Book 1 Chapter 97
【97】96.
Leo, who had instantly eliminated the group of students targeting him, ascended to the top of the highest building visible in the vicinity.
‘People wouldn’t know. That this is the land where Lysinas and I first defeated a Legion Commander.’
This city, destroyed by greed, was also the place where Kyle and Lysinas, in the distant past, subjugated Tartaros’s Legion Commander, Jormungand, the Gluttonous King.
And it was a monumental land, the first successful recapture by the terrestrial races who had lost all their territories except for Gadsron.
The place where the legend of a great hero, now not even remaining in records, began.
“Back then, it was just Lysinas and me, so calling us great heroes is a bit much, I guess.”
Recalling his past life, Leo burst into laughter.
“First, should I look for Lake Erdiana?”
Leo unfolded the map of Neigran, which he had prepared in advance, from his pocket.
Five locations were marked on the map.
And in one of these five lakes, Luminus, the Great Spirit of Radiance, might be dormant.
Lysinas had promised Luminus, her covenant partner who had suffered damage close to annihilation in the battle with Jormungand.
‘I promise you, Luminus. When I awaken you again, this world will be filled with light.’
At the time, Luminus had sustained a grave injury from which annihilation was unavoidable.
Therefore, Lysinas had no choice but to seal Luminus in this land.
‘Given the long passage of time, the probability of Luminus still being dormant is almost nil.’
Leo took his eyes off the map.
‘If she’s still dormant, I’ll have to wake her up.’
***
The students quickly headed towards the center of Neigran.
“Move fast! There’s no reason to fight here now!”
The outcome of the battle royale would change depending on who first secured the central fortress, which was a safe zone.
Even if they were to compete in skill, reaching the central fortress first was the priority.
“If the curse activates, you’ll take damage without even getting to fight! The central fortress first!”
This battle royale was indeed a final practical exam, but it was also still an inter-departmental competition.
Therefore, many students were currently moving in departmental units.
This party was no exception.
They had encountered several departmental parties on their way here, but there were no battles.
Especially in the early stages, everyone was acting cautiously.
‘Fighting here now would only be a loss for oneself!’
Juredin Rusen, the 3rd rank in the Summoning Department, was certain of this.
He was the leader of a five-member Summoning Department party.
While the Juredin party rapidly moved towards the city walls, they were also steadily making other preparations.
“Even in this cursed land, there’s something edible.”
This battle royale wouldn't end until the last person was decided.
If things went well, it could turn into a long-term battle.
And the most important thing in a long-term battle was food.
The Juredin party was preparing for that.
“All the hard work we put in at the Forest of Illusions for the past month wasn’t in vain.”
A female student from the Summoning Department grumbled as she picked mushrooms and put them into her sub-dimension.
“I know, right.”
In the Forest of Illusions, they had interacted with uncontracted wild phantom beasts.
There, some students had achieved the feat of increasing their affinity to the point where they could give simple commands to lower-grade phantom beasts and spirits even without using spiritual power.
But what was most helpful now was that they had learned how to survive in the wild.
“Thanks to this, we won’t have to worry about food no matter what remote area we go to.”
“Ugh! Just thinking about it is awful!”
The students shook their heads as if disgusted.
‘Now, if we just arrive and prepare well for a long-term battle….’
Suddenly, Juredin’s complexion changed.
One of the spirits he had sent to scout the surroundings had been unsummoned.
“It seems a monster has appeared ahead. Let’s get out of here!”
“Okay!”
The Juredin party started moving.
“Huh?”
“What is it, Juredin?”
But seeing Juredin immediately grow serious, the party members looked puzzled.
“It happened again.”
“What?”
“Me too!”
Another party member shouted in confusion.
“Something is approaching at incredible speed!”
Juredin shouted urgently.
And at the same time…
Pazzzzzzzzzzzzzz-!
A fierce crackling spark echoed in the ears of the entire party.
Flash!
A powerful golden light erupted in front of Juredin’s party.
“Duran!”
‘Damn it! I ran into the most troublesome guy!’
Juredin grimaced and said, wary of Duran.
“Why are you blocking our path?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know?”
Duran said, drawing his sword.
“This is an inter-departmental competition. It’s natural to fight when you encounter an enemy.”
At his words, the female student from the Summoning Department made an incredulous expression.
“What if the curse activates? Or what if monsters appear while we’re fighting? Fighting here is a foolish thing to do!”
“You’re talking nonsense.”
Duran sneered.
“Do you think you and I are on the same level? Whether it’s monsters or a curse, it’s not a big problem for me. Instead of worrying about such things, it’s more beneficial to eliminate at least one more competitor before heading to the central fortress.”
“I thought there was no point talking to you after all.”
Juredin scoffed.
Whoosh!
Wind swirled around him.
“But Duran. I admit you’re strong, but even so, you seem to be underestimating me too much, aren’t you? Aren’t you underestimating the 3rd rank of the Summoning Department too much?”
“Wasn’t the 3rd rank of the Summoning Department Leo Flobe? I didn’t know, as I wasn’t interested.”
“You bastard!”
Kwagagagagak-!
The wind spirits simultaneously unleashed a violent gale towards Duran.
Kwachijijijik-!
As Duran swung his sword, golden electricity raged in all directions.
Duran, who had instantly unsummoned the spirits, twitched his eyes.
‘Just low-grade spirits?’
Duran was famous for his arrogant attitude, openly disregarding opponents, but he didn’t misjudge his opponents’ abilities.
Even if he wasn’t interested in Juredin, he knew that Juredin was an excellent spirit user.
Whirrr-!
Juredin turned his gaze to the sky.
There, a summoning circle emitting powerful energy had been generated.
“There’s nothing good for me in fighting you long-term! I’ll finish you in one go!”
Juredin, who had summoned an upper-grade wind spirit, smiled triumphantly.
The surrounding party members built a defensive formation to prepare for Juran’s attack.
Whooooosh-!
Duran’s body was momentarily lifted into the air by the fierce wind.
Kwagak-! Kwagak-!
Duran, his face hardened, stomped roughly on the ground.
Duran’s two feet were deeply embedded in the ground.
‘Just summoning it has this much influence….’
“Interesting.”
Duran curled the corner of his mouth and tightened his grip on the sword.
Pazzzzzzzik-!
Clench-!
His arm muscles twitched as if they would tear through his uniform.
Seeing Duran like that, Juredin shouted.
“Finish him! Alcatias!”
Whooooooooooosh!
The summoned upper-grade wind spirit became a tornado and plunged down onto Duran.
Duran’s eyes flashed as he watched the raging whirlwind, as if it would rip him apart, plunge down.
Golden sparks flew from his eyes.
The power of his sword was maximized by the Breath of the Brave.
‘Lightning Strike! Astrape!’
A crescent-shaped blade of lightning bisected the plunging whirlwind and soared into the sky.
Seeing that, Juredin’s eyes widened.
“Hmph!”
Duran took a deep breath and pulled his feet out of the ground.
“Not bad. But this is as far as you go.”
“D-damn it!”
Juredin’s face contorted.
As Duran approached, generating an aura, Juredin’s party flinched and backed away.
“That’s enough, Duran Moira.”
At the clear voice, Juredin’s party looked up at the sky in surprise.
“E-Eliza!”
“Sister! You’ve come to save us!”
“Eliza! Eliza! Eliza!”
“Are you planning to interfere, Eliza Helgin?”
Duran asked irritably, and Eliza, mounted on the top-grade phantom beast Wind Wyvern, fiddled with her fingernails and said.
“Since it’s an inter-departmental competition, isn’t it natural to help students from my department?”
“Ung! Ung! Sister! Have me!”
“Eliza! Eliza!”
The Summoning Department students continued to chant Eliza’s name and praise her.
Eliza was usually very proud, but she was also a student with strong pride in summoning studies.
Despite being boastful, she was active in departmental affairs, so she was very popular among Summoning Department students.
Eliza took her eyes off her fingernails, looked down at Duran, and curled the corner of her mouth.
“Well, if you don’t want to tuck your tail and run away and insist on fighting, I won’t stop you. Hahahahahaha!”
“Heheheh. If you’re being arrogant relying on these, you’ve made the wrong choice. Eliza Helgin.”
Duran burst into laughter.
Goooooo-!
As the two most arrogant first-year students engaged in a war of nerves, Juredin’s party began to subtly gauge the situation.
“A-are we going to get caught up in this and get hurt?”
“E-Eliza, we should help, but… it feels like a shrimp’s back might break in a whale fight….”
It was when the Summoning Department students were sweating profusely and backing away.
Duran twitched his eyes and looked up at the sky in the opposite direction from Eliza.
“Grrr?”
“What’s wrong, Peepy? Is something coming?”
As the Wind Wyvern, sensitive to wind movements, looked in the direction Duran was looking, Eliza made a puzzled expression.
At the same time, she did not lower her guard against Duran.
A moment later, something was seen flying at an incredible speed.
The moment they perceived it…
Whoosh!
“Kyaaah!”
A student flew across the sky in an instant.
And Eliza, caught in the aftermath before she could even prepare, tumbled from her saddle.
Eliza’s face, sprawled miserably on the Wind Wyvern’s back, was stained with fury.
She hadn't fallen to the ground, but for a phantom beast master, falling from the saddle of their mounted phantom beast was an immense humiliation.
“Hmph. I didn’t expect to meet you so soon! I’ll settle this right here!”
The fastest student in the Knight Department, he chased after Leo and disappeared in an instant.
Meanwhile, Eliza, who had climbed back onto the saddle, glared with angry eyes in the direction Leo had disappeared.
“Again! Again! Again! Leo Flobe! Is that you!”
“Eek! She’s mad! She’s really mad!”
“E-Eliza! Don’t mind them now, let’s go to the central fortress….”
“I won’t forgive you! I will absolutely not forgive you this time! Peepy! Chase Leo Flobe!”
“Caw!”
Spreading its wings wide, the Wind Wyvern soared into the sky at incredible speed.
And then it descended in the direction Leo had flown.
As the three people disappeared in an instant, the female student from the Summoning Department made a bewildered expression.
“That’s completely the opposite direction from the central fortress, isn’t it? Why are they doing that?”
At her words, Juredin sighed.
“He’s the top of our school, after all. He must have a plan.”
“I don’t know about Leo, but Eliza and Duran seem to have just chased Leo without thinking.”
“Leave those daikon radishes alone.”
“Huh? Daikon radishes? What does that mean?”
“Simple, ignorant X-holes.”
“Oh! Perfect!”
Juredin’s party burst into laughter.
“Don’t tell anyone I said that.”
“Depends on what you do!”
“Let’s move quickly. Before we get caught up in another unnecessary fight.”
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