CH 52

༺ Prologue (2) ༻

When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on a shimmering surface. Beneath me was a magic circle emitting a calm, pale blue light.

In front of me was a panoramic view of an icy cavern. It was the trial chamber.

A place where you could enter at will, but not leave.

The Frost Dragon’s permission was required to get out of the chamber. It was the only one authorized to enter and exit this space.

‘As expected, it’s magnificent…’

Seeing it in reality was completely different from seeing it in the game. The vast cavern had a breathtaking landscape, one that could easily be mistaken for a palace of ice.

My eyes darted around, and I gulped as I caught sight of a huge passageway.

Beyond it, a beautifully shaped iceberg laid in wait.

Trapped inside was a white dragon, frozen in time.

I stood up and staggered towards the white dragon, finding it difficult to walk while bundled up in my winter clothes.

Once through the passage, the sheer size of the iceberg overwhelmed me.

The ice surrounding the cave was illuminated by pale blue ice mana, causing the white dragon’s jade scales to glow even more brilliantly.

Pale blue mana faintly emanated from within the iceberg. The mana seemed to circulate through the ice, allowing it to maintain itself regardless of the white dragon’s will.

The dragon was a symbol and legend of northern Zelver.

It was an eight-star magic beast, the Frost Dragon Hilde that was once the familiar of the Ice Sovereign.

[Frost Dragon Hilde]

Lv: 180

Race: Magic Beast

Attributes: Ice

Danger: X

Psychology: [It is happy to see you.]

Inside the mass of ice, the two eyes of the Frost Dragon opened – awakening after a thousand years of slumber.

The sparkling pupils that resembled emeralds were directed at me, vertically slit like those of a reptile.

[O human, have you come to face the Trial of Frost?]

The Frost Dragon’s archaic voice echoed in my head, sounding like an adult woman.

Indeed… The sight of the Frost Dragon in reality was awe-inspiring, comparable in size to a small mountain. With a single step, it could effortlessly crush someone like me, ending my life as easily as a bug.

I became tense. Letting out a lungful of air, I nodded.

“Yes.”

[You have proven yourself worthy by coming here. I will open the door to your trials].

Whaaaah────!!

The giant ice gate behind the Frost Dragon opened its jaws, releasing an intense pale blue light. At the end of the pathway formed by the light, a distant darkness took its place.

From within the passage, a cold wind started blowing. Despite my tightly bundled winter clothing and my elemental bracelet tuned to ice resistance, the cold pricked my skin.

From now on, I had to pass through this windswept passage.

[Cruel visions will test your spirit, while harsh cold will consume your flesh. Prove that you are qualified to overcome these trials and become the wielder of the Frostscythe].

Ah, it’s been a while since I’ve heard such epic lines.

Putting aside the anxiety, it brought back memories of the time I obtained the ultimate weapon during the second semester of the second year as a magical knight in Märchen Academy. It made my heart swell.

Anyways, the game of life and death had begun. If I could overcome the trials before freezing to death, the Frostscythe would be mine.

The trials are vicious.

Plausible events were woven into an ordeal to eat away at the spirit of the challenger.

In the game, Ian encountered a time from his past when he endured torment and disdain. He did, however, have unwavering fortitude. Such trials could be easily overcome, all you needed to do was witness the story and defeat a few enemies.

I don’t know what trials await me. Will I be lost in this body, entangled in Isaac’s past?

‘No matter the trials, there’s no difference from the things I’ve faced so far.’

I just have to overcome them.

Especially when it came to mental strength, I was confident. Even when trapped in this feeble body, my mental fortitude remained far superior to my other stats.

In any case, today will be the day that Isaac Coin traces a steep upward curve.

I moved past the Frost Dragon and entered the pale blue passageway.

Unexpectedly, the light faded quickly, revealing a dusky landscape. It was a dark night, and the only thing I could see was a raging blizzard reminiscent of a rainstorm.

A passageway of unknown width stretched out ahead of me. At its end, a faint beam of light directed me like a lighthouse beacon. The Frostscythe must be over there.

“It’s cold…!”

「Ice Shield (Ice Attribute, ★2)」

I started running at a full sprint, wrapping my cloak around me to block the frigid wind. The cold was unbearable.

Even my eyeballs seemed to freeze. I closed my eyes for three seconds as I ran, very briefly opened them to make sure that I was on track, closed them again for three seconds, and so on.

The closer I got to the beam of light, the more violent the blizzard became. The bitter cold was digging into my skin through my winter coat and chilling me to the bone.

Then,

─────Face the Trial of Frost.

The voice of the woman called the Ice Sovereign echoed in my head and I lost my consciousness.

* * *

Frost Dragon Hilde was lost in thought as she sifted through her memories.

The red-eyed man who had just entered the trial, bundled up tightly to protect against the cold, was a sight to behold.

Facing the Frost Dragon herself, he showed no surprise or fear. It was as if he knew that she would be here.

Furthermore, despite appearing weak on the surface, an intense aura emanated from him, reminiscent of the long-lost emerald light that the Frost Dragon had yearned for.

The Ice Sovereign. The aura of the ancient archwizard who had once commanded the Frost Dragon as a familiar was flowing from the weak-looking man.

To be precise, it was Isaac’s nine-star passive skill [Ice Sovereign], but the Frost Dragon was unaware of that fact.

[A thousand years, how futile].

The image of a cold-hearted archwizard who had always lived in solitude about a thousand years ago flashed before her eyes. For the highest-ranked magic beast, the Frost Dragon, a thousand years was nothing.

For all those years, she had been drifting in her dreams. In them, she could conquer the world alongside the Ice Sovereign.

And now, after a thousand years, the soul of the longed-for archwizard had begun its next incarnation.

There was nothing strange about it. It was simply fate.

[Have you finally been reborn, Ice Sovereign?].

He was undoubtedly the reincarnation of the Ice Sovereign.

For a thousand years, the Frost Dragon had kept the Frostscythe’s mana from invading Märchen Academy.

But now, a new wielder of the Frostscythe had appeared.

And he was the reincarnation of the Ice Sovereign.

It seemed that the time had come to stop living confined within her dreams.

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

“We shall now proceed with the summer vacation ceremony for the first year students of the Magic Department.”

The end-of-semester re-evaluation consisted of several elemental magic tests. It was very modest compared to the traditional end-of-semester evaluation’s scale, but it was also the most intuitive.

Thus, the first semester came to a close. The scores from all previous evaluations would be combined to determine the overall score for the semester.

I came in 230th place out of 300. That was to be expected. Anything other than last place.

The road ahead was long, but I was still aiming for the top seat. Grades served as an important indicator of how much I had improved.

Under the blue sky, a large cluster of fluffy clouds was drifting lazily…

…?

“…What?”

An intense disorientation washed over me. I snapped out of it, realizing I was experiencing a repeat of a time period I had already been through.

I glanced around quickly. Rows and rows of first-year magic students sat in chairs arranged in an orderly fashion in the central plaza of Märchen Academy.

The summer vacation ceremony was in full swing. If it was the vacation ceremony, it would have been only a few days ago….

“Is this… the trial?”

I assumed the trial would reveal something I didn’t know about Isaac’s troubled past. I might’ve been able to use this opportunity to learn more about his background.

But this was… very different from what I had expected.

Nothing happened during the summer vacation ceremony. It was carried out peacefully and ended peacefully as well. If there was anything special about that day, it was Kaya’s unexpectedly bold behavior.

In fact, it was so peaceful that it became unnerving.

As the ceremony progressed, Luce began reading the proclamation from the podium. I opened her status window.

[Luce Eltania]

Lv: 150

Race: Human

Attributes: Water, Lightning

Danger: X

Psychology: [ekd]_$&())&^&(#$ㅁ앹#$@%%ㅐ야god()(&&&!@]

The mental state was in disarray.

The [Psychological Insight] skill could not be wrong; it was a testament to the fact that this world was flawed.

Sure enough, Luce was still giving me a gentle smile. But now was not the time to admire her lovely smile.

I started pondering, trying to wrap my head around this confusing situation.

What is happening today…?

‘For now… I should try acting like I did back then.’

I decided to jog my memory and repeat my exact actions from that day.

In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, the trials had pushed Ian to the brink, seemingly intent on breaking his spirit. This one would be no exception. It would be a desperate attempt to eat away at my sanity.

After the summer vacation ceremony ended, I slowly started walking towards a corner of the Butterfly Garden.

“Sir Isaac!”

“Kaya?”

“I-I-I came to say thank you!”

As expected, Kaya came flying over. We exchanged the same conversation we had before.

Chuu.

Kaya kissed my cheek.

“I-I-I’ve committed a grave sin────!!!”

She took off at full speed.

I looked up at the clock tower that stood somewhere in the academy. It had been 30 minutes since the end of the ceremony.

“Then, what did I do next?”

I didn’t have to wrack my brain or struggle to remember anything. Obviously, I went to train.

I was working out alone in a corner of the Butterfly Garden.

When the sky darkened, and rain began falling, I returned to my dorm.

After organizing my future plans, I went out to look for the ‘Traces of the Ice Sovereign’.

Later that night, I fell asleep in my dorm reading a study of beginner elements textbook.

It was just an ordinary daily routine.

Just an… insignificant daily routine.

‘What the hell…?’

Just as I was going through the memories of the day of the summer vacation ceremony, suddenly…

Kwaaaaah────!!!!!!!

“……!”

A deafening roar echoed through the air.

Startled, I quickly turned to face the source of the sound.

A red glow broke through the clouds in the sky, enveloped by an eerie blood-red aurora.

A palace-like building with more than a dozen spires. The center of the academic administration and where the Evil God Nephid’s resurrection magic circle was engraved. From the centerpiece of the Märchen Academy, Bartos Hall, a pillar of red light rose endlessly into space.

The scene from ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ depicting the resurrection of the Evil God Nephid flashed through my mind.

[A powerful demon has been detected!!]

[There is a significant level difference with the enemy!!]

[※ Escape immediately!]

[※ Escape immediately!]

[※ Escape immediately!]

[※ Escape immediately!]

[※ Escape immediately!]

[※ Escape immediately!]

[※ Escape immediately!]

[※ Escape immediately!]

Beyond the system windows that popped up one after the other like warning signs, a status window appeared in front of me, targeting the red pillar of light.

[Nephid, Evil Goddess of the Apocalypse]

Lv: ■■■

Race: Demon

Attributes: Darkness, Fire, Void

Danger: P■n■a■l■

Psychology: [■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■]

Five pairs of enormous black wings spread out on both sides of the pillar of light, overshadowing the world. Floating in the air as if weightless, the owner of the wings, a woman in a black dress, emerged serenely.

The hem of her dress was long enough to cover the entirety of the Bartos Hall. The woman with unusually long legs, perhaps even tens of meters long, stood on the rooftop of the administrative building with her back to the pillar of light.

My skin crawled, and every hair on my body stood on end. Even if I were to activate the [Hunter] trait, an incomparable amount of mana was flowing like a flood around Bartos Hall.

“Don’t fuck with me…”

Even trials have their limits. There are degrees to be overcome.

From the pillar of red light, a giant dragon composed of black flames emerged, soaring across the sky above the academy. Its three heads roared with a grotesque howl.

[Apocalypse Dragon Azhi Dahāka]

Lv: 200

Race: Demon

Attributes: Darkness, Fire

Danger: Pinnacle

Psychology: [■]

Then, an army of demonic creatures composed of black flames burst forth with eerie laughter.

[Black Flame]

Lv: 190

Race: Demon

Attributes: Darkness, Fire

Danger: Pinnacle

Psychology: [■]

Beyond the red aurora, a pair of eyes so large they could cover the entire sky gazed upon the world.

[Angra Mainyu]

Lv: 200

Race: Demon

Attributes: Darkness, Fire

Danger: Pinnacle

Psychology: [■]

With each flap of its wings, the Apocalypse Dragon Azhi Dahāka sent down a storm of black flames. The flames transcended the limits of fire and began to burn buildings and everything on the ground without discrimination.

No, it wasn’t burning. It was annihilating.

Suddenly, disparate black spheres formed out of thin air. Everything that came into contact with them vanished into nothingness, as if it had never existed in the first place.

This was a secluded island located in the eastern part of the continent. The only escape route was the bridge connecting it to the mainland, but even if we were to flee now, we wouldn’t be able to run away from those who had come to end this world.

Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu──────!!!!!!

Hwaaaaaaaaaaar──────!!!!!!

The Evil Goddess Nephid stretched her arm upwards, and a flaming black sphere formed above her, growing in size until it filled the sky.

The sphere was engraved with anomalous black streaks in all directions. There was a rift in space. That astronomical amount of mana had distorted even the fabric of space itself.

I… could do nothing. Nothing except for witnessing the end of this world with my own eyes.

And then, with a flick of her arm, she lowered it.

Slowly, the flaming black sphere descended upon the world.

「■■ (Darkness Attribute, ★9)」

The world was mercilessly engulfed by the black flames.

However, the agony of my entire body burning did not last long.

The End.

The world perished.

And I vanished.

● ● ● ● ● ● ●

“We shall now proceed with the summer vacation ceremony for the first year students of the Magic Department.”

“…”

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I found myself back at the start of the vacation ceremony.

Cold sweat trickled down my spine.

My ears felt clogged.

I couldn’t hear the ceremony host’s voice or the students’ muffled chatter.

“For real… Are you serious?”

I sighed deeply, burying my face in my hands. The students beside me gave me side glances, but I wasn’t in the right state of mind to pay attention to them.

I took several deep breaths. Despite the instinctive fear conveyed by the Evil Goddess washing over me in waves, I was able to quickly gather my emotions thanks to the [Frozen Soul] effect of [Ice Sovereign].

Afterward, I thought quietly.

“…Let’s give it a try.”

I wouldn’t get discouraged just because I’d witnessed the Evil Goddess’s appearance.

When I thought about it calmly, it wasn’t much different from what I had experienced before.

I just had to overcome any adversity that came my way.