Bong!
Moob felt a deep sadness.
Thud!
“Is this my limit?”
He thought he had worked hard for Oknodie, but his growth rate couldn’t keep up with the strong ones in the Upper Class.
Even he felt it.
Gulp!
This gap would never close.
But Oknodie was silently sacrificing herself even more.
Whimper!
“I can’t see a way forward.”
No one knew.
He didn’t even realize it himself.
Since when had it started?
Why had it come to this?
Actually, he had an inkling.
Surrounded by formidable foes.
Oknodie had been battling against odds that were unbelievable for a student.
Her daily life was so intense that any normal person would find it overwhelming and might even collapse or go mad from stress.
Now, she had to take responsibility for all the remnants of the Foundation and those who believed in her, all on her little shoulders.
Fury!
With her small body.
He was really boiling with rage.
Rumble!
“Moob. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Flick!
Jaku, noticing his mood, offered some advice, but not a single word sunk in.
Comfort wouldn’t change the harsh reality Oknodie faced, and he wasn’t sure he could do anything for her.
In fact, wouldn’t the time Oknodie spent teaching Moob only make her more miserable?
Wouldn’t it steal the precious time she desperately needed?
Did his desire to get closer to her drive her further into a corner?
He couldn’t shake those thoughts away.
Even if he wanted to play, even if he wanted to rest, even if he wanted to give up.
Not a single day of relentless training could be grasped.
Moob wandered through the campus aimlessly.
He moved towards where there were no people.
The cheerful laughter of new students.
The mixed encouragements from his peers.
The dying sounds of seniors.
When he couldn’t hear anything, he stopped walking.
Silence!
“This place is…”
A deep, large circle drawn on the ground.
Various spells inscribed along its edges.
Disorganized, chaotic, with varying heights and mana attributes.
There were signs of writing that had been erased, scribbled over by rain and wind.
Moob could tell from his experience as a Second Year that this was a Magic Circle Practice Ground.
Hmmm…
“An abandoned facility?”
Once upon a time, circular magic circles were considered useless and economically unviable, and they had long been discarded.
The trend was to create spells freely within the outline of squares on convenient Mana Boards.
In an age where the intricacy and precision of circular magic circles could be replaced to some extent by lacking talents, the old technique was just an outdated, inefficient waste of time.
Bam!
“My situation isn’t any different!”
He genuinely lacked talent and had to substitute it with repetitive training and difficult practices instead of quickly finding answers through intuition.
The martial training method he was practicing was essentially no different than the traditional training of circular magic circles.
Oknodie had crafted a customized challenge curriculum that increased his growth rate every time she incorporated her own special ‘experience.’
But as time went on, the challenges became harder.
Now, he had been stuck for three weeks without passing even one challenge in a week.
Whoosh!
“Testing my power to break through the gravitational pull of compression rings and breach the fields? That’s impossible!”
An Advanced Martial Artist with plenty of finishing moves would easily break and tear through the barriers.
Even if he broke through, what good would it do for Oknodie?
Only traces of effort remained, and just like the abandoned training ground, his heart was withering away.
Thunk!
“Oh. It’s rare to see someone here in this abandoned place.”
“…I apologize if I’m being a nuisance.”
“No, it’s quite alright. I’m sorry for intruding on your time of contemplation.”
A person wearing a white cloak bowed respectfully, left hand clenched into a fist and right hand palm up against it in greeting.
Moob recognized him as Hyukmurin, one of the few international students who also came from the Eastern Empire in Class 981.
Flap!
“I often used this training ground when I had many worries. That rival I’ve considered, well, he’s just absurdly strong.”
“If it’s a strong one from the East, it must be Sing.”
“That’s right. He’s disgustingly strong. And also, quite pitiful.”
Gasp!
Pitiful?
For a split second, Oknodie’s image flashed in Moob’s mind, sparking his interest.
“Sing? I never thought of him as pitiful. He’s a man who possesses powerful swordsmanship and high skill. He has everything even beautiful women admire, right?”
“Strength honed from loneliness can earn admiration, but he himself might not be happy. His enemy is practically the entire Eastern Empire.”
Dun!
The entire Empire as one person’s enemy?
Just hearing it felt bleak.
Sing, who seemed so far away, now felt relatable.
Wasn’t it just like the Three Great Evils from the Western World challenging the Seonhwang?
“Do you know much about Sing?”
“Of course. His family was unjustly accused, leading to their ruin, and he crossed over to the Western World to gain strength for revenge.”
Scrape!
Hyukmurin sat on the ground and began to brush away the dust from the abandoned magic circle.
“His family’s downfall was my family’s responsibility, being one of the lower factions on the Eastern Ten Destruction.”
“…!”
“I committed unthinkable acts as a human and was then discarded like trash. I believe my family’s decline is a curse.”
“I have no words to say.”
“It’s alright. I’m here because I want to offer weak help if he ever embarks on a revenge path that’s like suicide.”
Blink!
Hyukmurin looked up at Moob.
A gentle smile adorned his face.
“I want to help. But I’m not strong enough.”
“!!”
“It seems we’re both dealing with the same kind of worries. I’ve heard enough about your relationship with the Dark Princess to know.”
Moob took a step back, instinctively defensive.
Shiver!
“It’s an intentional approach, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. But there’s no lie in my words.”
“What do you want from me?”
“If you feel indebted in your heart, and you believe you can do whatever it takes to pay that debt, there’s still a way for you to become strong.”
“Dark Mana is enough for me. My friend and mentor Oknodie manage that power. They all say I’m already too late.”
“Would you believe me if I said there’s a power you could start with right now, and it wouldn’t be too late?”
“…What is it?”
“Divine Power.”
Ding!
Moob suddenly understood.
He finally realized why priests worshiping the 24 Divine Classes had been frequenting the Gift Academy.
They mocked faith as a drug for the weak, yet why did seniors embrace it?
Because they could no longer become stronger.
Because they lagged behind.
As an ordinary person, they had to watch those who once stood shoulder to shoulder with their peers soar into greatness below them.
That kind of anguish existed.
As a fleeting memory of days that would fade away.
Not wanting to be left behind, erased, or pushed out from the world of geniuses.
So, embracing the life constraints imposed by faith was the last ladder to climb.
Thud!
“What kind of deity?”
“The God of Love Atalaxia.”
“The God of Love…? How on earth could such a deity grant power?”
Whistle!
Was this a waste of time?
Feeling deep disappointment, he turned to leave.
But Hyukmurin’s next words stopped him.
Pause!
“Responsibility is another name for love.”
“…!”
“The God of Love holds the values of devotion and sacrifice in high regard. The life we’ve lived is viewed by the God of Love as the most valuable form of love.”
Heart Race!
An unrequited heart.
Meaningless sacrifice.
Yet, an unwavering will that cannot be given up.
Just like the foolishness of unrequited love.
Indeed.
Hyukmurin was right.
This too was another form of love.
The most miserable and painful form of love.
“…Can the God of Love accept our misery as an offering and grant us any strength?”
Thump!
“The blessing of pure love. It respects the tenacity that refuses to give up, empowering individuals to rise even when their hearts are broken.”
“I… have already broken.”
“If you truly had given up, you would be slumped down. Yet here you are, wanting to rise, troubled by your own thoughts, aren’t you?”
Zap!
Hyukmurin’s words hit the mark.
Like a swordsman’s sharp and deadly thrust piercing his heart.
“Additionally, there’s this power too. For the sake of the one you love, a person can exhibit strength far beyond their usual capabilities in moments of crisis.”
“!!”
“If you live for Oknodie, risk danger for her, and clearly recognize the threats she faces and what you need to do, then whenever you choose, your faith in her will multiply the strength you wield.”
Whoosh!
In this world, there is no power without a payback.
“What would I lose?”
“Everything. You could lose all that you have. I sacrificed the ability to distinguish colors in exchange for accelerated growth. For me, the entire world is in black and white.”
“!!”
“Some cannot move their arms, while others lose knowledge. No one knows what the deity will take from you.”
“…”
“If there is a step you must take even at the cost of losing everything, then hold my hand. If not, you may leave. The choice is yours.”
Grip!
Moob took Hyukmurin’s hand.
There was no hesitation in his action.
