TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 141
Former Fighting Emperor, Durandal.
The achievements he had to his name were nothing short of astounding.
He had faced Cheonjon, the World Erosion Being, with his bare fists and inflicted an indelible wound.
He had singlehandedly entered the floating World Erosion, the Sky Castle, and sealed it.
He had defeated a 10th Rank Erosion Species in Aron’s Castle, a Forbidden Zone.
Every tale about him sounded like something out of this world.
Yet now, even he had retired.
As the chancellor of Rahelrn Academy, he was living a peaceful life.
Although, he was far from a chancellor known for being kind to his students.
Today too, he was spending a leisurely day in his chancellor’s office.
However, it seemed that today wouldn’t remain entirely tranquil.
Footsteps approaching the chancellor’s office could be heard from the hallway outside.
Durandal had memorized the sound and presence of every staff member’s footsteps.
But these footsteps were unfamiliar.
This meant that something that had only happened once in the past year since the academy opened was about to happen again today.
“Now then, who could it be?”
With a curious expression, Durandal looked toward the door of the chancellor’s office.
Soon, accompanied by a knock, he responded.
“Come in.”
As the door opened, what appeared was a boy.
A boy, just fifteen years old, with vividly gleaming dark blue hair.
Durandal recognized that hair color all too well.
It was none other than the symbol of Balheim.
The boy bore a striking resemblance to Charlotte Balheim, the one and only first-year student who had dared to submit her opinion to Durandal.
He was her younger brother, Kraush Balheim.
‘The siblings are just alike.’
From causing a major commotion the moment they entered Rahelrn Academy—
To now coming to submit their opinion.
Durandal slowly let a grin spread across his face as he rose from his seat with a thud.
That alone made the chancellor’s office shake as if an earthquake had struck.
Despite his age, his physique was still immense, far beyond that of a mere human.
Some people referred to him as a mountain.
Durandal was called a towering mountain.
“What opinion do you wish to submit to Rahelrn Academy?”
There was only one reason students would seek him out.
To submit their opinion.
Durandal had no intention of entertaining any other discussions.
Even upon closer inspection, he was as unyielding as ever.
But Kraush thought this worked in his favor.
This way, he could cut straight to the point.
“Allow students to take on World Erosion Being missions.”
“Very well. Kraush, if you can prove your strength to back up your opinion, I will accept it.”
Durandal responded without a moment’s hesitation.
After all, if one failed to prove their strength, their opinion submission would be rejected on the spot.
However, if they did prove their strength, any opinion would be accepted.
“But let me tell you one thing.”
Durandal unfastened the watch he was wearing.
Then, as he placed it on the desk, the desk creaked with a thud.
Even the watch had an absurd weight to it.
“The difficulty of proving your strength will increase depending on the weight of your opinion.”
With that, Durandal began walking slowly toward the door.
Standing before Kraush, he loomed over him, towering by several heads.
Then, without hesitation, he grabbed the door.
Crack!
Just from his grip, the door splintered, scattering wood dust.
“If you wish to take on missions involving World Erosion Beings, it will be quite the arduous path.”
It was a warning—if he had come unprepared, he should quietly turn back now.
An ordinary student would have been paralyzed with fear and retreated.
But Kraush faced Durandal without the slightest sign of fear.
Durandal gazed down at Kraush with a rather intrigued expression.
His intimidating presence was beyond imagination.
In truth, Durandal was exuding an aura that would have been enough to make Kraush back down.
Yet Kraush showed no hint of being daunted.
‘Hmm, this is a trait you’d only see in someone who’s been through countless battlefields.’
How could someone like Kraush, merely fifteen years old, exhibit such a demeanor?
Durandal’s interest was piqued.
He had always enjoyed nurturing exceptional talent.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone so far as to establish Rahelrn Academy.
The reason he had set up this relentless opinion submission system was simple.
To uncover the most valuable gems even among the radiant Rahelrn Academy.
And he intended to pour everything into polishing those gems, no matter the cost.
“Let’s head to the training ground.”
Could this boy truly be that gem?
Hoping the boy would meet his expectations, Durandal began to move.
* * *
Inside the Arena Training Ground, now empty after the day’s training sessions had ended.
Kraush and Durandal stood facing each other.
And a few individuals were seated in the spectator stands, observing them.
Among them were none other than Charlotte, Sizelry, and Haring.
After a discussion with the three, Kraush had come straight here.
Naturally, the three had anticipated Kraush would end up at the Arena Training Ground.
“Charlotte Balheim, what do you think?”
Sizelry, watching Kraush and Durandal, asked.
Her intellect was undoubtedly top-tier, befitting the label of genius.
But that applied only to her mind, not her physical abilities.
When it came to combat, Sizelry was practically inept.
Her naturally frail body left her incapable of mastering anything.
Thus, Sizelry’s knowledge in martial arts was shallow.
That’s why she directed the question to Charlotte.
Charlotte was a prodigy in the field of martial arts.
“Fifty-fifty.”
Charlotte gave a realistic answer.
“Including World Erosion Beings in missions is essentially the highest difficulty opinion. That old man’s going to take it seriously.”
Charlotte slowly brushed her hair to the side.
“If it weren’t for me, even fifty-fifty would be too generous.”
A typically arrogant response from Charlotte.
“Then he’ll win.”
The reply was unexpected.
As Sizelry met Charlotte’s gaze, she smirked mischievously.
“That kid is the strongest person I know.”
Sizelry looked at Kraush with a tone laced with certainty.
“That’s right.”
At that moment, Haring’s voice was heard.
When Sizelry and Charlotte simultaneously turned to look at her, Haring was staring at Kraush with serious eyes.
“Kraush is strong.”
Haring saw in Kraush an unwavering conviction that never faltered during missions.
He possessed a mental fortitude far stronger than any of his abilities.
Haring trusted in that mental strength of Kraush.
Amidst everyone’s expectations, Kraush was quietly staring at Durandal.
Durandal hummed a tune while methodically wrapping a bandage around his hand.
“When you get older, your hands start to hurt. If I don’t prepare like this in advance, my bones will ache.”
His hands, massive like the lid of a cauldron, were clearly not showing any signs of age.
Nevertheless, that was what Durandal said.
Once he finished tightly securing the bandage, he swung his arms lightly through the air.
[The other students from the Academy are flocking to the arena.]
In the meantime, the voice of Crimson Garden was heard.
It seemed that those who had caught wind of the rumors were arriving one by one.
‘Sigrid must have moved as well.’
And the same would likely apply to the Fake Arthur.
Kraush decided that, since things had come to this, he would reveal his full strength.
“Before the battle begins, there’s something I should mention.”
“Hmm, go ahead.”
Durandal laughed heartily, as if ready to listen.
He was delighted at the prospect of discovering how this rare gem would shine.
But he had no idea.
Just how cunning this gem truly was.
“If I fall, please make sure to deliver me to the Saintess.”
At the moment Kraush declared he might fall before the battle even began, Durandal tilted his head.
Kraush quietly swallowed his breath.
“Hoo.”
With that, a wisp of smoke flowed from Kraush’s lips.
Inside his body, World Erosion burned as Ignis, activating Annihilation Erosion.
Witnessing this sight directly, Durandal’s thick white eyebrows began to rise slowly.
He had heard reports about what kind of secret techniques Kraush used.
But seeing it with his own eyes revealed it to be far worse than he’d imagined.
Kraush had pushed his body to the brink, strengthening it to the point it was nearly self-destructive.
“Hmm, indeed, that makes sense.”
Now he understood why Kraush had declared he might fall.
Forcing that level of power out would inevitably drain his mental strength.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to take you to the hospital room…”
“It’s not over yet.”
At that moment, Kraush interrupted Durandal, swallowing his breath once more.
This time, his eyes began to turn red, charged with intense heat.
The second Annihilation Erosion accelerated past its usual speed, pushing Lunar Body to the brink of overload.
Black Flame seeped out from within Kraush, roaring violently as it burned.
Durandal’s eyes narrowed slightly at the sight.
“This seems like overdoing it to me.”
The output of power was now excessive to the point of concern.
The heat was so intense it reversed the air currents around him.
Even at this distance, the heat felt scorching on his face, so Kraush must have been enduring far worse.
“It’s not… over… yet.”
But when those words were spoken, even Durandal’s expression grew slightly unsettled.
Despite far exceeding the limits, Kraush had declared it was not over.
“What in the world…”
Durandal reacted with a flustered response.
Clang!
Kraush felt the chains tightening within him shatter.
At that moment, crimson energy surged uncontrollably around his body.
The balance of the world hung perilously close to breaking.
The murderous intent of the Heavenly Slaughter Star and the frenzy of World Erosion collided, revealing a middle ground.
Even the smoke escaping Kraush’s lips had turned crimson.
Simultaneously, the space around him began to warp visibly.
The sheer intensity of the power was too much for the atmosphere to bear.
The third stage of Annihilation Erosion.
Annihilation Asura.
Kraush had reached his ultimate domain.
“Kraush, student!”
As Durandal shouted in protest of the excess, light began to get sucked toward Kraush.
The surrounding winds whipped violently, as if a storm had erupted.
The heat radiating from the arena was palpable even to the students approaching from afar.
Despite it being spring, beads of sweat began to form on their faces as if it were midsummer.
“Ah, straight…”
Kraush murmured quietly amidst the flames.
His throat now burned to the point where speaking was almost impossible.
The arena’s floor began to melt and sink under Kraush’s heat.
Yet even within the inferno, Kraush clung to consciousness with sheer determination.
To prevent the Empire and Starlon from plunging into war, he had to sway Durandal.
For that purpose, Kraush was willing to throw his body into the fire.
Deep within the core of his being.
Kraush awakened the slumbering night.
The Night God’s skill.
Nox.
In an instant, the awakened night filled Kraush’s body, taking control.
Within Kraush’s inner world.
A crimson full moon rose.
The moment when Lunar Body shone its brightest had descended upon him.
The blazing heat collided with the overwhelmingly negative energy of Lunar Body under Nox, pushing past yet another limit.
Fwoosh!
The black flames roared skyward, as if tearing through to touch the heavens.
Beneath the pitch-black flames that seemed to drape the sky in night.
Kraush’s crimson eyes glowed vividly.
And at last.
Kraush bit down on the Instant Enhancement Elixir he had been holding in his mouth since entering the training ground.
Crunch!
At that moment, the curse contained within the shattered elixir seeped into his body like poison, spreading throughout his system.
Kraush’s Annihilation Erosion absorbed and dissolved the curse.
For this reason, the specially modified Instant Enhancement Elixir revitalized his body in an instant.
Crack!
The curse burned through his body, coursing through every fiber of his being.
The High-Level Curse used in the elixir contained three types.
Hell Flame, Moon’s Rampage, Island Shadow.
And dozens of mid- to low-level curses used to link them together.
Even various poisons.
The Instant Enhancement Elixir, a concoction brimming with Yin Energy and Fire Demon essence, was a malicious potion one would never willingly consume if they knew what would follow.
However, Kraush swallowed it without hesitation.
Because only then could he reach the ultimate boundary he was capable of.
In the new realm he had thus reached.
Kraush’s red eyes, filled with the Fire Demon, glowed vividly in the darkness of the night.
Annihilation Heavenly Asura.
It was the fourth stage, surpassing Annihilation Asura.
Within the black flames of the Arena.
Kraush drew the Rain Thunder Prime, glowing a fiery red.
Then, he uttered a single phrase.
“This might sting a little.”
A challenge extended to the former Celestial Four Strongest.