Novel Full Chapter 523: Clearance
Chapter 523: Clearance
Night.
Killian Hall.
“Haah!!!”
A sharp cry echoed through the vast, empty interior of Killian Hall’s training grounds.
WOOSH!!
WHISHHH!!
BOOMMM!!!
Blinding surges of light slashed through the air, tearing the silence apart.
Waves of scorching heat and violent shockwaves rippled across the entire arena as the aftershocks of the clash warped the reinforced ground and pillars.
One of the training golems, still flickering with fading mana, let out a final metallic screech as its core overheated—its limbs desperately twitching as it tried to push itself up.
But it was far too late.
The construct’s body melted mid-motion, collapsing into a sizzling heap of bubbling, warped metal and mana-infused alloy.
The floor around it was scorched black.
“…Haah…”
Lucas, his breathing heavy, stood in the center of the destruction, wiping the sweat from his brow.
Steam rose off his body like mist under the moonlight, the edge of his shirt soaked and clinging to him from the sheer heat he’d generated.
He glanced around.
The once pristine training hall was now a wreck.
Chunks of the tiled floor were either broken or entirely gone, having been blasted apart by stray beams.
The railings were scorched and bent out of shape.
The combat golem—one of the top-tier Training models used for advanced magical training—was completely ruined.
Even the side walls, fortified to withstand A-rank magic, bore deep slashes and melting marks.
Lucas clicked his tongue, his hand falling to his side.
“…The dorm master’s probably going to ban me for real this time…”
Even though the dorm master had always turned a blind eye to Lucas’s late-night training—perhaps because of his respectful demeanor and unwavering dedication—there was only so much goodwill to burn through.
And Lucas had definitely crossed the line this time.
Training way past curfew, melting a fully automated Training-class combat golem, and practically tearing apart the interior infrastructure of Killian Hall wasn’t something easily forgiven.
Not even for a student like him.
Still, he wasn’t frustrated…
Looking around at the aftermath of his training, Lucas let out a quiet breath.
The scorched floor.
The flickering sparks from broken walls.
The melted golem still steaming in the corner.
It was messy… but proof enough.
At the very least, he could confidently say his strength hadn’t dulled.
“Yeah… I was just caught off guard last time,” he muttered to himself, brushing his fingertips across a half-burnt pillar beside him.
His thoughts drifted back to the joint evaluation exam.
That moment… when he was about to enter the field where the so-called mystery reward was hidden. Just as he stepped into range, everything suddenly collapsed on him.
A celestial magic trap sprung out of nowhere, and by the time he realized it, it was already too late.
He hadn’t even sensed the slightest fluctuation of magical energy.
And that was what bothered him the most.
It wasn’t that he was weak—it was his senses that had failed him.
The one thing he always relied on to stay ahead, to read the flow of battle, to react before anyone else could.
And also…
His hand slowly moved to his chest.
“I-I’m sorry, Senior… but I really needed the points, you see…”
He winced—not just from the old ache in his ribs, but from the memory itself.
Getting struck like that was painful enough.
But what truly hurt was the betrayal.
Being hit by someone he genuinely trusted left something heavier in his chest.
Something bitter.
Still… he didn’t hate Reina for it.
He understood her choice.
Objectively, trading one guaranteed high-value target—him—was more reliable than gambling for whatever unknown prize waited at the center of the forest.
She needed certainty. She chose the smarter path.
“…At least it wasn’t someone else.”
If it had been anyone other than him, they might’ve taken it personally.
But not him.
Oddly enough, he felt a bit proud that it was his defeat that helped Reina rise in the rankings.
If anyone had to benefit from it, he was glad it was her.
Lucas closed his eyes with a quiet sigh as he began to settle down his mana.
The white sword in his hand slowly calmed as well, its once flickering glow now pulsing softly with a faint white light.
A calm, gentle voice echoed from the blade.
[Master… your mana is distabalizing…]
“Yeah…”
[Should I use your divinity to stablaze it?]
“No. It’s fine,” Lucas said, eyes still shut. “I like it this way. Sometimes you need a little bit of pain and strain in your mana veins to truly grow… to break apart from your current self.”
[Understood…]
Lucas opened his eyes slightly and looked down at the sword, a small smile forming on his lips.
She always sounded so calm—so caring.
It hadn’t even been that long since he realized the sword could speak, yet her voice already felt familiar.
Warm. Like she’d always been there.
The holy sword… it was supposed to be just a weapon.
Something he got from the academy’s treasury.
A reward, they said.
Even if he was technically forced to take her back then, he couldn’t deny it now—he was lucky.
Without her guidance, without her voice beside him all this time, he probably wouldn’t have made it this far, he probably wouldn’t have realized the divinity inside him as well, though he probably has his junior Emilia to thank for his divine progress.
“By the way… am I supposed to clear another dungeon this time?”
[No… proceed like you normally would, Master. Fate is already moving for your growth into the path meant for you.]
“I see…”
[But a word of caution… Hold on to the soul of the person who makes you feel alive…]
He blinked. “What do you mean?”
[It is for Master to decipher…]
….
Lunchtime.
At the academy’s cafeteria.
Janica quietly carried her tray as she walked toward one of the unoccupied tables.
As usual, the place was filled with students, all chatting and laughing over their meals.
It was noisy, but nothing she wasn’t used to by now.
Being surrounded by this many people wasn’t really a big deal anymore.
The only thing that felt off today… was the fact that she was sitting alone.
She placed her tray down and sat with a soft sigh.
No one else joined her.
Not yet, at least.
Her fingers lightly grabbed the fork.
She stabbed a small bite of her food—but before she could bring it to her mouth—
“Yo!”
A lively voice called out.
Janica flinched slightly and turned toward the sound, a bit surprised.
“Kagami?”
“What’s with that reaction?” he asked, raising a brow.
“I was just… surprised.”
“Haha, well, I guess with my face, anyone would be.” He laughed in his usual casual way.
“I don’t really mean it like that…”
“It’s fine,” he waved it off with a grin. “By the way, mind if I sit here? Most of the tables are kinda packed.” He pointed behind him with his thumb.
Janica gave a small nod. “Go ahead.”
“Thanks.”
Kagami sat down across from her.
He did it gently, like he was trying not to scare anyone.
But that didn’t stop the nearby students from shifting away a little.
With his buzz cut, sharp eyes, and big, muscular frame, he had the kind of look that made people think he was a delinquent or a bully—even though he really wasn’t.
“Tsk…” Kagami clicked his tongue quietly, glancing at the students who moved.
“Haha… looks like most students still find you scary, Kagami.”
“Well, I can’t really blame them, especially the first years,” he said, scratching the back of his neck. “Still kind of annoying, though.”
There was a short pause before he leaned slightly forward.
“By the way… where’s Lucas? Don’t you usually get lunch together?”
“…Lucas had something else to do.”
“I see…”
Kagami responded normally, but his eyes lingered on her for a moment.
His brows furrowed slightly, just for a second. He didn’t say it out loud—but he knew.
He knew that was a lie.
Class had just ended earlier, and he saw it himself—Lucas tried to catch up to her, but Janica walked off on her own without saying a word.
Something was off.
Kagami knew he should probably just mind his own business.
But… they were best friends.
Or at least, that’s what he believed their relationship had become by now.
After everything—the pain, the stupid fights, the near-death moments, the laughs—they went through all of it together.
So how could he just sit back and ignore it?
It just didn’t sit right with him.
Not when it involved Lucas and Janica.
If he was being honest with himself… he was probably their number one shipper.
Secretly, of course.
He didn’t go around waving flags or anything, but deep down, he always believed those two would end up together.
It was obvious, wasn’t it?
The signs were all there.
Childhood friends—check.
Unspoken feelings—check.
That weird tension between them that only people in denial never noticed—check.
They understood each other in ways that made even Kagami jealous sometimes.
And the way they acted around each other… it wasn’t normal.
It was borderline lovers kind of stuff.
The type of relationship that didn’t need words to feel solid.
Everything was supposed to be set in stone.
All the flags were there for their love story to naturally play out into a future Kagami had already imagined in his head: a graceful wedding, heartfelt vows, maybe even a little kid running around calling him “Uncle Kags.”
He was kind of looking forward to that, actually.
But lately… everything started falling apart.
For reasons he couldn’t understand, things just went south between them.
The distance grew.
The way they avoided eye contact.
The silence that used to be comfortable… now just awkward.
And the worst part?
They never even got to the point of actually going out.
Kagami let out a small sigh through his nose, tapping his fingers lightly against the table.
He didn’t want to overstep.
He really didn’t.
But as their friend, he couldn’t just let it be.
If he had even the tiniest chance to fix this, he had to try.
That’s what a proper friend would do.
The only problem?
He had zero relationship experience.
He never dated, never confessed, never got confessed to—he barely even understood how emotions worked most of the time.
Not to mention most girls avoid him.
So offering advice?
Yeah… that felt almost laughable.
He couldn’t exactly lecture someone about love when he’d never even held hands with a girl properly.
That’s why…
He needed backup.
Someone else to help him out.
“Janica, Kagami, can we sit here?” a voice called out.
The two of them looked up.
Janica’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
“Can we sit here?”
It was Riley, holding a tray of food… and standing beside him was Seo, carrying her own with a calm expression.