### Chapter: 297
“Is this really the time to be laughing?!”
Bioeren scolded them with a face full of anger while glaring at Kraush and the crumbling barrier around them.
“If you keep this up, we’re gonna get trapped forever in the barrier your mom set up!”
She was right; now wasn’t exactly the moment for chuckles.
Kraush wiped the grin off his face and turned to Bioeren. “So, Bioeren, did you recover any power?”
“…Barely managed to scrape together some. But it’s only half.”
Bioeren gazed wistfully at the shattered willow branch, remnants of her struggles.
“So, the other half of my power…”
It meant that the Hell Fairy had taken half of her ability.
Kraush clicked his tongue.
Even though they’d come prepared, Ixion had been gearing up too.
So, the Hell Fairy was really the one to siphon powers away.
The evidence was clear: she had stolen half of what Bioeren had.
“That’s good enough.”
Kraush decided to set aside the aftermath for later. Right now, they had to focus on a more immediate problem.
“Bioeren, can you get us out of this barrier?”
“…I’ve been trying to since earlier, but…”
Bioeren’s expression was grave.
“It feels weird. My barrier magic isn’t activating properly. It feels like my power is being nullified whenever I try to use it.”
With a distressed look, she kept banging against the barrier like it was a piñata.
But the magic was resisting her efforts.
There was just one thing different from before.
“Could it be because of the energy that was absorbed earlier?”
Bioeren’s unique property, the energy flow.
Even if she only had half, her special trait seemed to stabilize the very essence of World Erosion’s power.
Ironically, that stability was hindering her barrier magic.
She had never activated her barrier magic with that trait present.
With the foundational way of using her ability altered, it was like her own legs were tied.
“Ah.”
It seemed she connected the dots as she looked flustered.
That meant she’d have to relearn how to properly use her barrier magic before she could even begin.
“Then…”
Crack!
Bioeren glanced hurriedly at the crumbling barrier. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before the cracks widened.
As her eyes filled with anxiety, Kraush opened his mouth.
“Can I take that on?”
At his next words, Bioeren turned to him with a puzzled look.
“Remember the barrier I placed on you?”
Bioeren’s eyes went wide.
That method could work!
Still, she had a concern lingering in her heart.
“Kraush, if you take that on…”
Only half of the unique trait that Ixion had taken from Bioeren remained.
If they thought that was enough, they might leave her be, but if it wasn’t, they’d come back to take more.
What would happen if Kraush accepted her power?
Naturally, Ixion would focus even more on him.
It might turn into a big burden for Kraush.
But Kraush looked unperturbed as he kept his gaze on Bioeren.
“I’ve always been their priority target anyway.”
Especially now, he’d definitely become a confirmed threat to them.
Ixion would come at him with a vengeance.
Adding a little more burden? No big deal.
“Leave it to me. There’s no way I’ll go down to those guys.”
“…”
Bioeren stood silently for a moment before biting her lips.
Then she promptly punched him in the chest.
“Ouch.”
“…Take it. You idiot.”
Kraush smiled wider at that.
That was all he needed.
A burst of light shone from Kraush’s palm, emanating from the Black Hood.
[Target ‘Bioeren Jeblam’]
Soon, the unique properties Bioeren had were transferred to Kraush.
As they passed, Bioeren’s traits sank deep into Kraush’s body.
And oddly enough, the wild heat that had been raging within started to gradually subside.
The source of this heat was the World Erosion and its aura.
Even the ferocity of that heat was being stabilized by Bioeren’s traits.
‘With this…’
Even if it were a glass cannon, shooting once would keep it intact.
What a surprising result!
At the same time, Kraush understood why Ixion desperately wanted Bioeren’s traits.
This would be key in creating the god of World Erosion.
‘Really should’ve made sure not to lose any parts of it.’
With a hint of regret, Kraush looked at Bioeren.
She exhaled softly, her blue eyes gleaming brightly.
“Get ready.”
As she raised her hand, threads of barrier magic began to overlap in intricate patterns.
“We’re getting out of here.”
It was the time for the barrier mage to show off her skills.
—
The Sanctuary of Stars.
Empress.
Glycis Lactea.
She had many names attributed to her.
A madwoman whose eyes go wild at the sight of World Erosion.
The one who hates World Erosion the most.
The oldest crone among the Sanctuary of Stars.
A myriad of infamous titles were attached to her.
But everyone knew one undeniable fact:
She would never bend before the World Erosion.
“Phew.”
As Glycis let out a long breath, a shadow twitched beneath her.
Blood trickled down her neck from a shallow wound.
That spot was where a mountain had once been.
Now, though, the mountain was unrecognizably destroyed.
Even if one thought it had been wiped out by a meteor, it would make sense.
The land was barren, and no foliage could be found.
Before her stood a man with bulging muscles who sniffed the air.
As blood leaked from his nose onto the ground, he pressed his hand against the bridge of his bloodied nose.
His entire body was covered in white fur.
Those two huge ears drooping down indicated he was not human.
The Beast King.
Verdos.
Among the World Erosion creatures, he was known as the strongest in sheer destructive power.
White lightning sparked off of him, showcasing the level of his might.
The two of them had turned a mountain to dust, and yet they were quietly glaring at one another.
Despite having decked each other a few times, neither had delivered a fatal blow yet.
Both Glycis and Verdos were amongst the best of their factions.
So, this is how the fight had drawn on for so long, with no openings.
But they couldn’t keep fighting indefinitely.
Just as they were about to bare their fangs at each other again, a thick smoke began to fill the battlefield.
Glycis raised an eyebrow; she had experienced this before.
It was the work of the World Erosion creature known for manipulating smoke.
This creature had been constantly annoying Glycis from earlier while intentionally staying hidden.
Even if she wanted to get rid of the smoke, Verdos charged at her head-on, leaving her no opportunity.
Just as her shadow twitched in response, a voice reached her sharp ears.
“…So it is?”
“Yes, it’s a signal to retreat…”
The message was obscured by the smoke, making it hard to hear.
But Glycis picked up instantly that they were trying to retreat.
When she caught that, her red eyes shone brightly.
“Cowards! Running away from their world and now here too? Is that their natural instinct?”
Despite her taunts, the smoke manipulation persisted unyieldingly.
Ultimately, it was Glycis who moved first.
Her shadow surged upward, casting darkness over the area.
The shadow rose as if encompassing the entire world, sweeping away the surroundings like a tidal wave.
It was a large-scale attack aimed not just at Verdos but also at the one who had been hiding behind the smoke.
But where Glycis’s shadow passed, nothing but emptiness remained.
Immediately after their exchange, all had vanished.
“…I’ve aged.”
Glycis grumbled as she searched her pockets.
Then she pulled out a cigarette and lit it up.
In her youth, she would’ve relentlessly chased down to the end.
But her body and will no longer followed suit.
‘This is why everyone relies on future generations.’
Her hatred toward them wasn’t what it used to be.
Long ago, when she lost her firstborn to World Erosion, she had screamed for the annihilation of the World Erosion.
Now, that hatred too was waning with age.
But that was alright.
The chains of hatred would continue to be carried by her children.
Her burden of hatred could be seen as a curse, but still, she couldn’t die in peace without passing it on to her offspring.
“Getting old really bites.”
Cursing how she had to pass on her responsibilities to her children, she looked up.
Yet she still had no time to rest.
“I can’t let those World Erosion bastards slip away.”
She had failed to catch the World Erosion creature that had entered the barrier.
Having glimpsed Kraush’s strength slightly, she had no doubt he’d be okay.
She had thrown her power at him intentionally to face him adequately.
But still, she couldn’t afford to slack off.
‘What sort of fools have no proper reasoning?’
With a cigarette still between her lips, she turned away.
Just as she was about to head toward the barrier Kraush had entered…
Boom!
A resounding explosion echoed in her ears.
Glycis looked up into the sky to see three figures surrounded by black flames soaring high.
The three had burst through the barrier and quickly began their descent.
It would be nice to land gracefully, but the sorry state they were in seemed to suggest otherwise.
“Oh come on, did you have to make me babysit your sorry asses?”
They had just freed themselves from a rough battle, clearly battered all over.
She hesitated to raise her hand.
In a flash, her shadows shot up and cushioned the three like a bouncy castle, preventing them from crashing down.
They slid down on Glycis’s shadows and tumbled in front of her.
From a distance, it was obvious that Kraush looked especially wrecked.
He seemed to have some inherent regenerative abilities, but that wouldn’t help fix his internal injuries.
Glycis took the cigarette from her mouth and asked Kraush, who was staring at her.
“So, how’d it go with the World Erosion?”
This wasn’t asking about his condition but inquiring about that of their common enemy.
Kraush looked up at her and casually cricked his neck.
“Gave them a serious hit.”
He really knocked them for a loop.
Hearing his reply, Glycis broke into a sly smile.
“That’s what I wanted to hear.”
Glycis wrapped her shadow around Kraush and the others, then turned away.
“Tell me where you need to go most.”
“To Jeblam, please.”
Kraush managed to answer while his consciousness began to fade.
Heading for Jeblam would mean that the demon emperor could send them right into Rahern Academy.
Sure, it meant they’d owe the Holy Maiden a favor again, but that was always the best route forward.
“Hold on tight.”
As Glycis’s shadows surged like waves, they began to transport the three of them to Jeblam.
Watching this, Kraush noticed Bioeren trying her best to support him from the side.
“Bioeren, it seems our guess about your mother was spot on.”
Upon hearing Kraush, Bioeren fell silent for a moment.
It meant that the barrier mage had fallen to the World Erosion creature after all.
“I’m not planning to ask for help like an idiot.”
But her thoughts echoed those from before.
“Kraush, you’ll be facing Ixion again, won’t you?”
“Of course.”
“If they mess with my mom again, you’d better tell me. I’m not about to save a mother who abandoned her daughter.”
She didn’t want to see Kraush in danger because of her mother, the barrier mage.
If they played hostage again, Bioeren wanted to make sure Kraush knew to tell her.
Hearing her words, Kraush looked ahead.
“I told you before, if I can save her, I will.”
At those words, Bioeren managed to give a half-hearted smile but didn’t respond further.
In the distance, the sun was setting.
The warm sunlight was slowly tinged with heat.
It signified that Kraush’s 16th summer was fast approaching.
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