A Bug In Fate

"You have a Space Affinity... don’t you?"

Ravenna asked.

Alden fell silent for a brief moment before nodding.

"Yeah... I have some connection with space."

He answered with a smile that somehow managed to look both proud and oddly humble, as though he were introducing his girlfriend to parents who couldn’t believe someone like her had chosen their idiot son.

"That’s good."

A faint smile appeared on Ravenna’s face.

"Where are we?"

Alden asked as he turned toward Ravenna. He could already tell they were nowhere near Ravenhold anymore.

"We’re about... no, exactly two hundred and thirty-four kilometers north of the city."

Ravenna answered without the slightest hesitation.

Alden fell silent.

She had just stated the distance as casually as if she were talking about the weather.

In other words, she had brought them more than two hundred kilometers away in the blink of an eye.

And one thing he was certain of...

This wasn’t even close to her limit.

"...That’s amazing."

The words escaped his mouth as he tried to comprehend the sheer distance they had traveled.

"Now, enough about me."

Ravenna smiled softly.

"It’s your turn to impress me."

As she spoke, her eyes casually swept across the surroundings before she lightly waved a hand.

Alden suddenly felt a faint ripple spread through the area.

He couldn’t tell what had changed, but something definitely had.

"Alright..."

"So, what are you going to teach me?"

His eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"First, I’ll see what you’re capable of."

"Then I’ll figure out what you’re lacking and what mistakes you’ve been making."

"After that, we’ll correct those mistakes."

"And only then will I start teaching you."

Ravenna explained her plan without rushing.

It would be a lie if Alden said he wasn’t a little disappointed.

"...That’s good."

"You sound disappointed."

Ravenna smiled knowingly.

She couldn’t really blame him.

After all, she remembered being the same when she was younger.

"N-No..."

"I mean... I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t imagined learning some flashy techniques right away."

Alden admitted with an embarrassed smile, scratching his cheek as he looked away.

"Hmm... I see."

Ravenna nodded thoughtfully.

"If that’s the case..."

"I can teach you one of my personal abilities."

Alden’s head snapped toward her with astonishing speed.

"...Really?"

The surprise in his voice was impossible to hide.

He had already witnessed a glimpse of what Ravenna was capable of.

The thought of learning even one of her techniques was enough to excite anyone.

"Yes."

"But only after you’ve completed everything I intend to teach you."

She smiled gently.

Inside, however, she felt rather pleased with herself.

Hehe... who says I can’t motivate a student?

Meanwhile, Alden took a moment to process her words.

In other words...

He first had to learn everything Ravenna wanted to teach him before she would pass down one of her own techniques.

Judging by the level of power she had displayed so far...

He wasn’t entering a sprint.

He had just signed up for a marathon.

"I’m a Space Element user as well."

"That will make things much easier."

Although her expression remained calm, her mind was anything but.

She was genuinely surprised.

Space wasn’t an ordinary element.

It was one of the Superior Elements, and cultivators born with an affinity toward it were incredibly rare.

Yet the very first student she had ever accepted happened to possess the same affinity as her.

*Since when did Space become a common element...?*

She couldn’t help but wonder as she looked at the young man before her.

That wasn’t even the most surprising part.

During their journey through the portal, Alden had actually managed to keep his eyes open long enough to observe the surroundings.

Most people lost consciousness the instant they tried, yet he had only suffered a headache for a few moments before recovering completely.

*Just what is wrong with this boy...?*

The thought escaped her almost instinctively.

*Is this what they meant by the Golden Generation...?*

She recalled a conversation she had once overheard during a meeting with a group of very special people.

As for who those people were...

Only those who read until the end would find out.

Shaking the thought from her mind, Ravenna returned her attention to her student.

Alden had already stood up and was now quietly admiring the scenery around the lake, amazement written plainly across his face.

"And how are we going to see what I am lacking?"

Alden asked curiously. He had read plenty of training arcs in novels during his previous life.

There were always different methods. Some trained with advanced technology, like gravity chambers where immense pressure was applied to the body, while in other novels the teacher simply lowered their cultivation before charging straight at their student.

*...I hope she isn’t one of those.*

Alden prayed, as he knew a novel was a novel and this was reality. Even if someone lowered their cultivation, their experience didn’t simply vanish along with it.

"You don’t have to worry about that. What better way is there than actually watching you fight your opponents?"

Ravenna said with a mysterious smile.

She seemed to enjoy keeping things in suspense until the very last moment, as she didn’t explain herself any further.

"Opponents?"

Alden instinctively looked around, but there was nothing in sight except the lake and the open field they were standing on.

Not finding any monsters or hidden threats, he looked at the only person beside him and prayed that what he was thinking wasn’t true.

He looked at Ravenna, and his smile gradually turned stiff, while Ravenna almost laughed at his expression.

"Don’t worry, it’s not me."

Ravenna said and snapped her fingers.

Nothing happened.

A few moments passed in complete silence, and just as Alden was about to ask what she meant, the space before them suddenly rippled.

Rip...

A tearing sound echoed through the open field.

One crack appeared in midair.

Then another.

Within moments, dozens of spatial rifts had opened one after another, each large enough for a person to walk through.

Alden watched the scene with disbelief.

The next moment, monsters began walking out of the rifts.

One after another.

Five...

Ten...

Twenty...

Thirty-five...

Forty-five...

Sixty.

Only after the sixtieth monster stepped onto the field did the portals slowly close, as if nothing had ever happened.

Silence returned.

Alden stood there speechless, his eyes wide with disbelief.

He couldn’t understand where they had come from or why they were here.

No...

He knew where they had come from and why they were here.

He just didn’t want to acknowledge it.

*...Don’t tell me... Earlier, the ripple I sensed in the surroundings was all for this...*

He remembered Ravenna waving her hand earlier, and at that time, nothing had seemed to happen.

But his surprise didn’t come from just the sheer number of monsters.

It came from their quality.

Every single one of them was in the Rupture Realm, the realm where one could begin learning spells corresponding to their affinity.

Even though monsters couldn’t cast spells, as they lacked the intelligence to study and learn them, it didn’t mean their strength hadn’t increased along with their cultivation. Their bodies were stronger, their instincts sharper, and their attacks far deadlier than those of ordinary beasts.

"...No way."

Alden muttered under his breath as he stared at the monsters.

For now, they remained completely frozen, unable to move even an inch, as though an invisible force was suppressing every one of them.

But the murderous look in their eyes was enough to tell him what would happen the moment they were set free.

"Don’t worry."

"I’ll save you if you’re about to die."

"So do your best."

Ravenna spoke in her gentle tone.

The next moment, a sword appeared out of nowhere in her hand.

Without another word, she casually tossed it toward Alden.

Alden instinctively caught it before realizing he had been empty-handed ever since Ron accidentally broke his previous sword.

"Thank you."

He tightened his grip around the hilt and swung it once to get used to its weight before taking a deep breath.

*...At least she’s kind enough not to make me fight barehanded.*

A wry smile appeared on his face before his gaze shifted back toward the monsters.

There was no turning back now.

He knew that if he made excuses today, he would eventually start using those same excuses to justify his fear in the future.

"Are you scared?"

Ravenna suddenly asked from some distance away as she slowly walked toward the edge of the field, deliberately leaving the battlefield entirely to him.

"...Yeah."

Alden admitted honestly.

At this point, he no longer had the luxury of worrying about his pride. Pretending to be fearless in front of someone far stronger than him would only make him look foolish.

"Good."

"...Huh?"

The determination on Alden’s face instantly disappeared, replaced by confusion as he turned toward her.

"What do you mean?"

"Feeling fear isn’t a bad thing."

"It’s simply one of the emotions humans possess."

"But letting that fear control your actions..."

"That is."

She finished with a gentle smile, her eyes remaining fixed on him as if waiting for him to understand the meaning behind her words.

Alden stood there speechless for a moment.

"...That’s... suprisingly deep"

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