Academy’s New Guard is Unusual - Chapter 21

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 21
Monsters are those who have been completely consumed by Outer God Fragments.
Since they’ve already become one with an Outer God Fragment, separation is necessary to defeat them.
That’s precisely the method of conquest. Monsters lose their power once the Outer God Fragment is extracted.
Of course, you can simply kill the monster and still obtain the fragment.
But the yield is lower that way.
In this merciless game, discovering the method of conquest is extraordinarily difficult. Since each Fissure has entirely different rules and contexts, the only option is endless retries.
That’s why the Fissures are so maddeningly difficult.
But now, I have Evangelyne.
“Ben Derke was the eldest son of a renowned sword family. Though he hardly looks aristocratic—”
Information I would normally have to discover by bashing my head against the ground, Evangelyne rattled off effortlessly.
“He had exceptional talent with the sword. So he bore his father’s full expectations, but apparently Ben Derke actually preferred the guitar to the blade.”
Inside a Fissure, Evangelyne is a cheat code of sorts.
She can find her way through even the most confusing labyrinths in a single attempt, and can even read information about monsters.
But the risk is proportionally greater.
While reading a monster’s memories, Evangelyne herself could be consumed by it.
Just like now.
“Uuuhhhhh……”
“E-Evangelyne?! What’s wrong!”
Even Andy’s shout couldn’t hold Evangelyne’s focus. Her eyes clouded over, filling with a terrible emptiness.
‘Tsk. She’s assimilating with the monster.’
Evangelyne’s ability was far more lethal against monsters. A monster that consumed Evangelyne would become a calamity in an instant.
In fact, Evangelyne had been assimilated by monsters and lost many times before.
The method to prevent Evangelyne from being consumed was simple.
‘Hit her.’
I gestured toward Evangelyne’s back of the head, looking at Andy.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Andy struck Evangelyne’s back of the head. His reaction speed was so swift it seemed he’d been waiting for the signal.
“Aaaagh!!”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
As Evangelyne turned around, Andy asked innocently. Her focus had returned.
“……What? I felt like someone hit the back of my head?”
“Aw, who would hit you?”
“That’s strange—it hurts though. Hmm, anyway, he was dragged into war following his father’s orders. A war with the Charn Kingdom, it says. Have I even heard of such a kingdom? It’s my first time—”
Evangelyne resumed her recitation, regaining her composure.
Andy raised his palm subtly, as if awaiting her next command. He was clearly ready and waiting.
By the time Andy had struck Evangelyne’s back of the head two more times, the crucial detail emerged.
“The guitar.”
I nodded, observing the guitar bound to the monster’s back.
It was obvious enough. Every time it played, speed increased and the Aura sharpened.
But I deliberately had Evangelyne read the quest log as advance training.
I gripped my blade with the intention to finish this.
“Wait! Ben Derke simply wanted to go home! This wasn’t how things were supposed to turn out!”
Evangelyne spread both arms wide and blocked my path. She was shielding the monster.
“She’s genuinely hopeless.”
Milo shook his head in dismay. Andy flailed his arms about as well.
I wanted to nod in agreement with them, but I held back.
Outer Gods and Evangelyne are fundamentally opposed. Evangelyne must instinctively abhor monsters. Yet she shielded one anyway.
For something so seemingly foolish, this was quite noble.
“So? What’s your plan?”
At my question, Evangelyne’s eyes widened. Hope flickered across them.
“I’ll try to speak with it kindly. Ask it to let us leave.”
At Evangelyne’s suggestion to negotiate with the monster, both Andy and Milo burst into hollow laughter.
It was only natural. Proposing to talk with a monster sounded absurdly foolish.
It sounds ridiculous, but Evangelyne could actually do it. She could persuade the monster to leave the Fissure.
However, in that case—
“What about the monster?”
“Yes?”
“If it leaves in that state, it’ll be captured and killed immediately.”
“No, just us—”
“You’ll leave it behind like that?”
I gestured toward the monster.
The monster was already soaked in curse, its form trembling and indistinct. Where its eyes should have been, only hollow darkness gaped, and cursed rot dripped from it. Even notorious Black Magic had never produced such a horrific curse.
Of course not. This wasn’t a curse.
It was a Blessing.
A Blessing from an Outer God.
“If I were that thing, I’d sooner kneel and beg for my neck to be severed.”
Evangelyne’s blue eyes trembled like a storm.
I didn’t rush her.
This too was training.
Evangelyne must grow further. Beyond monsters—
‘To read Outer Gods themselves.’
It sounds preposterous, but Evangelyne could do it.
Then Evangelyne bit her lip hard.
“Please do it mercifully.”
Evangelyne bowed her head as she asked. Her voice overflowed with sincerity.
“Don’t worry. It’s my specialty.”
Evangelyne gave a weak laugh and stepped back.
The monster stared at me with hollow eye sockets. The black hollows dripping with writhing maggots seemed to issue a warning.
That you too would become this.
‘Damn. Should’ve managed my Corruption Level properly.’
I countered its glare and gripped my blade.
「…………………!」
As I pierced the guitar with my sword, a ghastly scream tore through the air. A horrific sound, as if a soul itself was shrieking.
Andy and Milo couldn’t withstand the shock and collapsed. But Evangelyne gritted her teeth and endured, as if determined to bear witness.
I pushed my hand between the fractured guitar pieces. Something small touched my fingertips. A grotesque mass of flesh that pulsed with a heartbeat.
‘An Outer God Fragment.’
As I seized the fragment, its pulsing intensified. An overwhelmingly massive heartbeat, one so powerful it shook my mind. The absolute disparity transmitted itself completely.
It felt like an ant clinging to a whale’s heart.
I could understand why everyone accepted Outer God Fragments, even knowing destruction awaited.
Isn’t becoming one with something so vast a transcendent glory? How could one refuse such magnificent glory out of mere fear of destruction? Join the glory, join—
‘Glory is bullshit.’
I chuckled and crushed the Outer God Fragment. It disappeared as if it had never been anything but one whole piece. An alien sensation spread from my fingertips.
Oh, glory. Magnificent glory.
A strange voice echoed in my skull. A side effect of accepting the Outer God Fragment.
Just as I was about to ignore and push past it—
Ding! A cheerful notification chimed.
Outer God Fragment absorbed. Please select your desired stat.
That’s odd. When you absorb an Outer God Fragment, stats are automatically granted according to its attribute. There shouldn’t be a choice.
Then a stat selection window appeared.
But—
1. Glory.
2. Glory.
3. Glory.
4. Glory.
5. Glory.
Every single option was covered with glory.
One of the side effects from an Outer God Fragment.
To think side effects would already manifest from an Outer God Fragment pulled from a mere C-rank Fissure. This is bad.
Then. Smack! A sharp pain struck the back of my head. The selection window momentarily blurred. It was the briefest of gaps, but I didn’t miss it.
‘Grant me the Blessing of damnation.’
I simultaneously invoked Holy Power and Black Magic. Chains and pristine force tangled together, unleashing an indescribable agony. The kind of pain where the soul seemed to dissolve.
No—it was actually dissolving. Black Magic demands life force as payment.
Because of that, my mind sharpened and the grotesque selection window vanished.
I exhaled slowly and regained clarity.
‘That was close.’
Damned Hard Mode.
I was slowly steadying my breathing when I noticed someone fidgeting beside me.
“S-something seemed off, and I noticed that whenever things seem off, hitting the back of the head seems to help… I truly had no ulterior motive!”
Milo rambled incoherently, his face contorted with anxiety.
Milo must have struck the back of my head. Thanks to that, a brief opening appeared, and I could reclaim my senses.
“Well done.”
“P-please spare me—well done?”
“Yes. I lived because of you.”
Milo broke into a wide grin, relief washing over him.
I threw a casual punch.
“Aaaagh!”
Milo collapsed after taking the blow to his back of the head. He stared up at me in utter bewilderment.
I ignored him and looked at my hand.
‘Was the Outer God Fragment absorbed?’
It was an Outer God Fragment from an Aura-attribute monster. If it was absorbed, my Aura stat should have increased.
Originally, Aura is described as fire, and a knight’s rank is determined by how thoroughly they refine it.
For instance, a Lower Rank Knight’s Aura burns wildly and rough.
Refining that rough Aura into something stable earned the designation of Intermediate Rank Knight.
An Advanced Rank Knight actually expands their refined Aura. The Aura is no longer confined to the shape of a blade.
One could fire Aura like an arrow, or lengthen it like a whip to cut through space itself.
And beyond an Advanced Rank Knight, reaching High Rank Knight, the Aura dominates space itself.
That was called the Sword Domain.
Which is why High Rank Knights are called those who have transcended.
I am a High Rank Knight.
An error occurred when I maxed four stats to S, and I floundered for twelve years.
Twelve years was a long span, but it was woefully insufficient to raise all four stats to High Rank level.
Side effects were unavoidable.
‘I cannot use the Sword Domain.’
Despite being a High Rank Knight, I couldn’t manifest the Sword Domain.
Not being able to use the Sword Domain isn’t particularly problematic.
The problem is that the Sword Domain is the gateway to reaching Sword Master. That is—
‘I cannot ascend to Sword Master through enlightenment.’
This is why I’ve been consuming Outer God Fragments.
I need to forcibly elevate my realm.
However, to reach Sword Master without enlightenment, I need an S-rank Outer God Fragment. C-rank isn’t enough.
Does that mean absorbing a C-rank Outer God Fragment has no effect?
‘No. I can temporarily elevate my realm.’
I summoned my Aura to test it.
Unlike before, there was a faint tingling sensation. Following that feeling, I drew out more Aura.
The blade began to quiver like an aspen in the wind. Muscles tore along my arm where I gripped it, sending sharp pain coursing through.
My entire body was warning me, but I ignored it and focused on the Aura.
Soon the blue Aura broke free from the blade and began spreading outward.
The Sword Domain—proof of a High Rank Knight.
The Sword Domain’s form differs by knight.
Some knights draw forth crashing seas, others raise fortified castles. Most are brilliantly ornate.
But my Sword Domain was desolate and barren. A battlefield where abandoned blades lay scattered—
‘A battlefield.’
Then extreme exhaustion crashed over me. Simultaneously, the Aura vanished in an instant. This was the symptom that appeared when I burned through my Aura completely.
I quickly withdrew my Aura.
The manifesting Sword Domain crumbled away.
‘At most… three seconds.’
Three seconds only if I completely depleted myself.
The efficiency was laughably low, yet I smiled broadly.
The side effects can be resolved by collecting more Outer God Fragments. What mattered was that I’d confirmed the possibility.
“H-High Rank Knight?”
Milo’s stuttering voice pulled me from my thoughts. He stared at me with astonishment.
“It’s classified.”
“C-classified… Y-yes, sir!!”
Milo answered loudly. His usually cocky eyes sparkled like a boy beholding a hero. He really was a simple one.
“Kiiiiieeeee!”
At the piercing shriek, I turned to find the surroundings collapsing.
The Fissure was closing.
“Time to leave.”
“How do we escape?”
Milo asked seriously. I casually pointed downward.
Following my finger, Milo’s gaze shifted downward and he flinched. Below us, a terrible darkness roiled like an abyss.
“Jump. Milo, use your Roar at full strength for five seconds ahead of us.”
“Yes? What exactly is—”
I pushed Milo’s back.
Milo tumbled helplessly into the darkness.
“You crazy bastard……!!!”
Milo’s scream echoed through the collapsing space.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————