[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero":3,"chapter-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-155":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Became the Academy’s War Hero",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1531649,1990,"Chapter 155 : The Higher the Mountain, the Deeper the Valley (5)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-155",155,"\u003Cp>Chapter 155: The Higher the Mountain, the Deeper the Valley (5)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KIIEEEEK?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After cutting down the fifth charging Beast, Francia immediately turned her gaze toward the next enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was the closest existence to the Sword Saint in the current era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had only experienced real combat once before, but tens of thousands of training sessions had amplified that experience dozens of times over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that she lacked hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which was why she spent such long periods agonizing over her choices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it truly alright to do this?—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once she reached a conclusion after all that contemplation, she never hesitated again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she resolved herself to kill every enemy before her—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There no longer existed anyone here capable of stopping Francia Brida.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After severing the neck of the thirteenth Beast to charge at her in only two strikes, I turned my gaze elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The only real variable is that guy.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among all the experimental subjects—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only one who had fully succeeded in Beastification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite having completely lost his consciousness due to the berserk order, the creature merely stared at us without making any particular move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…He’s watching.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching our fighting styles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well, feel free to observe all you want.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more troublesome the opponent, the more it would help Francia’s growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It took roughly thirty minutes to tear apart all thirty-nine rampaging Beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this point, even the reporters—who had initially maintained rigid defensive stances in tension—had become busy carrying out their own tasks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring the scattered corpses entirely, Francia slowly steadied her breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Is it because they were forcibly driven berserk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her expression looked much stiffer than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They feel far simpler than the Beasts from before somehow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That one was an SS-Rank Beast.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, even considering the difference in rank and experience, the outcome had indeed felt somewhat anticlimactic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Though the Gate Beast being that powerful was certainly part of it….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The agility and raw strength the enemies displayed were closer to B-Rank Beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Werebeast that Belfor, Walter, and I had defeated together before had been exactly that rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was also true those creatures had demonstrated combat ability completely unsuited for that level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Their Beast instincts were probably erased by the berserk state itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Clina’s sudden voice, I silently nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they had been ordinary Beasts, berserkization wouldn’t have suppressed their instincts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these were forced Beastification cases created through drugs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither fully Beast nor fully human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which made the berserk state poison instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…And there’s no way Ernst considered that before triggering it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I slowly pointed my sword toward the approaching enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll handle this one, Instructor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Francia step forward, two thoughts crossed my mind simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To stand against the catastrophe ahead, her existence was essential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To bloom beyond awakening, she would require countless experiences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this too was part of that process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which also meant something else—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Eugene Carter’s current capabilities only extended this far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That without everyone’s help, I could never overcome the trials before me alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though I already understood better than anyone that humanity was a species built upon mutual reliance—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still couldn’t help but feel it deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And guilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t think of this as the same kind of enemy as before. Fight at full strength. If it gets dangerous, I’ll pull you back immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After giving a slight nod, she skillfully distributed the vast mana overflowing through her body into her vital points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she kicked off the ground with all her strength and instantly closed in on the enemy’s core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was true that Francia Brida had grown immensely after her special training with Eugene Carter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had cast off the shackles that once bound her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, her combat style remained almost unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the countless sword arts she had mastered through overwhelming training, she disrupted her opponent—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then drove Illusion Swordsmanship into the opening she created.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Illusion Swordsmanship was merely one useful ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How it was utilized in battle depended entirely on the wielder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason she stood closest to the Sword Saint wasn’t because she possessed a special power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sword merely cuts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And because she understood that truth better than anyone—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the essence of swordsmen as taught by her father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy’s response completely bewildered her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tiiing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Test Subject 1966 effortlessly block her strike, Francia frowned in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I definitely targeted an opening.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a downward slash, she instantly changed the trajectory into a thrust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, when the enemy instinctively guarded the upper body and vital areas—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She activated Illusion Swordsmanship and swung upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy should’ve lost its judgment from the pain, allowing her to overwhelm it with continuous strikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been a perfect sequence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy moved as though it had already anticipated the upward attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if it had known from the very beginning that she was an Illusion Swordsmanship user.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I can’t completely rule it out.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though its appearance was monstrous, judging from its previous actions and speech, it likely possessed human-level intelligence before entering its berserk state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether the researcher informed it beforehand or it deduced things from records and articles—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it knew, then naturally it would’ve prepared countermeasures too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I thought the berserk state erased its consciousness entirely.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had already fought more than ten Beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commotion had grown far larger than originally planned, but this was still supposed to be a guerrilla operation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The evidence collection was complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We needed to retreat quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A prolonged battle brought no benefits whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speed and decisiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the enemy adapted further—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>End it with the strongest strike possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having made her decision, her movements sharpened even further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pattern remained identical to before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the upward slash and thrust acted as feints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The true attack was a diagonal slash descending from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, she wove together an Aura Blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless image training sessions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifty-six repeated training cycles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And two real combat experiences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The probability of failure was less than two percent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After completing the simulation in her mind, Francia immediately charged forward and executed the exact sequence she had envisioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she saw the enemy bend both arms defensively—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She activated Illusion Swordsmanship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blocking was meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Aura Blade would easily pierce even Beast skin reinforced with mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between the crimson mana and the blade emerging once again—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She saw something unnatural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy’s right hand, which should have been firmly guarding with both arms—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was instead thrusting toward her chest like a spear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost… like Illusion Swordsmanship itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How…?!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She immediately attempted to deploy Barrier Blade, but the timing failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Francia twisted her body with all her strength to avoid a fatal wound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar armor of mana unfolded between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kiiiik, kiiik!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy’s hand strike slammed directly into the Mana Armor and rebounded with an unbearable metallic shriek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shockwave launched her backward—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Eugene instantly rushed forward to catch her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huff… huff….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Thanks to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three others who arrived moments later helped support her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You did well, Francia. Rest now. I’ll handle the rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be careful! I can’t believe it myself, but that thing…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm. I saw it too. Why that bastard can use Illusion Swordsmanship… we’ll ask after subduing him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all Eugene said before lightly swinging his sword and walking forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second round had begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Francia’s tactics had been excellent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she realized Illusion Swordsmanship had been countered during the first exchange, she immediately escalated by incorporating Aura Blade to finish things decisively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what happened afterward—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even she could never have anticipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who would expect the enemy to use Illusion Swordsmanship?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truthfully, I was just as surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Illusion Swordsmanship had vanished from practical use for over 140 years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its very existence was scarcely known anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even I had only acquired the ability itself through Copy Slot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone shouldn’t have been enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Obtaining a license didn’t instantly make someone a skilled driver, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet the enemy moved as though it understood Illusion Swordsmanship perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, it used its right hand like a blade and struck faster than Francia herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I hadn’t deployed Mana Armor in time while watching from nearby—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wouldn’t have avoided a piercing wound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Francia’s father, Onte Brida, hadn’t been someone who awakened Illusion Swordsmanship either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had merely passed down the teachings inherited through generations to his daughter without distortion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as far as I knew—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Francia was the only one who successfully comprehended and awakened it fully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…The only way to learn the full truth is to ask him directly.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the earlier battle, I had roughly grasped his movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his instincts had completely tilted toward the Beast side due to berserkization, his combat style remained strangely human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, layering a double feint would’ve been enough to suppress him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he truly was an Illusion Swordsmanship user, then that changed everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Annoying, but I guess this is the only option.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grinding my teeth, I charged toward the enemy’s right flank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps believing I would immediately target his vitals, the enemy’s movements turned defensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But my target wasn’t his weak point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KWAANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I simply unleashed strike after strike packed with maximum mana directly at his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KWAANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lukezax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The single-edged demon sword with the highest mana efficiency among all existing demonic blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after becoming a Demon Human, a human’s mana capacity remained far inferior to a Beast’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, my current mana reserves ranked among the Empire’s top ten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already possessed immense mana originally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Devour increased it even further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with the curse lifted, the shackles limiting me had vanished too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compressing that overflowing mana at maximum efficiency—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I relentlessly continued attacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until both of his arms completely shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KWAANG! KWAANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With every accumulating strike, the enemy’s expression twisted further and further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take him long to realize my intention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KEAAAH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As though refusing to continue playing along, he finally launched his own attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the timing I had been waiting for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy swung both arms toward me as I briefly shifted into a defensive stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kiiiik…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blocked the right arm with Lukezax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the left with Barrier Blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if he had expected exactly that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His upper arm twisted unnaturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The signal that Illusion Swordsmanship had activated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the exact same method he’d used against Francia, his hand strike pierced toward me like a spear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ghk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I barely neutralized the attack by layering Mana Armor on top of my defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Checkmate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stab! Stab!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Spears of Darkness I hadn’t used even once during the previous battle pierced through his entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the enemy’s gaze dropped toward his body in shock from the sudden agony—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately unleashed a slash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strike severed his right arm and half his upper body cleanly apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, before I could even draw my Wand again—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s over now, Eugene Carter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The murderous mana filling the air around him had already disappeared completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking down at his own body as blood poured endlessly from it, he nodded with apparent satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now… I can finally die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staring at the massive body collapsing to the floor, I hurriedly asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you? How were you able to use Illusion Swordsmanship?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Demon Human alternated his gaze between me and Francia before chuckling faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought you looked familiar… what a strange coincidence. Or perhaps this was fate all along.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, pointing not at me but at Francia, he added,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My name is Rick Vergel. I was the second son of the Vergel Family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vergel…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the familiar family name, Francia hurriedly rushed over as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The life within his eyes was steadily fading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When the family collapsed, I refused adoption. Instead, I accepted certain conditions. They promised not to touch the rest of my siblings if I sacrificed myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I learned Illusion Swordsmanship from some old man during that process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He said I possessed talent second only to his daughter… taught me all sorts of things… though that was already over six years ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait! Where is that old man now…?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though he volunteered for the sacrifice himself… he said this wasn’t the kind of treatment he wanted… openly rebelled against the Bernhardts… and then…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those were the man’s final words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rick Vergel’s head lost all strength and dropped to the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at that exact same moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A horrified voice echoed from the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>",2104,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.613Z",1,"novelbin.me","23606a5b8ca283e9dad9b4b648e1a7bc8c62bfaeb9e53a0f8c901d5e0b9f72d5","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-156","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-154",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]