Chapter 41: Do You Really Know Light (Patreon)

Seeing the look on Ruijerd's face...

Rudy smiled. "It seems Mr. Ruijerd has run into people from those schools of thought before. But honestly, if they truly possessed power that could reach the speed of light, nothing in this world would be able to stand against them. Those who have truly mastered light would become the absolute, unrivaled beings of this world — knowing past and future, knowing everything!!!! Every scrap of information would be completely transparent before them."

Not really understanding, but strangely impressed nonetheless, Ruijerd asked, "After truly reaching the speed of light... can one really pull off all these incredible things?"

Rudy nodded and smiled. "This world, at its core, is a world made of information. If you can master light, then you gain the ability to grasp every piece of information in existence. Even your own life can become information. Let me give you an example — has Ruijerd ever thought about how to kill a sentence? Yes, a sentence — like the words we're speaking right now."

"Uh..."

At the question, Ruijerd scratched his head, utterly bewildered. Kill a sentence? Honestly, he'd lived for centuries, and this was the first time he'd ever heard anyone say something so completely nonsensical.

But the one standing in front of him was a genius who, at only ten years old, had beaten him so badly he couldn't even fight back. So whatever Rudy said had to make sense — if he couldn't follow it, that just meant his own understanding wasn't up to the task.

Seeing Ruijerd's spark of curiosity fizzle out, Rudy went on with a smile. "Mr. Ruijerd... this is probably the first time you've heard an idea like this. But this — this is the rule of this world, something I only came to understand after a great deal of study myself. When a being becomes light, never mind how much it can accomplish — by that fact alone, it becomes an absolutely invincible existence. Because you simply cannot imagine how one would even go about killing such a being."

Ruijerd nodded, deeply convinced. "It's hard to even imagine. Rudy has already dug this deep into such profound knowledge."

While the two of them were talking, Armored Dragon King Perugius arrived together with Eris and Sylphiette, walking up to where Rudy stood. Listening in on the exchange between Rudy and Ruijerd, the three of them could only trade baffled glances.

Kill a sentence? What did that even mean? They recognized every single word in it, but strung together, the phrase left them completely lost.

Not until this moment did Eris and Sylphiette truly feel just how far ahead of them Rudy had already pulled.

As for Armored Dragon King Perugius, for a moment he felt that losing to Rudy seemed like a perfectly natural thing.

What the hell kind of freak had this kid popped out of!? What was 'killing a sentence' even supposed to mean? Could someone please just explain it in plain terms!

And besides — was truly becoming light really that impressive? So all those people who bragged about having reached the speed of light had just been full of hot air the whole time? What shameless frauds.

And yet, inexplicably, looking at the confident Rudy standing before him, Armored Dragon King Perugius suddenly felt an urge to follow him.

But he quickly threw that thought out of his head entirely.

After all, Rudy had ruthlessly seized him and forced him to teach summoning magic. Not actively sabotaging the brat was generous enough — willingly following him on top of that? Was there something wrong with his head?

Just as everyone's thoughts wandered off in different directions, Rudy spoke up with a smile. "Let's all take a rest for now. Once the sun isn't so scorching, we'll get moving again. Sound good?"

Naturally, no one objected to Rudy's suggestion.

Even during the rest, Rudy didn't let the chance to learn slip by. He kept hold of Armored Dragon King Perugius and picked up right where their earlier lesson had left off.

Watching this, everyone found it more unnerving by the minute. Could you imagine it — someone already far stronger than you, working even harder than you, seizing every chance to improve himself?

It was hard to imagine what would happen to anyone foolish enough to cross Rudy in the future. They'd surely meet a miserable end.

Spurred on by all this, Eris began asking Ruijerd to teach her warrior combat skills, while Sylphiette stayed close by Rudy's side, listening carefully to his lessons with Armored Dragon King Perugius.

Much of what the two of them discussed went over her head, but Sylphiette forced herself to memorize it anyway, planning to go over it again and again whenever she found a spare moment.

There had been times before when she might have grumbled a little. But now, seeing just how far Rudy had already pulled ahead of her, a deep anxiety welled up inside her — one she could no longer shake off.

She had to work hard. She had to prove that Rudy hadn't made a mistake in choosing her.

Likewise, Armored Dragon King Perugius felt no small sting of shame. Rudy, already so powerful, kept pushing himself to learn and improve, while he himself had grown complacent, coasting on past glories. No wonder he'd ended up trampled underfoot.

So, even while teaching Rudy, he resolved to work just as hard to learn everything he could from him in return.

For a while, the whole little group's enthusiasm for learning soared to new heights.