Chapter: 164
Kraush Learns About Bioren Thanks to Arthur.
Today’s star? The top student at the Special Class, Bioren Sedny.
Bioren’s barrier magic was in a league of its own.
He always made sure that the Sanctuary of Stars wasn’t assaulted out of the blue, thanks to his intense barrier work.
Of course, that’s a given.
His secret mother was a barrier magician associated with the Devourer of Worlds ( 세계 침식자).
His unique magic blends the powers of dark mana and barrier techniques into something completely new.
That’s Bioren Sedny for you.
But, Bioren had one significant issue.
Like many other Devourers of Worlds, he couldn’t handle World Erosion freely.
To put it precisely, the power of World Erosion was gnawing away at him even now.
You see, the human body treats World Erosion like poison.
Half of him was still human.
So naturally, that half couldn’t digest the World Erosion and kept trying to break him down.
Because of this, Bioren made a sly choice.
He decided to cast barriers on himself!
Mixing magic with barrier skills, he created layered barriers around himself.
As a result, Bioren ended up looking like a giant.
His physical appearance was really just a shell created by the combination of his barriers and magic.
Inside, he harbored the secret of being the child of the Devourer—something the world would never know.
“Just put it here.”
“Oh, yes! Thank you!”
Kraush placed Dorma’s books in the Curse Studies classroom, receiving her thankful gratitude.
“It’s no big deal. By the way, I’d like to get my hands on a few upper-level curses. Is there a chance I could get those?”
“U-upper-level curses? Are you making another potion?”
“Not exactly. I just want to experiment a bit.”
“Got it! I’ll prepare what you need!”
Dorma, with her tiny fists clenched, showed her determination.
Given that Kraush promised to help her reach her master, she was ready to do whatever it took.
She looked just like an earnest little puppy full of hope.
Kraush mentioned a few curses to her.
As she jotted them down, Dorma nodded eagerly.
“I think I already have most of them. I can probably get them for you quickly.”
“Sounds reliable. Thanks.”
“Hehe, reliable? You flatter me!”
Although she was technically a year older than him, Dorma somehow looked younger due to her petite frame, and she beamed at the compliment.
After saying goodbye to her, Kraush checked the date on the calendar.
‘It’s about time.’
When he lifted his head, he spotted Bioren making his way somewhere.
With his large frame, he was hard to miss.
‘Sorry, not sorry.’
Kraush didn’t actually bear any ill will toward Bioren; he felt a bit of pity instead.
After all, his end was something unforgettable.
“Damn it! Whether I’m a Devourer of Worlds or not, you guys will owe me for life! Being half human and half Devourer is why you owe me anything!”
Bioren’s haunting last words echoed in Kraush’s mind.
All in all, he was quite a foul-mouthed character.
But really, he wasn’t as terrible as his mouth suggested.
So perhaps in this life, he could afford to be a little more honest.
Kraush pulled out the vial that he had previously gotten from Darling.
‘Guess this means I gotta do something villainous.’
Now, that’s his comfort zone.
—
Bioren had to check the barriers making up his body regularly, about once a month or so.
That was to safeguard against the unrelenting gnaw of World Erosion.
“Hah, ha.”
In a deserted corner of the building, Bioren exhaled sharply.
His body’s barriers were wearing thin, with the World Erosion rapidly eroding them from within.
If this continued, all his barriers would vanish.
And he would likely get consumed by World Erosion itself.
“Damn it, this is unbearable! Seriously.”
The rate at which his barriers were failing was accelerating each day.
So today, he had rushed out of the Special Class to do some urgent barrier research.
“I’ve been checking early lately.”
He couldn’t believe it was going to deteriorate even faster than that.
As he aged, the power of World Erosion seemed to strengthen, while his barrier skills lagged behind.
He detested it.
If only he could live like a normal person without this worry.
After mulling over these thoughts, he sighed deeply and took off his shirt.
Then, he noticed the enormous barrier tattoos decorated along his chest and stomach.
Quickly, he fumbled around for his waist.
He needed some reagents he often used for barrier magic.
But as he patted around, he belatedly realized his waist felt empty.
“Oh?”
Bioren looked bewildered, patting at his waist.
Nothing.
He had no barrier magic reagents.
He was sure he had them when he left, but in his rush, he must have dropped them.
Confusion painted his face.
Just then, he was about to dash out in search of his lost items.
“Ugh!”
He unintentionally stifled a scream as he felt the barrier cracking around him.
He swallowed in discomfort.
With the barrier recovering being an urgent affair, he couldn’t afford to go searching for reagents in this situation.
“Ugh, damn it.”
He had to proceed with caution, considering the impact of World Erosion.
As he finalized his heartfelt judgment, he passed a pale alleyway.
And then, he spotted a boy walking toward him.
The boy was tossing a long vial into the air and catching it.
When the boy caught a glimpse of him, he tilted his head.
“Bioren?”
In that moment, Bioren’s gaze went toward the vial in the boy’s hand.
That was definitely his barrier reagent.
That kid was Kraush Valhaim, a gifted student from the Unnamed Academy.
Why was he holding it?
“Ugh!”
“Why do you look like that?”
But Bioren was too dazed to focus as his mana was slipping away from him.
“Th-that!”
Desperate to get his reagent back, Bioren reached out.
Kraush looked puzzled for a moment but then turned to the reagent and said, “Oh, this was lying around. Is it yours?”
With no suspicion, Kraush handed the reagent over to him.
Quickly, Bioren took the vial and sprinkled it on his own hands.
The red liquid dripped off his fingers and onto the floor.
It seemed a bit thinner than usual, but he couldn’t waste time checking it.
He pressed the reagent against his chest.
Taking a deep breath, he activated the barrier magic.
Bright red light erupted from Bioren’s body.
Surrounded by the glowing light, he swiftly readjusted his barrier magic.
“Hrah, hhh.”
And not long after, he exhaled a sigh as he bent over.
Thankfully, the barrier was restored successfully.
He could feel the World Erosion no longer seeping into his body.
Thick beads of sweat streamed down his face.
As he followed the flow of sweat and lifted his head, a question arose.
Because he was suddenly looking up at Kraush.
“Wha?”
Just then, Kraush tilted his head, lost in thought.
“Why do you look smaller?”
As Kraush asked, Bioren finally examined his own state.
His hands, once the size of a cauldron, were now just like everyone else’s, and his clothes were about to fall off.
In this embarrassing situation, he awkwardly grabbed at his pants.
Bioren’s giant stature was nowhere to be found now.
In its place was a cascade of silver hair and the unmistakable face of a girl.
Quickly grabbing the clothes he had dropped, she hurriedly covered herself.
“W-wait, what the hell!”
With a high-pitched curse, she bolted out of there like a madwoman.
Her face was as pale as if she had been exposed.
Kraush, who stared after her retreating figure, casually placed his hand on his waist.
He had one empty vial left from Darling.
[At this rate, shouldn’t fraudulent activities become your new calling?]
“I’m just playing along with the situation.”
Kraush twirled the empty vial in his hand.
[So why did you mix Darling’s potion into the barrier reagent?]
Not too long ago, Kraush had thieved the barrier reagent from the panicking Bioren while in his Black Hood disguise, mixing in Darling’s potion.
And soon enough, the effects of it would be apparent.
“I wanted to show off a product of coincidence.”
Kraush, enigmatic in his wording, turned on his heel.
He tossed out the bait.
Sooner or later, a fish would take the hook.
—
And Kraush’s expectations proved accurate moments later.
While he was heading to lunch, he noticed something in front of him.
Someone was prancing around on short legs.
With hair tied into a silver tuft and eyes sparkling like sapphires, she was dressed in oversized clothing that flapped as she walked right up to him.
“Oh, what the heck? So cute!”
“Who’s that?”
“Anik?”
Students passing by had a variety of reactions as they admired her.
Based on their reactions, she looked unreasonably young for being at the academy.
She could hardly be older than her early teens.
With that big outfit, it was hard to even tell if she was a girl or a boy.
But one thing was certain.
She would grow up to be a stunning beauty.
“Kraush, she’s coming this way!”
As Aslan flipped her red hair back, she pointed at him.
Why not? Bioren had been eyeing him since she started running towards them.
Kraush, unaffected, nonchalantly raised a hand.
“Bioro…”
“Hey, don’t call me that!”
As Bioren sprinted towards him, she seized Kraush’s collar with a crash.
Her oversized eyes burned with intensity.
“Y-you, we need to talk for a sec!”
She huffed at Kraush.
Kraush shrugged, glancing over at Aslan.
Aslan stroked her chin and said slowly, “Well, I doubt Kraush would bother with such a young girl.”
“What do you think I am?”
“My friend.”
Aslan flashed a charming smile and then walked away.
It took guts to say that without a shred of shame.
Once Aslan was gone, Kraush turned his attention back to Bioren.
Still fuming, he dismissed, “Let’s go.”
Kraush said that and walked briskly ahead.
As he moved without hesitation, Bioren begrudgingly cooled her anger and followed behind him.
After a while, they reached a secluded area.
As soon as they halted, Bioren opened her mouth.
“What did you do to my reagent?”
Did she catch on?
Racking his memory, Kraush realized Bioren must’ve sensed something was off.
It was no wonder she was top of the class in the Special Class.
“So, what’s on your mind?”
Kraush regarded Bioren.
She gathered her breath before speaking again.
“I don’t know if you’re shameless or just lucky…”
“Definitely shameless.”
“Right, shameless…”
Bioren mirrored Kraush’s words, but her expression was blank.
She wasn’t expecting someone to be so brazen.
“But should I be saying thank you instead?”
With an uncharacteristically dumbstruck face, Kraush smiled at Bioren, “You’re still maintaining your barriers, aren’t you?”
Bioren’s lips twitched.
Her outer appearance was merely a shell.
It was a shell made of barrier magic.
But after Kraush mixed in Darling’s potion, somehow, she could maintain her original form without World Erosion infiltrating her.
That meant she didn’t have to strain with that cumbersome guise anymore.
“Bioren.”
As Kraush called her name, she flinched and looked up at him.
Now resembling her true age, Bioren couldn’t help but lift her head towards him.
“Let’s strike a deal.”
The trickster within him was stirring again.
“You craft a barrier for me, and I’ll let you in on how to maintain that form.”
Bioren’s expression scrunched up tightly.
“What do you know…?”
“I know.”
In that moment, Kraush raised a hand.
Flame erupted!
Black flames swirled from his hand, flickering energetically.
Bioren’s slowly widening eyes revealed a change in her expression.
Those in possession of World Erosion powers would recognize it.
This was not a curse; it was pure power of World Erosion.
Bioren had never paid any attention to anyone before.
Naturally, she had been focused only on barrier studies as if the world outside didn’t exist, for fear of being devoured by World Erosion.
She attended Rahern Academy solely for solving barrier problems.
That was because there was a renowned barrier professor at the academy.
Her mother, a master of barriers, had left her after giving birth.
Perhaps that was why she had never seen Kraush control black flames before.
“You’re a Devourer?”
“Nope.”
Kraush vehemently denied it while dispelling the black flames.
He wasn’t a Devourer.
But a semblance of a sinister smile crept over his face.
“Yet, I know how to stabilize your World Erosion.”
That smile resembled one a devil would wear while offering a deal.
Bioren’s eyes widened in shock.
To her, World Erosion was a dire threat to her life every day.
Yet somehow, Kraush had managed to stabilize her World Erosion.
It was naturally an enticing proposition for her.
But an unsettling alarm rang loudly in her heart.
An inexplicable uneasiness suffocated her.
“…Who on earth are you?”
Based on Kraush’s reaction, she realized he likely suspected her true identity as a child of the Devourer of Worlds.
That, there was no doubt, was a secret that must never be revealed.
The Devourer of Worlds was the enemy of the world.
Naturally, she fell into that same category.
So she had deliberately hidden her family name and entered Rahern Academy.
She even concealed the fact that she was the daughter of a powerful dark mage.
Bioren’s tiny fists trembled slightly, making her appear quite pitiful.
Due to her barrier magic, her body had failed to grow according to her age.
“That’s not the answer you’re looking for.”
Bioren bit her lips hard at those words.
She was caught in a dilemma: Should she take a bite of this potentially poisonous apple that might be the antidote, or accept death from her poisoned state?
Her deliberation didn’t last long.
“…What do I need to create?”
She fell into the trap.
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