Chapter 883 – #192_King Of Beasts (4)
#877
1.
The Seoul branch manager of the Location Point, Teacher Sua, joined much later than scheduled.
“It has been a while, Shin Siwoo. I apologize for the delay in my arrival due to a heavy workload.”
“You must be tired from your long journey.”
Teacher Sua bowed politely.
Although there hadn’t been much contact when they were in the mortal realm, at least in appearance, she hadn’t changed at all.
Her trademark hanbok, for example.
Or the atmosphere of a single orchid, not overly flashy but exuding a pure and elegant charm.
Or her beautiful eyebrows and round forehead, as if she had stepped out of a painting of an oriental beauty.
Or the fact that she refers to herself as “this maiden.”
And her unique way of speaking, like something out of a historical drama.
She uses not only “-saopnida” but also “-wayo” forms sporadically, and I still don’t quite understand the criteria.
Anyway, Teacher Sua is one of the most old-fashioned witches Siwoo knows.
She was a witch even when his teacher was still an apprentice, so her actual age must be quite high.
“First, let me show you where you’ll be staying.”
“I am grateful for your kind offer.”
After picking up Teacher Sua from the immigration office, they toured the mansion and had various conversations.
As they talked about various topics, I realized once again that Teacher Sua was a very difficult person to deal with.
Not in the sense of being picky, but rather like talking to a much older elder?
Every time she spoke in a gentle voice, even though she used the most formal language, I couldn’t help but feel like I was being lectured.
“How long will you be staying?”
“I have scheduled about fifteen days.”
“I heard that the mortal realm is in great turmoil… Is everything alright?”
“It is a request from an old friend, so I must step forward. You need not worry, Siwoo. Besides…”
Teacher Sua paused for a moment and looked directly at me.
“I have received much grace from you, Siwoo, so I am grateful for this opportunity to repay you, even in this small way.”
“I don’t think I’ve done anything.”
“No, Tiferet’s condition has truly improved since she met you.”
I had heard similar words before.
The time when Siwoo met Eloa was when she was going through her most difficult period.
In fact, when they first met, my teacher was so sharp and dangerous, like a sword that had been honed too finely.
She could cut through anything, but conversely, she seemed like she could break so easily.
As they went through various things together, I got to see her smile and be happy.
After becoming lovers, they became partners who would walk together into the future, beyond just a master-disciple relationship… but.
“It is the first time I have seen Tiferet so happy since that accident.”
“Ahem.”
I felt a pang of guilt for no reason.
The part that pricked me was, of course, the fact that Eloa and Siwoo were not in a typical master-disciple relationship.
In the witch society, the master-disciple relationship is generally equivalent to a parent-child relationship.
In fact, my teacher herself originally considered her relationship with her temporary disciple, Siwoo, as sinful.
So, how would Teacher Sua, who seems much older than my teacher and who seems to adhere to etiquette very strictly, accept this fact?
Does she even know that Eloa and Siwoo are lovers in the first place?
“Hehe, do not worry too much. Unlike what you might think, I am not such a rigid person.”
“…I guess I’m not very good at hiding my expressions.”
The Soul Witch from yesterday and the numerous cases so far prove it, I guess.
I thought my poker face was being read because I lacked experience, but at this point, my acting skills might just be terrible.
“Those who are two-faced cannot be trusted. I have been informed about the beautiful bond between the two of you.”
“Ah… I see.”
There are many words I’ve never heard before, so I don’t know exactly what it means, but I guess I can understand it as meaning that I have less explaining and excuses to make.
But here arises an additional question.
Did my teacher also talk about her other romantic relationships?
And if she didn’t, would it be possible to make Teacher Sua, who seems even stricter than my teacher in some ways, understand?
I don’t think I need to be understood, but it would hurt if I were treated like a philanderer by my teacher’s close friend.
“Um…”
“I intend to start training right away, as I have been delayed. Are you ready?”
It would have been better to speak my mind as openly as possible, but I missed the timing.
As I was looking around, I had already arrived at a wide open space by the lake.
“Yes, I am.”
Teacher Sua went to Gehenna at Eloa’s request to help Siwoo train.
It was to hone his skills to be in perfect condition, given the ominous prophecy.
Of course, Teacher Sua is not stronger than my teacher.
Even in terms of hierarchy, there is a two-step difference.
However, as we can see from the fact that a game coach is not necessarily better than a professional gamer, being good at something yourself and being good at teaching others are separate areas.
Even the witches of the Gwanghwamun branch and my teacher have received instruction from her, so in that sense, Sua Agasa was a top-tier instructor.
“But what kind of training is it?”
“The part that I was told about by Tiferet was the battle against giant beasts.”
“Oh. That’s good.”
It seems my teacher has grasped Siwoo’s weaknesses, as expected of her.
In fact, I remember having a hard time when I was caught in the aquarium and faced the Kraken.
Even though I couldn’t use my maximum firepower, the Red Branch, Siwoo’s attacks didn’t work properly against a beast that boasted a massive amount of magical power due to its size.
“I heard that you have been training specialized for battles against great witches?”
“That’s right, for now. But a battle against giant beasts… is that even possible to train for?”
“Of course.”
Branch Manager Sua smiled and took something out of her sleeve.
What came out of her wide sleeve was a staff made of a straight ash branch, with crumpled paper cutouts attached to it.
It looked like a duster, but with a bell at the end, it was a ritualistic-looking tool.
“First, I will check your skills. I will create a barrier, so please do not be surprised.”
“Yes.”
“Then… close the gate of the North Palace.”
As she swung the staff, presumably a ritual tool, a bell rang and a thick mist enveloped the surroundings.
Previously, Siwoo and Eloa were in charge of the drainage tunnel, and Teacher Sua was in charge of the external barrier, so there was no opportunity to see her skills directly.
However, Teacher Sua, who is also called the guardian of Korea, possessed pure and deep magical power befitting her title.
I would guess she is around the 21st or 22nd level.
As the otherworld barrier unfolded, the surrounding scenery changed.
Like the ‘chapel’ that Dorothy summons, it was a barrier that manifested in the mortal realm by giving it a symbol.
The blurry shapes of the trees transformed into lush pine trees, encircling the open space, and white cloth strips formed a ring between the trees, connecting them in a row.
As expected from its appearance, it was a magic with a strong oriental feel.
“I will use my humble skills to examine your abilities. I will summon the Gyeonggang Red Dragon, so please show me your heavenly dance as you wish.”
“Understood.”
“Open the gate of the South Palace.”
With another incantation, a huge wooden door rose in the middle of the open space.
The door, which was covered with yellow talismans with scriptures written on them and was also wrapped in chains, opened wide, and a familiar slowly revealed itself.
-Hooooooo….
Sharp claws reminiscent of a bird of prey, deer antlers, and a lion’s mane.
It held a wish-granting pearl in its large mouth with long whiskers, and its entire body was covered with red scales.
A sacredness that seemed like it would grant a wish if you collected seven star-patterned beads vibrated vividly.
I was wondering why she had created such a wide barrier, but when I saw the size of the familiar, I nodded in understanding.
Like the Kraken, it was more like a terrain than a living creature.
The size of the chains wrapped around its body alone was as thick as a large bus.
Its breaths became gusts of wind, and when it twisted its body once, it boasted a majestic power that could flood a river.
“Uh… am I fighting that?”
“That is correct.”
“Will it be okay?”
Siwoo has a history of defeating the precious Foreign Minister of R’lyeh, Kraken.
He asked because he would feel sorry if he accidentally hurt Teacher Sua’s familiar, who had stepped forward to help him train.
“It is not a problem. It is merely a phantom that has manifested the image of a divine beast.”
“It’s quite vivid for that. I understand for now.”
He wrapped his whole body in black armor and held his spear.
He placed the ends of the woven ribbons like tassels through the gaps in the armor’s waist, and polished the form of an angel’s halo above his head so that it could be activated at any time.
A battle stance that has become so familiar that it has become orthodox.
The senses and perception, which spread widely in all directions, accepted changes in the surroundings dozens of times more sensitively than usual.
With his current abilities, Siwoo could even cut through a machine gun barrage, one bullet at a time, with his eyes closed.
“Bloom.”
Certainly, when I reviewed the battle with the Kraken in the aquarium, I noticed some shortcomings.
The absence of the Red Branch, and the absence of Dorothy’s angel’s halo.
If I were to face the Kraken again now, I had always wondered if I could ‘surpass its size and regenerative power and inflict fatal damage.’
For now, the Red Dragon was just staring at Siwoo with its red eyes, not showing any hostility.
It was a good sandbag to pour everything into.
“Huuu…”
He inhaled.
One of Siwoo’s specialties, repeated amplification, amplifies his magical power and then amplifies it again.
He amplifies the amplified magical power three or four times with the angel’s halo.
He gathered the experience he had gained from battles so far.
Until now, Siwoo’s ultimate move was a spear throw that simply gathered power at its peak and shot it out.
However, that was a makeshift solution because he could not bear the burden of the ‘distortion field’ for long.
Now that his control over the Red Branch has increased, he comes up with a new form.
“Hap!”
With a shout, his feet dug into the hard ground.
The red spear, which had received the full distribution of the enormous magical power, screamed as it emitted streaks of the distortion field.
By mixing the distortion field with the inverse field, he created a curved surface that prevented the spirit from being burdened, and gathered the power in the center.
It is impossible to defeat a creature of that weight with one blow.
Moreover, Siwoo does not yet have the ability to gather power to the extreme like Eloa.
If so, the phrase “one-hit kill” is just an illusion that holds him back.
What he needs is three stabs.
The first stab opens the way.
The second stab breaks the defense.
The third stab takes the life.
Like the waves that R’lyeh manipulates.
A series of deadly blows that draw greater power with each repetition.
“W-wait…!”
Teacher Sua was momentarily flustered by the output of magical power that exceeded her expectations.
Without any time lag, the three red spear tips that shot out changed even the terrain and achieved a red-colored destruction.
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