Chapter 820
[Conon Heverly has been eliminated.]
Simon was checking the eliminated students with the output device strapped to his wrist as he moved.
He briefly considered whether he should return to the starting island, but even if he did, the chance of meeting Maelyn and Kamibarez, or any of his other friends, was extremely low.
And more importantly—
‘They called it the Lord of the Volcano Castle.’
Simon recalled Neftis’ words.
—If you capture the Lord of the Volcano Castle, regardless of the remaining time, this test will end with the “students’ victory”.
The students’ victory. A vague expression, to be sure.
Just because the Lord of the Volcano Castle was captured didn’t mean that the expulsion orders for the eliminated students would 100% be nullified.
But could it really be called a “victory of the students” if even a single Keyzen student was expelled and forced to leave the school? Simon didn’t think so.
‘……Survival or victory.’
The theme that ran through this entire group test.
If its meaning was: survive alone, or survive together—if it really came down to that binary choice?
‘Then how should I move from here?’
—Kraaaahk!
—Keeekek!
Snapping out of his thoughts, Simon raised his head.
He heard screams ahead, and sure enough, lava monsters were charging toward him.
Their bodies were as black as coal, with red streaks glowing all over. Unlike ordinary lava monsters, these were artificially created by Keyzen.
“Go!”
Simon instantly opened subspace and unleashed his zombies.
The lava monsters were stronger than they appeared. If he had the skeletons kill them one by one with weapons, it would take too long, so he simply sacrificed a few zombies to latch onto their bodies.
“Corpse Explosion.”
That was the best option.
With a series of detonations, lava monsters were blown apart, scattering points that Simon collected.
‘Hmm, I don’t even know how much time has passed.’
The first day was coming to an end.
He hadn’t properly rested during all that time. He was fairly exhausted, so Simon decided to look for a place to lie down and headed into the dense forest.
‘…….’
But the moment he stepped into the forest, he saw footprints.
He didn’t want to get into another fight with a Keyzen student. As Simon was about to veer off to the side—
Ssssss.
Sssssssss.
Strange rings hung from the trees.
‘Spirits.’
A Spiritology major was nearby. Simon immediately drew up Darkness, preparing for battle.
“What, Simon?”
But then, a familiar voice reached his ears.
“What are you doing here?”
The rings hanging in the trees all vanished at once, and a girl with hair braided like dumplings poked her head out of the bushes.
It was a completely unexpected face to see here. Simon’s eyes widened with joy.
“Cindy!”
One of the very first friends he made after leaving his hometown, Leshill.
A fellow student from Class A, Cindy Vivace.
“So we meet here? Nice to see you!”
Seeing Simon, she dispelled the Spirits. Then, completely defenseless, she came closer and patted his back.
“You look fine, huh?”
“Well, you know.”
Simon also dispersed his Darkness. Cindy giggled, then suddenly began licking the back of her hand.
Simon blinked at her with a puzzled expression.
“I’ve summoned the spirit of a cat into my body. So don’t mind me if I do weird things.”
“That’s an interesting technique.”
“The spirit magic I can use in this state is really effective. Anyway, want to stick together for a while?”
She licked her lips as she continued.
“Then I’ll give you some good information.”
Good information?
Even aside from information, Cindy Vivace wasn’t a bad choice for a companion. Her grades were outstanding, and she was among the top students in Spiritology.
Of course, since he hadn’t had much contact with her, he couldn’t completely let his guard down. But at least they shared the bond of being from Class A. There were also rumors she cooperated with Claudia’s protest unit. It was certainly better than joining up with strangers.
“Alright, sure. What information?”
She jerked her chin.
“Nearby. Follow me.”
Simon followed Cindy to the beach. There, a ship lay half-shattered.
It looked like it had run into a storm on the way, smashed brutally apart. Splintered fragments were strewn all over the sandy shore.
“I was actually thinking of just ignoring it.”
Cindy clasped her hands behind her head as she spoke.
“Simon, you’re trustworthy and all, but that guy? I really don’t trust him.”
“That guy? What do you—ah!”
From the wreckage of the ship emerged a familiar face.
A man with soaked blond hair, groaning in pain.
“Dick!”
Simon hurriedly pulled Dick out and laid him down on the shore.
Upon checking, it seemed he hadn’t swallowed much water. He had probably just hit his head against rocks on the way here and fainted.
“Dick! Are you alright?”
Simon shook him awake. Dick coughed violently, then opened his eyes.
“Oh, Simon.”
“Dick!”
“Sorry about this.”
Dick gave a bitter smile.
“…I’m expelled.”
“Huh?”
“I gave it my all, so I don’t regret it. Maelyn and Kami are fine, right? They’re always amazing anyway. Ah! Sorry I couldn’t keep the promise to become third-years together.”
He covered his forehead with a trembling hand.
“Ssss, I really wanted to stay in Keyzen with you. But I guess it can’t be helped. Nothing I can do.”
“…Dick.”
Simon smiled wryly. Behind him, Cindy was covering her mouth with both hands, her face flushed red as she stifled laughter.
“You’re not eliminated yet.”
“Huh?”
“The test is still ongoing.”
Dick shot upright.
He glanced around frantically, then noticed the output device still on his left arm.
“You just fainted for a bit. Look, your life gauge is still there.”
“Y-yeah, you’re right?”
Kahahahaha!
Dick leapt to his feet and roared with laughter. He grabbed Simon’s shoulders and shook him back and forth.
“I’m alive, Simon! I’m still alive! I’m alive! Ahahaha!”
“…I’m getting dizzy, Dick.”
“Of course! With my ridiculously tough life force, there’s no way I’d be knocked out of a test like this!”
Then he turned his head.
“Oh, my Class A mate Cindy! Even your snotty little face looks good to me now!”
Cindy sneered with her mouth open.
“You couldn’t keep your promise to become a third-year, huh?”
“Guhh!”
Dick’s face turned bright red as belated embarrassment overwhelmed him.
“You two! What I said earlier stays between us! Got it? This is going with me to the grave!”
“I’ll tell Maelyn and Kami.”
“Lady Cindy!”
Dick immediately clutched at her trouser leg.
“If you want me to bark like a dog, I’ll bark!”
“Get lost.”
“Woof!”
Seeing how well those two got along, Simon smiled.
Somehow, he felt a sense of peace.
* * *
At the same time.
“The entire situation of the test has drastically changed!”
The commentator jumped to his feet and grabbed the amplification crystal.
“This group test can truly be divided into before and after the volcanic eruption! At first, the students fought cautiously, then they clashed fiercely, and now, with the eruption, they are once again uniting to overcome a new crisis!”
On the mana screens, students could be seen halting their battles and instead fighting lava monsters.
In particular, the sight of two groups of students, who had been locked in such a bitter struggle on the island, now combining forces to cut through the lava monsters and carve a path, was remarkable.
“Fascinating! Don’t you agree, Professor Aron? This looks less like a school test, and more like a study of human behavioral patterns!”
Aron replied in a flat voice.
“It is nothing but human nature. The purpose of all life is survival, and behavior changes with circumstances in order to fulfill that purpose.”
“Ah, r-right!”
The commentator tried to lighten the atmosphere, but with Aron’s refusal to joke along, only sweat rolled down his back.
“The important part hasn’t even started yet.”
This time, Jane spoke. The commentator raised his hand sharply to cue her words.
“The most important part, that would be…?”
“Yes.”
Jane gave a short nod.
“The Lord of the Volcano Castle.”
“I heard that originally Sir Endolas Vaudeville had arranged someone, but it seems Lady Neftis appointed a new candidate. Do you happen to know who it is?”
At that, Jane let out a long sigh and shook her head.
“She is so headstrong, even I don’t know.”
“Sir Marius, who was supposed to become the Lord of the Volcano Castle, is already a formidable figure. I wonder, then, what kind of person Lady Neftis has chosen to play the examiner’s role as the Lord of the Volcano Castle! Ladies and gentlemen watching, you can surely look forward to it!”
Just then, the view on the mana screen shifted.
“The key battles are drawing to a close, and the appearance of the Lord of the Volcano Castle is imminent! Let’s move to the next scene!”
* * *
Simon, Dick, and Cindy had taken position in a relatively safe highland forest away from the lava.
At last, Simon began spending the points he had accumulated. He bought a tent, chairs, lights, even a fence.
To finish, he purchased food. They roasted a large hunk of meat over the fire. Daytime had been hard, but at night, they were enjoying luxuries beyond any exam.
“Man, this is happiness, pure happiness.”
Dick said with a broad smile.
“But Simon, are you sure it’s okay for us to eat with your points?”
“Of course. Points won’t be worth anything after tomorrow anyway.”
In fact, even after this spending, Simon still had plenty of points left.
Buuurp—
Having bought and eaten a mountain of desserts with her points, Cindy belched and patted her stomach.
“If this is my last supper at Keyzen, it’s not half bad.”
“Don’t say unlucky things like that.”
Dick muttered, chewing on a piece of meat.
After the meal, Simon closed his eyes and organized his thoughts. He had just finished listening to Dick explain how things had been going.
“What’s your plan, Simon?”
Dick asked suddenly.
“Are you going to look for a safe place? Or….”
Simon shook his head.
“Catching the Lord of the Volcano Castle is the best option. Everything else is just a stopgap.”
“That’s too dangerous.”
Cindy tapped her shoulder as she spoke.
“Who knows who Lady Neftis put in as the Lord of the Volcano Castle? If you rush in trying to save expelled students and challenge some powerhouse, and get eliminated, only we lose.”
“I agree.”
Dick nodded at Cindy’s words.
“Everyone’s just going to hide in some safe place, thinking, ‘Someone else will catch the Lord of the Volcano Castle~’.”
“At least now I know that’s what you were planning.”
“Oh, you caught me.”
Dick plucked some grass and waved it in front of her, and Cindy, with the spirit of a cat inside her, had her pupils dart helplessly and her hand twitch involuntarily.
Dick chuckled at the sight, until she smacked him with a water bottle.
“No wonder Maelyn hits you so much.”
“Seriously, Class A girls, I swear. Why are you all so violent?”
“Maybe it’s your mouth that keeps inviting fists?”
While the two bickered, Simon checked the time.
[Remaining Time : 24:02:10]
It had been nearly 24 hours since they arrived here.
Two minutes left.
—At the 24-hour mark of the 48 hours, the master of this island shall appear!
Now came the main event.
Simon rose to his feet.
“It’s starting.”
Ruuuuumble!
The crater of the volcano began to boil.
Ruuuuumble!
The crater of the volcano boiled. The students stopped what they were doing and turned to the central island’s volcano.
[Remaining Time : 24:00:00]
At last, the critical moment occurred. From the output devices on their wrists, a message was sent to all students simultaneously.
[The Lord of the Volcano Castle is appearing.]
Kwaaaaaa—!
From the crater, magma soared skyward as if to pierce the heavens.
Then, the lava that had risen so high slowly fell away under gravity, and within it, something black revealed itself.
It was a “castle”
Emerging from the seething magma, the black castle that now floated in the air was overwhelming in grandeur.
Though lava continued to spew from the crater, it could not harm the castle at all, dripping and sliding off its surface harmlessly.
Step. Step.
[Indeed.]
And from within the castle, a figure clad in crimson armor that enveloped his whole body walked forth.
He stopped at the cliff of the castle, and looked down over it all.
Those fighting each other, those fleeing from lava, those climbing the volcano, those entering remote islands to layer barrier spells.
[So, these are the ones who dared step into my domain.]
From beneath the helmet, hawk-like eyes glinted sharply.
I think this is the best manga ever. Is there a schedule for when the next free ones will be unlocked ?