Chapter 41
Splash!
Simon’s spear grazed the Cyclops’s cheek by a hair’s breadth.
‘So close!’
Swallowing his frustration, Simon landed on the ground. The Cyclops, enraged to the tips of its hair, began swinging its club wildly.
Boom! Boom! Booooom!
Every time the club slammed into the floor or wall, the dungeon trembled. Though Simon’s evasive movements seemed nothing short of astonishing, in truth, he was in a precarious situation.
‘Th-thank you, Professor Hongpeng…!’
If it weren’t for the internal Darkness control she taught him, he would’ve been taken out long ago. The Cyclops lunged forward and brought its club crashing down.
Kwaaaang!
“Simon!”
Kamibarez shouted.
Just then, through the dusty cloud rising from the ground, Simon emerged.
[Barrier Gauge: 72%]
Simon wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
‘Not a single direct hit. They were all grazes, and yet…!’
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Cyclops advanced, eyes blazing.
Simon felt a strong sense of wrongness. Even after taking three Exhausts, the monster was moving almost unscathed, as if unaffected by the curse.
Dick, too, seemed to have the same thought, sweat trickling down his face.
‘If three hits only did this much, how many stacks do we need to finally stop that thing?’
* * *
Upper Level Control Room of the Underground Dungeon.
Jane sat in front of a monitor showing Team 7’s battle from multiple angles. In her hand was a grading sheet, and her quill pen was moving quickly even now.
“Professor Jane! It really seems like something’s wrong with that Cyclops!”
The assistant standing beside her said with a tense face.
“This one far exceeds the specs of the Cyclopses the other teams faced! It’s showing signs of frenzy and is barely affected by curses! We need to halt the exam and bring in a new Cyclops—!”
“Let’s watch for now.”
“...Excuse me?”
Jane said nothing further and focused on grading.
‘……’
The assistant, who had never once opposed Professor of Keyzen before, thought this was going too far.
“Professor! This isn’t fair! This is an accident, and that frenzied Cyclops is out of control! We have to stop the exam immediately!”
“...Fairness.”
Jane gently set her glasses down on the table.
“Not exactly a top priority at Keyzen.”
“...Professor?”
“Do assistants only face weak opponents in real combat? Do they back out of missions every time an enemy exceeds expectations or some variable arises?”
“N-no, but...!”
The assistant bit her lip, momentarily at a loss for words, then hurried to speak again.
“But this isn’t real combat! And these students are still too young!”
“Age doesn’t matter. What matters is that they’re from Keyzen.”
“Professor!”
“Let’s trust them, and watch.”
Jane’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.
What matters isn’t grades or numbers, it’s what a student can learn from a particular experience.
“They seem to have realized it's time for change.”
* * *
“Guys.”
Having retreated to a safe distance from the Cyclops’s attacks, Simon looked back at his teammates.
“Let’s give up on curses. They don’t seem to be working.”
“T-that can’t be!”
Maelyn shouted.
“Didn’t you see the other teams? They all beat it using Exhaust! Why only us—!”
“I’m not sure of the reason myself.”
Simon raised his head and studied the Cyclops closely.
Bloodshot eyes, bulging muscles, abnormally swollen veins.
Was it just bad luck that they got matched with one in such peak condition?
“I agree with Simon. It’s a fact that Exhaust isn’t working properly right now.”
Dick chimed in. Even Maelyn, who had protested giving up the curse tactic, couldn’t deny that the Cyclops was unfazed.
Simon spoke again.
“So we need a different strategy.”
“...How?”
Maelyn looked like she was on the verge of tears.
Honestly, she felt wronged. Everything was going horribly wrong.
Their squad roster, undead distractions, even their curse strategy had all failed.
With every plan falling apart, what more could they do?
“Just do whatever you want.”
Vwooooom!
Simon dodged a diagonal swing of the Cyclops’s club and continued.
“Forget all the tactics we planned. Just help me however you feel like.”
“What are you saying—!”
Thud!
Simon faltered slightly dodging the third strike. The Cyclops, sensing an opening, swung again.
Shrrrrk!
A crimson wave reeking of blood swept past the Cyclops’s face. Its vision turned red, and the panicked monster stepped back.
“Got it!”
Kamibarez, who had cast the blood magic Blood Silk, winked with one eye.
“You mean I just help Simon however I like, right?”
“Simon!”
Dick enchanted a sword from subspace and threw it.
“Use this!”
The sword Dick threw was flying behind the Cyclops. Everyone watching thought he had missed, until a Skeleton appeared like the wind and caught it.
Slash!
The Skeleton spun and slashed, leaving a deep gash in the Cyclops’s thick waist. Blood spurted as the Cyclops turned in rage.
“Dick! Nice enchant!”
As the Skeleton drew the Cyclops’s attention, Simon widened the distance again.
Dick kept pulling out weapons from subspace, enchanting and throwing them, while Kamibarez used Blood Silk to obscure the Cyclops’s vision and pester it.
‘Focus.’
Still too many distracting thoughts.
Amid the fierce battle, perhaps foolishly, Simon slowly closed his eyes. The noise around him faded.
His consciousness expanded. His awareness sharpened.
Hooooo...
Sound vanished, time slowed.
The world Bahil had shown him during Katarology class.
Having experienced it once, Simon could now partially recreate that mental state.
‘Thank you, Professor Bahil!’
Simon snapped his eyes open.
Twenty Skeletons erupted from the subspace beneath him.
‘Thanks, Feer!’
He deployed the Skeletons in teams of three to circle the Cyclops. Before long, the monster was surrounded.
The frenzied Cyclops swung its club. Several Skeletons were destroyed instantly, bones scattering across the floor.
It didn’t matter.
‘Restoration!’
One of the skeletons immediately reformed and picked up a fallen sword.
Slash!
The Cyclops’s heel was sliced, a chunk of flesh gouged out.
Crack!
The Cyclops staggered, and another skeleton thrust a spear into its side.
Slice!
A sword drew a long gash across the Cyclops’s back.
“Two more spears!”
Dick cast Darkness enchantments on more weapons and scattered them around the Cyclops. Simon directed the skeletons.
The debris reassembled, grabbed weapons, and resumed the attack.
No matter how fast or strong the Cyclops was, it couldn’t defend from 360 degrees.
It couldn’t regain control. When it looked ahead, its back was slashed. When it turned, a spear rose from below. When it stomped, a flank was pierced.
It was like a beast caught in a trap, wounds accumulating as it flailed.
“Wooooooahhhh!”
“Push through!”
Class A students watching from the upper floor cheered, pressed against the transparent wall. This strategy was a far cry from the usual rigid tactics.
Caught up in the thrill, Simon swung his arms like a conductor, controlling the Skeletons.
Still not enough. His nose tingled.
Something was missing. He could do more, better.
—Now you understand, boy! The stronger your will, the more you can draw out the potential and aggression of the undead!
Will.
Above all else, a powerful will.
Simon opened his eyes wide.
‘Kill!’
The rate of Skeleton restoration increased.
‘Kill!’
Skeleton limbs flailed wildly, slashing the Cyclops.
‘KILL!!!’
The dead screamed. Their weapons danced in a frenzy.
With Simon’s Absolute Order, at this moment, the Legion existed solely to destroy the Cyclops.
An unrelenting assault.
Unpredictable attack patterns.
A mix of unorthodox and orthodox.
It was a masterclass in necromancy.
GRAAAAAAARGH!
Wounded all over, the Cyclops roared and charged through the skeletons toward Simon.
“Get out of the way! Simon!”
Simon was beyond focused, he was in a state of perfect immersion. Too slow to react. Before he could respond, the Cyclops’s club was already coming down.
<Darkness Elemental Magic Dark Frost – Wall of Ice>
BOOOOM!
A black ice wall burst from a magic circle on the floor, deflecting the club. Startled, Simon turned around.
“Keep going, Simon!”
Maelyn shouted through gritted teeth.
“At this point, there’s no way we’re losing!”
The rising wall continued to block the Cyclops’s movement. It tried to smash through, its blood soaking the black glacier.
Catching his breath, Simon calmly stared down the Cyclops and prepared his next dark spell.
KWAAAANG!
Eventually, the frenzied Cyclops shattered the walls and charged.
‘...This is dangerous.’
Andrew, a safety officer who had been observing silently, reached out his arm.
That Cyclops’s attack could shatter Simon’s barrier vest in one hit. If it landed, it might cripple him.
‘Honestly, both professors and students are out of their minds…!’
This madness had to be stopped.
Just as Andrew decided to strike down the Cyclops, he noticed something.
A blood-red magic circle drawn on the Cyclops’s abdomen.
“Now, Kami!”
At Simon’s shout, Andrew hastily withdrew his hand.
Fwoooosh!
Standing in a set position, Kamibarez’s entire body erupted with Darkness like flames. Her hair bristled, and tears of jet-black blood streamed from her eyes.
A blood spell that only vampires of the Ursula family could cast.
The pinnacle of blood magic.
<Massive Bleeding – Overflow>
SPLAAAAAAASH!
From the forearm, chest, shoulders, thighs, and heels—blood gushed like fountains from the countless wounds inflicted by Simon’s skeletons.
Bleeding and poison magic were the most powerful support techniques available to a teammate in the set position.
“Whoa…!!”
Watching the massive monster gush blood from every wound was both horrifying and awe-inspiring. In an instant, the dungeon was dyed crimson. Even Simon, watching from the rear, couldn’t help but marvel.
‘So this is the Bleeding Overflow spell!’
Everyone in Team 7 knew that Kamibarez could use this spell when they’d discussed their full capabilities.
However, it was only Plan B, due to its instability in real combat and the prerequisite of inflicting a large number of wounds beforehand.
But now that Maelyn’s Dark Flare was sealed, this spell had become the main plan.
Kamibarez was the core damage dealer in this battle.
“...Ugh!”
Having poured out too much energy, Kamibarez staggered from anemia and collapsed in place. Her role was now over.
“Leave it to me Kami!”
Simon raised both arms.
He was now about to unleash a secret technique that he alone among all first-years at Keyzen had mastered through countless hours of practice.
Bones scattered across the dungeon floor suddenly shot up into the air.
‘Thank you, Professor Aron!’
Everything Simon had learned at Keyzen now became his strength.
He clenched his fist tightly.
<Simon Follentia Original – Bone Nail>
The countless bones floating in the air flew into the Cyclops’s wounds, pried open by Kamibarez’s bleeding spell.
KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!
A secret technique that targeted over a hundred wounds simultaneously.
The Cyclops went berserk with pain, flailing and letting out a maddened scream as it rammed its head against the wall repeatedly.
Sorry, but it’s not over yet. Simon twisted his right arm to the side, fist clenched.
‘Restoration!’
The bones inside the wounds began to converge toward the center of the Cyclops’s body to execute the Restoration command. They severed veins, tore through organs, and burrowed into muscle.
KYAAAAAAAARRRGHHH!
The Cyclops was being destroyed from within.
“...Seriously.”
A male student watching through the glass in the observation room gaped.
The loss of Maelyn had been a major blow. No one had expected such a dominant performance from Team 7.
But—
“Holy shit! That’s insane!”
“Nice one, Simon!”
“WOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
Everyone’s expectations were being blown away.
Those who had laughed, scoffed, or pitied them were now pounding the walls in cheer.
The performance delivered by Simon and Team 7 stirred something deep inside their fellow necromancers, something beyond rivalry.
“Huff! Huff!”
Simon’s right arm dropped limply. He had used up all the remaining Darkness in the bones, so Restoration could no longer be activated.
Meanwhile, Dick and Maelyn were throwing Nervier potions at the heavily wounded Cyclops. As the potion seeped into the wounds, its muscles visibly twisted and contracted.
“There we go!”
“It’s working!”
Simon dropped to one knee, gasping for breath.
At this point, they had truly done everything they could.
‘Please… just stay down.’
Thud!
But no.
The blood-soaked Cyclops began to push itself up from the floor. Kamibarez, who had been sitting down, looked terrified.
“H-he’s still… able to get up?”
Even with its bones twisted, blood drained, and organs destroyed, the Cyclops staggered toward Simon like a walking corpse. Its gleaming eyes were filled with pure killing intent.
‘So in the end, unless it’s a fatal blow, it doesn’t matter?’
Facing those eyes, Simon spoke calmly.
“Dick.”
“Ready! Catch!”
Dick threw the enchanted claymore toward Simon. The blade was completely dyed in Darkness.
“I dumped every last bit of Darkness into it! Duration is just ten minutes!”
“Thanks.”
Simon gripped the claymore’s hilt and got into position. He could no longer use the body activation technique taught by Hongpeng.
Both the monster and Simon were completely drained. From this point on, it was a battle of willpower.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The zombified Cyclops charged.
Tap tap tap!
Simon rushed forward, clutching the claymore. The Cyclops swung its club first.
Whoosh!
Simon twisted to the side and dodged.
The Cyclops was far slower and clumsier than before. Simon tried to exploit the opening—
‘Huh?’
His vision spun. In the frenzy of pushing the Cyclops, Simon had failed to notice that he was at his physical and mental limit.
His weakened right leg gave out, sending him tumbling across the floor.
“Simon!”
“Get up!!”
Gritting his teeth, Simon forced himself to rise. The Cyclops came charging again, swinging its club, which Simon ducked beneath just in time.
“Win, Simon!”
“Dodge!!”
Class A students pressed up against the glass wall, shouting at the top of their lungs.
Even Hector, who had shoved aside other students to get closer, was now watching Simon and exhaling through his nose.
‘This is unreal.’
The assistant watching the monitors was shocked.
Yes, Simon’s performance was impressive, but—
‘Professor Jane… stood up?’
She had risen to her feet, dropping her grading sheet, eyes locked on the screen.
He had served under her for five years, and had never seen her like this before.
Meanwhile, in the dungeon—
Andrew, who had been hidden and on standby, looked at his sweaty palm.
‘This is embarrassing.’
A supposed professional getting all riled up over a student fight. Wiping the sweat on his pants, Andrew thought to himself that he was getting old.
Fwoooooosh!
Simon dodged the club with a backward lean, but staggered backward.
He could close the distance, sure, but even with Dick’s claymore, it was hard to aim for the heart or head due to the Cyclops’s size.
“Simon!”
Then Maelyn shouted.
“I’ll cast an Ice Wall under your feet! Use it as a platform and go for the kill! You can do it, right?”
Good call! Simon quickly nodded.
The Cyclops, incapable of understanding human speech, swung its club sideways.
Rather than dodge, Simon planted his knee on the ground, and at that moment, Maelyn’s Ice Wall surged from the magic circle beneath him.
Shrrrrrk!
The club hit the Ice Wall. Simon, now 2 meters higher, kicked off and leapt.
‘Now!’
Time was still flowing slowly, and his concentration remained unbroken. The nape of the Cyclops was in view.
Simon gathered all his strength into his arms. The unwavering tip of his sword drove forward toward the Cyclops’s neck.
Crack!
“...Ah!”
A scream tore through the air.
The Cyclops had struck Simon with its other fist. His body flew dozens of meters and slammed into the wall.
“Simon!!”
“Are you okay, Simon?!”
Gasps of dismay echoed from the set position. Simon, wracked with pain, opened his eyes.
[Barrier Gauge: 7%]
Still—
Time was slow.
Above the Cyclops, still in its punching posture, the claymore it had knocked loose spun through the air in an arc.
‘Of course.’
Simon curled his lips into a grin and reached out his hand.
‘Ending it like this wouldn’t be fitting for a necromancer.’
He had saved one last move until the end.
Simon gave the Restoration command.
Clack clack clack!
From the wound on the Cyclops’s chest, Skeleton shoulder bones emerged. Then, arm bones flew from the floor like lightning and connected to complete an arm.
Thud!
The arm swung up and caught the falling claymore mid-air.
And then—
Squelch!
Without a moment’s hesitation, it pierced the Cyclops’s neck.
“Ah…”
A heavy silence fell over the dungeon.
Simon stood up on trembling legs.
And with that—
THUD!
The Cyclops collapsed to the floor.
“...Huff! Huff! Haaah!”
Gasping for air, Simon tilted his head back.
Finally!
His chest felt like it would explode with joy. Simon raised his right arm and clenched his blood-soaked fist.
“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
Thunderous cheers erupted from every direction.
Hector turned his back, and Jane in the monitor room finally sat back down. Andrew, who had appeared midair, wiped the sweat from his brow and spoke.
“Team 7. Successfully hunted the Cyclops.”
“We did iiiiiit!”
The three in the set position screamed and ran toward Simon.
“Siiimooooon!”
Kamibarez was the first to reach him and hugged him tightly.
“Wow! Wow! You’re amazing!”
Dick followed, messing up Simon’s hair and shouting hoarsely.
“You did it! You really did it! Hahahahaha!”
“I’m so glad! Really glad!”
Simon, coughing from being smothered, still wore a beaming smile. Maelyn walked over from the set position.
Her expression was a whirlwind of emotions. She wiped her face with her hand, then returned to her usual cool demeanor and held out her palm.
“...Hmph. Not bad. I’ll admit I owe you one this time.”
Her voice trembled slightly at the end. Simon smiled and high-fived her.
“You did great too, Maelyn.”
“...Simon.”
“Hm?”
“About yesterday, I—”
Before she could finish, Dick and Kamibarez wrapped their arms around both of them from either side. Once again, everyone burst into cheers, basking in the joy.
“Can we please act serious for once, you idiots?!”
Maelyn shouted, but her smile was brighter than ever.
Superb.