Chapter 71
Sixty minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
While Simon had just finished all 20 questions for Introduction to Summonology and was struggling alongside Kamibarez on their Magical Combat section, the assistant instructor shouted out that only five minutes remained.
"Guess the rest! All 5s!"
Maelyn shouted as she quickly wrapped up the short-answer questions. Simon also rushed through the remaining questions, bubbling in '5' all the way down, then jumped back to the previous questions, burning up the last of his time.
"Time's up."
Jane spoke.
"Everyone, put down your quills!"
"Hands above your heads!"
The assistant instructors walked around collecting test papers and answer sheets. The students' gazes, heavy with regret, followed their departing tests.
"Well done, everyone."
Fresh answer sheets and detailed solutions were handed out to the students.
"The results of the performance assessment will be announced after the midterms. For now, use the remaining time to grade your answers and identify any mistakes."
"Yes!"
Simon immediately began checking his Summonology section. With a pounding heart, he gripped his quill tightly.
‘Please, let it go up...!’
He began grading. Unlike the regular midterms, there were only 20 questions, but he could already tell he got quite a few right. His scores visibly improved as he tallied up his correct answers with growing anticipation.
The result:
“Eighty-four! It went up!”
From 76 to 84—an 8-point increase.
Sure, compared to the hours he poured into studying, it might not seem like much, but there was a world of difference between moving from the 70s to the 80s versus crawling from the 30s to the 40s. Eight points was a dramatic improvement, no matter how you looked at it.
“...Huh. Not bad.”
Maelyn gave a begrudging smile of approval.
‘Seeing grades go up instantly like this makes studying kind of fun.’
Although the test was different, for reference, Maelyn had scored 85 on the previous one. This result gave Simon hope for the midterms.
“Hey! Who the hell answered the Defense Against Holiness section?”
Maelyn shouted in irritation during grading. Dick raised his head sheepishly.
“M-Me...?”
“You got three in a row wrong! How could you mess up these?!”
Maelyn erupted in anger, and Dick shrank back under her glare. Just then, Kamibarez, who had been grading nearby, let out a gasp.
“Haematology, 89 points! My score went up!”
“Wha—seriously? I love you, Kami!”
Maelyn pulled her into a big hug, overwhelmed with joy.
Dick, still getting scolded, gave a subtle thumbs-up. Kamibarez laughed awkwardly and returned the gesture.
Grading soon wrapped up.
“We’re looking at top-tier rankings overall.”
Maelyn crossed her arms.
“There were a few misses, but with our four different specialization paths, we have the advantage. We won’t drop in rank.”
Everyone nodded.
“And as expected, Professor Jane’s questions were great. If we just make a proper mistake log from these, our scores should be fine. I’ve already told the class rep not to share these with other classes, no matter what.”
She smiled slyly, eyes glinting.
“And I’m sure~ nobody from our group is dumb enough to sell this test for money.”
Dick flinched but quickly forced a laugh.
“O-Of course not! I’d take the loss for Class A any day... Ah!”
“What’s wrong, Dick?”
“Crap, we’ve got the duel evaluations tomorrow.”
Aaaah—
Kamibarez, who had been in such a good mood, suddenly slumped, burying her face in her palms. Meanwhile, Simon wore a carefree smile.
“Well, it’s once a week, we can’t avoid it. If we win tomorrow, we will make it into the upper squad, right?”
“Right.”
“Ooh~ Simon, feeling confident?”
Maelyn asked, and Simon crossed his arms.
“Same as usual, I guess.”
“Be extra careful in tomorrow’s duel, Simon.”
Dick said seriously.
“Word’s gotten out that you can summon golems. Your opponent’s probably gonna go all in from the start.”
“Probably.”
“Alright, alright.”
Maelyn clapped her hands.
“The duel evaluations are super important too. I’m going all-in on prep tonight. Let’s finish it quick and get back to midterm studying.”
“Yes, Maelyn!”
“Okay.”
* * *
The Next Day – Duel Evaluation
Indoor Arena #3.
Unlike last week’s fervor, the stands were quiet and sparse. With midterms approaching, external scouts were prohibited from attending to help students manage stress.
Dick, Maelyn, and Kamibarez were all participating in duels at separate arenas.
The empty atmosphere actually helped Simon stay calm. Holding a densely packed notebook, he began mumbling formulas. Not a single second of downtime was to be wasted.
—Class A student Simon Follentia and Class H student Jessica Kananor, please proceed to the arena.
Simon, already waiting, rose and walked onto the field. His opponent approached from the opposite side. Jessica was a girl with green hair and freckles.
Assistants ran in to help the participants into their protective suits. The referee gestured.
“Both contestants, shake hands.”
Jessica stepped forward. But—
Mumble mumble mumble...
Simon kept his eyes on his mistake log notebook, not even glancing up until she was right in front of him. Then he lowered it, gave a relaxed smile, and held out his hand.
‘Studying for midterms... now? What a weird guy.’
Jessica gave a forced smile and shook his hand.
They each retreated slowly to take their positions. Jessica glanced back—Simon already had his nose buried back in the notebook.
‘So this is what "Special Admission #1" thinks of people, huh?’
She was starting to get annoyed.
A moment later, the two stood facing each other.
“We now begin the duel evaluation between Simon Follentia and Jessica Kananor!”
The referee’s hand dropped.
“Begin!”
Simon, still shielding his face with the mistake log, summoned three skeletons. Jessica’s expression hardened.
‘This level of arrogance...!’
She immediately began channeling black magic in her palm. Simon merely advanced his formation, taking no sudden actions, allowing Jessica to safely complete her spell.
‘Poison Fog!’
A green orb appeared in her hand, releasing toxic mist in every direction.
In an instant, the entire arena was enveloped in green smoke. Thanks to the mana shielding, the fog didn’t escape into the audience, it stayed thick only in Simon’s area.
“Oh.”
Simon finally looked up from his mistake log and glanced around.
“Toxicology major, huh.”
This time, he had no info on his opponent. Wanting to ease Dick’s midterm burden, Simon had declined to request any pre-battle analysis.
The protective suit covering Simon flickered red, then blue, back and forth. It meant he was continually taking damage.
[Simon Follentia: 97%]
[Jessica Kananor: 100%]
‘So this is how she fights.’
Lay down poison mist, slowly chip away at the opponent’s stamina, while the Toxicologist plays defense and counterattacks.
Time was on her side, meaning the opponent naturally grew anxious.
Perhaps that’s why Simon tucked his mistake log into subspace.
Jessica smirked.
‘Finally realizing this isn’t the time for midterm prep...’
But the moment the notebook vanished, another popped out.
‘You lucky bastard!’
This one was a Toxicology memory aid notebook.
“Poison Fog. A frequent test question in Toxicology. A wide-area spell combining various poisons for multiple effects. Weak to Wind-element Dark Flare magic. Rune formulas include...”
Studying for the first time in his life, Simon had discovered something important.
Keyzen was full of material to memorize, and trying to cram it all inside a study hall didn’t actually guarantee it’d stick.
So Simon developed an association method: linking information with real events or vivid situations.
The key point: never accept the information just as words. Turn it into a living, breathing scenario, and it stuck much better.
Which is why this duel with a Toxicologist? It was the perfect study opportunity.
If he memorized his Toxicology notes now, he could later recall them just by remembering this fight with Jessica.
As Simon began to zone out and focus on memorization, Jessica stared in disbelief.
Now, irritation gave way to full-on rage.
‘Ugh! He’s infuriating! I want to run over there and— No, no! Don’t let him rattle you!’
This was Keyzen. Psychological warfare, like provoking or baiting your opponent, was part of the game.
Surely this was a tactic to throw her off-balance.
And if the opponent underestimated her, even better. No need to get baited, just crush him with skill and results.
‘His barrier gauge keeps dropping. If I just hold out—!’
Thwip!
Suddenly, an arrow whooshed past her face. Jessica dodged just in time.
‘...What the hell?!’
Cold sweat trickled down her temple. Three Skeleton Archers were now standing behind Simon, bows raised.
Her eyes went wide.
‘S-Skeleton Archers?! He’s already using those?!’
Apparently, the rumors about him being a Summonology student who could use golems weren’t just baseless talk.
At that moment, Simon, still buried in his notebook, thrust out his arm.
The archers’ spirits faded, and the front-line skeletons charged toward Jessica in a rush.
‘Stay calm…!’
She conjured a magic circle in her right hand and pulled out a poison potion with her left. As soon as she placed the potion on the magic circle, the vial shattered with a sharp crack, and the toxic contents gathered above it.
Gripping it with both hands, she swung hard.
‘Poison Whip!’
A whip fused with Darkness and poison lashed out and smashed the three skeletons in one go. Simon calmly raised his index finger.
‘Restoration.’
But the shattered bones only twitched slightly, showing no signs of revival.
Simon lowered his notebook and looked ahead. The skeletons’ bodies were tinged with a violet hue.
“Kabara’s poison drastically lowers Darkness sensitivity.”
Jessica smirked.
“If it touches a skeleton, it nullifies the remaining Darkness within their bones, making them temporarily un-restorable. Bet you didn’t know that?”
It was a move she had prepared specifically to counter a Summonology student. Seeing that cocky Special Admission No. 1 looking dumbfounded gave her a feeling of triumphant satisfaction.
“Oh, I see.”
Simon murmured in genuine admiration and pulled out his quill from subspace.
“Kabara’s poison… reduces Darkness sensitivity…”
He began taking notes. A vein popped on Jessica’s forehead.
“I’m! Not! Your midterm teacher!”
Three Darkness Arrow magic circles began forming in front of her with incredible speed.
“No, you’re not!”
Just as she was about to give the fire command—
Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!
Arrows from the Skeleton Archers sliced through the magic circles. Jessica’s eyes widened as the circles sparked and crumbled like broken machines.
“Darkness Arrow memorization points.”
Simon muttered.
“Fast casting. Easy for multi-chanting. Excellent penetration. Core rune is ‘projectile’. Be careful not to confuse the propulsion formula during the shot formula construction. And…”
Simon’s cold eyes fixed on the magic circles.
“Watch out for damage to the left-side binding formula.”
“...You!”
Simon summoned a new set of skeletons from subspace. This time, all three were armed with spears and shields.
Jessica bit her lip and once again pulled out a potion to prepare Poison Whip.
“Poison Whip memorization points.”
The three skeletons threw their spears.
“Fixed-form magic circle. If the coordinates shift, the circle collapses.”
Jessica flinched and threw herself aside. One spear grazed her, another struck her thigh. Her barrier gauge dropped, and the magic circle she had been preparing shattered.
“Ugh!”
As she stumbled and tried to recover, another spear came flying from behind her.
“Kyah!”
[Simon Follentia: 85%]
[Jessica Kananor: 52%]
Kneeling on one knee, she quickly turned around. There on the floor, a skeleton’s arm and shoulder were materializing.
‘No way… He only restored the parts not hit by the Poison Whip to pick up and throw the dropped spear?’
The real assault had just begun.
Simon’s command was dazzling—so fast, so precise.
“When targeting a moving object at 6m/s with Darkness Arrow…”
“If one-third of a skeleton’s arm and rib bones are deemed un-restorable, which of the following countermeasures is correct?”
“If the skeleton’s Darkness structure is altered…”
Simon muttered formulas and composed questions aloud while reading Jessica’s every move, perfectly predicting her actions and attacks.
Even Simon was surprised by himself.
Theory and practice were not separate. Theory was enhancing his real-time decision-making.
The effort he put into studying this exam period was making his movements far more refined.
[Simon Follentia: 76%]
[Jessica Kananor: 37%]
‘At this rate…!’
Jessica grit her teeth. Simon would outlast her before the poison fog could finish him.
Every single black magic she used was being read and countered. It was time to make a decision.
‘I’d heard his Magical Combat was strong, but…!’
She gathered Darkness in both fists and charged at Simon.
‘This is all I’ve got left!’
Still buried in his notebook, Simon stood calmly. Arrows from the Skeleton Archers flew behind him. Jessica tanked the hits and rushed forward.
“Hrrraaaaaah!”
Pouring every ounce of strength into her fists, she lunged at Simon, who still had his face hidden behind his notebook.
“…!”
But in that instant—
Simon vanished.
She thought she had him, but her fist struck only empty air.
Moving like lightning, Simon ducked low, sweeping with a spinning motion as if he were skimming the ground. His leg shot up like a pillar, striking her square in the stomach.
WHAM!
With immense force, her body flew into the air. Simon, now standing upright, raised one arm high.
Clack. Clack-clack.
Bones scattered across the ground began to float as if reanimated.
As Simon clenched his fist—
<Simon Follentia’s Original – Bone Nail>
Shushushushushuk!
Fragments of bone launched at Jessica from all directions with terrifying speed.
‘Ah…’
There was no dodging mid-air.
Jessica shut her eyes in resignation as the bones closed in.
PABABABABAM!
[Simon Follentia: 72%]
[Jessica Kananor: 0%]
“Match over!”
Jessica fell to the floor without strength, and the referee shouted out.
“The winner is Class A student, Simon Follentia!”
Superb.