The Return of the Talented Monopolist is Special

A few days after Eugene’s body had recovered, he entered the training grounds once again.

Raul and Eldora, along with the other children around his age, were resting.

However, the atmosphere was strange.

“……”

“……”

Even though it was break time, it was normal for at least a few words of conversation to be exchanged, but today, there was complete silence.

Eugene tilted his head in confusion.

‘The fact that I was punished for breaking the seal of Oro must have already been announced, so is that why they’re like this? Are they intimidated because of it?’

But that shouldn’t be something that would intimidate children, right?

Not able to find an answer, Eugene greeted the children with a puzzled expression.

“Why is the atmosphere like this? Did something happen?”

“Oh, Eugene!”

“Eugene!”

“??”

The children greeted Eugene with bright expressions, which only made him more confused.

“I heard everything! You… really…!”

“That’s amazing! You solved the mission, caught the spy, and even saved people, right?”

Some of the children looked at Eugene with admiration, praising him.

“Well done, Eugene.”

Raul quietly patted Eugene on the shoulder.

It was probably because the public announcement stated that Eugene had prevented a disgraceful incident caused by a traitor during the mission, and he had stopped it in time.

Not only that, but Eugene’s standing had also increased because he had protected the lower-level students by disciplining the upperclassmen before the mission.

And then there was Eldora.

Sitting on a bench at the other end of the training grounds, Eldora stared silently at Eugene.

This was typical of Eldora’s personality, so Eugene wasn’t too surprised, but seeing her expression made him feel confused.

“Hmm…”

She let out a deep sigh, her face filled with worry.

It seemed that she didn’t have the energy to come over and offer encouragement or greetings.

Eugene thought about approaching Eldora to ask if something was wrong but then decided against it.

‘She’ll figure it out. There’s no need to ask; it won’t solve anything.’

If she needed help, Eldora would come to Eugene for advice.

As he was pondering, Eugene noticed something unusual.

“Where are Janes and Ains?”

“Oh, Ines… them…”

Eugene asked Raul, but Raul seemed reluctant to answer as if it was uncomfortable to talk about.

‘What’s going on…?’

Sensing something was wrong, Eugene turned his gaze to the other children, but they all avoided his eyes.

Eugene had trained with those two for a long time, so he couldn’t help but feel slightly concerned about them.

He was surprised that he was worried about them, and he asked again.

“Just tell me. What happened?”

Seeing that he wouldn’t be able to avoid it, Raul reluctantly opened his mouth.

“They… have been acting strange for the past few days. Then, they suddenly fought with each other, got injured, and are in the special recovery room.”

“They were acting strange?”

It seemed that something not good was going on.

Late evening.

“Whew… whew…”

Eugene threw himself into basic physical training and swordsmanship practice after a long time.

He had never sustained such a serious injury and taken such a long break before.

Therefore, the long-awaited training felt like a beneficial time for Eugene to clear his mind and meditate.

As Eugene’s training continued late into the night, the children, perhaps inspired by his enthusiasm, also worked hard, sweating as they practiced their swordplay.

Emacs, the training instructor, had declared the day as self-directed training, so Eugene spent the day offering advice on spear techniques to Raul, feeling satisfied with the progress.

“Everyone, mount your horses.”

As the final part of the training, Eugene had all the children, including Eldora, face him and assume a mounted position.

Now, Eugene was the practical leader who took Emacs’ place when he wasn’t around.

While Emacs had helped the children’s physical growth with intense training, Eugene acted as their mental pillar, giving them the strength to endure the brutal, hellish training.

Amid this, one thing lingered in Eugene’s mind.

The fact that he wouldn’t be able to use his aura for the next three years.

The aura seal.

It was clear that this was a huge penalty for Eugene.

A three-year aura seal? The head of the family must have imposed a harsh punishment.

Considering the rank of aura he could have achieved over the next three years, this is a serious blow to his future as a knight.

He had overheard this from the servants and guards.

But this was the general opinion, and there was another perspective.

It was Clark’s reaction.

When Clark heard the news, he spoke to Eugene with a pleased expression.

This will give you an opportunity. You always seem to seize opportunities when they arise, don’t you?

Though his words ended there, Clark seemed to see Eugene’s punishment, handed down by Jade, in a strangely positive light.

Of course, Eugene also had some understanding of Jade’s intentions.

As Eugene and the others assumed the mounted position and closed their eyes, Eugene fell deep into thought.

‘This punishment isn’t necessarily a disadvantage for me. I’m sure of it. If that’s the case, I need to recognize and make use of the advantages of this punishment.’

In the calm training grounds, Eugene’s mind sank deeply.

He used the stillness to reflect on his inner state.

‘Four white light needles flew to my wrists and ankles, and I can no longer use my aura.’

The amount or quality of his aura hadn’t decreased or changed.

It was simply that the mana circuits, which should have been opened to use the aura, were now blocked, as though a dam had been placed in the way.

There were exactly four dams, one at each wrist and ankle.

Eugene tried to focus for a moment.

He spun Atom.

Having reached the third stage of Mukwang, Eugene’s aura was equivalent to a knight in the middle to late stages of 5th rank.

Achieving 5th rank aura at just 13 years old was an unprecedented accomplishment.

And yet…

The hum of his aura began to resonate.

Atom scattered his aura across his limbs but soon came to a halt.

The flow of aura was blocked by the dams, losing its strength.

‘What if I break the dams?’

Eugene wondered, though he quickly dismissed the thought. It seemed impossible.

Though he had compared the blockages to dams, the aura could not be directly likened to water.

When the aura met the dams, it felt as if it shattered into the r, scattering—an unfamiliar sensation that made even adjusting to it difficult.

‘Perhaps Jade intends to break through this barrier? If I do…’

There would likely be a reward for it.

Whether that reward came directly from Jade or came in the form of Eugene’s personal growth, it didn’t matter.

In times like this, he needed to remain calm, observe the situation, and find a solution.

‘Or maybe, if that’s not the case, I need to train my physical strength, agility, and endurance to expand my body’s capacity?’

His thoughts were in turmoil.

Shaking his head, Eugene refocused and trained his mind to achieve a state of clarity again.

Even though he could no longer use his aura, it might be a good thing for Eugene.

‘I have Julia, the magic genius, by my side.’

During the few days of rest, Eugene had spent a lot of time talking to Julia, learning about her magical knowledge and expertise.

The magic she could wield wasn’t just destructive spells like Fireball; she also knew many fascinating and useful ones.

Every night, after talking with Julia, Eugene would go back to his room, often struggling to sleep because of how exciting magic had become.

Magic was that fun.

Julia seemed just as excited to help Eugene, eagerly explaining everything, making their time together enjoyable.

It appeared that Jade hadn’t anticipated Eugene’s potential to use magic, despite sealing his aura.

However…

The negotiations with the Magic Tower were led by Muel, and when that time came, Eugene would have to part ways with Julia.

‘I need to learn as much as I can before we have to separate.’

A smile unconsciously spread across Eugene’s face as he thought about learning magic.

Raul, Eldora, and the other trainees seeing Eugene smiling while maintaining his mounted stance, could only stare in disbelief.

‘He’s smiling even while in a mounted stance. How dedicated is he…?’

‘He’s terrifying… is he rust obsessed with training, or is he going insane now? Should I go crazy too?’

‘No pain, no gain. That’s exactly what he means by that! But… it’s a bit scary…’

As Eugene slowly opened his eyes, the children quickly closed theirs, pretending not to notice his face.

Eugene, confused by the frightened expressions of the children, tilted his head.

“Is it that tough?”

“If we say it’s hard…?”

“Are you going to make us do another hour?”

“No, not another hour.”

Eugene grinned.

“You’ll have to do six hours.”

‘He is crazy!’

‘The Spirit of the Lion must have seen this clearly!’

At that moment, the door to the training hall creaked open, and a man appeared.

It was Janus.

Judging by his more muscular body, it seemed like he had been training even harder during his recovery.

That part could be seen as a sign of good health, but—

‘Why are his eyes like that?’

Eugene focused on Janus’s eyes.

They looked unfocused as if something had been done to them—hazy and unfocused.

Eugene instinctively sensed something was wrong.

‘Something’s happened to him.’

Though he couldn’t pinpoint the cause, Janus was not acting normally.

As Eugene relaxed from his mounted stance, Raul approached Janus cautiously.

“Janus, is your body alright? Where’s Ains?”

Raul spoke to Janus with a careful expression, as if trying to calm a wild cat.

However, Janus was far too large to be compared to a cat.

“Ains? Oh. Ains.”

Janus muttered as he looked at Raul, but then suddenly—

Thud!

He grabbed Raul by the collar.

“What… What are you doing?”

“What do you mean, asking about Ains? What’s so special about that brat?”

“No, it’s not like that, I was just asking—!”

“My little brother doesn’t listen to me, and I always get scolded instead! You wouldn’t understand.”

Bang!

Raul shoved Janus away with all his might and shouted angrily.

“Ah, damn it! Why are you acting like this? You’ve been strange from the start—spitting at the faces of those who aren’t even doing anything, breaking other trainees’ legs during sparring. Are you crazy?”

“Shut up… If you don’t want to get beaten and turn into an idiot…”

Raul, unable to hold back any longer, spoke with genuine frustration.

“Try me.”

“Wh—?”

“Try it, you bastard. I’ll give you a sword. Come on, make me an idiot.”

Raul grabbed his spear, and Janus gripped a wooden sword.

The sudden commotion made the children uneasy, but Eugene quietly observed the situation.

‘Something has changed with the Ains brothers, and Raul is trying to handle it. That’s how we’ve ended up here.’

Janus, while being more mature and discerning than Ains, was now acting like this.

Eugene wasn’t sure what had happened, but he trusted Raul.

Raul had made remarkable progress in handling the spear, and Eugene saw this as an opportunity for Raul’s growth, rather than immediately stepping in to stop the fight.

Clack!

Raul and Janus both took their stances.

Without explicitly stating “Let’s spar,” the atmosphere became oddly tense.

Though Eugene was present, along with the other children, the situation didn’t seem to pose a real danger.

Crack!

Raul, full of anger, made the first move.

Eugene couldn’t help but admire Raul for a moment.

‘The speed of that thrust… He must’ve been training hard during that short break. His wrist strength is no joke.’

Eugene’s judgment meant Raul had grown significantly.

However—

Thud!

Janus nonchalantly deflected the thrust with a sneer, using just one hand and holding the wooden sword.

In the blink of an eye, Janus closed the distance, striking Raul in the abdomen with his empty hand.

He had targeted the precise location of his vital organs.

Thud!

“Ugh…!”

Raul exhaled sharply and took a step back, clearly shocked and disoriented.

“…?”

Eugene furrowed his brow.

The sudden exchange between them left Eugene puzzled.

‘Did Janus just move that fast? I can understand the strength, but his agility doesn’t make sense.’

Moreover, Janus was acting strange.

“Can’t… lose… Losing is… shameful… die…!”

He muttered to himself repeatedly while relentlessly pressing Raul.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Janus swung his wooden sword down toward Raul’s head with tremendous force.

It was a motion similar to throwing a ball with all your might—he pulled the sword back with one hand and then brought it crashing down.

It was as if he were wielding a large axe, swinging it with frightening ease.

Raul managed to block the attack by raising his spear high.

Eugene thought Raul was impressive for being able to block such a deadly attack.

Janus had completely changed. His previously dull and unfocused eyes were now filled with a red aura, exuding immense power. It felt like the expression of a serial killer just before committing a murder.

In contrast…

“Crazy…! You…!”

Raul, seeing that Janus was solely focused on attacking, noticed a gap but couldn’t strike back. He didn’t want to hurt the guy who had only recently recovered from an injury.

Eldora stood up to intervene between them.

“Stop it! This isn’t a life-and-death duel, what are you doing…!”

However, Eugene grabbed Eldora’s wrist.

“Eldora, wait a moment. It’s not too late yet.”

“What do you mean ‘not too late’…?”

“If things get dangerous, I’ll stop it. Just watch for now.”

Eldora opened her mouth as if to argue, but quickly understood Eugene’s intent.

‘Eugene sees this as an opportunity for Raul to grow.’

It was undoubtedly a dangerous situation, but it also meant that both were giving it their all, which could be a chance for awakening.

Eldora, too, carefully observed their battle.

‘Raul has grown so much. That’s why his fighting spirit has become like this.’

While Eldora hadn’t been neglecting her training, she now realized:

‘Looking at the growth of the others, I realize I haven’t been working hard enough. Especially with Raul’s spear technique—there’s something hidden in his moves.’

As Eldora suspected, Raul was indeed showing something new.

Crack!

Raul blocked Janus’s massive strike and immediately moved to the side.

Then, he began to perform a move Eugene had taught him.

Eugene instantly recognized it.

‘Pahlcheon Muguk Spear, the First Strike. Has he been practicing that already?’

Raul was executing the technique without hesitation.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Raul, having noticed Janus was right-handed, calmly moved to his left, sweeping his spear from the ground upwards, keeping his stance steady.

Raul had realized that Janus’s attacks were much stronger than expected, and so, he had chosen the most basic and effective strategy to deal with a right-handed opponent, aiming to bind his opponent’s legs and neutralize his speed.

That was the First Strike of the Pahlcheon Muguk Spear.

‘Raul… how much has he grown? I think this is the first time he’s using the First Strike in a real fight, but it’s not bad. It’s really good.’

Even Eugene had to admit Raul’s battle instincts were impressive.

Now, Janus, who had been consumed by madness, was forced to focus and control his breathing.

Crunch.

Janus’s eyes were filled with a fiery red aura, and he looked even more furious now.

He glared at Raul and gripped his sword again.

“You’re a pain… Raul.”

As soon as he muttered that, Janus and Raul clashed.

Raul, aiming to limit Janus’s movements, tried to bind his legs and control the fight.

Janus, on the other hand, attacked with the sole intention of tearing Raul apart.

It was a battle of spear and sword.

The fight had reached a deadlock.

Janus had taken several hits to his legs, blood dripping from his wounds, while Raul had bruises on his arms and shoulders from the powerful strikes.

The battle was so fierce that if it continued like this, someone might end up seriously injured.

Eugene hesitated for a moment.

‘Should I stop them? Or should I see it as an opportunity for awakening?’

The sound of their weapons clashing was so loud it made Eugene’s ears ring.

“AAAAHHHH!”

Janus let out a bizarre, inhuman scream.

His eyes were glowing red, filled with madness.

Something was going wrong.

Eugene felt an odd sensation.

Voom…

The Tyrant’s Ring on Eugene’s hand began to faintly vibrate.

The return of the talent-devouring individual is special.