Chapter 100
I was flustered looking at Daisy, who was crying *myaang*.
A mischievous impulse struck me, and I repeatedly covered and uncovered Daisy's mouth with my palm.
Myayap myayayap myayayap.
Because of that, a rather funny sound began to echo all around. I was trying to hold back my laughter as I watched this. Ruen, who was in front of me, couldn't hold back her laughter and burst out laughing.
Myagyak!?
When Ruen laughed, Daisy stopped her *mueeng* sound, sniffled, and then...
...began to whine at Ruen as if scolding her.
Nappuyaya!
When Daisy got angry, Ruen looked at her, flustered. Soon, she offered an apology to Daisy in a voice full of regret.
"I'm sorry... I wasn't laughing to make fun of you." "Mnyak!" "It was just because you were cute..."
Perhaps because of the immediate apology, Daisy forgave her more easily than expected, nodding with her arms crossed. Shiren, who was watching this, seemed displeased and spoke curtly as she looked at them.
"A *Super Giant Ddungddwaejji*, and a bad personality too. A *round, round Dwejji*.""...!"
The battle began anew. By now, it was such a familiar sight that I just let Daisy be surprised on her own and continued speaking.
Anyway, I plan to go into the Training Ground for a while. I intend to come out as soon as possible... but I'm not sure exactly when that will be.
At my words, Ruen looked at me with a very regretful expression. My heart almost wavered for a moment at that expression. But if I didn't grow stronger now, there was a very high chance I'd feel the same helplessness I'd experienced in the past. I thought this was unavoidable and turned my head.
Then I'll decorate the Castle as much as I can before Damian returns!
Ruen tried to act as if nothing was wrong, beginning to cheer me on. It was obvious she was putting on that act for my sake, so I felt a little sorry and gave an awkward smile. Unlike Ruen, Shiren seemed to choose clinging over cheering, sticking right to me and speaking.
"Take me too."
"Huh?"
"I want to go too."
I couldn't help but give an awkward laugh at her request. If it were anywhere else, maybe, but the Training Ground was not a good place to take someone, even as a joke.
Even though it's a place where you don't truly die even if you're killed, and wounds heal even if you're injured.
Mental damage, however, kept accumulating. If you were attacked and died there, it wasn't just painful; it felt like your mind was breaking.
“If you repeat that hundreds of times.”
At some point, the fear of death would completely vanish, and the Training Ground was a place where one became numb to both one's own death and the deaths of others.
'That's why I really don't want to take her.'
There was no need to share this kind of pain. No, even if I had to share it, I didn't want to, so I shook my head and said no. Shiren stared at me for a moment, then, as if something occurred to her, looked up at me intently and spoke.
Then grant me one favor.
Given Shiren's personality, there was a high chance it wouldn't be a difficult favor, so I nodded. Shiren looked up at me intently, hesitating for a moment. Soon, she spoke to me in a slightly excited voice.
Then, you know. Give me a kiss.
Ruen was the first to react to the word "kiss." Ruen had been smiling and watching us from the side, but the moment the word "kiss" came out, she started coughing violently. It seemed she was flustered by something completely unexpected, so I patted Ruen's back and spoke.
"Are you okay?"
"Huh? Yes..."
Then she alternated glances between Shiren and me, giving an awkward smile, before her expression turned complex and subtle, and she began to fidget. I decided to leave Ruen alone for a moment and focus on Shiren, and calmly opened my mouth.
"Just in case, I'm asking. You know what a kiss is, right?" "Yeah. It's what you do before a kiss." "...?"
A rather perplexing answer came back. I gave an awkward laugh at Shiren's reply, avoiding her gaze.
'It's not exactly wrong...'
But I also thought it was too ambiguous to say it was right, and as I was wondering what to do... Ruen spoke to Shiren in a hurried voice.
"Th-that's a bit too soon, isn't it?"
"Why?"
"Well..."
Ruen seemed to have nothing else to say, so she stammered and gave an awkward smile. Shiren, seeing Ruen like that, seemed to gain a strange confidence, looking at me with a triumphant expression.
"Do it."
"..."
"Should I do it?"
I couldn't hide my embarrassment at Shiren's overly aggressive demeanor. Shiren had always been proactive, but she had never so openly demanded physical affection to this extent. As I was wondering how to react to this...
M-me too...
Ruen's timid voice came from behind.
Please do it for me too...
I expected her to stop them, but instead, she poured a huge amount of oil on the fire.
As I was contemplating what to do with Shiren and Ruen in front of me...
Both of you, stop messing around and come help me here.
Liana physically calmed them down, then grabbed them by the scruff of their necks like kittens and dragged them away.
I chuckled at the two of them, then turned my gaze and took a light, deep breath.
Time to stop messing around and prepare to enter the Training Ground.
With her still clinging to me, I patted Daisy's back and began to move.
*
Thanks to the Shadow connection, it didn't take long to reach the Training Ground. As I saw the entrance to the Training Ground again and was warming up, Lorraine looked at me and offered a light cheer.
Have a good time, Young Master.
Hearing her greeting, I gave a light wave and immediately went inside. Looking back unnecessarily would only increase my hesitation. As I entered the interior after a long time, a familiar sight unfolded.
“...There was definitely a path leading Underground inside the Castle.”
Thinking that I should go there, I moved my steps slowly. When I reached the stairs leading Underground, I could feel a somewhat strange sensation emanating from below.
Wondering what this sensation was, I descended, and what I saw was...
...thousands of bizarre Monsters, lined up as if on display.
*'Monsters?'*
First Soldiers, then kings, then Monsters. Usually, isn't it Monsters, then Soldiers, then kings? Thinking the order was a bit strange, I created a mace out of Shadow and gripped it tightly.
“No doubt, I”m supposed to take down all those guys.'
With that thought, I decided to make a preemptive strike using Origin Explosion, gathering mana and unleashing a wide-area attack, but...
*'No damage?'*
Seeing that I hadn't inflicted any damage, I let out a hollow laugh. I didn't know exactly why, but it seemed that “this level of power” couldn't inflict damage. I thought things had gotten quite interesting and loosened my shoulders.
'It'll be incredibly tough... but one thing's for sure, if I kill all those guys, I should easily reach at least High-grade Expert.'
The moment that thought struck me, I immediately grabbed my mace to smash the head of the Monster in front of me.
...
The Monster in front of me opened its eyes, grabbed a massive greatsword, and began to attack me in return.
At first glance, it looked like mana, but the intense, sticky feeling easily revealed that the power's true nature was demonic energy.
I realized that these creatures were similar to Demonkind.
*'Demonkind...'*
Recalling that Demonkind were those consumed by Negative Emotions, I silently watched them. What on earth had they gone through to allow so many individuals to use demonic energy? Curiosity flickered, but there was no way to find out, so I forced it out of my mind and charged forward.
“It would be best to use Shadow for a preemptive strike.”
Grab their feet and attack their vital points. It was simple, but no attack was more effective, so just as I was about to use it to overwhelm the enemy...
CRASH!
The moment the Shadow extended. The Monster struck away my Shadow and let out a massive roar.
*'It blocked my Shadow?'*
Even the Holy Knights of the Order couldn't react to the Shadow I created. The fact that a mere Monster had blocked it was somewhat absurd. But I couldn't just stand there dumbfounded, so I immediately collected myself and used Origin Explosion on the Monster's body.
As expected, just like before, there was no damage. Seeing this, I realized it was time to find a technique more powerful than Origin Explosion and fell into thought.
“What should I do?”
As I was frowning, thinking I couldn't quite grasp it... Suddenly, the Shadow created by the Monster wrapped around my body, completely freezing me.
...?
It was the first time I had been subjected to this in reverse, so just as I felt a momentary surge of bewilderment...
The massive greatsword held by the Monster rapidly approached and began to pierce my body.
After a long time, death had been experienced. I came to my senses, realizing I was lying in the middle of the Castle, and let out a hollow laugh. Soon, I thought it was quite interesting and ran a hand through my hair.
“Right, to reach High-grade Expert, I need to go through this much.”
And as I was moving underground, I thought I should make the most of this opportunity to become as strong as possible. A sudden thought popped into my head.
“Can I put Shadow inside my body?”