Chapter 823
It was said that the Bloodmew Clan could see a short glimpse of the future through foresight.
If that was true, then Elishia…
—I’ll place my bet on your victory.
Why didn’t she dodge the attack, and why did she entrust him with these items?
“Simon!”
The shout calling out to him jolted Simon awake. The muffled sounds around him regained their vividness, and the scorching heat pierced into his lungs.
“What are you doing? Get it together!”
Cindy was shouting while unleashing spirit magic in rapid succession.
When he opened his eyes, his vision was flipped upside down, and her face came into view. Next to her, Dick was frantically throwing something, and Malcolm was continuously summoning doppelgangers.
And what they were facing was a swarm of lava monsters.
Right after Elishia was eliminated by the attack of the ‘Volcanic Lord’, as soon as Simon’s party crossed the stone bridge, hundreds of lava monsters surged toward them.
It was as if they had been waiting for them to cross the magma, all at once surrounding them and cutting off their retreat.
Simon had charged ahead to break through the encirclement, but then he was struck by a massive shock. He remembered the dust clouding his vision, and it seemed he had blacked out in that fleeting moment.
“Hey, Simon! Are you okay?”
Dick reached out his hand. Simon grabbed it and pulled himself up in one swift motion.
“What happened?”
“A lava meteor fell right next to you from the sky. Talk about rotten luck.”
Looking where Dick pointed, Simon saw a huge crater gouged into the ground.
To have failed to dodge that, it must have been because he couldn’t focus after seeing Elishia taken down before his eyes.
“If you’re up, then hurry and help!”
Cindy screamed in strained desperation. At that moment, a student was grabbed by the arms of a lava monster and dragged away, screaming in agony. The next moment, a horrifying scream rang out, followed by the stench of burning flesh.
[Giltra Anden has been eliminated.]
Light flashed among the lava monsters surrounding Giltra, the same light that came with being summoned back to Camp Island.
The monsters, having lost their prey right before their eyes, turned their furious gazes toward Simon’s group.
“There are too many.”
Malcolm muttered as he stepped back.
“It feels like someone is controlling these lava monsters. They’re moving tactically, gradually tightening the encirclement.”
“Controlling them? Don’t be ridiculous!”
Cindy snapped back, but Simon thought Malcolm had a point.
The ambush had come immediately after crossing the bridge, as though they had been lying in wait.
Some even looped around quickly to destroy the bridge, cutting off their escape.
Would lava monsters, who normally just charged blindly at humans, be capable of such tactical maneuvers?
“…….”
Simon’s eyes swept around.
The lava monsters were even forming battle formations. In the front, three groups spread wide like a curtain to block them, and behind them, two reserve groups pressed close, ready to reinforce.
This encirclement, this tactic…
He had seen it many times before.
No, not just seen.
‘This is exactly what I was taught…!’
“Ah! Over there!”
Cindy shouted, pointing ahead. Amidst the crowding monsters, a small gap appeared in the formation.
“A gap! There’s a gap in the encirclement! Let’s run through it!”
“No, it’s a trap.”
Simon stopped her with a voice full of certainty.
“They’re trying to lure us in. Malcolm!”
“Uh, yeah?”
“Send all your doppelgangers toward that empty crack in the formation!”
Simon shouted, throwing something to Malcolm. When Malcolm caught and saw it, his eyes widened.
“This is…!”
It was a syringe capsule containing Elishia’s blue blood.
“Elishia’s Amplification Serum! You had a spare?”
Without hesitation, Malcolm jammed it into his shoulder. Immediately, Darkness surged from his body as he unleashed his black magic at maximum power.
<Doppelganger>
Over thirty doppelgangers charged toward the gap in the lava monsters’ formation. Meanwhile, Simon led his companions running in the exact opposite direction.
“We’re going this way!”
“What? Are you insane? Malcolm just pulled out his forces, and now you’re splitting our strength?”
“Trust me!”
Shouting, Simon dashed headlong into the enemy lines.
‘Open Gate!’
Chwaaaaaaak!
Two blades of Overlord burst out, slicing through the clustered lava monsters in an instant. Simon then opened subspace and rapidly pulled out bones, stacking them into a fortress wall before him.
<Bone Armor – Heavy Armor Type>
Kukukukukukung!
A fortress of bone, made from an ogre’s corpse, unfolded before them. The other students immediately climbed onto it, and Simon gave the command to advance.
The lava monsters were trampled under the heavy armor’s kicks, their formation crumbling.
“Huh? It’s breaking through easier than I thought?”
“We’re out!”
Breaking through just a single layer of monsters, they burst into the open in an instant.
Simon then released the Heavy Armor and controlled the massive bones.
Kuung!
Kwoong!
Bones shot from the air, embedding into the ground like pillars to form a skeletal fence.
While the lava monsters raged to climb over it, Simon’s group safely widened the distance.
“Nice!”
“We made it!”
Amidst everyone’s cheers, Cindy glanced back.
The doppelgangers that had rushed toward the earlier gap were being massacred by the lava monsters, who had suddenly closed the formation on them.
“You knew it would turn out like that, didn’t you?”
She eyed Simon suspiciously.
“What are you, some kind of seer like Elishia?”
“It’s not foresight.”
It was just one of the tactical formations often used in Northern Carlos.
And then, there was also that arrow that killed Elishia.
Simon smiled faintly, gazing toward the Volcanic Castle.
‘So you were there.’
* * *
[.......]
The Lord of the Volcanic Castle was using Endolas Vaudeville’s system to control the lava monsters.
It was one of the authorities granted to the Lord of the Volcanic Castle.
Before her was a huge map, displaying the movements of monsters and lava beasts alike.
Normally, even with such authority, control would be difficult. But to her, who had once commanded countless undead legions, this was trivial.
And yet…
‘They broke through my encirclement.’
For over ten years she had guarded Northern Carlos without flaw, a master of tactics and formations. She had thought the group of students would be trapped and annihilated within her net. But they had toyed with her monsters and escaped.
They had sent bait to lure the monsters, then dashed for the weak point on the opposite side. Such a decision was impossible without precise knowledge of the weaknesses in her tactical array. And these weren’t professionals, they were just students.
‘……So you were there.’
Lost in thought for a moment, the Lord of the Volcanic Castle smiled.
‘Arrogant brat.’
* * *
“The Lord of the Volcanic Castle is Professor Jin Arskalt?”
“The Northern Grand Duke?”
At Simon’s explanation, his companions were stunned.
Simon nodded with absolute conviction.
“Yes. I’m certain.”
The tactical formation the monsters had just used, and above all, the arrow shot from the Volcanic Castle that killed Elishia.
With her skill in wielding the Bow of Tempest, hitting Elishia from that distance was no impossibility.
“And there’s one more thing we can know from this.”
“What’s that?”
“Right after finishing her ‘foresight’, Elishia crossed over to where I was and said this—”
—I’ll place my bet on your victory.
Rustling, Simon pulled out a syringe capsule filled with blue blood and showed it in his palm.
“Think about it. If this exam’s ‘elimination’ truly meant inevitable ‘expulsion’, would Elishia have entrusted this to me, ready to be eliminated?”
“Wait a second! You mean—!”
Cindy jumped up.
“Elishia foresaw a future where she survived!”
“Elimination isn’t the end, then.”
Dick cut in abruptly.
“Survival or victory. If we take down the Lord of the Volcanic Castle, all the eliminated students will avoid expulsion.”
“That’s right.”
Everyone let out a long sigh of relief. Smiles appeared here and there.
The students had all taken Keyzen’s exams more than once, and from experience they had guessed that ‘the victory of the students’ was the only way to avoid expulsion, the path that Keyzen had deliberately left open.
But with this, it wasn’t just a ‘guess’, it was ‘certainty’. That difference in mindset was huge.
“Still, if what Simon says is true, then this is too much. Lady Neftis.”
Cindy shook her head.
“How are we supposed to take down an active Legion Commander? It’s obvious we can’t win.”
“Limitations.”
Dick spoke suddenly.
“There must be restrictions. It’s our job to exploit them.”
Simon thought the same.
The attack that struck Elishia wasn’t the ‘Bow of Tempest’. And the lava monsters under her control weren’t the 2nd Legion.
She would only be able to act within the role and authority of the Lord of the Volcanic Castle.
“Of course, knowing the Grand Duke’s personality, she won’t be holding back at all.”
Simon said this, sweeping his gaze across his companions.
Since Elishia’s elimination, he had naturally become their leader.
“We’ll have to fight tooth and nail. Let’s move out.”
After the fierce battle, the group moved forward cautiously. At that moment, Cindy, who had taken on scouting duty, perked her ears up.
“Guys, I think we’ve found the right place.”
“Why?”
“There are a lot of students nearby. Thirty? No, more than forty.”
Hearing this, Simon’s group brightened and rushed forward.
It was true.
At first, one or two students appeared in the surroundings, and soon, a crowd of students gathered at the base of the mountain came into view. More than forty, a massive group.
“It’s a raid party!”
Dick shouted with delight.
“With this many, no doubt! They must be gathering to take down the Lord of the Volcanic Castle!”
Malcolm scanned the faces among the students and muttered.
“But who gathered them all? There has to be someone strong enough to hold the center.”
“Let’s find out.”
Simon’s group naturally merged into the raid party.
There was no hostility, unlike at the beginning of the exam. The existing group welcomed the newcomers, happy at the increase in strength. Some even broke into grins when they saw Simon, the top student.
“Guys! I got the details!”
After asking a few questions of acquaintances, Dick came running back to explain.
“It’s definitely a raid on the Volcanic Castle! They gathered here and plan to climb together. The route looks clear too.”
As he said, though the volcano was erupting endlessly, this particular route had little to no magma touching it.
The raid party seemed to be gathering as many as possible here before launching a single large-scale assault on the castle.
“Oh, and the leader of the raid is……”
Just as Dick spoke, the students around them parted to the sides, and a huge man walked forward.
“Simon Follentia.”
The leader of the raid party was none other than Hector Moore, ranked 3rd overall. He had been the one gathering the raid to defeat the Lord of the Volcanic Castle and end the exam.
Simon greeted him warmly.
“Hello, Hector.”
“……You came to take down the Lord of the Volcanic Castle as well.”
“As you see.”
Hector crossed his arms.
“Good. I’d love to settle things with you right now, but just this once, I’ll let it go. From here on, you’ll follow my command as part of my forces.”
“I don’t trust that.”
Cindy, who had been in the same Class A, suddenly spoke.
“Are you really leading this raid party out of pure intentions? Or are you waiting for a chance to knock out your competition?”
Hector’s voice dropped low.
“Pierre was taken.”
“……”
“To save him, this is the only way.”
Pierre Buckley, also from Class A and in the same summoning department, was Hector’s closest friend. Now, he was more than just a faction ally to Hector.
Dick whistled in surprise.
“Well, he sure does take care of his own.”
Though feared by many, Hector’s loyalty to his comrades was widely known.
Hector scowled and pointed behind him.
“Bug, go join those brainiacs back there.”
A few model students were huddled together in the rear, drawing up strategies. Dick waved lazily and joined the strategy team.
“And Simon Follentia, you’ll hold your strength in reserve and fight at my side in the final battle against the Lord of the Volcanic Castle.”
“……”
“Of course, the one who will deal the finishing blow is me.”
Simon quietly looked around, then spoke.
“Our forces still aren’t enough.”
“?”
One of Hector’s faction members stepped up.
“We’ve got more than forty gathered here, isn’t that enough? If you don’t want in, then just say so instead of making excuses—”
“The Lord of the Volcanic Castle is Professor Jin Arskalt.”
The words caused murmurs to ripple through the students.
“Really?”
“On what grounds…?”
“Probably.”
Hector stretched his arm to silence them, and bluntly declared.
“He’s right.”
With Hector’s confirmation, the agitated faction students fell quiet.
Simon then explained the incident with Elishia.
It was already well-known that she had the ability of foresight. This information lent more weight to the cause of achieving ‘the students’ victory’, and the raid party roared with enthusiasm.
Finally, Simon checked the timer on the display device.
“There’s still plenty of time. If we rush and lose forces, then there’s no hope.”
Simon lifted his head.
“Let’s gather as many as possible and strike all at once. Especially, we need the power of the Top 10.”
“You want to gather the Top 10? After what they’ve done to you, you’ve got some nerve.”
Hector frowned.
“They’re all reckless and headstrong. How do you plan on bringing them in? Especially when all of them are hostile toward you?”
Simon gazed silently at the sky.
Far in the distance, a ship floated lazily. Simon smirked faintly.
“If they won’t listen to words, then I’ll just persuade them with force.”
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