Chapter 68 – Defining the Intruder
#1
The Tower.
Everyone except Manus thoroughly scoured the tower, but to no avail.
Six hours.
They exhausted all the time granted by the golden clock, yet there was no trace of Emerson.
Everyone’s expressions hardened, and conversation gradually dwindled.
Though they seemed to be quietly attending to their own tasks, in reality, each harbored different thoughts.
Worry for Emerson, fear that there would certainly be another victim, anxiety about whether that victim might be oneself.
‘Emerson, where on earth are you?’
Kael pondered, observing Alano’s silver hair at the forefront.
Where are you-?
She felt that if they couldn’t locate Emerson, she would somehow be plagued by an inexplicable sense of guilt.
She knows, rationally.
That it wasn’t anyone’s fault here, it was merely an unfortunate accident.
But for these young, innocent students, this burden was truly overwhelming.
Even the usually talkative Pearson was uncharacteristically solemn.
“…Let’s return for today.”
“Haa-.”
“If we search just a little more-.”
Alano shared their sentiments.
He yearned to continue the search.
He wanted to keep ascending and descending this tower, unwilling to waste even a moment of sleep.
But searching demands substantial physical and mental fortitude.
Even to his discerning eyes, the juniors’ condition was now critical.
If they forced the search in this state, they too might meet with misfortune.
“Everyone’s exhausted, so we need to rest for now.”
“But…”
“What if we encounter danger while wandering the tower indefinitely? Let’s think long-term, kids.”
At Alano’s words, everyone had no choice but to acquiesce.
His reasoning was sound.
Everyone could see that Alano’s eyes and expression, while uttering such words, were far from at ease.
Melanie clenched her fist in frustration.
Kael swept her surroundings with vacant eyes.
An endless anxiety of ‘What if she’s discovered as a corpse tomorrow-‘ plagued them.
To alleviate their distress somewhat, Anais forced herself to speak.
“It’s okay. She’s from the Freya family, after all.”
“The Freya family… right. There’s hope then.”
“The problem is the other one.”
While there was hope for Emerson if she employed her unique ability, the predicament lay with Lupera.
He was an ordinary mage.
A typical offensive mage who hadn’t inherited any remarkable familial traits.
He could perform adequately in most situations, but it would be exceedingly difficult for him to transcend that.
Consequently, he would struggle immensely to cope.
He would wander endlessly, facing the relentlessly approaching demons.
Eventually, his strength and mana would be depleted, and he would perish in solitude.
“-Let’s go.”
“Tomorrow, we’ll definitely find them.”
“We must.”
They departed from the tower, fervently hoping that their friend, their senior, wouldn’t meet his demise in just one day.
On the journey back, Alano repeatedly exhorted the first-years.
His gaze warmly caressed their weary souls.
“Don’t dwell on anything, just rest well. You can’t afford to become worn out.”
“Senior, you need to rest well too.”
Kael’s lips moved, offering words of solace to Alano.
Alano nodded with the brightest smile he could muster.
They returned to their respective rooms.
Though they parted with promises to undoubtedly find them tomorrow, to ensure success, why were their minds so tumultuous-?
As if by unspoken agreement, everyone was destined to spend the night with eyes wide open.
#2
The following day.
Kael barely emerged from the dormitory, rubbing her bloodshot eyes.
Her body felt chilled, as if she might be succumbing to illness.
In any case, her condition was far from optimal in numerous aspects.
In front of the dormitory, she observed Anais and Melanie trudging along.
Their appearance mirrored her own disheveled state.
Feeling an inexplicable sense of kinship, she found herself smiling ruefully without realizing it.
“Hi-. Did you sleep well?”
“-No.”
“Us neither. Phew… let’s proceed for now.”
En route to the school grounds, they encountered Pearson and then Manus.
Manus stood there, as if deliberately awaiting their arrival.
His figure, with the endearing cotton ball perched on his shoulder, exuded a refreshing quality that seemed to wash away the anxiety that had tormented them so mercilessly the previous night.
The moment Kael laid eyes on him, a smile involuntarily blossomed on her face.
Despite the gravity of the situation, it was an irrepressible physiological reaction.
Her pace naturally quickened.
“Senior-.”
“You’ve arrived.”
Today especially, Kael’s eyes were sunken, and her expression was utterly drained.
Concerned that something untoward might have transpired in the tower during the night, he spoke a word of reassurance.
“You weren’t bewitched, were you?”
“It’s nothing like that. Just… couldn’t sleep…”
“Don’t fret. There’s no report of any body being discovered.”
Kael exhaled a sigh of relief.
Early that morning, they had consulted with the Chairman.
Bodies, if any, are typically discovered somewhere on the school grounds at six in the morning.
Fortunately, this morning yielded no report of a body being found anywhere.
If something had occurred, Aden or the Chairman would have summoned them immediately.
They had safely navigated one day.
“Pay attention in class, and be cautious not to become isolated.”
“Yes-.”
“Are you alright, senior?”
Manus nodded in response to the concerned inquiry.
It was Anais who had approached suddenly, asking with genuine affection.
Recently, she had been particularly attentive towards Manus.
She had always been a lady overflowing with amiability, but had she become even more cheerful since that interview?
Regardless, it was a positive transformation.
Manus sensed an unbearable anxiety in the expressions of those approaching him amicably.
[Interference commences.]
Is even a single word like this included in interference?
What course of action should he take?
What words, what expression, what gesture would provide them with strength?
“If you encounter any difficulties, confide in Alano or myself.”
“-Really?”
Manus nodded affirmatively.
Three women and one man gazed at him with wide eyes.
For them, he must still be an intimidating senior figure.
It would suffice to maintain an appropriate distance while interfering just enough to tend to their mental well-being.
They say that merely having someone who can listen to your story without prejudice provides immense psychological stability.
‘That should be adequate.’
He wasn’t naturally inclined towards meticulous care like Alano.
But it was certainly within his capacity to support them, preventing their collapse.
He resolved to attempt being a senior, a role he neither could nor considered in his previous life.
With just that single utterance, they already appeared to have shed some of their burden.
What’s the greatest advantage of youth?
It’s having the time to rise again even after experiencing failure.
“Even if you can’t save them, it’s not your fault. The culpability lies with this world, the tower, and the demons.”
“…But it’s a predicament only we can resolve.”
“That’s correct. If… if we fail… they’ll end up perishing.”
Manus spoke with firm conviction.
“Exert your utmost effort, but don’t bear guilt over the outcomes. Regret serves no purpose in life.”
His words created gentle ripples in the young companions’ consciousness.
Life gradually returned to their despairing eyes.
Manus was content with just that transformation.
[Interference confirmed.]
[Physical abilities slightly enhanced.]
‘Excellent. To reap rewards even from brief counseling.’
With such incentives, he was willing to engage in counseling more proactively.
When small actions accumulate, they can exert significant influence.
In any case, today they had confirmed that the two missing individuals were still alive.
Anxiety breeds impatience, and impatience engenders haste.
Manus’s role was to locate Lupera and to bolster their resilience so they could endure.
Haste invariably leads to catastrophic accidents-.
“You’re all performing admirably.”
“-Yes.”
The juniors smiled, their spirits somewhat lifted.
Yes, this was sufficient for the present.
Now it was time to resume their roles as students.
They proceeded into the academy with slightly brighter countenances.
“Ah, and-.”
‘A demanding schedule awaits you.’
For they must resolve a life-and-death matter while simultaneously preparing for the end-of-month evaluation.
Those who heard Manus’s final words nodded in understanding.
“-We comprehend.”
Still, they were beings crafted with hope, justice, and a touch of idealism.
He believed they would rise to the challenge adequately.
#3
The moment when the golden clock began its motion.
Manus arrived to meet Black and White.
The others had embarked on another search expedition today.
In one hand, he clutched several popular board games.
Black, who was perusing his card hand with a characteristically bored expression, glanced up at him.
His face, previously dripping with ennui, transformed into a bright visage in an instant, quite-
As he set down his hand and stood, the monotonous card game concluded.
“Ah- I was on the verge of victory! It’s because of your interruption!”
“I brought gifts, but perhaps I should reclaim them.”
“What?! Hey Black, I glimpsed your card hand. Ah… this scoundrel employed a technique again.”
It was a surprisingly harmonious atmosphere.
Manus placed the board games on the table, then addressed the crux of the matter.
Demons escaping the tower presented a grave concern.
Those residing in the temporal crevice had breached the present world.
The invasion of entities that shouldn’t exist.
Black observed Manus’s eyes emitting a sapphire glow under the soft illumination.
“Demons have emerged from the tower.”
“-What? That should be an impossibility?”
“Whether through external intervention or of their own volition, that’s the current reality.”
Manus’s words were devoid of emotion.
White sprang from her seat and hastened elsewhere.
Black, conversely, elected to hear Manus’s account further.
His eyes betrayed no deception.
This implied that the colossal force sustaining this tower had somehow been compromised.
It was akin to what people commonly refer to as a barrier.
“White has gone to investigate, so the cause will soon be revealed. Have you suffered any additional casualties?”
“Two individuals have vanished.”
“Oh my… We must address this urgently.”
Black’s brow furrowed slightly.
Outsiders must be rigorously isolated from this affair.
Only then could they confront the world’s avarice, confusion, and chaos.
They were entities tethered to this place.
Hence, they had no recourse but to rely on external assistance.
Feeling a surge of frustration, he sighed softly.
“We will illuminate the path. We’ll also bestow ample rewards.”
“Is it because you’re unable to depart from this chamber?”
Black nodded affirmatively.
The slightly upturned corner of his mouth betrayed his sentiments.
Remaining here would not resolve the predicament.
Instead, Manus resolved to extract as much as possible from them.
“Then provide me with comprehensive support. I’ll resolve it.”
“-That’s precisely what we had hoped for. Though it’s an insignificant locale, we’ll assist you wholeheartedly.”
“Aaah-! Catastrophe looms!”
While the two were engaged in amicable discourse, White came rushing back, breathless.
She approached the pair, an expression of shock splashed across her exquisite features.
Black observed White’s severely trembling pupils.
Had she ever exhibited such agitation?
No-.
Has there ever been an instance where she displayed such an expression since our entry into the tower?
“The boundary between reality and the crevice is gradually blurring. At this rate, demons will continue to claim victims.”
“Is it related to our power?”
“Most likely. It’s a consequence of our sustained contact with external entities.”
Her gaze fixed squarely on Manus.
Black also contemplated Manus and the group that frequented the tower with him.
Perhaps-.
“You are simultaneously saviors and harbingers of calamity.”
“Ziggurat. In this crevice, we embody such a paradox, don’t we?”
Manus could comprehend White’s assertion.
In any realm, those who invade a sanctuary are merely intruders.
But if asked whether he would desist because of that, he would resolutely shake his head.
“It’s inconsequential. We possess sufficient reasons and purposes to forge ahead.”
“-Is that so?”
White bared her snow-white teeth in a fierce grin.
It was a smile reminiscent of a certain older sister who reveled in physical activity and was renowned in school for her boisterous personality.
She declared.
“Then, I shall illuminate the path. From this moment, we embark on a full-scale war.”
Her words constituted a declaration of hostilities.
A proclamation of a diminutive yet fierce and terrible conflict between the chosen ones and the tower, the present world and the infernal realm.
Manus surreptitiously clenched both hands.
There will be numerous casualties.
Many unforeseen events will likely transpire as well.
‘Thus, I must extract every possible advantage.’
Before him stand those actively volunteering as accessible resources.
In the war against demons and demonium, their knowledge will prove indispensable.
Manus declared with resolve.
“If you provide active assistance, victory is attainable.”
“Quite confident, aren’t you?”
“If not, we’ll be consumed by the tower.”
A subtle ripple disturbed the countenances of the duo.
Indeed, that’s correct.
That’s the nature of the tower.
A realm that thrives by feeding on fear and imbibing despair.
“I must first locate my friend.”
“Understood. We’ll render aid. You won’t be able to return to the present world for several days. Is that acceptable?”
The prelude to that war.
That entailed finding Lupera and Emerson.
Manus nodded without hesitation, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
–TL Notes–
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