< 101. Baeksuje (1) >
#101
People were screaming from around the corner. The sound of crashing and breaking was getting closer. Asher lost in thought cried out flailing her arms and legs.
“The manticore that will appear in Baeksuje has been released!”
“Manticore?”
Ronan frowned at her. The manticore was a dangerous monster that only lived in the rough terrain of the northwest. It was famous for its enjoyment of eating people and was basically considered a higher rank than a wyvern or an ogre.
Common sense tells us that there was no way such a monster could be in the middle of the academy. At that moment information about Baek Soo-je who had been in the dark for a long time surfaced.
‘I remembered.’
I remember seeing it on the academic calendar. Baeksu-je. As the name suggests it was a festival held with hundreds of fantastic species and monsters displayed on campus.
Anyway even the Manticore? It was the car that Ronan muttered saying it was nonsense. Boom! A streetlight flew in a parabolic curve and landed in the middle of the intersection.
“what?”
The street lamp made of brass was bent until it was almost broken. A loud roar rang out again and at the same time a huge lion jumped out from around the corner. Asher who was walking backwards from her fell and hit her buttocks.
“Kwaaagh! “I’m out!”
“Kaaaa!!
A lion gliding to a halt in the middle of an intersection looked up at the sky and roared. Ronan who heard the loud voice shrugged his eyebrows.
“How can this be real?”
It really was a manticore. No matter how small it was it looked like it was 7 meters long. Its muscular body covered in amber fur was swollen as if it would burst at any moment. A thick tail resembling a scorpion was flailing in the air mercilessly.
However I felt a sense of discomfort somehow. Ronan who was examining the manticore frowned.
“Huh?”
Numerous restraints were attached to the manticore’s body. The mouth where the fangs flashed was filled with a leather muzzle. A pair of bat-like wings were tied with thick chains.
The sting at the end of the tail which should have been dripping with extreme poison was wrapped in something that looked like an iron ball. Ronan laughed and hit Asher on the back of the head.
“You idiot did you run away because you were scared by something like that?”
“Ugh!”
Actually it wasn’t that I didn’t understand. It was a rather daunting monster for the current Asher to deal with. Even if most of the organs that could be used as weapons were sealed away the Manticore was still a Manticore.
It was threatening enough with its huge size and agility and even a single blow to its front paws or tail would have left it completely crippled.
“Kyaaaa!”
bang! bang! Every time the tail hit the ground the broken pavement was bouncing. Suddenly a question crossed Ronan’s mind.
‘Exactly how powerful is it?’
It was really unexpected but I wanted to know how good the Auror copied from Dolan was. Surprisingly it might have been eaten by a large creature. Ronan having made up his mind tapped Asher on the shoulder.
“Hey do you have a mana potion? “It’s something I carry around for mourning expenses.”
“Uh yeah. “I do have a bottle but…”
“Give it to me.”
As soon as Ashel took out the potion Ronan grabbed it and drank it. The empty core was filled with mana and the fatigue disappeared.
“Wow… it was good.”
Ronan looked around and picked up a rock. Asher’s face turned pale as he predicted the future.
Ronan swung her right arm holding Asher’s neck as he tried to escape with her left hand. Perfect! The stone flew in a low arc and hit the manticore directly on the back of the head.
“…Crung?”
“This way furball.”
The manticore slowly turned his head. Ronan who met the burning eyes laughed. It was a monster I had encountered once or twice in my previous life but seeing it like this gave me new emotions.
“Kaaaaak!”
The manticore roared wildly and rushed towards Ronan. The gap narrowed quickly. The speed was unbelievable considering that he was wearing various restraints.
Ronan stared at the Manti Core quietly his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. It was the moment when the distance narrowed to about five steps.
‘now.’
thud! Ronan stomped her foot. A wave of mana was shot forward. At the same time shiny roots tangled around the manticore’s four legs. And it was torn apart without the slightest respite.
“Kyaaaa!!”
“Yeah fuck. “I knew it would be like this.”
Ronan sighed at her. It seemed like the Aurors needed more training. Ronan replacing the power source with her heart tugged at the hilt of her sword. A reddish sword body appeared.
“I’m sorry.”
“Aaaah!”
A strange breathing sound came out of Ronan’s mouth. I don’t know the circumstances but it was the right decision to kill him before there were any casualties.
It was the moment when he was about to strike. Quang! Suddenly a huge shadow landed from the sky making a loud noise. Ronan suddenly braked and cursed.
“What the fuck?”
The man in the suit appeared to be at least 4 meters tall. Ronan raised his eyebrows when he saw the mane of hair covering the nape of his neck.
“Baren?”
“This is difficult. Why is this happening…”
Instead of answering Varen raised his left arm. At the same time the manticore’s forehead collided with his palm. bang! The two boys’ eyes widened at the unexpected result.
“Krrr…! “Kaaaa…!”
“Nanushi. “Go back to us.”
Varen stood motionless. It was a contrast to the manticore which was exerting strength with its claws planted on the ground.
“Come on. “People here don’t hurt you.”
Even a sense of relaxation was felt in the calm tone. The manticore realizing that it would not be able to win in a contest of strength stepped back as if thrown out. And then he leaped towards the nearby spire.
“Kaaah!”
It wasn’t about running away. The manticore which quickly reached a height of about the 7th floor kicked off the outer wall of the tower and rushed towards Varen. Asher covered his face with his hand at the sight of what looked like a meteorite falling.
“Ahh! professor!”
“after….”
Varen sighed lightly. It was the moment when the mace-like front paw was about to hit him. Varen who dodged the attack by lightly twisting his shoulder grabbed the Manticore’s mane and slammed him to the ground. bang!! The manticore fell headfirst into the ground turning over on its stomach.
“Krrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrn…!”
“I’m sorry Nanushi. “I didn’t want to do it this way.”
The manticore’s body went limp. Varen gave a light bow. Suddenly something strange caught Ronan’s eyes.
‘What about that?’
A golden afterimage covered Varen’s right shoulder from his fingertips. The golden mana that was visible at first glance took on a violent shape like his front paws. Ronan soon realized the identity of the afterimage and raised his eyebrows.
‘Is that Varen’s Auror?’
I already thought it was strange that the Manticore was stopped with one arm. Even though he was a wear lion the weight class itself was different. He thought there must have been some kind of force at work but it seemed like it had been used.
‘It’s intense. It seems like a body strengthening type…’
It was the car where Ronan was closely observing the Aurors. Varen seeing that the manticore was completely stunned belatedly turned his head.
“Huh! Ronan?!”
Varen’s mouth widened as he recognized Ronan and Asher. The aura covering his arm disappeared. His sharp eyes turned round and the blank face Ronan was familiar with returned.
“Are you two okay?!”
“They were killing me. Varen. “I saw it again.”
“Now is not the time to make jokes like that. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
Varen made a fuss and looked at the two people. I thought it looked a little cool but it was a lion that wasn’t worth its size. Ronan nodded his head as if it was no big deal.
“are you okay. “Anyway what happened?”
“Hehe…you really have no shame. “If I had known it would be like this I would have brought him in a little later…”
Varen’s explanation continued. The manticore named Nanushi was an individual that he personally captured to appear in Baeksuje. Originally they were being bred in a mountain near the island and in order to acclimate to Phileon’s environment they were moved to the premises last night but it was said that they broke the iron cage and escaped a little while ago.
“It was fortunate that I was wearing a restraint for training. “I never would have thought that the iron bars on Mt. Nodland would break… Even if the event is canceled right now there is nothing to say.”
“Huh? It’s not that bad is it? “I don’t know if it’s unemployed or what but I wanted to see it.”
“I would like that too. I think it will depend on the judgment of the student council and faculty. “Why at such an important time…”
Varen trailed off his horse. Before long guards wearing armor came rushing in. They chained up the unconscious manticore and took him away on a huge cart. Varen who was watching this bowed again.
“Anyway I’m sorry you had to go through this. “As a professor and one of the people responsible for Baeksuje I would like to sincerely apologize.”
“It’s okay. As you live things like this and that happen. Asher are you okay too?”
“Yes… it’s okay…”
Asher nodded his head weakly. Tears were clearly visible on her white cheeks. Varen shook his head heavily and opened his mouth.
“Thank you for your generosity. “I’ll go take care of the situation first.”
phut! Varen leaped into the air with those words. The movements of his body jumping over several buildings were unusual. I didn’t notice him because he was baking cookies and sipping tea all the time but Varen was also a huge powerhouse.
‘Well it’s Wear Lion so it’s only natural. Anyway…’
Ronan recalled Varen’s auror that he had seen a while ago. He seemed to be of the type that strengthened his body and even at first glance he looked very useful.
Suddenly it occurred to me that the power of an Auror was very unfair. Some people get ridiculous fraud auras like Storm Sword or Mansa while others sit on other people’s legs with shining roots.
‘I wish I could copy something like that too.’
Without thinking much Ronan imitated the posture Varen had taken a moment ago. The action was to extend his left arm and block the Manti Core. It was the moment when he remembered the image of an Auror. Tsupat! A golden flash rose up Ronan’s arm and then disappeared.
“What the fuck?!”
“to?”
Ronan stepped back startled. Asher who happened to be looking at him rolled his eyes. For a moment the mana felt from Varen seemed to arise in Ronan’s arms.
“What did you just do?”
“…I don’t know either.”
Ronan shook his head. It was a short time but I saw it clearly. It was the same power as Varen’s auror.
‘Could it be possible to copy something else?’
It felt like a bolt of lightning had passed through my brain. I immediately tried to reproduce Varen’s aura but I failed because all my mana was used up with just the flash of light. I felt that a much greater amount of mana was consumed than Dolan’s auror.
‘Unless I can only use the aura of those idiots…!’
But Ronan’s expression was never dark. What was important was that he manifested someone else’s aura other than Nebula Clazie.
If the ability resulting from this tumor was to copy another person’s aura and if there were no limits to the target then it would be like gaining an incredibly powerful power.
‘It’s still not enough.’
But it was still difficult to be sure. More verification of abilities was needed. Ronan who was thinking about something muttered quietly.
“…I need to grow my core first.”
“Huh? “Core?”
“no. “Let’s go back first.”
No matter how much I thought about it there was nothing more I could do right now. The two people walked towards their respective destinations. The students who had regained their composure were muttering as they followed the Manticore as it was being transported.
****
The sun was setting when Ronan arrived at Nest the club area. This was because he went to explain the situation regarding his core to Butterfly Rose and was captured.
“Damn you you’re so ignorant.”
Ronan cursed. His limbs were still shaking. After learning that he could use two cores Nabirose thought ‘Then I can train twice as well.’ This was a very her-like reaction.
In the end Ronan rolled until his two hearts were empty. He thought for a moment about what happened today and then twitched his lips.
‘Maybe it’s not time yet.’
To Nabi Rose he told him most of the information he had heard from Jarrodin except that he had been able to copy other people’s Aurors. He didn’t think it would be too late to let him know after the outline of his abilities was revealed a little more.
‘Is the difficulty level of copying different depending on the level of the Auror?’
Ronan who was thinking back to his training days twisted his lips. Imitating Varen’s auror ultimately failed. I tried it several times but the mana just drained out and couldn’t be reproduced.
Squeak – Ronan arrived in front of the club building and opened the door. An interior reminiscent of a tavern was revealed. Asher whom he had planned to meet in advance was nowhere to be seen.
“Ah Ronan. “It’s been a while.”
Instead Marya who was drying her hair with a towel caught her eye. Ronan’s eyes met hers and she smiled broadly. Water droplets tangled in her rich blonde hair were splashing in all directions.
“I know. “What about Asher?”
“huh? Her cutie didn’t come. “Have you made an appointment?”
“Uh…why wait. But somehow your body seems to have become stronger.”
Ronan bobbed Marya up and down and stuck his tongue out at her. She was wearing training clothes that exposed her stomach.
Her straight abs were particularly defined so it looked like she had just finished training and washed up. Her arms seemed so strong that not even a needle could penetrate them and it seemed like she could crush Asher’s head with one hand.
‘Is this a merchant or a barbarian warrior?’
I felt like I knew why I succeeded in dressing as a man in my past life even though I had big breasts. It was clear that all of her fat had been converted into muscle and compressed. Marja patted her own abs after hearing her praise.
“Hehe right? “Do you want to touch it?”
“it’s okay.”
Marja twitched her lip as if her pride had been hurt. Ronan who had been swayed by her sat down on the table in front of her. Perhaps because she had lost two hearts her level of fatigue was different. asked Marja anxiously as she sat down next to him.
“Then I saw that her face was disfigured. “What happened?”
“A lot happened….”
“I haven’t seen you for the past few days. Where have you been?”
“Dawn Magic Tower. Did anything happen while I was gone? “Except the Manticore incident.”
“No big deal? Umm…there was something.”
Marja narrowed her eyes and sighed. By the way her shoulder was hot against hers. Her slightly wet hair was gently tickling the nape of her neck.
‘Why is he doing this?’
She wanted to tell her to get out of the way because it was hot but she couldn’t even bother with that right now. Marja who was thinking about something snapped her fingers.
“ah! “The Lakota who disappeared returned this morning.”
“Lakota?”
“Why is there a boy who is taking Professor Baren’s class with him? “He’s the same age as us.”
“ah. “That weak bastard.”
Ronan remembering Lakota’s face nodded his head. He was a classmate of Baren’s martial arts class who also took his class. I think he was said to have raised pigs or goats on farms in his hometown but honestly he wasn’t a guy with much presence.
“That kid went missing?”
“huh. There was an uproar because he disappeared without saying anything last night. When I asked him why he came back so late he said he had gone into the forest to pick herbs that bloom only at night and got lost. “Isn’t it really absurd?”
“He’s a poor guy.”
Ronan laughed. Of course it wasn’t completely impossible because Phileon Academy was so large. Perfect! Marja’s fingers snapped again.
“By the way a notice was just posted. “The Baeksu Festival will be held as is.”
“Thank goodness. “Who is injured or dead?”
“doesn’t exist. “Not one.”
“That’s a good thing too.”
Parts of the site were damaged but fortunately there were no casualties. The Manticore’s escape ended in a simple commotion. Marya explained that the decision to hold the summit was made after discussion between the student council and faculty.
“Actually I expected this. What kind of festival is Baeksuje? Besides there’s no way we can cancel this year.”
“why. “Is there even a salamander playing the guitar?”
“…Are you asking because you really don’t know?”
Ronan shrugged her shoulders. Maria laughed and said in disbelief.
“It’s amazing. “No matter how busy you are aren’t you too interested in the news of the world?”
“Stop being expensive man. “For what reason?”
Ronan frowned. He had an attitude as if he was displaying some kind of dragon. Marya continued.
“This is the first time a doppelganger has been displayed in public. And that’s just a pair of alpha and omega. “The whole empire is in an uproar did you really not know?”
“Dopple…what?”
