Chapter 20: Marie Dunareff (1)
lFDCBRMThe boss characters of each of the arcs in ❰Heroic Legends of Arhan❱ were tough foes that brought the player deeper into the immersive world. The boss of the 1st Arc, ‘Marie Dunareff the Vampire’ was a tragic character that suddenly threw one of the key aspects of this world at the player.2NpmtS
PSrHer sudden appearance as a boss of the final tier, Unique Grade, allowed the player to feel just how immensely strong they were, while showing off the heroic nature of the player that allowed them to overcome the problem in the end.yttD
Qb1At the same time, it displayed the fall of Marie Dunareff, who had resiliently held onto her human nature even at the face of such a tragic incident.UG7a
2qJNThe life at the Academy, which felt like it would be all fun and games at the start of the story suddenly turned bleak and grim in an instant, and it was through this episode that the developers showed their ‘true colors’bO42B6W
ntCDThat was the tragedy I had to challenge myself to, now that the player wasn’t here.zwiLClo
tnjFbyuMy job was to save the girl who had faced a great misfortune and a terrible end.BhLLRU6
vZO5qI6It was fate which even the protagonist of this world was unable to change, and that was why Park Sihu had tried to make use of this tragedy as efficiently as possible.TUOvpG
YPnp8But was this seriously an unstoppable tragedy?oSDH
q167eTo be frank, that wasn’t really the case.5zbrKn
YkkpzdWith enough preparations.2j39
ImoNfAnd with enough faith.y4Sw
fzqAs long as we topped all that with good enough members, the unfortunate story of that one girl was actually one that could lead to salvation with relative ease.wF0
StlWhWFThat was why I did not want this story to follow the original plot. I did not want her story to end in misfortune like the sequences of fate which went by the name of ‘scenario’,5LN
hjlLike how I resisted against the player who had insisted on efficiency, monopolization and jackpot,Sx6
JBZG9I want a happy ending for her story.0746po
V6PHPymSo what if I am being a little inefficient?8v2S
x2kAnd so what if I can’t swallow everything for myself?4UM
BvCswAnd also, how is it a problem even if I can’t hit a jackpot and have fewer benefits?jNRs
XFMEverything is fine as long as we have fewer deaths.YGrIppw
7BZmDo we even need a reason to save people?XkMNAJd
8CtdliIThis evening’s lesson was supposed to be carried out by Lady Josephine in preparation for an external mission.oomN
BLNAIt was a mandatory course of the 1st semester, where we would hear theory on practical things like camping outside and managing food, and carry out an actual external mission as a test.Q8XfWr1
5hp“Dude. Did you hear that?”gwECe4h
ZVJI was opening my book and preparing myself for the lesson when Jaeger came up and whispered at me.8aaesD6
6mbg“What’s up?”rjl7Sx
ZTxO“You know Hua Ran. That demonic bitch.”yTtil
tyoyGIO“…”2zBoYN
x89YreiIt was very concerning to see Jaeger say that even though Hua Ran could fold him to death using two of her fingers. However, that was the impression which was shared by everyone inside the class.qxgU8
LTOAlthough she was wearing nun clothes of the church, anyone could tell that the chains wrapped around in talismans were there to restrict her.v8LuND3
MvK7f6eWhy would a student be wearing restrictive clothing? That naturally made them see her as a demon.VfFF
dhoJVh“I heard she was locked in isolation.”Qn5
VWTOF9c“Isolation, huh.”j9IrhO
IogBO“Yeah. Apparently there’s actually a special facility in this Academy that locks dangerous demons inside…”vpR
5YdJaeger then continued narrating several conspiracy theories, but he wasn’t completely off the mark.wvM6xll
xSa7There really was a special facility in this Academy that was dedicated to demons. To be fair, it was more of a rectifying facility that tried to help demi-humans control their overflowing mana and violence.nuj
IbBAside from the fact that there was a barrier that somewhat suppressed their powers, it was just a fancy personal accommodation.VPgtk5i
FFnonMHua Ran had used more power than necessary to hurt Marie so it was natural for her to receive some level of repercussion.d92ny
pkdBuWhat I didn’t understand was why Hua Ran had started moving already.o1Tnr
IMJQU3‘She should have been quietly listening to lectures…’8Fh
3iMNSHOThat was the same in the previous iteration and the game. She incited fear from the surroundings due to being a demon, but she didn’t do anything in particular and quickly went under the radar.e6ep
fs4r“That’s why that monster…”bTl
1REGAi“Calling her a monster is a bit…”pTnm7lq
WCxD“Oi, aren’t demi-humans practically just demons? Do you have any demons around you, Lark? Just think about how many humans they killed…”iOJ
DPYPLark chimed in and the conversation was about to turn long when a female professor wearing a loose robe walked in after opening the door.Mra
SXYK“Hello everyone. I am Professor Lulara Mars from Alchemy~. Deputy Principal Josephine has other things to attend today, so I will be carrying out the lecture instead~.”ca7ll3
pmULady Josephine was known for not changing the schedule unless it was a serious problem.UFvoAmO
x59QWhy would someone like her skip a lesson?47j
FIN9F‘Is it because of Hua Ran?’raC
bnLConsidering how Hua Ran created a big ruckus during the practical lesson, it was understandable for a special measure to be taken place.Isv
QrVKWithout thinking too much of it, I glossed over the small event.AEYE
ad4QyZY****rXX1
z0dZ｢Six Ways of the Spear｣abFB
EVlgFifth Style—NtRkv
1rMva– Claaaank!YLtfJ0s
eZjThe deafening thud resonating across the training rooms probably gathered the eyes of other students. They would have crowded in if not for the privacy curtain.JRvOmt
Ha2S2EIt had already been 3 days since the end of the practical lesson at the hunting grounds. For the past three days, I came straight to the training rooms after the lessons and spent all my time here.GBWzRLO
ZDujUMy combat strength that I tested at the hunting grounds was quite satisfactory. Even though they were still very inexperienced, I still managed to defeat Alicia Arden, a strong character, and the Golem User Kranel Luden.hwZx3KF
MF8However, this was still far from enough. I probably had better fighting senses than Park but my stats were weaker in comparison to how he was at this point in time.VGeh8U
soDuUeg“Huu…”JQgQz0
yxvRTLeaving aside the level I had achieved with my spearmanship, the problem was that my body couldn’t handle condensed aura. My ripped palms and the vividly protruding veins was proof.IQr
R643SV0What was fortunate, at the very least, was that the wounds left behind by the recoil from the skill was already being recovered thanks to the ❰Regeneration of the Tenacious Warrior❱.CTe
lDSeTEi‘I might actually be able to recover even if my intestines were to fall out.’9PAH
yqrdJudging by the speed of the regeneration, it was probably at the level of a Grade 2 skill. But I didn’t get to test it as much – maybe I had to get injured on purpose just to test this out.S8tILO9
brz8vfCondensed aura that worked in alignment with Six Ways of the Spear was a skill with way too big of a risk, but the regenerative ability came in for the clutch and offsetted the risk by a lot.6O5
V5yhtBut still, the best choice was to obtain a body that could withstand the skill so here I was today, diligently training myself again.EJWFqU5
PI3eg0– She still hasn’t left the hospital?oQrx
eLC1K– Yeah. Looks like she’s still very sick.uPWT33c
qiA7“Hmm…”d3Vm
FuDExhThe 2nd year students were looking quite strange these days. The main topic of their discussion was Marie who hasn’t shown herself for 3 days ever since the incident at the hunting grounds.pAo1pWc
BNW2PxIt was understandable on the first day, but ever since the second day, her roommate Isabelle was also unable to be spotted and no-one was allowed to visit Marie either.QDG
HRNgLANaturally, it would have been hard to leave unscathed after a clash with Hua Ran but… Marie was the final boss of the 1st Arc. Not being able to see the first Unique Grade boss of ❰Heroic Legends of Arhan❱ made me quite anxious.ScSo
pEO‘Should I try visiting the hospital?’kMQcT
udAEAI was walking down the Academy campus with that thought in mind when I came across an unexpected person.g64dssB
astplz“Hugek…!”FTY
ql2“Nn?”tvxfRFI
e3it2Alicia Arden was wrapped in bandages while eating a potato croquette, and was greatly startled upon seeing my face.ZyY
EJqsN“Why are you so surprised?”Mk9H
RiYR“Mhmm…! Gulp! N, no? I am not surprised!”JZ1
npvh“Have your injuries gotten better?”2TZiL1f
wkmWp“Uhh… Yes.”awuNFPo
we3lI didn’t feel sorry or anything about causing injuries. The common courtesy in the Academy was to refrain from blaming others about wounds that were caused during lessons and practices.WXo2e
Rppu“Are your bones fractured?”K0WPl
WBjv6“No. It’s just a few cracks. I just need to rest for a few more days.”MT1RR
KWhilJU“Rather than blocking condensed aura with aura, the best option is to offset it using the same resonance. There is no reason to bother blocking a dense amount of power from the front.”p08N
IudWhJ4“…”4U8
8NqFHer eyes had a strange glint to them as she gazed at me.NX1XX
Nv8FP“What’s up?”0Ym
5Bmz“Mr. Korin. Are you… really a Grade 5 Knight?”CLpoKLs
UAZ“Oh, that?”3M94x
myVc4MI showed her my student ID card and the sign that said Grade 5 Knight.zfcvGh
NKpE“See. I am a Grade 5 Knight.”XsAl
YCdiMe“W, what kind of Grade 5 Knight beats a Grade 2 Knight!? Are you perhaps disguising yourself?”gqO
8tkALU“No, I am definitely weaker than you.”6wz
zQdsHAL“You’re lying!”qV0
wOM7M“I’m serious. Here…!”bKbGRdo
nMNxNI threw a sudden fist at the unbelieving Alicia. It was the fastest jab I could throw, but Alicia quickly stopped my fist with the potato croquette still in her hands.rsajV
x3kNw0“Nnn…?”wCSdyfG
dCX“See that? It was meant to be an ambush but it was easy for you to stop, right?”WFfh1w
L5sI5iqNo matter how much power I put into my fist, I couldn’t take it out and all I could do was sway it back and forth a few times. It was an overwhelming difference in power and even Alicia seemed surprised by it.FPeTO
mZ9gFHer eyes appeared to be saying that she hadn’t expected me to be this weak.Pe3
WMBTD“The difference between a Grade 2 Knight and a Grade 5 Knight is like that of heaven and the earth. You are stronger than me but…”il3
i9JXzI added a slight trick to my fist. As soon as an outburst of dense aura grazed past her palm, Alicia hurriedly retrieved her hand in a fluster.6yFxI
DMjIdOvIt was too late when she belatedly raised her arms back up for a guard, and my finger was already poking into her cheek.I6Xh
fYl04O“I will always be the one coming out on top.”XECrJq
ja6Do“Ughh… Please remove your hand.”K4VNmW
g53pd5There was a rare sign of blazing frustration in her expression, which was something you wouldn’t see often from someone as docile as her.skFp
bvp8That was to be expected, because she was a successor candidate of a renowned household of swordsmanship.bXVU4w
i7nNo matter how low of a self-esteem she had, she would still be discontent with the gibberish from a random Grade 5 nobody.Vyz61
I2tA67“I once saw Lunia Arden fighting.”CxONG
HZ5wJQ1Lunia Arden.KCbL
f3XlShe was Alicia Arden’s older sister from another mother, and a competitor who was aiming for the position of a successor.MWdSfp
oXWL5WAlicia turned visibly gloomy the moment I mentioned her name.dfm
BIKFq0AYes, I know about the inferiority complex you have for Lunia Arden, and your fear. The target of your admiration and terror.xwY
hg4gThe relationship of these sisters was a lot more complicated than expected.WOV
APzGUc“Are you… my elder sister’s acquaintance?”GdOaSz
fdY“No. I told you I just saw her fighting from a distance.”pvxGZgC
S0C4We actually fought together in the same party quite often but, well… that wasn’t the case in this iteration so I wasn’t lying.7CWpbA
sg8uI“She was strong. Probably the strongest out of all the swordsmen I know.”a7uK
s6e8yIt might be funny how a Grade 5 random person was giving out evaluations about a possible Unique Grade swordsman, but Alicia was quite serious when listening to me.Ijo
cxjv4oQThere were many things Alicia had been hearing the whole time – ‘You are worse off than your sister’, ‘Your sister would have done it differently’, ‘Your sister used to do this when she was your age’.puHI
gzPjuraThe reason Alicia Arden gave up on having any hopes for her swordsmanship also stemmed from the difference in their ability and the constant comparison. But more than anything, there was probably also the vigilance and contempt she received as an illegitimate child.T6zWoO
B0uGRKL“But talent-wise, you’re better.”a5VTN
P71“……U, uun?”hSGkc
M66Alicia asked back while endearingly tilting her head. She then repeatedly blinked her eyes as if those words were completely outside of her expectations.oaT8Xo
hSRQaQ“I can guarantee it. Your talent in sword is superior than your sister.”Y93F
lkkG2m“T, that’s impossible! There’s… there is no way I am better than elder sister!”Hlo8a
5pW“It’s up to you to believe it or not, but since you are at the Academy anyway, you might as well try it seriously.”BZKSM2I
T7uR4f“A, are you really a Grade 5 Knight?”ml1E
IU8i“I just have a tad bit of more experience than others.”G9iL
hRHMFor 3 years, I fought against countless monsters while clearing the scenario. None of them were weaker than me and I had never been the strong one in a fight, but…AxGFh1
y8IaHSxNone of those mountain loads of powerhouses managed to beat me.AapZQQF
dvN3****36R2Yib
1qxWI was about to sneak into the hunting grounds after a quick dinner, but noticed how rowdy the campus was.DBy
vXMTink– Have you found…APWW
ere5W1R– Nope, I’ll head to the outskirts.54B0gQ
DHqWy0S‘Seriously…’v2mUC
aS59I was very unsettled. The two people that walked by just then were Professor Deina from the Magic Department and Professor Fermack Daman from the Knight Department.ecaCx
aYwR2KJThey were the symbolic guardians of Merkarva Academy. Aside from them, there were also a few security guards running around and the campus was overall in a very disordered state.2IdRXbF
MD7h“Did one of the experiment subjects escape or something?”Mhfyj
MKnConsidering how Professor Deina, who carried out live experiments on dangerous beasts, was also here, it might be because of an escape of a demonic beast or a demonic spirit of the laboratory.YNrN
S18KIsIt was quite rare yet frequent in Merkarva Academy. Even in the game, Marie’s boss fight had taken place at the laboratory. She would move the demonic beasts of that place around as her familiars and defeating them was the 1st phase of the fight.1oV
rCvrerWell, there was still a month to go though. Away from the eyes of other students and professors, I arrived at a certain lake located at the corner of the hunting grounds.f3VTrkI
gGMIBecause of how far it was from the center, it wasn’t managed properly and there were plenty of tall weeds nearby. I was here to meet the being that was living in this place.RXDA
o6eZe3jBut first off, I had to force some water out of my eyes.QciR
MRKN9Ak“U, uhhh?”Tx1R
QnWvWhile giving a noisy shout, I wobbled my body. My staggering hands were carrying the Seed of a Mandrake and…lp79m
q5gtQ“Oh noo! I’m falling!!”T9s5
FMnhtU1I fell down in an exaggerated manner and dropped the seed into the lake.pP3rchI
CDYp8O“This can’t be! What should I do? Noooo! What am I supposed to do!! NOOOO!!”SLI1x
bSrLQyI continued screaming while sneaking a glimpse.yFtrLFf
HMU7GMJHitting the ground, I acted as if I was aiming for the Academy Award of Best Actor. It was definitely an amazing act but it seemed that it wasn’t spicy enough yet.FMX
sOcFlH“Nooo! The one and only seed left behind by my mother…! NUUOOOOOOOO…!”wH64V6h
aMp– Bubble bubble!ofo
rDjcYIt’s here!4a5PY9q
CcLHewRI forced out a few more tears when the center of the lake started to bubble as an old man appeared from inside.8tx
hEFvp“Hohoh. Why is it that you are weeping so much?”h8Wc
Dm6The old man appeared after being moved by my awesome act, gazed down at me with a benevolent smile.Oc4fi
PhjqBIA hidden piece that could only be used once in ❰Heroic Legends of Arhan❱ which had the narrative written by the scenario team of a Korean company…0Xb
1vCYPfIt was the God of Lake.ygt
fPrzJO****Pzm82
QYcThe Honest Woodcutter.mAIoSh3
PAe4McIt was a famous fairy tale in Korea and the original was from Aesop’s Fables or something.TRJ7dvW
U0GLIt was a very famous story where the God asks, ‘Was this what you had lost?’ to the woodcutter who dropped an iron ax into the lake while showing him golden and silver axes.UHWsgLM
jjUqRVThis God of Lake also existed in ❰Heroic Legends of Arhan❱, and while walking by this lake, there would be a prompt asking, ‘Will you drop any items inside?’ so it was quite common for players to chuck several items inside the lake.1PyqB
qobwBecause the original was about golden and silver axes, most of the players threw weapons that were below the Unique Grade but… it didn’t lead to any result no matter how many weapons people threw inside.Teby
bk6But old-timers of a game weren’t someone to be looked down on. They were people that did all sorts of wacky stuff that others would not even try!Ghz
V9F『I tried dropping 500 trash items into the Lake today LOL』7DkkW
3TlThere was the so-called ‘Trashing Challenge’ that began by one of the players, and among the players were brave heroes who even dropped precious items inside.vYGj
aMtsevAnd I was one of those brave heroes.pi1
HjGhz“Is this golden seed yours?”QUIE
ncYaIvO“No. That golden seed isn’t mine.”fUAjPw
aYXyThose nerd developers must have been giggling to themselves while wondering if anyone would ever find this hidden piece.DKz0D
e75DHx“Is this silver seed yours?”COlFK
IGE“No. That silver seed isn’t mine.”oEWKfBI
90LmI5EWhat kind of mental retard would drop the Seed of a Mandrake which you had to exchange for strenuously hard-earned 100 points?sOVE
Gw8Well, that was me!qJvxy10
EBHpUJ“Hohoh. Then this seed must be yours.”K2xNiS
tqbn“Yes. That’s correct! That definitely is my seed.”vnYf
ULa“I see that you are an honest man who does not get greedy from seeing gold and silver. In honor of your honesty, I shall give you all 3 seeds.”cOfcQ
qetSO1“Oh my! Thank you very much!”owd8UY
IV9iVCqThe God of Lake disappeared after giving me the three seeds.nIfXgJs
1X8LEven if you dropped more items inside, this God of Lake would not show up anymore. It was a hidden piece which could only be used once.0vt8
5VEn7After double-checking that the God of Lake wasn’t here, I turned to the beautiful seeds on my hands.LYxmZjt
4W5og❰Yellow Golden Seed of a Mandrake❱1jXD1hi
Jud90uE❰White Silver Seed of a Mandrake❱B6Sy
ubJY❰Seed of a Mandrake❱ah1zW3
oruQ“Huhuhu! Now this is a dupe bug!”2uyMG
2UKyCHonesty is overpowered.FIV
KDIozIMandrakes forever!hko1x
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