The Academy's Barbarian

Chapter 84: Declaration of War (1)

Chapter 84: Declaration of War (1)Don't forget to rate and review the novel on NovelUpdates

Gates of the Abyss.

The source of what lies beyond.

The dark mana created here is called Pure Abyss Mana by mages; this mana instills an instinctive fear in those who wield mana, except for the fanatics who worship the abyss.

In a nutshell, Pure Abyss Mana could be described as mana permeated with all the negative emotions humans can feel.

Despair. Dread. Fear. Anxiety. And more.

Just sensing the mana alone intensified these emotions to the extreme. Therefore, those who received the Blessed by Mana were even more affected.

Because they could see the mana.

"Ugh, ah..."

A pale face drained of color; legs trembling like a weeping willow at the mere sight of Pure Abyss mana, Noah and Dilia stiffened like petrified trees.

Ulan was no different.

He stared straight ahead with a face as firm as stone. Of course, his gaze was directed slightly differently from what the two girls saw.

"......."

In the first place, he couldn't see mana.

So what Ulan was looking at wasn't mana but something beyond it. A crack in space where Pure Abyss mana flowed, referred to as the 'Abyssal Rift.'

Ulan knew what it was.

......A rift in the Abyss.

When the Gates of the Abyss opened in his last life, all sorts of monsters poured into the world.

However, there was one strange thing.

The monsters appeared even in places quite far from the Gate of the Abyss. The Abyssal monsters also appeared in Ulan's homeland, the northern plains at the northern end of the continent.

There was only one reason for this.

What he saw before him, the so-called Abyssal Rift, had opened across the continent.

Dilia from my past life told me.

The Abyssal Rift was a kind of passageway created by the weakening of the boundaries between the world and the Abyss; its fundamental role was the same as the Gate of the Abyss.

In other words, the purpose and essence of the 'Rift' was to allow Abyssal monsters to come here without going through the Gate.

However, there was one difference.

Unlike the Gates of the Abyss, which exist forever, unless you close it yourself, the Rift will naturally close over time.

I'm sure I heard a reason for this.......

But he couldn't comprehend it because the explanation was difficult.

So he only remembered that it would inevitably close as time passed. After finishing his recollection, Ulan gazed fixedly at the Abyssal Rift again.

'But why did it open now?'

Just as he thought before, the Abyssal Rift is a phenomenon caused by the weakening of the boundary between the Abyss and the world. At the same time, it was a phenomenon that only occurred after the Gates of the Abyss had opened.

Could it be that the Gates of the Abyss opened

He suddenly thought of it but quickly dismissed it; it was an improbable speculation.

If the gate had indeed opened, the area around the Fountain of Magic would have been blown away without a trace by now.

So why did the rift open?

A question that kept repeating itself over and over again.

In the moment of frustration, as he frowned

"......!"

suddenly, Ulan's expression changed; because the Abyss suddenly began to wriggle, like a liquid bubbling over. A phenomenon he had often seen in his past life.

Realizing what it was, he quickly shouted, "Everyone, get behind me!"

A shout that shook the surroundings.

Perhaps due to the rumbling voice? Noah and Dilia hastily regained their composure. Then, clinging to trembling legs, they managed to hide behind Ulan's back.

And at that moment

Quarrrr!

something poured from the Rift; a liquid as slimy as saccharine mud. It poured out like vomit, staining the surroundings in a matter of seconds, then surged upward.

Continuing, it began to take on forms; some appeared human, while others had the shape of beasts, and a few transformed into monsters and demons.

They took on many different forms.

At the moment of facing them, Dilia unconsciously clung tightly to Ulan's arm.

"Hey, Ulan," Her lips trembled delicately; her usually serene golden eyes flickered with agitation as her gaze settled on the monsters that were now almost fully formed. "...What, in the world, are those?" Her voice dripped with fear.

Black, almost ashen-hued mana comprised the creatures. Pure Abyss Mana. Monsters made of nothing but mana. She'd never seen anything like that in the books.

However, Dilia was the only one expressing doubts.

Ulan and Noah did not waver, as if they already knew what those were.

[Grrrrrr!]

At that moment, the creatures collectively turned their attention here; eyes like Abyss Void glowed intensely. Turning their deep pupils as if they could suck everything in.

Immediately after facing them, Dilia's shoulders slumped, and Noah silently took a step back. Instinctively, their reactions were driven by fear.

Ulan, on the other hand, was different.

Tak!

He lurched forward; with a gaze flashing with determination. He showed no sign of fear, even against an unknown enemy. Of course, it was natural. Because those creatures were not unknown enemies to him; rather, they were all too familiar.

They were the ones he had fought so often in his last life that he was sick to death of them.

'Monsters of the Abyss.'

The most common of them all; monsters that could change into countless forms, so they werent even given a name. Thats why they were called demonic beasts.

The moment he finished recalling his past memories, a fierce determination coursed through his body.

Murderous intent that made his blood boil. Ulan gripped his axe tighter. At the same time, the monsters kicked the ground, and the ferocious axe cleaved the air

As if to announce the beginning of the battle.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, at a similar moment

when shocking news from Zone 2 reached Arsene Academy, the entire institution was thrown into chaos; the news reached not only the Arsene Guards, but also the Deans of each department. The Dean of the Magic Department, Deflyn Chernihiv, was no exception.

"Professor Dirac has turned into a monster?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Deflyn asked, widening her eyes in surprise. In response, Rodeil, a senior mage from the special forces, nodded. Then, he placed the prepared documents on the desk.

"Here's a report summarizing what happened."

Taking it, Deflyn skimmed through the report, which was based on the testimonies of the students evacuated from Zone 2.

Today was a very important day for her.

It was the day she would perform the experiment she had been preparing for so long: opening a rift in the Abyss.

So, just an hour ago, Deflyn had activated the top-grade mana stones she had placed at the far end of Zone 3.

To be precise, the spell inscribed on the mana stone automatically activated at the scheduled time.

At least, not that Noah knew of.

However, at that moment, an ominous speculation flashed through her mind.

'...Could it be?'

Has the Gates of the Abyss opened? No, that didn't make sense. It would have to be at least 20 years before it opened.

But even then, she couldn't be sure; since the future had already changed considerably.

'If the Gates really did open.......'

Hidden pieces or whatever, it was all over.

In game terms, the situation was like entering the final battle just as the tutorial ended. In such a situation, no matter what she did, she wouldn't survive.

As soon as she realized that the situation was hopeless, her composure was naturally disturbed.

Anxiety. Fear. Panic.

A torrent of negative emotions rushed through her. At that moment, as if to intensify Noah's anxiety, a sound reached her ears.

Kuuuuuwoooong!

A vibration that shook the ground.

Noah snapped out of her thoughts. Shortly afterward, she realized what the source of the vibration was.

"That, that is...!"

A massive shadow staining the battlefield.

A gigantic monster appeared, as colossal as the shadow. An unidentified monster that looked like a carnivorous dinosaur. Noah knew what it was.

Corcus!

From the original novel Arsene Continental War, the Abyss monsters were divided into three main categories; they are categorized according to their danger and strength: lower-grade, middle-grade, and upper-grade.

The first monsters that appeared were of the lower-grade.

On the other hand, Corcus, who appeared now, was an upper-grade abyss monster. In the original work, it was a powerful abyss monster that appears much later in the story.

To make matters worse, there were three Corcus.

"Haha, ahaha......."

Is this a dream? It must be a dream. It can't be real.

Noah shook her head vigorously. But the vibrations, getting closer and closer, only proved that the scene before her eyes was a reality.

Corcus, now approaching at close quarters Noah stared at them, dumbfounded; with a half-dazed expression on her face.

And then, at that moment, the world split in half.

"......Ah."

A gasp escaped her lips.

At the same time, Noah's eyes widened; the realization dawned on her.

It wasn't the world that split.

Splat! Splat! Splat!

With the sound of flesh being torn, and Corcus' body split in half.

"......!?"

Noah's eyes widened.

The Corcus had been neatly split in two, and then it collapsed as if crumbling.

Crack! Thud!

Crimson blood poured down like rain; her hair and clothes were soaked with blood. But there was no need to pay attention to such things. A familiar voice tapped on his ears.

"It's okay."

A calm tone that broke through the despair.

A muscular body covered in monster flesh; a man running a hand through his blood-soaked hair.

The moment she locked eyes with him, Noah absentmindedly pursed her lips, "Aah, Ulan......?"

She wasn't the only one who regained her composure.

Even Dilia, who was overwhelmed by fear, held onto her senses when she heard Ulan's voice.

Facing the two girls, "Don't be afraid," Ulan said gravely; even with a number of monsters in front of him, there was no change in his expression.

Without showing the slightest sign of agitation, Ulan turned away. And he spoke in a calm voice, "I am before you."

That was it.

Strangely enough, from the moment she heard those words, an overwhelming sense of relief washed over her like a wave; a wave that washed away her fear and anxiety.

Coincidentally, Noah felt secure. Just Ulan being in front of her, that alone made her no longer afraid.

"Hoo."

Right after she let out the breath she'd been holding

Noah and Dilia slapped their cheeks vigorously.

A moment later, with red, swollen cheeks, they both opened their mouths without knowing who would speak first.

"......Thank you, Ulan."

"Yeah. Now, it's okay."

Unlike her hot cheeks, Noah's mind quickly cooled down. When her reason returned, Noah shot a cold glance.

'I don't know what happened or how...'

She knew she couldn't rely on him to help her forever.

So she made up her mind.

First, she would help Ulan defeat the monsters of the Abyss, then she would return to the academy and begin her investigation into what happened today.

The moment she had a purpose, the trembling stopped.

And at that moment

[Grraaaahhh!]

the two remaining Corcus howled.

Immediately, the battle resumed.

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

Translator's Notes:-

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