Chapter 164 — Twice the Sentinels! Twice the Experience!

1

The students, clearly exhausted, had slept deeply for quite some time.

While they rested, Manus spent the time absorbing mana from the magic stones and reading the book he brought along.

The Ziggurat and the Erosion Zone were filled with thick, sticky mana.

Absorbing mana from these places would normally be incredibly dangerous, but Manus was different.

Thanks to [Whispers of the Spirits], the elemental spirits helped purify the mana.

What was once inaudible could now be heard, and the unseen became visible.

Though it put a heavy strain on his mind due to the increased amount of information, he was a Caesar after all.

‘This should do it… I’ll be able to use 5th-Class magic smoothly now.’

His growth was astonishing.

He had reached 5th-Class, which was said to be the pinnacle of human magic.

But if someone asked him if he could comfortably wield 5th-Class magic, he would have to shake his head.

The tower and the Ziggurat were continuous trials of endurance and conflict.

Even if one reached 5th-Class, if they recklessly used that level of magic, they wouldn’t make it far.

The skills he had learned now made using 5th-Class magic more feasible.

He could even use Cadenza as a trump card.

“Ughh… How long did we sleep?”

“Not too long. Maybe about two hours?”

“That’s enough. Manus, did you not sleep at all?”

At Nia’s question, Manus nodded in confirmation.

She gave him a slightly exasperated look.

No matter how skilled one was, whether a Master, Mage, or Guardian, everyone needed rest.

They were living beings, and they had limits to their stamina.

At 16 years old, and as a mage with weaker physical endurance, Manus was moving like a machine with no limits.

Constantly, without rest, like an automaton.

Nia stared at him quietly.

‘There’s definitely…’

A secret of some kind.

Either that, or he truly possessed a dazzling, extraordinary talent.

She leaned toward believing the former.

Great families usually had balanced strengths.

While the Abrel family had fallen a bit in recent years, it still possessed talent comparable to the Caesar family…

So why had the gap grown so wide between them?

Even though she had entered the academy a year earlier and started studying magic a year before Manus.

Rather than harboring feelings of inferiority, Nia focused her attention elsewhere.

‘It’s probably something related to this tower.’

Her family had likely started to inquire about things.

If she waited patiently, she’d eventually uncover the secret that Manus was hiding.

“Everyone seems awake. Should we get going?”

“Yeah, let’s go. Everyone’s mana is fully restored, right?”

At Alano’s question, everyone nodded.

They were in peak condition.

All that was left was to challenge the Sentinel.

They checked their gear and made sure their artifacts were in place.

Manus filled the Memorize Ring with recovery magic before leading the group out of the rest area.

Unlike the warm atmosphere of the sleeping quarters, the tower’s corridors were cool and dry.

The academy students marched forward, heading toward the unknown terrors that lay ahead.

2

The Sentinel.

A boss placed in the middle of the tower, serving as a checkpoint to gauge the party’s growth.

In this world, Sentinels followed specific rules.

Only one Arcana could appear at a time, and there wouldn’t be a significant level difference between the Sentinel and the party.

If it was a giant demon, only one would appear, but if it was a mid-sized creature, several would spawn.

To fight a Sentinel, a party could have up to five members.

Any more than that, and a system message would block additional members from entering.

Manus knew these rules well.

But something seemed off when Emerson spoke up.

“Uh… something’s weird up ahead.”

“Hm?”

“Is the Sentinel in the garden different from the others?”

They’d find out soon enough.

Manus, ready to provide support if needed, decided to stay in the rear with Nia and Guillermo.

They needed to conserve their strength to deal with Instructor Chesthip.

Unlike his usual relaxed approach, Manus himself opened the door this time.

A chilling breeze blew through, causing his hair to sway.

As they stepped forward, what greeted them took Manus by surprise.

Rules are rules because they’re followed…

[Grrrr-]

A massive plant creature stood before them.

A towering flower stalk with a pink mask, marked with the number ‘3.’

Next to it were three golems made of tree branches, standing tall.

The Sentinel of Empress 3.

Manus recognized it right away.

This was the Sentinel that was supposed to appear here.

But the three golems were from a higher floor.

They were supposed to be guarding the 19th floor.

“Two kinds of Sentinels, huh?”

“Oh… that’s a lot, isn’t it?”

“What should we do?”

Manus responded calmly.

Two Sentinels?

That meant twice the magic stones, twice the artifacts.

It also meant they could gain the experience and growth they wouldn’t get until the 19th floor—right here.

They had enough people for the task.

They were simply attacking with two parties instead of one.

To ease the tension, Manus deliberately spoke as if it were no big deal.

“We have two parties, so it works out perfectly.”

“…Right. We already defeated the Wanderer. Nothing can stop us now!”

Pearson, ever the mood-maker, chimed in enthusiastically.

Morale in battle was of the utmost importance.

And right now, maintaining the morale of everyone here was critical.

Two Sentinels.

The battle began immediately.

The two groups split up, casting their spells, and naturally dividing the enemies’ attention.

Kael’s party would take on the Empress 3, while Manus’s party handled the golems.

[Grr-]

The Arcana of the Lovers—Golems.

With their sturdy health and annoying status effect attacks, they were no easy foe.

But when it came to status effects, Manus had a weapon of his own.

“Nia, you handle offense. Guillermo, defense. I’ll support you both.”

“Alright. Leave it to me.”

“…My shield is not going to survive this, is it?”

“Trust your Panzer.”

He’d have to withstand the punches of these giants, who stood over three meters tall, but his shield would hold out.

Manus’s reassurance put Guillermo’s mind at ease.

They had spent hours farming the Panzer gear.

Until now, the demons they had fought fell too quickly to fully appreciate its performance.

But now, against the Sentinels, Panzer would truly shine.

Almost as if it understood Manus’s thoughts, one of the golems swung its massive fist.

A basic physical attack pattern.

“Hup-!”

As expected of a Guardian, Guillermo braced himself and blocked the powerful punch.

Boom-!

A massive shockwave rippled through the air.

Yet, despite the sheer force, Guillermo didn’t budge an inch.

Panzer.

The very word symbolized unyielding armor.

Whoever had named it had nailed it perfectly.

Yeah, naming sense like this—now that’s what I’m talking about.

“…Wow, Guillermo! You’re doing great!”

Fwoooosh-!

Flames washed over the golems, searing their wooden forms.

With the buffs in place, Manus joined the offense immediately.

He could now cast 4th-Class spells effortlessly, as if it were second nature.

And thanks to [Whispers of the Spirits], he could even lower the enemies’ resistance to magic.

It was the perfect chance to test how effective this advantage would be.

[Ignis]

[Altus]

The power Manus had gained from mastering Caesar’s Mindset.

Even though he was casting a 4th-Class spell, its power exceeded that of a typical 5th-Class spell.

The sheer heat made Nia flinch in surprise.

Looking at the magic circle, it was clearly a 4th-Class spell, but the power was something else.

It felt like the red dragon that Anais had summoned before had grown even larger and more powerful.

The fiery red dragon charged at one of the golems, coiling around it and setting it ablaze.

[GRAAAAAH-!]

“What the—when did you—”

“Focus on attacking.”

“I swear, I’ll uncover your secrets one day!”

Following Manus’s advice to attack with fire magic, Nia worked furiously, weaving magic circles together.

Meanwhile, Manus glanced over at Kael’s side.

They seemed to be holding their own just fine.

There was no need to worry about them.

‘They could probably handle it even with just the two of them.’

The same could be said for his own group.

With the Sentinels’ resistance to fire completely nullified by [Whispers of the Spirits], they were nothing more than overgrown demons with a lot of health.

Nia’s specialty was her incredible casting speed.

If this were a game, her power might seem average, but it would feel like she was taking two turns every round.

With the sharp focus of a dragon’s eyes, she drove the golems back relentlessly.

The information she absorbed through her eyes was beyond compare.

Even the Caesar family couldn’t match the Abrel family when it came to speed and gathering intel, so Nia was truly in her element.

“Eat this, and this, and take more, you big pile of wood—!”

“…That mouth of yours is a problem.”

Her rough demeanor during combat was almost as bad as Melanie’s.

The first Sentinels of the garden.

With Panzer, these were enemies they could handle even at Level 40.

Just as Manus expected, both parties seemed on track for a flawless victory.

Occasionally, he cast recovery spells or checked for possible ambushes beyond the doors.

Instructor Chesthip.

If he had entered the tower, he might be lurking, waiting for the right moment.

[GRAAAH-!]

Boom-!

A cloud of dust filled the air.

Turning his head, Manus saw one of the golems collapse, engulfed in flames.

Its mask and branches burned away, leaving behind magic stones and artifacts scattered on the ground.

“Alright! Let’s take out the rest in one go!”

“Understood.”

Guillermo and Nia were starting to form a solid duo.

On Kael’s side, their team was working in sync, steadily chipping away at the Sentinel.

A smooth and uneventful hunt.

Manus even left most of the support to Albion as he calmly observed the battle.

It didn’t take long for all the Sentinels to fall.

The first victory in the garden.

It was a sign that the group was adjusting to their surroundings.

“Wooohoo!”

“We did it!”

“Good job, everyone!”

Thanks to Emerson’s sound judgment and Kael’s party executing the plan perfectly.

With Guillermo’s solid defense and Nia’s overwhelming firepower, Manus’s party was equally effective.

Both teams were now working in perfect harmony.

Manus smiled in satisfaction as he watched them.

He had been worried about Guillermo and Nia, but now their teamwork was solid.

“Well done, everyone.”

“Manus, what was that magic just now?”

“What about it?”

Nia placed her hands on her hips and stared at him.

Her expression showed shock, curiosity, and even a hint of envy.

“That was 4th-Class magic, right? Ignis?”

“Yes, it was.”

“That’s strange… I don’t know any spell like that.”

Manus chuckled softly.

Then, he turned to look at Melanie and said,

“I’m not the only one who can communicate with spirits.”

“Oh… don’t tell me?”

Her wide eyes grew even larger.

Of course, he’s a monster.

Nia let out a small, incredulous laugh.

“You… don’t ever betray us, alright?”

“I have no intention of doing so.”

The party had now grown confident enough to move through even the City of Death with ease.

This was the joy of watching their growth unfold.

【Battle Complete】

[Empress 4: Proxio / Lovers 5: Golems x 3]

[Everyone has leveled up.]

[Kael: 48 / Anais: 46 / Pearson: 42 / Melanie: 47 / Alano: 50 / Nia: 52 / Guillermo: 47 / Trace: 40]

[Your familiar has leveled up.]

[Phoenix: 25]

–TL Notes–
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