…Can I win?
Livio swallowed hard, feeling his mouth go dry. He felt something trickling down his back. When using his ability, his body temperature would rise sharply, causing him to sweat profusely, but this felt subtly different. Rather than an aftereffect, it seemed more like his mind was shocked by an unexpected situation.
It couldn’t be helped, as the person he absolutely had to deal with to return to the Defense Force was now showing an overwhelming performance right before his eyes. The emotion welling up at this moment was close to bewilderment and despair.
Am I afraid?
Livio gritted his teeth, as if unable to accept his own state. Although his life hadn’t been without ups and downs, he had lived a successful life as an S-class esper, proud enough to consider himself the best when it came to power.
‘Is that the boy…?’
‘Ah, yes. This is Second Lieutenant Iberis Hyun. One of our Defense Force’s promising talents. I was actually planning to introduce him to you, Colonel Logan…’
‘I remember. The ice ability user, right?’
‘That’s correct. He’s a talent destined for greatness, so we’ve been working hard lately to recruit him before the reformist faction snatches him away. Hey, Second Lieutenant Hyun! Come over here!’
His confidence was first shaken the day he met the young esper with an ability that conflicted with his own.
‘Hello, Colonel. I’m Iberis Hyun.’
‘…Nice to meet you, I’m Livio Logan.’
Eight years ago, when Livio finally met Iberis, whom he had only known through subordinates’ reports and rumors, he was enveloped in an indescribable discomfort. It was an uneasiness he hadn’t felt even with his nemesis, Winfried.
At the time, he tried to rationalize it as a natural discomfort due to their abilities being extreme opposites. But now he knew it wasn’t simply that. Back then, he had instinctively sensed that Iberis might be an opponent he couldn’t suppress.
Being opposites meant they were both strong and weak against each other.
If one used the advantage of compatibility well, even a B-class esper could overcome the grade difference and defeat an A-class esper. Among those of the same grade, the outcome was determined by factors like mana quantity, battle sense, and control ability rather than the nature of their abilities. As a result, the more experienced side usually had the advantage.
But Iberis was different. When he met those clear, transparent eyes like snowflakes, Livio intuitively realized that this young rookie was clearly an irregular even among S-class espers. And that apart from experience, he himself hardly had any advantages over him.
Livio, who had lived as a strong person all his life, suppressed his displeasure at the sense of crisis he felt for the first time in a very long while. He didn’t want to admit that he was inferior to an esper who could be his son’s age.
But he soon changed his mind. To Livio’s eyes, which saw people as tools, Iberis was material that could become the most powerful weapon if handled well.
That’s why he took steps to bring Iberis in. And he entrusted him to a capable and caring subordinate. Although it ultimately turned out to be the worst choice, he reaped quite a bit of benefit until he was backstabbed.
Having benefited greatly from Iberis and then fallen because of him, Livio found this situation even more bleak. Iberis’s recovery was a huge setback for him as he aimed for a comeback.
“Ha.”
Livio sighed as his chest suddenly felt tight. He finally realized that what was making his back damp was cold sweat.
What should I do?
Livio observed with a stunned expression as Iberis one-sidedly pushed back the Black World Tree, an A+ class boss monster. Disliking uncertainty, he hadn’t touched Iberis for the past few years. He had no intention of making the first move until he was certain he could subdue him completely.
Above all, Iberis was expected to self-destruct if left alone. The fate of an esper suffering from chronic lack of guiding was ultimately death. As long as he didn’t meet a guide with matching rate and compatibility, he was bound to grow weaker.
Therefore, Livio decided to wait for the right time for a successful hunt. Time was on his side anyway.
However, his prediction was completely off. Iberis, whom he thought would wither on his own, suddenly became full of vitality one day and instead blossomed brilliantly.
Kwagwak!
Perhaps sensing Livio’s gaze, Iberis released his mana as if to show off his power. At that moment, the ground shook as if an earthquake had occurred, and ice pillars shot up from all directions. As the ground flipped, the roots of the Black World Tree were exposed.
“…He’s crazy.”
Livio inadvertently exclaimed in admiration as he witnessed a power akin to a disaster. He couldn’t guarantee victory even when Iberis’s physical condition was poor, but seeing him rampage like this, any peace of mind vanished completely.
“Damn it.”
This is all because of that guy. His eyes, filled with resentment and anger, turned to the back. There was a guide moving around the battlefield as if he were an esper himself.
“Luke Illum…”
Livio glared at Lucas, who was shooting and breaking frozen Dark Elves and providing first aid to injured soldiers.
Everyone here knew who had changed Iberis. Luke Illum, the arrogant guide called Winfried’s successor, was the main culprit who had turned his plans into a thorny path.
Should I kill him?
Livio clenched and unclenched his fist, wondering if it would be better to eliminate Lucas right now. But the situation was too bad. There were too many eyes watching, and he wasn’t confident he could handle Iberis, who would be enraged at seeing his guide hurt.
“Where are you looking, Guild Master Logan?”
His inner conflict ended ridiculously. Livio stiffened, his shoulders going rigid as a chilling voice that sent shivers down his spine hit his ears. As he turned his stiff neck, he saw Iberis standing on a branch of the Black World Tree, covered in thick ice.
“Do you have the luxury to be distracted?”
“Major Hyun.”
“You jumped into this subjugation claiming fire is best against trees, but when I exposed the roots as planned, you got distracted…”
Iberis coldly reprimanded Livio, looking at him with contemptuous eyes. The Black World Tree continuously regenerates as long as its roots are alive, so targeting them is crucial.
The plan was for Iberis to use moisture in the soil to push the tree’s deeply hidden roots to the surface, and then Livio would immediately burn them.
“I’m sure I told you not to have any stray thoughts.”
Iberis growled lowly, easily guessing who Livio had been looking at until just now. He seemed ready to pounce on him at any moment.
Kururu, Kwagak!
The exposed roots tried to burrow back into the ground. But ice spikes like beast fangs rained down on the Black World Tree, as if to say “not a chance.”
Pubububuk!
Kieee…!
As cold, sharp daggers pierced through dozens of large and small roots, pinning them down like nails and blocking their movement, the Black World Tree let out an eerie sound like a ghost’s wail.
“*^&@!@!?※◎##$!!!”
Just then, a Dark Elf, most of its body frozen, staggered to its feet and chanted something while stabbing its chest. It had offered itself as a sacrifice to the Black World Tree.
Kugugung!
The tree instantly absorbed the black blood of the elf that dripped onto its roots. Immediately after, the Black World Tree’s energy strengthened, and thick, heavy roots spread out in all directions.
Tsururut, Tseuk.
The tree pierced the sharp ends of its roots into the corpses of Dark Elves, Poison Butterflies, and other monsters, quickly absorbing the remaining mana from their bodies.
Thanks to the soldiers shattering the monsters Iberis had frozen and Livio turning everything in sight to ash, there weren’t many intact corpses left. But the amount was still significant enough to change the Black World Tree’s situation.
Kiaaaak!
The Black World Tree, having instantly grown in size, launched a powerful sonic attack that shook its entire body. As an enormous amount of mana burst out at once, the ice spikes embedded in its body and roots shattered with a crash.
“Ugh! My ears…!”
“Use mana to protect your ears!”
The soldiers who detected the anomaly quickly took defensive positions, but they were a step too late. Blood trickled from the ears of those who couldn’t block the attack in time. Some even lost consciousness and collapsed.
“…An unexpected variable has occurred.”
Tak. Iberis landed on the ground and muttered, looking at the Black World Tree that had grown larger than before. His icy gaze turned to Livio, who was standing blankly beside him.
“Guild Master Logan. Things have gone awry because you just missed the timing to eliminate the roots. Do you acknowledge your mistake?”
Livio’s lips tightened at the frighteningly cold rebuke that seemed to brook no argument. He had no excuse, even with ten mouths, for the blunder of not acting according to plan because he was unsettled by Iberis’s prowess.
“We agreed that if variables arose during combat, you’d follow my instructions, right? From now until the end of this subjugation, I’ll treat you not as an equal collaborator, but as a soldier under my command. Any objections?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
