[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-strongest-student-of-the-weakest-academy":3,"chapter-the-strongest-student-of-the-weakest-academy-the-strongest-student-of-the-weakest-academy-chapter-269":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1027025,1339,"Chapter 269: Aestrea Against The World (XLVI)","the-strongest-student-of-the-weakest-academy-chapter-269",269,"\u003Cp>Chapter 269: Aestrea Against The World (XLVI)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment his palm pressed deeper against Ruby’s chest, the black veins pulsed violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slimy ooze writhed, resisting, but then it began to shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ghhnn…” Ruby gasped as the corruption peeled away from her flesh, flowing like tar being sucked through invisible veins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black ooze coiled up his arm, crawling under his skin, sinking into him instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression barely changed, though his jaw tightened and his eyes sharpened slighly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruby’s breath came in shaky bursts as the last of the darkness drained from her. She braced herself for the agony that was supposed to remain… but then…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corruption was simply gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body, once half-covered in writhing black sludge, was clean. The taint had vanished as if it had never existed at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruby’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her trembling fingers touched her bare skin in disbelief, sliding over her arm, her side, her chest….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What… happened?” she muttered, half in awe, half in fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked up, and her heart skipped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea slowly pulled his hand back, his palm faintly steaming as if it had burned against something unseen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruby frowned, sitting up slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Where did it go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea said nothing at first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply lifted his hand and gave it a slow wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At once, the air glowed lighly, and from his palm, the same black ooze that had covered Ruby began to seep out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It gathered together, forming into a small, pulsing sphere that floated just above his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But instead of writhing violently as before, the ooze… almost nuzzled against him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It pulsed softly, changing its shape in tiny playful waves, as though clinging to him affectionately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruby’s eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That’s not normal…” she muttered under her breath, frowning deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thing looked… almost cute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dark corruption that had once eaten away at her body now behaved like a loyal pet before Aestrea, swaying lightly in the air as if content to stay by his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruby leaned forward, her brows furrowed, ready to analyze the strange reaction. But just as she opened her mouth to speak…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clutch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea closed his hand around the orb without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black mass let out a faint hiss before collapsing inward, vanishing into nothing as if it had never been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room fell into silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruby stared at him, lips pressed tight, a dozen questions on her tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What in the nine hells are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea didn’t even glance at Ruby after her trembling question. Instead, his lips parted as he asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The ones who attacked you. How did they look?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruby froze for a moment, caught off guard by the way he so casually ignored her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her brows furrowed, a flare of irritation flickering across her face, but she let it die down with a sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…They… didn’t look human,” she admitted slowly. “More like… corpses. Like the undead, walking husks of flesh… zombies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea’s eyes narrowed slightly. He nodded slighly, as if her words merely confirmed something he already suspected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…And where?” he asked again, his voice cold and steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruby bit her lip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…At the cathedral.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That made him pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment… he remembered Christina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been a long time since they last met…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Alright,” Aestrea muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll go there and take a look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“WAIT—!” Ruby shot up from the bed, reaching a trembling hand toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the very instant the word left her lips, he was already gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air rippled where he had stood, the space collapsing with a faint hum, leaving nothing behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruby’s hand lingered in the empty air for a moment before clenching into a fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her teeth ground together, anger and helplessness flaring all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She almost slammed her palm against the bed hard enough to splinter it, but instead, her strength faltered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She dropped back into the soft sheets, her chest rising and falling heavily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes closed halfway, and a faint, bitter smile crept onto her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Who am I kidding?” she whispered, her voice quiet and trembling. “He’s stronger than me now…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahh… so it really was Helheim,” Aestrea muttered, his brow furrowing as he studied the black ooze that clung almost possessively to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thing that he felt a connection with him wasn’t Yggdrasil… but Hellheim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But why though?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flicked at the ooze lightly, yet instead of being shaken off, it wrapped tighter around his finger… then… licked it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea exhaled slowly, shaking his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haa… whatever. I’ll deal with this later. For now… let’s focus on the cathedral.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive doors groaned as he pushed them open, revealing the familiar sight within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chairs, statues of the Goddess of Light, or whatever people called her… came into his view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…System.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yes?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’re a lot more responsive now. Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Because you’ve finally awakened as a Vessel. I now have the freedom to communicate with you properly.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And before this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You wouldn’t have survived holding a conversation with me for more than thirty seconds.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Mhm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea hummed slighly, although the system’s explanation was still full of loopholes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Am I human?” he asked at last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…Partially.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Partially?” His brow lifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You are… fifty percent human.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Half, huh.” His lips curled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And I’m guessing you can’t tell me what the other half is… because of some ‘divine gag order.'”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ehh… close enough. The instant I speak your race’s true name, a god will descend and erase you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea froze mid-step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That serious?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yeah… you’re race… is forbidden, and is the enemy of all gods except… three of them.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…The Goddess of Magic, The Goddess of Obsession… & the Goddess of the Moon.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…. makes sense,” he nodded slighly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he had a close relationship with all three of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So,” his voice dropped lower, “my race… is why Helheim acts so damned affectionate toward me, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Correct. Your bloodline grants affinity with all beings… but none embrace it more dearly than the creatures of evil.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Evil, huh?” Aestrea smiled coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not much of a surprise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, Aestrea closed his eyes and slowly spread out his senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faint traces of Helheim brushed against him, pulling his focus to the statue of the Goddess of Light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked closer, and then, without hesitation, he waved his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BAAM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The statue shattered into countless pieces, stone flying across the floor. From within the rubble, a ball of black ooze rose, pulsing with heavy power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea narrowed his eyes, then smirked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They really hid Helheim’s source inside the Goddess of Light’s statue?” He shook his head in disbelief and reached out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The source responded at once, leaping onto his face like a clingy cat. It rubbed against him, dripping, almost affectionate, almost… playful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ahaha…” Aestrea chuckled softly, raising a hand to steady it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his smile faded a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Strange. Why aren’t any of the Dark Order here? For them to leave this unguarded… something isn’t right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, he pulled the source from his face, pressed it into his palm, and slipped it into his spatial ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment he did, his expression hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The flow of time… it’s different here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His instincts were screaming as he spoke. Because he had Time Affinity, he could clearly feel that something strange was happening inside here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Is it five times faster?” he muttered, closing his eyes to sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the longer he measured, the more his face darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No… it’s… five thousand times faster…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weight of that realization left no room for hesitation. Aestrea vanished from the cathedral in an instant, stepping back into the streets outside…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only to freeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What the fuck?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pamphlets littered the ground in every direction, and on them was a clear image, him, shattering the statue of the Goddess of Light, and stealing Helheim’s source.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Fuck… no wonder it was so easy. This whole thing was a trap.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tilted his head back, staring at the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>FWWOOOMP!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten figures descended at once, their auras erupting into ten colossal pillars of light and color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air shook under the pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea didn’t even need to glance at them to see that all ten of them were SSS-level rankers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…The current ones, as there were only twelve registered SSS-rankers in the world… with two of them being Ruby and Eleonora.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But none of those two were here… for obvious reasons, especially the latter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Mhm, even you came?” Aestrea raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the Elven Emperor, who was staring at him coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I honestly thought that I could trust you,” the elven emperor replied, his hands clutching, causing a tornado of wind to rush towards him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>FWWIP!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It met his body without causing a single ounce of damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea merely shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if I say that this was a trap made by the Dark Order?” he asked calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I wouldn’t believe you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea nodded slighly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason the Elven Emperor won’t believe was because Aestrea had threatened his own wife…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well… I don’t really c—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze landed on one of the figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her soft pink eyes shimmered faintly, unfocused yet carrying a quiet pressure. Her figure was graceful and refined, her waist slender and curving with effortless allure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Golden hair cascaded down in flowing strands, catching the light as if it belonged to the wind itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Fuck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The curse slipped through clenched teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the woman before him was the one he had remembered only minutes ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Christina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And from the look of her robes, her insignia, her stance…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was no longer just Christina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was now the representative of the Holy Nation.\u003C\u002Fp>",1619,"2026-06-03T09:18:17.304Z","2026-06-03T09:18:22.612Z",1,"novelbin.me","8211658cc9c296f06716c1246883ddb60dbecbf62c577495fcbce455a0da96eb","the-strongest-student-of-the-weakest-academy-chapter-270","the-strongest-student-of-the-weakest-academy-chapter-268",547,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-strongest-student-of-the-weakest-academy-cover.jpg"]