In the Tower of Growth, chaos and intense battles unfolded.
The main rules for this entrance test were siege and capture the flag.
Among them, the siege battle was particularly notable; early achievements snowballed like rolling a ball in the snow until the end.
Once you settle in and decide to hold your ground, it’s only natural that it’s hard to push you out.
“Find the structures! First, the structures!”
“Location confirmed! Push into the vanguard!”
“Strip the combat spells! They’re hidden between the buildings!”
Red, blue, and green formations clashed haphazardly in the unoccupied initial territory.
The total number of students from Shio-ram, including first to fourth graders, was 2,141.
About 700 superhumans were assigned to each formation, leading to a large-scale battlefield.
This was different from the dungeons and monster hunts where you fight monsters in units of dozens.
Even in such a crowded battlefield, there were exceptional students shining brightly.
Typically, during public events, the ones that stand out are the upperclassmen from the third and fourth years.
Having enjoyed the Blessing of Growth for a minimum of three years, many were seasoned veterans with real-world battle experience.
In particular, the skills and experiences of upperclassmen shone in siege battles that demanded real-life experience.
– Whoosh!
“Gop-hwa is exploding on the left! Get out!”
“Damn it, I’m stuck— Aaaah!”
“Anyone would think you’re in pain…”
But this time, it wasn’t all that simple.
Suddenly, sparks flew, and a massive flame erupted, engulfing one side of the formation.
The swept-away students scream as they are consumed by the flames. Those who managed to hold on or evade found that one or two of their limbs had turned into light orbs rolling on the ground.
The students who escaped the flames gaped in horror at their classmates turning into light orbs and hurriedly distanced themselves from the fire.
“Don’t touch that! Definitely avoid it!”
“Easier said than done…”
First-year Hong Yeon-hwa from the red formation ignited Gop-hwa and everyone, regardless of grade or skill, scurried away in panic.
The danger of Gop-hwa was already widely known, but Hong Yeon-hwa wielded an output that far surpassed it with ease.
It was already hard to approach Gop-hwa, let alone deal with Hong Yeon-hwa’s innate skills, which were already surpassing upperclassmen.
Even the upperclassmen couldn’t contain Hong Yeon-hwa, who was rampaging wildly on the battlefield.
“…! Taking simultaneous hits from 5!”
“Gop-hwa is too OP…”
As time dragged on, the blue students attacking the red territory turned abruptly due to sluggish advances and news of their rear being attacked.
“Phew…”
Watching the blue students retreat like scalded cats, Hong Yeon-hwa sheathed her sword on her shoulder.
Then, she blew out the Gop-hwa that lingered at her fingertips, which extinguished willingly, contrasting with her earlier madness of sticking to the enemy until they were burned to death.
‘…Look at me controlling it well.’
With a peculiar expression, Hong Yeon-hwa stared at her fingertips where Gop-hwa had extinguished.
Her hot-tempered, always dirty personality was reflected in her Gop-hwa being fierce and unruly, making it hard to control.
These days, however, it’s been much easier to control compared to the past.
Specifically, it started when Lee Ha-yul practiced Gop-hwa with her.
It was nothing special.
Whenever Hong Yeon-hwa held Lee Ha-yul in her arms, he would present his calm Gop-hwa to her fierce one, and their powers would merge and ignite.
As Lee Ha-yul’s gentle, bright Gop-hwa swayed, Hong Yeon-hwa’s wild flames coolly calmed down.
“Hey, Hong, have you learned how to show off?”
“Shut up.”
Frowning, Hong Yeon-hwa turned her head. Her friend, Shin Seo-yul, assigned to the same red formation, approached playfully.
“Can you slack off when you didn’t handle the aftermath?”
“There should be some time to catch your breath, right? How can one handle everything right away?”
“Hmm.”
“That gaze hurts too much… But I don’t want that look from you, who abandoned us for a year!”
“Abandonment, my ass…”
Hong Yeon-hwa clicked her tongue. Shin Seo-yul… a close friend, but the name still haunted her from a painful experience.
What if that day’s mistake hadn’t happened? She often wondered if she could have smoothly carried things out then.
“Enough about that, what’s the situation?”
“Stalemated.”
Shin Seo-yul shrugged and began to speak.
*
There were a total of 10 captured areas inside the tower. Each capture area was numbered, and the terrain varied.
1. Rock Mountain.
2, 3. Vegetation.
4, 5. Plains.
6, 7. Mountain Range.
8, 9. Urban Area.
10. Snow Mountain.
The red group, to which Hong Yeon-hwa belonged, had captured areas 2, 4, and 8 in the top left.
The blue group had captured areas 5, 9, and 10 in the top right.
The green group took over areas 3, 6, and 7 in the bottom.
The area Hong Yeon-hwa was defending was 4 (Plains), which was adjacent to the 5 (Plains) occupied by the blue group, leading to frequent battles.
At first glance, the territories were all mixed up, but as time passed, they gradually began to establish clear divisions.
In this progression, the influence of Baek Ahrin and Choi Ji-yeon, who were in similar standings, was significant.
“Ugh, environmental advantages are unfair…”
The blue formation, led by Baek Ahrin, established their base around the Snow Mountain, trying to maximize their use of the scenery. They were in the process of creating a bombardment system utilizing the terrain.
The blue group was holding onto captured areas 5 and 9, stretched upwards from the Snow Mountain.
Choi Ji-yeon was even more powerful.
Her unique ability, Taesan, allowed her to skillfully manipulate the land, turning the two mountain range capture areas into an impregnable fortress.
With fellow mages from the same group assisting her in laying down combat positions, retaking that area was exceedingly difficult.
Additionally, Taesan also incorporated summoning magic as part of her unique ability. When Choi Ji-yeon unleashed the amassed spirits, no one could win in a sheer numbers game.
The nearby area 3 (Vegetation) was ultimately supported by the two mountain range areas, and even if retaken, it would soon be reclaimed.
“Tsk.”
…On the other hand, Gop-hwa had no environmental advantages to speak of.
If one were to create an advantage, they could set fire to the vegetation and create an inferno, but… that would annihilate their own allies as well.
The defensive structures and combat positions she had erected would be obliterated, turning her own troops into casualties.
Thus, Hong Yeon-hwa had to be more hands-on in her defense compared to the other two.
After all, the heirs of the three great families, who all entered around the same time, were actively involved at the center of this match, overshadowing the upperclassmen.
“…Thus, at the 4-hour mark of the match, we are currently in this stalemated situation.”
In the central structure near the captured area 4 (Plains), a senior student with extensive practical experience from the African Demonic Realm front explained the current state of the match.
It had already been 4 hours since the match began. The previously chaotic situation had been organized to an extent, leading to a stalemate.
It had been an hour since the last change of the zone’s owner. In the meantime, there had only been skirmishes; no one had successfully captured an area.
“If we send out forces now, we’ll just get overwhelmed by counterattacks…”
As time passed, the once disorganized command structure had become more established, and the strengths of each group had become more apparent, prompting coherent strategies to emerge.
In doing so, if they invested too much strength trying to capture another territory, the other two groups would leap at the chance to attack any empty spots.
After the red group had nearly lost a territory to such a tactic, each group became wary about deploying their powers.
Currently, each group had captured 3 areas.
Once taken, dropping to 4:3:2 points would mean coming in last.
Thus, they were locked in a game of cautious observation, leading to the stalemate. If they wasted their strength and lost a captured area, it would be an embarrassing defeat.
“How many flags do we have?”
“Two worth 500 points, three worth 300 points, and six worth 100 points.”
“Hmm… so a total of 2,500 points… multiplied by the number of captured areas makes it 7,500 points?”
“That’s the case for now.”
They also had to consider the rules of flag battles along with the siege battle rules.
The victory condition for this entrance test was simple.
Add up the points from the flags each group obtained, and multiply that by the number of captured areas.
And that resulting score would determine the winner.
Thus, they couldn’t pour all their strength into capturing areas; they also had to deploy separate teams, including detection experts, to find and steal flags.
“How many flags does the opponent have?”
“That’s the issue, we don’t know.”
Someone’s question sums up why each group was wracking their brains.
“The number of captured areas is known. There are a total of ten. But the number of flags hasn’t been announced, nor can we identify it.”
It’s easy to ascertain the captured areas due to the columns of light that rise from the structures.
There are ten total. Of course, if one were to count immediately, there would be eleven—but one is a special flag so it doesn’t count.
“Ugh… then we need to guess how many points they have…”
“We can’t estimate accurately, but it’s presumed they have something similar to us.”
The problem is this: while they haven’t identified the exact number of flags, they can at least make a general estimate.
From that estimate, it was believed that they possessed a similar number of flags.
Surely there would be slight discrepancies in points.
So, if asked if they hold the advantage, no one could be sure.
The flags probably are held in similar numbers, and the captured areas are equally 3 each, thus multiplying would yield the same result.
In short, it’s a nut race. They’re all unsure of victory.
Is there anything as unsettling as stepping into uncertain possibilities? Humans naturally prefer to hang on a stronger, thicker rope than a worn-out, old thread.
“As previously announced, the match time has been extended. It may even continue until tomorrow morning.”
The tower entrance schedule warned that matches could last for several hours, and if prolonged, even into the next day.
If the outcome had been overwhelmingly clear or stagnated, suitable measures would have been taken to call the match.
The news of the extension didn’t bring discontent among the students. They had already received prior notice, and receiving more Blessing of Growth was good for them.
“So, what should we do now…”
They had time now. As no additional flags could be found, there wouldn’t be any extra points.
Therefore, they needed to find the captured areas for additional points, but everyone was too cautious about deploying their strength.
Currently, the situation stood at 3:3:3.
If they charged outright, it was likely they’d be overwhelmed and any loss would lead to certain defeat.
Conversely, if they could capture just one, it would almost guarantee victory.
“……”
Those desperate for assured victory slowly turned their gazes towards the windows.
Each group had three captured areas.
However, there was one more captured area outside of that grouping.
Not an overwhelming force of over 700 individuals but a singular entity.
Through the window, a small, distant Rock Mountain could be seen.
The number one capture area—The Rock Mountain.
Moreover…
– Boom…!
“Didn’t they make that beforehand?”
“Even if it was pre-made, could you build something like that in a day or two?”
The sight of defensive structures filling the Rock Mountain was also apparent.
*
The area captured by Lee Ha-yul was seen as foodoo the other groups longed for.
No one, after all, doubted the strength of the special entrant, Lee Ha-yul. Yet, everyone had limits to consider.
Humans consume energy. Breathing, thinking, and moving their limbs are inevitably consuming resources.
Additionally, superhumans, in particular, consume energy—both endurance and mana.
No matter how strong Lee Ha-yul was, he too had limits. Magic specialized for large-scale battles consumes a massive amount of mana.
While it was known he had mastered elemental magic tailored for mass combat, even that must eventually hit a boundary.
Especially, The Rock Mountain was situated smack-dab in the center. As it defended against attacks from all angles, it was bound to crumble at some point.
– Boom! Crash!
– AAAAAAAAAHH!
Under normal circumstances, it should have collapsed.
Clare, a third-year student from the White-Feather Class who had experienced full-body annihilation at the hands of Lee Ha-yul, had thought so.
That was in the past tense. Now barely managing to repel the bombardments and rolling on the ground, she refuted that line of thinking.
– Quake!
The ground beneath her trembled heavily as if an earthquake was occurring, violently shaking her insides.
With a familiar sensation, Clare lifted her head rapidly.
The source of the quakes slashed upwards. A gigantic barrier surged from the crest of The Rock Mountain.
Clare could not help but be astonished by the height and thickness of the enormous barrier.
‘How many of those are there…’
On either side of the newly-risen barrier, there were similarly scaled barriers. In front and behind as well.
Barriers emanating from the ground enveloped The Rock Mountain like fortifications—all existing in dozens of layers.
It wasn’t something to be surprised about; while this consumes a lot of mana, there are students capable of such a feat.
– Rumble!
What was disheartening about this barrier wasn’t simply that.
A complex pattern of light traced itself on the black barrier. A cross-section of a spell that flowed with mana, showcasing the workings of defensive magic.
The moment that work was complete, the barrier became part of the defense.
“Don’t bullshit me!”
Having experienced being completely annihilated by Lee Ha-yul, Lin Sin screamed. Instead of gratitude towards her hometown’s savior, she felt shock and injustice, letting out her exasperation.
“What house’ defense is this?! If they could expand it like that, we wouldn’t have gone through such struggles in the frontlines—!”
The speed at which this defensive magic was deployed was unimaginable to any ordinary magician. Not even an officially recognized sorcerer from the Magic Association could achieve such bizarre speeds.
– Tap, tap!
A response came swiftly. The spell etched onto the barrier activated.
Offensive spells designated to repel intruders inundated the complete defense. Bolstered by the amplifications from defense spells.
Clare and Lin Sin’s faces paled as luminous orbs vaulted into the sky.
Bang! The luminous orbs split into dozens.
“AAAHH!”
Students belonging to Clare’s group screamed, scrambling for their defensive measures. They all remembered the sensation of having their bodies obliterated by that magic.
Strength, magic, elemental, special abilities…
As they hastily raised their defense against the bombardment that surged over them.
“Another wave incoming! Defense!”
“Damn, we just broke one…! Wait…!”
“Don’t charge ahead! You’ll get focused!”
Such was the spectacle playing out around The Rock Mountain’s fortress.
While three factions engaged in cautious games, the leftover manpower gradually pushed into The Rock Mountain.
After all, their opponent was but one individual. Sustained attrition should eventually wear them down.
At that moment of seizing the chance to conquer The Rock Mountain would lead to victory.
Moreover, no matter how it went, it would be a hit against their pride if a single first-year student could hold off hundreds of opponents.
“Damn it! Another wave is coming!”
But contrary to their expectations, hours passed without any sign of Lee Ha-yul tiring.
– Thud!
“This is insane…”
Even if his mana was supposed to be depleted, it should have been by a significant amount.
But instead, he continued to erect barriers, adjusting defenses, expanding ranges, and unleashed torrents of magic upon those advancing enemies.
There was utterly no sign of fatigue. Instead, it was the influx of troops and resources that made them quail…
“Now! Charge!”
But they weren’t hopelessly battered by spells either.
Those previously engaged in battles over captured territories gradually began aiming to conquer The Rock Mountain.
Skilled students numbering in the dozens unleashed a volley of bombardments before burying themselves into the ground in unison.
Those still retaining mana bent their bodies behind massive shields embossed with armored energy, braving the assault of the magical bombardments.
“Gak!”
Most of those were intermediate-level spells. No matter, some degree of casting time was required for magic to flow as effortlessly as this moving monument.
“Here it comes…!”
But they broke through. They made it to the outermost barrier, albeit just the first.
Even though it was only the first among dozens, they did not waver in their resolve.
If they kept pushing forward, they would eventually break through.
Those trailing behind them would widen the small opening, streaming in.
– BOOM!
But just then, at that moment, a barrier right in front of them surged upwards.
The barrier didn’t grow taller; it was the process of creating an opening.
Did he want to invite them in, or was it a reckless thought? A student who had that thought blinked in confusion.
As the dust settled, several things became visible.
– Clunk! Clunk!
Massive golems made of rock and metal donned in thick armor surrounded them.
– Grrrr…
A number of spectral summons that dwarfed in the hundreds were prepared and ready.
– Humming…
And behind them flew dozens of elite spirits, each level surpassing the standard monster class.
“This is outright absurd.”
“Isn’t that the Demon King’s Castle?”
“Ugh, Demon King’s here, seriously…”
The lighthearted remark heard from the side made the shield-wielded student nod unconsciously.
And within, they thought differently.
‘Instead of thinking about seizing that, shouldn’t we be stopping them from coming out…’
An overwhelming number of soldiers flooded forth.
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