Madness

He looked every bit the fiend. Could that really be the look in a human’s eyes? It felt more like staring into the pure malice of a beast.

No matter how hard Yooran tried, no sound escaped his lips. With just a glance, Yooran was frozen in terror as if bound by powerful magic, unable to even turn his gaze away.

Again, Yooran heard a beastly panting in his ear. And with his magic-enhanced vision, he could see it clearly.

Torn blood vessels regenerating tougher and tauter, ruptured flesh and scattered organ fragments reforming anew.

Bones and muscles throughout his body crushed and burst by the internal pressure of mana, yet ceaselessly regenerating.

The nameless disciple of Lykan was reconstructing his body from the inside out with nothing but his own pure mana.

For a moment, Yooran forgot even his fear and was purely awestruck. It was impossible, yet it was happening before his eyes. An undeniable truth stood before him.

The needles he had driven in had lost their efficacy against the mana that had surpassed its limits. Each time Lykan’s disciple inhaled, the space behind him warped as if being sucked into his body.

It wasn’t just a heat haze conjured by the summer heat. The distorted void in the space, caused by the massive absorption of mana from the air, was filled with an endless abyss.

Space and abyss mingled, creating a sensation of gazing into the starlight of the universe.

It was so beautiful, so pure, so imposing.

It was chaos.

Yooran felt as if his brain was being pricked with needles. He felt an almost compulsive urge to spill out all his emotions and memories right then and there.

He wanted to deny it, but he couldn’t take his eyes off it.

He wanted to escape, but he wanted to be consumed.

He wanted to resist, but he had to accept it.

Chaos was encroaching.

His consciousness was yielding, his pride crumbling.

The moth could only worship the sun.

Beyond the blue eyes stained with madness, he felt someone’s gaze. An indescribable gaze, as if looking at an insect….

,Calm down and breathe.

Lykan’s touch on his arm made Yooran realize that he was pointing his staff at his own temple.

He hadn’t even noticed. It felt as if his ego had been crushed by something.

Yooran belatedly realized that he had escaped something, and his legs gave way, causing him to collapse. His aged heart pounded wildly like a child’s for the first time in a long time. He felt a strange sense of survival, bringing a lump to his throat.

Only then did Yooran have a disturbing question.

What did he think he had survived? His limbs trembled madly, and the veins in his hand gripping the staff were bulging with how tightly he held it.

Shaking off the remnants of something in his mind, Yooran spoke in a faltering voice.

,W-what the hell was that…?

,Looks like you lost in terms of mental fortitude.

At those words, Yooran inadvertently raised his head to look at Lykan. Could that be described as mental fortitude? Could that gaze even be considered human?

At that moment, a gale swept through the training grounds. Instinctively turning his head towards the source, Yooran could only stare at the monster reaching out to him, unable to even think about closing his eyes.

Was he going to die like this? He was holding his staff, but he couldn’t even dream of resisting.

But fortunately, it was a misunderstanding. The destination of the hand was not his neck, but the orb floating in the air.

Even though he knew in his head that he could never reach it even if he stretched out his hand, Yooran was frightened and felt a threat to his life.

Kwajik―!

The orb shattered. The name ‘Mana Absorption Stone’ seemed pathetic, as it broke apart as helplessly as glass. At the same time, as if it were a lie, the power that had been overwhelming the surroundings disappeared without a trace.

Having exhausted all his strength, Lykan’s disciple collapsed onto the ground. A cloud of dust billowed up.

After a moment of silence, Yooran couldn’t help but ask in a trembling voice.

,W-what’s that guy’s name…?

To Yooran’s question, Lykan answered in a loud voice, his brown eyes shining like lights.

,Ross, my proud disciple.

***

Lykan had brought out chilled barley tea with ice, but Yooran didn’t even pay attention to it. He paced nervously around the hospital room, pouring out his anger as if he were interrogating someone.

,What the hell just happened! This is impossible!

No matter what Yooran said, Lykan emptied the barley tea in one go. He nodded, thinking that barley tea was the best in summer after all.

,Don’t tell me… you taught him the main family’s breathing technique?

Lykan sighed at Yooran’s suspicious words.

,If I had, why would I bring you to the Academy?

,But it’s just the first stage of the breathing technique! And it’s a breathing technique that’s been restricted to give to the collateral line! To break a Mana Absorption Stone with that… do you think that makes sense? Even the head of the family wouldn’t be able to do that….

Yooran trailed off. His head screamed countless times that it was impossible, but he had seen it with his own eyes.

Ross, breaking the orb so easily.

Even if Lykan had secretly taught his disciple the main family’s breathing technique… Yooran’s suspicion couldn’t stop, even though he knew it couldn’t be possible.

He wanted to understand this situation, and ultimately, he wanted to satisfy his curiosity. To do that, he was pouring out his suspicions on Lykan as if he were being unreasonable.

Lykan smirked as he looked at Yooran.

,But it happened.

,So, how did it happen… explain it…!

,It must be the result of my disciple’s talent that I didn’t even know about combined with the breathing technique.

Lykan twisted the corners of his mouth into a savage smile, as if he was happy about that fact.

,As I said, I’ve never taught him anything about the breathing technique. It’s purely Ross’s unknown talent that matched the breathing technique. So, aren’t you more curious? How strong will Ross become if he obtains true Mu-hyeong (無邢)?

Yooran swallowed involuntarily at Lykan’s words. He broke the Mana Absorption Stone with just the first stage of breathing. And that was with a modified version that had restrictions.

If Lykan’s disciple were to learn the main family’s Mu-hyeong….

,He’ll reach the realm of the Transcendent. And not a mediocre Transcendent like me, but a Transcendent who has reached true Mu-hyeong.

Yooran was displeased that Lykan had read his thoughts, but he couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope at those words.

,I will report this to the head of the family immediately. Everything, without hiding anything.

,As you wish.

Yooran turned his head to look at Ross, who was passed out on the bed in the hospital room, at Lykan’s nonchalant shrug. The scene from just now was still vivid in his mind.

He couldn’t tell whether what he had seen was a hallucination caused by fear or a real phenomenon. However, the unpleasant first impression of Ross looking at him with a pathetic gaze had long disappeared from his mind.

Now, there was a vague fear in one corner of his heart.

,…Do you still trust your disciple even after seeing that? Can you handle that madness?

At Yooran’s question, Lykan stood up from his chair with a leisurely smile.

,It doesn’t matter. I’m his teacher. To be a stepping stone for my disciple to grow. Isn’t that the duty of a teacher?

Yooran muttered at Lykan’s calm voice.

,You stupid bastard….

***

In the hospital room where Lykan and Yooran had disappeared, Estelle revealed herself.

Estelle, who had been hiding her presence in the severed space so that no one could detect her, emerged from the space and approached the bed where Ross was sleeping.

Estelle sincerely wanted to believe in Ross. Because he had promised to destroy the cult that had bound her and divided her clan.

So she couldn’t help but be suspicious. Whether his words about knowing what would happen in the future were true, whether he was an apostle of that person like the cult leader suspected. Whether he was trying to use her.

So she secretly observed Ross. She couldn’t infiltrate the club room because it had special magic, even with her abilities.

When Ross was outside the club room, she always secretly followed him and observed him.

And today, Estelle saw it with her own eyes. At first, she speculated that it might be a fragment of chaos dwelling in the cult leader’s mask.

But the moment she saw Ross’s gaze, Estelle thought her speculation was wrong.

She also wields the power of chaos she received from the cult leader. So she knows. That he couldn’t show that kind of power with just a fragment.

No, it wasn’t chaos. It was destruction that would end everything. Destruction that even the cult leader could never read.

,…If you’re really the apostle of that person that the cult leader predicted, there’s no choice.

Muttering to herself, Estelle took out a dagger. He was defenseless and unconscious. It was so easy to slit his throat.

But Estelle couldn’t move her hand.

Ross’s words in her memory, promising her freedom, were so sweet, and she wanted to believe him….

In the end, she had no choice but to put away her sword. Even a small hope was so desperate for Estelle now.

,…I’ll trust you a little more. Ember hasn’t returned yet.

Muttering to herself as if making excuses, Estelle lowered her head and brought her face close to Ross’s ear.

,…Please. Please tell me it wasn’t a lie.

Saying that in a pleading voice, Estelle grabbed Ross’s hand.

Earnestly praying that her hope would not turn into despair.