Instructor? What's Wrong? (8)
Zeke glared at the figures, a fierce scowl etched onto his face.
An undeniable sense of déjà vu washed over him.
‘This filthy, viscous mana… It has to be those Lost Hope bastards…’
If it were just a similar mana signature, Zeke might have hesitated.
There were countless ways someone could be manipulating mana from the shadows.
But to spout such utter nonsense about narratives… as far as he knew, only those Demon King worshipping Lost Hope fanatics did that.
Confusion gnawed at Zeke.
Was it his fault, his big mouth?
He’d thought that since this was a different genre, he could milk the whole Lost Hope connection for all it was worth.
But for them to actually appear…
‘No, damn it! This is a romance fantasy!’
He’d felt something was off ever since Yutra’s appearance.
So it seemed this world… it had to be connected to Dave Continent somehow.
‘Just what in the world is going on?’
As someone who’d gotten sucked into this unrelated romance fantasy novel after writing a 5,700-character comment, Zeke couldn’t help but feel utterly bewildered.
The thought of having to tangle with these cockroach bastards again made his blood pressure skyrocket.
Thump.
Thump.
‘Damn it, here we go again.’
He’d finally started to find some semblance of peace in this world, and now the Lost Hope lot had triggered some kind of PTSD.
His heart wouldn’t stop pounding.
‘Hmm, did Selena make it here safely?’
Zeke turned his head to the side. Selena was looking at him, her eyes filled with anxiety.
“Selena.”
“Y-yes!?”
“Hmm, do you remember everything I taught you?”
“…A-about what?”
“Everything.”
Zeke massaged his temples, a dull throb building behind his eyes.
“First, when you sense mana, block out all other senses.”
“Yes! I remember.”
“But you can’t just block them. You have to blend that feeling into your mana.”
“How do I…?”
Selena began to ask, her brow furrowed in confusion, but Zeke didn’t have time to answer.
“And when we practiced our sword dance, remember how our mana connected?”
“…Th-that’s because you did something to me…”
“You can still do it. Just channel your mana and connect it to the knights and your father. Their mana roads haven’t been corrupted yet, so it’ll be like pouring water into empty cups. Easy.”
“…W-what? That’s not something that can be done just because you say it’s…”
Gulp.
Zeke swallowed, his throat bone dry.
“So, you have to blend that sense blocking into your mana and connect it to everyone from Yohaiden. If you can’t do that, think of it as everyone dying.”
‘Because of me.’
Zeke’s voice was flat, devoid of any emotion.
“D-dying…?”
“I’ve taught you everything you need to know. Remember everything I’ve said, and you can do it.”
Zeke spoke with unwavering conviction.
Selena, who had been trembling with fear and confusion, suddenly bit her lip and nodded.
“O-okay, I’ll try.”
“That’s the spirit, Selena.”
Zeke gave her a tired smile and patted her head.
“Hahahaha! Oh my god! You don't have a narrative either…? You…? You do…? But…? I can't see it? I can't see it?”
“Hey, Lost Hope.”
Zeke’s eyes narrowed, and he started walking towards them.
“Huh…? You know us? You know us? Who are you? Who are you?”
“Oh, I know you very well. I’m the guy who ripped off your precious Demon King’s horns and used them as a backscratcher.”
“Back…scratcher?”
“Yeah, and I took the other horn and shoved it up his… well, you know. Hey, wasn’t his butthole purple?”
“His…!!!!”
The white eyeball, after a moment of contemplation, seemed to grasp the meaning behind Zeke’s words. Its form contorted grotesquely.
"How dare you…! How dare you…! HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!!”
“What’s wrong? He seemed to really enjoy it when I gave him that horn dildo. The sounds he made…”
Zeke suggestively gyrated his hips.
The white eyeball shrieked like a demon possessed.
“He… Heretic!!!!!!!!!!!! Lost Hope!!!!! Kill him! Kill him now! This instant!!!!!!”
“Oh, done with the whole repeating yourself like a broken record routine?”
Zeke smirked.
‘They’re still the same as ever, going crazy at the slightest mention of their precious Demon King. At least I don’t have to worry about them going after Selena.’
He glanced back at Selena. Her eyes were closed, her focus entirely inward.
‘Let’s get this over with before I lose it too.’
As he gripped his sword tighter, the fresh wounds on his hand split open, blood dripping down his palm.
“Lost Hope, looks like you’re destined to die by my hand again.”
***
Instructor charged towards the enemy.
Selena watched him go, then closed her eyes.
‘H-horn dildo?! And p-poop, and b-butthole, no, anus!!’
Zeke’s vulgar words echoed in her mind, making her cringe.
‘N-no. He’s just trying to provoke them… He would never say such things normally. Right. I heard it’s common for generals to taunt each other before battle.’
Although she found it strange how the amnesiac Instructor seemed to know those people so well, now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.
‘Can I really do this?’
The weight of responsibility suddenly felt crushing.
The pressure made it hard to breathe.
Instructor said everyone would die if she failed.
He wasn’t one to make empty threats, so his words must be true.
Her father’s life, the lives of the knights, all resting on her shoulders.
‘But to ask me to do this without any proper explanation or demonstration…’
Still, she had no choice but to try.
And if he said she could do it, then she could.
Instructor had never asked her to do anything she wasn’t capable of.
No matter how impossible or deadly the task seemed, he only ever gave her challenges she could overcome.
Selena held an unwavering faith in Zeke.
‘Okay. Here goes nothing.’
Hoo—
She took a deep, slow breath.
‘First, erase my presence.’
Selena sat down.
She had become proficient enough to do this standing, but to maximize her concentration, she opted for the most comfortable position.
‘This part is easy.’
She had been diligently practicing her mana sensitivity training every waking moment.
While eating, bathing, even reading.
Now, she could control the very functions of her body at will.
Sight. Smell. Hearing. Touch. Taste.
One by one, she shut them down.
Silence.
Selena’s presence vanished, leaving behind a shell as still and lifeless as a doll.
Just like when she danced with Zeke.
In truth, blocking her senses while enemies were present was extremely dangerous.
She was nothing but a sitting duck, vulnerable to even the weakest attacks.
‘But Instructor would never let them attack me now.’
Selena focused her mind.
The surrounding mana began to paint a vivid picture in her mind.
Instructor’s mana.
The enemies’ mana.
The ambient mana flowing through the air.
She saw how they interacted, outlining the cave’s topography, the positions of her father and the knights.
Even with her eyes closed, she could perceive it all with crystal clarity.
‘They really are dangerous…’
Only now did Selena understand the gravity of the situation, the reason behind Zeke’s grim expression.
The enemies’ mana was a viscous, murky crimson, greedily devouring the surrounding mana and life force like ravenous beasts.
‘But what do I do now…?’
Zeke had told her to blend this sense-blocking sensation into her mana and connect it to her father and the knights.
In her mind’s eye, she saw Zeke’s back.
He was fighting, but with a strange stiffness, his movements strained.
He resembled a lone wolf fending off a pack of rabid dogs.
He was solely on the defensive, desperately dodging fatal blows instead of unleashing his usual flurry of attacks.
‘Is he hurt…? Is that why he’s acting so strangely? Why he’s not using his sword properly…’
She didn’t fully understand the purpose of her task, but she knew Zeke believed it was the key to defeating their enemies.
‘Think, Selena, think. Instructor said I can do this with what I’ve learned. What did he teach me?’
Swordsmanship. Physical training. Mana sensitivity. And the sword dance.
Selena retraced her memories, recalling every lesson Zeke had given her.
Eating together, studying together, training together.
Their time together, both fleeting and enduring, unfolded like pages in a cherished book.
[You are not suited for the sword.]
He had told her countless times that she wasn’t cut out for the sword.
He had driven her to despair.
[Wield a rapier.]
And yet, he had also given her hope. Just like he always did.
And he had even praised her.
[That’s incredible. It’s truly massive.]
Selena’s brows furrowed.
‘Massive? What was? My chest? N-no, that’s not it!’
She quickly dismissed that embarrassing misinterpretation.
[Your mana road is vast and pure.]
Ah, my mana road!!!
It dawned on her that she had been so focused on sensing the external mana that she hadn’t even considered looking inward.
Turning her attention within…
She was greeted by a sight she had never witnessed before.
‘Oh… This is my mana…?’
A vast, tranquil lake nestled within a sprawling forest.
Pristine.
Crystal clear.
Serene.
‘This… This is my mana…’
It was the moment someone with hidden talents finally glimpsed their true potential.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
‘No, I can’t cry now. I have to focus.’
Finally, Selena understood what Zeke meant.
This mana, it was a reflection of her.
If she wished for it to be still, it would be still.
If she wished for it to surge, it would surge.
‘Connect…’
Selena reached out with her mind.
Towards her father. Towards the knights. Towards Yohaiden.
“Good. That’s it, Selena.”
Zeke’s praise echoed in her ears.
A proud smile touched her lips.
Just then, Zeke’s mana underwent a drastic transformation.
Something darker and more sinister than the enemies’ mana, something viscous and heavy, began to seep out of him.
‘W-what…? Instructor…?’
Access 5 advance chapters with the 'Pebble' Tier ($8) or 10 chapters with 'Baguette' tier ($15).
For every $10 collected on Ko-fi, I will release a bonus chapter. Choose your tier by clicking the 'Support me' button!
Rate and review this novel on NU to help people find this novel.
Join our discord server for the latest release updates and novel discussions.