Chapter 127: The Angel Who Trains (5)

Episode 127: The Angel Who Trains (5)

Another day, another survival for this angel.

Those words sounded more appropriate with the word “death” attached instead of “angel”. But let’s not dwell on the details.

‘But… I’m an angel…’

The important part was that Leffrey was so exhausted that he had to say those words.

Although his body was fine,

Everything else was a mess.

The boy, after barely crawling out of Lecture Hall 0, collapsed as if the building itself had crumbled.

And he fell asleep.

A being watched the boy as he slept.

“So this is the supplementary class for top students, also known as…”

That being was a monster with fur so black that it seemed to absorb light itself, contrasted by its incredibly white teeth.

“…Extreme training.”

Its name was Tantalus.

Tantalus looked at the collapsed boy and said, sounding a little troubled,

“But the barrier was so strong that I couldn’t see what the boy was doing inside…”

What if he told his master that he couldn’t figure out what Leffrey was doing because the barrier was too strong? Surely, his master would…

‘Worry, get angry, and obsess over it all night.’

Of course, with each of those dark thoughts, her talent as a black mage and his power would grow, so it wasn’t exactly a bad thing.

But Tantalus, who had to deal with Soya’s endless complaints, couldn’t help but feel troubled.

“Grrrr…”

Tantalus growled a little at the boy, then picked him up with his mouth and carried him out of the professors’ building basement.

‘I’d like to just leave him here, but…’

The weather was getting colder. If he abandoned the boy in this kind of weather, his master wouldn’t just let it go with a few complaints.

She would punish him severely.

So, Tantalus, the strongest in the dark realm, a monster capable of fighting even a Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings if he could unleash his full potential, had no choice but to act like a loyal dog and search for a warm place for Leffrey.

* * *

A warm place was nearby.

Lecture Hall 0 was located in the basement of the professors’ building, so naturally, the professors’ building was above it.

And the professors’ building, befitting a place where people lived, was warm and comfortable.

The professors, looking at Leffrey who had been brought in by Tantalus, couldn’t hide their surprise.

“To think that he would pass the extreme training already.”

“Incredible.”

“…Leffrey.”

After expressing their astonishment, they finally noticed the black dog radiating a menacing aura.

“Is that Soya’s familiar?”

“That little girl, she must really like Leffrey.”

“…An angel and a human? An impossible love.”

When Tantalus silently put Leffrey down, the professors immediately rushed to check on Leffrey’s condition.

“His body is fine.”

The first to speak was Saint Rebecca.

Rebecca’s expression was dark, with a slight frown. As if looking at Leffrey made her uncomfortable.

“But his mana is completely depleted. All signs of his spiritual vitality are weak.”

The next to speak was Klein, the magical studies professor.

“His pulse is irregular. We need to stabilize him quickly.”

And lastly, Lusa, the Martial God.

Park Jin-ho, after hearing all the reports, nodded.

“Bring him upstairs.”

Thus, Leffrey was put to sleep in a bedroom in the professors’ building. It felt like a bit of a waste of space for a small boy to occupy an entire king-sized bed, but with so many people watching over him, it didn’t look strange.

Luxury is a given for a beloved child, after all.

Six hours passed, the professors watching over him switched with others. Hexi even skipped her classes, saying she would watch over Leffrey, which caused some problems, but…

After 12 hours, Leffrey stirred.

The professors who were with him at that time were Park Jin-ho, Merrill, and Klein.

His closed eyelids slowly opened, revealing his green eyes, and Leffrey spoke in a voice half-muffled by a groan.

“Pro-professors?”

“Yes, you’re finally awake.”

“Leffrey.”

“Leffrey, you’re finally awake.”

The professors welcomed him warmly. Leffrey couldn’t help but smile brightly at the fact that there were people happy to see him.

Seeing that angelic smile, Merrill suddenly had a nosebleed.

“…?”

Even she didn’t know why she had a nosebleed. For a superhuman like herself, having a nosebleed. Why? Was it because her blood flow suddenly became too rapid.

Why did her blood flow suddenly accelerate?

It was…

‘Because that expression is just too adorable.’

It was only after a moment had passed that her face turned red.

Anyway, while Merrill was flustered by her own physiological reaction, the other professors checked Leffrey’s condition once more.

Thanks to the barrier cast on the professors’ building, his mana and spiritual vitality were fully recovered, his mental state was good, and he was in a good mood after having a good sleep.

The professors, after confirming that Leffrey’s condition was fine, looked at the boy and smiled.

But there was one professor who couldn’t smile.

Rebecca, the Saint who hated Heaven, looked at Leffrey for a moment with an uncomfortable expression, then silently left the room without a word.

“Leffrey, did you learn a lot?”

To Park Jin-ho’s question, Leffrey answered confidently.

“Yes, Professor, I learned a lot.”

“Did you also learn how to overcome yourself?”

“Yes! I’ve also learned how to use an Ultimate Skill!”

Pat- Pat- Park Jin-ho gently stroked Leffrey’s golden hair with his large hand, then immediately got to the point.

“Tell us, Professors, what kind of Ultimate Skill you have acquired.”

Park Jin-ho and Klein’s eyes sparkled.

Literally, their eyes were twinkling with expectation. Leffrey couldn’t help but flinch a little, startled to see two middle-aged men showing such an expression.

‘I can sense an overwhelming desire and expectation from their eyes.’

It was understandable. After all, an Ultimate Skill was literally a power that could change the tides of battle. Generally, while an ordinary superhuman’s skills are considered from a tactical perspective, Ultimate Skill are considered from the strategic perspective of an entire race.

Just as in the past, when a blue mage named Drewmark obtained an Ultimate Skill and turned it into a living hell for the young elves, the Ultimate Skill acquired by this boy could become humanity’s hope.

‘The professors are those who protect this world. So, it’s only natural that they would prioritize the world.’

Leffrey understood their expectations,

And, hiding his bitterness, he muttered,

“Well, my Ultimate Skill is divided into passive and active. The passive just makes me use my Esper Ability better.”

It wasn’t a lie.

He just omitted the fact that the Esper Ability here meant angelic ability, and that the passive ability didn’t simply improve his Ability, but could also be used creatively to drastically enhance his Angelic Abilities.

“The active is a bit hard to explain.”

“What kind of explanation?”

“It just says… to reach somewhere. That’s how it’s written.”

Hearing those words,

The two middle-aged men’s faces fell a little.

“To reach somewhere. Was there an Ultimate Skill like that?”

“Well, even I’ve never heard of it, but…”

Klein asked Leffrey again,

“It says ‘reach somewhere’, but where?”

“It’s a term I’ve never heard before. It says Ain Soph.”

Ain Soph. Leffrey, with his limited knowledge, had never heard of it. Although it helpfully had the Korean translation ‘infinity’ next to it…

‘So, Ain Soph means infinity. But, so what? What kind of ability is ‘reaching infinity’?’

Leffrey couldn’t even begin to grasp what kind of power that was.

“Ain Soph?”

“To think that… the status window is mentioning Ain Soph.”

But the professors seemed to know what Ain Soph was. Seeing even those professors who had been through a lot shocked, Leffrey realized that Ain Soph wasn’t just a simple word for ‘infinity’.

“Professor, what is Ain Soph?”

Leffrey asked. Klein, looking at Leffrey, answered slowly, with an expression of disbelief,

“Leffrey, how much do you know about the status window?”

“Isn’t it a special system that appears for superhumans?”

“That’s what it’s generally believed to be. But in truth, it’s different.”

Klein continued,

“It doesn’t just ‘appear’ for superhumans, but it’s a system that manages them. It was created by a being, tired of the tyranny of superhumans in ancient times. The name of that being is now forgotten, but there are records of other angels called him an archangel. And they say that archangel’s Ultimate Skill is called Keter.”

“Keter…?”

“Yes, Keter. The only authority that reaches absolute truth.”

Leffrey had heard that name before.

An angel who possesses an Ultimate Skill called Keter?

“That Ultimate Skill, Keter, was a very simple ability. It was a skill that allowed one to offer a prayer directly to a single being. And with that single ability, the reign of ancient superhumans crumbled.”

Klein’s voice, usually so arrogant, trembled slightly.

“The one who received the archangel’s prayer, the one who sits above all the worlds, Heaven, the Abyss, the Dark Realm, the Spirit Realm, the Flame Realm, the Frost Realm, and the human world…”

When Klein couldn’t bring himself to continue,

Park Jin-ho, who was beside him, spoke instead.

“The status window calls that Ain Soph. The absolute power that created everything we know.”

Park Jin-ho, seeming to regain his composure, asked Leffrey gently,

“So, Leffrey, what’s the name of that Ultimate Skill?”

Leffrey’s eyes darted around.

Should he tell them the truth?

Or should he hide it?

Would there be any benefit to hiding it? The professors would surely be suspicious, wouldn’t they?

Was he confident that he wouldn’t be caught lying? They say you shouldn’t make eye contact when lying, but could he even avoid making eye contact now?

“W-Well…”

“It’s alright. I’m just curious about what Ain Soph represents.”

What Ain Soph represents?

But the name of his Ultimate Skill *is* Ain Soph?

Leffrey muttered in a trembling voice,

“Ain Soph.”

“Hmm? I didn’t hear you well. Can you say it again?”

“The name is just Ain Soph.”

Park Jin-ho, finally, also showed shock, just like Klein.

“How can an Ultimate Skill be called Ain Soph?”

“Ain Soph, Ain Soph!”

“…?”

Only the young professor, Merrill, tilted her head in confusion.

“This won’t do. Leffrey, let’s test it out right now.”

Klein and Park Jin-ho grabbed Leffrey and headed for a lecture hall on the left side of the professors’ building. The name of that lecture hall was Lecture Hall 9.

One of the classified lecture halls, numbered 0 to 9.

Leffrey, who was dragged there, couldn’t help but ask,

“Professor, where are we?”

“This is Lecture Hall 9. Its feature is that you can reverse time within this space.”

To reverse time?

Why would they need a lecture hall like that?

Leffrey immediately realized the reason.

“Fuuu-”

Park Jin-ho, the Sword Saint, opened all his energy channels. He took the stance of Cheongu Swordsmanship, a stance that combined both offense and defense. Then looked at Leffrey

Without a hint of holding back,

With an expression that showed he was giving it his all.

Leffrey, for a moment, could see a phantom image of a war god holding a sword behind Park Jin-ho.

To think that simply by opening his energy channels, he could manifest such an illusion. Just what level of mastery must one achieve to be capable of something like this?

Leffrey was a little scared.

“Leffrey, activate Ain Soph.”

“But Professor, I don’t even know what kind of ability this is.”

“It’s alright. Anything that happens in this lecture hall, can be reversed by turning back time.”

To be honest, even Leffrey was curious about what Ain Soph actually did. Its description was too abstract.

You push all your Angelic Abilities to their limits, momentarily reaching Ain Soph…? Leffrey still didn’t understand the active effect of his Ultimate Skill.

‘Seeing is believing…!’

If that’s the case, Leffrey had no choice but to take a stance.

“Then, I’ll activate it.”

“Come. My disciple.”

“And my disciple as well.”

Leffrey, clasping his hands as if in prayer, channeling his emotions like Leffriel when he unleashed Keter.

And muttered,

“Ain Soph.”

And there’s nothing more to say about what happened next. Lecture Hall 9, after confirming that the three of them had lost consciousness, automatically activated its protocol and reversed time within the space.

Klein, Park Jin-ho, and Leffrey, looked at each other and muttered,

“…What happened?”

“The protocol was activated. It means all three of us lost consciousness.”

“This professor… lost consciousness? Then that means…”

Park Jin-ho muttered, unable to believe it,

“Yes, Vice Principal. I don’t know what happened to defeat a monster like you, but…”

Klein nodded.

“You were defeated.”