Chapter 605
“Uwaaaaahhh!”
Students in the lounge, watching the screen, threw their hands into the air and cheered.
“As expected of Hector! Two hundred monsters in fifteen minutes!”
“How did he do it?”
“Even his time distribution is an art.”
The students on the same team in the waiting area were no different. They were ecstatic, chanting Hector’s name.
Soaked in sweat, Hector went around high-fiving everyone.
— Student Hector Moore. Within the time limit, out of two hundred monsters, two hundred monsters slain.
— Student Hector Moore and Team 1 have earned 200 points.
Simon, watching through the lounge screen, let out a hollow laugh and collapsed onto the sofa.
‘Amazing.’
A feeling of being overwhelmed.
Indeed, a Dullahan created with a Guardian was in another league.
‘Of course, that’s not the only reason.’
Because it was Hector’s summon, it was strong.
Instead of heavy armor, he covered his Dullahan entirely in dragon scales, making its movements much lighter.
Other Guardian Dullahans wouldn’t perform nearly this well.
“Impressive.”
Loraine muttered in awe.
“I couldn’t even breathe while watching those fifteen minutes.”
Toto spoke with a trembling voice.
“Eheheh—”
And when he turned his head, there was Eshu, eyes sparkling with hearts, clasping her hands together.
“Ah, seriously. Hector is too cool! Just once, I want to throw myself into that sweaty, broad, firm chest!”
“Get a grip, Eshu.”
Simon said with a wry smile. Behind him, Toto was quietly glancing down at his own narrow chest.
“This is the problem.”
At some point, Fitzgerald had appeared beside them, pushing up his glasses.
“The difference between a Guardian-made Dullahan and a regular Abaddon-made Dullahan is absolute. At this rate, we can’t win.”
Fitzgerald was also one of those who had failed to acquire a Guardian during the Frigod Autonomous District incident. Simon glanced at him and asked,
“So what do you plan to do?”
“...This test is clearly advantageous for Dullahans. But—”
A flash reflected across Fitzgerald’s glasses.
“To defeat that Guardian Dullahan, I have no choice but to rely on my specialty.”
Toto’s eyes widened.
“Fitz! You’re going to use the Siren Chimera, aren’t you!”
“Of course I—”
Whack!
A female student suddenly appeared from behind and smacked the back of Fitzgerald’s head with a textbook.
“Spouting off our secrets to the enemy like an idiot! You damn know-it-all!”
Dragged by the scruff of his neck, Fitzgerald was hauled away, while Simon and Toto gave him an awkward wave, laughing weakly.
* * *
The test proceeded swiftly after that.
Hector’s Team 1 totaled 520 points.
The following Team 2 and Team 3 earned 400 and 410 points respectively.
As the data accumulated, the observing students started forming rough calculations.
If one completed an Abaddon Dullahan without major issues → around 40 points.
If it was a Guardian Dullahan → even 100 points was possible.
But there were countless variables.
Unforeseen formula errors during live combat.
Lack of mastery in handling the Dullahan.
Insufficient understanding of slashing techniques and aura.
And unexpected monster behavior.
“Why!”
A student who had been clearing monsters with his Guardian Dullahan scowled as, near the end, the monsters scattered in all directions.
“Why does this only happen to me!”
Not all Guardian Dullahans were equal.
The Guardian Dullahan was far more difficult to construct than a normal one. The student had rushed to complete his in time for the exam, but in the end one of its legs was malformed.
To catch a single monster, it had to hop clumsily around with its greatsword, burning far too much Darkness just on movement.
In the end—
— Student Joseph Vagra. Within the time limit, out of 100 monsters, 65 slain.
Even with a Guardian Dullahan, the score varied drastically by user. A poorly completed Guardian Dullahan was worse than a classroom Abaddon Dullahan.
As strings of zeroes started appearing on the board, Eshu suddenly blurted out,
“So it was a mistake to think Abaddon guarantees 40 points and Guardian guarantees 100! That’s a trap!”
“Right. Quantifying the scores is meaningless.”
Simon nodded in agreement.
“Because each Dullahan’s individuality and completion level are completely different. One’s own judgment is most important.”
After a few early missteps, the current top score was Hector’s Team 1 with 520 points.
And then—
“They’re here!”
The notorious Team 8 finally appeared.
* * *
“Listen carefully, White.”
Snap. Snap.
Aseraz clicked her fingers as she spoke.
“I’ll respect your choice to use your ‘unique summon’ instead of a Dullahan. But the problem is time. Forget about the fifteen minutes.”
Lately, she had been spending more time studying how to use White effectively than her own studies.
“What matters for you is the first four minutes. Don’t pace yourself. Think of it as dumping every bit of power in four minutes and collapsing afterward...”
Her expression suddenly twisted.
“Are you even listening?”
White was staring blankly at the ceiling. Aseraz snapped her fingers more sharply, trying to draw his attention, but it was useless.
“Damn it.”
Aseraz buried her face in her hand with a groan.
‘I didn’t come to Keyzen to babysit some idiot like this.’
She was burning with frustration, but there was no choice.
Team 8 only had four members. If even one failed and scored zero, it was like two people failing in a normal team.
Not a single person could be wasted.
She turned and gave the order.
“Start.”
Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp—
At the sudden bird calls, light flickered back into White’s vacant eyes.
Birds were flitting about.
Chirp, chirp.
Of course, they weren’t real.
His teammates were crouching, waving sticks with paper birds attached, and making chirping noises with their mouths to get his attention.
“Ugh... this is depressing.”
“Shut up and do it properly!”
White’s eyes followed the bobbing bird cutouts.
Then Aseraz suddenly pressed one of the bird cutouts to her face and thrust it forward.
“White!”
His gaze followed, landing on her.
“Four minutes! You have to kill all 200 in four minutes! Take as much prep time as you want, but once it starts, dump every ounce of power until you burn out! Got it? Do you understand?”
Nod.
White’s head bobbed up and down.
And then, as if his focus had expired, his eyes went glassy again.
“Goddammit.”
Aseraz cursed under her breath and turned away. The others with bird-sticks covered their faces in shame.
“...Did I really come to Keyzen for this?”
“I’m the precious son of my family, too, you know.”
“Come on. Don’t you two start as well.”
Aseraz scowled and turned her gaze forward.
‘We will.’
Finally, it was Team 8’s turn.
White was the first to walk into the testing grounds.
“White! Remember! Two hundred in four minutes!”
“Four minutes!”
His teammates shouted. White still shuffled forward with vacant eyes, stopping before the dungeon keeper.
“Name.”
“White.”
“Monster count?”
White stared blankly, as though trying to remember how many.
“Monster count?”
The dungeon keeper repeated. White tilted his head, then casually muttered,
“Four minutes.”
“Four minutes? State it in number of monsters.”
“Hmm.”
He tilted his head again, then said,
“Four hundred.”
From the waiting area came Aseraz’s enormous sigh.
Followed by the snap of a stick breaking over a knee.
Hahahahaha!
The lounge erupted into laughter.
“Insane! Did he say four hundred?”
“Team 8 is finished! Goodbye!”
“Not going far!”
Considering an Abaddon Dullahan averaged about forty monsters, it was an absurd claim.
And White wasn’t even using a Dullahan—he was using his unique summon. Even those who were startled at first quickly dismissed it as a joke.
‘Hmm.’
But Simon kept watching seriously.
Because White’s special ability required a long prep time. He drew out a strange summon like a pool of Darkness, had it suck up Darkness, then inscribed a magic circle on the floor and dropped an empty suit of armor onto it.
Vwoom—!
Limbs sprouted from the armor, forming into White Original’s unique summon: the “Ability Soldier”.
‘So that’s it.’
Simon had already seen it during the Mutant Club interview, but for many students this was their first time witnessing the bizarre summon.
“...Begin.”
White muttered.
— Student White. The test begins.
Clang! Clang!
Monsters poured into the chamber. Four hundred of them instantly filled the room.
White slowly raised his arm.
“Grow.”
Vwoom!
The Ability Soldier’s body swelled into a massive sphere. The humanoid form vanished, leaving a white orb clad in fragments of armor.
The students watching whispered nervously.
“What is he going to do with that?”
“That looks like the technique he usually uses.”
White swung his arm violently, and the orb mimicked the motion.
Crunchhhhhhh!
Monsters that collided with the orb were crushed flat, reduced to bloody lumps. White kept swinging his arms left and right.
Vwoom!
Vwoom!
The swollen Ability Soldier rampaged across the testing ground, rolling and crashing around, and every time it moved, monsters were crushed into bloody pulp and erased.
Fifteen minutes later—
— Student White. Within the time limit, out of 400 monsters, 400 slain.
— Student White and Team 5 have earned 800 points.
Everyone watching fell silent.
“…Huh.”
“…W-what did I just witness?”
Team Hector, who had been first with 520 points, was pushed down.
White’s team, with a single score of 800 points, shot into first place.
“Kyaha! As expected!”
“I knew it, White!”
Team 8 was in full festival mood. Then Aseraz calmly entered and, with her Dullahan, slew 250 monsters for 500 points.
Just the two of them together already totaled 1,300 points. The two remaining teammates safely added 40 monsters each, 80 points.
Team total: 1,460 points.
Now no one could stop them.
“This is… big.”
Loraine, watching from the screen, darkened in expression.
And then, of all times, it was immediately the next turn.
“Team 6! Group 10 and Group 4, step forward!”
* * *
At last, it was the turn of Simon’s Team 6.
Their order was not particularly special, except that Simon was saved for the last runner. Everyone else simply chose their preferred order.
But coming right after Team 8’s incredible performance, their morale was somewhat dampened.
“Come on, we’re from Keyzen. Our goal is first place no matter what! Let’s do our best!”
The leader of Group 4 shouted energetically.
“As much as we can. Without regrets.”
Simon answered calmly.
All eight stacked their hands together.
“Fighting!”
They raised their hands high, firming their resolve. The students stepped back as the dungeon keeper approached.
“First participant, enter.”
The first up was a Group 4 member, the boy whose father was a hunter and who had described monsters in detail earlier.
“We have to catch up to first place.”
He closed his eyes and muttered.
“If the Student Council President, Loraine, and our captain can get close to White and Aseraz’s scores, then…”
“Monster count?”
The dungeon keeper prompted. The student opened his eyes wide and answered,
“Please give me 80 monsters.”
Hearing the number, Eshu’s expression grew anxious.
“…That’s too many. Are you sure?”
And then—
— Student Lorington Coloccini. Within the time limit, out of 80 monsters, 61 slain.
— Remaining monsters: 19.
— Student Lorington Coloccini and Team 6: 0 points.
“Ahhh…”
Groans filled the waiting area. The student who had called 80 clutched his head in despair. Simon broke into a cold sweat.
‘They’re all too conscious of the previous scores!’
Of course, going later was advantageous. But the drawback was clear.
If the earlier competitors did well, you became fixated on their scores and lost your own standards. Especially since they had just watched White’s 400 and Aseraz’s 250, their sense of scale had been distorted.
“Let’s calm down, everyone.”
Loraine, seemingly having the same thought, clapped her hands to reset the mood.
At the words of the next Chancellor, all nodded stiffly.
Toto, next, used his main undead, the Death Worm, to take down 40 monsters.
Eshu struggled but managed 60 with her Abaddon Dullahan.
Group 4 members also performed above average, each between 40 and 70.
And then—
“Wooooaahh!”
“As expected of Neftis’ daughter!”
Loraine, with an Abaddon Dullahan, slew 100 monsters with 20 seconds to spare.
Her specialty— controlling undead individually— shone brilliantly in this trial. Groups 10 and 4 ignited with fiery morale.
“Looks like Team 10 might actually contend with Team 8!”
“Now this is getting exciting!”
Even the lounge spectators’ eyes glittered with interest at how things were heating up.
Finally, the ace: the captain of Group 4, the only one among the eight with a Guardian Dullahan, stepped forward.
“Name.”
“Vicente Borromeo.”
“Monster count?”
He closed his eyes.
The goal was obviously first place. Difficult, yes. But if Simon could perhaps match White’s 400 or more, then—
“Please give me 200 monsters!”
Ooooooh—!
200 was the same as Hector’s attempt. The lounge heated up, while the waiting teammates looked more uneasy.
“Are you sure, captain?”
A Group 4 girl asked anxiously. The captain gave a confident thumbs-up.
“Just trust me.”
He proudly summoned his Dullahan.
* * *
— Student Vicente Borromeo. Within the time limit, out of 200 monsters, 182 slain.
— Remaining monsters: 18.
— Student Vicente Borromeo and Team 6: 0 points.
Though he poured in all his Darkness and strength, it wasn’t enough.
The captain collapsed, pale.
“Captain!”
“Are you alright?”
The medics rushed with a stretcher, but he waved them off.
“I’m… fine.”
He tried to walk on his own but finally collapsed right in front of Simon, who was waiting.
“…I’m sorry. Really sorry.”
His trembling eyes lifted.
“I didn’t want to burden you. But I wanted to cling to even the tiniest hope…”
“It’s alright. You did well.”
Simon gave a gentle smile.
“President.”
The captain looked up with shaking eyes.
“I know it’s shameless after ruining everything, but the team score is already finished. So—”
Simon nodded calmly.
“Yeah. I’ll just do what I can.”
At last.
It was Simon’s turn.
Even the students who had been dozing off or sprawled around in the lounge leapt to the monitors. A named contender was finally up.
“The Student Council President also has a Guardian Dullahan, right?”
“No, just an Abaddon. Vanilla brand.”
“No, no. I heard rumors he had a Guardian. Just no head, only the torso.”
“What? What’s the point of that?”
Simon loosened his arms, finishing his stretches, and checked the magic circle he had prepared.
Then he walked to the front.
“That’s him!”
“Elders, rise. The second-year Student Council President is entering.”
Finally, the main event of the day.
With Simon Follentia’s entrance, everyone held their breath.
“This will be interesting. How many will he call?”
Grerion crossed his arms.
“I’m curious!”
“Me too!”
Lin and Rune, the twin professors clapped hands like sparrows chattering.
“…”
Aron simply bit down on his cigar and stared at the screen.
“Name.”
The dungeon keeper spoke.
“Simon Follentia.”
“Monster count.”
The moment had come.
Simon turned his head.
Currently, Team 6’s score was 360.
The earlier members had done well, but with two zeroes, the team was practically finished.
To seize first place from Team 8’s 1,460…
They needed 1,100 points.
Meaning Simon alone would have to slay 1,100 monsters.
“Will he call over 1,000?”
“Impossible. Even White only did 400.”
As everyone murmured—
Simon finally spoke.
“I’ll only do as much as I can.”
Meaning, he would ignore rankings and focus solely on his personal score.
The elders and Crows clicked their tongues with disappointment.
“Pragmatic.”
“Shows his limits.”
The dungeon keeper nodded slowly.
“Monster count.”
Simon’s steady eyes stared straight ahead. Finally, his lips opened.
“Please give me 10,000 monsters.”
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters