Chapter 103

Chapter 103
## Chapter 103: Proper Education (1)

The establishment known as ‘Darcar’s Afternoon’ operated under a distinctive set of rules.

Payment was required in advance, and the culinary experience was tailored strictly to the magnitude of the transaction.

Consequently, the higher one ascended through the levels of the building, the greater the prestige.

“We shall provide you with our most incomparable service!”

After a payment of one million gold was rendered, every staff member on the ground floor bowed in unison.

The party was promptly guided to a prime window location on the fourth floor.

It was the most expansive table in the house.

Though designed to accommodate a dozen people, only the three of them occupied the space.

“We are deeply honored by your visit to Darcar’s Afternoon. Are there any specific ingredients you find disagreeable?”

In response to the query from the sharply dressed waiter, Hudson gave a firm shake of his head.

“None at all.”

“In 그 case, please begin with our signature beverage crafted from ‘Leviathan Mucus.’ It is the hallmark of our kitchen, reserved exclusively for our most distinguished patrons.”

“······?”

Leviathan what?

The Leviathan was a creature of the dragonkin lineage.

This implied they were being served a drink derived from dragon secretions.

A moment later, the waiter began pouring a dense, snowy-white fluid into a tall flute.

······ What on earth is this gummy substance?

Even a diner with the most ironclad stomach would hesitate at such a sight.

Was this truly intended for human consumption?

While he was lost in these intense thoughts, the neighboring area erupted in a commotion.

“Wait a minute. We didn’t authorize them to take that table, did we? Are you playing games with me?”

“Lady Dersian. That particular section is strictly held for patrons whose expenditure exceeds 500,000 gold······.”

“Be quiet. Who gave a commoner like you permission to talk back to me?”

“M-My apologies.”

“Transfer us to that exact spot this instant.”

“H-However, the establishment’s regulations state······.”

Slap!

The waiter’s head snapped to the side from the force of the blow.

The young woman then launched into a verbal assault against the dazed employee, who was left cradling his burning cheek.

“You piece of filth. Are you seeking an early grave? Do you actually think I lack the funds?”

“I-I am sorry.”

“Enough. Hand over that seat.”

“That is simply not allowed······.”

“Alt. Cut him down if he utters another syllable.”

“Understood.”

Shing.

The warrior positioned at her side unsheathed his weapon.

The waiter’s complexion turned as white as a sheet of parchment.

The scene was pure melodrama, yet it was impossible to look away.

‘Dersian?’

The household of Isabella von Dersian.

··· Was that entitled brat actually a high-born lady of the Dersian clan?

The family famous for conducting elite auctions in tandem with Darcar?

That likely explained why the surrounding patrons remained silent and didn’t dare to protest.

And most notably.

‘The bronze fox mask.’

The combatant guarding the Dersian lady was equipped with a bronze fox mask.

It was strikingly similar to the silver fox mask worn by the Rank 2 transcendent encountered previously within the Abyss Labyrinth.

【Lv. ♠】

However, unlike the silver version, a specific symbol hovered above this bronze-masked individual.

It wasn’t a numerical value, but a spade.

That peculiar icon had been commanding his focus since the moment they arrived.

‘A transcendent, without a doubt.’

He had crossed the threshold of transcendence, but not through the consumption of a star.

As far as he was aware, the only path for a human to reach that state was by devouring stars.

Perhaps they had discarded their ‘human’ constraints entirely to achieve such growth.

Similar to the saint who was classified as a non-human entity, or Maxim reaching level 10.5 via a demon heart.

Had the Empire discovered a method to transcend that bypassed the stars?

“······.”

Hudson’s brows knit together in a frown.

Valte, sitting beside him, looked equally disgusted.

This brand of conduct in a place of dining was completely unacceptable.

For Hudson, who carried the pride of a British aristocrat, it was particularly grating.

Ignoring such blatant boorishness was proving difficult.

He was only restraining himself for the sake of his companion.

He didn’t want to cause any unnecessary trouble for him.

‘Initially, I suspected it was a performance.’

The absurdity of the situation made him wonder if it was a staged event designed to test them.

But their arrival at this restaurant and their ascent to the fourth floor had been entirely unplanned.

There was no tactical logic in placing a Dersian noblewoman here as a plant.

This meant the girl from the Dersian house was simply legitimately deranged.

‘Proceed as you wish.’

He gave a slight nod to Hudson, who had glanced toward him for direction.

The decision was his.

Whether to maintain restraint or act was entirely Hudson’s prerogative.

He wasn’t the guest of honor; Hudson was.

“I’m giving you three seconds. You’d better provide the answer I want.”

“······!”

The Dersian lady began her countdown immediately.

“3.”

As the numbers dropped, the waiter’s pale face turned a sickly shade of blue.

He was convinced she intended to follow through with the execution.

“2.”

“W-Wait a moment······!”

“1. Alt, finish him.”

Just as Alt, the swordsman in the bronze fox mask, began his swing—

“Would you be so kind as to shut your mouth, you petulant child.”

Hudson’s voice rang out.

The Dersian lady’s expression froze instantly.

“······ Are you addressing me?”

“Did your guardians fail to teach you the value of silence during a meal? Ah, that’s right. Evidently, they did.”

“W-What did you say?”

“Manners maketh man. You should try acquiring some.”

“Alt······! Slaughter that insolent fool!”

The Dersian lady let out a piercing scream.

Hudson—was he actually imitating his style of speaking?

Screeech!

Clang!

He moved with casual ease to parry the blade aimed at Hudson’s life.

‘Not half bad.’

A faint tingle resonated through his arm.

That spade symbol was indeed the mark of a transcendent being.

He had never engaged in a formal, direct confrontation with a transcendent before this.

And if this bronze-masked warrior truly occupied that rank, his power far exceeded Maxim’s 10.5 level.

This wasn’t an opponent to be taken lightly or without focus.

Had he not yet scaled the Practitioner’s Mountain, he might have relied on deceptions like the Throne of Light.

‘This is within my capability.’

Now, he possessed the strength to meet a transcendent head-on.

It would be a test of pure ‘combat prowess,’ different from wagering values against Greed or unraveling the enigmas of the Desert Queen.

He felt a deep-seated confidence in the growth he had achieved.

In fact, the timing was ideal.

The Dersian family and the mystery of the spade-marked transcendents.

A perfect opportunity to untangle both threads at once!

“······ You must have a longing for death.”

Clutching the Skull Destroyer, he rose slowly from his seat.

Proper Education (1)

“······ You must have a longing for death.”

Clutching the Skull Destroyer, he rose slowly from his seat.

The warrior in the bronze fox mask was already launching a close-quarters lunge at him.

Swoosh!

The blade sought his throat with lethal precision.

Boom-!!

A sudden, powerful kick sent the bronze-masked swordsman hurtling through the structural wall.

The margin was razor-thin.

Without foresight, his head would have been claimed by the steel.

Those facing the speed of a transcendent for the first time usually perished without ever realizing what happened.

But he had been prepared.

Few individuals possessed more experience in battling transcendents than he did.

From the moment he stepped into the building, he had been meticulously observing every twitch of the bronze fox mask.

“······!”

Disregarding the gasps of the onlookers, he launched himself off the floor and dove through the opening in the wall. While airborne, he seized Skull Destroyer with both hands as a shimmering aura of sword energy began to coat the metal.

《‘Sword Ray’ is active, increasing damage output by 50%.》

《‘Skull Destroyer’ resonance boosts Sword Ray damage by an additional 30%.》

An aggregate damage increase of 80%!

The Skull Destroyer’s ability to scale its output based on sword mastery made its destructive potential nearly double.

With his muscles surging with power, he descended like a falling star onto the bronze-masked warrior.

Kabloom-!

The ground gave way, forming a massive crater as a cloud of debris erupted.

He felt the impact vibrate through his fingers.

As the dust began to settle, the mangled remains of the swordsman were visible.

The mask was shattered, exposing the weathered, monster-like face of an elderly man.

Swoosh!

A chilling presence manifested behind him.

He reached back and caught the incoming blade with his bare palm.

The steel bit into his skin, but he ignored the pain.

With a violent tug on the captured weapon, he pulled the off-balance attacker toward him. Capitalizing on the momentum, he delivered a brutal headbutt to the approaching foe.

Crack!

The bronze fox mask splintered, revealing the face beneath.

It was identical to the one he had just pulverized.

A second version of the same man.

‘There isn’t just one.’

Multiple bronze-masked figures began to swarm from every direction.

There were eleven in total.

【♠】

Each one bore the spade mark of a transcendent.

However, having confirmed two identical faces, the truth was evident.

‘Duplicates. A specific transcendent ability.’

This was the unique power of this transcendent.

The bronze fox mask’s strength lay in this manifestation of clones.

Yet, within this power, the duplicates were both copies and original entities at once.

Every single one functioned as a primary body.

He would have to eliminate all twelve versions to truly end the life of the warrior.

One was gone.

Eleven remained.

It was an irritably repetitive task.

Then again—if a transcendent could be toppled with a single strike, the challenge would be nonexistent.

Furthermore, they showed no sign of agitation even when faced with the sword ray.

There was no flicker of grief or anger when a duplicate was slain.

They moved like hollow dolls.

‘I will crush every last one.’

He wondered if they could maintain that eerie calm once every clone was wiped out.

He was genuinely interested to see the outcome.

“Alt! Slay him! Finish him now! What are you waiting for!”

The Dersian lady’s voice shrieked from within the safety of the building.

Her protector, Alt, was a legendary figure who had never tasted defeat.

He was a titan possessing twelve separate lives—a fanatic who felt no fear in the face of annihilation!

In all his battles, no opponent had ever succeeded in taking all ‘twelve lives.’

But the man he faced was a different kind of monster.

He brushed off injuries just as Alt did, charging forward with the unstoppable force of a crazed bull.

“······ What am I witnessing right now?”

“That isn’t mere sword energy······ that’s a sword ray, is it not?”

“A sword ray? We are looking at someone capable of manifesting a sword ray?”

The crowd gathered in the restaurant consisted of individuals who ruled over entire cities.

Even their elite knights could not remain silent as they watched the duel.

Sword ray!

While sword energy was a simple coating for extra force, sword ray was the physical manifestation of that power—the peak of martial achievement.

Its destructive capability was worlds apart from standard sword energy.

Soon, further murmurs reached the ears of the Dersian lady.

“Look at that gargantuan sword.”

“Skull Destroyer. It’s a weapon exclusive to the Giant clan. Only their most decorated champions are permitted to wield it.”

“So that man is a member of the Giants?”

“It appears so······.”

“He seems rather small for a Giant, doesn’t he?”

“Certain Giants have the power to compress their form. The elite combatants all possess that skill.”

A premier warrior of the Giant clan?

What kind of insanity was this?

‘Why would a Giant be in a place like this?’

The Giants were a race of legends.

They stood far above humanity, though their numbers had dwindled to nearly nothing.

They claimed to be the protectors chosen by the goddess—the most powerful terrestrial race in existence.

A force that could rival the dragonkin.

It was said they could even overpower most dragons.

The might of an elite warrior from such a race was beyond question.

While they might be mistaken, the observing knights were utterly convinced.

The presence of the sword ray was the ultimate evidence.

It was the coveted hallmark of a knight at the absolute pinnacle!

“A high-ranking Giant warrior who can use sword ray······.”

“And he’s serving as a simple bodyguard?”

“That Hydragon-drawn carriage outside—didn’t that belong to him?”

“······ Who exactly is that man?”

Every gaze in the room shifted toward Hudson.

Who was significant enough to employ a legendary Giant elite as a personal guard?

His behavior alone suggested an incredible status.

Slurp!

He remained casually in his seat, sipping the exotic beverage, appearing completely unperturbed by the violence.

‘Does he believe victory is a foregone conclusion?’

‘Such terrifying composure.’

‘To be that calm against the Dersian berserker······.’

Of course, in stark contrast to their perceptions, Hudson was incredibly tense.

He was fighting back waves of nausea and breaking out in a cold sweat.

‘Who in their right mind pays money to drink this filth?’

The viscous Leviathan secretion.

The flavor was every bit as repulsive as its appearance.

Having been accustomed to the finest refreshments England had to offer, Hudson found this utterly nauseating.

Nevertheless, he could not allow his facade to crack.

The dignity he displayed here was the dignity of Lord Randolph himself.