[{"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-71":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},1531678,1990,"Chapter 71 : Fragment (2)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-71",71,"\u003Cp>Chapter 71: Fragment (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ting! Ting!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pshh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwaaaang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thunderous roar had rung out repeatedly in the middle of the bridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blood gauntlets that had moved like limbs were already almost half destroyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blood fist was the same. After repeated collisions, more than forty percent of it had been lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was astonishing was that when I struck with a palm reinforced by blood magic, the other side had taken it with bare hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If an ordinary human had collided like that, their bones would have been completely crushed on impact.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even someone who managed their mana extremely well would have limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abatua Shredder revised his assessment of Eugene Carter upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“S-rank… no, close to SS-rank.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A beast’s rank — determined by combat power, danger, rarity, and so on — went up to SS.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that beasts threatened humanity, human strength was measured entirely by how well one could stand against beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A person rated S-rank in overall evaluation could oppose or even have the upper hand against an S-rank beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he had been younger he’d worked mainly as a mercenary who exterminated beasts. He prided himself on being objectively honest about people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even he thought the performance Eugene Carter was showing now recalled his prime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shreeeek!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blood barrier spread wide before him shattered into pieces from a single strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the remnants could even disappear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eugene brought his sword down from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I barely held on by concentrating blood gauntlets in both arms, but it wasn’t enough to block the gap that caused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Eugene never missed that tiny opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Screech!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the super-strike should have been completely blocked, a deep wound had already appeared on my neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if two different sword strikes had been executed at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that unbelievable performance, Shredder asked reflexively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What did you do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You wouldn’t understand even if I explained.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bright, sticky blood poured down from the fully exposed carotid artery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shredder clamped the wound with his right hand and looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His family and subordinates had already vanished without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You didn’t really think those brats would risk their lives to take revenge for you like you did, did you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It would be a lie to say I didn’t expect that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued firmly with a resolute expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if a father didn’t respect his children’s choices?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the enemy couldn’t be beaten anyway, retreating to buy time to rebuild was the right call.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it wasn’t to rise for revenge, there was nothing to be done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Abatua has already disbanded.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then you’d better just die already. My schedule’s pretty tight today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ll likely end up that way without me saying it… but let me at least struggle a bit, Eugene Carter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words, Shredder stabbed his own heart with his dagger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A smile haunted his lips, and his eyes shone clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that exact moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a loud pulse, a dense red aura began to coil thickly around Shredder’s entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…This is insane.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would the head of some gang even have such a dark art?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wiped the blood from my sword and stared straight ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His whole body was covered in a deep crimson aura, as if it had been coated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I watched that sight awkwardly, a voice echoed inside again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Oh ho, isn’t that the power of Moloch? I didn’t know a human could use it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Humans could use it, all right.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The method of use was horribly tricky, and its power was pitiful compared to the real thing — those were the drawbacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moloch, the great beast that had actually existed in the past. Its other name was the Blood Demon King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many blood magics had their origins in it; it had wielded exceptional influence in that respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moloch was famous for appearing and disappearing unpredictably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, blood magic itself was no easy thing to learn; for humans of that time to wield blood magic at will, they would have had to become thralls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If the first thralls had passed on their sigils and it had been inherited through the bloodline, it might have become commonplace among the kin.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, whatever. It didn’t change much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no way to dig up more information unless I knew his true name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, both the family name Abatua and the name Shredder were probably fakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of that mattered, though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Three minutes… maybe that was the limit.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I had used nearly twenty heavy slashes to consume his blood armor and blood barrier, the mana I could operate with was nearly depleted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would still be more than enough for daily life, though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forbidden art he’d activated, however, was the worst possible matchup for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bit a wry smile as I looked at the deep sigil carved on his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak, creak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blood mage normally wouldn’t flinch at ordinary bleeding, but after the many injuries I’d already taken — the half-cut throat wound from earlier and the self-inflicted puncture in my heart — Abatua Shredder was already as good as dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the moment the user was declared dead, the spell activated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bloody Marionette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another name was the Blood-Smeared Clown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dead user moved for only one purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That purpose was to take the life of the target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until all the blood in the body and the mana carried by that blood were exhausted, the corpse did not stop moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its efficiency was even better than when the lifeline remained; even if the body was torn to shreds, it would regenerate quickly and aim for its target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no better magic for a drown-the-enemy operation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, every magic had weaknesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The best option was, of course, to remove the sigil engraved on my chest…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But my aptitude for that sort of thing was completely rubbish. Mine, and this body’s.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, what now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a few more seconds the marionette would recognize the sigil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I ran away, I wasn’t confident I could lose its pursuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lacked the mana and time to bring it down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if I stood and stalled, excessive mana expenditure would cut off my consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could ask Klina to relock the limiter and prevent consciousness loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that would drastically lower my specs and make it hard even to stand off against it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…As I thought, it had to be a short decisive battle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That path had the highest chance of success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once I decided, there was no reason to hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I had to shatter him in one blow, then burn him right away.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To maximize lethality, I needed to close the distance for the finishing slash as much as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, with no delay, I would use an ignition spell to slow the body’s regeneration timing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that I would keep pounding the parts trying to regenerate and squeeze out whatever mana remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I devised the countermeasure and ran the simulation through twice as I kept timing my moves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one hand I held Lukesax, and in the other I held a wand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether unlucky or lucky, the wait wasn’t long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak, creak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The marionette turned its body toward me quickly, drawn by the sigil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment it locked onto my position, red light flashed in its two eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clatter, clatter!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the marionette lunged at me—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clank!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A carriage stamped with the imperial seal thundered up right in front of us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I’d been watching the carriage coming, I barely dodged it in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The marionette, however, got blasted and was thrown off the bridge, falling down under it with a bang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood there for a moment in stunned silence, then hurriedly signaled Klina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same instant, the surge of mana that had been flooding my entire body cut off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My vision blurred sharply and my breathing came ragged; I braced myself using the sword like a staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage that had knocked the marionette flew another hundred meters and came to a stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who emerged from it were faces I was very glad to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So I didn’t imagine it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing in a place like this…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“More importantly, what on earth happened here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carvena’s senior figures looked at me with their own different expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walked slowly toward Frederick and spoke softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The sigil hasn’t been removed yet. It’ll be climbing up the bridge soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Climbing up? Who?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You mean the corpse you just blew away, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Dale’s words I only nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He assessed the situation in an instant, drew a wand, aimed it at the sigil on my chest, and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait! What are you going to do to Carter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have to erase the engraved sigil for the marionette to stop. It’ll hurt, but bear with it a bit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring Frederick’s attempting restraint, Dale activated a healing spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For an instant a pain struck me as if the entire bundle of nerves in my chest had been ripped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain didn’t last ten seconds, but during it my legs gave out and I almost collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huff… huff…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you okay, Carter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when I grabbed Dale’s hand, which he offered quietly, could I barely pull myself up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…We survived because we’d been moving together.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dale Wedmeyer—head of the pro-Bernhardt faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no reason to be friendly toward me, so if I’d faced him alone I would’ve lost my life there and then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Left alone, I would have died to the marionette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there were a lot of eyes watching now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the cadet captain was on our side, Frederick and the other three captains were another matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It would be strange if a master of manipulation magic couldn’t handle a simple healing spell.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because things hadn’t gone his way, Dale’s expression looked even more sour than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I gasped for breath, Frederick forcibly supported my shoulder and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened to the others who left with you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They headed for the capital first. I’m the only one left here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The chairman too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick exhaled a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time the cadet captain spoke up from beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell us everything, Carter. Were they targeting the chairman? Or you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All eyes turned to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Supported, I pointed toward the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Let’s talk while we go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clack, clack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage squeaked even more from the earlier collision, and I fell into thought for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It was fine to have a skill check before the conference… but why did it have to be with these annoying guys?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I tell the truth, or should I come up with something evasive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One thing was certain: the head of planning and the cadet captain didn’t know about this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they’d known even a little, they wouldn’t have worn those expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Maybe it was deliberately hidden, or the message simply didn’t reach them.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, it didn’t harm me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case, Dale Wedmeyer saving me was an unchanging fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if Chloe Bernhardt found out about that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was already boiling from repeated failures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the person she trusted, Dale, saved Eugene Carter—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before verifying facts, she’d probably erupt in fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If external pressure from the Hokma incident got piled on top of that, she definitely wouldn’t be able to judge things normally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m curious what kind of face she’d make.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I opened my eyes with a faint smile, Frederick and Dale spoke at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Start talking, Carter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened exactly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After pretending to hesitate for a long moment and touching my mouth, I answered the questions with a resolute look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d prefer this story not leak out. It’s directly tied to Carvena’s honor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So then….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where should I start?”\u003C\u002Fp>",1957,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.334Z",1,"novelbin.me","1795675cdd659c8915fec1d005e585a4d2b7ccb359e48957e5019171fcfcda87","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-72","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-70",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]