As Carl fought against the skeletons, his hammer smashing through their bones with relentless force, he gradually culled their numbers, reducing their ranks by half. The ground trembled as his attacks reverberated through the cavern, the echoes mingling with the eerie laughter that still echoed in the darkness.
–SMASH!
As the hammer smashed the ground while Carl was fending off the monsters, the earth rumbled for a split second.
CRACK!
The ground moved, creating a weird circular formation that was centered around Carl.
“Stumble.”
Carl’s eyes shone brown for a second as he mumbled, activating a part of his trait mixed with the magic of 2nd order.
「Unraveling Earth 」
But then, just as the skeletons were preparing to launch another attack, the circular formation he had laid on the ground suddenly exploded.
It was as if the skeletons had unknowingly triggered a trap, each step setting off a hidden mine of stone.
BOOM!
The explosion rippled through the cavern, causing the skeletons to stumble and collapse to the ground, their undead forms crumbling into pieces.
Carl stood amidst the chaos as he watched the scene unfold before him. This was already a usual occurrence on the battlefield, both against monsters and against other species on the border.
Even though he didn’t participate in the deadliest battles, the ones he participated in had shown more deaths than any average student of the academy would see.
TOK! TOK! TOK!
But, just as he was reminiscing these feelings, he suddenly felt a strange wind passing through him.
Following that, the remaining skeletons fell to the ground, crumbling as if the force that was supporting them no longer existed.
“So, he finished.”
There, he understood the reason for why. After all, the reason why these skeletons moved was not natural but because of the evil spirit.
–SCREECH!
Then, a loud screech echoed from the tunnel Astron entered. However, its screams disappeared as it appeared. In a matter of seconds, the screams were finished.
Carl had already trusted Astron in this matter, letting him enter. It was both to measure his overall capabilities and evaluate him as well as to see if he was trustworthy or not.
I wanted to see if he was someone who could put his back and lean on or not, and from the looks of it, things seemed to be right for the time being.
CRACK! RUMBLE!
Just at that moment, he sensed the presence of the two people approaching from above!
The ceiling was shaking as well, and with his Earthen affinity and trait, he was able to sense the source. Closing his eyes, he focused on his trait and the waves that were used to receive the information. A picture started forming in his mind.
Two silhouettes appeared.
One appeared to be a young man, his silhouette outlined against the dim light filtering through the cavern. Though Carl couldn’t discern colors, he could sense the determined energy emanating from the figure in the front. The other person was a young girl positioned slightly behind the man.
In the mental image, the young man led the way with a swirling force in front of him, seemingly clearing a path through the earth. A barrier of repulsive force surrounded them, deflecting any rocks or debris that might have obstructed their progress. Within moments, they would breach the cavern from above.
Recognizing the newcomers, Carl remained composed, knowing there was no need to take a defensive stance. He awaited their arrival, ready to greet them as they descended into the cavern.
CRACK!
Following that, after around a minute, the cavern cracked, and the two people made their appearance.
SWOOSH!
But since they appeared from the ceiling, the two people didn’t immediately connect to the world.
The young man, with his chestnut fluttering, fell, but as if a force underneath him was repulsing, he silently landed on the ground without any sort of inconvenience.
「Air Current」
The wind blew underneath her body, and as if she had been blessed by it, she slowly landed.
“Tch.”
Yet, she couldn’t help but click her tongue, her amber eyes looking at the guy before her with annoyance.
“This is not how you treat a lady.” She mumbled. Yet, she didn’t hide her words, neither did her voice as if to say that she didn’t care if he heard it or not.
The young man before her didn’t even respond and looked at Carl, who was sitting there with his hammer in his hand.
“Victor.”
Carl mumbled his name, looking at the incredibly handsome young man. Yet, no matter how handsome he was, the situation right now differed from normal, making him appear with a rather cold aura.
Without answering, Victor first looked around the place, his eyes observing everything coldly. No matter what, he was a Blackthorn and the heir of the family that owned this mine.
Thus, this situation was under both his responsibility and authority. That was what he thought, at least.
“What happened here?”
Victor coldly asked, locking his eyes with Carl.
Carl met Victor’s cold gaze with an unwavering expression, his own demeanor calm but firm. He didn’t respond immediately to Victor’s question, taking a moment to process the young man’s overbearing attitude.
The lack of acknowledgment upon arrival and the dismissive demeanor irked Carl, especially considering his own standing as a member of the Braveheart family. It was unacceptable for Victor to treat him with such disrespect.
However, Victor didn’t seem to have any intention of backing down either. Why would he? In the place of Blackthorn, he had the authority, and he was also the strongest youngster of this generation. Therefore, there was no need for him to look up to others. Victor
“I asked a question.”
Victor asked once again, this time leaking a bit of his intent.
“!”
Carl was alarmed, not expecting such a reaction. From his past experiences and the times he met with Victor, this guy was someone who was a lot more amicable and understanding. He was cold, but he at least shared the basic courtesy.
But now, it looked different.
‘He changed.’
Now, the Victor before him was not the same. But that didn’t matter. Slowly leaking his own intent at the same time, he faced Victor’s, matching it.
Victor’s intent and Carl’s clashed as the two looked into each other’s eyes.
Amidst the tense standoff between Carl and Victor, Irina remained largely disinterested in their power plays. This wasn’t her first encounter with displays of authority and dominance, especially within the confines of the academy and its surrounding territories. Instead, her attention wandered elsewhere, her senses attuned to the subtle shifts in the environment.
Suddenly, a familiar presence caught her attention, drawing her focus to one of the nearby tunnels. Concentrating her senses, Irina honed in on the source of familiarity, her curiosity piqued.
As she observed, Astron emerged from the tunnel with a leisurely pace, his movements calm and deliberate. In his hand, he held something, though, from her vantage point, Irina couldn’t discern what it was. Nevertheless, she watched intently as Astron approached, his gaze scanning the cavern until it locked onto hers.
At that moment, a chill ran down Irina’s spine as she felt the weight of Astron’s stare. It was as if he had sensed her prying eyes and directed his attention squarely upon her.
‘He probably did….But why should I feel tense? So, what if I am looking at him?’
Feeling like he didn’t need to feel this tense, Irina shrugged. She knew he would be able to see her anyway. She even had the urge to stick out her tongue at him to mock him, but she thought that would be way too childish.
Unnerved but determined not to show any sign of weakness, Irina met Astron’s stare head-on, her expression cool and composed.
On the other side, sensing the impasse between them, Victor eventually retracted his gaze, realizing that his attempts to assert dominance over Carl were futile. Despite his position as a member of the Blackthorn family and his formidable combat abilities, he understood that Carl was not one to be easily intimidated.
For a brief moment, Victor contemplated the idea of engaging in a direct confrontation with Carl. However, he quickly dismissed the thought, recognizing the futility of such a clash.
Carl was like a mountain, steadfast and unyielding, and any attempt to overpower him would likely result in a prolonged struggle.
In terms of pure combat prowess and battlefield experience, Victor knew that Carl ranked among the top fighters, perhaps even within the top three, despite his occasional absence from academic pursuits due to military engagements.
His reputation as a skilled and formidable warrior preceded him, and Victor understood the risks of engaging in a physical confrontation. Just because he wanted to reign over him didn’t mean he was stupid enough to make an enemy of Carl.
With a subtle shift in his demeanor, Victor recalibrated his approach, opting for a more diplomatic stance. Though he still harbored a sense of frustration at Carl’s defiance, he recognized the importance of maintaining a semblance of composure in the face of adversity.
As the tension between them eased slightly, Victor redirected his focus to the broader situation at hand, acknowledging that their immediate priority was to address the disturbances within the mine.
“Carl.”
With a curt nod, he gestured for Carl to proceed with his explanation, signaling his willingness to cooperate, albeit begrudgingly.
And, since now Carl was acknowledged, just like in a military, he explained.
“After falling down, we encountered the suspected culprit, an entity resembling an evil spirit. It led us to this place,” Carl stated evenly, his voice unwavering despite the lingering tension in the air.
Victor’s interest was piqued. “Who is ‘we’?” he inquired, his gaze scanning the cavern for any sign of additional presence.
As he looked, he noticed a figure approaching, its presence faint and almost imperceptible. With his superhuman vision, Victor discerned that it was a young man with purple eyes and black hair clutching something in his hand.
‘!’
A sense of urgency gripped Victor as he immediately dashed towards the approaching figure, appearing before him in an instant, his demeanor intense and cold.
“Where did you find this?”
He asked with his hand on the young man’s neck.
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