploring the interior of the 1st Barrier, a sudden surge of dimensional energy occurred, and the gate abruptly closed.

“But I tried to endure it somehow…”

The explorers he was with callously used him as bait and fled when they felt they were being overwhelmed by the spider.

“Why would they abandon a priest? Recovery and defense are crucial for survival.”

“Because I have no combat abilities… In the Forgotten City during a surge, those who can fight are considered more valuable.”

“Still, how do they plan to justify their actions?”

“The dead can’t speak. They might claim that I ran away on my own or that I sacrificed myself willingly… That’s likely what they were planning to say…”

Ian nods slowly, understanding the bitterness in Aute’s words.

“Anyway, if you’re planning to leave, I’ll escort you to safety.”

“Thank you, Saint Ian.”

“Then, it’s not much to ask, but could you channel as much holy power as possible? Recovery spells are welcome, and blessings would be helpful too.”

Anything is fine.

What Ian truly desires is the lunar energy contained within the holy power.

“Yes!!”

Aute clenches his fist tightly, demonstrating his unwavering commitment.

A new companion has joined their ranks, but nothing particularly significant has changed.

Ian leads Aute down the street.

Just as they are about to exit the ruined area, a man and a woman come running toward them from the opposite direction.

“Oh!”

“We’re alive!!”

They sprint even faster as soon as they spot Ian.

And then.

-Clang! Clang! Clang!!

Seven Guardians emerge from the alleyway they had just vacated.

-Woooooong!!

Lights activate in the eyes of the Guardians, designating the closest targets as their enemies.

“Thank you!!”

A shout laced with mockery echoes from afar.

When Ian glances in that direction, Aute trembles and exclaims:

“Those are them!!”

Those are the explorers who abandoned him.

Hearing this, Ian smiles slyly.

They were destined to be eliminated regardless, so this is a convenient turn of events.

Forgoing magic absorption and all other considerations, Ian immediately grabs Aute and begins to run.

“Huh?!”

“What, what is that guy?!”

The two explorers are visibly flustered.

However, they are also skilled explorers who have successfully traversed the 1st Wall of the Forgotten City.

The initial shock is only temporary.

“Amy!!”

Following Shula’s command, the female warrior, Amy, throws a dagger.

As the dagger, imbued with a blue aura, hurtles toward him, Ian raises his hand.

-Clang!!

The flying dagger abruptly changes direction due to the enhanced magnetic magic.

Amy is visibly disconcerted as it veers off course.

“What kind of monster is that!! Shula!! What, what do we do?!”

“Huh?! Uhh?! Ah, Priest Aute?!”

The middle-aged man, Shula, is greatly surprised to see Aute standing next to Ian.

He had survived when they had presumed him dead.

What if Aute returns to the Lunar Temple and reveals their betrayal?

His reputation as an adventurer would be irrevocably ruined.

“Amy!! Kill him!!”

Amy seems to have reached the same conclusion.

She glances at the Guardians relentlessly pursuing Ian and then raises her bracelet.

“Chain Lightning!!”

The artifact emits a blinding flash.

A surge of powerful electricity erupts from her bracelet.

The electricity, writhing like a golden dragon, surges toward Ian.

But instead of attempting to dodge, he simply raises his hand casually.

Among the many worlds he had lived in, there was an empire perpetually shrouded in thunder and rain.

The Lightning Emperor, the tyrannical ruler of that realm, dominated the skies and governed the world with his mastery over lightning.

In their desperate attempt to overthrow him, the resistance meticulously researched numerous techniques, and the most potent among them was this.

“Hup!”

It was Lightning Severing.

-Pazzzzzik!!

As he waves his hand, the electricity unleashed by the artifact splits apart and dissipates harmlessly.

“Se! Severing lightning!”

While Aute, witnessing the incredible feat, exclaims in awe.

Ian, having closed the distance before she could react, swings his sword at the horrified Amy.

-Swoosh!!

Amy’s head is cleanly severed in a single, swift strike.

Shula breaks out in a cold sweat as he witnesses the gruesome scene.

“Crazy!!”

“A crazy guy is better than a guy who passes on danger to others and betrays them.”

“Damn it!!”

Shula is momentarily paralyzed with indecision, then grits his teeth and reaches into his pocket.

He pulls out a long, cylindrical object.

-Pshshshshsh!!

It’s a smoke grenade from the Forgotten City.

Almost instantly, a thick, fog-like smoke billows out, obscuring the surroundings, and he clicks his tongue in regret.

How much did one of these cost?

But it’s a necessary expense if it saves his life.

The moment he turns to flee into the smoke, where visibility is reduced to near zero.

-Thud!!

A blade emerges from his chest.

He dies instantly, his heart pierced, as a red light flashes through the smoke.

The Guardians had already given chase.

-Weeeeeeeeee!!

The sound of the buzz saw turning fills the air.

As Aute tenses up and shrinks back in fear, Ian gently places him down outside the cloud of smoke.

“Please wait here.”

“You, you have to run away! There’s more than one Guardian!”

“They’ll keep chasing me anyway, so it’s better to catch them and go.”

After speaking simply, Ian turns to leave, and Aute bestows upon him every blessing he can muster.

“Please be safe…”

“I’ll be right back.”

Aute closes his eyes tightly as he watches Ian disappear into the smoke.

I sincerely hope he’s safe.

Was it because that earnest wish touched him?

Ian enters the smoke, and after a brief moment.

He clears the smoke with a powerful gust of wind.

“Huh…”

In the place where the smoke had dissipated, Ian stood unharmed amidst the completely destroyed and deactivated Guardians.