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“A Manticore that was supposed to be displayed at the Centennial Beasts Festival has escaped!”

“Manticore?”

Ronan furrowed his brow. A Manticore was a dangerous monster known for feasting on humans, typically found in the treacherous regions of the northwest. It was considered more formidable than your typical wyvern or ogre.

It was hard to believe that such a creature would be present in the Academy. Ronan’s vague recollection of the Centennial Beasts Festival suddenly surfaced.

‘I remember now.’

He had seen it on the academic schedule. The Centennial Beasts Festival, as the name suggested, was an event where they displayed around a hundred different fantasy creatures and monsters on campus.

But a Manticore? Ronan found it almost unbelievable.

Crash!

Just then, a street bronze lamp flew in a curve crashed to the ground.

“What?”

The bronze lamp had been bent almost to the point of snapping. As the clamor spread, a loud roar rang out, and at the same time a huge beast jumped out from around the corner. Aselle, who had been backing away, stumbled and fell.

“Aahhh! It’s here!”

“Kwaaagh!”

In the middle of the street, the lion-like creature stood, bellowing towards the sky. Ronan raised his eyebrow at the thunderous roar.

“Is that for real?”

Indeed, it was a Manticore. Its body seemed to be at least 7 meters long. Covered in pumpkin-colored fur, its muscular frame looked as though it might burst at any moment. Its thick, scorpion-like tail swayed relentlessly through the air.

But Ronan couldn’t help feeling something was off. He examined the Manticore and furrowed his brow.

“Huh?”

There were numerous restraints attached to the Manticore’s body. Leather gags were in place in its snapping maw, and a pair of bat-like wings were bound with heavy chains.

The deadly stinger at the end of its thick tail was wrapped in what looked like metal. Ronan let out a sarcastic laugh and lightly slapped Aselle on the back of his head.

“You idiot, you ran away from that thing?”

“Ugh!”

To be fair, it wasn’t entirely not understandable. The current Aselle might find the monster a bit overwhelming. Even if most of its offensive capabilities were sealed, it was still a Manticore.

With its massive size and agility, it was threatening enough. Getting hit by one of its front paws or its tail would result in becoming completely crippled.

“Kyaaah!”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Every time the tail struck the ground, shattered cobblestones were sent flying. Suddenly, a question crossed Ronan’s mind.

‘How powerful is this thing, exactly?’

It might seem out of the blue, but Ronan wanted to know how good the Aura he copied from Dolan was. Surprisingly, it was possible that they wouldn’t work so well against such a massive creature. Determined, Ronan tapped on Aselle’s shoulder.

“Hey, got any mana potions? The ones you keep for emergencies.”

“Um, yes. I have one bottle, but…”

“Give it here.”

Ronan snatched the potion from Aselle and chugged it down. His empty Core was replenished with mana, and his fatigue vanished.

“Good… I’m ready.”

As Ronan muttered to himself, Aselle’s face turned pale. He had seen what was coming.

Ronan picked up a stone from the ground and held it in his hand. Aselle’s face turned even paler.

With his left hand gripping Aselle’s collar as he attempted to flee, Ronan swung his right arm.

Bang!

The stone flew through the air and struck the Manticore square in the back of its head.

“…Kugh?”

“Over here, you furball.”

The Manticore slowly turned its head. Ronan, meeting its fiery eyes, grinned. Although they had crossed paths a couple of times in his past life, seeing the monster up close like this felt strangely nostalgic.

“Kwaaaaagh”

The ferocious Manticore roared and charged towards Ronan. Its approach was incredibly fast, despite the various restraints.

Ronan gazed at the creature, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. When the distance closed to about five paces.

‘Now.’

Thud!

Ronan stomped his foot. A wave of mana surged forward. Simultaneously, shimmering roots sprang from the Manticore’s four legs. They were torn away without any hesitation.

“Kwaaagh!”

“Aw fuck. I knew it.”

Ronan let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Aura enhancements needed more practice. Ronan, replacing the power source with his heart, tugged at the hilt of his sword. A reddish sword energy appeared.

“I’m sorry.”

“Kwaaagh!”

A strange breathing sound sifted through Ronan’s mouth. No matter the circumstances, the sensible thing to do right now would be to kill the creature before there were any casualties.

Right at the moment he was about to strike.

Klang!

Suddenly, a huge shadow landed from the sky, making a loud noise. Ronan immediately stopped himself and let out a curse under his breath.

“Fuck, what is it now?”

The imposing figure, dressed in formal attire, appeared to be around four meters tall. Ronan noticed the thick fur covering the figure’s neck and raised an eyebrow.

“Varen?”

“It’s a bit complicated. Why did this happen…”

Instead of answering, Varen raised his left arm. Simultaneously, the Manticore’s forehead collided with his palm. Thud! The unexpected result left the two boys wide-eyed.

“Grr…! Kraaaah…!”

“Calm down, Nanushi. Please return to your cage.”

Varen stood there motionless. It was a contrast to the Manticore, which was exerting strength with its claws planted on the ground.

“Please, go back. The people here won’t harm you.”

His calm tone conveyed a sense of reassurance. The Manticore, realizing it couldn’t win a power struggle, reluctantly stepped back, avoiding any harm to nearby bystanders. It then leaped toward a nearby tower.

“Kraaaagh!”

It wasn’t trying to escape. In an instant, it reached a height of about seven stories, kicking off the outer wall of the tower and charging at Varen. Aselle covered his face with his hands as he saw the sight of what looked like a meteorite falling.

“Argh! Professor!”

“Huuu…”

Varen exhaled lightly. Just as the Manticore was about to strike with its club-like forelimb, Varen, who dodged the attack by slightly twisting his shoulder, grabbed the Manticore’s mane and slammed it onto the ground. Thud! The Manticore, with its head buried in the ground, collapsed.

“Grrroarrr…”

“I’m sorry, Nanushi. I didn’t want to do this, but you left me no choice.”

The Manticore’s body went limp. Varen gave it a light silent bow. Suddenly, something strange caught Ronan’s eyes.

‘Is that…?’

A golden Aura surrounded Varen, extending from his right shoulder to his fingertips. The sporadically flickering golden mana seemed to take on a fierce form, much like his forelimb. Ronan raised an eyebrow, realizing the identity of this power.

‘Is that Varen’s Aura?’

It was strange that he had used only one arm to immobilize the Manticore. Even though he was a Werelion, the weight class itself was different. Ronan thought there must have been some kind of power at work, and he was right.

‘It’s intense. Seems like a body strengthening type…’

Ronan observed Varen’s Aura carefully. Varen, seeing that the Manticore was completely knocked out, belatedly turned his head.

“Huh! Ronan?!”

Varen’s eyes widened as he recognized Ronan and Aselle. His Aura, which had been outstretched in a defensive stance, dissipated. The sharp look in his eyes softened, and the familiar, bewildered expression returned to Ronan’s face.

“Are you two okay?!”

“You almost killed us, Varen. Good to see you again.”

“Now is not the time to make jokes like that. Are you hurt anywhere?”

Varen, still flustered, patted the two of them on the back. He tried to look composed, but he remained a bewildered lion unable to grasp the situation. Ronan, appearing untroubled, nodded as if nothing much had happened.

“We’re okay. But really, what just happened?”

“I’m truly sorry. I should have brought him back a little later if I knew this would happen.”

He went on to explain that the Manticore named Nanushi was a creature he had personally captured to participate in the Centennial Beasts Festival. It had originally been raised in the nearby mountains of the island, and to acclimate to the environment at the Philleon Academy they had moved it to here the previous night. However, it had managed to break free by breaking the cage door.

“It was fortunate that it had been wearing restraints for training purposes. I never would have imagined that the iron bars from Noduland Mountain would break… Even if the event is canceled now, there’s nothing I can say about it.”

“Huh? It’s not that bad, is it? I’m not sure what the Festival is, but I would have liked to see it.”

“I would like that too. However, it will depend on the decision of the Student Council and the faculty. Unfortunately, it had to happen at such a crucial time…”

Varen trailed off, and soon, heavily armored officers rushed in. They bound the unconscious Manticore with iron chains and placed it in a massive cart. Varen, watching over the process, bowed once more.

“In any case, I’m sorry you had to go through this. As one of the professors and one of the organizers of the Grand Festival, I would like to sincerely apologize.”

“It’s fine. Living means experiencing all sorts of things. Aselle, you good too?”

“Y-yeah… I’m… f-fine.”

Aselle nodded weakly, tears still leaving their marks on his pale cheeks. Varen, with a heavy sigh, spoke up.

“Thank you for your leniency. I’ll go and attend to the situation now.”

Thud!

Varen leaped into the air. His acrobatics allowed him to effortlessly leap over several buildings. Ronan hadn’t noticed until now because Varen was always busy baking cookies and sipping tea, but he was indeed an incredibly powerful individual.

‘Well, he is a Wearlion, so it’s only natural. Anyway…’

Ronan recalled Varen’s Aura that he had seen just now. It seemed to be in the category that enhanced the body, and at first glance, it appeared to be quite useful.

Suddenly, he felt that Auras were indeed unfair abilities. Some people obtained extraordinary, game-changing Auras like Stormsword, while others were stuck with rather mundane or even hindering ones, like glowing roots for legs.

‘I wish I could copy something like that as well.’

Ronan absentmindedly mimicked the pose Varen took earlier, the gesture that he used to block the Manticore with just one arm. Just as Ronan imagined Varen’s Aura form, suddenly, a burst of golden energy emerged from Ronan’s arm. He was taken aback.

“Whoa, what the…?”

“Huh?”

Ronan was visibly shocked and stepped back. Aselle, who had been watching him, blinked in confusion. For a brief moment, Ronan felt that Varen’s mana had come to life from his arm.

“What… What just happened?”

“…I don’t know.”

Ronan shook his head. He had seen it briefly, but it was undoubtedly the same power as Varen’s Aura.

‘Could it be possible to copy other abilities as well?’

A sudden realization struck him like a lightning bolt. He immediately tried to recreate Varen’s Aura, but all he managed was to drain his mana, with no successful replication. It felt like far more mana had been consumed than with Dolan’s Aura.

‘If it’s not limited to just those idiots’ Aura, then…!’

However, Ronan’s expression remained undarkened. What was important was that he manifested someone else’s Aura other than Nebula Clazie.

If the ability resulting from the tumor allowed him to replicate any Aura, and if there was no limit to the target, he had indeed gained an incredible power.

‘It’s still not enough.’

But he wasn’t completely sure. He needed more verification of his newfound abilities. Lost in thought, Ronan muttered to himself.

“…For now, I need to grow my Core.”

“Huh? Core?”

“Never mind. Let’s head back.”

No matter how much he thought about it, there wasn’t much more he could do at the moment. The two of them set off toward their respective destinations. The students who had regained their composure were muttering as they followed the Manticore as it was being transported.

***

By the time Ronan arrived at Nest, the club building, the sun was beginning to set. He had gone to explain the situation about his Core to Navirosé and ended up being detained there.

“Damn, that was insane.”

Ronan let out a string of curses. His arms and legs were still trembling. After learning that he could handle two Cores, Navirose had responded with her typical attitude, “Well, I guess we can double up on training then.”

In the end, Ronan had practiced until both of his Cores were utterly depleted. As he thought back on the events of the day, he twisted his lips in thought.

‘Maybe it’s not time yet.’

He had shared most of the information he’d heard from Jhordin with Navirose, but he hadn’t revealed the fact that he could now mimic someone else’s Aura. He felt that he should inform her about this ability once he had a better understanding of how it worked.

‘Could it be that the difficulty of mimicking an Aura depends on its strength?’

As Ronan pondered this during his training, he twisted his lips in contemplation. Mimicking Varen’s Aura had proven to be a failure. Despite multiple attempts, it only drained his mana without any success.

Creek!

Ronan had arrived in front of the club building and opened the door, revealing an interior that resembled a tavern. Aselle, whom he had arranged to meet in advance, was nowhere to be seen.

“Ah, Ronan. Long time no see.”

Instead, his eyes caught sight of Marya, who was drying her hair with a towel. Her eyes met Ronan’s and she smiled broadly. Water droplets from her lush blonde hair scattered in all directions.

“Yeah, it has been. Where’s Aselle?”

“Huh? That cutie didn’t come here. Did you agree to meet?”

“Yeah… I’m waiting. By the way, your body seems to have become a bit stronger.”

Ronan, who had scrutinized Marya from head to toe, stuck out his tongue. She was wearing a workout outfit that revealed her well-defined abs. Her arms looked strong enough to crush Aselle’s fragile head with just one hand.

‘Is she a merchant or a barbarian?’

Ronan seemed to understand how, in the previous life, she successfully disguised her gender even with those large breasts. It was clear that she had transformed her body by converting fat into muscle. Marya, who had heard the compliment, lightly patted her abs.

“Hehe, you think so? Want to touch them?”

“No thanks.”

Marya pouted as if her pride had been hurt. Ronan, who was feeling a bit tipsy, sat down at a table in front of him. The difference in his stamina was apparent, and it seemed that having two Cores made a significant difference. Marya, who had sat down next to him, asked with concern.

“By the way, your face looks injured. What happened?”

“A lot…”

“I haven’t seen you for a few days. Where have you been?”

“Dawn Magic Tower. Did anything happen while I was gone? Except for the Manticore incident.”

“Anything? Well… there was something.”

Marya squinted her eyes and let out a sigh. Her shoulders, which were close, felt warm against Ronan’s. Slightly damp hair lightly tickled her neck.

‘Why is she doing this?’

He wanted to tell her to move since it was so hot, but even that felt troublesome to do right now. Marya, who seemed lost in thought, snapped her fingers.

“Oh! Lakota, who had disappeared, came back this morning.”

“Lakota?”

“Yeah. You know that guy who takes Professor Varen’s classes, right? He’s the same age as us.”

“Oh, that weak bastard.”

Ronan remembered Lakota’s face and nodded. He was a fellow student in the martial arts department who took Professor Baren’s classes. He claimed that he raised pigs and goats in his hometown, but honestly, he wasn’t a guy with a lot of presence.

“That bastard went missing?”

“Yeah. There was a fuss because he disappeared without a word. When I asked him why he came back so late, he said he went into the forest at night to pick medicinal herbs and got lost. It’s really ridiculous, isn’t it?”

“He must be a bit slow.”

Ronan laughed out loud. Of course, in a place as vast as the Philleon Academy, such an incident wasn’t completely impossible.

“By the way, they just posted a notice. The Centennial Beasts Festival is still going to be held as planned.”

“That’s a relief. Did anyone get hurt or killed?”

“No, nobody.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Some parts of the grounds were damaged, but fortunately, there were no casualties. The Manticore’s escape had ended as a minor disturbance. Marya explained that after discussions between the Student Council and the Faculty, the decision to proceed with the festival had been made.

“To be honest, I expected this. There’s no way they can cancel it this year.”

“Why? Are they going to showcase a dragon playing the guitar or something?”

“…Are you asking because you really don’t know?”

Ronan shrugged his shoulders. Marya laughed and said in disbelief.

“Amazing. No matter how busy you are, how can you not be interested in the world’s news at all?”

“Stop pretending and tell me the reason.”

Ronan furrowed his brow. Marya continued to speak.

“It’s because a Doppelganger will be exhibited to the public for the first time. And not just any Doppelganger – it’s an Alpha and Omega pair. The entire Empire is going crazy, and you really didn’t know?”

“Doppel… what?”