Chapter 217
"Did you all enjoy your break, Class A?"
As if they'd been waiting for it, a thunderous reply erupted. Jane raised her palm lightly to quiet the students.
At that moment, the assistant standing behind Jane raised both hands over his head, mimicking horns, pointed discreetly at Jane, then returned to a parade rest posture.
"It's nice to see you all again. But it's a shame that four of you didn't even say a proper hello. I clearly told you to come prepared for countering holiness, didn't I?"
Only then did the students flinch. Her face was certainly smiling, but her tone was not.
"I heard from Professor Bahil that only one student from Class B failed. My face turned red with embarrassment just hearing that."
'Ah, seriously, Professor Bahil…!'
Several students, including Dick, inwardly blamed Bahil. Why did he have to provoke her and make things harder for the rest of us?
As the students hung their heads low, Jane smiled.
"I'm not trying to blame you. The ones at fault are the incompetent dropouts, not you."
She turned her back.
As the sound of her heels echoed across the room, she walked toward the board. The assistants swiftly installed a mana projector and floated a screen in the air.
"To ensure this doesn’t happen again, we need to go over feedback from the exam. Let’s start with the lowest score."
* * *
Jane played the footage and pointed out the mistakes and errors of each Class A student one by one. The students' mental states were in tatters after receiving feedback on the very first class.
In Dick’s case, she pointed out that he was all talk and no substance, and that he made a major error in route selection.
Kamibarez was criticized for being mentally shaken upon first seeing a holy creature, which delayed her reaction, and for having too much unnecessary compassion when rescuing teammates.
Maelyn had shown creativity by making an ice raft to cross a river, but Jane criticized her for visibly shivering due to her weakness to cold and told her to find a solution.
Most students were thoroughly roasted. The only ones Jane passed over without much comment were Simon and Hector.
"Even among your classmates, there are things to learn. Try to emulate the judgment skills of these two. Applause."
Clap clap clap clap!
Caught off guard by the sudden applause, Simon smiled awkwardly, while Hector scowled, seemingly annoyed that he'd ended up second place behind Simon again.
"Professor! Still, isn’t our class pretty amazing?"
Dick suddenly spoke up. He was talking to Jane as if chatting with a friend sitting next to him.
'Is he out of his mind!'
Maelyn and the other nearby students made shocked faces and raised their fingers to their lips, but Jane, surprisingly, responded.
"What’s amazing about it, Dick Hayword?"
"We’ve got first, second, and ninth place in our class! Class B only had one person in the Top 10—eighth place!"
As Jane glared at him coldly, Dick quickly shut his mouth and lowered his head.
"Then let’s move on to the next announcement."
Surprisingly, Jane’s tone softened from this point on. Dick, pretending to take notes diligently, could be seen quietly giving Simon a thumbs up.
"This may be a bit sudden, but you all have a decision to make by today."
She said, taking new documents from an assistant.
"For this integrated second semester, you may exclude up to two of the nine subjects you're currently taking."
The students' eyes widened at that.
"Elementary Black Magic, taught by your head professor, Defense Against Holiness, the core of the second semester, and Darkness Dynamics, are designated as required courses. At Keyzen, it is recommended to exclude only one subject. If you wish to exclude two, you must have a consultation with the course professor. Naturally, don’t think having fewer classes will make it easier to get good grades."
Simon nodded as he listened.
Certainly, cutting down from nine to seven subjects could be risky. Unless someone had an all-in approach to one subject, it wasn’t a wise move.
"So by the end of this week, choose one class to exclude. That is all."
Simon decided immediately.
'…Professor Umbra, I’m sorry.'
Simon still couldn’t forget the chicken-pecking dance from Spiritology class. Naturally, most students who hadn’t yet sensed a spirit would likely exclude that subject.
Of course, Kamibarez felt the same.
"What about you, Maelyn?"
"I’ve already decided."
"Oh, same here, I'm good."
Surprisingly, both Maelyn and Dick decided to drop Spiritology.
Maelyn's reason was that in the “spiritualization” state, which is central to Spiritology, she wouldn’t be able to prepare for the Dark Flare system.
Dick simply said he’d follow the other two girls and drop the same subject. Maelyn immediately scolded him.
"You really live without a care in the world, huh? This is about your future, so take it seriously."
"I’m an all-rounder, so I’m confident in everything."
Dick shrugged.
"Also, the gap between major and non-major students in Spiritology is huge, and it’s harder to get a good grade. Dropping that one is the smart choice."
And with that, the four of them had all made their decision.
* * *
After Jane's Elementary Black Magic class ended, Simon and his teammates headed to the location of their next class.
Simon was in a great mood.
'And the second class is Summonology!'
He had been so looking forward to Aron’s class.
He had been starving for learning. He wanted to quickly learn new things and make them his own strength.
But then, as they walked, Dick flipped through his notebook and spoke.
"This Summonology class… it’s not in the usual lecture hall?"
"Right! It’s an outdoor class!"
Said Kamibarez. Maelyn, beside her, gave a small snort.
"Outdoor class right from the first session… I’ve got a feeling."
"A feeling?"
"A hint for the Black Magic Aptitude Test."
Indeed, during the entrance ceremony, Aron himself had said:
—You must discover the theme of the exam on your own. We’ll provide hints in various ways. Even a professor’s offhand joke may be a clue, so pay attention to everything.
Recalling that voice, Simon let out a small gasp.
"Sharp as ever."
Maelyn flipped her flowing sky-blue hair with her fingertips, smug.
"I mean, isn't it obvious to think like me? You guys must be rusty after the break, better snap out of it."
With that, all of Class A, including Simon, arrived at the location Aron had notified for their class.
It was behind the 3rd indoor arena, where they frequently had duel evaluations, and a racetrack had been installed.
Measurement marks were drawn on the track tiles to allow for record tracking. Some boys were goofing off, doing standing long jumps and comparing their scores.
Simon rested his chin on his hand.
"Summonology, a racetrack, and the Black Magic Aptitude Test? I can't connect the dots."
The other three were also trying hard to guess the theme of the next exam. Guesses ranged from a necromancer-style marathon to sudden speed challenges.
"Gather up, please!"
Aron and the assistants appeared. All of Class A lined up with tense expressions.
‘He hasn’t changed.’
Simon chuckled inwardly.
Gone was the neat outfit from yesterday. Aron was back in short sleeves, shorts, and slippers. His unshaven jaw showed stubble, and his eyes flickered with fatigue and disinterest.
Aron stepped forward, with the assistants lining up behind him.
"Long time no see."
The students greeted Aron’s languid voice with warmth. Their eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Hope you rested well over break. Because every professor is going to grind you down for the entirety of this integrated second semester."
With that, Aron turned his head toward the track.
"But there's no need to be all serious and intense from day one. Today, we'll learn a new kind of black magic from the Summonology branch. Everyone, summon one skeleton."
With that, every student opened their subspace and summoned their skeletons all at once, a spectacular sight.
Simon summoned a regular, non-legionized skeleton.
"Considering the two-month break, let's do a quick review."
Aron began.
"What's the primary strength of a skeleton among undead summons?"
The moment he said "strength", a hand shot up faster than anyone else’s. Aron gave a nod that said, “You again, huh?”
"Jaime Victoria, professor! The greatest strength of skeletons is the versatility and utility of 'Restoration' thanks to the way bones reconnect and reattach to each other! Even if they collapse, as long as the bones retain darkness, they can be reassembled countless times!"
Aron nodded and turned his head.
"Then what’s the weakness?"
Simon eagerly raised his hand, but too many others had beaten him to it.
Aron pointed to the one with the biggest presence among them.
"Hector Moore. Vulnerability to priests' holiness."
"That applies to almost every undead. Next."
This time, Simon quickly raised his hand, and Aron gave a slight smile and pointed to him.
"Simon Follentia. The skeleton’s weakness is mobility and defense. If it’s not being used as a restoration device but operated solo, it’s easy to destroy before it even reaches the enemy."
"Correct."
When Aron confirmed the answer, Simon felt a surge of joy. It might not have been a big deal, but just participating and getting the answer right made him genuinely happy.
‘That bastard! He answered right after me on purpose…!’
Hector gritted his teeth in silent fury, but Simon didn’t notice at all. Aron continued his explanation.
"Skeletons are composed solely of bones, so their physical capabilities aren't particularly outstanding. A strong enough blow easily disassembles the bone connections, causing collapse. Beyond numbers, they hold little meaning."
Simon nodded in agreement.
In the early part of the first semester’s duel evaluation, he had managed to use skeleton numbers effectively. Undead wielding weapons approaching the enemy was enough to draw attention and force defensive action.
But that was it. Now that Keyzen students’ abilities had improved across the board, most could wipe out large numbers of skeletons at once with area-of-effect skills.
They also had magical combat skills that didn’t fall easily to weapons wielded by undead. By the mid-point of the first year, skeletons held little significance beyond numbers. Their threat level had dropped so much, they could barely provoke any meaningful attacks from opponents.
It was even worse if the opponent was a cleric. A single blast of holiness could wipe out all skeletons.
So Simon no longer relied on a skeleton’s raw combat strength. Instead, he used them as restoration devices in battle. Even during his fight with Hector in Langerstine, they had both only used restoration mechanics.
"Then."
Aron’s voice pulled Simon from his thoughts.
"Does that mean skeletons can only be used by necromancers who are talented in restoration? To that question, I say, of course not."
Aron’s voice resonated softly.
"There is a way to compensate, at least partially, for the weaknesses you mentioned. The integrated second semester begins here."
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters