Chapter 346
“Isn’t it true that we’ve already been pushed into Gehenna? Why bring this up now, all of a sudden?”
“That was just a warm-up. You can’t really call something like that the real danger.”
The words sent a chill down their spines.
So what exactly was the real danger?
“Let’s see for yourself.”
Chris stood up and pressed a button on the wall.
The heavy iron door, which had been firmly shut, creaked open, revealing a pitch-black chamber beyond.
“…Is this the training chamber?”
“You know about it?”
Of course he did.
The Kainfer Training Institute was built atop ancient ruins.
Thanks to the various facilities specialized for training, it had earned the nickname “the cradle of the alliance.”
“I modified it. Tailored it to your situation.”
“…What?”
“But keep this in mind. It’s going to be tough.”
Aiden swallowed hard.
If this demon was saying something like that, what on earth awaited inside?
He didn’t want to go. No, he couldn’t go. Going in meant certain doom.
His instincts screamed warnings, but another voice cut through the tension.
“The professor went so far as to prepare this for you, and you hesitate? Pathetic.”
“!!”
Aiden scowled fiercely.
More irritating than a demon warrior.
It was Evan!
“You don’t even deserve the professor’s teachings.”
“Fine! I’ll go in!”
Aiden snapped back.
But Evan’s response was even more infuriating.
“Aren’t you going to say thank you?”
“…What?”
“Shameless. Don’t you realize how much effort the professor put in just for you?”
Evan said coldly.
‘Ungrateful fools.’
What kind of professor would go to such lengths for someone?
“Make sure you properly thank the professor.”
“……”
Aiden snapped his mouth shut.
Just as Evan’s gaze sharpened—
“…I know all about that.”
Yeah.
It was frustrating, but he wasn’t blind to the fact that this was a huge favor.
Beneath the rude, obnoxious attitude, he knew that demon warrior was looking out for them.
‘…A warrior is a warrior. Not a fake like me.’
Aiden sighed.
He’d always been crushed under the weight of the Round Table’s expectations to be a true warrior, but acknowledging Chris somehow eased his mind.
“…I’ll thank him after I succeed. That’ll be the best way to show my gratitude.”
“Are you shy?”
“No! Shut up!”
Aiden stormed into the training chamber.
Evan frowned.
“To receive such a great favor and still act so arrogant. Useless brats.”
“Hmm…”
Chris wore an ambiguous expression.
‘I had my reasons for not making a big deal out of it.’
Normally, Chris would make sure the other person knew exactly how much of a favor he was doing them.
But this time, he hadn’t.
—These shoes!! Favor my ass…!!! I’ll kill you…!! Demon bastard! And you too, Evan…!!
From inside the still-open training chamber came a scream filled with hatred.
What on earth was happening in there? The cries were unbearably horrific.
Chris fell silent for a moment, then said,
“…Evan, it’s noisy. Close the door. Lock it so no one can get out.”
“…Understood.”
Evan quietly shut and locked the door.
He did the same for the other trainees.
After assessing each of their weaknesses, he threw them into the training chamber.
Their reactions were much like Aiden’s.
At first, they entered with words of thanks—
-…Kyaaaaaaah!
-Send me to Gehenna instead!!
‘It’s been modified brutally.’
The training chamber was a place to overcome illusions of enemies or trials, a virtual battlefield for honing skills.
It aligned with Chris’s favored use of illusion magic.
On top of that, Chris added mental spells.
From status ailments to inner chaos and delirium.
In other words, it forced them to confront their inner demons.
Those who entered faced not only physical hardship but also intense psychological torment.
He tailored the inner demons to each individual’s needs, but the pain was excruciating.
‘Inner suffering is essential for growth.’
Whistling, Chris caught Evan’s scowl.
He looked displeased with Chris.
‘…Has he finally figured me out? Not an idiot, it’s about time.’
But—
“…Don’t I get one?”
“…What?”
“I mean, is there nothing prepared for me?”
Chris fell silent at the tone, like a child who hadn’t received a gift from the teacher.
‘…You’re fine.’
Evan was already on a smooth path of rapid growth.
There was nothing more to help him with.
‘He might even reach 8th rank soon.’
The original warrior was a warrior.
In his previous life, Evan had reached upper 9th rank in just ten years, and now, under Chris’s influence, he was growing even faster.
‘No worries about Evan.’
But there was someone else on his mind.
“What about Lanya?”
“She’s training alone in the Chamber of the Heavens.”
Lanya was also part of this batch of trainees.
But she hadn’t been seen anywhere.
-No time for classes.
She seemed driven, as if being chased by something, pushing herself relentlessly.
“I hear she’s been studying a grimoire without proper sleep.”
“What kind of grimoire?”
“Written by the Sky Tower Lord himself. I don’t know the details—it’s a secret of the tower.”
“Hmm.”
Chris’s gaze darkened.
‘Is it already time? This is faster than before.’
Just as Evan had struggled in the swordsmanship family, Lanya was going through her own ordeal.
Before joining the warrior party, she had suffered terribly at the Sky Tower.
Because of that, in her previous life, Lanya was far colder and more cynical than she was now.
‘Of course, this time it’ll be different. After all, the ultimate goal of this Round Table journey is the Sky Tower Lord.’
An astonishing revelation.
They were targeting the 9th rank sovereign, the Tower Lord.
‘Of course, with my current strength, I can’t take him down alone.’
That was fine.
There was a way.
Just then, the door burst open roughly, and someone rushed in.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
It was William.
He had come running, horrified by what Chris was doing to the trainees.
“Do you know how much chaos this has caused at the Round Table?! How furious the heads of the families are…!”
The Round Table had sent the most talented students to the Kainfer Institute.
Naturally, many heirs of the noble families were among this batch, and hearing what Chris was doing had caused an uproar.
Everyone was so angry they demanded his immediate dismissal, but Chris remained calm.
“Good timing. I actually have something to say.”
“…What?”
Chris snapped his fingers.
“Tell the heads of the families I want to see them. You could call it a parent-teacher meeting.”
“…A parent-teacher meeting?”
William frowned.
Of course, this wasn’t going to be a typical meeting.
“Judging by the students’ level, those from the Round Table are especially pathetic.”
“…You don’t mean—”
“Yes. As their professor, I must hold the parents responsible for their poor upbringing.”
Right.
Chris’s real target wasn’t just the trainees.
The trainees were just small fry.
His true prey was the heads of the Round Table families.
‘I’ll make all the heads my marks.’
Chris’s eyes gleamed like a predator eyeing a delicious meal.
The Round Table.
An alliance formed by seven prestigious families specializing in swordsmanship, martial arts, magic, warcraft, shamanism, taming, and holy light.
Of course, these noble families weren’t on the scale of the twelve great houses of the Magic Empire.
Each of those houses wielded power comparable to entire nations.
The Round Table families were more like typical noble houses of the alliance.
‘Even combined, the Round Table can’t match a single destructive mage of the Dark League.’
For reference, the Round Table was positioned opposite the Dark League’s destructive mage.
Still, the Round Table’s pride was sky-high.
They had produced the most talent for generations.
This batch of trainees had the most from the Round Table families.
So it was only natural that the heads of those families acted stiffly toward Chris.
“Greetings, Hero. I’ve heard much about you. You look far younger than the rumors suggested.”
Five heads attended the parent-teacher meeting.
Swordsmanship, martial arts, shamanism, taming, and holy light.
The head of the swordsmanship family, the Ilsum clan, greeted Chris as if looking down on him.
“May I ask your age? I heard you’re young, but you seem far too young. Have you undergone the coming-of-age ceremony?”
“Ha ha, indeed. Even in the Karn Empire, recommending such a child as a professor at Kainfer is unheard of.”
“What do you take the Kainfer Institute’s standards for? I intend to lodge a formal complaint with the Karn Empire.”
Chris chuckled softly.
‘How adorable.’
It didn’t matter.
They were all going to be his marks anyway, so he could afford to find their antics amusing.
By the way, he had sent Evan away beforehand—he knew Evan wouldn’t be able to hold back and would cause trouble. Chris wanted to kneel the heads himself.
“Yes, as you say, I am young and inexperienced.”
“Hmm, good to know you’re aware.”
“Yes, but unlike you, I won’t just waste my years. That’s a relief, isn’t it?”
“!!”
The heads glared fiercely.
They had been rude first, but couldn’t stand being treated the same way in return—truly the behavior of noble family heads.
“I won’t say it twice. Stop this nonsense you’re putting the trainees through immediately.”
“I don’t know what nonsense you’re talking about. I’m doing my best to guide them,” Chris replied calmly.
“Are you really that clueless? Maybe you need to be forcibly removed to come to your senses.”
Bang!
The head of the martial arts clan slammed his fist down on the table.
“Remember, we’re letting this slide for your sake.”
The threatening tone chilled the entire room.
Yet Chris remained unfazed, wearing a composed expression.
“Sorry, but that’s not going to happen. I feel sorry for the trainees—especially those from the Round Table.”
“What do you mean, ‘feel sorry for the children’?”
“They’ve been taught nothing worthwhile by the clan. Their skills are utterly pathetic.”
“!!”
The clan heads’ faces flushed with anger.
“How dare you!”
“Do you know why I came to this training center?” Chris said, lowering his voice.
“To receive a revelation from the Constellation.”
The unexpected answer made the clan heads hesitate.
“What kind of revelation are you talking about?”
“That the Round Table is doomed to perish in the near future.”
“!!”