episode_0170

I moved aimlessly and completely escaped the field, and from then on, I continued to move inward, following the direction guided by my intuition.

In the process, I passed through many paths and spaces.

Among them were lakes, waterfalls, and even deserts.

Every single one of them was distorted, so there was no place where the topography was normal, and there was no way there were any signposts in a place like this, so it was a perfect space for an average person to get lost in.

However, because I had an intuition that reached the transcendental realm, I never lost my way.

Thanks to this, my steps never stopped.

Of course, there were problems other than finding the way.

Because countless obstacles blocked my path.

That is, the saboteurs named monsters.

The monsters that appeared in front of me as I was going inside easily exceeded three digits in number alone.

Moreover, it wasn’t just that they had a large number, their number clearly exceeded the average of common monsters.

The level even increased as we went further inward.

But in the end, those monsters were not a big danger to me.

For me, who had reached a new level, monsters of this level were at a level where I didn’t even need to stop.

No, the story would probably have been no different for the existing country or the country before gaining enlightenment in the fight with the swordsman.

At that point, I was already on a different level from the average martial artist.

Furthermore, since he had the hero’s sword, he would have been able to move forward while dealing with monsters without worrying about depletion of magical power.

Since I gained a new understanding and became a warrior of a completely different level, there was no way that quite a few monsters could be my opponent.

I dealt with the monsters without much difficulty and continued to move forward.

After passing through several spaces, the task of dealing with monsters began to feel boring.

I crossed another space again and saw a new sight.

A mountain densely covered with trees.

The moment I saw that scene, I realized.

This place is completely different from the spaces I have passed by so far.

The atmosphere itself was different, the air itself was different.

At the same time, my intuition told me.

‘This is the center.’

That this is my destination.

Just by stepping in and standing here, an ominous feeling arose throughout my body.

Some unusual energy was filling this entire space.

“… … .”

I looked around for a moment and examined this space.

Soon, I started walking again.

The first thing that greeted me was a thick fog.

The fog was so thick that I couldn’t even clearly see the distance in front of me.

The fog was so thick that it was impossible to distinguish between front and back.

If an average person came in, it would have been perfect to become a lost child wandering in the fog forever, but for me, it wasn’t a big problem.

I don’t mean to brag, but any experienced martial artist would have said the same thing.

The senses of a warrior who has reached a certain level far surpass those of an ordinary person.

Therefore, you do not have to lose your sense of direction simply because you cannot see in front of you.

So, I continued to move forward without much trouble.

The fog became thicker, and at some point, not even the trees could be seen properly.

I thought it was a perfect situation for a monster to attack, but for some reason the monster did not appear.

Not only was it not visible, but its presence could not be felt in the vicinity.

Since I had encountered monsters constantly on the way here, I was surprised that monsters did not appear in this perfect environment for an attack, but that didn’t stop me from relaxing.

Because I felt it.

The deeper you go inside, the thicker the fog becomes, and the strange and ominous energy also becomes stronger.

Anyway, how endlessly did I walk like that?

Suddenly, the fog cleared.

And, because of that, my vision, which had been impossible to see even an inch in front of me, became clear in an instant.

I noticed that the trees that were not properly visible due to the fog reappeared.

The fact that there is a human figure standing among the dense trees.

The moment I noticed Inyoung’s presence, I immediately raised my tension.

The probability that anyone you meet in a place like this is an enemy is significantly higher than the probability that they are not.

however.

“… … !”

I couldn’t help but stop in my tracks and immediately open my eyes wide.

Because I recognized that person’s face.

Inyoung’s identity was a face I was familiar with.

An old man with white hair, with wounds large and small all over his body, and for some reason even his left arm is missing.

He is a very kind old man who can be found anywhere, but he is an ordinary-looking old man who does not feel majestic.

If an old man goes out into the world, most people will probably recognize him.

And you will be very surprised.

Because, the identity of that old man.

“… Principal?”

The academy’s principal, Archmage Veluid Demens.

‘why… … ?’

At that unexpected appearance, I couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

Although he holds the position of head of the largest and most famous educational institution on the continent called the Academy, Veluid Demens is a person who rarely shows his face except for very important official appearances.

Although I was away from the Academy for some time due to unavoidable reasons, I still stayed at the Academy for about a year.

Still, I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen Veluid with my own eyes.

I only saw him a few times during entrance ceremonies and similar important events.

Even if it were other students, the situation would be no different.

Veluid has never been seen inside the Academy except for specific events.

In other words, Beluid was a person shrouded in mystery.

No one knew where he usually stayed or what he was doing.

In the past, I requested information about him from a group that handles information just in case, but no group was able to find information about Veluid.

And it was the same in the original.

In the original work, Beluid was only introduced with the title of principal and was barely depicted.

Even when a major incident occurred that forced the higher-ups at the academy to express their opinions, someone other than the principal would always come forward and handle the matter.

Therefore, I, who probably knew more information about this world than ordinary people, also knew very little about Veluid.

But, that’s him.

I never imagined that we would meet at this moment, in a place like this.

Even more so, I never expected to face him in such a miserable state, with one arm cut off and injuries all over his body, that I could hardly say he was safe.

Should I say that it was fortunate that, despite such a miserable condition, Veluid was still alive.

Although his breathing was somewhat rough, his eyes were also clearly open.

“Hmm… … ?”

Hearing my voice, Veluid also seemed to have noticed me and turned his gaze towards me.

And then.

“You… … .”

He also opened his eyes wide.

As if I knew who I was.

However.

That look didn’t last long.

“… is it. That’s what happened in the end.”

Veluid soon returned his expression to its original state and nodded heavily.

In response, I inadvertently twitched my eyebrows.

That facial expression, those words, that series of reactions.

Because it just seemed meaningful.

“… Do you know me?”

Therefore, I had no choice but to ask.

It was not because of excessive self-consciousness, but because Veluid’s reaction was that of someone who knew me no matter how I looked at it.

“I know.”

To my question, he expressed his approval by lightly nodding his head.

“… How do you know me?”

“Aren’t you a celebrity? If you have an enemy at the academy, you wouldn’t know that.”

“… … .”

At those words, I was momentarily speechless.

Because it was just as he said.

I was already famous for various things.

Even though I fell into a trap, I became a criminal who murdered the prince and escaped, so it was not strange for even Veluid to know my face.

but.

I couldn’t just nod my head and back away.

Clearly, what he says makes sense.

However, those words did not answer all my questions.

What bothered me was his reaction.

It can be said that being surprised to see me is a natural reaction.

However, his reaction and words immediately afterwards were clearly meaningful.

I was sure he was still hiding something.

“… Is that really the answer?”

The next moment, I was naturally asking him again.

Is that really all there is?

If not, is there another reason besides that?

Although I did ask, I didn’t have high hopes for an honest response.

however.

“Of course, that’s not all.”

Surprisingly, Veluid readily acknowledged what I said.

Even so, it didn’t end there.

“I knew you before that incident happened. To be exact, even before you entered the academy.”

“… … !”

At those words, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes again.

Because unexpected words came out of his mouth.

“That… What are you talking about?”

You knew me before I entered school.

That was something that couldn’t have happened in common sense.

Strictly speaking, I had reached the point of enlightenment even before I entered school, but I had never fully revealed my abilities.

Lakenwood’s back-alley gang did help, but from a continental perspective, such an incident was nothing more than a minor incident.

It’s not at a level that someone like Veluid would care about.

Yet, he says he knew about me even before I entered the academy.

As a result, I felt dizzy in my head.

I hoped that Veluid would explain everything right away and put my confusion to rest.

However.

“That’s… I can’t explain it to you right now.”

Veluid betrayed my expectations.

“What is that… … .”

“Don’t misunderstand. Because it doesn’t mean you can’t say it.”

Veluid shook his head gently.

“I just don’t have time.”

He said, looking at me with eyes of unknown depth.

“Time is running out, Wade Heblon.”

The end is getting closer.