Chapter 637 “Requesting Ten Thousand Monthly Tickets” Dark Demon Mont超越 God’s Killing (10k)
Knight Academy, Sixth Year!
Not all sixth-year students were duelists, but those who could move freely on the seventh floor of the castle certainly weren’t pushovers.
Engaging such opponents directly was clearly a reckless move.
But to step back…
Of course, that was impossible!
Dark’s resource map showed only four points on the seventh floor. Two had already been claimed, leaving only the one in front of him and one more yet to be found.
Considering the current situation on the seventh floor, it was highly likely that the last point had already been taken.
This meant that if he chose to step back at this moment, he might very well miss his last chance.
“Then, through a trade?”
Dark frowned slightly. This was also unrealistic.
In that case, he could only take it by force!
At that moment, he was less than five meters from the bathroom door, with about a sixty-degree angle between him and the wall.
The Knight Academy senior was on the other side of the bathroom, also at about a sixty-degree angle to the wall.
The distance between them was roughly four and a half meters.
They were quite close to each other.
If they hadn’t encountered each other by chance, they should have already entered the bathroom by now.
Dark’s fingers twitched. The cooldown for “Pride III” had ended. If he activated it immediately, drawing it from the deck would take one second, summoning usually took three seconds, and evolving the Imp Beast into a Demon Beast required time.
Even if he could instantly teleport into the bathroom afterward, the total time might still be longer than charging forward and rushing inside.
However, the advantage of using “instant teleportation” was effectively avoiding the opponent’s interception methods.
Meanwhile, if he could also take some measures to hinder the opponent, he could indeed gain the upper hand.
…
“Hold on!”
Suddenly.
Dark noticed a problem: “Where is her golem?”
As soon as he thought of this, Dark immediately became alert.
But the Knight Academy senior smiled sweetly: “Sorry.”
In the next instant, dazzling green light appeared under Dark’s feet.
Countless vines materialized from the light, intertwining as they shot toward the ceiling, quickly weaving into a massive cylindrical cage.
The senior herself ran rapidly toward the bathroom door.
Four and a half meters was just a matter of moments.
She even turned her head leisurely after taking two steps.
But this glance caused her to miss the opportunity.
Through the gaps in the vines, she suddenly saw the white cat that had shone brightly on the dueling stage, and their eyes met.
The amber cat eyes suddenly emitted light like a crimson wheel, causing her brain to become intensely dizzy, consciousness plunging into chaos.
Ultimate Skill—”Cat Eye!”
When she regained consciousness from the brief “chaos,” Dark Demon had completely vanished within the cage.
“Damn!”
Patricia Boline suddenly jolted, the surging mana immediately dispelling the remaining confusion in her mind.
But when she turned to look inside the bathroom, she found the blonde-haired youth dressed as a vampire standing inside the door, smiling warmly at her.
“Senior, I yield.”
Dark raised his hand and waved politely.
Behind him, the Demon Beast pressed his hand on his shoulder.
…
“Bitch!”
Patricia Boline wasn’t someone who couldn’t accept defeat.
She took a deep breath and extended her hand. The massive vine cage rapidly disintegrated, shrinking into a small green snake. The snake coiled and leaped onto her palm, raising its head and flicking its tongue at Dark.
“I’ll probably stay here this year. I hope to see you on the dueling stage before graduation!”
After saying something akin to “Let’s meet again under the same sky,” Patricia Boline prepared to turn away.
But Dark asked, “May I ask your surname, Senior?”
Patricia replied, “Patricia Boline, Fifth Year, Mana Academy.”
Upon hearing this, Dark exclaimed in surprise, “Mana Academy? But we agreed on the Knight Academy. And… Fifth Year?”
Patricia pointed at her temple and said playfully, “Of course it’s a lie. You idiot.”
Dark: “…”
…
Only after confirming that Patricia Boline had truly left did Dark relax slightly.
Girls’ words can’t be trusted at all.
With this profound understanding, he had the Mana Spirit and Big Milk Jar temporarily guard the entrance while he brought Deoxys and Demon Beast inside the bathroom.
But after taking two steps, he suddenly stopped and frowned, “Mana Academy, Fifth Year? Isn’t that the same as Senior Pandora?”
“Splash!”
The sound of water interrupted his thoughts.
He turned his head to follow the source of the sound and noticed that the faucet of the sink had been turned on, the clear liquid quickly filling the basin.
Then the first faucet automatically closed, and the second one opened, continuing to pour water.
In no time, both basins were filled.
Dark walked to the edge of the basin, looking at the two basins with a puzzled expression.
The surface of the water was calm, crystal clear, offering no clues.
But normally, the puzzle mechanism for this resource point should be within these basins.
“Two basins, is it a choice between the two?”
Just as he was thinking this, ripples appeared on the surface of both basins, converging into streams that slowly transformed into two humanoid water spirits.
The one on the left was flat, male.
The one on the right was curvaceous, female.
When Dark became wary, the female water spirit on the right suddenly opened her mouth and said in a small voice, “Vampire, please answer the question.”
The male water spirit on the left repeated, “Vampire, please answer the question.”
Dark looked around, momentarily unsure what to do.
These two “water spirits” immediately called him a “vampire.”
It must be from the information on the Selection Card, referring to his current identity.
Since the Selection Card was used as the activation key, it was natural for this information to be leaked.
Dark had no doubts about this,
But the water spirits specifically calling him a “vampire” must have a reason.
“It seems their questions will be related to ‘vampires.'”
Dark pondered, “Are you asking me to choose one of you to answer the question? What’s different about your questions?”
But the two “water spirits” continued mechanically, “Vampire, please answer the question.”
Dark began to think.
“If they require a student to choose one, there must be differences.”
“The professors wouldn’t set up meaningless tasks.”
“The questions of these two ‘water spirits’ must differ, and the difference can be judged before making a choice.”
“But the only difference is gender…”
“Could it be the difference in gender?”
“One side needs to answer questions about female vampires, while the other side needs to answer questions about male vampires?”
Dark had a flash of inspiration, catching the key.
Then he decisively chose to answer questions about female vampires.
“You’re up.”
He extended his finger and poked the forehead of the female “water spirit.”
Immediately, a refreshing sensation flowed from his fingertip to his heart, bringing a sense of relief.
“Snap!”
The male “water spirit” on the left suddenly dissipated.
The female “water spirit” on the right then spoke, “Question 1: Who is the greatest female vampire in history? Please name her within thirty seconds.”
Dark: “…”
He never expected the “water spirit” to ask such a question.
But if it’s about the greatest vampire, there couldn’t be anyone greater than the “True Ancestor” of vampires, right?
But the “True Ancestor” of vampires… There’s more than one!
Even Dark, who had limited knowledge about vampires, knew that the “True Ancestor” of vampires was hereditary.
So, the answer is the first “True Ancestor”?
But the problem is, was the first “True Ancestor” female?
And what was her name?
“Can you ask something a normal person could answer?”
“If I knew the name of the first ‘True Ancestor,’ I wouldn’t be standing here answering your question!”
…
Thirty seconds passed in a blink.
Dark failed at the first hurdle.
But the “water spirit” didn’t announce his failure; instead, it continued with the second question, “Question 2: How long is the tooth replacement cycle for female vampires? Please answer within thirty seconds, specifying the exact time in years.”
After listening, Dark couldn’t help but complain, “Do males and females have different tooth replacement cycles? Is the male cycle shorter?”
However, he knew the answer to this question very well.
After all, he had specifically researched the literature on vampire fangs.
So he directly answered, “A hundred years.”
“Correct.” The “water spirit” raised its tiny hands and clapped, continuing, “Question 3: How many months does it take for a female vampire to get pregnant? Please answer within thirty seconds.”
Dark raised his eyebrows and confidently said, “The difficulty of childbirth for vampires is high. A typical female vampire’s pregnancy lasts three times as long as a human’s, which is 280 days multiplied by three, totaling 840 days. If counted in thirty-day months, that’s twenty-eight months.”
“Correct.” The “water spirit” mechanically clapped again, “Question 4…”
Dark chose questions about female vampires for a reason.
To care for the “Vampire Noble” Victoria, he had specifically looked up relevant information.
Moreover, even without looking it up, he could infer some answers based on Victoria’s behavior patterns.
The following questions varied in difficulty.
He could answer some, and even for those he couldn’t answer, he tried to guess and actually got quite a few correct.
By the time the “water spirit” finally stopped asking questions, he had answered a total of thirty questions.
At the end, the “water spirit” said, “Time’s up. Correct answers: 19, Incorrect answers: 9, Unanswered: 2.
Correct answers earn one point, incorrect answers deduct one point, unanswered questions don’t affect the score. Final score: 10.
Final score of 10 or higher is passing. Congratulations, you’ve successfully passed this round. Please wait a moment…”
“Wait, incorrect answers deduct points, unanswered ones don’t? Passing with ten means below ten fails? So twenty is good, and thirty is excellent?”
Dark stared at the “water spirit” in surprise.
“Which professor designed this puzzle round? Why didn’t they announce the rules beforehand? And what impact will these evaluations have on the future?”
Facing Dark’s myriad questions, the “water spirit” showed no intention of answering.
Standing on the water, it placed its tiny hands on its abdomen, maintaining a faint smile on its face, eyes straight ahead with a sense of guiltlessness.
Time flowed like water.
The air in the bathroom gradually became damp.
Dark frowned slightly, faint sounds echoing in his ears, sending chills down his spine.
“Slap!”
The body of the water spirit suddenly burst.
The plug of the basin automatically opened.
Water from the basin gushed into the pipes.
That eerie, ghostly wailing sound gradually grew clearer.
“Slap.”
Dark stepped back.
Splashes of water flew due to the movement.
But…
“Water?”
He suddenly lowered his head and saw that the originally dry ground was silently submerged.
The water level rose quickly, reaching above his shoe heels in an instant.
“Slap!”
A cold wind swept in, and the bathroom door suddenly slammed shut.
The Mana Spirit outside instantly passed through the door, sticking its head in.
But the Big Milk Jar was left outside.
Dark sensed danger and immediately picked out an “Obstacle Spell” from his deck, summoning an air block under his feet.
The water continued to spread, and suddenly, a “splash” sound came from one of the toilet stalls in the bathroom.
It sounded like something was crawling out of the basin, with a large amount of water sliding off its body.
Then one of the stall doors was violently pushed open.
A disheveled “ghost” crawled out!
“It’s out!”
Dark focused intently.
Whether it was because he chose the female “water spirit,” the ghost that crawled out of the stall was a disheveled female ghost.
Her hair was wet, covering her entire face so much that her neck couldn’t be seen, except for a prominent red horn on her head.
But from the waist down, it was a thick-bodied giant python!
“It’s a ‘Ghost Snake’!”
Dark’s mind flashed with information about “Ghost Snakes.”
“Ghost Snakes” were half-ghost, half-snake, belonging to the ghost-type undead, but they were solidified ghosts.
The “Ghost Snake” species was vast, from young to mature, from one-star to nine-star, with significant differences between strong and weak “Ghost Snakes.”
In the legends told to children to stop them from crying, “Ghost Snakes” ate human infants, crawling out of the bathroom pipes at night to devour disobedient children alive.
…
The “Ghost Snake” in front of him was enveloped in moisture and dark energy, turning the entire bathroom eerie and terrifying.
Judging from its status as an elite-level ghost on the seventh-floor resource point, it had at least eight-star golem power.
But if it was just eight stars, it would still be…
Just as Dark prepared for battle, two more stall doors were simultaneously pushed open, and two more “Ghost Snakes” slowly slithered out…
Three “Ghost Snakes” in total!
Each one exuded a terrifying aura.
In this moment, Dark finally understood the difference between 10 points and 30 points, passing and excellence!
“Probably, getting 20 and 30 points in the quiz round would mean facing two and one ‘Ghost Snakes’ respectively. But it doesn’t matter; I can only get a maximum of 19 points.”
Dark quickly calmed down, entering combat mode.
“Three ‘Ghost Snakes,’ relying solely on Deoxys or Demon Beast, would make it difficult to defeat even one.”
“If I want to break through this resource point, I can’t hold anything back.”
“The time spent answering questions was nearly ten minutes, and Demon Beast has less than five minutes left before evolving ends.”
“After it de-evolves, I can use Bliss III to evolve it into Black Diarumon, then fuse with Deoxys to create Bastemon.”
“Using Pride IV allows summoning a Dragon Egg, hatching it into Blue-Eyes Young White Dragon.”
“Though Bastemon and Blue-Eyes Young White Dragon are both seven-star, even if these three ‘Ghost Snakes’ are reinforced elites, there’s a chance to win.”
“But one-on-one, I still lack one.”
“Should I use Moon Goddess Armed?”
…
“Sisaha!”
While Dark quickly thought, the three “Ghost Snakes” had already slithered out from the depths of the bathroom.
Although the bathroom wasn’t particularly large, it was still cramped for a battlefield against three eight-star ghosts.
In such an environment, even if the three “Ghost Snakes” couldn’t fully utilize their abilities, Blue-Eyes Young White Dragon definitely couldn’t!
“Deoxys, break through! Demon Beast, intercept!”
Dark assessed the situation and issued orders.
At this moment, the water had already flooded the “Obstacle Spell” blocks, and Dark felt another wave of dampness under his feet.
He lifted his feet and rushed toward the door.
The Demon Beast, flying in the air with wings, shouted loudly, lifting its two thick arms to perform “Ten Thousand Deaths Claw”!
伴随着黑
The surge of dark power condensed into enormous claws of death in front of him, bursting forth in a sudden eruption!
In the next moment…
Deoxys held the “Solo Sword Sheath” and threw it back.
With a loud “bang,” the spectral energy covering the door was completely dispelled.
The “Big Milk Jar” outside finally managed to push open the bathroom door.
Then, a large amount of water surged out from the doorway, pushing the unprepared “Big Milk Jar” backward.
Dark seized the opportunity and leaped forward, successfully escaping the bathroom by treading on the water.
Deoxys was naturally agile and quickly jumped out as well.
However, in the next second.
A scream came from inside the bathroom.
The four-star golem with full attributes of 2000 points each—”Bastemon”—had not even used “Instant Teleportation” when it was instantly killed by the three “Ghost Snakes!”
After Dark escaped the bathroom, he quickly turned around but only saw one of the ghost snakes’ black hair burst forth, easily breaking through the “Ten Thousand Deaths Claw.”
Then, the black hair continued to extend—though unseen, it was highly likely that “Bastemon” had been strangled to death by the black hair!
“Long-range attack methods, and it doesn’t seem to have a cooldown…”
Dark’s heart sank rapidly,
After “Bastemon” was killed, one condition for “Bastemon’s” summoning was missing.
Before the “Fusion” plan could be executed, it had already failed prematurely.
The “Pride IV,” which could elevate some golems to seven stars, only had one card.
Even the “Primordial Dragon Egg,” without using “Pride IV,” couldn’t hatch into a seven-star “Blue-Eyes Young White Dragon.”
He was undoubtedly in a dire situation!
…
“Unlucky, three ‘Ghost Snakes’…”
In the common room, Professor Lily, who never missed any of Dark’s performances, was happily watching him with peanuts and a small drink.
Professor Bacon, sitting beside her, also shifted her focus to this scene after taking a glance.
This time, not only the professors from the arithmetic class, but other unfamiliar professors also couldn’t help but turn their attention to this event.
After all, it wasn’t often that a second-year student challenged an eight-star elite ghost, and especially three at once!
“Hoelder? Bode,” the professor teaching “Mana Language,” was watching Dark from the beginning when he entered the bathroom.
Because this resource point’s challenge was designed by Professor Bode!
“Want to get my ‘Ghost Snake Crystal’? Then struggle hard.”
When Hoelder? Bode saw the three “Ghost Snakes” rush out of the bathroom, a slightly sinister smile appeared on his face.
The professors watched very seriously; this time, there were no small bets involved.
They probably wanted to see how far Dark Demons had come since causing countless storms in the academy over the past year.
…
“What should I do?”
As mana surged, Dark’s thoughts became more active, as if he had entered a duel state.
But the current situation was more severe than any predicament he had faced in mana duels so far.
“There’s limited time, choose between ‘Celestial Beast’ and ‘Blue-Eyes Young White Dragon.'”
While retreating quickly, Dark pulled out “Pride IV.”
Deoxys sensed the aura of “Pride IV” and immediately turned to say, “Me!”
A resolute tone!
Dark made up his mind instantly!
Afterward, he no longer hesitated, raising “Pride IV” high.
“In the name of Dark Demon, mana summon—’Pride IV’!”
With less darkness and more light.
“Pride IV” emitted a dazzling light like the sun.
Even the imp hiding in the ceiling couldn’t help but close its eyes.
This led to all the professors’ small mirrors going dark.
Fortunately, the darkness lasted only a moment.
After the imps reopened their eyes, they saw Dark Demon close his eyes at that moment.
Then, his fingers holding the mana card lit up with white light like water, though not as dazzling as “Pride IV’s” golden light, it left a deep impression.
“Power of the mind!”
Professor Lily’s eyes sparkled.
Professor Hoelder? Bode’s deep pupils involuntarily contracted.
Many professors gasped.
“This is not just the power of the mind; he has established a clear ‘bond’ with his mana spirit!”
All magi would research “Mind Mana,” but most had no way to enter this field, and those who did rarely achieved mastery.
Their understanding of the “bond” between mental power and mana spirits was divided into two levels:
“Fuzzy” and “Clear.”
“Fuzzy” bonds allowed mana spirits to respond to the mage’s call.
“Clear” bonds could trigger miracles!
…
Dark’s mental power continuously flowed into Deoxys through their bond.
Deoxys tightly gripped the sword hilt of the “Solo Sword Sheath,” cheeks flushed, and a glow emanated from his brow.
Bathed in the light of “Pride IV,” his body and limbs rapidly elongated, resembling a girl stretching. His golden hair spread out, and three pairs of pure white angel wings emerged from the light, spreading wide.
Under the infusion of bond power and sin power, the four-star “Deoxys” successfully evolved into a seven-star “Celestial Beast”!
A sacred and pure aura instantly erupted.
“Ssssss!”
The three “Ghost Snakes” emerging from the bathroom were assaulted by this aura, emitting hateful roars.
The black aura on their bodies swelled further, spreading wildly.
“Yomimi!”
The little dream spirit was frightened and hid behind Dark.
But in the next moment, it cautiously peeked out, eyes wide with curiosity.
The evolved “Celestial Beast” then gripped the sword hilt of the “Solo Sword Sheath” again.
Its current star level was seven, and the “Solo Sword Sheath” added 2100 points to its attack.
Its attributes were 3500, 3600, and 2000 respectively.
With the enhancement of the “Sacred Ring,” its attributes soared to 4000/4100/2500.
These stats were on par with any eight-star mana spirit!
And after fully utilizing the power of the “Solo Sword Sheath,” its attack could increase to 6200!
“Now, leave it to me.”
The “Celestial Beast” raised the “Holy Sword” to its chest, radiating a sacred yet deadly aura!
…
“Roar!” X3;
The three “Ghost Snakes” let out angry roars, their black hair covering their faces pushed aside, revealing three nearly identical faces.
These faces were emaciated, marked with stork bone patterns.
Their already ugly faces had red snake eyes.
Their open mouths revealed forked tongues, like snake tongues.
The three “Ghost Snakes” clearly harbored an innate hatred for the “Celestial Beast.”
When the roars subsided, the three “Ghost Snakes” suddenly surged in power, their wet black hair standing up, shooting towards the “Celestial Beast”!
“Heavenly Purple Light!”
But facing this terrifying assault, the “Celestial Beast” only raised its holy sword.
Sacred purple light burst from its palm, ascending the sword handle and mixing with the holy power within the “Solo Sword Sheath,” forming a highly concentrated “sword qi!”
Controlled by the “Celestial Beast,” this purple sword qi shot outward, condensing into a magnificent sword qi the size of a door.
Holding the sword with both hands, the “Celestial Beast” cut down with a slight smirk!
The magnificent purple sword qi swept across, severing the three “Ghost Snakes'” terrifying black hair at the roots!
The energy of “Heavenly Purple Light” was largely depleted, but the three “Ghost Snakes'” most formidable attack method was sealed.
The “Celestial Beast” gave a cold smile, fluttering its six angel wings, and flew toward the three “Ghost Snakes.”
But the three “Ghost Snakes” didn’t retreat despite losing their hair.
They acted simultaneously.
The middle “Ghost Snake” opened its huge mouth, shooting out a pitch-black light column!
The “Celestial Beast” slashed with its sword, reducing some of the “Heavenly Purple Light” on the blade.
The other two “Ghost Snakes” howled.
One “Ghost Snake” rapidly expanded, its scales growing larger and spreading throughout its body, enveloping it in a layer of snake-scale armor, even covering its face, transforming it into a massive snake monster!
The other “Ghost Snake” maintained a human-like size but had two snake-shaped weapons in its hands.
The blades of these “Snake Blades” seemed to be coated with venom, black and foul-smelling.
Two physical attackers.
One magical attacker.
The three “Ghost Snakes” launched their assault on the “Celestial Beast.”
…
Although the “Celestial Beast” showed no weakness in aura,
as a mage, Dark needed precise judgment.
He didn’t place all the pressure on the “Celestial Beast.”
After the cooldown of the usual summoning spell ended, he took out “Soul of the Moon Goddess I” from his deck!
Without the evolution provided by the “Moon Goddess Stone,” the “Soul of the Moon Goddess I” was merely a six-star mana spirit.
However, with the passive skill “Divine Rank Armed,” its attributes could be boosted to a perfect 4000 points for an eight-star mana spirit.
Masterfully controlling the “Moon Goddess Armed,” defeating one of the “Ghost Snakes” wouldn’t be a problem.
If the “Celestial Beast” could hold out until the “Moon Goddess” killed one “Ghost Snake,” it could engage in a one-on-one battle.
Of course, this was the best-case scenario.
But given the current situation, there was no hesitation left.
Dark raised “Soul of the Moon Goddess I” and began the summoning!
“Moo!”
The “Big Milk Jar” grabbed Dark’s pant leg, eyes gleaming.
“Are you eager too?”
Dark couldn’t help but pat the “Big Milk Jar’s” head, showing a slight regretful expression.
Then, he aimed “Soul of the Moon Goddess I” at the “Big Milk Jar,” chanting: “Gathered prayers will become the new silver moonlight, transform into a shining silver moon, armed evolution—Moon Goddess!”
The “Big Milk Jar’s” eyes flashed with excitement.
Since Dark no longer needed “Rolling” to boost output, it hadn’t been active for a long time.
Though it was suited for healing, every healer had a warrior’s heart.
The “Celestial Beast’s” activity was making it harder to bear.
At this moment, it even sought battle proactively!
Of course, as a professional healer, it didn’t forget to brew a bottle of “milk” before evolving.
…
Dark caught the bottle of “milk” amusingly and saw the silhouette of “Moon Goddess” appear behind the “Big Milk Jar.”
Under the silver moonlight, the “Big Milk Jar” gradually transformed into a luminous form.
Its body stretched rapidly after transforming.
Silver-white armor condensed around it.
These silver-white armors fitted tightly against its skin as they completed their transformation.
When the light faded, the “Big Milk Jar” had surprisingly evolved into a completely different digital creature—the “Moon Goddess”!
Compared to Dark’s “Moon Goddess” form, the “Big Milk Jar’s” “Moon Goddess” form was significantly more feminine.
It could be said to have transformed entirely from neutral to distinctly female.
Except for minor details, the “Big Milk Jar’s” “Moon Goddess” form remained as sharp as a blade.
Its strength didn’t diminish in the slightest.
“Prioritize killing the one hiding in the back.”
Dark pointed at the clearly magical “Ghost Snake.”
The “Moon Goddess” transformed into a silver lightning bolt the moment it touched the ground.
At that moment,
the “Celestial Beast” was already engaged in close combat with the other two “Ghost Snakes.”
Leveraging its weapon and strategic advantage, the “Celestial Beast” held its own at the beginning of the fight.
Once the magical “Ghost Snake” was taken care of by the “Moon Goddess,” its pressure would halve, and the other two “Ghost Snakes” might even be killed first!
…
The development of the battle matched Dark’s predictions closely.
He gradually regained composure, certain that victory was near.
The magical “Ghost Snake” was now preoccupied with the “Moon Goddess” and couldn’t spare any time to shoot magic light at the “Celestial Beast.”
The “Moon Goddess” was immune to the “Ghost Snake’s” transformation-type ultimate skill, and its defense was high enough to withstand the magic light.
Although it relied on enhanced attributes to possess formidable melee capabilities, as a one-time mana spirit, lacking melee ultimate skills, it couldn’t possibly be the “Moon Goddess’s” match.
“Big Milk Jar,” though not often in battle, indeed had decent combat experience; it even learned swordsmanship and martial arts…
After the battle started, the magical “Ghost Snake” was completely suppressed by “Big Milk Jar,” and its defeat was just a matter of time.
Dark felt completely at ease but remained fully focused on both battlefields.
…
But at that moment, the water flowing from the bathroom gradually reached his feet.
He was focused on dealing with the three “Ghost Snakes” and didn’t realize that none of them were water-type.
They didn’t have the ability to manipulate water elements, fundamentally preventing the bathroom from being flooded.
…
In the professor’s rest room.
Few professors noticed this detail while observing the battle through mirrors.
Even those who noticed the oddity only showed increased interest.
“This design is truly characteristic of Professor Bode…”
Professor Bacon shook her head slightly, picked up a peanut from Lily’s dish, and ate it one by one.
…
At that moment.
The water reaching Dark’s feet suddenly surged!
He only felt something amiss at that instant, but it was too late.
The surging water had wrapped around his body, and tentacles from the water even entwined around his hands, preventing him from putting them away.
The water condensed intensely, losing its wetness.
The water flowing out of the bathroom rapidly converged, forming a tall humanoid water elemental beside Dark!
Although these creatures couldn’t seriously injure students, controlling their bodies and playing tricks like binding them was not prohibited.
Some ghosts even had hypnosis-type ultimate skills, capable of putting students to sleep…
If they encountered more vicious ones, the consequences would be even worse.
The part of the water elemental used to bind Dark gradually formed into a giant hand.
Dark was lifted high by this giant hand, feeling the pain of compression.
But the more intense the situation, the more calm he needed to be.
His composure, inherited from the Valkyrie, kept his painted vampire face from showing any panic.
That cold, almost cruel expression created a stark contrast with his usual gentle demeanor.
“Binding the hands was a wise choice, unfortunately…”
His mouth was also blocked by a tentacle from the water elemental.
But silent casting was a skill every magus at Saint Maryann Academy must master.
Remote mana output was also a necessary ability for any mana duelist.
With just a touch of his finger, mana surged out and entered his deck.
Closing his lips tightly, he completed the silent casting in just three seconds!
One of the mana cards in his deck instantly activated!
…
Under the professors’ watchful eyes, Dark’s body suddenly glowed, and his posture changed rapidly.
Many professors couldn’t help but show surprised expressions.
Even Professor Hoelder? Bode was moved.
Dark Demon, held by the giant water elemental hand, rapidly shrank in the light.
When the light dissipated, he had completely transformed into a stuffed cat!
“Wah!”
Little Lily’s eyes widened in shock.
She had no idea that Dark had mastered the “Transfiguration Spell.”
“How beautiful!”
Beside her, Professor Bacon also exclaimed in admiration.
Professor Pavar Jones, who taught “Transformation Class,” looked thoughtful after a brief moment of surprise.
After transforming into a cat, Dark Demon escaped from the giant water elemental’s hand like lightning.
The dream spirit nearby applauded.
Gather your courage and charge forward.
He activated the “Gem of Fear” against the water elemental monster!
Chapter 638 – Destructive Slaughter of Dark Demon (15k)
“Yomimi!”
Facing the giant hand chasing after the water elementals, the little dream spirit tightly shut her eyes. The “Gem of Fear” on her chest emitted a gem-like gleam of mana light.
Although this was only a Three-star Mana Spirit’s ultimate skill, the massive amount of mana stored within the “Gem of Fear” was released all at once, causing a disruption to the water elemental.
Meanwhile, Dark transformed into a cat and managed to escape.
This time, when he cast the “Transfiguration Spell,” he injected an extremely small amount of mana, limiting the duration of the transformation to just one minute.
But that one minute was far from easy.
The water elemental was also an elite-level monster with eight stars, and the dream spirit was instantly killed as soon as she was hit by the elemental water cannon.
Then, it raised its arm abruptly, and the giant hand extended and grew larger toward the ceiling, as if it would come crashing down any second, flattening the transformed cat Dark into a pancake.
In the nick of time.
Sacred light flashed behind the water elemental.
After blocking the snake blade-wielding ghost snake with her “Solo Sword Sheath,” the Celestial Beast fiercely flapped her wings and retreated, distancing herself from another huge ghost snake.
During the retreat, the two feathers on her left wrist transformed into a sacred bow amidst the gathering light, while her right hand drew the bowstring,凝聚雷霆 arrows and shot them out like lightning.
“Divine Judgment!”
As the clear and crisp command sounded, the “Sacred Arrow” wrapped in divine thunder struck the water elemental from behind!
The water elemental’s body was pierced through, and its movements suddenly halted as currents spread from the wound, paralyzing it instantly — unable to move!
…
The Celestial Beast’s arrow undoubtedly bought Dark the most crucial time.
He finally managed to drag out the duration of the “Transfiguration Spell” after successfully creating some distance and stood up from the stuffed cat form, reverting back to human form!
In that instant, Dark immediately drew two mana cards from his deck.
The “Mana Book” swiftly flew over and deployed beside him.
The magus and the golem synchronized their incantations!
“In the name of Dark Demon, Mana Summoning — ‘Primordial Dragon Egg’!”
“In the name of Dark Demon, Mana Summoning — ‘Gluttony III’!”
…
White and blue lights burst forth from the two mana cards.
A giant summoning circle appeared before Dark, and a snow-white dragon egg slowly floated out from it.
The symbol of “Greed” — a bluish-purple light — crossed over the dragon egg and directly shone upon the “Solo Sword Sheath” now in the Celestial Beast’s hands!
The Celestial Beast paused for a moment before responding, “Transform ‘Solo Sword Sheath’ into elemental form.”
The “Solo Sword Sheath” slightly vibrated, and the eye pupil in the hilt suddenly opened, the ribbon tied to the handle swelling into an arm-like shape.
Once it transformed into an elemental form, it automatically dived into the “Gluttony III” light, greedily seeking the power of “Greed.”
The Celestial Beast dodged the attacks of the two ghost snakes until the “Solo Sword Sheath” split in half under the light, evolving into a “Double Sword Sheath” with two swords and an elliptical shield!
It then waved its hand, grabbing one of the swords, flapping its wings, and attacking again!
The other sword was lifted with the ribbon, flying swiftly towards Dark.
Dark grabbed the hilt, removed the shield, and quickly threw it.
“Crack!”
The dragon egg’s shell shattered instantly.
The baby blue-eyed dragon, with its wings spread, flew out of the broken shell, roaring as it caught the “Holy Sword” shot from behind!
Though it couldn’t activate the holy power of the “Holy Sword,” it still gained a significant boost in pure attack power by equipping it.
The “Baby Blue-Eye Dragon” was a six-star light-type dragon with an attack power of 3000 points, which could increase by 1800 points under the “Double Sword Sheath” bonus.
This meant its attack power per strike could reach as high as 5800 points!
Though it didn’t match the Celestial Beast wielding the “Solo Sword Sheath,” it was still incredibly terrifying.
However, its weakness lay in its low mana and defense, both at 2500 points, and due to its body structure, it couldn’t effectively use sword techniques.
Its sword skills were inferior compared to its claw attacks.
But facing an eight-star elite monster, even without proficient sword skills, it had no choice but to press on!
┗`O′┛ Awooo!
The “Baby Blue-Eye Dragon” roared and charged forward.
Dark observed his surroundings cautiously. After confirming there were no more abnormalities, he quickly calmed down.
Not detecting the presence of the water elemental was a major mistake.
But analyzing mistakes came after the battle.
“Baby Blue-Eye Dragon, let the light shine across the earth — Light Hall!”
While charging towards the water elemental, the “Baby Blue-Eye Dragon” gathered energy, and holy white light rose above its head, condensing into a blazing sun-like orb.
It roared, and the light ball shot up into the sky, spreading sacred aura instantly, and white feathers fell from the sky.
When the light ball exploded, the surroundings rapidly changed.
The entire area around the bathroom door was bathed in the warm white light of the “Light Hall.”
Though the “Light Hall” didn’t provide attribute bonuses to light-type golems, fighting a fish underwater versus on land would obviously show different combat capabilities.
Both the “Baby Blue-Eye Dragon” and the “Celestial Beast” thrived in this environment.
On the other hand, the three ghost snakes and the Moon Goddess felt uncomfortable.
Ghost snakes, though spectral, clearly possessed some dark attribute power.
And the Moon Goddess was purely dark, clashing with light attributes.
However, at this moment, the “Celestial Beast” was the main force. The existence of the “Light Hall” allowed the “Celestial Beast” to be reborn as a spirit even if she fell.
This battle must not be lost!
…
Lacking effective ultimate skills, the “Baby Blue-Eye Dragon” fell into a disadvantageous position during its fight with the water elemental. Though it was struggling, it barely held on with the help of the “Double Sword Sheath.”
The “Celestial Beast” fought two at once, but she was gaining the upper hand, albeit not quickly enough to finish them off.
The breakthrough returned to the Moon Goddess!
The “Moon Goddess” evolved from the “Big Milk Jar,” indicating it needed a sword too!
Unfortunately, its owner could not meet its demand.
“Big Milk Jar, quick victory!”
Not only could it not get what it wanted, but it was given an almost impossible task.
There was no other choice!
The “Moon Goddess” leaped into the air, dodging another beam from the ghost snake.
Then, amidst the shriek of the elemental ghost snake, it unleashed its strongest ultimate skill — “Eclipse!”
Raising its right hand, moonlight was drawn from beyond the castle walls, continuously gathering above it.
A sea of moonlight illuminated the sky.
The “Moon Goddess” focused intently, gathering energy until the brilliant moonlight illuminated every corner.
With a sudden shout, it slashed downward!
Almost simultaneously.
Ripples emerged from the sea of moonlight, and beams of condensed moonlight burst forth, striking the head of the elemental ghost snake!
“Boom!”
The elemental ghost snake’s head was hit by the powerful “Eclipse” beam, as if about to explode, with its black hair scattering and evaporating, leaving it almost bald.
But it relied on its enhanced defense to withstand the first wave of moonlight, then sharply screamed, gathering spectral energy into a dark barrier above its head.
The second and third waves of moonlight followed, constantly slamming into the dark barrier.
The ugly face of the elemental ghost snake revealed a crazed expression, pouring its mana frantically into the barrier.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth waves of moonlight burst down.
The barrier finally shattered under the pressure.
Its entire body was exposed to the remaining moonlight.
The “Moon Goddess” stood in mid-air, emitting moonlight, like a deity.
Raising its eyebrows, it unleashed the remaining six waves of moonlight.
The elemental ghost snake was finally obliterated by the terrifying “Eclipse”!
…
“The first one.” Dark whispered.
After thoroughly defeating the ghost snake with the “Moon Goddess,” it took a brief breath before charging towards the smaller ghost snake wielding the “snake blade.”
That giantized ghost snake was too challenging for it.
The “Celestial Beast” swiftly assisted, attacking the remaining large ghost snake.
In a one-on-one situation, its advantage became more apparent. With the “Double Sword Sheath,” it cut through the scales and claws of the ghost snake, severing its head completely.
Bathed in the warm white light of the “Light Hall,” the “Celestial Beast” thrived, exploding the ghost snake on the spot!
“Awooo!”
Struggling to hold on, the “Baby Blue-Eye Dragon” was breached by the water elemental’s relentless attacks.
Unable to withstand the full strength of the eight-star monster, it quickly became endangered and transformed back into a “Dragon Egg” at the last moment!
The water elemental faced Dark again.
But Dark remained calm.
The “Moon Goddess” had already pushed back the ghost snake wielding the “snake blade,” stepping through the air to rush over.
The “Celestial Beast,” having eliminated the large ghost snake, took over the final ghost snake.
Moments later, the “Moon Goddess” caught the “Double Sword Sheath” dropped by the “Baby Blue-Eye Dragon.”
It displayed joy, fearlessly charging at the water elemental!
…
“Well done.”
Dark did not hatch the “Primordial Dragon Egg” but instead considered future battles, storing it as a “Dragon Egg” in a mana card.
So far, this battle had developed without unexpected danger.
Though the “Moon Goddess” struggled to harm the nearly physical-immune water elemental, once the “Celestial Beast” had free hands, it could activate the power of the “Holy Sword” and join forces with the “Moon Goddess” to defeat it.
With the last “milk” from the “Big Milk Jar,” the “Celestial Beast” recovered to peak condition during the battle’s lulls, quickly eliminating the final ghost snake.
Though senior students passed by and watched, they did not interfere.
The professors watching from the common room relaxed, and Professor Heldred Bode smiled more ominously—though perhaps it was just his nature.
Under the combined efforts of the “Celestial Beast” and the “Moon Goddess,” the water elemental showed little resistance.
When the “Light Hall” reached its limit, pure angel feathers scattered.
The water elemental’s massive body was pierced by a sword, exploding instantly.
Clear water rained down, and the ground became damp once more.
But the most difficult battle in the masquerade ended.
Dark took a deep breath, summoning the “Moon Goddess” and “Celestial Beast” to his side.
“It’s time for the harvest!”
Breaking through the resource point on the seventh floor provided him with a substantial number of credits.
But the key was the materials left behind by the resource point.
Dark held the “Mana Book” and led the mana managers back into the bathroom.
The floor was dry, and the dark aura had vanished. Moonlight from the window illuminated the space, making everything appear unusually peaceful.
Dark found a floating gift box on the sink.
“Only one?” he said, somewhat disappointed.
But thinking that answering all questions correctly might only summon one ghost, he felt relieved.
Professors wouldn’t place three or four sets of resources in one location.
“Let’s open it…”
The Celestial Beast crossed her arms and spoke.
Dark nodded and opened the gift box.
Inside, there was indeed only a “Ghost Snake Crystal,” but beneath it was a water attribute “Elemental Orb”!
An “Elemental Orb” was a highly condensed product of various elemental energies, suitable for the formation of various mana cards.
The quality of an “Elemental Orb” was primarily determined by its purity.
Dark wasn’t familiar with the grading of “Elemental Orbs,” but he could sense that the water elemental energy in his hand was very pure, ensuring its quality was high!
“If the ‘Fox-eared Grass’ can cultivate the fruit of ‘Envy,’ perhaps I could create a ‘Water Ibut’ like I did with the ‘Eevee.'”
Dark pondered for a while, then looked at the “Ghost Snake Crystal.”
He hadn’t seen a “Ghost Snake Crystal” before, but this black crystal with spectral energy fluctuations bore patterns similar to the scales of a ghost snake.
He concluded it was a similar item.
“Such items, if one knows the directed formulation method for a ghost snake, should be able to create one, right?”
“Since this ghost snake appears as an elite ghost in the masquerade, its formulation method should certainly be obtainable from a professor.”
“But this ghost snake…”
Recalling the dried, ugly, and terrifying face of the ghost snake, Dark shuddered slightly.
The golems he summoned didn’t stay in mana cards like those of other magi.
The thought of having such a terrifying ghost snake around in the future made him uneasy.
“But if not used to formulate a ghost snake, how else could this crystal be utilized?”
Dark pondered further.
The “Ghost Snake Crystal” and the “Water Elemental Orb” were definitely high-grade materials. His venture to the seventh floor had been successful, and he should have felt extremely pleased.
“Surprised, surprised.”
Dark forced himself to smile.
Then he put away these items, planning to return to the lower floors before the “Celestial Beast” and “Moon Goddess” timed out.
He didn’t intend to waste time exploring the remaining resource point on the seventh floor.
Next, he needed to quickly secure nine resource points to gain the credit rewards for breaking twenty.
Given the increasing speed of credit consumption, he wouldn’t give up any opportunity to earn a substantial amount of credits!
“If we’re lucky, encountering a group of seven-star ghosts sooner would be great. What do you think, Celestial Beast?”
“Heh.”
The Celestial Beast snorted, turning her head away.
The “Moon Goddess” then hugged Dark from behind, indicating this action was faster.
“Let’s go!”
Dark didn’t refuse.
…
When the evolution time of the “Celestial Beast” and “Moon Goddess” ended, Dark finally returned to the sixth floor.
Unfortunately, he didn’t encounter any groups of ghosts during this period, only running into a few blind ones.
After returning to the sixth floor, he recalled “Deoxys” and the “Big Milk Jar” into their mana cards and chose “Meow,” “Wrestler Eagle,” and the “Solo Sword Sheath” transformed into an elemental form.
With these three mana spirits, staying on the sixth floor for long was impossible.
Thus, these three mana spirits mainly handled reconnaissance and critical situation responses.
If evasion was impossible and a confrontation with ghosts was inevitable, they would use the “Candy” tactic, throwing some sugar to quickly escape.
In short, they aimed for speed.
Fortunately, most of the ghosts on the sixth floor had been cleared, and the upperclassmen who couldn’t stand on the seventh floor had nearly cleared the sixth floor.
Dark didn’t encounter much danger and successfully descended from the sixth to the fifth floor.
This was his first time on the fifth floor tonight…
The ghosts on the fifth floor were mainly five-star, but some were four-star as well.
Top students from the third year, unsatisfied with the fourth-floor ghost strength, challenged the fifth floor.
Fourth-year students less skilled in duels also chose the fifth floor as a hunting ground.
This floor served as a convergence point between the third and fourth years.
Occasionally, higher-year students would descend to the fifth floor for efficiency.
Different considerations led to varied actions.
Dark didn’t linger on the fifth floor.
This time, he went straight to the fourth floor!
With only three-star and four-star mana spirits, the fourth floor was the safest and quickest option.
His target wasn’t the mostly cleared ghosts, but resource points!
The deeper the floor, the lower the efficiency of capturing resource points.
Choosing
Fourth-year students on the fourth floor as hunting grounds should be outstanding among second-year and first-year students, as well as ordinary third-year students.
First-year and second-year students who stand out are relatively fewer in number.
Ordinary third-year students conquer resource points relatively slowly.
This makes the probability of leaving unbroken resource points relatively higher.
Of course, the remaining resource points on the third, second, and first floors theoretically would also be more numerous.
Especially on the first floor, there should be quite a few left!
On the contrary, the eighth and ninth floors, due to their high difficulty, should also have many remaining resource points.
But that was no longer related to Dark.
He firmly fixed his goal and quickly searched according to the resource map on the fourth floor.
If time had already exceeded the scheduled 8:30, he had to hurry.
By 9:00, Dark successfully found two unbroken resource points and quickly conquered them.
At 9:30, Dark found another three unbroken resource points and similarly did not waste too much time.
But after that, the number of unbroken resource points that could be found suddenly decreased!
It seemed that other students had also begun to quickly focus on conquering resource points.
Only by 10:00 did Dark manage to seize another resource point.
Thus, he had broken through a total of seventeen resource points.
“Still three left!”
After careful consideration, Dark decisively descended from the fourth floor to the third, arriving at the floor where second-year students should occupy.
In this floor, he saw quite a few first-year students.
Afterward, he spent about thirty minutes and finally completely broke through the last twentieth resource point!
“Finally succeeded!”
Looking at the large amount of credits obtained after breaking through twenty resource points, Dark couldn’t help but sigh in relief.
Starting from six o’clock, intense running and battles lasted until 10:30, totaling four hours and thirty minutes. He finally completed all tasks for this year’s masquerade.
And now, it was finally time for the狂欢 moment!
“Blue-Eye幼龙, Lion Beast, Solo Sword Sheath, Eevee, Big Milk Jar, Deoxys… Are you all ready?”
Confirming that all Mana Spirit Cards were fully charged and all Mana Cards were not in cooldown status, Dark opened his mouth, revealing vampire fangs!
“There’s still one hour and twenty minutes until the end of the masquerade. The seniors on the upper floors should have started their revelry, right?”
“Will I still be able to join in now?”
Dark ascended the floors, summoning along the way.
Lion Beast, Deoxys, Solo Sword Sheath, Imp Beast, and the unrecovered “Mana Book,” all accompanied him upward.
When entering the fifth floor, Dark saw “Werewolf,” “Vampire,” “Ghost,” and “Witch” continuously challenging others to duels.
Upon returning to the sixth floor, Dark noticed Diana and Rose scattering candies everywhere.
He took a step back, avoiding being seen by Diana and Rose, then immediately turned to another direction and quickly left.
The sixth floor was the most suitable floor for him.
Most of the ghosts wandering on the sixth floor were within his hunting range.
The third, fourth, and fifth-year students staying on the sixth floor were also within his hunting range!
Selecting the most suitable targets, engaging in quick duels, and thoroughly enjoying the joy of being a “vampire,” that was his goal!
“Third-year seniors should be the best warm-up targets.”
“Although most of them performed poorly last year, those who can stand firm on the sixth floor cannot be judged by common sense.”
“I wonder if Maly Bond is on this sixth floor?”
“Tonight, I was so focused on finding resource points that I didn’t notice many familiar faces.”
“Of course, if I could find Mike Owen, it would be great.”
Dark was like a true vampire who had caught the scent of blood, greedily searching for “prey.”
His luck was good.
Just two minutes later, he found the gathered prey by following the sounds.
“Do current prey lack vigilance?”
Dark mused.
In a relatively spacious corridor, a senior student and a senior female student were dueling.
The senior student wore a penguin costume exposing only his head, clearly looking bulky, yet surprisingly agile, constantly dodging remote attacks from the Mana Spirit.
The senior female student was dressed in a suit with a naval cap, exuding a飒爽 demeanor.
To be honest, Dark didn’t recognize either of them.
But this did not prevent him from recognizing those… spectators!
Clearly, those around might hide “ghosts,” yet six people were watching.
These six people, although hiding behind a pillar, had no other defenses.
With the ghosts on the sixth floor mostly cleared, they didn’t have to worry about sudden attacks…
“Wait, could all six be ‘ghosts’?”
“Ah, perhaps there are ‘Phoenixes’ immune to all abilities.”
Thinking this, Dark walked over without concealing himself.
A “ghost” needs to stay within ten meters and track someone for over three minutes without being discovered to successfully use the ability “Steal.”
“Unnoticed” has two meanings:
One is not being seen.
The other is not being pointed out.
Initially unsure, Dark learned after experience that being seen but not pointed out still counts as “unnoticed.”
The “Selection Card” is not so spiritual.
You need to actually “discover the opponent” to make a judgment.
So, ignoring footsteps or shadows without reacting does not count as “discovery.”
…
Dark’s footsteps were certainly noticed.
The six spectators immediately turned to look at him, and two of them immediately raised their fingers to their lips, “shushing.”
Dark winked at one of these six people and slowly pulled out the “Selection Card.”
He wasn’t worried about any “witches” among the six.
Firstly, with some tricks, the opponent couldn’t determine whether he was a “werewolf” or a “vampire.”
Secondly, even if he lost five percent of credits, he could earn them back from the prey.
Ten percent to five percent, as long as the prey’s credits exceed half of his, he would still profit.
And the seniors who could stand firm on the sixth floor shouldn’t have less than half the credits he earned, right?
So, winning the duel was enough!
“Senior Zach Wilson, for our first formal greeting, do you have time to spar with me?”
Fifth-year, Noble Academy, Zach Wilson!
A member of the Noble History Research Society and the Dueling Club.
Also, the commentator for the Novice Tournament!
A “familiar stranger.”
Dark actually didn’t leave Zach Wilson any room to refuse.
Zach Wilson wore black suit and crimson cloak, collar pulled up high, fangs in his mouth, though without wings, he was clearly a “vampire” outfit.
Seeing Dark, who was also dressed as a “vampire,” raise the Selection Card, his expression changed instantly.
As a gradually professional commentator, he had a fairly comprehensive understanding of Dark’s strength.
Because of this, he knew very well that Dark’s deck, which might be restricted in Mana Duels, would be terrifying in such an instant duel.
Although he was a fifth-year, his strength was actually quite average.
In this academy, time alone was insufficient to judge a student’s strength; the gap between top students and average students could easily span several grades!
Among them, Pandora Dragon and Vini Scarlet, as well as this second-year Dark, were prominent examples.
But when Dark’s Selection Card flashed, he felt his own Selection Card vibrate.
“Blood-sucking” ability activated!
The Selection Cards of both connected immediately.
Two blood-red mana lines emerged from under Dark’s feet, rapidly spreading along an arc to reach Zach Wilson’s feet.
Thus, a less-than-three-meter-long “dueling arena” was constructed on the ground between them.
In the center of the arena, a 300-second countdown appeared instantly.
Both duelist’s Selection Cards simultaneously connected to the castle’s outer barrier, creating a spherical transparent barrier around their bodies.
The battle was inevitable!
“Shouldn’t we have any grudges in public?”
Zach Wilson couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
Of course, he couldn’t guess that he was chosen as the “blood-sucking” target simply because he was familiar.
And in this masquerade, “vampires” and “werewolves” hunting didn’t need any reason!
Like him, a “ghost,” stealing others’ credits!
…
“Boom!”
When the duel began, the other five people squeezed together with Zach Wilson immediately scattered with their Mana Spirits.
Meanwhile, the two dueling on the other side instantly noticed everyone and made clear “discovery” actions.
“Damn!” One of the “ghosts” among the five immediately cursed in his heart.
Then someone egged on: “Zach Wilson, your opponent is just a second-year student. You won’t lose, right?”
“How could I?” Zach Wilson forced a laugh and immediately hid behind his Mana Spirit.
Due to limited mana recovery rate, consuming too many Mana Recovery Elixirs in a short time would reduce their effectiveness.
Therefore, most students placed only one Mana Spirit near them to conserve mana.
Zach Wilson’s Mana Spirit was a six-star “Screaming Gorilla.”
“Screaming Gorilla” was a very unique Mana Spirit.
Though muscular and strong, wearing a tight black vest, black-framed sunglasses, and Hawaiian shorts with a skirt made of banana peels, it was not Zach’s special preference but its innate equipment, known as the “Screaming Set” in its ultimate skill, a passive effect.
This “Screaming Set” could absorb a special power called “Screaming Energy.”
Whenever someone screamed for it, it absorbed “Screaming Energy.”
The louder and more frequent the screams, the more “Screaming Energy” it absorbed.
These “Screaming Energies” were used to enhance the “Screaming Set.”
Making the “Screaming Set”… cooler and more stylish!
…
“Grrr!”
The “Screaming Gorilla” raised its hands, showing off its muscles, then pounded its chest fiercely, revealing white, neat teeth to Dark.
Hiding behind the “Screaming Gorilla,” Zach Wilson immediately drew a Mana Card to summon.
He dared not underestimate Dark, launching his strongest trump card unexpectedly!
…
Next to Dark, “Lion Beast” saw “Deoxys” had no intention of advancing and suddenly took a step forward, punching out: “King of Beasts Fist!”
A lion-shaped shockwave struck the “Screaming Gorilla’s” chest.
But the “Screaming Gorilla” suddenly widened its eyes, pressing its chest and roaring loudly.
The roar transformed into a tangible force, shattering “Lion Beast’s” “King of Beasts Fist” completely!
The two robust Mana Spirits exchanged a fierce punch next.
“Lion Beast” retreated half a step due to a slight disadvantage in strength.
But it immediately drew the “Lion King Maru” from its waist, blood surging in its eyes, swiftly slashing!
The “Screaming Gorilla” raised its hand to block, but “Lion King Maru” cut a deep wound.
Yet, it showed no fear, turning its body and kicking “Lion Beast.”
“Lion Beast” steadied its stance, receiving the kick, the “Lion King Maru” quickly descending to stab the “Screaming Gorilla’s” chest.
Piercing through, it advanced, the ancestral demon blade viciously stabbing into the “Screaming Gorilla.”
“Augh!”
The “Screaming Gorilla” finally let out a scream.
This close-quarters melee ended up favoring the lower-ranked “Lion Beast.”
…
But this exchange couldn’t decide the outcome.
Zach Wilson hid behind, successfully completing a regular summoning spell during this interval.
His eyes flashed as he injected as much mana as possible, immediately aiming the Mana Card at Dark.
In an instant.
Countless blades appeared above Dark’s head!
Magic Spell Card — “Blade Hell!”
The dense blades flickered with bright light.
Zach Wilson shouted abruptly: “The outcome is decided!”
“Blade Hell” was a wide-range attack, hiding short swords within large swords.
With Dark’s few small and range-limited Mana Spirits nearby, it was impossible for them to completely block this “Magic Spell Card’s” attack.
The falling blades would tear him apart—of course not, they would cause massive damage to the barrier.
Even if one blade’s damage wasn’t enough, the cumulative damage of so many blades would reach 2000 points.
In a blink.
Countless blades burst downward!
Dark·Diemon… dodged!
Yes, he dodged!
Without relying on any Mana Spirit, he dodged out of “Blade Hell’s” range!
Zach Wilson’s curse erupted.
And when Dark dodged out of “Blade Hell’s” range, “Deoxys” also easily dodged, holding the “Solo Sword Sheath” naturally.
Only Imp Beast’s flight speed was insufficient to dodge.
But Imp Beast had long vanished.
Zach Wilson suddenly felt the barrier behind him shake violently, the energy counter jumping to 2000 points instantly.
“Ha ha ha!”
The “Demon Beast” spread its wings, sneering behind him.
…
“Battle ends.”
Without a round, this inscription appeared in the center of the dueling arena.
Zach Wilson knew Dark had the ability to “instant teleport,” yet he was instantly killed due to a lack of combat literacy.
However, a game commentator not playing games is as normal as a game coach not playing games.
Zach Wilson’s defeat was merely a matter of time.
“Thank you.” Dark waved his Selection Card, smiling.
Just now, he received a gift from Senior Zach Wilson.
“Enough!”
Zach Wilson sighed and also took out his Selection Card to confirm his losses.
But suddenly, someone quickly approached the crowd, whispering in his ear.
Zach Wilson looked at him and shook his head slightly.
That student wearing a tight costume and a comical mask froze momentarily.
Then he suddenly looked up and headed towards Dark.
At the same time, he raised his Selection Card, facing the card’s surface towards Dark.
Dark looked up and saw “Witch” written on the card.
“Hello, I am a Witch!”
The Witch wearing the comical mask walked up to Dark.
Dark had anticipated this, speaking calmly: “Hello, Witch.”
But the Witch clearly disliked being called a Witch, his tone becoming harsher: “Don’t think about dueling me. Everyone’s abilities enter a three-minute cooldown after use. Within those three minutes, I will run somewhere you can’t find me.”
Dark: “…”
The Witch continued: “You’re a Werewolf or Vampire. If I activate my ability now, there’s a fifty percent chance of guessing correctly.”
Dark smiled: “Did Senior Zach Wilson not tell you my identity?”
The Witch replied angrily: “He didn’t! He should have told me! Then I could help him take revenge.”
Curious, Dark asked: “Since he didn’t tell you, aren’t you afraid of guessing wrong? Wouldn’t a wrong guess cost you ten percent of your credits? I suggest you be kind.”
The Witch shook his head, his tone stabilizing: “I have my reasons.
The “Vampire” costume had completely exposed its identity. Ready to have five percent of your credits taken away!
Dark couldn’t help but blink.
Seeing his expression, the “Witch” became even more certain: “I activate my ability—‘Divination’! Your identity… is a ‘Werewolf’ right? Wearing a ‘Vampire’ costume to hide your ‘Werewolf’ identity! Truly smart people can also make mistakes!”
The selection cards of both sides immediately vibrated after the “Divination” ended.
The “Witch” eagerly picked up their selection card to check, and then… their expression changed instantly.
Dark laughed heartily, holding his card horizontally across his abdomen with a slight bow: “Thank you for the treat, I am deeply grateful.”
He never imagined that after winning the duel, he would still gain such unexpected rewards.
And these unexpected credits were even more than what he got from “Bloodsucking.”
When fortune comes, it’s unstoppable!
…
“Though I’m very curious about which senior this is, I think they wouldn’t want to reveal their identity right now. So I won’t ask too much.”
After Dark waited for the demon beast to return, he waved at the “Witch” senior, speaking kindly.
“Then goodbye, senior, wishing you good luck.”
After saying this, he glanced at the others and turned to leave.
Sheep should not be sheared one by one.
On the sixth floor of the castle, there are still many more sheep waiting for him!
…
“Damn it (〃>皿<)!"
After Dark left, the "Witch" senior suddenly let out an angry roar, then abruptly turned towards Zach Wilson.
He knew that among these people, there were at least two "Ghosts." If he wanted to recover the losses at this moment, he could only target them.
But including Zach Wilson, the five people suddenly scattered.
The "Witch" whose ability was on cooldown three minutes, became furious.
...
The cheerful "Vampire" Dark Demon found another batch of targets after three minutes.
In fact, finding students on the sixth floor of the castle was much easier than finding ghosts.
Most students, after failing to find ghosts and resource points to hunt, focused their attention on the "identity" game. Many were so engrossed that they couldn't stop.
During his search, Dark even encountered two "Vampires" or "Werewolves," but both left disappointed because he was a "Vampire."
Now, he stood before two fourth-year seniors, challenging one of them to a duel!
"I've decided on you!"
Both fourth-year seniors wore school uniforms but had masks, allowing their grades and schools to be identified.
Of course, there was also the possibility of intentionally playing as students from other schools or using old uniforms.
But being hunted and counter-killed was part of the experience.
Uncertainty made things exciting.
Dark chose the senior wearing the "Seal" mask.
As for the other senior, who wore the "Eel" mask, he didn't attack her.
But after showing his selection card to the "Seal" senior, she removed her mask and said helplessly, "Happy Halloween, Dark Demon."
"Happy Halloween, Senior Betty." Dark couldn't help but show an awkward smile.
He specifically chose "Seal" because Betty Murray's costume in the Seafood Sect was "Eel," but he hadn't expected these two seniors to switch costumes.
"Do you want to duel me?" Senior Betty looked at the dueling arena being constructed and casually asked.
"There's no turning back once the arrow is released. Sorry, senior." Dark replied.
Senior Betty tidied her messy bangs due to the mask and said, "But I have no interest in dueling. How about this, let your demon beast attack me once, and I'll consider myself defeated."
Dark slightly frowned, "Isn't that inappropriate?"
Senior Betty spread her hands, saying naturally, "But I'm not your match either. You know, I'm not good at dueling."
Dark fell silent for a moment and said, "Then we'll consider it a draw in five minutes."
"Aren't you wasting your time?" Senior Betty smiled, "How about this, I have another suggestion."
"What is it?" Dark asked.
Senior Betty smiled, "I'm a 'Witch.'"
Dark said, "Indeed? Most witches have divination talent."
Senior Betty nodded, "Pretty much. Anyway, I can get five percent of your credits by guessing your identity. Although I'm a fifth-year, the credits I might earn tonight will probably be less than yours.
"If you take ten percent of my credits, I'll take five percent of yours. Let's bet on who gains more, how about it?"
Dark pondered for a moment and smiled, "Okay."
This indeed added another layer of excitement, didn't it?
Thus, Senior Betty had her companion move aside and stood there, accepting the attack from the "Demon Beast."
The "Demon Beast" had no intention to attack, and it took two punches to increase the energy count to 2000 points.
Dark effortlessly won the duel and took ten percent of Senior Betty's credits.
But when he tried to confirm the credit amount, Senior Betty gently pressed his selection card.
"Wait, let's open it together, that way it's more fun, isn't it?" Senior Betty said gently.
"Yes." Dark stopped.
If he confirmed the credit amount, he would lose the fun of guessing.
Senior Betty raised her index finger and waved it in front of him, drawing his attention, then said, "Then, I activate my ability—‘Divination’! Your identity is..."
"Don't you want to tell me?" Dark asked puzzled.
Senior Betty smiled, "You're a Vampire. There are no Werewolves in your golem."
Dark grinned, "Correct."
Thus, Senior Betty successfully took five percent of his credits.
Both parties picked up their selection cards to check the credits and calculate the gains and losses.
Roughly estimating, if Senior Betty earns more than half of Dark's credits tonight, Dark wins the bet.
Otherwise, Senior Betty benefits.
Although Senior Betty is a top student in the fifth year, her excellence mainly lies in theoretical scores, so she may not necessarily earn more than half of Dark's credits.
After a quick calculation, both smiled at each other and recited a string of numbers.
Actually, there was no need to announce; the winner could be seen from the credit changes.
"It seems I've won."
Senior Betty showed a slightly proud smile.
She had gained a little more credit than before the duel.
Dark put away his selection card, feeling regretful, "It's all because I worked too hard."
"Huh?" Senior Betty chuckled at his sudden comment.
She extended her hand, saying, "Since I've won, as the victor, I invite you to dance tonight. You won't refuse, right?"
Though surprised, Dark shook her hand, "Of course not."
Senior Betty happily said, "Then see you later. I won't waste your time."
"Goodbye, senior." Dark sighed inwardly, regretting not wearing a mask when he left.
But he quickly regained his spirit and continued.
Three minutes later, he caught another fourth-year senior and challenged him to a duel on the spot.
Using his "Demon Beast" that hadn't yet degenerated from its evolved state, Dark successfully attracted his attention and used the "Demon Beast's" "Instant Teleportation" to win the duel.
The fourth-year senior, clearly as diligent as him, lost quite a few credits.
Dark immediately brightened up and continued hunting!
He rapidly moved through the sixth floor, engaging in quick battles, and activating "Bloodsucking" whenever the cooldown ended, with almost no interval.
Such opportunities to initiate duels without reason were rare, and he certainly cherished them.
However, he carefully chose his opponents, assessing their strength based on their accompanying golems before initiating the duel.
From 10:30 to 11:30, an hour passed.
Dark paid the price of "Greed +1," accidentally having his identity guessed by a "Ghost" and a "Witch," nearly failing in a duel, but ultimately stopping after an hour.
Credit growth was secondary; the main focus was enjoying the thrill of dueling.
After an hour of intense dueling, Dark finally felt satisfied.
He checked the clock and prepared to leave the feverish sixth floor!
At 11:30, thirty minutes remained until the masquerade ended.
Dark decided to continue upwards.
When entering the seventh floor again, he saw the seniors running in the same direction!
He immediately realized someone had found the seventh-floor boss!
...
Dark still vividly remembered the eight-star boss, the "Vampire Count," from last year. He immediately wanted to follow the seniors to check.
But after running a few steps, he slowed down.
"The seventh-floor boss is the leader-level ghost, the seven-star, right?"
"Even though this seven-star leader is likely stronger than an eight-star elite, it shouldn't be too difficult for those seniors."
"In that case, even if I go, I can only watch them tackle the boss..."
"Too boring!"
Thinking this, Dark completely stopped.
Then he quickly turned around and continued upwards!
"Last year, I witnessed the eighth-floor boss. This year, I aim for the ultimate boss of the ninth floor—‘Behemoth’!"
"I remember that last year, Senior Pandora summoned and defeated ‘Behemoth’. I wonder who will do it this year?"
"Every year, defeating ‘Behemoth’ yields a small piece of its horn. I hope next year, I'll have the strength to compete for it!"
Dark set his goal in his heart and quickened his pace.
Soon, he arrived at the eighth floor of the castle.
...
At this time, more lower-grade students were daringly moving to higher floors.
Except for the eighth and ninth floors, most upper-floor ghosts were already cleared. Lower-grade students only needed to bring enough candy to avoid being attacked by ghosts.
What they needed to worry about was the other students in the "celebration."
"Werewolves" and "Vampires" were still hunting prey.
"Ghosts" and "Witches" were plotting their timing.
"Phoenixes" were seeking rebirth.
"Titans" were striving to maintain order.
And "Behemoth"... was searching for the boss!
When the floor boss on the seventh floor was summoned, other bosses were also successfully summoned elsewhere, making the masquerade reach its most frenzied moment.
...
At this time, Dark chose to enter the still dangerous eighth floor of the castle, and immediately, an ordinary eight-star ghost targeted him!
Facing the incoming three hundred credits, Dark couldn't resist and used a "Bliss III" and "Fusion," summoning "Bastemon."
"Bastemon" wielded the "Solo Sword Sheath" and easily killed the eight-star ordinary ghost.
Immediately after, seeing the summoned "Bastemon," Dark decided to stay on the eighth floor for a while longer.
Fifteen minutes was enough for "Bastemon" to find and kill ten ordinary eight-star ghosts.
That's a total of three thousand credits!
Due to greed, Dark spent the final fifteen minutes of the masquerade on the eighth floor.
He lightly tapped the credits he had earned, feeling a sense of regret.
There weren't many ghosts on the eighth floor; he only found nine more, barely making ten.
"Call me again soon—"
In a whisper, "Bastemon" gave him a final hug and then dissolved the fusion in a flash of light.
Separated, "Imp Beast" and "Deoxys" glared at each other for a moment.
"Deoxys" leaped away, while "Imp Beast" pounced onto Dark, making faces at "Deoxys."
"Deoxys" snorted coldly and looked away.
"Alright, stop it."
Dark used the energy potion to fill the mana of the two golems, then said.
"Next, let's head to the ninth floor, try to avoid battle."
The golems nodded and each took a handful of candy from his hand.
Dark had never been to the ninth floor of the castle on Halloween Eve, so most of his knowledge came from conversations with Senior Pandora.
The eighth and ninth floors were very similar, both requiring top-tier students or seniors to team up to ascend.
This year's upper floors were more challenging than last year's, making it difficult even for top students to handle the groups of nine-star ghosts on the ninth floor.
Calculating efficiency and consumption, it was clear that the ninth floor wasn't a good choice.
So theoretically, there should still be many ghosts left on the ninth floor.
Entering the ninth floor under these circumstances, even with a lot of candy, wasn't safe.
Nine-star ghosts had many ways to catch players off guard before they could use candy.
But there were indeed attractive things on the ninth floor that drew seniors.
Firstly, resource points.
The ninth-floor resource points would provide more credits and better resources.
While soloing was challenging, the payoff was significant if successful!
Just this alone was enough to attract top students to take risks.
The second attraction was "Behemoth's Horn!"
"Behemoth" was the king of beasts, a legendary land giant rivaling "Leviathan," dominating land and sea respectively.
As the final boss of the masquerade, although the "Behemoth" created by the professors was not as powerful as the real one, the "Behemoth's Horn" used to create it was genuine!
Saint Maryann Academy used a piece of "Behemoth's Horn" as the final reward every Halloween Eve because they possessed the world's only "Behemoth's Horn"!
That enormous horn remained "alive" even after being detached from "Behemoth"!
Each year, the academy cut a piece from the "Behemoth's Horn," and it slowly healed like flesh, eventually recovering completely.
Despite the long years weakening "Behemoth's Horn," even a small piece could still create a fourth-tier golem!
Fourth tier, exceeding nine stars!
This was undoubtedly the best王牌 students could obtain!
Therefore, even taking the last chance, the top students among the seniors would try every method to tackle "Behemoth"!
Usually, they formed teams to increase their chances.
Pandora activated and summoned "Behemoth" in the last three minutes last year, largely due to luck.
Of course, her ability to defeat "Behemoth" in three minutes was real!
...
Dark stepped onto the ninth floor.
Beside him, Deoxys quickly threw out a handful of candy.
Two ghosts that had been hiding in the shadows immediately lost their attacking desire.
"Let's go!"
Deoxys whispered and led the way, swiftly leading Dark away from the entrance.
Historically, over ninety percent of "Behemoth" summons occurred within the final fifteen minutes.
Thus, Dark wasn't worried.
He had no intention of competing for the final boss this year.
His purpose for coming to the ninth floor was merely observation and preparation for next year.
And just three minutes after entering the ninth floor, a violent tremor suddenly erupted somewhere!
The final boss had been summoned!
...
[48/127]
[Good morning, although I completed the monthly update tasks long ago, I still typed fifteen thousand words today!]
[Today is the last day of October. Considering the struggling author works day and night for thirty-two hours every day, please be kind and vote!]
