Chapter 197: Unexpected Duel
Standing in the academy hallway, near a large window that offered a clear view of the outside, Ash remained silent.
The grass, trees, and flowers swayed gently in the wind, painting a calm, almost dreamlike picture. But above that peaceful scenery, the sky was shrouded in dark clouds.
It was going to rain soon.
Ash wasn’t alone. Beside him, Elva stood quietly. Her eyes didn’t leave him—not even for a second. And this time, she was smiling. But her smile wasn’t soft or kind.
It was sharp, the same dangerous kind she had worn the day she appeared during the academy’s entrance exam. The kind of smile that made your instincts tingle and your guard rise.
"I knew you were special," she said, her voice smooth but laced with amusement. "But special enough to return alive from the Elven Continent? Now that... I didn’t expect. So tell me, what exactly happened?"
Ash was a little surprised at how directly she asked. Most people would have hesitated, circled around the topic, tried to be clever. But Elva had always been straightforward when she wanted something.
Even now, her gaze never wavered. Still, instead of answering immediately, Ash looked outside the window. His fingers brushed the edge of the window frame, and his expression softened just a little.
After a moment of silence, he replied.
"I’m nothing special. Honestly, I’m not even that talented. You could say... I just happened to have some information. That’s what made me seem different."
He wasn’t lying. Without the knowledge from the novel, and without the Runes, Ash wouldn’t have survived even the early stages. He wasn’t born strong. He wasn’t chosen by fate. He was just someone who got lucky with knowledge.
"My strength isn’t mine either," he added quietly. "It’s borrowed. And maybe one day, I’ll lose it all. Or maybe I won’t. I don’t really know. The future’s not something I can predict."