This World Needs a Hero

Chapter 92

HEL SCANS

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Magic.

In this mysterious field of study, there was an unbroken proposition.

‘A sorcerer belonging to a lower hierarchy can never defeat a sorcerer of a higher hierarchy one-on-one.’

This was due to significant differences not only in destructive power but also in speed of calculation, enchantment, and invocation.

To face a sorcerer one level above, ten from the lower level had to gather, that was the main point.

Or they could use physical force.

What about martial artists in comparison?

In their realm, there was no clear boundary like that of sorcerers.

Even with an obvious difference in skill, the outcome of battles often flipped easily.

This was because martial arts battles had too many variables.

But there was one thing.

There was an absolute criterion that divided the realms of martial artists.

That was the manipulation of mana.

The gap between those who could freely handle mana and those who couldn’t was clearer and insurmountable than any other difference, not due to the enhancement of the physical body or the manifestation of the sword’s edge.

Detection.

The ability to perceive information about the surrounding environment, objects, and people by extending mana outward within the body.

This was the biggest difference between those who could use mana and those who couldn’t.

If one became proficient in detection, it was possible to sense opponents beyond walls or predict their movements.

In other words, it was gaining a perception ability that far surpassed the realm of human senses.

And Felson Dietrich was undoubtedly the most exceptional martial artist in the aspect of ‘detection.’

Tsu, tsu, tsu, tsu, tsu!

On a quiet night.

The abandoned house covered in weeds and bushes was very desolate.

There was no sign of popularity, but Felson confidently walked inside without hiding his presence.

Since he didn’t bother to conceal his presence, the sound of footsteps was loud.

“Hmm.”

Abandoned toys.

Broken glass.

Shattered furniture.

Decaying wooden planks.

His gaze slid over them once.

No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like a long-abandoned house, where human footsteps had been severed for a while.

However…

“……”

Felson’s eyelids closed.

As he took slow breaths, his chest expanded.

His immense mana began to move slowly.

Woo-woo-woo-

Mana extended like a thread through the damp musty air.

It gathered every subtle sound, small light, and any clues without missing a beat.

In fact, Felson’s initial detection had already begun from outside the main gate.

‘One, three… six, all twelve. They hid well in this cramped place.’

It was akin to a spider hunting on its web.

Once mana reached a close range, it was impossible for anything to escape Felson’s perception.

Swish!

What Felson drew out was an ordinary longsword.

But from the moment mana converged on the sword, it no longer looked ordinary.

As if thrown into a furnace, it ignited and…

Pah-!

Instantly, dozens of crimson sword beams shot out from the tip.

Considering that even a skilled swordsman couldn’t control more than a few beams, it revealed how exceptional Felson’s mana control was.

Squeak-!

The sword beams, like an angry swarm of bees attacking a beehive, made fierce sounds as they flew in all directions throughout the abandoned house.

“Aaaargh!!”

“Thunk!”

“Auughhh!!!!”

“Thud!”

The cries echoed.

Of course, some had anticipated the attack and tried to defend as much as possible.

However, Felson’s sword beams, even mid-defense, found openings and struck somehow.

The sword beams, approaching by circumventing cover like a water strider, were sheer terror.

Thud!

The sound of a dozen bodies hitting the floor seemed like a single collective thud.

All except one had their breaths cut off.

“Heuk, heuk.”

The lone survivor looked around, dazed, as corpses rolled around him. He, too, was bleeding from the side.

It seemed the name wouldn’t last long, but he, overwhelmed by fear, seemed almost oblivious to pain as he staggered backward.

Woosh-!

Suddenly, Felson’s military boots approached and stepped on his back.

“He, heeeeah!”

What terrified the man the most was how this series of slaughter seemed as natural to Felson as breathing.

A cold voice followed.

“Are you the last of the collaborators working in Viscounty of Ement? If you want treatment, give me the names of the other collaborators.”

“Jo, Joseph! Joseph Crouch! Currently hiding in the slums of Jedo…”

Rolling, the man’s throat left a moist trail as he tumbled into a corner of the abandoned house.

At the same time, an officer who had been waiting outside entered.

“Lord Dietrich.”

“I’m listening.”

“Her Majesty just sent a message.”

Felson swung his sword like cracking a whip.

Shuaaak-!

Mold on the damp wall was showered with blood, sticking to the surface.

Felson, summoning the sword beams again, vaporized the foreign substances on the sword, sheathed it, and spat out.

“What’s the message?”

“Head towards Rosenstark.”

…Rosenstark?

A faint smile crossed Felson’s lips, which seemed unmovable until now.

Far in the distant west.

It seemed like the journey would be quite enjoyable.

Thinking of the faces of the two men he cherished, Felson left the abandoned house.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Rosenstark.

As the exam period approached, there was one place where the most noticeable change occurred—the anonymous bulletin board.

While there had been a few abnormal posts before, recently, it seemed like sheer madness had taken over the board.

– Well, I’ll focus on participating rather than the results.

– This is an opportunity.

└ What opportunity?

└ Now that the self-study room is a mess. Study until a female student talks to you.

└ The birth of a scholar.

└ *Censored word*

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– If the professor in charge gets seriously injured, will the exam be canceled or postponed? Serious question.

└ ???

– Rosenstark professors are nothing special. Since no one has succeeded in teaching me, there’s nothing to worry about.

└ Cheer up ?? ??.

Rosenstark’s exam period had always been notorious.

Professors believed in a bizarre equation where the difficulty of the exam equaled the level of the lecture, and they set unreasonable exam scopes.

Students were literally dying.

Especially for newly enrolled freshmen, the learning load they had never experienced before led to despair.

Their solace was only one thing.

– Better than extreme. They say they’re heading to the Forest of Martial Arts.

At least, it meant a more manageable time than the students taking extreme.

For a long time, they had envied the students taking extreme course, but now that the exams had come, the tables had turned.

Some took the opportunity to mock the extreme students, feeling a strange sense of victory.

– I wonder, are they really that great to go to the Forest of Martial Arts already?

└ I don’t know; I’ve never taken the same class.

└ I’m taking it with a few people, but honestly, I don’t really know. Seems similar, though.

└ Nothing special, just always hanging around.

Splat-

Evergreen’s forehead showed a bulging vein.

– Still jealous. After all, it’s 100% practical skills. My Unir requires both practical and written exams.

└ Jealous? Are you serious?

└ Because you can fill it in with your body.

“Jealous? They really don’t know what they’re talking about!”

Evergreen muttered, putting the connector into his bag with a trembling hand.

The tremor wasn’t due to anger; it was the side effect of the ‘Hell Week’ that had been going on for the past week.

“…Are you okay? If you’re tired, take a short nap. The exam is coming soon.”

A gentle voice came from beside him.

It was Luke, also worn out by fatigue.

Both of them were extreme students taking ‘Understanding Poetry,’ the only two enrolled students in the course.

Now they were waiting in the waiting room, having finished the written exams, preparing for the practical exams of ‘Understanding Poetry.’

The practical exam was conducted through a simulation of poetic battles.

They would take turns performing attacks and defenses within a set constructed to resemble a city, earning points based on their actions.

Luke and Evergreen were assigned to the attack team together.

Click-

The door connecting to the set opened when Evergreen yawned and wiped away a tear.

It was the defense team returning to the waiting room after completing their reconnaissance, trap setting, and ambush point checks within the simulated city set.

Their faces exuded a self-satisfied look.

Upon spotting the visibly exhausted Evergreen and Luke, their expressions brightened even more.

“Hmm, with both of them in that state, it should be easy to handle.”

“You guys didn’t manage your condition properly. You shouldn’t underestimate the Fine Arts.”

“I might find Luke tough, but I can definitely handle that brat.”

Under normal circumstances, such provocative glances would have triggered tension.

But at this moment, there was no particular reaction.

Evergreen yawned again.

“Defense team, you have 5 minutes before your position!”

The assistant’s announcement prompted the defense team to stretch and loosen their bodies energetically.

Observing their movements, Evergreen recalled the memories of the Hell Week that had made her look like this.

It had been several days, but the memories were vivid.

“This week is going to be Hell Week.”

“What?”

“We can’t just throw you into the Forest of Martial Arts without any preparation.”

After the abrupt notice, they had endured unimaginable suffering.

Although the preparation was supposedly for dealing with the Forest of Martial Arts, the schedule the instructor had prepared was beyond human capability.

“Last time, it seems like you lacked grip strength. Before starting rigorous training, let’s warm up and climb the Paralysis Gorge.”

They climbed a cliff as if it were shaved off.

The cliff had toxic plants emitting paralysis-inducing scents all over.

It was said to be a device to maintain concentration.

Climbing the cliff with immobile limbs took hours, but that wasn’t the end.

“After a 3-minute break, we will conduct physical training and sparring within the gravity field.”

“Uh, gravity field?”

“It will feel similar to moving in a place with dense mana. Try to get used to it.”

“Ugh.”

With aching bodies, they rolled on the ground as if stuck to the earth.

And the long-awaited climax.

“Get down!”

Engaging in individual combat.

While lying in the mud, she repeatedly advanced and retreated, climbing the steep hill with somersaults.

Kwaaaaaang!

Suddenly, magic bullets flew from behind.

“Uhiyak!”

“Mmhaak!”

Although it was shot to the side of the assault path, it felt like her heart had dropped to the sole of her foot.

“Maintain composure! Advance, charge!”

“Charge forward…!”

After crawling to the outpost, an indifferent voice reached those who were lying exhausted.

“Alright, after a break, we’ll go down again.”

“Uh, where to?”

“Into the gorge.”

As the reminiscence came to an end, Evergreen involuntarily wore a strained expression.

“Look at her. She seems nervous already.”

“Do you think being an Extreme learner means she’ll do well? She is just another arrogant brat.”

The defense forces were still making noise.

In fact, the words aimed at Evergreen didn’t affect her much.

Born as the daughter of a modest noble family, she had learned to overlook most humiliations.

She grew up watching her parents seek support from the nearby lord.

Getting worked up over such sarcastic remarks was, in fact, more amusing.

So, she silently loosened up in one corner of the waiting room.

“Hey.”

…Though she didn’t expect anyone to stand up for her, Luke tilted his head and looked at the defense forces.

“What? Me?”

“Yeah, you.”

The guy who was singled out seemed slightly shrunk, but he quickly responded cheekily, adopting a nonchalant attitude.

He made bold gestures, seemingly trusting his friends in the background.

“Hah, where do you get off talking like that to a senior?”

Luke chuckled silently, maintaining his nonchalant demeanor.

In a languid tone, he continued, “Seniors, don’t let your guard down. It’d be unfair if it ends before we even get started.”

And Luke lived up to his words.

[PR/N: MY MAN ??.]

HEL SCANS

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