Chapter 575

575.

Qoooooon!

The activation sound of the golem reverberated.

The golem’s first target was none other than Lea.

“Tch!”

Kung! Chelbuk! Kung! Chelbuk!

Lea clicked her tongue as she saw the lava golem charging at her.

“What a hassle.”

Unfortunately, due to the lava golem being summoned close to her, she was within its range.

A golem isn’t difficult to design if one is proficient in magical engineering.

Being simple, it’s also easy to modify.

Most modified golems are crude, however.

But when it comes to a lava golem, the situation changes.

First of all, crafting a lava golem is extremely difficult.

The golem, covered in magma, boasts immense offensive power on its own.

‘The water attribute magic, which is the weakness of the fire attribute, does not work well on lava golems. Also, the surroundings turn into a lava zone, making it hard to bring it down!’

Given that the lava golem is made entirely of lava, its attack and defense power increase overwhelmingly in a lava zone.

‘Not fighting it would be best.’

Hooaaaaak! Kwang! Cheoppeoyeok!

Avoiding the lava golem’s attack, a wave of magma surged upwards.

Due to the intense heat, Lea lightly used the Fly magic and escaped from the attack range of the lava golem.

Medvez then appeared beside Lea.

“Lea Tinggel. Are you going to leave me alone and only target that coward, Luke Eldar?”

“It’s true that Luke Eldar is timid, but he is worth toppling over more than you.”

“Ho? Then, I must prove that I am more worth defeating than Luke Eldar.”

“Is that possible?”

Lea smirked.

At that moment,

Tap!

“Luke!”

The sound of something kicking the ground accompanied by Aina’s startled voice could be heard.

In an instant, a silver flash swiftly passed between the two people.

“Luke Eldar?!”

“What?”

Lea and Medvez widened their eyes as they saw Luke rushing head-on towards the lava golem.

Kwaahk!

Upon kicking the ground, the surrounding lava splattered all around.

Luke’s entire body was glowing with a silvery light.

The power that arose from Luke’s mana traits, which surged when his mind was agitated, reaching its extreme.

Luke’s innate magic that granted him a power surpassing his limits for a moment.

‘Transcendence.’

Flick-!

Kwagagagagak-!

A towering silver wall, resembling a sword strike, soared as if trying to pierce the sky.

The split lava golem collapsed.

Cheoppeok! Puwhaheog-!

Like a tidal wave, a wave of lava surged upwards.

Uwaaaaaaaah-!

An ear-splitting cheer erupted from the audience seats.

“Knocked out with just one hit!”

“I thought he was running away and seemed weak, I see! Luke’s not mistakenly the representative of Lumeran’s first year!”

“Amazing!”

Enthusiastic reactions poured in.

Even after the opening match started, the audience cheered for the splendid auras and magics of the first-year students, as well as their summoned creatures.

Though still young and inexperienced, the students who had spent a year at the Hero Academy were no ordinary beings.

That criterion of being young and inexperienced was compared to their seniors.

To the eyes of ordinary people, even attending the Hero Academy made someone quite extraordinary.

However, the performance Luke had just displayed was an overwhelming show that refused any comparison with the other first-year students.

“Sure enough, being a mentee of Leo Flove wasn’t a mistake!”

With some of the audience’s exclamation, Lea’s ears perked up.

“Luke… Eldar…!”

Lea widened her eyes.

“I will also earn recognition from Senior Instructor Flob! By defeating you!”

“Hiiiik!”

“Stop!”

Seeing Lea charging forward while roaring, Luke panicked and ran away, while Aina stepped in to stop her.

“Lea! How long will you act alone?”

“Aina! Leave Lea Tinggel alone! Luke can easily handle her!”

Yoinia and Juen approached Lea and Aina’s sides and shouted, their eyes meeting.

The two girls pointed their staffs at each other.

Flick! Kwagak-!

Magic clashed, triggering a massive explosion.

“Auaaaa! Let go! Let go! I’m going to defeat Luke Eldar!”

“Calm down a bit!”

Angr forcibly dragged Lea away.

On the other hand, Medvez, who had been standing still, recalled the earlier situation.

“Clearly, he was smiling.”

At the moment Luke charged at the lava golem, he was definitely smiling.

“Why was he smiling?”

Though it was possible for Medvez to take down a lava golem in a single blow, there was no merit in using too much of his own power against it in this situation.

“Does he enjoy fighting? No, that’s not his personality. Then why?”

Medvez looked towards the audience who were enthusiastically cheering for Luke.

At that moment, his eyes met Ar from the Azonia students.

‘You’re good at everything, but there’s a bit of stingy side to you, isn’t there? And you surrendered rather quickly?’

This was something Ar had told him after challenging him once after their enrollment.

Knowing he would lose, Medvez challenged Ar to confirm the gap between them.

And before even getting a proper glimpse of that gap, he surrendered.

‘Thinking too much is fine, but sometimes acting according to one’s heart is also good. A challenge is that kind of thing, isn’t it? Jumping in without measuring before and after.’

Under the moonlight, Ar, with her arms crossed, gazed at the sky when Medvez asked her,

“So, is that why you, Senior, behaves so ignorantly?”

Upon finishing his sentence, he was struck on the jaw and immediately fell unconscious.

For some reason, that incident came to mind.

“Indeed, after taking down the lava golem too, isn’t that aiming to crush everyone from other schools and secure victory?”

There were supposedly such individuals he’d heard of.

Those who got excited uncontrollably when undertaking challenges close to the impossible.

And the crowd cheered for that challenge against the impossible.

“Brave one. You resemble an Azonia student more than me.”

Smiling slightly, Medvez looked in the direction Luke had disappeared.

“I sincerely apologize. Luke Eldar. You are a man worth defeating.”

“Kyaaaaaaa!”

“Are you an animal? Why do you have a seizure whenever it’s about Luke Eldar despite usually being composed?!”

As Angr tried to carry the struggling Lea like a sack of rice while running towards Luke, he shouted.

“I’m the best in my class in Seirun! That’s why I’ll prove I’m the best even among classes in other schools! Defeating Luke Eldar is the start of that!”

“That’s just your personal grudge, right?”

“I’ll settle my grudge and prove my superiority! It’s a two-for-one deal!”

“Recall some of Lunia’s advice!”

At Angr’s words, Lea hesitated for a moment and then stuck out her lip.

‘Didn’t you take Luke’s food during the training camp?’

A ridiculous expression came to Lunia’s mind.

‘Are you a bully? Why did you steal food? Don’t you know you’ve brought shame to our school?’

‘I’m not a bully. You are, Senior Lunia.’

Gyaaak!

‘Cough!? Kerkerkerker-!’

Without hesitation, Lunia grabbed the back of her disciple with her beautiful hands and strangled her.

‘I understand why you’re so fixated on Luke Elda. However, don’t just fixate so much on what’s right in front of you. You might trip over something underfoot.’

‘…Lunia senior, Lea has fainted.’

‘Oh come on, she fainted just because I choked her a bit? How fragile.’

‘Usually, if you choke like that, it’s fatal.’

In the fading consciousness, Lea could hear the dissatisfied voices of Lunia and Eiran.

‘Surely, obsessing too much just on Luke Elda isn’t healthy, right?’

There are competitors not just outside but even within Seirun among one’s own peers who threaten one’s standing.

‘…I decided during a vision of our ancestors. I want to be someone who can stand proudly in front of the people I respect and earn their recognition.’

What makes Luke Elda enviable is that point.

The fact that he had been recognized by Leo.

Just then, when Lunia had a serious expression,

Whoosh!

“Cannot afford to be complacent.”

“Where did he…?”

Suddenly, the representative of Damian, Rixen, appeared in front of them with a meaningful smile.

“It’s my invention, the invisible cloak. It also conceals one’s presence!”

Rixen swung a huge battle hammer at Angr.

Kwang!

The massive impact caused Angr to lose his grip on Lea.

“Ah?!”

Just as Lea was about to fall into the lava zone and hastily try to use the Fly magic,

“Checkmate!”

Rixen struck her down with his battle hammer, “You’ll warp out automatically once you’re disqualified, so you probably won’t be hurt!”

Rixen grinned cheekily.

“Since Lea Tinggel is so abnormally fixated on Luke Elda, I figured there would be an opportunity to catch her off guard!”

Rixen laughed triumphantly.

“Ugh! That’s cheating!”

Fuming, Angr raised his sword, but Rixen shrugged.

“Where’s the concept of fairness in a fight? Although, Drina our senior did go berserk saying my methods weren’t beautiful.”

Rixen recalled Driana, their senior from the previous year.

“Rixen, your actions are despicable and baseless! They lack beauty!”

“Isn’t it fine as long as the result is good? Why need beauty?”

“There absolutely is! Even Lord Dwenno pursued beauty! We, students of Damian, must possess beauty, not only in our creations but in our actions too! You’re an exceptional talent, yet you can claim victory with dignity without resorting to base actions. If you continue behaving despicably, you may be labeled hideous and despised.”

“Perhaps our senior’s works are the ones that lack beauty…”

At that remark, Driana slammed Rixen’s head with her hammer, causing him to faint instantly.

“Hmm…, it was a bit too much.”

Rixen scratched his cheek.

He could feel boos raining from all directions.

“Because of the incident following Luke Elda, the criticism seems strong. But this is the most efficient….”

Ttak!

“Huh?”

At that moment, a small hand suddenly burst out from the lava zone, grabbing his ankle.

Surprised, Rixen looked down.

There was Lea, protected by a shield, with a creepy smile on her face.

“Is winter cold? Here, it’s very warm.”

“I, I want to refuse… please.”

“No need to refuse.”

“Kkuaaaaaaaak?!”

Rixen was immediately pulled into the lava and knocked out by Lea.

After shaking the dust off her hands, Lea smirked.

“Don’t get cocky.”

Then,

Kookookookooong-!

Bubblebubblebubble-!

The lava zone, which had been expanding its territory bit by bit, started shaking again.

Kowaaagagak-!

“Another lava golem?!”

“This time, there are four!”

“No! Are we supposed to fight other schools or avoid it?”

“They called it survival, right? It’s not a battle against other schools but an all-out survival game!”

Cries erupted among the students.

Students who originally intended to attack the enemy camp while avoiding the lava zone and the massive lava golems were now inevitably forced into a situation where they had no choice but to deal with the lava golems.

“Kreuh! The enemy isn’t the students of other schools but this terrain itself!”

Amidst the extremely harsh environment, students cried out.

Every time a lava golem was taken down, more kept coming in waves.

Despite that, clashes continued as they tried to eliminate the enemy forces.

The battle area that could be used due to the lava continued to shrink.

Eventually, the four schools converged in the very center of Erek.

Boilboil-

The lava surged, leaving no place to retreat.

“Huh… Shall we determine the last one standing here?”

Medvez stepped forward, clenching his fist.

“It was the intended goal.”

Lea also responded, cracking her finger joints.

“The time for the showdown has come.”

Meanwhile, Habidden from Lumeran turned around while muttering and raising the corner of his lips.

“Luke, aren’t you coming out?”

“If I do, those two people would probably come after me first.”

“Lumeran’s first-year representative should prevail.”

“You go! You’re our representative!”

“Th-there!”

With Shasha’s addition, she shoved Luke’s back forward.

Unable to resist the demands of a nation’s crown prince and a princess, Luke had no choice but to put on a sullen face and step forward.

At that moment,

Peeeiiiiiiii!

An odd whistle sounded.

Tuck- Tumbletumble-!

A red furry lump fell from the sky and rolled to Luke’s feet.

Luke picked up the fur ball with a curious look on his face.

Peeak!

“Fiore? Long time no see! How have you been?”

Luke broke into a bright smile and a look of delight upon seeing Fiore, Leo’s Phoenix from the first semester.

Peeak-! Peeak-!

Fiore flapped its wings and cried repeatedly.

Upon seeing Fiore’s behavior, all the survivors’ faces turned pale.

“E, Eh. Surely, not. There’s no way… right?”

Shasha muttered in denial as her voice trembled.

Even if it was harsh, surely it couldn’t be that merciless?

“Hand it over!”

“Hiiik!”

Suddenly, Lea lunged at Luke.

Overwhelmed by Lea’s momentum, Luke dropped Fiore.

Taking possession of Fiore, Lea beamed at the Phoenix on her hand.

“Nice to meet you. You’re Fiore, right? I’ve wanted to meet you.”

Lea, who liked anything related to Leo, smiled brightly and greeted Fiore.

At that moment,

Guhoooooom! Fireeeeeerk-!

Fiore suddenly balled her eyes open and started puffing up.

“Huh?”

Goooow! Fireeeeeerk-!

As Fiore’s body swelled, it caught fire.

“…”

Watching this transformation, Lea promptly tossed Fiore to Luke like a bomb.

“Here, I’ll give it back.”

“Our turn, don’t throw it!”

“Ru-run away!”

The Lumeran students scattered in panic.

Ahahahaaaaaak!

Fireeeeerk! Kwagagaagak-!

Fiore roared and began mercilessly attacking all the first-year students.

“Even so, that seems a bit too extreme.”

Chelsea shook her head at the sight of the first-year students screaming and running away from the calamity called Phoenix.

It was cruel beyond measure.

This was no longer about who could knock down more opponents but who could outlast the others.

As Chelsea spoke, Kal shook his head.

“Isn’t he called the Demon King for nothing?”

*

Nothing remained in Erek’s training grounds.

As the man watched the fire beginning to d*e down in the center of Erek’s training grounds, he clenched his fist.

“What are you staring at? Lumeran.”

“It’s nothing. Rodia. But there’s something I want to say about Erebus.”

Lumeran turned his back on the yard where the black fire had risen and tightly bit his lip.