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CHAPTER 252 – A DISCIPLE’S GROWTH 1

 

—Aun’s Perspective—

「Today’s the final day of the trial. He should be getting back any moment now. Looking back on it… I might’ve set the difficulty a little too high. But hey, it’s Curu we’re talking about. Taking down the boss should’ve been no problem for him! Honestly, I’m kinda excited to see how far he’s come!」

Really though, how many people in Wislo can clear the advanced-rank tower all the way to the boss solo? There are plenty of adventurers I haven’t met yet, sure, but it’s probably just a tiny fraction—only a handful of the top percentile.

As that thought crossed my mind, my 【Detection】 skill picked up the faintest signal.

But when I looked around, there was no sign of life anywhere nearby.

「Nelfie? No, if it were her, she’d suppress her presence so well that not even Detection would pick up on it… Wait, over there?」

It was possible Curulario was back and attempting the final challenge: landing a clean hit on me. Or it could’ve been a scout from Calvados or the assassin’s guild up to no good…

Either way, anyone sneaking around at this level of stealth was fair game to strike on sight. With that in mind, I hurled a lightning spear toward the source of the signal—and it was repelled by a magic barrier.

Curulario appeared, perfectly braced in a defensive stance.

He’d anticipated I’d notice and retaliate. The way he moved made it clear this was part of the plan. I felt a twinge of unease, but I closed the distance instantly and gave him a light bop on the face.

The black fox mask popped off, revealing Curu’s face—grinning with bold confidence.

「Master Aun… Here I come!」

I felt an attack coming from behind. Instinctively, I spun my body while kicking Curu away, narrowly avoiding the strike. One of Curu’s tails brushed past my side.

Then, without a beat, five more tails came flying at me. I knocked them all down with Shiranuemaru’s blade and glanced at Curu—he’d been blown back but managed to twist midair and land on his feet. He relaxed, then bowed respectfully.

「I came at you with everything I had. But… I guess I still couldn’t get through to you, Master.」

「…No. You pass.」

I turned and showed him my side.

A section of my Ibaraki-douji Kimono was torn. These garments automatically self-repair with mana, so for there to be actual damage… it was undeniable proof that Curu’s attack had hit.

On top of that, it was obvious he’d mastered using a magic barrier and taken down the tower boss over the past fifteen days.

…When we first met, he was just a cowardly wreck with a bad habit of running away. But now, he’d faced his trials head-on and climbed all the way to this point. I couldn’t help but feel proud.

「You’ve done well.」

「Wait, but… you didn’t take any damage, right?」

「True. But when I set this challenge, I had a standard in mind. And you’ve cleared it. Honestly, pulling your whole fighting style together like this in such a short time? That’s something to be proud of.」

「R-Really!? Yesssss!!」

His eyes lit up for a second—then he started trembling, and a burst of joy erupted out of him.

「Oh! Right! There’s a weapon I wanted you to appraise, Master! When I beat Aquilaleo, a red chest dropped! And inside was this… really awesome-looking sword!!」

「Oho! So you did take the boss down solo! Alright, let’s see it!」

Curu wasted no time pulling a blood-red, ominously curved blade from his magic bag.

Even from a glance, the strange aura it gave off made it obvious this was no ordinary weapon.

It resembled a shamshir, curved and wicked.

「Alright, I’ll appraise it now.」

「Yes, please!!」

Dim Chaos – ATK 15. This long-bladed sword is also known as ‘Gloaming Chaos’. Said to inflict Bleeding and Confusion status effects upon those it cuts.

…Hoo boy. That’s one hell of a drop. Its attack power alone matches Drake’s Red Ogre’s Iron Club. Plus it throws in status effects as a bonus.

The long blade might make it tricky to handle, but if Curu can wield it like an extension of his own body, it’ll shine in both close-quarters and mid-range combat.

「It’s red-tier. Inflicts bleeding and confusion. No curses attached. You hit the jackpot, Curu.」

「I-I did!? A red weapon… this is like a dream!」

「Damn right. Master this thing, and you’ll break into the next tier for sure.」

「Hell yeah!! That means… next I gotta start training to use it properly, right!?」

His excitement was written all over his face. Yeah, makes sense—getting your first red-tier weapon is a big moment.

On top of that, passing my final challenge must’ve made this his biggest success yet.

I know the feeling. When your hard work finally pays off, it’s a joy like no other. …But the moment you get satisfied, growth stops. In other words, this high might end up becoming a wall.

I should probably send him off with something before that happens. A final gift from his master to help him keep climbing.

「From here on, you’re on your own. It’s up to you to think for yourself and keep growing. And you already know how to do that… don’t you?」

「Y-Yes, sir!」

「Then one last thing… Think of it as a graduation present. I’ll show you where we at Black Thunderbolt stand right now. In ten seconds, I’m coming at you with a real attack. All my strikes will target your neck. I’ll pull my blows just short, but you’d better dodge or block with everything you’ve got.」

「G-Got it!!」

「Here I come! 【Thunder Drum】. 【Gale Flash】. 【Matsuribayashi】… 【Thunderclap】!」

In a flash, I moved behind Curu fast enough to blur his vision. I drew Shiranuemaru and thrust it toward the back of his neck.

「—!! Wha!?」

「In a real fight, you’d already be dead. Alright… next one!」