The cadets were randomly summoned with a few others from their respective groups.
At the very least, two. At most, five or six.
The moment their hazy consciousness returned, the cadets hurriedly distanced themselves from the presence next to them, drawing their weapons.
“… We’re the same group. Green.”
In a brief standoff, the cadets quickly realized that the colors of the armbands made of light surrounding them were the same.
Green. One of the three groups announced in advance.
With a murmured realization, the cadets, who had been raising their magic in panic, let out a deep sigh and relaxed their bodies.
“Well, they wouldn’t summon us to fight the enemy from the start, would they?”
“Since half will probably be eliminated right away…”
They joked about being surprised that they thought they would have to fight right from the summoning.
[All cadets have entered the arena.]
[Before the match begins, I will explain the rules once more.]
A voice echoed from above, explaining again.
But it was the same content they heard before entering the arena.
Listening to the explanation, they introduced themselves quickly.
“Third-year White Class, Combat Major Claire Lawrence. Any seniors from the third or fourth years here?”
“Second year Great Class, Magic Major Lin Xin.”
“First year Excellent Class, Support Major Emil Franke… It looks like Claire is the only senior here.”
There were five of them summoned here, and the orange tie representing third-year students belonged solely to Claire.
Claire nodded.
“Then can I temporarily take command?”
“Yes.”
The cadets agreed without hesitation to Claire’s proposal.
In Shio-ram, third-year students and above were given considerable freedom for outside activities.
As they could experience real combat while under the Blessing of Growth, many cadets had gone through outside training.
Especially by the third year in Shio-ram, they were capable of performing well even externally, amassing plenty of practical experience.
Thus, it was customary for a third-year or higher student to take command in such situations.
[So we will now begin the match.]
[Please do your best.]
“First, let’s head to the nearest capture point. Does anyone have a sensing ability?”
“I don’t have a sensing ability, but I can detect things with magic.”
“Then please report if you sense anything unusual.”
The starting signal echoed. After organizing a basic command structure, the cadets quickly formed up and began to move.
“Since we just started, the capture points should be unclaimed. If we see anyone from the same group, let’s join up, and we’ll take the territory quickly if the opportunity arises.”
Their destination was the nearest capture point.
Since the match had just begun, all capture points were unclaimed land.
In other words, whoever occupies it first gets to take it.
However, nearly 2,000 cadets had entered the Tower of Growth. It wouldn’t be surprising to lose a capture point by a hair’s breadth.
“Let’s set up and hold while we wait for support.”
It was advantageous to establish a position and defend early on.
They say that the attacking side in a siege should have at least three times the number of defenders, don’t they?
While there are no absolutes on a battlefield filled with variables, defense is indeed relatively advantageous.
Especially if magicians establish countless barriers at a capture point, the difficulty escalates sharply.
“What if another group occupies it first? We would be at a disadvantage at the capture point.”
“If it seems feasible, we’ll rush in to reclaim it. Otherwise, we’ll head for another vacant capture point or wait for support.”
But right now, it was the initial phase of the match.
The magicians wouldn’t have the luxury to set up barriers. They’d only be able to lay down some basic supportive defenses at best.
That should be enough to break through.
– Whoooosh!
“Oh no…”
Claire exclaimed. The pillar rising from the direction they were heading had changed color.
They lost the race. Claire’s face showed disappointment.
No matter how difficult it was for magicians to prepare defenses at this early stage, it would be tough to drive away those who had already occupied it.
If they wanted to hold on to any hope, they could only wish that those occupiers belonged to the same green group.
Stopping for a moment, she stared at the changing pillar.
But the pillar was soon colored in colors that contradicted her hopes.
“White?”
The white color rapidly spread from the base of the pillar, soon merging with the clouds above.
“White… If it’s white…”
At someone’s murmuring, everyone recalled the explained rules.
[Three, special rules.]
[A randomly selected cadet is incorporated into the ‘White’ affiliation.]
Each cadet belongs to one of three groups: red, blue, or green.
But a randomly elected cadet is incorporated into the white group.
It wasn’t announced who that cadet was.
“They must be the special admissions student.”
“It must be Lee Ha-yul.”
“There’s no one else it could be.”
But they all knew who the student incorporated into the white group was without being told.
The special admissions student, Lee Ha-yul. The central figure of the time, constantly making headlines everywhere.
He was the one who initially suppressed the unexpected dungeon surge in Sipnah and killed the undead two-headed dragon that resurrected in China.
Furthermore, due to the absurd appearance he showcased at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, he had been setting the internet ablaze for days.
“Hmmm…”
Lin Xin, who was periodically casting detection magic, looked intently at the white pillar, her thoughts tangled.
Lin Xin was from the China region.
Her hometown was relatively fine, but she knew just how devastated areas slightly farther away were.
It had been 40 years since the two-headed dragon was exterminated, yet the diseases and toxins it released did not easily dissipate from the land.
Thus, people from the China region all harbored an aversion and fear of the monster known as the two-headed dragon.
Because of a single monster, that vast land had been transformed into a dead ground where no one could live or use.
Even as an awakened being, the strange strength of that monster remained incomprehensible. There are indeed those who would seize up at just hearing the name two-headed dragon.
That two-headed dragon had nearly risen as an undead creature. The already struggling China region was on the brink of becoming a barren wasteland.
The person who stopped that was Lee Ha-yul.
If the early response hadn’t been swift— no matter how delayed the extermination occurred, there might not be people able to live in China by now.
She caressed her staff with complicated feelings as she dealt with this reality.
The fact that she needed to point her staff at her hometown’s savior left her uncomfortable.
The complexity lingered in others as well.
“Can we win?”
However, that complexity was for different reasons than Lin Xin.
At a cadet’s question, Claire fell silent.
Lee Ha-yul was more or less the most famous person in the world right now, and his deeds were well-known.
Had he only become an awakened being for about two months?
In a secluded space, he slaughtered hundreds of monsters of rank seven or higher, benefiting from the dungeon’s enhancements, and single-handedly defeated a monster presumed to be rank six in alpha form.
In China? Although a mere imperfect undead, the presumption rank was four; considering its toxicity, it was even more dangerous than that, the two-headed dragon was eradicated without a trace.
Just thinking about those two widely known feats, Claire could only envision a future where they’d fall apart violently against Lee Ha-yul.
It was a lottery win by a mile. Even among the same Shio-ram cadets, it was daunting to think of standing against him.
“… Let’s wait for support.”
After much deliberation, Claire concluded with that.
The opponent was that special admissions student. The difference in skill was likely to be overwhelming.
“But this match is primarily about capture. One individual ultimately has limitations.”
That was a logically obvious statement. No matter how talented the opponent is, there are limits.
Moreover, that white pillar was increasingly capturing attention amidst the three color pillars rising from afar.
Looking at the other pillars rising beside it, those were likely the lights of the special flag.
No matter how she looked around, enemies were only targeting him.
No matter how strong he is, stamina and magic are depleting resources. This time in the tower, even if you are eliminated, you come back after a certain time, so if you keep pushing in, there will come a moment when you break through.
“Well, let’s consider this a preliminary round then. Even if we die, it’s not an immediate elimination, and we don’t know the exact capture process yet─”
At that moment.
Claire saw light shimmering from the top of Rock Mountain. The action that followed was instinctive, guided by her accumulated combat experience.
She covered her upper body with both arms, forcing her magic to surge. Bright yellow energy flared violently from her arms.
‘Manifest.’
At once, the unique ability ‘Hardening’ activated. Solid rock sprouted from her arms.
– Thud!
A short, dull impact echoed. Suddenly, a ringing went off in her head. Claire then realized too late that she was rolling on the ground.
“─Senior!?”
“Ugh…! I’m fine…!”
Her head rang with muffled sounds. But lying flat on the ground was unacceptable. Gritting her teeth, Claire began to rise.
‘What hit me?’
It happened too fast for her to register correctly. Claire glanced at her arms, which had taken the impact.
The vibrant energy that had greedily devoured her magic burst forth upon impact. The rock surrounding it shattered instantly.
The subsequent attack hit her arms, leaving magical light swirling instead of her blood.
Even defenses that could easily withstand an attack from a rank five monster crumbled instantaneously.
It was an absurd blow. She managed to figure out where the strike came from just before it hit her.
From the top of the Rock Mountain. It must have been Lee Ha-yul, at the capture point…
‘Did he just hit me accurately from that distance?’
Claire was stunned as she quickly got her bearings. Lin Xin, next to her, was also aghast, casting healing magic.
“No, why is the magic…!”
She had set up detection magic. She didn’t expect to detect every single thing, but she wanted to catch any traps or read clues for follow-up actions.
She couldn’t even register it. She only noticed the attack after Claire was already rolling on the ground.
Claire, who was in charge, had meticulously laid down defensive magic in advance.
It had easily been pierced. That was an attack that treated her protective magic like it was a sheet of paper.
In the sudden commotion, they all panicked, yet steadied their formation in front of the Rock Mountain.
“… Another one’s coming!”
Claire yelled out as she was looking towards the top of the Rock Mountain. Right as her vision flashed, another beam of light flew toward them.
‘It’s bigger than the last one… but it’s slower than before.’
The mass of light was much larger than the previous strike. Probably due to that, it was considerably slower. There was enough time to respond.
Wiping the light residue off the corner of her mouth, Claire raised her power again and applied hardening to her arms.
– Boom!
“Uh?”
The incoming light exploded in midair. The light divided into dozens of pieces.
Boom! And then it burst again. Dozens of lights exploded, scattering into hundreds.
So many beams of light decorated the sky like shooting stars. Each of those lights carried as much force as the previous attack.
“Damn it, retreat!”
Claire shouted as the meteors were clearly targeting her.
– Ka-blam!
Hundreds of beams struck them precisely.
Countless explosions roared, shaking the ground.
*
A massive cloud of dust rose.
‘Five eliminated.’
Nodding as I confirmed the information gathered. The leading cadets seemed to want to hold their ground a bit longer, but ultimately, they all turned into beams of light and scattered away.
Intermediate magic: beam. Modified by me into shotgun beams.
I altered the spell structure appropriately, increasing the quantity and output.
Thanks to that, it was easy to sprinkle around and use.
It was my first practical use, and surprisingly, the performance was good. I’ve already taken out twenty.
But there were points to improve. Because it moved slowly, it gave them time to react.
So for now, I’d quickly shoot the beams, then bombard the confused ones with shotgun beams.
Of course, this was also due to my distance… but still.
– Whoooosh…
I turned to the sound coming from next to me. Nearby, a light-based drone was clicking as it filmed me.
‘So that’s how they’re broadcasting it.’
In this match, shockingly, the scenarios inside the Tower of Growth are being streamed out.
Especially for someone like me who has been given this position, my perspective will likely spread widely.
‘On the contrary, it’s a boon.’
Generally, it’s better to hide my strength, but right now, it’s a blessing.
Before I enter the background, it’s necessary to show the world what level of ability I possess at the “Great Army Warfare”.
And this time, the tournament provided a perfect opportunity to prove that.
Of course, I won’t be laying down any critical cards like homogeneity or the like.
‘But when will I test the hated potion?’
I pondered over whom, and when to feed it.
Will it be me? Not a chance in hell. I certainly won’t think of chugging it here. I want to feed it to someone else… especially not to the people near me.
Someone like me could easily be driven to hang myself by harsh words from those around me…
‘Should I perhaps capture a monster once the drone disappears? Or maybe just snag one cadet… even in the Tower of Growth, that seems a bit too much.’
I shook my head while working through these ideas. Energy sigils popped into existence at my fingertips.
‘Light… shotgun beam.’
– Bang! Bang!
With two blasts of sound, beams of light shot out.
The first beam struck the forehead of a cadet leading the charge.
Then hundreds of split beams rained down over their heads, who were already on guard.
Boom! A cloud of dust rose, followed by faint explosions making their way through a moment later.
Long-range sniping. Anything that enters my observation range can be hit accurately.
‘Maybe since it’s the beginning, not many are coming here.’
From what I gathered, the total number of capture points in this layer is ten.
So besides the Rock Mountain, which I’m wreaking havoc on, there are still nine other capture points where they might be tangled in a chaotic brawl.
‘Though, they’ll come soon enough.’
The white group is just me after all. Compared to the groups with hundreds, I’m sure I appear far less threatening.
For now, as they come in small numbers, it’s easy to overpower them, but eventually, they’ll start coming at me in droves.
Now’s the time to prepare for that.
Having cleared out the nearby cadets, I nodded and focused my mind.
‘Power manifestation.’
Knowledge.
– Swoosh!
Some of the countless books stored in my mind fluttered out. Various covers, fluttering like butterflies around me.
And then.
‘Manifest, manifest, manifest.’
Books filled with magic rapidly unfurled themselves in perfect order. The complex “offensive and defensive spells” laid dormant within them began to come into play.
Books landed across the Mountain of Growth, as the offensive spells infiltrated the surroundings.
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