Volume 4 Chapter 1.1
A Fresh Start Part 1
Translator : PolterGlast
Eaten, chewed,
dismembered, and burned.
Arcazam engulfed in
flames. In his nightmares, Nozomu fought against the giant dragon and kept
getting killed. Death that arrives easily, repeatedly falling into intense pain,
weakness, and emptiness.
"Ugh......!"
There is no point in
thinking about the difference in power. But still, at the very least, he won't
give up his heart and soul.
With that in mind, he
resists the feeling of emptiness that envelops his entire being every time he
dies.
And when he comes to
his senses, the figure of a giant dragon appears before his eyes once again.
The dragon looks down
at Nozomu with a loathsome expression, and then attacks again. Facing a
one-sided battle that could end at any moment, he still raised his sword in an
attempt to fight back......
[Oi Nozomu, what are
you doing!?]
A strong, loud voice
echoed in his mind. Immediately after, he felt as if he were being pulled out
of the water and was illuminated by a dazzling light. In the blinding light,
Arcazam, which was engulfed in flames, disappeared along with the giant dragon.
His consciousness
rapidly awakens. What was seen beyond the light was .......
‡
"Uwaaaa!"
Nozomu suddenly
regained consciousness accompanied by a scream that echoed in his ears.
In front of him was a
boy clad in the uniform of the Soluminati Academy who fell on his butt. There
is a threat looming toward him with a large, gooey, unnerving mouth spread
wide.
It is a demonic beast
called a Blob, whose mucus-like body is lifted up and attacks him as though
trying to engulf him. Basically, it is an aquatic creature that grows on
nutrients in the water, but larger ones come to land to seek higher nutritional
value. This included large creatures, including humans.
Nozomu reflexively
jumped in front of the boy and unsheathed his beloved katana, [Mumei], which he
carried at his waist.
With a single, precise
strike, he cleaved the Blob in two with the very nucleus inside its body.
After the nucleus was
severed, the Blob trembled and then collapsed with a splashing sound.
"Phew......."
He exhaled and looked
around the dimly lit surroundings. The torch flames and magical lights
illuminated the waterway, which had an arched ceiling. They are in the
underground canal of Arcazam. The time is early in the morning.
"Nozomu, are you
okay?"
Irisdina rushed to
Nozomu's side after he defeated the Blob.
Behind her, her best
friend, Tima, and Mars, who is in the same class as Nozomu, were following her.
"Yeah, sorry
Iris, I was spacing out."
"That doesn't
sound like you. What's wrong?"
"That guy, was
bothering me a little......."
Hearing Nozomu's
implied words, her expression turned grim for a moment, followed by a
melancholy one.
Tiamat, the Dragon
King.
An extraordinarily
great calamity that Nozomu has been forced to face. If released, it is an
existence that could bring fatal disasters not only to Arcazam, but also to the
entire continent of Arkmel.
"......Are you,
alright?"
"Hm? Yeah, it's
all good now."
Irisdina's expression
remained stiff in contrast to Nozomu, who sheathed his katana in a nonchalant
manner. Because she knew that in such situations, he often left out the words
[for now].
At the same time, she
bit her lip slightly, feeling frustrated and helpless.
Even if she knew what
was going on, Irisdina had no way to solve Nozomu's problem.
Her frustration and
anxiety stirred in her heart.
Nozomu, perhaps
sensing her feelings, smiled gently at Irisdina.
"Thank you, Iris.
Anyway, we gotta confirm about the blob."
"Yeah, I guess
so......."
Despite being at a
loss for words, Irisdina tried her best to refocus her mind.
The reason why they
are here this time is because of a request from the guild.
The content is to
investigate the Arcazam underground waterway.
In Arcazam,
underground water is pumped up at facilities called [water pumping buildings]
in each area and distributed to various parts of the city through waterways
that are spread out like a network.
These are clearly
divided into water supply and sewage systems, and basically, no demonic beasts
are allowed to enter the water supply system.
However, a few days
ago, a construction worker inspecting the waterway informed the guild that
there were demonic beasts in the water supply system.
"Are you guys all
right? Are you hurt?"
Irisdina called out to
a group of students who were being attacked by a group of Blob.
They were a party of
four, a mixed party of men and women, wearing the same Soluminati Academy
uniforms as Nozomu and the others.
Upon checking the
insignia on their chests, they seemed to be students of the first grade.
"T-Thank you! My
name is Eldor, a first-class first-grade student!"
A boy, the leader of
the party, bowed his head, his face flushed in front of Irisdina. He is the
male student that Nozomu rescued. Irisdina was originally a celebrity at the
school and popular among both men and women alike. Her name seems to be
well-known even among the freshmen who have just joined the school this year.
"Excuse me, but
can you tell me a few things about these Blobs?"
"Y-Yes!"
After listening to
their story, Irisdina learned that they were passing through a passageway that
led from the sewers to the aqueduct when they found the group of Blobs tightly
packed in the passageway. They were attacked at this moment.
They were fighting in
the narrow passageway while running away from the encroaching Blobs that were
about to squash them, and to begin with, their mucus-like bodies made it
difficult for them to use their weapons. They could have handled the situation
if they had calmly dealt with it by aiming at the nucleus or using magic, but
they still lacked combat experience, and their stamina and magic power were
depleted as they struggled.
They were in a
desperate situation when Nozomu and the others rushed to their rescue.
"Thank you, I
understand now. You guys should go back to the surface. We'll handle things
from here on out."
"B-But......"
"Just get the
hell out of here. You're just dragging us down if you're trying to lead a bunch
of people who can't move well at all."
Although Irisdina
tried to persuade them, the underclassmen persisted. Then Mars interjected. His
words may sound cold to the outsider, but Nozomu immediately understands that
they are a rather awkward reminder from Mars' point of view.
However, hearing his
words, the freshmen, who were originally called geniuses in their hometown and
had just arrived at the Soluminati Academy with great expectations, became
self-conscious that their abilities were not as good as they thought they were.
This caused them to
look at Nozomu with suspicion, frustration, and a hint of disdain.
Apparently, these
underclassmen were aware of the rumor that Nozomu was the lowest-ranking
student in the third grade and a scumbag who had betrayed his childhood
sweetheart.
"But we're pretty
much all D-rank which is rare among first graders! At least, we're better than
this seni-"
"Watch your
words. He's a C-ranker. His rank is higher than yours."
Eldor was
unintentionally trying to mend his damaged self-esteem. But Irisdina dismissed
him. Her cold voice made the underclassmen tremble, and they looked at Nozomu
in surprise.
Until recently,
Nozomu's rank was D, the same as them. Perhaps they did not know that Nozomu
had recently advanced in rank.
"The rumors about
him that are circulating in the academy are completely unfounded. Besides, he's
my precious ...... friend. In fact, he saved your life, too, didn't he? Insulting
your benefactor would be disgraceful......"
Although her voice was
clear and sincere, it carried a hint of anger. The first-year students were
completely overwhelmed by her tone of voice. Nozomu called out to stop her from
becoming more intimidating than necessary.
"Iris......."
"......My
apologies, I got a little carried away. In any case, you guys should go
back."
Unable to say anything
back to her, the first-year students trudged back to the surface.
Watching their backs
disappear into the corner of the waterway, Irisdina let out a sigh and slumped
her shoulders.
"Tima, Mars-kun,
I apologize to you as well. I didn't mean to make a fuss......."
"It's okay, Ai,
don't worry about it."
"Yeah, I would
have said more if you hadn't."
Tima smiled back at
the apologetic Irisdina, and Mars waved his hand placidly.
"But, Mars-kun,
you could have said it a little nicer."
"Aa? No way. If
they, who only just arrived this year, are doing too well, it's about time
things would get to their heads......"
"But there should
be a better way to say it ...... right?"
Tima smiled and
intimidated Mars, who had no intention of correcting his misleading use of
words.
Mars broke out in a
cold sweat and replied in a trembling voice, "I-I'll be more
careful.......". They have been training together often since the Rugato
incident, and recently they seem to be getting even closer.
Irisdina's mouth
relaxed a little upon seeing them, but her expression immediately stiffened and
she peeked at Nozomu, who was standing beside her. Seeing the glint of worry in
her eyes, he smiled wryly.
"You don't have
to worry about me either...... but well, thanks for getting mad for my sake,
Iris."
She was indeed a bit
excessive, but her words were made out of consideration for Nozomu.
Nozomu himself
understands this. That's why he is so grateful. Irisdina, who had been glancing
at Nozomu's face, was finally relieved when she heard those words.
"......Thank
goodness. Well then, let's proceed."
The group then began
to go deeper into the waterway to continue their investigation.
‡
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
Aiden Elliott
Elite
Matthew Shuler
Swagaraga
[Gold]
-
[Silver]
Adrian Betancourt
CoolmanMTD
Creris
Glasses Kun
Pristia
Anton Lim
Ctdela
Curious Panda
Faiz Haziq
Hikigaya Hachiman
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----
