Book 1 Chapter 308

The second-year students murmured at the mention of a mock battle.

"A large-scale mock battle for dorm supremacy?"

"So, the entire dorm is participating in a mock battle?"

Literally, a massive battle involving the entire second year.

"Quiet."

With a single word, the entire second year fell silent and focused on Halind.

"This practical exam is to assess your capabilities in large-scale, multi-person combat."

Halind's cold gaze swept over the students.

"For your first year, you have studied and trained for one-on-one duels, or battles against multiple monsters, beasts, and demons."

At this, the students nodded.

"From the second year, you need to learn about combat against multiple humans, or other races."

Most of the students looked puzzled at Halind's words.

Chelsea raised her hand high.

"What is it, Chelsea Lewalin?"

"Is there any reason to differentiate if it's the same kind of combat?"

At this, Halind looked around the students with a blank expression.

Most of the students seemed to agree with Chelsea's opinion.

"Is there any student who can answer Chelsea's question?"

In response, a few students raised their hands.

"Emio Lucian, try to answer."

Halind gave the floor to Emio, who raised his hand first.

"Large-scale human combat has a completely different strategy and tactics. Unlike monsters and beasts that tend to move in a very simple manner, or demons that are threatening by their mere existence, large-scale human combat often involves units trained to a high degree. If you carelessly think of them as monsters or beasts, you might fall into a trap due to the opponent's strategy."

Halind nodded at Emio's words.

"Excellent. I'll give you 5 points for your presentation."

"Thank you."

Emio, bowing his head, looked at Chelsea with a "Hmph-".

Seeing Emio like that, Chelsea stuck out her tongue as if he was annoying.

Emio, whose family was entirely military, had undergone military training since childhood.

Therefore, he knew fundamentally how different combat against humans was from facing monsters, beasts, and demons.

"Is there anyone else who wants to present on the differences?"

At Halind's question, the students exchanged glances.

Amidst this, Chen Xia raised her hand.

"Chen Xia, answer."

"Whatever the reason, the difference is that in actual combat, you have to take many lives."

Unlike usual, Chen Xia's face was extremely expressionless.

Seeing Chen Xia like that, the students around her flinched.

Even as potential heroes, they were still teenagers in their mid-teens.

It was too young an age to truly grasp the weight of taking a human life.

Everyone swallowed dryly.

"5 points for your presentation."

Chen Xia lowered her hand without answering.

"The greatest enemy of a hero is Tartarus. That is an unchangeable, eternal truth."

Halind looked at the students.

"However, in the distant future, due to individual circumstances, there may come a day when you point your weapons at each other on the battlefield."

They gathered under the name of Lumern Hero Academy and studied together.

However, most of the hero candidates belonged to their own factions, and their interests were intertwined.

It was a place where talents from all over the world gathered.

As such, there were many students among them whose countries were currently in an adversarial relationship.

The atmosphere among the students became heavy.

"But know this one thing. The large-scale human combat exam is not intended to simulate such a war."

Halind took a deep breath.

"It's to prepare you for the battles against the Hero Hunters you will face someday. Never forget that fact."

"Yes!"

Halind nodded at his disciples' resounding reply and said,

"Then I will explain the rules of this exam."

Halind snapped his fingers.

Then, a screen magically appeared in the air.

"The battlefield for this exam is Lumaria Lake."

As the students gazed at the scenery of Lumaria Lake, their eyes sparkled.

"And each dorm will be given a base."

*Snap*! With a snap of his fingers, three islands appeared.

"Wow! This is serious!"

"I thought it was just a mock battle, but they're even giving us bases."

They exclaimed in admiration.

Other students also seemed excited and reacted positively.

"This looks fun!"

Kal exclaimed.

Halind's cold gaze turned to Kal.

"Kal Thomas."

"Y-yes?"

"Chelsea Lewalin."

"Yes?"

"Come forward."

Kal, who had thought he was being scolded for saying the exam looked "fun," felt relieved when he was called forward with Chelsea.

Halind handed Kal a bracelet.

"This is a magical artifact that protects your body. Wear it."

Kal wore the bracelet without question at Halind's words.

Then, the bracelet glowed green.

"Wow?"

While Kal was marveling,

"Chelsea Lewalin."

"Yes."

"Attack Kal Thomas with magic."

"Wind Storm."

*KABOOOM!*

"GAAAH?!"

Chelsea, without hesitation, unleashed a powerful attack on Kal with her signature rapid chanting.

Kal, who had been sent flying and slammed into the ground, twitched.

Everyone looked at Kal with pity.

A moment later.

"Wait! Wait! Even so, why did you just blast me out of nowhere!"

"It was Professor Halind's order."

"There are weaker spells like Magic Arrow."

"I thought a strong spell was necessary for an experiment. You don't look hurt, do you?"

"I am hurt! It hurt a lot! I'm just not injured!"

To Kal's protest, Chelsea gave a bright and cute smile.

Halind pointed to Kal's wrist.

"Everyone, look at Kal Thomas's wrist. It's glowing red, isn't it?"

Not only that, but the light of the bracelet, which had been glowing green all over, had gone out except for the upper part.

"Red light signifies a near-death state. This bracelet is a defensive artifact that protects you and also displays your life. If the light of the bracelet disappears, you will be considered 'dead.' Of course, you won't be injured, but it won't completely block the pain."

All the students nodded.

"If our life is completely depleted, is that the end?"

Chloe asked, raising her hand, and Halind shook his head.

"No. If your life is completely depleted, you will respawn at your base after 5 minutes, and the revived student can rejoin the battle."

"Oh…!"

"However. The opposing side will be given 5 points as a suppression point."

"Ooh."

"In addition, you can build forward bases and install warp gates to rejoin the battlefield quickly. If these forward bases are destroyed, the team that destroyed them will be awarded 20 points."

"Is it possible to capture the opponent's base?"

At Celia's question, Halind nodded.

"Yes. If you capture and seize a base, you will be awarded 300 points. And the team whose base has been captured can no longer respawn. It ends with annihilation. Of course, you can retake a captured base."

At his words, everyone's expression became tense.

"So, the team with the most points ultimately wins."

"That's right, Abad Lewalin."

Halind's answer caused a commotion among the students.

"Awesome! Awesome!"

"This exam looks like it'll be fun!"

"We can come up with various strategies!"

Seeing the students like that, Halind said,

"Besides accumulating points, there is also a victory condition."

At Halind's words, the students urgently focused.

"If the king of each dorm is captured, that dorm is immediately eliminated."

Everyone's eyes widened.

"Naturally, the king cannot respawn."

***

Glory Dormitory Lounge.

"Everyone, gather around!"

"Is everyone here?"

The entire dormitory students gathered in the lounge.

With all the Glory students assembled, Chloe was reading a thick book in a corner.

"What are you reading?"

Letdam, a male student from Glory's Summoning Department, asked with a puzzled expression, and Chloe replied with a smile.

"A book on tactical theory."

Meanwhile, Leo said,

"Now, we'll start the strategy meeting."

At Leo's words, Chloe closed her book.

"Before that, we're going to select a staff officer to draw up the strategy."

At that, Iliana raised her hand.

"Me! Me! Class representative! I'll do it!"

Seeing Iliana like that, protests erupted from various places.

"Hey! If you're in charge of strategy, you'll only come up with a frontal assault!"

"You're a frontal assault idiot even in one-on-one combat, so how can you be a staff officer!"

In response to the dormitory students' protests, Iliana crossed her arms and lifted her chin.

"Hmph! You seem to have forgotten that I'm from the Raden family! Our family is a war hero family! We even have family mottos related to war!"

"What's the family motto?"

To Letdam's question, Iliana chuckled.

"An overwhelming force for an immediate decisive victory."

"You're talking about decimating our own allies."

The reaction from her fellow dormitory students was cold.

"I think Chloe would be good as a staff officer."

"Right! Chloe is good at strategy and tactics!"

"She's a chess master too!"

Chloe nodded.

"Then. I'll do it."

"Then I'll be the deputy staff officer!"

"Rejected."

"R-representative! The kids are ignoring me!"

Iliana pouted and complained to Leo.

Chloe, who had become the staff officer, said,

"Before we strategize, I think we need to decide on the king."

At that, all the students looked tense.

"Who should be the king? Is there anyone who wants to do it?"

To Chloe's question, everyone exchanged glances.

Even Iliana, who liked to put herself forward, pondered seriously this time.

King.

This was the biggest variable in this battle.

Even if they captured the opponent's base or accumulated suppression points through overwhelming combat, they would lose if the king was killed.

Therefore, it was best for the king to be a strong person.

However, conversely, making the strongest member of the dorm the 'king' was also a problem.

Large-scale combat had many variables.

No matter how strong someone was, if they became complacent for a moment, they could lose all their life and be eliminated.

Therefore, it was best for the king to stay away from the safe base.

"This is more troublesome than I thought."

The Glory dormitory students shook their heads.

"It's an important position that must absolutely not be lost, so it should be someone strong, but then our strength is reduced."

"But if we ask someone who can defend the base, that's also worrying."

"Even defending the base is difficult to do rashly. You might have to run away if things go wrong."

This was when everyone was contemplating.

"If there are no volunteers, I have someone I'd like to recommend."

Everyone looked at Chloe.

Looking at her fellow dormitory students, Chloe said,

"I think Leo is suitable as the king."

At that, everyone's eyes widened.

"Isn't it a waste to make Leo the king? He's our strongest asset."

The students nodded at Letdam's words.

Seeing the students like that, Chloe said,

"Anyway, the students from other dorms won't know that Leo is the king."

That was true.

The king was kept 'secret' from students of other dorms.

Chloe's lips curved.

"We'll use that."

"What?"

"Leo is the most powerful force. Therefore, the students from other dorms will likely think that he has a low chance of being the king."

"Indeed."

Leo stroked his chin.

"So, you're saying I should be the king and intercept the enemies."

"Yes, that's right."

Chloe nodded.

"Rather, most students will avoid fighting Leo. To avoid giving suppression points to Leo."

"So, by making young Master Leo the king and sending him to the front lines, the enemies will be cautious and it will be safer."

Chen Xia exclaimed.

"Of course, there are variables here too. Worren, Duran, and Eliza will be targeting Leo."

Chloe's eyes sparkled.

"But with Leo's abilities, he can stop those three. They won't team up, after all."

The reason Worren, Duran, and Eliza would target Leo was because Leo was a target.

Therefore, teaming up would be unacceptable to their pride.

"Celia, Abad, and Chelsea will calculate the gains and losses and avoid fighting Leo."

In the end, it was about hiding the most important person in the most dangerous place.

"Still, isn't it too dangerous?"

Iliana said worriedly, and Chloe nodded.

"It's definitely dangerous. But."

Looking at Leo, Chloe smiled.

"The moment the opponent thinks we wouldn't use our strongest card like that, this mock battle becomes incredibly advantageous for us."

The Glory students looked at Chloe.

Her giggling made her resemble a dangerous witch from a fairy tale.

"So? What do you want to do?"