Chapter 538
"......."
The teleportation spell circle finished its transfer. Feeling both feet settle firmly onto the ground, Simon opened his eyes.
What greeted him was a forest—darker than before, cloaked in thick, ghostly fog.
"Ugh."
"......My head."
Next to him, Eshu and Toto had landed hard on their rears, groaning. Behind them, Loraine stood upright, her ruby-like eyes opening calmly.
"Everyone okay?"
Simon stepped forward and offered his hand. Eshu made a quizzical expression, then smirked oddly before getting up on her own.
"Ufufufu~ Thanks."
What the hell was with that “ufufufu”?
Simon gave her a look before helping Toto to his feet.
"Simon, over here."
Loraine called him. Right before their eyes stood the massive skull altar he’d only seen through the viewing screen. Inside it gleamed a red artifact.
"Ooooh! So this is the fabled 15-point artifact, right?"
Eshu strode over energetically, hand outstretched. Simon and Loraine both flinched in alarm.
"Wait, Eshu!"
"If we move the red artifact we already hold, it’s a rule violation. Remember what they said earlier?"
"I know, I know. Just touching it a little is fine, isn’t it?"
With a playful wink, Eshu lifted the artifact from its altar and spun it around lightly. Careless as ever.
"It’s darker than I thought..."
Meanwhile, Toto stared uneasily into the shadowed forest. Eshu placed the relic back and waggled her eyebrows mischievously.
"Little one—can you walk by yourself without crying?"
Toto’s face flushed scarlet.
"O-of course! I’m a necromancer too!"
"Ahaha!"
Her brazenness broke the tension.
Simon chuckled as he laid a hand on Toto’s shoulder, when suddenly, a broadcast voice echoed overhead:
—The exam will begin in 30 seconds. Summon at least one ghoul immediately.
—Once the exam begins, you may leave the starting zone.
"You heard them."
All four simultaneously opened their subspaces and drew out their ghouls.
In moments, the area teemed with undead, growling and prowling about.
—Commencing exam countdown. 10. 9.
"Stick to the plan we discussed earlier."
Simon reminded. Everyone nodded.
—7. 6. 5.
"President, shouldn’t we do a team cheer here? That’s tradition."
At Eshu’s suggestion, Simon immediately lowered his palm, facing the ground. The other three stacked their hands on top.
"Let’s give our all, without regret. Team 10—fight!"
"Fight!"
Their palms shot skyward in unison, just as the countdown ended. A sharp whistle blared—marking the start.
"Uh... hmm."
Toto, still with his hand awkwardly lowered last, muttered embarrassedly.
"Aren’t we supposed to lower them after shouting ‘fight’?"
* * *
Tatadak!
Tadak!
Simon sprinted across the misty battlefield, three ghouls at his side.
Thanks to the rhythm drills Benya had taught that morning, he felt in perfect sync with their stride.
‘Let’s move leisurely toward the objective while searching for artifacts.’
—Geurk! Geruruk!
One ghoul suddenly stopped, snout pressed to the ground, sniffing intently. After meeting Simon’s eyes, it lunged forward and began clawing at the dirt.
"Help him out."
At Simon’s command, the other ghouls joined in digging. Soon, they unearthed something—a fragment of a bronze-like bowl with a bluish sheen.
The ghoul clamped it in its jaws, rushed back, and dropped it before Simon, panting eagerly.
Simon knelt, stroked its head. It wagged with delight while the others stared jealously.
‘So this is a 1-point blue artifact.’
Artifacts, too, had to be carried only by ghouls.
"Good job. Keep it safe."
At his order, the ghoul promptly swallowed the fragment whole. They could freely gulp down or regurgitate objects of that size.
"Onward."
This exam was designed solely to evaluate ghouls.
How well they could be used to detect buried targets.
How effectively they could battle wandering monsters.
How smoothly they could coordinate with other students’ ghouls.
The examiner’s intent was clear. Some teams might waste the whole two hours just scouring for relics.
But—
‘This won’t pass so peacefully.’
* * *
Pabababat!
Pat!
Through the suffocating dark, nine ghouls charged forward.
Among them was one particularly grotesque specimen—its shoulder bones overdeveloped, protruding like blades, forelegs swollen by black magic and drugs, running like a gorilla.
These were Hector’s ghouls.
‘...Wait for me, Simon Follentia.’
The glare in Hector’s eyes burned with killing intent.
"Hector!"
One teammate shouted while running.
"Ahead—a Gray Orc is coming—!"
Thud!
Instantly, the hulking ghoul leapt forward, slammed the charging orc, and smashed it into the dirt in one blow.
The onlookers gasped.
"O-ooh...!"
"As expected of rank #3 overall."
For this exam, Hector had prepared ghouls brimming with raw power and stamina.
He didn’t spare the fallen Orc a glance, eyes fixed forward.
"Stay sharp. We’re about to cross into Team 10’s territory."
No doubt Simon’s group was on guard as well.
Normally, the highest chance of inter-team conflict would be an hour in, after most relics were secured.
But Hector’s squad had no such patience—they’d charge from the very start, ambush Simon’s formation, and snatch their red artifact.
"We’ll smash their formation instantly, then storm the altar and seize the red relic."
"Yes!"
Their target was none other than Simon and Loraine’s team.
Back in first year, Hector had lost his top rank through halfhearted effort. This time was different, he would sink his fangs in from the start.
‘......’
His expression twisted as his senses tingled.
‘Something’s here.’
—Keeeaaagh!
A sudden shriek. Everyone froze mid-stride.
A ghoul’s scream, fading rapidly into the distance.
"Dammit!"
One student clutched his head, grimacing.
"Shit! We lost one! When did that happen?!"
Hector slowly raised his head. From above, in the treetops, came the swish of something darting past.
‘Ratchet isn’t a tree-dwelling monster...’
All Summonology students had made their ghouls using the Ratchet, a beast that lives in rocky terrain.
Which meant—the things darting around in the trees right now were either monsters, or ghouls under the control of a necromancer with near-insane mastery.
"Prepare for an ambush."
Hector calmly listened to the rustling above. Then suddenly, he snapped his right arm forward.
A muscular ghoul instantly leapt in that direction, smashing a tree. The thin trunk toppled—and a ghoul came tumbling down from the branches.
"Catch it!"
Thud!
One of Hector’s waiting ghouls pounced.
But as it hit the ground, the falling ghoul twisted mid-air, kicking its hind legs forward. Like a spring, it snapped both legs into Hector’s ghoul’s jaw.
"!!"
Everyone’s eyes widened. The ghoul landed smoothly, regained its balance, and slipped back into the forest.
"Did you see that?!"
"Those movements were freakish..."
Hector’s lips curled upward.
‘So here you are, Simon Follentia. You knew I’d be coming.’
—Kerek!
—Kegegek!
From the mist, sinister laughter echoed. There seemed to be more of them than expected.
"Hector! Shouldn’t we fall back and regroup—"
"No."
Hector crouched low.
"That’s exactly what they want. With me."
He surged forward, three hulking ghouls charging ahead. His teammates followed close behind.
Leaves rustled above. Hector smirked.
‘I already knew only one defender was left at the altar. Come down.’
Pat!
A ghoul dropped from the branches, legs wrapping around Hector’s monster’s neck, fangs bared for its nape.
Thud!
But Hector’s ghoul slammed it into the ground like a pestle pounding mortar.
‘A speed-type ghoul, lightened for agility. But in close combat—we win.’
Hector gestured: go. Two teammates rushed ahead with their ghouls.
—Guooohhh!
Wham!
One student’s ghoul was struck aside, sent flying into the fog. Shapes emerged—medium-class monsters, their eyes glowing in the mist.
"Hector! Too many monsters in front!"
His expression twisted.
‘Damn nuisances.’
* * *
"Haa... haa..."
Hidden behind a tree, Loraine wiped sweat from her brow.
Hector had assumed that dazzling ghoul control was Simon’s—but in truth, the defender here was Loraine.
She had just lost one ghoul, the psychic backlash making her wince.
‘Next.’
She pulled her fourth ghoul from subspace, sending it forward.
Knowing Hector would come, Simon had placed Loraine in the intercept position along Route 1. Her job: delay Hector as long as possible with her nine ghouls.
Toto contributed too. Though assigned to artifact-search, at the start he used his ghouls to lure monsters.
Specialized in digging, his ghouls dug pits in advance. When monsters chased them in, they’d lose sight of their prey and linger around the area—creating a natural wall of monsters.
So with Loraine’s harassment and Toto’s monster-luring, they were holding time.
But Hector wasn’t a pushover. He quickly realized only one defender was stationed here, and pressed a forced breakthrough. Luring Loraine’s ghouls into pursuit, he read their movements. Her speed-and-disruption style backfired—her ghouls became prey.
‘There it is.’
Finally, Simon’s altar came into Hector’s sight.
"Wait, Hector!"
One teammate shouted.
"Trouble—look back!"
Hector’s gaze snapped behind. Red powder glimmered in the sky.
A distress signal. Their main altar was under attack.
* * *
At Base 1, defense had been entrusted to Hector’s most trusted ally: Pierre Buckley.
But now—
"H-how can this be...?"
Four ghouls already lay strewn across the ground.
Thud!
Another collapsed as its Darkness magic circle shattered. Pierre’s head whipped around.
"Simon Follentia...!"
Through the green fog strode a blue-haired boy, eyes flashing with resolve.
"Sorry, but—"
And he was alone.
"—I’ll be taking your red artifact."
Their base was breached.
The moment Hector realized, he pushed harder.
"Move!"
His eyes gleamed. Lino's Golden Line flared on his muscular ghoul’s magic circle—the Funeral Rite activating.
With brute force, his ghouls scattered Loraine’s and smashed through. Finally, Hector reached Simon’s altar.
‘So he came with those numbers. Even if our altar falls, what good is it if theirs does too?’
Hector strode forward, satisfied smirk curling his lips.
"...?!"
But then his face twisted.
Team 10’s altar—
‘What the hell—’
It was already looted. Empty.
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters
Very good story and translation but half the chapter aren't for free and it is wayyyy too expensive will it stat like tjis foreve or will it get free after some time