Chapter 210
Test Execution Headquarters.
The two Crows, who had seemed ready to fight at any moment, ceased their war of nerves. Now, they were calmly seated across from each other, enjoying a tea time.
“Ah, if he were your direct disciple, you should’ve said so.”
Evangelos, who had been gulping down hot tea, glanced at Bahil and added,
“Then I would’ve gone a bit easier on him too.”
“He’s not my direct disciple.”
At that answer, Evangelos looked surprised.
“Really? I thought you were the type who couldn’t rest easy unless you got everything you wanted.”
“What are you talking about? Besides, this school isn’t such an easy place.”
Evangelos clicked his tongue.
“Hah! Looks like that vicious Bahil is dead and gone. If the other professors are being annoying, why not just cast a subtle curse on that Simon kid without leaving any traces?”
Bahil also took a sip of the hot tea. Then, perhaps feeling hot, he removed his fedora and placed it on the table.
“Special Admission Number One is a student under Lady Neftis’s personal observation. Using curses to win over a student is far too dangerous. And more than that,”
Bahil tilted his head back.
“I don’t like it.”
“Oh?”
“Genius is a complex thing. Intelligence, experience, values, personality, parental discipline—all these come together to create a specific balance, and only then does a genius emerge. Why would I tarnish such a masterpiece with a curse? I don’t want to teach dolls, I want to teach people.”
As he continued his monologue, Bahil suddenly contorted his face like a monster and flicked his tongue.
“I want him to trust and follow me wholeheartedly. To respect me from the bottom of his heart, to understand my philosophy and intent from deep within, and to become a disciple with whom I can freely discuss the nature of the world.”
Truly a perverted bastard.
Evangelos thought, but didn’t say it aloud.
“Seeing how obsessed you are… it reminds me of when you were a rookie professor, stalking that toxicology major girl, saying you absolutely had to teach her.”
“Ah, you mean Chehekle? She’s working as my chief assistant now. A very competent talent.”
“Still a complete freak, as always.”
Evangelos changed the subject as he looked at the screen.
“Anyway, I can’t interfere with the final phase. Even I, the chief supervisor, have no say anymore. So what now?”
At the entrance leading toward the Keyzen Campus, the final gate was waiting for Simon.
“I’ve done my part. Now it’s entirely up to Simon.”
Bahil said calmly.
“If he’s truly a talent worthy of becoming my beloved disciple, then I believe he’ll overcome this trial too.”
* * *
Riding his golem board, Simon was climbing an all-too-familiar hill path.
The very road that connected the Keyzen Campus and Rochest. Take a slight turn here, and you’d find the Forbidden Forest and the ruins of Feer.
He had plans to meet Feer and Erzebet at the ruins after the break ended. He was looking forward to seeing the two of them reunite as well.
‘Could they both be at Roke Island already?’
Unlikely, but if Efnelle really had attacked Keyzen, then Simon planned to check the situation on campus and immediately change course toward Feer’s ruins.
A long-overdue return as “Feon”. He also planned to mobilize both Erzebet and Prince, intending to take on the priests with the power of a legion commander.
As Simon, growing anxious, increased the golem’s speed—
Whoooong!
A priest’s holy spear came flying toward Simon from the sky.
Just one holy spear? Simon accelerated to dodge. However, the spear descended smoothly, almost slowly, and effortlessly struck the golem board with a soft thud!
‘……?!’
Suddenly, Simon’s vision shot skyward.
The holy spear had pierced through the body of the golem board and embedded itself in the ground. Simon’s body, driven by inertia, flew into the air.
‘What? The spear changed its trajectory?’
Thud-thud-thud!
Simon’s body soon slammed hard into the ground, bouncing like a ball before rolling across the grass. The taste of dirt and the stench of blood filled his mouth, and his head spun violently.
Only after rolling several times did his body finally stop. Amidst the swirling dust, Simon coughed and pushed his upper body up.
His once-pristine black school uniform was now caked in dust, and his whole body ached like his bones had shattered.
‘Grrgh.’
On top of that, it seemed his landing had gone wrong, his left arm wasn’t moving properly. In this worst condition, Simon looked up.
Standing in the center of the path leading to Keyzen Campus was an old man.
He looked like a transcendent being reigning atop a high mountain.
Wearing a white martial robe, one hand folded behind his back, the other fanning himself.
White beard, hair long since grayed, and a face marked with deep wrinkles. Simon could sense an overwhelming flow of holiness from him.
‘A priest. And far beyond any priest I’ve met so far.’
An old man radiating final-boss energy opened his mouth.
“Young necromancer, from here on, you may go no further.”
His voice was deep and benevolent, yet carried an ominous and sticky undertone.
“If you value your life, turn back now.”
Simon gritted his teeth and lowered his stance.
“That’s not possible.”
A subspace opened, and skeletons and zombies poured out.
Several skeletons outfitted Simon’s legs with Bone Armor, and even equipped his unmoving left arm. Vast battle energy surged from Simon’s body.
“Step aside, please.”
“Oh?”
A glint flickered in the old man’s eyes as he looked at Simon.
That impact just now must have been considerable, and even while panting from exhaustion, the boy’s eyes still burned bright.
‘Good. His eyes are brimming with resolve.’
Few children at that age had such eyes. In a good mood, the old man spoke in a jovial tone.
“Sometimes running away is courage. You’re not foolish enough to not feel the gap in strength.”
Simon said nothing as he adjusted his stance, moving his arms and legs clad in Bone Armor into a battle-ready position, Magical Combat posture.
The old man accepted Simon’s challenge. Folding his fan and tucking it into the belt behind him, he extended a hand into the air.
Holiness gathered in his palm and transformed into a longsword over a meter long.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
The holy sword sliced through the air with a terrifying sharpness, like it was cutting wind itself. After two light test swings, the old man raised the sword and spoke.
“Come at me.”
Dash!
Simon kicked off the ground and charged. His right fist, armored in Bone Armor, shot forward, and the old man lightly swung his sword from his spot.
Clang!
The holy sword and Bone Armor collided, sparks flying.
Simon’s eyes widened. With just that blow, his Bone Armor cracked, and the Darkness effect was dispelled.
‘But!’
The punch was a feint. Simon spun his body using his extended left arm as a pivot. In a follow-up motion, he transitioned into a spinning kick with his right leg, his signature chained move.
Clang!
But again, the old man effortlessly swung his sword, shattering Simon’s Bone Boots. Then, with a kick to Simon’s side, he sent the boy flying and tumbling across the ground.
“Your movements are too big.”
The old man conjured holiness in his palm.
Wuuung!
A glass pane, constructed from holiness, appeared midair. As the old man swung his sword and shattered it, the glass pane burst apart, and fragments of holiness rained down from all directions.
‘A ranged attack!’
Simon hastily pushed off the ground and flung himself aside. Seeing the holy shards embed into the earth, his heart sank.
“You still have a long way to go.”
The old man created several glass panes in the air, then, with one hand behind his back, strolled past them while lightly swinging his sword. A flood of holy shards rained down on Simon.
Kwakwakwakwakwa!
The Bone Armor struck by the shards tore or was nullified with ease. When several shards embedded themselves in Simon’s body, he grimaced in severe pain and slammed his head into the ground.
‘Hmm. I avoided the Core slightly, but… was that too much?’
The old man maintained a solemn expression, though he felt a twinge of guilt inside.
And then—
‘…No, for real.’
Simon lay with his head to the ground, his body trembling.
‘…It doesn’t hurt at all. Is this really okay?’
A desperate act.
He’d used it once on Plema before, this performance of being affected by holiness. He had experience.
If this was a Keyzen-conducted test, then observers were surely watching. If he were truly immune to a priest’s holiness, it would be a trump card, he couldn’t afford to be exposed so easily.
Grinding his teeth, Simon spoke in a strained voice.
“Now, it’s my turn!”
During the time he bought, skeletons emerged from the forest, flanking the old man from both sides and swinging their weapons.
The old man again casually swung his sword from where he stood. Silver blades sliced through the air, scattering the skeletons in all directions.
‘Not yet!’
Simon forced his focus to spike.
‘It’s not over yet!’
The skeletons, sent flying from the sword’s impact, suddenly halted and broke apart into dozens of bones. Except for the areas struck by the holy sword, all other bones prepared to charge forward.
It was one of Simon’s main techniques—Bone Nail.
‘Now—!’
Chwarururururuk!
Six Overlord blades sprang from the subspace.
Bone Nail and Overlord combined. An offensive from all directions, one that no human with just two arms and two legs could possibly avoid.
“Boxing someone in for an inescapable blow is clever, but it’s not the best tactic against a priest.”
The old man raised his holy sword and drew a sign of the cross. A holy barrier expanded around him, repelling the entire assault.
Simon, panting, recalled the Overlord blades.
“And the reason you’ve been so showy and distracting,”
The old man turned his head.
“…is probably because of those zombies you quietly sent to the side earlier, yes? When were you planning to use them?”
Simon’s back was drenched in sweat.
‘He saw through it all.’
The unshakable composure that came from experience was terrifying. He left no openings to exploit.
‘But there’s one thing I have that gives me an edge over him.’
Simon slowly raised his right arm and pointed in the direction of the zombies.
“This is your first time on Roke Island, isn’t it?”
The boy was smiling. The old man looked at him with interest.
“Hm, indeed it is. But is that a problem?”
“Familiarity with the terrain.”
A magic circle for Corpse Explosion spread across Simon’s palm.
This was mountainous terrain. The path frequently traveled on the way to and from Rochest had unstable ground. On rainy days, mudslides often made the road treacherous.
Minions had reinforced it by erecting barriers at the rock boundary.
‘But if I collapse it with strong force—!’
Simon clenched his fist like flipping the switch of a bomb.
Kurururururung!
A series of explosions. The surroundings trembled violently like an earthquake, and then, from the right side, a massive landslide came crashing down.
“!!”
Kugugugugugugu!
The landslide first hit the old man. He raised a holy barrier on the spot, and the cascading earth blurred his surroundings in a cloud of dust.
‘Hahaha! Got him for sure this time!’
While the old man was maintaining his barrier, Simon conjured another golem board and rode atop the avalanche.
“Just like this!”
Simon’s eyes gleamed with sharp focus.
“To the entrance!”
Kwakwakwakwakwakwa!
In truth, the landslide wasn’t particularly massive. But the old man, unaware of its true scale, had chosen to fully fortify his position with a barrier. Simon took that moment to turn a crisis into opportunity.
Just that one difference greatly widened the gap between the old man and Simon.
‘I did it!’
Now it was a straight shot to the Keyzen campus. The familiar Keyzen gates came into view, and the entrance was wide open.
As Simon passed through the gate—
Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!
A thunderous cheer roared like a lightning strike, snapping Simon’s senses back to full alert.
‘?!’
Simon stopped the board and looked around, his eyes widening rapidly.
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters