Chapter 87 of the Academy's Weapon Replicator

Chapter 25: The Wall (3)

At first, it was clearly an arrow. It was natural, as it was shot from a bow.

Emitting a strange light, it cut through the air along with other arrows, eventually splitting into dozens, then hundreds.

"Wh-What is that...?"

Someone muttered, forgetting the impending battle.

However, there was no one to blame. Everyone was watching that long trajectory.

The light became a cluster, then a galaxy, and at the moment it reached the monsters,

Swish—

Each beam of light drew its own path. The cluster of light, which seemed like an illusion, was indeed a tangible entity, scattering with a sound like rain.

Bang!

The monsters' heads were pierced. Windpipes were torn open, preventing them from even screaming. Some had their hearts penetrated, while others were pierced from the crown of their heads to their heels.

The arrows, like rain, killed all the monsters. There were no misses. Each one accurately and mercilessly hit the monsters' vital points.

‘...This is the ‘Firework’...’

Selena swallowed.

—The owner of the Firework might be Frontier.

Even with the information Man-got had given her, Selena didn't easily believe it. The ‘Firework’ recorded during the monster attack on Constel was too fantastical.

However, she witnessed it right before her eyes. The scene matched the records perfectly. In fact, the reality was even more powerful, making the records seem understated.

“The, the monsters...”

Someone said in a trembling voice. The monsters, which had formed a large group, were now lying dead on the ground. The advancing monsters stopped and hesitated.

The remaining monsters were few. At this rate, they wouldn't even reach the wall—

Swish—

“Huh?”

Selena exclaimed at the sight of Frontier.

Frontier was drawing the bowstring, aiming. In other words, it was the second arrow.

‘Could he really use such a skill again?’

As if answering her thoughts,

The second Firework flew, adorning the sky. The human side had forgotten about fighting and was just staring at the scene.

A loud, noisy scream was heard. The monsters now understood what it was. They ran back the way they had come, using all their strength.

The fleeing of the outer monsters was a sight the soldiers here had never seen.

Bang!

Of course, whether they fled or not, the ‘Firework’ mercilessly and accurately ended their lives...

* * *

Not just the outer monsters, but no battle in this continent's history had ended so anticlimactically.

After a moment of silence, the knights scratched their heads and went to check the monster corpses, while the soldiers returned to their barracks.

The prisoners went back inside as they had come. Some of them were bowing their heads and crying, looking at Frontier.

Until now, the knights had occasionally praised Frontier, but this time, there was no such praise.

It was as if the battle had never happened. People mechanically did their assigned tasks.

Everyone was trying to act as usual because they didn't know how to react to the scene of the ‘Firework’.

And Selena.

For some reason, she was still looking outside from the wall. Selena looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

‘...This man.’

Selena took a step back. She was already behind Frontier, but she took another step.

‘Dangerous.’

Selena casually put her hand in her pocket. Inside her elaborate clothing, a needle was already ‘loaded’.

Her superior, Hagley, had given her the task of just guarding and monitoring Frontier.

Guarding was to protect his ‘ancient language interpretation ability,’ and monitoring was to prevent Frontier from having any ulterior motives.

So, Selena's current thoughts were purely her own judgment.

—If she killed Frontier here.

She hadn't fully grasped Frontier's abilities yet. During the battles so far, Frontier had never engaged in close combat.

Of all the information about Frontier she had received from Man-got, only the ‘Firework’ was accurate.

In other words, all the information that underestimated Frontier was false, and the incredibly powerful weapon was the truth.

Given this, she should consider Frontier's information as non-existent. Therefore, his close combat skills might be as brutally strong as the ‘Firework’.

However, at this distance, and at the moment the opponent hasn't noticed her hostility.

This was the distance and situation where she was most confident.

A surprise attack with all her heart might work,

“Selena.”

“...!”

Suddenly, Frontier called her. Selena flinched.

“Yes, yes.”

“Are your eyes good?”

Eyes?

“Um, you mean...”

“Exactly. Are your eyesight good? Or are you skilled at detecting mana or sensing presence?”

“Yes, yes. I'm confident in that area.”

Of course, she was chosen for her satisfaction and trained as an assassin. Everything Frontier mentioned was like the basic qualities of an assassin.

...But why was Frontier asking this? As if he already knew she was good at it.

“I see.”

Frontier's nod, as if it was obvious, only increased her unease.

“Come over here. And look ahead.”

Selena walked to Frontier's side. She decided to postpone the surprise attack.

...Somehow, the timing of Frontier's question seemed too coincidental, and she wondered if he had noticed.

“Can you see that forest over there?”

“...Yes, the ‘Sacred Forest,’ I presume.”

Beyond Teyven's wall, a forest with lush green trees. Everyone calls it the ‘Sacred Forest.’

Why? Because, although it should have been defiled by the monsters long ago, no monster can approach this forest.

Of course, they don't know that ‘Excalibur’ is sleeping inside, but to people, it is already recognized as a special forest.

“Watch that forest. You can use your eyes or extend your senses to the maximum. Anyway, thoroughly search inside.”

“...What are you looking for?”

“There's someone there.”

Someone? Inside that forest?

Selena thought it was impossible. That place was in the outer territory.

Even if the Sacred Forest was a place where monsters couldn't enter, humans couldn't go there in the first place.

But she decided to do as Frontier said. She focused her eyes and heightened her senses to the maximum. If there was nothing, she could just say so.

“...Huh?”

But she felt something. A faint presence, so faint that she couldn't tell if it was a monster or a human.

“Is there someone there?”

“...I'm not sure if it's a person or what, but there is something. It's faint, but it could just be a small animal...”

“Do you really think it's a small animal? The presence you felt.”

...No.

Small animals couldn't be felt faintly at this distance. If she could sense a presence from this far, it meant whatever was inside was definitely not ordinary.

“No. It's definitely a presence that can't be ignored. But I don't understand why I didn't feel it before, and why I feel it now.”

And how did Frontier predict that he would find a mana presence?

Frontier gave her half the answer.

“They came to check the situation. Their forces were annihilated in an instant, so they came closer to the wall to understand what happened.”

“Their forces...? You don't mean... Frontier...”

Frontier nodded.

“Inside that Sacred Forest, there is a ‘commander’ of the monsters.”

* * *

In front of the dormitory courtyard.

Aten was facing a fear he had never felt before.

“Huff, huff... Ha! How about it!”

Sibel proudly puffed out her chest and boasted. Only the sweat on her face and her heavy breathing slightly diminished her persuasiveness.

“...Impressive.”

“Haha! Isn't it? This is nothing to me! Ahem!”

Sibel thought Aten was giving a formal compliment and excitedly chattered.

But Aten wasn't.

To Sibel, Aten seemed calm, but Aten just didn't know what else to say in this situation.

‘...It won't take more than five days.’

Sibel's training had already entered the near-combat stage.

The content was simple. Aten would place a piece of ice and light a fire under it. During this time, Sibel had to infuse mana into the ice to prevent it from melting.

At first, the ice melted quickly, but it gradually and smoothly increased: 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes... Eventually, Sibel broke the 1-hour mark.

‘This isn't even the concept of a genius. I understand why Frontiers said that.’

If Aten had to describe Sibel's talent, it would be perfect intuition.

Infusing mana to prevent the ice from melting. Anyone with mana could do it if they practiced enough.

However, people usually repeat countless failures in the learning process. They try and fail, figuring out what's wrong, what's right, and what's efficient and effective.

And they internalize it. This entire process is naturally completed.

But Sibel skips this trial-and-error process. Her intuition is always correct.

She tries the right method from the first attempt, so she learns the shortest and most efficient way without any setbacks.

“Why is the ice piece shaped like this?”

Sibel carefully examined the ice piece Aten had made.

At first, she didn't pay much attention, but as she looked, it wasn't just a piece of ice.

“This is a hammer? It's cute when it's small.”

As Sibel said, A