Karandis Poseus.
Glen Diana.
Balak Hogma.
Haring Lagrain.
And Kraush Balheim.
A temporary team of five second-year students.
As they stood on the
Red Line
, they witnessed their bracelets turning a deep red.
“It’s so stuffy even though there’s nothing around,” complained Balak.
They were in the volcanic core of the island.
Aside from the paths winding up the mountains and some rocks, there was nothing else.
Perhaps that’s why the heat rising from the ground and the thin air characteristic of high altitudes was weighing them down.
But Kraush understood it was more than just that.
“It’s because a
seventh-level Degradation Species
is nearby.”
Those seventh-level creatures move by the world’s erosion power, meaning they primarily inhabit areas influenced by it.
Being powerful, they’re restricted from freely roaming outside the erosion zones.
So, running into a seventh-level species outside that area is quite rare.
However, the problem is that there are indeed times when some of them step out.
They may hesitate to come out, but they certainly are capable of it.
Instead, when they do step out, they consume their own power to manifest a type of world’s erosion.
This is why
Degradation Species
that exist outside are weaker than those thriving within it.
‘And when the worst shows up…’
When the worst of the world erosion spreads, it eventually covers the entire world.
Within such calamity, the limitations that seventh-level and above species experienced vanish.
As a result, high-level Degradation Species run rampant, turning the world into chaos.
‘Tch, that brings back bad memories.’
Not that there were many good ones to begin with; Kraush shook his head and began to ascend the
Red Line
.
“There’s a seventh-level around here! That’s it!” he exclaimed.
At that, Balak let out a hearty laugh.
However, Glen remained lost in thought, not saying a word.
‘It’s probably because he knows Mary has completely been put down by me.’
He likely understood that if Mary didn’t take first place, only the worst outcome would be left for her.
Her life as the murderer of the princess was already a mess.
She had managed to survive until now thanks to the only acknowledged talent she had.
But now that her talent had been eclipsed by Kraush…
She was sure to be left with nowhere to go.
“Glen.”
In a situation where they were about to clash with the seventh-level species, he couldn’t allow Glen to stay in that state.
“Mary was strong enough.”
Upon hearing that, Glen looked at Kraush.
Defeating Kraush wasn’t due to Mary’s lack of talent.
That was something Glen surely knew all too well.
So, hearing that, he slowly nodded.
“Yeah, she’s my sister.”
Seeing his expression, it seemed he had somewhat shaken off the gloom.
“Snap!”
[It’s moving.]
At that moment, the
Decomposition Rat
and
Crimson Garden
reacted simultaneously.
As they had both said, tremors began to resonate from the ground.
Kraush’s instincts spread rapidly below the surface.
The instant something caught his intuition, he shouted to the others.
“Jump up now!”
With Kraush’s shout, he dashed towards the top.
The others quickly followed, knowing there was always a good reason for his actions.
Breathing heavily as they climbed the mountain, Kraush was feeling the strain.
Having exerted a lot of energy earlier, he didn’t have much left to spare.
With hardly any stamina left…
‘Must finish this before I run out.’
Just then,
KABOOM!
A rumbling sound echoed, and a tremendous vibration surged from below.
Startled, the four turned to look down the mountain, where the ground erupted like a volcano.
And from the gaping hole, lava spewed forth.
The molten rock poured out, melting whatever small trees and rocks remained on the ground.
Black smoke billowed up, engulfing the surroundings.
“What the heck is going on?” Karandis exclaimed, staring wide-eyed.
She hadn’t expected lava to erupt beneath them.
If they had been down there, they would have been swept away by the molten flow.
Had it not been for Kraush’s instincts, they might have ended up without even a fight and just retreated.
“Kraush.”
Feeling the aura becoming more intense, Haring began to tense up.
Though she hadn’t fought a seventh-level creature yet, she had been up against
Decarabia
before.
So perhaps that’s why she sensed this seventh-level’s aura more keenly.
KABOOM!
A loud noise and shaking resonated again from below.
The whole mountain quaked.
“Uwah!” screamed Balak just as something burst forth with a thunderous crash.
A creature, propelled by the lava, rolled onto the mountainside and stood tall in front of them.
A hulking figure made of rock, three times larger than a human, with lava dripping from its rocky form.
The four of them instinctively froze, their bodies immobilized like prey locked in the gaze of a predator.
Even humans behave the same way when faced with a true beast: paralyzed in fear, especially when they know they’re supposed to hunt it down.
“Snap out of it!”
At that moment, Kraush’s black flames erupted, shrouding the area.
His power, derived from the world erosion, was formidable enough to counter the creature’s pressure.
Thanks to that, the four began to regain their senses, encircled by the flames.
“Kraush.”
Haring, now beside him, called out.
She likely planned to use
Invisible
to launch a surprise attack just like last time.
However, this time Kraush shook his head.
That wouldn’t cut it.
“We can’t handle that thing with just three of us.”
A seventh-level Degradation Species:
Lavados
.
A golem-type creature made of lava and solid rock, its resilience and lava-spitting capacity were nothing to disregard.
Attempting to drag out the fight would be a recipe for disaster for just three people.
“And we can’t finish it off in one shot either.”
The
Annihilation Erosion
Kraush wields is typically flames that burn, but it would struggle to deal substantial damage against the lava and rock creature Lavados.
Their elemental affinities were entirely mismatched.
While he might have managed under full power, he was already battle-worn from fighting Mary.
Plus, this test wasn’t over yet.
So emptying all his reserves wasn’t an option.
Thus, he decided to change up his attack strategy.
“Remember those poisons Haring gave us?”
Before climbing the Red Line, the three had received poisons from Haring—prepared just in case.
With eyes on the situation, they nodded in unison.
“If it gets dangerous, use it right away.”
The moment Kraush warned them, Lavados began to move.
It released lava from its body, beginning its ascent up the mountain with its gigantic frame.
But the speed it possessed was remarkable.
Despite its size, it dashed with agility, scattering lava as it charged forth.
Just watching it was dizzying.
“Karandis!”
“Yes!?”
Kraush called out to Karandis first.
As she flinched and shouted back, Kraush smirked.
“You’ve got the best elemental advantage against that beast.”
“Me?!”
“Yup, you’re the front line.”
Karandis’s face turned into a sad frown.
After all, she was the least powerful among them.
“Well, if I block it well, will you marry me?!”
Even scared, Karandis blurted out what she wanted first.
Was she really going to throw that condition right now?
“No way.”
Kraush already thought she was something else.
Haring bluntly shot down the proposal.
Karandis turned her gaze towards Haring.
Simultaneously, Glen was looking at Haring as if trying to comprehend what he just heard.
Karandis had been nursing a crush on Kraush unless they were all dense and couldn’t distract her from it.
But nobody expected Haring to respond like that.
Receiving the two’s gazes, Haring replied calmly.
“He doesn’t like you.”
“What does that have to do with you, Haring?”
Just as Karandis began to protest her case…
“It’s coming at us fast!” Balak called out, snapping everyone back to reality.
Karandis, startled, drew a cutlass with one blade and stepped forward.
“Anyway, let me make a wish if I block it!”
Without waiting for a response, she charged forward, a blue aura shimmering around her sword.
Simultaneously, a stream of water wrapped around her arm, forming a shield.
She was representing the aquatic royalty of the
Poseus
family.
Perhaps that’s why she had learned water-related magic arts.
THUD!
With a grunt, Lavados’s fist collided with her water shield, pushing her back a few steps.
She couldn’t outright take it since the size and strength difference were significant.
Yet the balance of their exchange was decent, and she didn’t fall.
Just then, Balak and Glen leaped at Lavados’s legs from the side with their swords and spear.
Meanwhile, Haring’s dagger flew toward Lavados’s upper body.
BOOM!
With an explosion from the dagger, Lavados staggered for a moment.
Taking this chance, Karandis gasped and caught her breath, readying herself.
“Can we tolerate the heat?”
“Yeah, we’ll manage!”
She had been training and practicing continuously until now.
On top of that, she had been working harder to earn her place as Kraush’s partner.
Whatever her goals were, once set, she would go after them resolutely.
That was Karandis for you.
And throughout her life, she hadn’t once failed to achieve her aims.
Even while sweaty, she winked at Kraush, proving it.
She was truly something to behold in various ways.
“Take it easy, and let it flow; that’ll make it easier.”
Kraush advised as he quietly inhaled.
And unlike his usual manner, the heat didn’t emanate from his body.
Instead, an unusual energy began to swirl around him for some reason.
Kraush’s body temperature was rapidly dropping.
‘I stop Ignis.’
His
Annihilation Erosion
, which usually burned with the world erosion, was now being quelled.
Once he extinguished the Ignis that had been constantly burning within him, his true attributes began to reveal themselves.
Kraush’s body was now a
Lunar Body
, bestowed upon him by
Aslan
.
Naturally, if he stopped the
Annihilation Erosion
, the first thing to rear its head was the effect of the
Lunar Body
.
A thick essence filled with negativity that attracted various misfortunes.
The
Lunar Body
heightened its traits particularly under the cover of night.
As the
Annihilation Erosion
subsided, Kraush’s body filled with
Nox
, showcasing the ideal conditions for the
Lunar Body’s
power.
A cold night breeze swept through Kraush’s body.
The sun, once scorching, had vanished, replaced by a winter night atmosphere.
The chill air gradually turned into icy gusts.
Before long, something else began to mix in the stream of that wind.
It was snow.
Snow poured from the sky, filling the insides of
Nox
gradually.
Kraush quietly exhaled.
For he knew better than anyone the nature of the snow.
He had recently obtained an advanced curse from
Dorma
through the
Bloodline Theory
.
Hanseol-a-gi
.
Not only freezing the cursed target instantly, but also persistently freezing everything around that cursed target was one of the high-level curses.
This curse needed to be handled with care. Its death rate approached the extreme if caught by it.
However, for Kraush, the
Hanseol-a-gi
was utilized quite differently.
In the same manner as the
Bloodline Theory
, Kraush continuously cleansed and re-cursed himself using Ignis.
During his time confined in his room, it had allowed his body to reach a state of immunity against
Hanseol-a-gi
.
This action was, in reality, an act of madness.
As I described in the
Bloodline Theory
, the process of self-poisoning is not recommended without significant patience.
Moreover, this advanced curse wasn’t the typical poison with a clear antidote!
Had it not been for
Ignis
burning away the curse within his body, he wouldn’t have come close to even attempting it.
Just how terrifying was it that even with
Ignis
, he nearly lost grip over his hands as they froze into ice?
But Kraush was a unique case, far beyond just being any ordinary individual.
He gritted his teeth, resolutely freezing himself, burning with
Ignis
, freezing again, and repeating the process.
And at the end of this insane loop after numerous iterations…
Kraush reached a state of immunity against
Hanseol-a-gi
.
As ever, this determination of his was nothing short of absurd.
A pure white chill began to circulate around Kraush’s body.
The
Rain Thunder Prime
in his hands also began slowly freezing due to that chill.
It was all due to the aura being created.
“Whew.”
A frigid sensation completely unlike the heat he had been feeling emerged in his mouth.
The
Annihilation Erosion
containing the world erosion’s essence combined with the
Hanseol-a-gi
, amplifying its power immensely.
Despite all this, Kraush wasn’t satisfied with his current state.
‘More.’
To confront
Lavados
, he needed to up the output of cold.
Kraush’s eyes began glowing red.
Amidst the endless snowfall of night, the seven stars of
Celestial Life
began to shine brightly.
With that, the flurry of snow grew fiercer.
The
Celestial Life
amplifying the power of the curse.
At the moment the
Celestial Life
met
Hanseol-a-gi
, the chill that poured out of Kraush was on an entirely different magnitude.
CRACK! CRACK!
The rocks flowing with molten lava below began to freeze unexpectedly.
The intense heat was devoured entirely by the chill.
Kraush’s glowing red eyes lifted the white-chilled
Rain Thunder Prime
.
Mortis-nubis
:
The total antithesis of the
Annihilation Erosion
produced as a curse.
This was the moment the master of white cold announced his declaration upon the
Red Line
.