Chapter 35
“Wow, it looks amazing.”
That was the first thought that came to mind as soon as I saw the green horse knight.
Judging by its aura, it seemed to be some kind of Undead, but its appearance was exactly to my taste.
Clang—
On top of that, it was incredibly powerful.
When I carelessly crossed swords with it, the sheer strength sent me flying.
“I really want that horse. Isn’t there some way to make it mine?”
The final monster that marks the end of the Inter-Academy Tournament.
It definitely seemed like the Academy had gone all out to create something fitting for the last boss.
“Whoa, its directional shifts are fast too.”
Whoosh— Whoosh— Whoosh—
As the green horse swiftly changed direction, the knight riding it began spinning his lance.
Clatter—
With a rhythmic sound of hoofbeats, the green horse knight quickly closed in on the others.
Whirl— Clang—
I gripped my sword tightly and teleported into the trajectory of the knight’s sweeping lance.
This time, unlike earlier, I clashed with force.
Whoosh—
“Aahhh!”
I heard Emily’s scream from behind me.
For a moment, I thought there might be something else attacking us, so I quickly turned around. But that wasn’t it.
She had simply been startled by the shockwave generated when my sword met the green horse knight’s lance.
“But wouldn’t it be hot if I rode on top of that?”
I turned back to look at the green horse again.
To anyone else, it probably looked like an evil skeletal horse, but to me, it just looked cool.
Its appearance stirred a deep sense of desire in me.
Still, it would be a problem if it turned out to be too hot to ride.
“I want it…”
“Ryu… Mr. Ryu, are you all right?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just take the others and get to safety. Elaine, you’re the only one I can trust to handle this.”
“…Understood!”
While the green horse knight—let’s just call him Greenie for convenience—charged past without succeeding in slashing at anyone, I quickly instructed Elaine to lead the others to safety.
Elaine immediately gathered Cynthia and Emily and dashed toward the corner.
She headed for what looked like the cave we had come out of earlier.
Even the fact that she chose an already familiar escape route was commendable.
As expected, she’s reliable.
Whoosh—
Meanwhile, Greenie charged at me again.
This time, the knight aimed his lance directly at me, attempting a thrust instead of a slash.
A thrust was actually better for me.
It’s much easier to dodge.
Whoosh—
I timed my Spatial Movement perfectly to coincide with his attack and teleported into the air, aiming my sword at the knight’s body.
This time, I imbued my sword with mana to strike harder.
Crash—
“What the… Why is it so sturdy?”
I had expected him to go flying, like that skeletal knight earlier, but this one was different.
Some kind of protective magic or barrier surrounded his body, shielding him.
Instead of the satisfying sensation of cutting into him, I felt like I was striking something solid.
“Tsk. Is this seriously designed for Academy students?”
Even though I had put quite a bit of force into my strike, this was all I managed.
Was this Undead really something they expected the students to handle?
“They messed up the design big time…”
I alternated glances between Greenie, who had retreated a short distance after my attack, and Elaine’s group, who had safely fled far away.
Elaine had smartly taken Cynthia and Emily deep into the cave, completely out of Greenie’s line of sight.
It would’ve been a problem if Greenie’s attention had shifted toward them, but her decision-making was impeccable.
Clop— Clop—
“Now I just need to take care of this guy.”
Perhaps disoriented by the repeated failed attacks, Greenie stopped advancing and started glaring at me from a distance.
As I observed the green flames flickering vividly around him, I began to strategize.
How could I capture just the horse without making it obvious?
“That thing is worth collecting. Hmm…”
Its look wasn’t exactly ideal for casual riding, but who knows?
It might come in handy someday.
Plus, since it’s a skeletal horse, I wouldn’t have to bother feeding it.
Clop— Clop—
“Uh…”
After standing still and glaring at me for a long time, Greenie finally began to move.
Unlike the fierce charges from earlier, this time the horse started walking slowly, just like when it had first appeared.
But it wasn’t just walking.
With each rhythmic clop of its hooves, it gradually ascended higher.
The green flames enveloping its legs flared more intensely with each step.
Clop— Clop—
The green horse was walking in midair.
“Wow.”
It can even fly.
I absolutely have to capture it.
The Academy probably worked hard to create it, but if I took it without anyone knowing, it should be fine.
“Hehe.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle as I watched the green horse proudly stride through the air.
Come to think of it, I’ve robbed the Academy’s vault before. What’s a horse compared to that?
***
“Is everyone okay?”
“…Yeah, I’m not hurt.”
“Me too…”
Sigh.
Elaine Sinclair glanced at the two exhausted individuals—Cynthia Surplus and Emily Franz—and let out a quiet sigh.
They both said they were fine, but they likely weren’t.
Elaine herself was barely holding it together.
“What on earth is going on?”
“Was the Inter-Academy Tournament always this intense?”
“As far as I know, it’s not supposed to be this bad. Phew.”
Elaine sighed deeply, allowing herself a brief moment of relief as she leaned against the wall and sat down.
It felt as though they’d been stuck in this Dungeon for a week.
“By the way, do you know what that mounted knight was, Franz?”
“No, I’ve never seen a monster like that before. It definitely seemed like an Undead, though…”
“Will Ryu be okay on his own?”
At Cynthia’s question, Elaine and Emily instinctively turned to look down the passage they had come from.
Deeper inside, Ryu Yeong was undoubtedly locked in a fierce battle with that eerie Undead.
They had fled so far that they couldn’t hear any sounds of the fight.
“It would only get in his way if we stayed nearby.”
“…True.”
Elaine and Emily responded in turn to Cynthia’s mumbled concern.
Hearing their words, Cynthia nodded slowly.
Elaine tightened her grip on her sword hilt before letting it go again.
‘Right, if we linger too close and draw the monster’s attention, it’ll just be a hindrance.’
Neither Elaine nor Emily even entertained the thought of Ryu losing.
Especially Elaine—such a possibility hadn’t crossed her mind at all.
She had realized it when she saw him crush the Death Knight that had given the third-years so much trouble.
This person wasn’t just a step above the rest.
The Death Knight that made her legs shake just by standing near it.
Even Garrett Iskaea, the top student among the third-years, had struggled just to hold his ground against it.
That alone was impressive, but what about Ryu?
He toyed with the Death Knight as if it were a child.
Yes, “toying” was the perfect way to describe it.
‘He wouldn’t even lose to my father in a swordfight.’
“By the way, wasn’t that thing earlier absolutely terrifying?”
“It was. I had such a bad feeling about it…”
Elaine snapped out of her thoughts at Cynthia’s comment.
Perhaps embarrassed by her earlier concern for Ryu, Cynthia quickly tried to change the subject.
“Why are Undead even here…?”
“…Come to think of it, Franz, you seemed to know quite a bit about Undead.”
“Huh? Oh, well…”
At Elaine’s remark, Emily lowered her head awkwardly.
Elaine hadn’t meant to corner her and quickly waved her hands.
“Oh, no, I wasn’t trying to interrogate you or anything. I just… found it interesting. I don’t know anything about them.”
“Same here. I studied creatures and monsters of the continent, but I’ve never seen an Undead before.”
As Emily hesitated, Cynthia chimed in to support Elaine.
“When I was young… I saw one in person.”
“…What? An Undead?”
“Yes… that… haaa.”
Emily’s unexpected confession made Elaine and Cynthia’s eyes widen.
She had seen an Undead in person? As a child?
Undead, which were supposed to have disappeared from the continent.
Emily trailed off, exhaling deeply, her body trembling as though overwhelmed by the memory.
Seeing this, Cynthia quickly hugged her.
“You don’t have to force yourself to talk about it if it’s difficult.”
“…”
Cynthia held the trembling Emily tightly, gently patting her back.
Though curiosity lingered, they couldn’t push Emily to relive such a traumatic experience.
From her reaction, it was clear the memory wasn’t a good one.
Rustle—
Elaine watched the two for a moment before standing up.
“Elaine? Where are you going?”
“I’m going to check on the situation inside. It’s been some time now.”
“Oh, uh…”
Thud—
As Cynthia comforted Emily and tried to respond, a loud crashing sound echoed from nearby.
Shing— Whoosh—
Elaine immediately drew her sword, while Cynthia stepped back and grabbed her bow.
“Elaine!”
“…What?”
“Are you all right?!”
“O-oh, brother— I mean, Professor?”
“Hoo…”
The sudden arrival was none other than a man with the same flowing blonde hair as Elaine Sinclair.
Professor Cassis Sinclair of Crescent Academy.
“You! After encountering that Death Knight, you thought it was a good idea to press further?!”
“…That’s…”
“Just because everyone around you keeps praising you, you’ve let it go to your head, haven’t you? You’re still a student! Surely you could sense this isn’t a normal situation!”
“…”
Cassis’s stern reprimand left Elaine, Cynthia Surplus, and Emily Franz holding their breath.
“I’m… I’m sorry…”
Elaine finally spoke up, addressing Cassis, who had been shouting so loudly it echoed throughout the cave.
Only then did Cassis seem to grasp the situation, and he stopped speaking.
“Hoo… At least you’re all safe. But you’re no better. Venturing deeper into a Dungeon after encountering an Undead, not knowing what else might be in there? Ridiculous.”
“But, I…”
“What?”
“N-nothing.”
Cynthia started to protest, but the moment Cassis’s golden eyes locked onto her with a cold glare, she lowered her head.
“So, let’s head back— Wait a moment. Weren’t there four of you?”
“Yes, that’s… correct.”
“Hoo. Where’s the fourth? Ryu, was it? The top-ranked commoner.”
“Well…”
Elaine instinctively glanced at Cynthia.
Receiving Elaine’s gaze, Cynthia unconsciously turned to Emily.
In the end, all eyes landed on Emily, who hesitantly opened her mouth.
“H-he’s… still inside, fighting. Against the Undead.”
“…What?”
A disbelieving sigh escaped Cassis’s lips.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment