TGSA 61

Chapter 61

Hunting a Big Fish (3)

After a long fall, I landed in the deep layers of the Western Grand Labyrinth.

I’d prepared beforehand, so I wasn’t injured.

“All right, then….”

I looked around.

Even if you were the author of this world, you couldn’t possibly know the full layout of every twisted underground cave.

I had no idea exactly where in the deep western labyrinth I was.

“But I do know how to move.”

I used the Attilion Mana Detection Technique.

It wasn’t to check for monsters nearby.

“I can feel it from under the ground.”

Beneath what looked like ordinary earth, a vast energy flowed.

As if groundwater were running below, the earth’s qi flowed beneath the surface.

“A ley vein…”

In this world there are places where the earth’s energy concentrates.

The glowing herb field under the Academy’s Punishment Hall was one such place.

That place had the earth’s qi gathered there like a small pond.

But there are places where much more energy rushes like a great river.

Those places are called ley veins.

“That’s why the imperial government values the Western Grand Labyrinth.”

If natural energy concentrates somewhere, it’s easy to secure materia for elixirs.

In the deep layers of the Western Grand Labyrinth where ley veins run, you can find ingredients for high-grade elixirs.

That’s why the imperial government specially manages the western labyrinth.

“Then… let’s follow the ley vein.”

I moved in the direction the ley vein flowed.

While using the Attilion technique I didn’t forget to check for monsters’ locations.

If I ran into an overly powerful monster here, I could lose my life before ever facing Theodora.

“I should conserve my stamina too.”

After walking for a while, a faint light began to be felt ahead.

It was the glow of the luminescent herb that had been under the Academy’s Punishment Hall as well.

“This must be nearby.”

Using the ley vein’s flow and the luminescent herb’s light as a guide, I kept walking.

Eventually I reached a strange place.

“Found it.”

It was a lake where underground water had pooled.

Various footprints littered the area, so it was clear monsters came to drink here.

Fortunately, there was no sense of monsters nearby right now.

“Then let’s get started.”

I loosened up my body and stepped into the lake.

I reached a depth where my feet couldn’t touch, but I didn’t mind and dove.

“Graduates can hold their breath longer than ordinary humans… I can endure.”

I searched the dark lake.

Concentrating my mana into my sight and continuing to scan, I spotted something black on the lakebed.

“There it is!”

I reached out and pulled it up by the roots.

Then I quickly got back out of the lake.

“Hah, hah….”

Panting, I checked what I had pulled up.

Although it had been growing on the lakebed, the “plant” resembled a field-grown grass.

“This is… Black Shadow Grass.”

Black Shadow Grass.

It’s an essential ingredient when making the highest-grade elixir, the “Black Elixir.”

Of course, just having this alone doesn’t let you make Black Elixir.

Other ingredients are needed, and only with special processes will the Black Elixir be complete.

“The detailed method is the empire’s top secret.”

Honestly, I didn’t know the details either.

The novel never explained it in detail.

But there was one thing I did know.

“There’s a way to dissolve the earth-qi accumulated in this Black Shadow Grass so humans can absorb it.”

I put my hand into my uniform pocket.

I took out the glass bottle I had wrapped in cloth.

It was a blue elixir I’d received as a reward for defeating an orc.

“I already told Yols earlier that I’d taken an elixir, but that was a lie.”

Unlike Heinrich, I had kept the blue elixir stored.

I planned to use it here today.

“…. ”

I opened the elixir’s cap.

I carefully put the Black Shadow Grass into the glass vial.

Then… the Black Shadow Grass began to dissolve.

“The solvent used in elixirs can dissolve Black Shadow Grass.”

You can’t absorb that qi just by chewing the grass in your mouth.

But if you dissolve it in an elixir solution and drink it, it can seep into your body along with the elixir.

Of course, that doesn’t produce the same effect as a true Black Elixir.

Compared to a properly processed Black Elixir, it’d be half… no, not even half of half.

But the Black Elixir is meant for Graduates of upper rank.

For my Mana Heart, which is still at lower-grade Graduate, this would do.

“All right then….”

I drank the darkened elixir.

A bitter taste, fiercer than any I’d experienced, hit me.

I forced it down, let it flow into my stomach, and immediately sat in a lotus position.

“This place has a ley vein… there’s even more earth-qi concentrated here than under the Academy’s Punishment Hall.”

If I cultivated mana here, I could achieve great gains.

Confident of that, I circulated the energy of the Black Shadow Grass through my body.

“Ugh!”

My veins throbbed throughout my body.

The qi of the Black Shadow Grass churned through my blood vessels.

It felt like the veins might burst.

“This sensation… it’s the first time!”

The Black Shadow Grass’ qi was stronger than I’d expected.

It was probably because I hadn’t sufficiently refined the grass’ energy before dissolving it in the blue elixir and absorbing it.

If I failed to control this energy here, a mana rampage would occur.

“I must subdue it!”

I drew up all the mana stored in my Mana Heart.

Letting mana flow through every vein in my body, I tried to suppress the wildly rampaging qi of the Black Shadow Grass.

My mana and the grass’ qi began to fight fiercely.

“Ugh…!”

Every vein in my body quivered.

Fear gripped me because this was a sensation I’d never experienced before.

In my mind I wanted to dump all the energy out along with my blood.

But I couldn’t do that.

If I couldn’t endure here, if I couldn’t win… I wouldn’t be able to defeat Theodora.

“Ernas, hold on!”

I scolded Ernas’s body and focused my mind.

I forcefully crushed the enormous qi sweeping through my blood vessels.

I suppressed its violent momentum and made it flow through my blood vessels together with my mana.

Of course, I mustn’t rush.

As calmly and stably as possible.

I had to make it adapt to my body and push it into the Mana Heart.

I needed to store as much mana as possible up to the limit and make it mine.

“Yes, I….”

Suddenly, a vow I’d made long ago flashed through my head.

I had promised to change Ernas’s fate—since he’d been a fake genius—and become a true genius.

So far, everything had gone smoothly, but that wasn’t enough.

To get stronger, I had to grow as a Graduate.

If I didn’t, I wouldn’t survive in this world.

“….”

At some point even pain had ceased to register.

Blocking out all unnecessary sensations, I concentrated only on circulating the Black Shadow Grass’ qi.

My soul and body were being used solely to refine mana.

So I could reach mid-grade Graduate and gain the power to take down Theodora Baltfelt.

“This way.”

In a dark subterranean space, Theodora had succeeded in detecting Ernas’s trace.

Originally, Theodora had reached her present level by hunting monsters in the north.

Because of that, she was confident in her tracking skills.

“There’s no sign of bleeding, there’s no smell of blood… Did he fall without being wounded?”

Ernas was a lower-grade Graduate.

Even if he’d fallen because the floor collapsed and dropped to deeper layers, she thought he wouldn’t have died from the fall.

But it was odd that he bore no wounds.

“He’s not an ordinary fellow, after all.”

She felt glad she’d come herself.

If she’d left it to subordinates and they failed, it would be hard to clean up the mess.

She had to move herself and dispose of Ernas so it wouldn’t turn into another fiasco like when the assassins of the Blood Sword Elders were repelled.

“I’ve already planned how to do the aftercare. I only need to cut Ernas’s throat.”

A slight sense of regret crept in.

To be frank, Theodora rather liked Ernas.

If he weren’t the heir to the Lanzstein family, she would have formally offered to scout him.

“If you swung a sword for the Baltfelt house… how wonderful.”

Pointless thinking.

Ernas was the heir to the Lanzstein family and already the most advanced student at the Academy.

He wouldn’t become an ally of the Baltfelt house.

“All I can do is… end Ernas’s life for Gort.”

Ernas was only a lower-grade Graduate.

She had to dispose of him early, before he grew into a dangerous existence.

“I checked how skilled he currently is earlier… If I put my mind to it I can cut his throat with a single blow.”

Thinking that as she walked, a subterranean lake appeared before Theodora.

Ernas was there.

“…?”

But something was strange.

Ernas was in the lake.

‘Why in this situation….’

Had he fallen into the water while fleeing monsters?

Many possibilities occurred, but she couldn’t be sure.

“…!”

At that moment Ernas rose up from the lake.

With his wet body, he slowly walked out of the water.

‘What is this?’

Steam rose from Ernas’s body.

His wet clothes dried quickly.

‘Is heat being generated from his body? What is happening?’

Ernas’s face looked fine.

No, he looked even better than before, when she had seen him outside earlier.

Maintaining a calm expression, he slowly turned his gaze toward Theodora.

“…!”

That look was cold.

Not the look of one respecting a senior swordsman.

It was the look of someone staring directly at an enemy who must be felled.

“Ernas, you….”

Theodora bit her lip.

It seemed Ernas had already suspected Theodora was behind this incident.

If so… there was no need to waste more time.

“….”

She drew her sword.

A broad, weighty greatsword.

Theodora raised the blade and unleashed her sword aura.

She intended to end his life with a single strike using the Baltfelt sword style.

“Do not resent me, Ernas.”

If Theodora attacked with all her strength, Ernas’s head would fly off at once.

Thinking that it would be better than dragging things out, Theodora set her stance.

But at that moment—

“…!”

Ernas drew his sword too and assumed a stance.

Seeing that, Theodora couldn’t help but swallow.

“Why are you, Ernas Lanzstein—?”

The words escaped her.

She had planned to finish this in one swift move; she couldn’t bear not asking.

“Why are you taking the Baltfelt sword stance?!”

Ernas didn’t answer and instead spread his sword aura.

Exactly the same as the one Theodora had deployed just now… a golden sword aura.