Chapter 25
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In the forest near the village.
I had been driven out by the protagonist and ended up walking into the dark depths of the forest.
To think I would return to this damp and eerie forest again.
The last time I came here was when I was dragged by the village kids who wanted to go on an adventure during our childhood.
At that time, we only made it to the forest’s edge,
And we survived only because the village adults searched for the missing children.
I still remember hiding in a cave with Dorothy to avoid being attacked by wild dogs.
Dorothy praises me for what I did back then, but to me, that memory remains a traumatic experience.
I had vowed never to come back here…!
“Hah… You really are a devil… Leaving me here all alone in this place…!”
“What? Devil?”
A voice colder than the shadows of the forest itself came from behind me.
Terrified, I began making excuses without even turning around.
“What I meant is that I can’t control the inner devil in my heart! I’m scared I might end up wiping out all the monsters in this forest on my own!”
What nonsense am I spouting now?
“Hahaha. I thought you were completely clueless, but it seems that after your encounter with the bandits, you’ve gained some sense of your own abilities.”
What sense? I haven’t gained anything.
I quickly backpedaled before he could force me into something beyond my capabilities.
“No, no… I was just joking.”
“You brat.”
“Agh!”
Karon crouched in front of me as I lay sprawled on the ground, shaking his head.
“Can’t even dodge this much, huh?”
“Ugh, my head feels like it’s splitting.”
“Did you hear anything from Deruna?”
It seemed like Karon thought I had learned something about what happened during the attack on the mountain.
Of course, I had a vague guess, but I didn’t know the details.
All I knew was that Deruna and Elenien were hiding something.
Whenever I asked, they would pretend not to hear me, so I eventually decided to stop prying.
“No…”
So my answer was a simple no.
Karon closed his eyes, appearing to think deeply about something, before he spoke again.
“You’ve dueled the daughter of the Hainder family, survived an ambush by the Green Forest bandits, and yet, you’re still alive. You realize there’s something strange about that, right? Just to make it clear—I didn’t help you.”
“Hmm.”
“You never believed me when I said you had talent, but now do you get it?”
I scratched my head awkwardly and shook it.
“I’ve trained in swordsmanship under my father and learned magic from my mother since I was young, but I don’t think I have any talent.”
I lacked talent in swordsmanship, so my father merely focused on physical training with a resigned sigh.
In magic, I often made mistakes with the formulas, resulting in bizarre outcomes.
No wonder Seria used to call me an idiot.
Even in mana accumulation, if Karon hadn’t taught me his mana technique that could be used all day, I wouldn’t have reached this level.
Thinking about how I had to endure endless beatings to internalize that technique still gives me chills.
“Hah. Sigh.”
Karon let out a deep sigh, as if holding back his frustration, and then took a deep breath before continuing.
“I saw your father on my way here. He’s an exceptional swordsman.”
“My father?”
“He’s skilled enough to match swords with me.”
“What?”
That overly doting man?
Depending on the timeline of the story, the protagonist’s martial prowess may vary, but Karon is a monster who reached the pinnacle of martial arts in his previous life.
Being able to cross swords with Karon would mean their abilities were nearly equal in numerical terms.
Of course, that’s just a theoretical comparison; defeating someone like Karon, who can see through all techniques, would be impossible.
“You don’t believe me, do you?”
“No, sir.”
Karon shook his head in exasperation.
“Your father didn’t fail to recognize your talent. He simply didn’t want to force you to wield a sword. Seeing how you’re already so easily frightened… tsk tsk.”
“Hm.”
I had nothing to say to Karon’s disdainful expression, so I just fumed internally.
“A man who’s spent his life gripping a sword to the point of exhaustion wouldn’t want to force that path onto his child. Be grateful to your father.”
“All he ever does is scold me, though… Ouch! I was joking!”
“I was just hitting you for fun.”
“Ugh…”
Even when I glared at him, Karon nonchalantly continued talking as if he didn’t care.
“But I don’t care whether you live or die.”
“That’s harsh…”
“Serupe, what do you think a genius is?”
“Pardon? Suddenly? Well… I’ve never really thought about it.”
“Unlucky brat.”
Why?
“Talent is something that can’t be explained. Geniuses are those who effortlessly reach domains that hardworking individuals can barely grasp. They simply achieve things others cannot. I’ve often thought about what talent truly is.”
“Oh, and what did you conclude, Karon?”
Though I knew he was once a dullard, in this life, he’s a genius that anyone would envy.
So Karon ignored my sarcastic remark and continued speaking, undeterred.
“Talent is instinct. It’s something you’re born with. From birth, one’s body is already imprinted with certain skills. A dullard has to endure countless hardships to engrave those abilities into their body.”
“I wouldn’t know since I don’t have talent.”
Karon looked at me with genuine annoyance.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Never mind. Instinct doesn’t need to be taught because it’s already innate. That’s why lions push their cubs off cliffs to awaken their survival instincts. But you’re not even my real cub.”
“Ah, yes.”
I responded half-heartedly, and Karon gave a sly grin, as if daring me to continue.
“Did you not understand?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m saying I’m going to throw you off a cliff.”
“Whaaaaat?!”
Karon swung his sword at me.
Chills ran down my spine.
—He really tried to kill me…!
“Hahaha!”
“You’re insane!”
Karon, looking utterly amused, laughed and swung his sword a few more times before disappearing into the forest.
From every direction, Karon’s voice echoed through the trees.
“If you survive this time, I’ll give you a gift!”
At the same time, I began to hear cries I wished I hadn’t, coming from deep within the forest.
—Grrrrr!
—Caw caw!
—Screeeeech!
“If you even think of running, you’ll have to face me.”
The ground trembled as the forest’s monsters roared and charged toward me.
“Oh no…”
I couldn’t even begin to guess how many there were.
Staggering, I looked around in all directions—east, west, south, and north—but from every side, I heard sounds I didn’t want to hear!
—Boom!
“Ahhhh!”
A gryphon suddenly jumped out from the bushes, aiming to stomp me with its massive claws.
As I tried to run in the opposite direction, a forest wraith with glowing red eyes stood in my way.
—Screeeeech!
A massive monkey-like creature with long hair trailing behind it let out an ear-piercing scream.
Heavy footsteps came from behind me, and saliva dripped onto my head from above.
—Grrrk.
The shadow in front of me grew darker.
I didn’t even need to look to know—it was an ogre.
“Hiccup.”
Frozen in fear, I slowly placed my hand on the hilt of my sword.
There was no way to escape.
—Because monsters were surrounding me from all sides!
In the end, the only thing I could rely on was this so-called “Talent” of mine.
But then, a giant club came crashing down toward the sword I had just drawn.
There was no way I could handle this.
I leapt into the air, accidentally landing on the club as it fell.
My body floated upward.
The forest wraith stretched out its hand to grab me mid-air.
At the same time, the gryphon took flight.
The ogre roared at the two monsters as if challenging them.
—Gwooooaaaaar!
As attacks from all sides closed in to turn me into a pile of meat, I twisted my body.
And before I knew it, I was tumbling onto the ground.
—Graaaah!
—Screech screech!
—Grgrgrgrgrgr!
The three monsters paused their fight and simultaneously turned their attention to me.
Why are you all targeting me? Just fight among yourselves already!
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
I don’t know how, but I somehow managed to escape and sprinted through the forest.
Talent? Forget that nonsense.
In the end, the only thing I’m good at is running away!
But then, Karon’s voice echoed in the distance.
“Hahaha… How long do you think you can keep running?”
I tensed, afraid he might throw his sword at me, but Karon vanished once again.
And somehow, from far away, I began to hear the cries of more monsters.
—Kyaaaaaa!
—Grrrrrr.
“Ahhhhh…”
Please, someone save me.
I still have to build the fertilizer factory! At this rate, I’ll become fertilizer myself!
* * *
“Wow, he really knows how to run away, doesn’t he?”
Karon admired Serupe, who was dashing through the forest.
Even to his trained eyes, Serupe occasionally disappeared completely, leaving even the monsters unable to keep up with him.
In the end, the only way to catch him was to herd the monsters like a net and gradually close in on him.
If he tried to slip away, Karon would personally block him and push him back until he had no choice but to fight.
“Even if that guy could fully master his abilities, he’d still be terrifying.”
Having grown fond of teaching after training Deruna, Karon had high hopes for this new student.
“It’s ridiculous that he’s managed to learn both swordsmanship and mana techniques so quickly and uses them as naturally as breathing.”
His ability to read the terrain completely, erase his presence, and vanish unpredictably from his opponent’s senses was a remarkable stealth skill.
And the manifestation of Sword Aura, where mana itself becomes the sword’s essence within the realm of battle mastery…
Karon admitted that if he weren’t constantly keeping track of Serupe’s movements, there was a chance he could be cut down in an instant by that overwhelming talent.
“Hah, what a pain.”
Geniuses usually know how extraordinary they are, which makes it tolerable.
But Serupe didn’t even realize he was a genius, and that made him even more infuriating.
“They say he single-handedly dealt with a Green Forest elite…”
Karon sighed as he watched Serupe.
Serupe, after fleeing from monsters and reaching his limit, had ended up hanging from the tendrils of a carnivorous plant, crying.
But as Serupe fell to the ground, the approaching monsters hesitated, sensing a life-threatening danger.
“This is seriously insane.”
This guy isn’t just a genius—he’s something beyond that.
A sky beyond the sky.
Even as someone who had reached the peak of martial arts, Karon found himself in awe of this newfound domain, which defied understanding.
Before he knew it, the monsters, which had been painstakingly herded together, were now fighting among themselves and scattering in fear.
But Karon didn’t care about that at all.
Drawing his sword, Karon approached the crying Serupe.
—
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