[Translator - Night]
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Chapter 57: Midterm Evaluation (2)
"Let's see then."
Back in my dorm room, I sat cross-legged on the bed.
Normally, I would be in the training grounds, swinging my sword and working up a sweat, but for the new technique I was focused on lately, there was no need to go there.
Ssshh...
I slowly inhaled, closing my eyes.
My vision darkened.
In the pitch-black void, a massive fla erupted.
The Primordial Fla.
The fire that is said to have once burned the Tree of Creation in ancient tis, now roared ferociously as if to engulf the entire world.
A creation of my mind, forged into a symbol.
I wandered through this ntal world, gazing at the raging flas.
"Arise."
I extended my hand toward the ferocious flas, commanding them.
The Primordial Fla, which did not stir, remained motionless.
This was as usual.
"Now, this is where it gets important."
After my battle with Astaroth, I spent every night studying how to control the Primordial Fla, even cutting into my sleep ti.
Through repeated research, I discovered two key features.
‘First, the Primordial Fla reacts to my 'death' at intervals of about 5 to 6 hours.’
This was sothing I had already sowhat figured out during my mana training.
But the second feature was the truly important one.
‘During the 5 minutes when the Primordial Fla reacts, if I give it a strong command imbued with willpower, I can move it according to my will.’
It's like using my 'death' as bait to lure the Primordial Fla and reeling it in with the rod of 'willpower.'
‘Of course, it’s not as simple as it sounds.’
Clicking my tongue, I refocused my mind.
"Whoo..."
I slowly exhaled the breath I had held in, creating a tiny mana bullet within my body.
It was smaller than a grain of rice.
The mana bullet, flowing through my internal energy channels, gathered in my heart.
And then—
Pop!
The condensed mana bullet exploded, and my heart burst.
For an ordinary person, this would have been a fatal wound.
But—
Vrrrrrmmmm!
The Blessing of Revival activated, rapidly regenerating my shattered heart.
Before my heart fully healed, as the Primordial Fla reacted to my 'death'—
‘Now!’
I stretched my hand toward the raging flas, giving a command with fierce intent.
"Arise."
The Primordial Fla, which hadn’t budged before, began to move slowly.
A small flicker of fla appeared in my palm.
I brought the wavering fla, no bigger than a candle's fla, to my left chest.
Fwoosh!
The tiny fla, which had been no bigger than a candle, started to grow as it engulfed my heart.
‘It's working!’
The flas soon began to wrap around my entire body.
I opened my eyes and got up from the bed.
"Haa..."
With my exhalation, gray ashes mixed with my breath.
Ssssss...
The sound of flesh burning filled the air as gray ashes started to seep from every pore of my body like smoke.
Although it wasn’t the sa overwhelming surge of infinite mana that I experienced in my battle with Astaroth in my ‘Incarnation of Fire’ state—
‘My mana is recovering.’
I could feel my stigmas, which had been half empty, gradually filling with mana.
"That's it!"
I clenched my fist in triumph, and gray ashes slipped between my fingers like grains of sand.
‘Finally, it's moving, you stubborn thing!’
The thrill of finally controlling the Primordial Fla, which had always ignored my commands, was beyond words.
It sent an exhilarating shiver down my spine.
"Well... It’s still nowhere near as powerful as when I was in the Incarnation of Fire state."
I clicked my tongue again as I looked down at my body, where the gray ashes were still rising.
Unlike before, when my entire body was consud by flas and a storm of ash swept the surroundings, the ashes now rising from my body were more like faint wisps of smoke from a dying fire.
‘But still, the fact that it's responding at all is progress.’
Compared to when the fla didn't move at all, this was a huge step forward.
"Alright, I’ve confird that my mana is recovering automatically."
Next, it was ti to test sothing else.
Shing.
Drawing my sword, I slowly channeled mana into it.
Like oil fueling a fla, the blade caught fire.
Although the fla didn’t blaze with the intensity that could devour the world, as it had when I was in the Incarnation of Fire state, the flas flickering along the sword’s edge radiated a fierce sense of pressure.
‘The power of the Primordial Fla has fused with my mana.’
It felt like the Primordial Fla had lted into my mana.
Instead of having to control the fla actively, as long as I moved my mana, the power of the Primordial Fla naturally erged alongside it.
‘I can’t test the full power of this in a small room.’
But based on my battle with Astaroth, I knew that the mana infused with the Primordial Fla’s power was as strong as any powerful artifact.
"Alright... So the final effects are automatic mana recovery and the infusion of the Primordial Fla’s power into my mana. Those two things?"
While it didn’t increase the total amount of mana like the Incarnation of Fire state, the recovery and enhancent alone made learning this technique more than worthwhile.
"I guess for now, it’s like a weaker version of the Incarnation of Fire..."
Even if it was a weaker version, the effects were still strong enough to rival even mythical-level artifacts.
"Let’s call it 'Ignition.'"
Since the technique ignites flas, "Ignition" seed like a fitting na.
It also made sense, given that when I used the technique, my body emitted gray smoke and the sound of burning flesh.
‘Naming a technique appropriately is important.’
Especially for a technique that involves ntal imagery like this one.
‘If I use a Stigma Amplifier along with this…’
I could use the Stigma Amplifier to increase the amount of mana, while Ignition would enhance the quality of the mana.
If I combined both—
"I might even be able to take on the Archbishop."
Of course, both the Stigma Amplifier and this newly learned technique, Ignition, had a five-minute ti limit, but during that brief period, I’d wield enough power to go head-to-head with the Archbishop without hesitation.
"Though I doubt I'll need to use either for this mid-term evaluation."
There was no reason to use up my best cards just to hunt so low-level magical beasts.
'Besides, I promised not to use the stigmata enhancer during the exam.'
I could use ignition, but it's not like I’m that desperate to take first place.
'And I still can’t control the primordial fla perfectly either.'
Since the primordial fla itself was a power with more mysteries than certainties, I had to be cautious in its use.
"Well then."
Hissss.
After so ti, the hissing sound ceased, and the gray smoke rising from my body dissipated.
And what remained was—
“…First, I should probably clean up this room.”
Looking around at the room covered in ash, I started gathering cleaning supplies.
* * *
The next day.
The Inspectorate candidates finished arming themselves and moved to the testing grounds.
"The ti limit is eight hours! Your midterm grade will be determined by who scores the most points within that ti!"
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
At Professor Lucas' shout, the candidates lined up in their chosen sectors.
I chose a mountainous terrain as my starting point.
As the most typical terrain, it had almost twice as many candidates lined up as other sectors.
"Alright, ten people at a ti, step forward to the warp device."
Ten candidates in line stepped up onto the warp device.
"When the warp device activates, you'll be randomly transported to a location within your chosen sector."
Professor Lucas continued as he powered on the warp device.
"Keep your wits about you—there’s a chance you might land right in front of a demonic beast."
"Yes, sir!"
"Oh, and don’t forget to use your Hero Watch to call for help if you're in danger. Don’t be foolish and die because you overestimated yourself. Understood?"
"We'll keep that in mind!"
With that loud response,
"Good luck."
The warp device activated.
The candidates vanished in a swirl of blue light.
"Dale."
Just before getting on the warp device, Yuren, who had also chosen the mountainous terrain, turned back to look at .
“…I won’t lose."
"That won’t be easy."
I chuckled and followed him onto the warp device.
Wuuuung!
The blue light enveloped , and I felt as though I was floating above the clouds.
* * *
“Ugh… It’s been a while since I used a warp.”
I rubbed my slightly dizzy head and looked around.
Dense underbrush.
Trees over 15 ters tall.
The scent of nature filled my nose.
“Hah.”
As I took in my surroundings, a low chuckle escaped my lips.
“I can’t believe I landed in the sa place as my past life.”
It had seed familiar at first glance, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was the exact sa place where I had fallen during the midterm in my previous life.
‘Whether it’s coincidence or fate, I don’t know.’
But returning here brought back vivid mories from my past life.
"Now that I think about it, this was the day."
A faint smile appeared on my face as I recalled more mories.
The reason why this place felt so familiar.
‘This is where I first experienced death.’
I had been walking nervously when a beast had leapt out from the bushes and torn into my neck.
'Back then, I thought my life had ended there.'
Who would’ve thought I’d not only awaken to the "Blessing of Revival" and co back to life, but also rewind ti and return to the past.
Looking back now, it really had been a tumultuous life.
"Well, I’d better get moving."
I knew that a "Unicorn" had first been discovered in this mountainous terrain, but I didn’t know the exact location.
At the ti, my mind had been consud with trying to understand why I was still alive after having my head torn off.
Rustle, rustle.
As I moved through the underbrush, pushing aside branches and leaves—
“Grrraaaargh!”
With a savage roar, a black figure sprang from the bushes.
“Whoa there.”
I quickly dodged the demonic beast’s attack, creating so distance as I examined it.
It had the appearance of a wolf.
Its vicious fangs were dripping with saliva, and its claws were as sharp as blades.
Its three blood-red eyes glead nacingly.
"Oh?"
Seeing the beast that had erged from the bushes, I couldn’t help but laugh again.
And for good reason—
“Well, long ti no see.”
The beast before was the sa one that had introduced to the experience of "death" in my previous life.
“How’ve you been?”
I chuckled and waved at the wolf-like beast.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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