The training field occupied a simply enormous area of land.
As soon as I arrived, I noticed that there were surprisingly few structures.
On the eastern side, there was a row of small, sturdy stone houses.
They were built with enormous stone blocks stacked on top of one another.
Despite their simple and almost primitive appearance, they seemed extremely sturdy, perhaps sturdy enough to withstand a spell explosion.
On the western side, on the other hand, there were several armchairs, chairs, and beds scattered across the grounds.
Judging by their size, each one probably accommodated only one or two people.
They were apparently resting areas.
But none of that caught my attention as much as the enormous central area.
A training field.
And judging by the state of that place...
I’d say the guys there took training far too seriously.
Blue energy balls the size of soccer balls streaked through the air like shooting stars.
Explosions made the ground tremble.
A man covered in violent blue energy raised an enormous axe above his head.
My heart raced.
— Do they really train like this every day?
Rustil, who was walking ahead of me, let out a laugh.
— You’ll get used to it.
We continued toward the edge of the field.
There was a group of people watching a fight there.
Two Acolytes were in the center of the arena.
One of them was an elemental caster specialized in Arcane Energy magic.
The other had chosen the path of body enhancement and possessed an affinity with the Tremor element.
And judging by the size of the two axes he carried...
I’d say he took the title of God of War quite seriously.
The battle was brutal.
Three blue Arcane Energy shields rotated around the caster.
They blocked much of the sand and debris flying toward him.
Then the Tremor-element man struck the ground.
BOOM!
The air seemed to vibrate.
A wave of energy swept across the field like a gigantic serpent.
The caster immediately moved.
A magical matrix flashed beneath his feet.
— That’s an acceleration matrix.
Rustil looked at me.
— Good observation.
The caster glided across the field at an impressive speed.
Despite following the path of a caster, his mobility was not inferior to that of many Acolytes specialized in agility.
At the same time, a sphere of Arcane Energy appeared between his hands.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Blue energy balls began firing continuously.
It was practically a rain of magic.
The Tremor Acolyte roared and charged forward.
His body was covered by a layer of vibrating energy.
He simply endured the bombardment.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The explosions struck his body.
But he continued advancing.
I held my chin.
If that guy managed to get close...
The axe would be devastating.
The Tremor energy concentrated within those weapons was terrifying.
A single clean strike would be enough to cause enormous damage to a caster with a relatively fragile body.
That was when we reached the edge of the field.
Before I even entered the spectator area, I felt it.
The air was vibrating.
Literally.
My ears were filled with explosions and thunderous booms.
BOOM!
A blue sphere escaped the arena and came directly toward the crowd.
My first reaction was to prepare to dodge.
But no one seemed concerned.
An Acolyte simply raised his staff.
— Freeze.
A cold beam struck the sphere.
CRACK!
The energy ball turned into an ice cube in midair.
Another Acolyte jumped.
He drew a sword.
SLASH!
The sphere was cut into several pieces, which exploded like tiny fireworks.
The crowd applauded.
— Nice!
— Excellent!
— Again!
It seemed less like a training field and more like a spectacle.
That was when I noticed the man who had mocked Rustil earlier.
He was in the middle of the crowd.
He was enormous.
Very tall.
He wore a red cloak and had muscles so absurdly developed that they looked like plates of metal covering his body.
And his hands were empty.
Even so...
His presence was suffocating.
He emanated such intense magical pressure that it almost felt physical.
I stood beside him for a few seconds.
Then...
[WARNING!]
The Biochip began issuing alerts inside my head.
[High-frequency magical radiation detected.]
[Host must immediately move away from the source.]
[Interference with mana circulation detected.]
[Countdown initiated.]
[3...]
[2...]
[1...]
This was a problem I already knew about.
In this world, Acolytes accumulated enormous amounts of magical energy through meditation, potions, and resources.
The more mana someone accumulated...
The more intense the magical radiation their body emitted.
To them, it was probably as normal as breathing.
But for an ordinary person...
It was practically nuclear radiation.
An Acolyte could be compared to a kind of radioactive material.
Dangerous, but limited.
An Official Mage, however, was something completely different.
The qualitative transformation caused their body to become similar to a reactor.
And that man...
He still wasn’t an Official Mage.
But he was dangerously close to advancing to the next level.
I discreetly moved away.
The man noticed.
His eyes settled on me.
After greeting Rustil, he carefully examined me.
His square face showed curiosity.
— How can he be only a Level 2 Acolyte?
— Don’t tell me those lawless idiots from the Subterranean World got sick from not seeing the surface sun and ended up being defeated by a mere Level 2 Acolyte?
Then he pointed at a man standing nearby.
— Werk Treuz.
The man turned his head.
— Yes, boss?
— Go test him.
My expression froze.
— What?
Rustil let out a low laugh.
The man named Nople simply crossed his arms.
— Hey, you two!
He shouted at the two combatants.
— Aren’t you tired of playing around?
— Get out of there!
— We have a new fight!
The two Acolytes who had been fighting finally left the field.
They were covered in sweat and injuries.
It was obvious that this wasn’t the first time they had fought each other.
They knew each other’s styles.
Each one patiently waited for an opening.
And neither wanted to make a mistake.
The Tremor man had burns scattered across his body.
While receiving treatment from another Acolyte, he looked at me.
— Where did this Level 2 Acolyte come from?
— Boss, are you trying to kill him?
He laughed.
— Look at that tiny body! He’s as thin as a stick. I’m afraid he won’t even survive a single breath!
The crowd laughed.
Nople, however, simply threw his head back.
— Luize, you’d better not speak without knowing the facts!
— Huh?
Nople pointed at me.
— Do you know what this little Acolyte did?
Everyone fell silent.
— This kid is responsible for killing that rogue Acolyte who mastered bone magic!
Luize’s smile disappeared.
Nople continued.
— So tell me...
He looked at all the Level 3 Acolytes present.
— Which one of you can beat your chest and guarantee that you could defeat that woman?
Silence.
The entire crowd turned their eyes toward me.
I felt dozens of gazes piercing my body.
Some were curious.
Others were suspicious.
My smile became extremely stiff.
— Well...
I opened my mouth.
I intended to say something.
But Rustil placed a hand on my shoulder.
He leaned toward my ear.
— Bro.
I looked at him.
He whispered.
— Let me teach them a lesson today.
— What lesson?
Rustil smiled.
— If you don’t want other people to discover your secrets...
— Next time, destroy your enemy’s soul.
My mouth fell open.
For several seconds, I couldn’t say anything.
Then I finally understood.
The soul.
Damn it.
That Acolyte’s body.
Ruby and I had killed that woman.
Then we handed the corpse over to the Tower.
And those Mages had probably studied her fragmented soul.
Perhaps they had found memories and discovered information about the battle.
I ran a hand over my face.
In this world, there were absurd magical spells.
Memories could be investigated.
Souls could be manipulated.
There were techniques I couldn’t even begin to imagine.
My strategy of remaining hidden behind Ruby while I grew stronger...
Had just gone completely out the window.
...
1334 Words
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