The Academy's Barbarian

Chapter 86: Declaration of War (3)

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Near the north gate of Arsene Academy, a wagon was parked on a forest path. Workers were busy loading the wagon with goods, and soon the work was done.

Its all here. Perfect.

After carefully checking the goods loaded on the wagon, a middle-aged man smiled. He turned to the ash-haired girl in front of him and bowed respectfully, "Thank you for your hard work, Miss Sylphie.

The man's name was Alond; he was the butler of the manor house of Count Dermore, and a loyal servant of the Count.

And today, he was the one in charge of transporting the phosphorus stone and cryogenic water collected from the Fountain of Magic to the mansion.

"Ah, if you don't mind me asking, I assume you weren't caught using magic?"

"No, I acted separately."

Ha ha, well done, Alond smiled with satisfaction at Sylphie's answer. "If Miss Sylphie's origins were to be revealed, it would put master in a difficult position, and we would not be able to protect you."

"......."

Sylphie clamped her mouth shut; she already knew this fact. She was from the southern desert, and even among them, she is a member of the Desert Order, which was currently hostile to the empire. If her origins and identity were revealed, Count Dermore would undoubtedly abandon her without a moment's hesitation.

I would have done the same if it were me.

She had heard that being in league with the Desert Order was a crime second only to treason, so Sylphie kept her identity a secret.

This is the payment from the master.

At that moment, Alond handed her something a white envelope. When she took it, he bowed his head again, "I will write to you again in the future. Until we meet again, please take care."

With a polite farewell, Alond got on the wagon and soon disappeared beyond the forest. Sylphie, who was left alone, sighed and sat down on the spot.

"Haahh."

It was a relief, and the tension eased. With another sigh of relief, she opened the envelope she received from Alond.

Inside were five gold coins; a considerable sum for a student.

Still, more money is always better.

Now that she had failed her original purpose of taming the Bai Lang, the White Wolf, her future was in a very uncertain state; therefore, she decided to secure as much money as possible to prepare for the unpredictable future.

Oh, right.

Speaking of money, she suddenly remembered something.

Before she came here, she found a top-grade mana stone in Zone 3 of the Fountain of Magic.

At that time, she only thought of it as an item set up by Professor Dirac for research purposes.

'But now that I think about it.......

It was most likely not Professor Dirac's property.

Because she had heard that he was also collaborating with Count Dermore because he lacked research funds.

But having six top-grade mana stones, not one?

It doesn't make sense.

Six top-grade mana stones would be enough to buy a three-story mansion in the capital of the Empire. In other words, Professor Dirac did not own the mana stones.

Immediately after realizing this, she bit her lip as if in regret.

'If I'd known, I wouldn't have told him. Then I might have been able to intercept it.

Sylphie heaved a heavy sigh. But it was already spilled water. So she shook off her thoughts, leaving only regret.

Forget it, what's done is done.

She should hurry back to her dorm.

Because the tension was released, she felt tired.

As she quietly turned her body in the direction of the dormitory

SHIVERRR!

she felt a chill all over her body; she felt her breath caught in her throat with an instinctive sense of fear. Moreover, an eerie feeling followed.

In the instant she encountered this sudden change, she quickly turned her head towards the unsettling direction. Shortly after, her eyes widened.

".........!"

Her gaze was fixed to the south; the direction of the Fountain of Magic where she had been staying until just now. Sylphie muttered with her eyes wide open.

"The sky......."

it was split exactly in half.

And that's only the sky near the Fountain of Magic.

Then she had an instinctive hunch something terrible had happened.

* * * * *

Frost Dragon.

The Frost Dragon was one of the six Rulers of the Abyss, and its presence alone froze the surrounding mana, completely halting the flow of mana.

The stopping of the flow of mana implied the inability to cast spells, making the Frost Dragon, in the original work, a formidable adversary for mages.

However, that wasn't the crucial point.

'Just now, what did he...?'

Noah's eyes shook violently.

She stared at Ulan with wide eyes, catching a brief but distinct moment.

What Ulan had just shouted.

"Frost Dragon-!"

In a voice that could shake the battlefield; that was definitely what Ulan had shouted.

At the same time, Noah snapped out of her reverie.

Surprised as she was, even the overwhelming fear that surged with the appearance of the Frost Dragon vanished. She had every reason to be.

Until the Gates of the Abyss opened in the future, for people, the 'Abyss' was nothing more than a simple legend. At best, they could think of Abyss worshipers.

'But.......?'

How does he know the Frost Dragon? He shouldn't know at this point, right?

The questions that surged up like crazy. Noah's mind soon became a jumbled mess. Her eyes looking at Ulan also became confused.

Meanwhile, at that time, Ulan frowned.

It was good that the Frost Dragon appeared, but he felt a sense of discomfort when he looked closely.

Why is it so small?

The Frost Dragon he had faced in his previous life was, quite simply, enormous. It was so big that it even gave the impression that a huge mountain was moving.

On the other hand, it wasn't that big now.

To put it into perspective, it was about the same size as the auditorium building he saw during the entrance ceremony; not quite as big as a mountain.

Oh, come to think of it.......

He suddenly remembered a piece of information; a few pieces of information that he learned while fighting the Frost Dragon over and over again in his previous life.

Among them was the reason why its body grew larger every time they met. Ulan nodded as if he understood when he remembered this.

That's right. It hasn't shed its skin yet, has it?

The Frost Dragon had a characteristic of growing in size and strengthening its power as it shed its skin. In fact, the creature would flee to the Abyss if it was at all disadvantaged in battle, and then return stronger after shedding its skin.

That's why I couldn't defeat it in the end.

The Frost Dragon had shed its skin so many times that it had become uncontrollably strong. That's why in its last life, it could not be defeated.

But this time is different.

The Frost Dragon had just appeared in the world; in other words, it means that it has not shed its skin once yet. This means that it is not as strong as it was in the previous life where he struggled.

As soon as he thought of this, he finally realized what he had to do.

Today, I will kill it here.

No matter what it takes, I must!

With determination etched in his crimson eyes, without hesitation, he stomped the ground; to fulfill the mission of a warrior, the one he had failed to fulfill in his last life.

But there was an interruption.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sound of wings cutting through the air; with a gust of wind, dozens of monsters appeared from beyond the Abyssal Rift. They looked like scaled-down versions of the Frost Dragon.

Wyvern.

Literally, flying dragons; they belong to the Frost Dragon family, and were only slightly smaller than the Corcus he had faced earlier. Their strength was comparable to that of their parent species, but they are somewhat tricky to deal with.

'Since they won't come down from the sky.'

They fly high in the sky and breathe a frosty breath that freezes everything in its path.

Unless something significant happened, they would never descend to the ground. So, to deal with them, a sniper like Sven or Dilia was necessary.

'But.......'

It was not possible now.

Sven was absent, and Dilia's mana was on the verge of depletion. Even if she had any mana left, she would not be able to use magic as long as the Frost Dragon existed.

However, at that moment, suddenly, the creatures descended to the ground. As if they had a purpose.

Observing this, Ulan quickly realized their target.

Is it Dilia they're after?

It was the same as in his past life.

The Rulers of the Abyss were particularly obsessed with Dilia. To be precise, it seemed that their goal was to obtain the one who was Blessed by Mana.

'Then this time.......

Noah would be targeted too.

Before he could finish his speculation, the Wyvern that first charged suddenly extended its claws towards Noah.

Of course, it didn't accomplish its goal.

Crack! Crunch!

The Wyvern's head shattered into pieces.

This was the result of Ulan swiftly closing the distance and swinging his axe. The others faced a similar fate.

And as a result, the remaining Wyverns ascended back into the sky.

Perhaps they felt threatened by what had happened to their kin. There was nothing Ulan could do against them as they soared into the sky.

Then, at that moment.

"Ca-careful, Ulan!" Noah, with a pale face, threw a warning; as if she had discovered something ominous. Soon, the nature of the warning became apparent.

Zzzzzzzz!

The mouths of all the Wyvern opened wide and soon, an icy blast of mana erupted from them and poured down towards Ulan.

'Ice Breath.'

A troublesome ability that freezes everything. In his previous life, the only solution was to dodge, but it is different now. So instead of dodging, he drew his axe and swung it.

Boom!

An explosion accompanied the crash and soon the situation changed dramatically.

Saaaaaaah!

As soon as the axe touched the Ice Breath, it dissipated with deceptive ease. Not only that, but even the mana that composed the breath was sucked up without a trace.

Gula, the axe of gluttony the axe that ravenously devours all the mana in existence.

[...........!]

Were the Wyvern surprised by the sudden sight? They all closed their mouths, as if they had no intention of spewing breath anymore.

Then, they circled the sky, gazing down at Ulan as if on guard. Ulan couldn't move from his spot either.

I can't leave the two alone.

With mana and spells sealed now, Noah and Dilia were nothing more than powerless girls, not exceptional mages.

So, if Ulan left his position, both of them would be captured by the Wyverns in the blink of an eye.

If only the others were here.......

Comrades who fought together in his past life.

At the very least, if Sven were here, he would have left this position and gone to confront the Frost Dragon. Ulan acutely felt the absence of his comrades. But there was no time to dwell on it.

Because the wyverns swooped down to the ground again.

Hiss! Swish!

This time, the horde split in two: one group attacked Ulan from all sides, while the other targeted Noah and Dilia.

It's a shallow trick.

He thought as he watched the gap close and activated the domain of a Master once more; the merciless slaughter that began simultaneously.

Crack! Swish! Boom!

Heads exploded, and torsos sliced; the raging axe never missed its prey, bringing certain death to the wyverns.

But then, in that moment

"......!"

Ulan's eyes widened; he had discovered something belatedly.

Outside of his domain, he saw three wyverns with their mouths open and soon, the icy breath poured down.

Kwak-kwak-kwak!

They were targeting Noah and Dilia.

Ulan hastily retrieved his axe to block the breath, but due to the wyverns blocking the way, it was impossible.

'No, it can't be too late!'

The breath that preceded him by a hair's breadth; still, there was a way to block it.

Transcendent Domain

A technique for warriors who can transcend time and space.

By using this, he could barely block it.

Of course, it consumed a considerable amount of spirit, and it also placed a significant burden on the body. Still, it was better than losing Noah and Dilia.

And just as he was about to take half a step, a dazzling flash of light occurred.

It pierced through the realm, and with the Ice Breath, it slashed through even the wyverns.

Swish!

Starting with an eerie sound, the three wyverns were split into dozens of pieces; the cuts were as clean as if they were made by a sharp blade.

As their dismembered bodies littered the ground, Ulan heard a familiar voice, "I came because I felt uneasy." A calm, deep-toned voice. Following that, a middle-aged man with blue hair and a bushy beard revealed himself. "I see I was right to hurry."

One of the five masters of the empire Seoric al-Ghorfant, the Loyal Sword.

Noah's eyes widened at the mere presence of such a powerful man.

"Wha, you're here, sir...?"

"I heard that students were stranded in Zone 2. I came to pick them up because I had some time to spare, but..." His answer trailed off; his eyes narrowed, and he glanced at the Frost Dragon in the distance, "......From the looks of things, I'm afraid we might need to call Dean Deflyn."

The moment he spotted the Frost Dragon, Seoric had a hunch if he fought that monster, he would lose.

A nervousness he hadn't felt since he'd reached the realm of a Master. He gripped his sword, feeling his body stiffen.

"I have a favor to ask," Suddenly, Ulan spoke up; his face was serious. "Take the two of them and run.

"......what?" Theoric asked, a beat too late.

Of course, even without saying to run, he had considered escaping. Facing a monster with no visible chance of winning, he had no intention of fighting.

However, Ulan's words sounded a little different. As if to confirm if he had heard it right, he asked again, "Are you sure you want to fight that monster?"

"Yes."

A decisive answer without any hesitation.

He was momentarily speechless.

Ulan might also know. The slim chance of victory against that monster. That's why Seoric warned him, "Even if it's you..."

"That's right, Ulan!" Then Noah suddenly interrupted; her face turned pale. She grabbed Ulan's forearm and shouted in exasperation, "It's suicide to fight alone!"

"For now, let's just retreat," Dilia suggested retreating as well; her eyes somehow pleading.

But Ulan shook his head, "No, I can't do that."

"What, what are you saying?"

"The Frost Dragon is to be defeated here."

"Ulan!"

She tried to persuade him, but to no avail.

Seoric, who had been watching, said what was on his mind, "Then answer me one question." With a serious look on his face, his lips moved, Why are you so determined to fight?"

There are many reasons to fight part of it was to fulfill his mission as a warrior that he hadn't fulfilled in his last life. And he was also convinced that it would be easier in the future if he got rid of it before it shed its skin.

'However...'

That was not the answer Seoric wanted to hear.

He was not a warrior.

So he silently grabbed the axe.

Soon after, he aimed the axe at the Frost Dragon and gave a slightly more fundamental answer, "A simple reason."

The dragon, which didn't even move from the rift in the abyss.

Ulan glared at it, a fiery determination igniting in him, "Because I have a monster in front of me."

There was no need for any other reasons. Ulan's eyes seemed to say just that.

Seoric had a blank expression; the answer was far more straightforward and clear-cut than he had expected.

"That's quite an answer for you," Bursting into laughter, he nodded silently. "I understand. Leave the rest to me."

"Thank you."

As soon as he'd said the words Seoric wanted to hear, Ulan immediately turned his body. Then, with a face that had shed all hesitation and reluctance, he kicked the ground

Boom!

and sprinted across the battlefield.

He could hear Noah and Dilia shouting something, but he didn't care. Right now, the only thing on Ulan's mind was the Frost Dragon.

[........!]

Meanwhile, right after Ulan left his position, the wyverns hovering in the sky rushed towards Noah and Dilia as if they were waiting.

But there was no need to look back.

The man who now stood beside them was a Master recognized by Ulan, one of the Five Swords of the Empire.

The outcome was clear as day.

Swish! Crack!

Seoric's sword strikes poured down like lightning, literally tearing apart the wyverns; with the sound of tearing skin and crunching bones, Ulan charged forward without hesitation.

Frost Dragon!

An unfinished battle from his last life; to seize the opportunity once more, to put an end to this tiresome battle.

At the moment when Ulan's eyes were flashing fiercely

Whoosh! Kwa-ga-ga-ga!

suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew like a gale, and a powerful shock wave hit him; powerful enough to blow away even pebbles.

For a moment, he hesitated.

Lo, a worm, creeping upon the earthly realm.

A chilling voice echoed.

It wasn't a sound tapping on his ears but a voice transmitted directly to his mind. None other than the voice of the Frost Dragon.

A worm devoid of tough scales, lacking in keen claws, and unable to take to the skies, doth it muster the courage to face me?

A mockery that was laced with sneer.

However, Ulan didn't react; he simply walked steadily, facing the wind created by the monster.

Perceive the distinction. Mortal.

The monster flapped its huge wings again.

This time, the wind whipped up into a storm of icy cold; a blow of bitter cold that freezes everything in its path. But even that couldn't stop Ulan.

Crunch! Splinter!

While breaking the ice that stuck to his skin, finally, he narrowed the distance to twenty steps.

"Finally, we're close."

After traveling to the edge of the domain in one swift movement, Ulan grabbed the Frost Dragon by the tail and grinned, the corners of his mouth twisting into a grin, "You can't run away this time."

As if he would never let go again.

On the other hand, did it understand what he said? The Frost Dragon's nine eyes blinked.

Flee, perchance?

The Frost Dragon let out a laugh. As if it was ridiculous.

After a moment, it twisted its body menacingly and, with a furious roar,

A worm of thy kind knoweth not its station!

the Frost Dragon suddenly emitted a terrifying killing intent, releasing a furious roar. It swung its tail, which Ulan was holding onto, with the intention of smashing the creature's head right off.

But strangely.

The tail didn't move. As if it was being crushed by a huge boulder.

What

So it rolled its eyeballs.

What came into view next was the figure of Ulan, stomping on the tail with his huge foot. And Ulan was also staring at the Frost Dragon.

I told you clearly, A calm voice followed; Ulan's eyes flashed eerily. You won't be able to run away.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, without hesitation, he swung the axes in both hands; Utilizing every ounce of strength. Indeed, all the strength he had.

And the result.

Quuaaaaaang!

A deafening sound swallowed the battlefield.

It was the sound of a Frost Dragon, huge as a building, flying through the air and crashing into a corner.

(End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . . )

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