Chapter 145: A Common Enemy, An Enemy Within (2)

"But..." There was something I wanted to ask Isaac. "Are you planning to just leave the ones in the tower as they are?"

Isaac remained silent for a moment.

The skeletons hung in the tower were all his descendants. They’d met a miserable end, their souls being offered to Purson. I’d assumed he would want their remains properly collected, but my expectation was off the mark.

—My children hanging in that tower...! I will return and take care of them myself. I have no desire to owe you that kind of debt.

His resolve seemed firm.

"Well, if that's the case."

I decided not to concern myself further. Not that I could absorb or raise them using the Lord of Bones skill, anyway.

Besides, I already had Acorn. Right now, I was channeling all my Lord of Bones Lv. 1 control toward Acorn.

Click!

I stroked Acorn’s scruff as he playfully nuzzled against me. I wondered what he was thinking. How different was he now compared to when he was alive? If I died and started over, meeting his living self again, would he still greet me the same way?

Just as Rena’s status window had changed after I built up her Affection and level, would Acorn change, too?

...

While I was lost in thought...

"Master...?"

"Ah, right. We should begin."

My own training was important, but so was teaching Rena swordsmanship. Now that I knew some things accumulated across resets, it became even more essential.

I was making progress. I was moving forward. Even if I died and restarted, I wasn’t going back to absolute zero. The world might reset, but at least Rena was carrying over some of our shared experiences.

I didn’t know what force was at play, but I intended to take good care of her. At night, I studied barriers under Isaac. During the day, I trained Rena.

[Skill: Swordsmanship Instruction Lv. 2 activated.]

[For the trainee: Correcting weaknesses...

Focus temporarily enhanced...

Understanding significantly increased...

General skill acquisition speed improved...

The trainee’s affection toward you has...]

Rena’s enthusiasm burned hotter than ever.

[Trainee’s Status:

—Deep Affection: Affection level exceeds 50. She wants to impress you. Training effects significantly increased.

—Unwavering Trust: She trusts you absolutely. She will follow any path you lead without hesitation. All training effects greatly increased.

—New Perspective: She recently witnessed a new level of swordsmanship. Her enthusiasm will remain heightened for a set period, further improving training effects.]

It was rewarding to teach her. My Swordsmanship Instruction skill leveled up rapidly.

A positive cycle.

Her strong motivation fueled my skill growth, and as my training skill improved, so did her learning speed. After an intense day of training, I left the barrier zone with Isaac by nightfall.

***

Rumble... BOOM!

The barrier training took place outside the cliffside mechanisms of the cavern. Was it because this place was so remote? Just as I had noticed upon arriving, not a single human passed through here.

There was no need to even use stealth skills. Isaac began his lecture.

—Barriers, at their core, are about separating one space from another.

Of course, everything he said was entirely new to me. I had never learned anything about barriers before.

"Separating spaces?"

—Yes. You introduce a separation and then reassemble reality according to your own design. A passage that should be walkable can loop infinitely, replaying itself over and over. It is a fusion of physical manipulation, hypnosis, suggestion, and illusion—a true art form. Just stepping into a barrier can drive a person mad.

Rena’s tormented expression from her nightmare flashed through my mind. I stayed silent, listening carefully. When faced with an unfamiliar subject, the best course of action was to shut up and learn.

—You can make them suffocate until they die, or stop their heart with strong willpower. You could even keep them in a state of endless pleasure right up until the brink of death, or brainwash them into believing digging a hole is their greatest happiness.

"So when you said you turned them into mining slaves..."

—Exactly. I was making them happy.

I had nothing to say about Isaac’s morality.

"Were they... humans?"

—Dwarves, Elves, humans... A variety.

"Elves?"

I was so shocked I nearly shouted. Elves were extinct, a species lost to history.

—Yes. The dark elves who followed Le’razier were excellent miners. Why, are you interested in elves?

"I thought they had disappeared long ago..."

—They remained hidden inside barriers. Even now, you might pass them by without realizing it. Many demonic altars are like that.

"Demonic altars...?"

—Yes.

Isaac simply affirmed when I asked if Demon Lords had personally placed those barriers. That meant he had broken through the barriers of Demon Lords and enslaved their followers in mines.

His response was simple.

—Causality applies to all. If you establish a logical path, anything is possible. Now shut up and learn.

"..."

Isaac Bel’Homec, the sorcerer who ruled the South during the Era of Chaos, was personally teaching me barrier magic. Regardless of his morals, his skill was the real deal. I

had

to learn from him.

There was no telling if I’d ever get another opportunity like this. If I could create a barrier that would make intruders lose their way and wander in circles, then I wouldn’t have to fight or even think about defending against them.

No matter how many tried to invade, all I’d have to do was clean up their corpses once in a while. It was an ideal defense. Of course, powerful individuals like the marquis or a hero could still break through...

But in that case, I’d just have to build an even stronger barrier. The mere thought of reaching that level filled me with determination

.

It had been a long time since I felt a sense of excitement

.

Just as Isaac was about to explain defensive and distortion barriers—

—...Hey.

"What is it?"

—

Use Meditation and Focus. Haa... Why are you holding back instead of using your abilities? It’s really frustrating...

[Skill: Meditation Lv. 2 activated.]

[Purging distractions and calming the mind.]

[Skill: Focus Lv. 2 activated.]

[Used alongside meditation. The effect of meditation has significantly increased.]

[Skill acquisition speed has increased!]

I didn’t like Isaac’s attitude, but once I used the skills, I could feel a noticeable improvement in how quickly I understood his explanations.

So this is what it does.

I had no idea how long I would be stuck with him or what unforeseen obstacles would arise. I had to extract as much as I could from him while I had the chance.

—

Now, I’ll start explaining spatial barriers and distortions...

***

Two weeks had passed. During the day, I trained Rena. At night, I went out with Acorn and received lessons from Isaac. Little by little, we restored the barrier. It reminded me again how important practical application was when learning.

—

No, not like that... Do it again, you fool. I said distort the space, not your brain! Keep that one fixed on the left and only move the right stone.

Isaac constantly grumbled, but he never failed to give the necessary instructions. Despite his complaints, he was carefully teaching me—a complete novice—his expertise.

Maybe, even though our first encounter had been disastrous, he had now accepted that we were in the same boat.

—

Yes, that stone.

Boom!

The final area was put in place in the outer barrier area.

Zzzzzz...

The scenery subtly shifted. I immediately felt it.

"Is the barrier complete?"

—

Yeah. Now walk left, past that stone. Our work here is done.

It seemed I had learned everything I could in two week’s time. His lectures had been laser-focused, hitting the core of every concept. A precise, no-nonsense teaching style. And he wasn’t just all talk—I could tell from my new skills.

[Barrier Theory Lv.1]

[—You have properly grasped the fundamentals of barrier mechanics.

—Your foundation is extremely well-built. Skill proficiency increases by 400%.

—Barrier Construction skill proficiency increases by 50%.]

I gained a barrier skill. For such a short learning period, the results were excellent. Even Isaac had started to trust me more.

"So, can I make barriers now?"

—

Hah? Pfft... You’re still at least ten years away. Right now, you’ve just crammed a bunch of theories into your head. Do you think barriers are easy? Even geniuses need three years of training just to make a half-assed one.

"And you?"

—

Don’t compare me to your level.

"..."

—

You’re nowhere near ready. Expand your circuit first.

"Even more?"

—

I forgot something when I first set up your circuits.

"

Hmm...

?"

—

Look, if I regain my full power, of course, I’ll win. But the Demon Lord’s followers are already strong enough to crush you. You need to do whatever you can. Let’s carve a circuit to accelerate the Lurium flow.

Was he lying to me? Was he trying to trap me again? But he had sworn not to lie, and he had properly taught me barrier theory.

"Fine, then..."

I spent the night engraving a new circuit into my body under his guidance. It was an intricate and nerve-wracking process. I focused as hard as I could, scrutinizing every detail. Maybe that’s why—

[Lurium Circuit S-J Acquired!]

[You can now engrave this circuit onto your body at will.]

I did it!

A sense of accomplishment surged through me. Last time, I had missed the chance to grasp this completely. But this time, I fully understood how to engrave it.

Now, even if I died, I could recreate this circuit. This was an undeniable gain. Isaac didn’t seem to realize this. That thought made me feel even better. With a faint sizzling sound, the last bit of bone dust fell to the ground.

Wooooong...!

I could feel it. The Lurium coursing through my circuits had become even more active.

***

It was the final day of Rena’s training.

[Great Success!]

[Rena’s swordsmanship proficiency has increased!

Swordsmanship Rank Up!

Lv. 5 -> Lv. 6]

[Rena’s Affection increased by 7!]

[Affection: 60]

[Affection has reached the maximum cap!]

Her swordsmanship rank had risen from five to six in just two weeks.

Pheeeep!

Rena’s eyes sparkled with excitement as if she could feel the leap in her skill.

—

A rare talent, one in a thousand. To advance that much in just two weeks...

"Is that so?"

—

Hmph. Still not as great as me.

"..."

He wouldn’t have ruined the moment if he had just stopped there.

Even with the help of training skills, Rena’s growth speed was absurd. If I had half a year to train her steadily, I definitely wanted to see how far she could go.

—

I thought this from the first time I saw her, but there’s something strange about that girl. It feels like her talent wasn’t just unlocked, but accumulated over time. Can talent even accumulate...?

So he noticed?

As expected, his insight was impressive. But I didn’t reveal anything about my resets. Even Gith-Za-Rai hadn’t believed me. And even if Isaac did, he was far down the list of people I’d trust with the truth.

Before telling him, I had to first convince Gith-Za-Rai using the Sun of Lindbrum’s Dream. Someday, I’d also have to tell Rubia—the one who had revived me from my grave. Isaac would be the last to know.

Since he wanted one last look at the tower’s skeletons, I brought him up to the top of the tower.

Clatter... Clatter... Clatter...

Isaac stared in mute silence at the hundreds of remains that had been sacrificed. Fifteen seconds passed without a word.

—

That’s enough. Let’s go.