Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Rift Opening (1)

“...An axe?”

“An axe?”

“That is right. As a weapon, an axe has better practical use than a Mace.”

The weapon Viole had mainly used in the previous round had not been a Mace, but a Double-Bladed Axe.

When the war broke out, there had been quite a few Black Mages whose heads were smashed apart and sent straight to their deaths by a single blow from Viole’s axe.

There was a reason she had been called the ‘Skull-Cracking Saintess.’

...Even though I said that, the time when this girl realized that a Double-Bladed Axe suited her was after she finished her first year at Saengterminum.

Why had it taken her so long to find such a suitable weapon?

The answer was very simple.

Because these people were clergy.

“An axe.......”

“Even so, that is a little.......”

As you can see, both of their faces were twisted as they looked at the Double-Bladed Axe.

Because they were clergy, who tended to pursue sentiment over efficiency, they had realized it late.

“It is too barbaric.”

“That is right. There are no people in the Holy Order who use axes either.”

Tsk, tsk. 

This is why clergy are no good.

To think they had room to drag sentiment into a weapon that they should treat like a second life. 

They really lived such exhausting lives, did they not?

But what can you do, Viole? 

In the end, you will use this.

As a Regressor, I guarantee that fact.

“Good. Then let’s go.”

“Where?”

“Where else? The Artificial Rift.”

Having her use it personally would reach her much more strongly than me wearing out my mouth telling her how good it was.

“Try using it on a monster once. Then your thoughts will change.”

...Well, there was also something I had to handle separately inside the Artificial Rift on my own, so it would not be bad to go together while I was at it.

***

It had already been three full hours since we entered the Artificial Rift.

“Ugh....... I hate this.......”

Viole pulled the Double-Bladed Axe back with a muffled voice.

Tears were welling faintly in the corners of her eyes.

“I said I do not want to use an axe......!”

CRACK!

The monsters’ necks broke along with their bones beneath the axe blade she swung, flying upward.

THUD!

The monsters’ attacks were also easily defended with the axe’s broad surface.

WHOOSH WHOOSH!

“But why does it suit me this well.......?”

Her expression looked close to tears, but each of her movements connected smoothly without much awkwardness.

As expected of the ‘Skull-Cracking Saintess.’

“Mmm.......”

Looking at Yulia, who was standing awkwardly because she could not find anything to say, I snickered.

“What did I tell you? I said it suited her, did I not?”

“I did not know she would handle it this well.......”

What kind of weapon was a Double-Bladed Axe?

Its surface area was wide, so it was useful for defense, and since blades were sharpened on both sides, its destructive power was also excellent.

On top of that, Viole had long used a Mace while strengthening her muscles with Holy Power, so she did not have much difficulty handling an axe either.

How could she not use this?

“E-Even so, is it not a relief that you found a weapon that perfectly suits you?”

“I am not happy at all, all right?”

Viole’s face looked gloomy, but what could be done?

Her mouth said she hated it, but her body would be honest.

“Hmm.......”

STAB!

Yulia was stabbing her sword into every corpse of the monsters Viole took down.

“I am sure we learned in class that this monster’s Mana Stone is located here.......”

CRACK! FLICK!

After digging out the Mana Stone with her sword, she flicked it from the tip of the blade and put it straight into her pouch.

She was quite skillful. 

To think she could remove a Mana Stone like that with a sword.

CRUMBLE.......

As the Mana Stone was removed and the monster’s corpse turned to ash, Yulia nodded in satisfaction.

“Hehe, it was worth coming to Saengterminum.”

“I did not know you would collect every single one of those Mana Stones.”

“I am not particularly wealthy.......”

My head tilted to one side.

“You do not have money? Does the Holy Order not give you any?”

Yulia was a Sacred Mark Successor.

There was no way the Holy Order would not provide her with financial support.

“They do... give me support funds, but.......”

“......?”

As Yulia trailed off and avoided my gaze, Viole mischievously responded.

“The support funds are all spent on meal expenses every time.”

“Sister!”

“...You are something else.”

After we made her experience the excellence of the Double-Bladed Axe like that, we moved toward the exit in order to leave the Artificial Rift.

***

The route to the Artificial Rift’s exit was quite crowded.

As Yulia looked around, she spoke in a fascinated tone.

“There really are a lot more people now, are there not?”

It had always been a central road with many people, but the atmosphere had changed in just a single day.

People carrying weapons were commonly seen, and people wearing well-maintained Combat Uniforms also stood out.

Every single one of them gave off the strong impression of a veteran who had plenty of experience hunting monsters.

“So this is how crowded it gets when the Artificial Rift is opened.......”

“Mana Stones are a pretty good way to make money, after all.”

I recalled what Professor Dave had said that morning.

‘As written in the curriculum, starting today, the ‘Artificial Rift’ will be opened not only to you students, but also to other visitors. Make sure to keep that in mind.......’

Every year, when a certain period arrived, Saengterminum issued Artificial Rift entry permission to people who were not students as long as they went through the proper procedures.

Of course, they did not give it to just anyone. 

It was limited to those who had officially received a ‘License.’

The Mana Stones embedded inside monsters had many uses as Mana Crystals. 

In other words, the Artificial Rift itself, which created monsters, was like a goldmine.

Furthermore, at present, Saengterminum, with Levia as its Headmaster, was the only place with the technology to create Artificial Rifts.

This was also a good opportunity for the students. 

They could watch people who were active in the field from up close.

Moreover, if a student set their mind to it, they could even form a party with active professionals and enter the rift together.

The professionals were happy because they could obtain Mana Stones from monsters.

The students were happy because they could watch the professionals and learn their techniques over their shoulders.

It was a decent curriculum where both sides benefited.

But from my current perspective, having many people inside the Artificial Rift was a little uncomfortable.

...Because today, I was planning to eliminate the defector hiding inside this Artificial Rift by myself.

FLASH!

The moment I stepped onto the Artificial Rift’s exit, my vision opened wide along with a pure white light.

After coming out of the rift, I looked around.

“...Is it that different when it is opened compared to when it is not?”

I let out a faint hollow laugh.

The Artificial Rift had always been installed in Saengterminum’s central plaza, but its current appearance was completely different from yesterday.

“Wow.......”

“So this is Saengterminum.......”

The two people behind me, overwhelmed by the scene before them, also opened their mouths slightly.

Yes. 

This was Saengterminum’s true appearance.

“You are Grade 5. Your License has been confirmed.”

“Check the guy beside me too. He is going in with me this time.”

At the rift entrance, the Rift Administrators were checking Licenses.

“You worked hard today. Since this is also fate, shall we have a drink together.......?”

“Mm... What do you think? Is that all right?”

Those who got along with one another formed parties.

“How much are all these Mana Stones worth?”

“Just a moment. Let me see.......”

Those who came out of the rift sold the Mana Stones they had obtained.

The sight of various races gathered from all across the continent busily moving for a single goal displayed a spectacle that was difficult to describe.

Yulia held up the pouch containing the Mana Stones.

“I will go sell these first.”

“Hmm.......”

I looked over the several rifts open in the plaza, then my gaze stopped on one tunnel among them.

...That is right. 

That is the rift.

The rift where the defector who had made Lucia go into a Rampage was hiding.

“You two go ahead.”

“Pardon?”

“I am going to beat up some more monsters before I leave.”

The defector I intended to eliminate had spread a Barrier inside that Artificial Rift and was hiding there.

With my current combat strength, now that I had obtained the ‘Mana Crystal Dagger,’ it probably would not be very difficult to find the Barrier on my own and eliminate the defector inside.

I roughly waved my hand and was about to step toward the rift entrance.

If I had not heard the shrill scream that suddenly rang out.

KYAAAAAAAK!

Even though the central plaza was noisy, the voice rang out loudly, and everyone in the plaza began murmuring.

The place the scream had come from was... the Artificial Rift I had been about to enter.

“Do not just stand there! Run!”

“Damn it! Talk about bad luck, seriously!”

The people who had come out of the rift entrance I was trying to enter were running this way.

Every one of them had pale faces.

Among them, I could occasionally see people clutching their wounds and bleeding.

“...What is this?”

I had only just furrowed my brow.

WOOONG.

Residual heat rose from the back of my right hand where the Sacred Mark was engraved.

Even though I had not raised Holy Power.

“H-Huh?”

“Hm? What is wrong?”

“No, it is.......”

When I turned my head to look at Yulia, she was also looking down at the back of her own right hand with a flustered expression.

She was experiencing the exact same phenomenon as me.

...Insane.

There were only two cases where heat could be felt from the Sacred Mark even though Holy Power had not been raised.

When I acted in order to change the future.

Or when dense Demonic Aura or Black Magic was detected near the Sacred Mark.

If even Yulia’s Sacred Mark was like that... there was a high probability it was the latter.

I hurriedly narrowed my eyes and checked the wounds of the injured people.

Swoooosh.......

Every deep or shallow wound had black haze rippling around it.

“...Hah.”

That was undoubtedly a trace of Corruption.

RUMBLE.......

Ripples rose from the rift entrance, and a large number of monsters revealed themselves.

After checking the monsters’ appearances, I narrowed my brow.

Frog-type Low-Rank Monsters, Totnoul.

They were not ordinary Low-Rank Monsters.

Ribbit.......

Croak.......

Their skin, which should have gleamed green, was covered in dark red ‘Demonic Armament’ like parasites clinging to it.

Their eyes, which should have been clear and transparent, were also red like blood.

Those were.

“C-Corrupted Bodies?”

That was right. 

Corrupted Bodies.

The monsters had been corrupted by Demonic Aura.

Croaaak.......

As the Corrupted Bodies rolled their eyes this way and that, they bent their hind legs in order to leap toward the people.

However.

“...You do not need to be that tense.”

I let out a small breath and spoke in a low voice.

“Pardon?”

“This is Saengterminum.”

Monsters that had been deeply corrupted by Demonic Aura like that would not be caught by Levia’s detection while they were still inside the rift.

However, if the monsters came all the way outside the rift, that was a different story.

From the moment they exited the rift, they would be caught by Levia’s Security Formulas, which were spread even more densely.

And if it was her, the Headmaster of Saengterminum, she would begin suppressing them the moment Corrupted Bodies were detected.

Just like now.

WHOOOOSH.......

The air rapidly cooled.

RUSTLE... RUSTLE.......

Snowflakes scattered, and white breath formed around the mouths of everyone in the plaza.

At the same time.

ROAAAAAR!

The air compressed, and a pure white snowstorm surged before the eyes of the Corrupted Bodies.

It was a short moment, three seconds at most, even if counted generously.

However, that was more than enough time for Levia to turn the Corrupted Bodies into frozen snacks.

“Hmph.”

Before anyone knew it, Levia had landed on the ground and lightly snorted as she glared at the Corrupted Bodies.

“What rotten luck. Why are Corrupted Bodies causing a scene as soon as the rift opens?”

As if the situation that had just unfolded had been a lie, the Corrupted Bodies that had bent their legs were frozen in place like statues, wrapped in frost.

They had surely been frozen to the core and died immediately.

With Levia’s appearance, the situation ended so quickly that it almost felt empty.

“...What a relief. I thought something terrible was about to happen.”

“You can say that again.”

Everyone in the plaza, including Yulia and Viole, loosened their tension and let out sighs of relief.

A rift was a gap that connected different dimensions, and a hidden world that connected monsters and demons to this place.

The Artificial Rifts at Saengterminum were no exception, so monsters corrupted by Demonic Aura like that did appear in the rifts at an extremely low probability.

It was something like an error.

It could be brushed off as a happening caused by truly terrible luck.

...However.

Damn it, however?

No matter how much I searched through the memories in my head, there was no record of Corrupted Bodies appearing in the central plaza on this day, at this time.

Even if it was merely a happening, Corrupted Bodies had burst all the way out into Saengterminum’s central plaza.

There was no way I would have forgotten an incident like this.

It was something that had not happened in the previous round.

Moreover.

WOOONG.......

Even though the Corrupted Bodies had died, the residual heat of the Sacred Mark still had not disappeared and remained as it was.

Either Demonic Aura still remained in the air....... or it was reacting because I was trying to change the future.......

I did not know which one it was, but I felt like I understood one thing.

Whatever it was, it was not over yet.

CLENCH.

After clenching and unclenching my fist, I once again glared at the entrance of the Artificial Rift I had been about to enter.