[Chapter 51 Comment]
Everyone was completely shocked by the sudden change in the world. The temperature dropped, and a chilling sensation brushed against their skin. The sunlight was obscured completely, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
Theo emitted his killing intent to such an extent that all the Marei could feel its overwhelming presence. To them, it felt as though they had become tiny, insignificant beings in the presence of an all-powerful entity.
All the Marei froze in their tracks, as if Death itself had just descended upon them.
"Go away," Theo stated, his voice seemingly small, yet every single Marei could hear it clearly. It was the first time they had encountered an existence like this, causing them to question whether they had attacked the wrong target.
The small humanoid Marei glared at Theo, looking conflicted. On one hand, the power that Theo had displayed earlier was so immense that attacking him immediately seemed like a suicide mission. On the other hand, retreating was not a simple option due to the circumstances.
However, when it glanced at the cannon that Theo had effortlessly bent, the Marei leader realized that it would be wiser to retreat and fix the cannon before attempting to attack the humans again. Despite not having an army, Theo appeared to possess enough power to inflict significant damage upon them before they could escape.
The leader raised its hand and shattered a black stone, releasing a powerful energy that gradually formed a giant vortex. The other Marei began pushing the giant cannon back until it reached the portal, while the humanoid Marei stayed in position, ready to react if Theo decided to attack them during their retreat.
Within five minutes, all one thousand Marei had retreated back into the portal, and the giant vortex vanished into thin air. It was at that moment that Theo snapped his fingers, dispelling his illusion. While the killing intent was real, Theo had amplified its effect using his illusion.
Now that the enemies had withdrawn, Theo finally released the illusion.
"Haaa!"
"Cough!"
Haruka and Avalon dropped to their knees. Avalon gasped for air, his hands supporting his trembling body, while Haruka clutched her throat and coughed.
Theo blinked a few times, attempting to calm his heart down. He didn't want to get entangled in this world's problems, but there was another reason for his actions.
Throughout the missions, Theo had experimented with various approaches to see the reaction of the readers. However, after several chapters without comments, he felt that he might have failed in his attempt. Not wanting to force readers to comment and risk them disliking the story, he had remained quiet for a while, unaware that the author had sensed his thoughts in secret.
"Are you alright?" Theo asked Haruka and Avalon.
"We're alright, Teacher," Haruka replied, though her hands trembled, and her back was soaked with sweat.
Avalon's complexion had improved, but he couldn't find the words to express his feelings after witnessing Theo's overwhelming power. He never expected that Theo's killing intent could be so formidable.
He felt as though he was being cut into pieces, unable to fight back. Helplessness crawled into Avalon's heart as he wondered what would happen if Theo truly got angry when he supported Gareth to be their teacher instead of Theo. Haruka, too, couldn't help but wonder about the experiences Theo had gone through to be able to release such a level of killing intent.
Only Lushivar knew that someone who had gained the friendship of a great dragon was capable of such a thing. So, the dragon was initially shocked but quickly regained its composure.
Baold asked, "Shall we continue?"
"Yeah. We should reach our destination as soon as possible so that we won't be interrupted anymore," Theo agreed, as he had no interest in dealing with the Marei.
"Alright," Baold said, instructing Lushivar to continue their journey.
Meanwhile, Haruka found herself sitting helplessly as her feet refused to move. Next to her was a translucent woman that only she could see. The woman had long black hair and was slightly taller than Haruka.
"Your teacher is a freak," the woman said while observing Theo. "I was targeted by the death reaper back in your world, yet the death reaper didn't exude such killing intent when they tried to capture me."
Haruka gulped nervously. On one hand, she felt a bit relieved to know that such a strong man was her teacher. On the other hand, she was a bit scared of him due to what happened earlier.
No one spoke for a while after that encounter. Baold approached Theo to inform him that they would reach their destination in three hours.
During their journey, they didn't encounter a single enemy. However, they did come across signs of a recent battle that seemed to have ended a few hours ago.
Despite Baold's desire to stop and handle the problem, it was decided to bring Theo to their destination first.
As they arrived, Theo and the others saw a massive building that stretched over a hundred meters in radius, situated in the middle of a grass plain. The building was made of black rock that seemed to absorb essence from the air. Numerous inscriptions surrounded the structure, providing protection against external threats.
Around the building, there were tents and wooden houses, hinting that it was bustling with activity.
"The ruin isn't open to everyone, is it?" Theo inquired.
"Not really," Baold replied, gesturing towards the people present. "Most of them are soldiers. Additionally, we've gathered a few specialists to study the ruin. The ones who aren't military personnel are probably renowned adventurers or treasure hunters attempting to challenge this place."
"And there are no living creatures inside, according to your report?" Theo asked.
"That's correct. There are no living creatures. However, considering the origin of this ruin, there might be objects that can move or traps, in addition to illusions," Baold explained.
Theo nodded thoughtfully. "Illusions aside, traps and animated objects can be quite troublesome." He glanced at his students. "Alright. Both of you, listen to my commands when we enter. While I'd like to give you more independence like the other students, I won't endanger your lives. So, I'll fully control our advance."
Avalon and Haruka exchanged nods, expressing their understanding. "We got it, Teacher. We'll follow your commands," they said in unison.
"I see. Then..." Theo handed two red buttons to them. "Take these."
"This is…" Avalon was confused. "What is this for?"
"It's just a mysterious button. No one knows what will happen if you press the red button. Your first task is to carry that red button with you wherever you go for the rest of the day. However, you are not allowed to press it. Is that clear?" Theo explained.
Haruka was unsure of the reason, but whenever she looked at the button, she felt an overwhelming urge to press it, curious about what would happen. Avalon felt the same temptation, but being a knight, he was more disciplined and committed to following someone's command.
Nonetheless, both of them knew that this task might be harder than they originally thought since it came from Theo.
Regardless, they held the button carefully in their hands.
Baold didn't quite understand why Theo gave such a task, but it was evident that he was testing their patience and will. If they pressed it, Theo would know who disobeyed his order.
"Maybe I should use this kind of test to train the endurance of my soldiers," Baold muttered inwardly.
Once they arrived at their destination, Lushivar landed on the ground. Recognizable to the soldiers, a group of them greeted Baold, with a robust middle-aged man leading the way.
"Greetings, Sir Baold. We've been waiting for you," the middle-aged man addressed Baold before glancing at Theo and the two students. "Are they..."
"They are the guests I've invited to help with the ruin," Baold introduced them. "The teacher is Theodore Griffith, and the students are Haruka Kimura and Avalon Pendragon."
"Thank you very much for your help," the middle-aged man, Devian, replied politely before introducing himself. "I am the commander here. You may call me Devian."
"Nice to meet you," Theo nodded in acknowledgment.
"Devian is in charge of this place. However, considering the severity of this matter, I will be the one guiding you to the ruin so that no one bothers you. Let me show you around," Baold said, extending his hand.
"Alright then," Theo agreed, intrigued to see what this world had to offer in terms of power.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot," Baold suddenly recalled and pointed in the direction they came from. "Devian, are you aware that Marei are attacking us in that direction?"
"Marei?" the commander frowned. "I'm sorry, Sir. I don't think I know of them."
"I see. Regardless, it's quite close to this place. I want you to send letters to headquarters to request reinforcements. We don't know their aims, so it's crucial to investigate this matter," Baold instructed.
"Understood," Devian accepted the task without hesitation, and Baold proceeded to lead Theo and the others away.
As they walked away, some soldiers were conversing about them.
"Hey, are you sure that person is reliable? He's a teacher, but he's kind of young."
"Yeah. He even brought two students with him. I heard the students have only studied under him for less than two months. Can they even do anything?"
"They wouldn't be able to do anything."
The soldiers were evidently looking down on them, considering Baold's status as their minister and Theo as just an ordinary teacher who brought two students. They believed he was sending them to their deaths.
However, Theo had no intention of dispelling their doubts because he was genuinely curious about the world's power system, especially the Inscription.