Chapter 264

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“…Still no luck.”

Eugene muttered as he lowered his outstretched hand weakly.

He had activated his Supernatural Ability, but nothing changed.

Despite awakening to the essence of his ability and trying every single day without fail, the results had never been different.

It was now class time. Normally, he would be receiving instruction from his homeroom teacher, Angelica, but unfortunately, she had yet to return to the academy. It had been over a month since she temporarily returned to the Celestial Corps, but she was still stuck there.

Thanks to that, Eugene had skipped class and was spending time alone.

If it were a theory class, it might be different, but aside from Angelica, there was no one who could teach Eugene in practical training.

It was true that Si-ul, the substitute homeroom teacher filling in for Angelica, was an outstanding Supernatural. All the other teachers were excellent Supernaturals as well. The academy only hired Supernaturals with experience in defeating high-rank monsters, so it was natural.

However, the current Eugene could defeat high-rank monsters with his eyes closed. They weren’t even a match for him. Having reached the level of a Captain, he was on a completely different level.

Normally, he would diligently attend any class.

He had no intention of taking his teacher’s lessons lightly just because he had surpassed them.

No matter how strong he was, Eugene was still a student, and learning had no end.

But today was an exception.

After getting prior permission from Si-ul, he had skipped class to spend time alone.

“I can’t copy other abilities.”

Eugene sighed in frustration.

It had been over a month since he fought Belial, who had taken over Lucia’s body.

It had been over a month since he awakened as “one close to god”.

Yet, the number of Supernatural Abilities Eugene possessed remained the same.

【Pyrokinesis】
【Super Regeneration】
【Acceleration】
【Danger Sense】
【Heat Ray】
【Hardening】

He had never been able to copy another Supernatural’s ability.

In fact, Eugene still hadn’t fully grasped his own ability.

He had borrowed his friends’ abilities, but how that was possible remained a mystery.

To gain a new Supernatural Ability, specific conditions needed to be met. Multiple conditions had to be fulfilled to copy an ability. The problem was that Eugene had only figured out one condition. The rest were still unknown, and even that one condition had been discovered after much sacrifice.

‘The condition I learned while trying to copy the God of War’s ability…’

“Under Heaven and Earth, I alone am the Honored One.”

The Commander’s Supernatural Ability.

It was an ability that could be called the strongest among all Supernatural Abilities without any exaggeration.

If he could obtain it, it would be a groundbreaking boost to his combat power.

With the God of War’s permission, he had attempted to copy the ability, but the result was disastrous. Eugene had fainted after bleeding from all seven orifices. It was the price of trying to contain an ocean in a well. After that incident, Eugene realized one of the conditions for borrowing power.

‘I can’t copy the abilities of beings above my level.’

Eugene had reached the level of a Captain.

In terms of pure combat power, he rivaled the Captains.

But that was due to the uniqueness of his ability.

In reality, the level he had reached was below that of the Captains.

That was why Eugene couldn’t copy the abilities of the Captains and why his heart had nearly burst when he tried to copy the God of War’s ability.

If it weren’t for Super Regeneration, he might have died. It was a case of overreaching. If he had tried to copy another Captain’s ability, it might have ended with just a nosebleed, but trying to copy the Commander’s ability was a mistake.

‘If that were the only condition, I should be able to use most Supernaturals’ abilities.’

The Captains were the pinnacle of humanity.

The seven pillars supporting the Celestial Corps.

Even among all Supernaturals, they were the extreme minority.

Naturally, other Supernaturals were either at Eugene’s level or below.

‘Is there a limit to the number of abilities I can hold at once, or can I only copy abilities that are compatible with me, or are there other conditions… sigh, this is giving me a headache.’

There were a few plausible theories, but without clear proof, they remained just that—theories.

Eugene leaned against the wall of the gymnasium. He scratched his head and closed his eyes.

His heart felt heavy. It wasn’t just because of the ability issue. No, the Supernatural Ability problem was trivial compared to the serious reality that was shaking Eugene’s composure.

‘Will she be okay?’

Ever since he received the shocking news from Arin, his heart hadn’t been able to calm down. He was unbearably anxious, worried that she might make another extreme choice. He wanted to run to her side immediately. The only reason he didn’t was because Lucia was trying to hide her wounds. Making a fuss might backfire.

‘What should I do in a situation like this…’

What do you say to comfort someone whose heart is so broken that they tried to kill themselves? How can I help? I don’t know. It was hard to get a grip. This was his first time experiencing something like this, so it was natural.

Eugene had even skipped class to focus on exploring his ability, all for Lucia’s sake. Among Supernatural Abilities, there were some that were useful for psychological counseling. If he could copy such an ability, it would be a great help to Lucia.

Of course, there had been no progress so far. Just because he was in a hurry didn’t mean clear results would appear. Eugene knew that, but he was desperate to grasp at any straw.

‘If it really doesn’t work, I can ask others for help…’

You can’t solve everything alone.

Even the great God of War had his limits, which was why he created the Celestial Corps.

If there was something he lacked, he could fill it with the help of others.

But Lucia had tried to hide her condition, pretending everything was fine.

Would she willingly agree to see a counselor for psychological counseling? Even though the truth was already out, she had tried to cover it up with a smile. It was likely she would refuse even if he suggested it.

If he forced her, Lucia would probably comply. But Eugene didn’t want to do that. He didn’t want to ignore her wishes. Even if it was the right thing to do, he wanted to respect Lucia’s opinion.

‘No, but if Lucia really ends up in a bad state… but Lucia has her own thoughts… still, if her mind and body are weakened, she might make the wrong decision…’

Eugene forcibly suppressed the sigh that threatened to escape. His head was too complicated.

Two conflicting opinions clashed in his mind. The desire to prioritize Lucia’s will and the desire to push forward even if it meant ignoring her will if it could help her. The opinions at opposite ends collided, causing even deeper confusion.

His own indecisiveness was truly pathetic.

It was an unavoidable problem, but the fact that it was pathetic didn’t change.

“First, let’s discuss it with two people……no, three people, and then decide.”

He wasn’t the only one who knew about Lucia’s condition.

After all, Eugene had learned about it from Arin.

If she hadn’t told him, he would still be clueless, smiling foolishly at Lucia.

Arin, Alice, and Frey, Alice’s other personality.

If they all put their heads together, they might come up with a good solution.

‘But should I tell them soon? That I’ve noticed Frey.’

He had known about Frey’s existence for quite some time, but since they hadn’t brought it up, he had pretended not to know. But now, he had seen too much of their dual nature to keep pretending. Hadn’t Arin noticed by now?

“Huh?”

Just as he was racking his brain with various worries, Eugene suddenly frowned and turned his head sharply. His head and heart suddenly tingled.

At the same time, a faint ringing sound reached his ears. He knew this feeling well. His hair would always stand on end before being beaten under the guise of training by the God of War. It was Danger Sense.

“Danger? At the academy?”

What kind of danger could there be at the academy?

He tilted his head in confusion, but his expression quickly hardened.

A thunderbolt struck his mind.

Eugene immediately activated Acceleration.

He dashed like an arrow in the direction Danger Sense was pointing.

“Lucia!”

The speed was so fast that it created a wind pressure. It was fortunate that a sonic boom didn’t occur. Eugene used the utmost restraint to accelerate only to the point where the academy’s facilities wouldn’t be damaged. He rushed out of the gymnasium and headed toward the main building.

‘Huh? Alice?’

Just as he was about to enter the main building, he saw Alice running out toward the sports field. She was moving so quickly that she didn’t seem to notice Eugene. He was curious about what was going on, but there was something more urgent. Eugene used Danger Sense as a guide and ran through the hallway, up the stairs.

‘This direction… the infirmary?’

For a moment, many thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning.

Alice was running toward the sports field.

Alone, without Lucia.

Students were having class on the sports field.

If she were just going to attend class, she wouldn’t have needed to move so urgently.

The ‘danger’ was in the infirmary, and the health teacher was on standby near the sports field in case students got injured during class.

He reflexively stopped. His body, propelled by inertia, tried to lurch forward, but he forced it to stop. Lucia was in danger, and Alice had gone to the sports field to get the health teacher. So, should I run to the sports field too… no, Alice already went. Even if I accelerated, Alice would be faster. Besides, I’m almost at the infirmary.

Arin was at the sports field.

She must have also sensed Lucia’s danger through Danger Sense.

His hesitation was brief.

Eugene started moving his legs again.

Let the two of them handle bringing the health teacher.

First, I need to check on Lucia’s condition.

After climbing the stairs and running through the hallway, Eugene arrived at the infirmary and found the door half-broken. The hinges were creaking as if they would fall off at any moment.

The broken door was wide open, so Eugene immediately entered. The smell of disinfectant and a familiar scent greeted him. Eugene frowned. It was the smell of blood.

“…Regina?”

Looking in the direction Danger Sense was warning him, he saw purple hair come into view.

She was kneeling in front of a bed.

No, her posture suggested she had fallen rather than knelt.

It looked like her legs had given out, and she had collapsed.

“Lucia!”

A girl with golden hair was lying on the bed. Eugene hurriedly approached the bed and was shocked. There were bloodstains on Lucia’s uniform. It seemed Lucia was the source of the faint blood smell permeating the infirmary.

Why is there blood… did she try to kill herself again?

“Ugh, ugh…”

Lucia was unconscious.

Her eyes were tightly closed.

She was sweating profusely and tossing and turning.

Her hands fumbled around her neck as she gasped for breath.

“No, stop, no, ugh…”

“Lucia…?”

She was in pain. She was suffering. There were no visible injuries. Of course. Her ability was Super Regeneration. Any wounds would have healed quickly. Yet, Lucia was tearing up and clutching her neck. As if someone was strangling her.

“I’m… falling apart… breaking, ugh…”

Her voice was strained.

It was hard to understand unless you focused.

It was faint, as if sinking underwater, so Eugene couldn’t fully grasp it.

“Help… me… Jin…”

But those words.

They were as clear as shards of glass piercing his ears.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Roll, roll.

Belial is rolling the ball diligently.

How far will the small ball roll?

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Wow, what an intense catfight~