Heavenly Pivot Star
***
Drip, clatter—
The floor was so dark that it was difficult to see any light.
The sound of stones dropping echoed.
As the sound spread for a while, Haring, who had lost consciousness, began to regain her senses.
[Haring, how long are you going to sleep? Your food’s getting cold.]
Faint mories from her past flickered in Haring’s mind.
It was what her older brother used to say, gently patting her head.
Her older brother, much older than her, was always kind.
Even in his final monts, he was endlessly kind.
Haring still vividly rembered that day, a day like any other when they chatted over breakfast and trained.
She rembered the man with long, blood-red hair waving at her atop the gleaming roof of the Lagrain family.
In a daze, she watched as the man raised his hand toward the sky.
Soon, the sky turned yellow.
Erosion Species surged, and the vicinity of the Lagrain family was transford by World Erosion.
The surging Erosion Species attacked the mbers of the Lagrain family.
Knights and others fought desperately against the Erosion Species.
If the Poison King and his knights had been there, it might have been okay, but they were away on an expedition for so reason.
The Lagrain family was at its most vulnerable to external attacks.
Young Haring stood in shock at the unfolding chaos.
[Haring!]
Her older brother, finding her, grabbed her and ran.
He was desperate to protect her.
Her brother, who had always been physically weak, had no martial prowess but possessed a genius talent for poison.
He planned to hide Haring in a poison chamber filled with a noxious odor, believing the Erosion Species would avoid it.
But Haring made a critical mistake.
[Screech!]
On the way to the poison chamber, she inadvertently scread when she saw an Erosion Species eating a servant’s head.
The scream was enough to attract the Erosion Species.
Her brother imdiately shoved Haring into the poison chamber and threw a poison vial at the Erosion Species.
[Arrgh!]
The enraged Erosion Species, with its half-lted head, roared in fury.
Her brother locked the door from the outside.
[Brother!]
[Haring, rember when we played hide-and-seek and counted numbers?]
Taking out the remaining poison vials from his waist, he continued.
[Keep counting. Count until the number you know. Until then, no matter who calls you, do not co out. Understand?]
[Brother, no! Brother Aring, no!]
At that mont, the Erosion Species charged.
Haring trembled at the horrid sounds outside.
She was only seven years old.
All she could do was follow her brother’s instructions.
[One, two, three…]
So she kept counting.
Haring, good at hide-and-seek, counted to the number she knew, hoping Aring would find her.
Tears stread down her face.
She was scared and terrified, but she kept counting as her brother had told her.
As she counted, the noise outside gradually diminished and then disappeared.
When she realized it, she had counted all the numbers she knew.
Haring approached the locked door.
A faint voice reached her.
[Haring.]
Hearing her brother’s voice, she tried to open the door.
But her brother held it shut from the outside.
[I didn’t try to save you. I tried to survive. It’s not your fault. Understand?]
Her kind brother uttered nonsensical words.
Even though it was clearly her fault, he tried to ensure she didn’t feel guilty.
All Haring could do was cry.
She fainted afterward.
She was found much later.
Aring’s body was torn apart by the claws of an Erosion Species.
And a book called [Poison Blood Scripture], the treasure of the Lagrain family, was missing.
Whether it was taken by the World Erosion or damaged by the Erosion Species was unknown.
The Emperor, hearing the news, dispatched the Imperial Knights to help the Lagrain family, preventing their possible annihilation.
It was a major incident that nearly uprooted the Lagrain family.
The Poison King owed a debt to the Empire and swore loyalty.
The Lagrain family, previously neutral between the royal family and the nobles, firmly sided with the royal family.
That was the debt the Lagrain family owed to the royal family.
‘Brother.’
Haring, closing her eyes tightly, slowly opened them.
The long-forgotten mory brought tears to her eyes.
She still vividly rembered that day.
She had two goals.
One was to prevent aningless deaths like her brother’s due to World Erosion.
The other was to find and avenge the World Erosion responsible for the deaths of her brother and the Lagrain family.
Thus, she willingly joined Rahelrn Academy, which aid to train heroes to combat World Erosion.
But the students at Rahelrn Academy seed different from her.
Even after a brief observation, the new students appeared more interested in their own power struggles than in stopping World Erosion.
She was disillusioned with them in just one day.
She didn’t want to talk to them.
She was desperate to ensure her brother’s death wasn’t in vain.
But there was one person.
A boy her age, who ca on this mission, was different.
[I’m not here to play power gas.]
Kraush had said, looking at Karandis and Mary.
[World Erosion has increased sharply in recent years, and I ca to Rahelrn Academy to learn to prevent such events.]
Hearing this, she turned her attention to Kraush.
Kraush Balheim.
A direct descendant of the famous Balheim family.
Indeed, he had a remarkable mindset.
While she admired him internally, she sohow ended up in the sa group as Kraush.
Kraush was strong.
He defeated a creature infused with the power of the Night God, gave clear instructions, and acted quickly.
Even when he appeared relaxed and exposed his weaknesses, his calculations were ticulous, always luring the opponent into complacency.
A single mistake in World Erosion could be fatal.
He seed to have experienced many World Erosions.
Part of her admired him.
It was reassuring to see soone her age taking World Erosion as seriously as she did.
But then she let her guard down, and he was captured by an Erosion Species because of her.
Thinking about it still made her heart race with guilt.
She hated her carelessness and complacency that had led to her brother’s death.
Maybe that’s why.
She couldn’t help but see her brother in Kraush.
Though they were the sa age, he seed different from their peers.
“Ugh.”
Haring clutched her stomach in pain.
Then she rembered what had happened earlier.
After taking the White Tiger Packet, which forced her body to override its limits, she had stabbed a dagger into Decarabia’s jaw.
She couldn’t avoid Decarabia’s strike afterward and lost consciousness.
She looked around to figure out where she was.
Her eyes stopped at a figure sitting with their back to her.
A hazy mory flashed—seeing him holding her as they fell.
Though the mory was vague, realizing it was Kraush who saved her, she felt weak and slowly walked toward him.
She had a bad feeling.
Kraush had pushed himself so hard.
If he caught her while falling from that height, he couldn’t be unhard.
“Kraush.”
As she called his na and reached out to touch his shoulder.
“Ugh!”
Her hand felt like it was burning the mont she touched him.
Startled, she saw Kraush’s eyes faintly open.
“You woke up.”
A cracked voice ca out.
Seeing his flushed face shook her.
He looked incredibly pained as he exhaled.
Kraush had pushed his limits despite the backlash of the Red Tiger Packet.
As a result, his body was thoroughly wrecked inside.
To save her from falling, he pushed himself further.
It was clear he had squeezed out the last of his strength to catch her, avoiding a fatal fall.
His body was burning.
The backlash of the Red Tiger Packet didn’t care if his body weakened.
It just inflicted unbearable pain on him, like burning him from the inside.
“Why did you save ? If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t be like this…”
She asked, panicking.
Kraush looked at her for a mont before closing his eyes.
“I wasn’t trying to save you.”
Her eyes shook violently.
Because he said the sa words her late brother had.
“So just wait quietly.”
Haring bit her lip at his words.
As if satisfied that she was awake, Kraush lowered his head again, enduring the backlash.
Haring slumped behind him.
All she could do was wait for the backlash to subside.
In this state, helping him would likely worsen things.
Like that day, all she could do was wait.
It made her feel helpless.
“……”
She hugged her poison pouch tightly.
It was a keepsake from her brother, Aring, who had used it against the Erosion Species.
She was good at waiting.
She could do it countless tis.
‘…So please don’t die.’
Deep in her heart.
Carving this day deeply.
Haring fervently wished for Kraush to wake up safely.
Otherwise, she felt she would truly break.
* * *
During the backlash of the Red Tiger Packet.
Kraush closed his eyes and endured it.
Strictly speaking, Kraush wasn’t much affected by the backlash itself.
He was used to his body burning daily.
The internal burning from the backlash was akin to what he endured regularly with Annihilation Erosion.
So the backlash didn’t bother Kraush.
Instead, he absorbed the remaining energy from the Red Tiger Packet.
The Red Tiger Packet was a poison created by the Lagrain family’s secret techniques.
The burning pain was secondary; its effects were worth absorbing.
Even poison could be dicinal if used correctly.
So Kraush took the opportunity to absorb the Red Tiger Packet.
[You madman, you psycho, you lunatic.]
Crimson Garden’s constant swearing disrupted his focus, but Kraush continued absorbing the Red Tiger Packet.
As said before, poison could be dicinal if used correctly.
Despite pushing himself, Kraush felt his body improving.
He would need proper rest and treatnt later, but for now, it was good enough.
After a while, when he had absorbed all of the Red Tiger Packet, Kraush opened his eyes.
His body was drenched in sweat, and his face felt hot, but he felt fine.
Moreover, his aura increased slightly, thanks to the Red Tiger Packet.
‘This is good.’
Though he hadn’t worried about the backlash, he didn’t expect such benefits.
He considered asking Haring for more packets next ti.
“Haring.”
When Kraush called her, she startled and looked at him.
Staring blankly, she looked like she might break down crying and hurriedly approached him.
“Are you okay? Does anything hurt?”
She asked suddenly, her face looking like it might shatter.
Kraush was slightly taken aback.
Why was she like this?
“Should I support you, or carry you?”
She seed serious.
Kraush realized she was concerned about saving him.
“I told you, I didn’t end up like this to save you. Don’t worry about it.”
Though his body moved instinctively at the last mont.
Haring’s invisibility and poison would be essential later.
So Kraush had caught her.
She had too much to do to die here.
But Kraush didn’t know.
His words had a deeper impact on Haring.
She bit her lip and responded.
“Okay.”
But her eyes looked intensely determined.
‘Co to think of it, the Lagrain family valued gratitude highly.’
The Poison King had wiped out Hardenhartz under royal orders because of their debt to the royal family.
‘So Haring must be the sa.’
Kraush also recalled Haring’s odd behavior.
She was particularly obsessed with saving him.
‘She seems to have a trauma related to soone sacrificing themselves for her.’
Understanding this, Kraush decided to quickly clear the debt she felt.
That would make things easier.
“If it bothers you, help with so poison research when we get back. That’s all.”
Kraush wanted to study curses and poisons.
Discomposed, her eyes shook at the ntion of poison research.
But even Kraush, quick-witted as he was, couldn’t know her inner thoughts.
Haring clenched her fists and nodded.
“Research, got it.”
Her eyes were filled with determined resolve, making Kraush feel slightly burdened.
But it was better than having a bad relationship.
“Let’s head back.”
His body sowhat rejuvenated by the Red Tiger Packet, Kraush stood up and looked up at the plaza.
They had fallen quite far, and climbing back up wouldn’t be easy.
But Kraush wasn’t worried.
He sensed a presence with his sixth sense.
He looked up.
A tree began descending from the dark above.
Soon, Kraush saw a figure.
“Kraush, Haring!”
It wasn’t the Aniks who had abandoned him in a trap long ago.
It was the Aniks who, despite his limits, ca down to save them using Mokchendo.
Kraush smiled briefly.
Life was unpredictable.
* * *
After completing the mission and leaving the ruins.
The dawn sky had passed, and the sun was rising.
The ruins naturally disappeared into the sand.
Haring asked if he was okay, and Kraush swung his arms lightly.
“I’m fine.”
[Boasting.]
Crimson Garden’s grumble echoed, but he ignored it.
If he could move, he was fine by his standards.
Kraush’s gaze fell on Aniks.
Aniks smiled, as he always did, when their eyes t.
It was a smile that had once disgusted Kraush.
A smile he had always deed fake.
‘Was it just my bias?’
Until they searched the ruins, Kraush had thought Aniks’s smile was fake.
He believed Aniks saw the Twin Sprout mbers as re pawns and expected eventual betrayal.
But after seeing Aniks’s sincerity.
Kraush realized his bias had completely faded.
“You did well. You saved us.”
Aniks widened his eyes at Kraush’s words, then smiled again.
“I never thought I’d hear that from you.”
“I never thought I’d say it.”
Kraush felt a sense of relief.
He looked up at the sky.
Through Pendal, he learned not to judge people based on his return.
And from Aniks, he learned that people could change completely from small triggers.
This lesson might hold him back.
He would constantly ponder the skills he must steal.
But one thing was certain.
‘If I could stop the apocalypse alone, Arthur could have done it alone too.’
When World Erosion reached its peak.
The world would be in chaos.
Arthur could stop one peak, but not all simultaneously.
And neither could Kraush.
Knowing that, Kraush had built many relationships.
‘I will lead the Skyborne Generation.’
A ray of light seed to shine through.
The one path to stopping the apocalypse appeared.
‘I will stand at the forefront.’
Even if rain poured, sandstorms blew, and storms raged.
His role was to stand firm at the front.
The Skyborne Generation would follow, soaring high to prevent the apocalypse.
Kraush’s eyes shone brightly.
His gaze, fixed on a single goal, was as bright as a star.
Heavenly Pivot Star.
The role of a guide, as Elfin had ntioned, suited Kraush perfectly.
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