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Chapter 73 - Let’s Evolve to Circle Two

"Only three more days until the Sanos Festival—are you taking someone special?"

"Who needs someone special when I have my friends?"

"You don't have any, do you?"

The friend who received that comment began to cry on the other's shoulder while being consoled, and Kai watched the situation in confusion—this would be the first festival he was attending in a big city, and he wondered what it would be like. He also didn't understand why the boy was crying—wasn't going out with friends a good thing? He really didn't get it.

"Kai, are you training today? Can I come too?"

Giulio arrived beside him holding a brush, which was the object he was going to use. That was because the headmaster had explained about Ego weapons, and in exchange for the knights who obtained them teaching the students, he offered a free pass to the great magical tower of Sanos to the most important knights, allowing them to improve themselves and other knights. It was incredible that mages and knights had agreed on something—especially since mages usually saw knights as inferior. But with the continent struggling so much, and both mages and knights dying, they put their pride aside to get stronger. That made Kai happy.

"Of course, Giulio."

They walked together, while Kai thought it was good that Enrico had allowed the headmaster to spread the idea of creating Ego weapons with magic. Before Enrico mentioned it, there had only been one known method of obtaining an Ego weapon, because most knights weren't very good at mana manipulation—and that was exactly why he was excited to discover this second method.

'Maybe someone thought of this in the past but never managed to put it into practice.'

Knights had existed for many years, so maybe someone had figured it out and died shortly after—or simply failed due to weak mana.

'Besides, mages would never have allowed that to happen out of pride, and maybe some mage even eliminated anyone who had that idea.'

At least, mages from the past were like that—and there were still some today who were probably upset with Enrico, though they said nothing due to the current mage death toll. Kai saw Valença walking toward the academy gate, so maybe she had requested to leave for a while, since it was Saturday.

'Maybe she's training…'

Kai decided to let it go because he knew Valença considered Enrico a rival and was training hard to try to catch up.

'Better double my training.'

Giulio and Kai walked to the training room chatting, while Valença reached the gate. A few steps further, in the shadows, Enrico was sleeping standing up. She gently tapped his shoulder, he opened his eyes, yawned, and wiped them as she asked if he hadn't slept well.

"Let's just say I stayed up all night."

"You shouldn't do that—your body needs rest."

"I know, I was just studying something new to improve my arrows."

Valença wanted to ask more, but Enrico raised his hand to stop her—what he was going to use came from the real world, so he wanted to test it first.

"Anyway… are you really sure about this?"

With Valença's question, Enrico smiled confidently.

"Yes, we'll be the first to reach Circle Two this Saturday and Sunday."

He had said something like that, which she didn't believe at first—but since it was Enrico, she decided to trust.

"You reached seventy percent?"

Valença nodded, smiling—of course she did, because she was sure he must have as well, and maybe even more.

'Main characters really are monsters. I got ahead of them thanks to the artifact, and they still caught up…'

He had also reached seventy percent, but it was very difficult. To reach it today, he hadn't even slept the day before.

"Let's go then."

They got into a carriage and left the city, chatting along the way about how Serenya was becoming strong very quickly and might have reached eighty percent of the first circle. Valença believed Enrico was beyond that and was a bit frustrated about not being able to go further.

'I left Yumeha training with Rina and Aoi—better if only two go to that place.'

Enrico had said they'd be the first to reach Circle Two, but he saw that Rina and Aoi had already reached that level three days ago. So, if he wanted to keep Rina interested in improving—seeing him as her perfect Ketsumei—he had to reach the second circle within these two days.

[You're disgusting—using a girl's feelings to turn her into someone useful.]

With the system saying that, he felt a bit uncomfortable, because the system was getting better at provoking him—but he was also getting better at enduring the provocations.

'Relax—if I manage to raise my potential to her level, I'll accept being her Ketsumei.'

Alright, with that, the system went quiet. It was improving, but still not on Enrico's level. The carriage stopped, and the two got out, heading near a waterfall.

"This is where we're going to evolve? If this is it, are you finally going to tell me what we're doing to improve?"

Enrico walked around the waterfall with Valença following. He crouched down and began drawing a magic circle. To open that door, he'd have to channel mana in a specific way to activate and qualify them to enter.

"Valença, channel mana with me."

"Alright…"

They both channeled mana into the circle, and were surrounded by lines of fire as the circle opened.

"Wait, is this—"

"Yes, a dungeon that only fire users can enter."

Valença was stunned as she got pulled in. Enrico was smiling excitedly, and both disappeared—while Angela, who had been following them, was left behind. Sweating and approaching the portal, she didn't want to miss out on the entertainment of watching Enrico go on an adventure.

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