The Academy’s Weapon Replicator - Chapter 417 Part 1 - The Academy’s Weapon Replicator
Machia (6)
Trees, by their sheer number, create an environment.
They gather to become forests, their absence forms paths and clearings, the wind whispers through their gaps, and they attract flora, fauna, and monsters, giving birth to an ecosystem.
A god always has a tree by their side. There are many trees that symbolize them or their weapons.
That’s why the forest surrounding me now feels far more threAthenaing than the fake hell Baal created.
“Good heavens.”
And right before my eyes, no, a little higher, sitting atop a branch…
“To think you’d actually bring me here.”
A woman I’d never seen before sat there, her eyes wide with surprise.
Her eyes were blue, a stark contrast to her black hair.
The black hair was similar to the color of my own Roach family, but the strands glinted red in the light.
Her blue eyes brought Elodie to mind, but while Elodie’s were deep and tranquil like a lake, this woman’s eyes sparkled like jewels. Eyes unbefitting a human.
Her attire was incredibly rugged. White cloth draped over her, seemingly fastened with armor. The armor protecting her shoulders, chest, and waist seemed truly divine, but the cloth covering the rest of her body emitted no particular feeling.
“Are you Athena?”
At my question, the woman gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Heavens! To speak so informally to me.”
“Sorry, I like to be friendly with everyone.”
“Such audacity and rudeness are almost amusing.”
After speaking, Athena descended from the tree.
As if on cue, something flew from within the forest and landed on her shoulder.
‘An owl…’
They say the owl is Athena’s symbol. I wonder if that creature possesses any special abilities?
I’d love to add it to my Workshop, but unfortunately, living beings are a no-go.
…Am I being too inhumane?
“So, who are you?”
Athena asked.
“A mere human wielding demonic energy, predicting Pandemonium no less. And you dare to address me so boldly despite knowing who I am?”
I tilted my head at her words.
“You don’t know who I am?”
“How could I? Are you that significant, a mere human?”
Athena retorted, her face a picture of disbelief.
But from my perspective, this was strange.
‘Gods can’t see every corner of the human world simultaneously, but they can see anywhere they please. That’s how they bestow their divine power upon their chosen humans.’
Indeed, Baldur, Hephaestus, and Rudra were all gods from entirely different mythologies, yet they all bestowed their divine power upon their chosen humans on the continent of Falind.
Poseidon was stuck in his sea, unable to gather information, but Athena was a different story. Traveling between continents should be no problem for a god.
Yet, she had no information about me?
‘Am I overestimating myself?’
Well, replicating Artemis’ weapon, being shown Hestia’s hearth, defeating Belphegor, and Odin possessing the princess to drive me out – were those really such extraordinary feats? From a god’s perspective, they might be trivial.
Ultimately, it worked in my favor.
“Does it matter who I am? Just state your business.”
Since she seemed clueless, it was best to keep it that way.
“Business?”
“Leave Carla alone.”
Athena scoffed at my words, as if she found them amusing.
I continued, “I plan on using Carla, and your presence would be inconvenient.”
“…You want me to leave because I’m inconvenient?”
“That’s right. It’s like ordering a product and asking them to remove an unwanted freebie. You understand, right?”
The moment I finished my sentence…
Creak—
A sound like a door creaking open echoed, and then…
Boom!
Instead of a door, the sky slammed shut, instantly engulfing the bright forest in darkness.
At the same time, countless birds, nocturnal creatures that had been invisible until now, perched on the branches, their round, emotionless eyes fixed on me. Gazes and eerie calls poured down from the darkness.
“The sky opens and closes at will. How fascinating.”
Honestly, it wasn’t that fascinating. It was a fake world, after all.
Thud!
A root shot out from the ground, piercing my abdomen.
A speed that easily surpassed the perception of a swordsman using Aura, making it impossible to dodge or block. The searing pain and the blood flowing from my abdomen.
…This too, wasn’t surprising.
“You are a human who cannot differentiate between courage and ignorance. Allow me to educate you.”
Crack!
I grabbed the root with my hand and ripped it from my abdomen.
Blood should have gushed out, but the wound closed up instantly, leaving only a mark.
‘Baal did the same, and now her. Are these supposed to be effective attacks?’
Baal had severed my hand with something like a guillotine, and now Athena used a similar tactic.
If I had encountered Athena in reality, I would have been far more terrified.
The thought of this massive root piercing my abdomen at an invisible speed would have filled me with despair, pain aside. I wouldn’t have known how to fight back.
Athena asked in astonishment, “H-How can a human utilize ‘Contemplation’ instantaneously?”
“That term is needed for something like this?”
Whether it was enduring pain or regenerating my body…
For me, Pandemonium was a battle of how vividly our souls could exist. Ultimately, it was a battle of willpower. That must have been why Baal tried to instill fear in me.
It made sense for Athena to try and break me with pain, but…
“Let’s give her a little taste.”
Until now, I thought it was best for Athena to remain ignorant about me.
But our conversation was going nowhere because she underestimated me so much.
So, just a little.
At least this fight wouldn’t end with me gaining nothing.
‘Baal created things like lava and wraiths. Athena creates birds and manipulates day and night.’
In other words, the power of their souls had representative images, but they still allowed for some degree of control.
This was something I was still inexperienced with. I had simply unleashed everything I had against Baal.
