### Chapter: 265
In front of the corridor of Rahern Academy,
Kraush and Arashizm were facing each other.
Just a moment ago, Arashizm had heard those words.
“Why have you been using informal speech since earlier?”
Arashizm mulled over Kraush’s words with a stupefied expression.
It made sense; he never expected someone would nitpick like that.
“…Is that really important right now?”
“Hey, you’re doing it again.”
Clearly, this was bordering on nitpicking.
And Arashizm figured out why Kraush was acting this way.
Kraush had caught on to his intent in warning about Crimson Garden.
Their eyes met, and Kraush flashed a sly grin.
That smile confirmed to Arashizm that his thoughts were spot on.
Kraush took a step closer, and the aura of the White Dragon began to swirl around them.
After shutting himself away for training, Kraush had absorbed even more of the White Dragon’s power.
The rampaging aura surged with even greater ferocity than before.
“Ugh!”
The moment he faced this crashing aura, Arashizm hastily planted his feet.
At that moment, a blue shadow erupted beneath him, enveloping the entire wall.
Kakakakakang!
The clash between the White Dragon’s aura and the shadow echoed loudly.
The secret technique of the Lakroa family.
Blue Shadow (靑影達).
A skill similar to Umbral, wielded by Zodiac Cloria of the White Ghost faction.
The similarity to Umbral was simple; that technique had previously been granted exclusively to the Lakroa family by a deity.
But not anymore.
The half-god Empress had a falling out with the deity, and thus the Shadow Deity ceased to protect the Lakroa family.
Consequently, Umbral fell into the hands of Zodiac Cloria, leaving only Blue Shadow for the Lakroas.
‘As expected, this guy isn’t a direct descendant of Lakroa.’
While Arashizm was no slouch himself, he felt more like a distant branch of the family tree.
Plus, Kraush knew only one direct line of Lakroa existed.
And he also knew just how formidable the technique Blue Shadow could be.
‘After all, that guy is quite a bit older than me.’
So there was no way he could have entered Rahern Academy.
But whether direct or distant, it didn’t matter to Kraush.
What he had to do now was singular.
“Shadows are weak to fire.”
He had to step on him for good measure.
As Kraush said this and chuckled briefly, Arashizm felt a chill run down his spine.
By the time he tried to retreat, it was already too late.
The swirling power of the White Dragon combined with Kraush’s black flames.
It was a completely different turn of events compared to the previously frigid aura of the White Dragon.
What Kraush had attained through his secluded training.
It was the aura of the Black Dragon.
The heat packed within it was enough to ignite the shadows in the very realm they resided in.
Whirak, Kwaaaaaaaaaaang!
In an instant, the flames of black engulfed and tore apart the shadow completely;
Arashizm was tossed about by the explosion.
“Cough, cough, urgh.”
As Arashizm swallowed the smoke and attempted to rise, he realized a shadow had fallen over him.
Kraush was standing there with his arms crossed, looking down at him quietly.
Just that was enough to make Arashizm feel an imposing pressure.
He already knew it, but to be this strong was shocking.
Defeated without any means to retaliate, Arashizm swallowed hard.
“Let’s get to the main topic.”
Kraush looked down at Arashizm and asked.
“You warned me about the dangers of Crimson Garden and what I should do to escape her grasp; what were you hoping for in return?”
As expected, Kraush jumped right into questioning Arashizm’s true motives.
The Lakroa were already aware that Kraush was linked to world eroders.
Yet, they came here without taking any action, warning him instead.
The fact that these extreme world eroder haters, the Lakroa, had made such a choice meant
there was something to gain from Kraush beyond mere hatred.
Arashizm clenched his fists as he realized why Kraush had acted so aggressively.
‘He’s trying to seize control of the conversation from the outset.’
Arashizm slightly bit his lip.
He knew he was dealing with someone not to be underestimated.
But he hadn’t anticipated that this guy would act so recklessly for his own goals.
Arashizm briefly looked around, his gaze searching for a way to regain the upper hand, but a path didn’t appear.
In this simple clash of will, he had been crushed down.
If this escalated into a fight, the outcome was painfully obvious.
The loser would simply have to capitulate.
“…I seem to have been very rude to you, senior.”
Finally, Arashizm raised his hands, showing his intent to surrender.
There was no reason to make an enemy of Kraush for the sake of future discussions.
“I’ve heard rumors that a world eroder named Ixion has been active recently. Did you know that?”
Hence, Arashizm immediately dove into the main point.
Kraush had anticipated the discussion of Ixion, so he nodded.
“Yeah, I know.”
“Of course, I figured you would, since you’ve had a run-in with them before, right?”
“Actually, it’s Sigrid who’s been targeted, not me.”
Drawing from the information made public, Kraush lightly prodded, and Arashizm let out a hollow chuckle.
“World eroders are our specialty. Do you think we couldn’t see through that bluff?”
While they failed to crack the case around Crimson Garden.
Kraush chose not to mention that bit.
Certainly, they had already known the information regarding Ixion and had been moving in response.
“And more than anything, the Lakroa family is currently cooperating with the empire to eliminate Ixion.”
Then came the surprising revelation.
So that’s why Arashizm seemed a bit more informed than usual.
Cooperating with the empire was clearly the reason behind it.
Ixion was an enemy threatening the entire world.
The empire, now motivated by this incident, had no reason not to ally with the Lakroa, a world eroder specialist.
“Do you know why they are targeting you, Kraush?”
Of course, he knew.
Because they absolutely needed the Ignis he possessed.
Reading the look in Kraush’s eyes, Arashizm nodded.
The more he knew, the easier the conversation flowed.
“They will continue to target you, Kraush.”
There must be a reason behind this obvious revelation.
“Are you suggesting I should hide before they come for me?”
Kraush responded with disinterest.
Naturally, Arashizm shook his head.
“No, soon the empire and the Lakroa will both be preparing for a full-scale showdown against Ixion. We’re communicating this to all the kingdoms behind the scenes through reliable sources.”
The moment he heard that, Kraush’s eyes widened slightly.
After all, this was the announcement of a full-on confrontation.
But there was one major issue.
‘A war with world eroders was always inevitable.’
But the timing had come much quicker than expected.
An early showdown meant unforeseen incidents could also arise.
“…What’s the scale?”
“We plan to summon the Sanctuary Knights and the Ten Great Lords.”
And what a gathering it would be!
Kraush slowly tapped his arms crossed in thought.
‘Eliminating Ixion once and for all would indeed be a good thing.’
In fact, Kraush had intentionally forced Ixion’s name into the light.
He wanted the world to recognize Ixion as the enemy so they could rally together to eradicate them.
Yet, there was an unease in this flow of events.
After the Swordmaster was defeated by Charlotte,
the cornered world eroders had made their final struggles in a frenzy.
Those eroding powers intensified, dragging the world into chaos.
‘Not every world eroder is a fan of Ixion.’
However, they were all still a collective of world eroders, and they all knew of Ixion.
‘In the previous cycle, world eroders banded together after Sera and Sigrid were assassinated, leading Braham to rampage and kill many world eroders.’
As a result, the previously dormant world eroders, including the Swordmaster, rallied, and a great war between worlds commenced.
Perhaps this gathering of world eroders could lead to the downfall of Ixion.
If they witnessed the destruction of Ixion, those world eroders might shed their individualism and unite together.
Should they face Ixion head-on, they’d inevitably suffer damage.
And that damage would create openings for other world eroders to exploit for their own survival.
‘The moment world eroders gather around the Swordmaster.’
A great war with world eroders would become inevitable, and
the last struggle of the cornered world eroders would erupt once more.
‘Darn it.’
Kraush felt a faint headache and rubbed his forehead.
He’d felt this way before, but no matter how many solutions he conjured, it always led to the same results.
Ixion had to be dealt with.
But the manner in which he handled it couldn’t instill fear across world eroders.
‘Is that even possible?’
Even Kraush couldn’t see a clear solution right then and there.
And as he pondered, one person came to mind.
‘Aria.’
Aria had failed to save the world.
And that failure wasn’t just a one-time thing.
Her methods had become colder and more detached.
Perhaps it was so because, like Kraush, she had exhausted all alternative means, leading to the same outcomes.
But for whatever reason,
Kraush felt Aria’s image fading away.
‘Has it been a few years since my reincarnation that I’ve started to forget?’
Instead, a false Aria emerged in his thoughts.
This was the one person Kraush identified as being dangerously linked to Abella.
Perhaps it was time to start cracking open Pandora’s Box.
“You’re telling me this for a reason.”
Kraush finally halted his thoughts.
He couldn’t foolishly obstruct the flow of the world.
Instead, what he needed to do was intervene and create the best possible outcomes.
At that moment, Arashizm, listening to Kraush’s query, bowed his head.
“I need you to act as bait to lure Ixion out.”
Bait.
This too wasn’t unexpected.
“Ixion’s main base is still shrouded in mystery; they change locations regularly.”
Ixion keeps moving their meetings to new venues constantly.
And that’s still the case today.
A member of Ixion and now the corpse of Ebelasque, the Glow King, being brought to different locales was testament to that.
Kraush had a decent grip on their meeting spots.
But so did Abella.
They were certainly kept under wraps.
“But there’s one day they’ll all have to gather, a day they absolutely won’t pass up.”
That day would be when a golden opportunity lands in their laps.
Who plays that role?
None other than Kraush.
“Is this about taking them all down at once?”
“Right, if it’s not an all-out strike, they’ll act with even more cunning.”
They have a certain Black Witch, the best in spatial abilities, among them.
If they miss her, the operation could fail.
But with Kraush present, the Black Witch wouldn’t easily escape.
Kraush would become the card they absolutely must play.
“So, you’re suggesting I let myself get captured to draw them in?”
Only then did Kraush start to piece it all together.
The reason Lakroa had let Kraush slide despite being linked to eroders was that
he was the prime candidate to act as bait against Ixion.
Even if he died while being used as bait, since he was connected to world eroders, they wouldn’t feel any guilt about it.
‘Seriously, these shadowy figures really take the cake.’
Kraush glimpsed the madness swelling in Arashizm’s eyes.
Even though he’d pressed him down with sheer force, the hatred for world eroders burning behind those eyes remained intense.
Those born in Lakroa had long been conditioned to harbor a strong dislike for world eroders.
Kraush felt no resentment for this.
After all, despite everything, he was wielding power while shaking hands with world eroders.
And above all, nothing felt more familiar to Kraush than hatred.
A chilling smile crept across Kraush’s lips.
Now, instead of lamenting his fate, he would seize this moment as an opportunity.
The delicate balance where both Lakroa and Ixion can’t easily make their move against him.
He would hold onto that balance, taking the reins in moving towards his advantage.
‘The timing to strike at Ixion is mine to determine.’
Crisis gives birth to opportunity.
That was Kraush’s strong suit.
“Yes, they will definitely approach you, Kraush.”
Once again, Arashizm reiterated the same statement.
“Do you have any idea when that might be?”
Individuals in such positions couldn’t wait around all day.
Kraush questioned as to when he would potentially get snatched, and Arashizm simply nodded.
“It’s an uncertain timeline, indeed. At present, the Demon King associated with the empire is researching an artifact that would enable you to instantly switch locations.”
Kraush quietly listened to the story.
Since they were working with the empire, it seemed the Lakroa were also putting some preparations in place.
They knew Kraush would need a safety mechanism in place if he were to play the role of bait.
But Kraush had felt something during his time in the Giant’s Forest.
‘It was the world eroders sent by the Black Witch who arrived before the Demon King.’
The Demon King got wind through Crimson Garden about Kraush’s location.
But since the Forest of Giants was off-limits, it took quite a while to navigate that distorted space.
In contrast, the Black Witch sent her world eroders well before the Demon King.
‘The Black Witch possesses the advantage in the folds of world erosion.’
The Demon King’s skills were impressive, but he was still outmatched by the Black Witch in this domain.
Could the artifact he was crafting even function as intended?
Kraush had to shake his head inwardly.
The Demon King was too stubborn to ever accept such a fact.
But since it involved his very life, he couldn’t just let it slide.
“I personally want to prepare some safety mechanisms too.”
“Personally?”
Arashizm blinked in surprise.
Of course, considering there wasn’t anyone better than the Demon King out there, he was caught off guard.
But Kraush met his gaze with a smile.
While the Demon King’s magic was outstanding, he was not the best when it came to artifacts.
And Kraush knew indeed of a certain individual who sits atop the world of artifact crafting.
‘There are those with talent in the special class.’
Additionally, Kraush had one specific individual in mind to solve his problems.
Coincidentally, the person who could help him design the safety mechanism was related to that individual.
‘I haven’t yet undergone full transformation.’
Despite his constant training retreat, Kraush still hadn’t completely absorbed the power of the Dragon King.
His body couldn’t fully accept that power yet.
This wasn’t a problem that could be solved simply with the Four Seasons.
And Kraush knew of a certain madman who could provide assistance with that.
The Sanctuary of Stars,
the Demon King,
Terasius Jeblam.
It was time he visited that madman.
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