"As expected of the giant half-blood! Special Admission No. 3, Chatel Maer!! He's just breaking through the traps with his bare body!"
The excited crowd repeatedly chanted Chatel's name. The announcer, getting swept up in the excitement, turned to Byulya.
"Professor! He was overwhelming in the last exam, and he's showing an overwhelming performance this time too! He's like a living, breathing tank! What kind of black magic is that?"
"You fool. Does that look like black magic to you?" Byulya rested her chin on her hand and smirked. "That's just innate. The constitution of a giant, which doesn't even get a scratch when hit by weapons. It's pathetic when people claim some black magic passed down in their family is a 'bloodline.' That is a true bloodline."
"Ah, it's truly unbelievable! Is he really the same as us?! He breaks through and presses the red buzzer! Chatel! The first to pass the third stage!"
In stages one and two, the students were somewhat delayed as they disarmed the traps, but the real spectacle was in Stage Three. Since it was a test that evaluated pure defense and endurance, regardless of trap-disarming skills, all the students came out for a head-on confrontation.
"Ah! And speaking of which, here comes student Meirin Villenne!"
The main screen in the stands showed Meirin. She had magic circles under her feet and was using a tactic of running on the ceiling while pouring out a large amount of ice. The weapons that were supposed to come down from the ceiling were obstructed by the ice she laid down, and in the meantime, Meirin was traversing the third stage at an astonishing speed.
"Ooooh! Her application of Jet-Black elemental ice magic is at a marvelous level! It's like watching the second coming of the Great Magic Era!! That's the Ivory Tower for you!"
"She's pushing her pace," Byulya said, as if spitting out the words.
"She can't maintain that for even two minutes. She's pulling out all her ice as if there's no tomorrow. She's going to collapse in the fourth stage at this rate."
"Is that so! Let's keep watching to see if the professor's words come true! Ah, and another one is going! This time, from a family of great dragons no less than the Ivory Tower! Hector Moore!!"
Hector, now in his Corpse Dragon form, completely covered in scales, was running close to the ground. The breath fired from his mouth continuously bombarded the ceiling, destroying the weapons before they could fall. He would send a skeleton to induce the next weapon drop, then follow up with a breath attack or a curse, repeating the process.
"That one's good," Byulya said with a broad smile. "He's using the skeleton to find the trap locations and alternating between breath and corrosion curses. That's more efficient than Meirin was just now."
"But Professor! Isn't the core of this test defense and endurance?"
"He's the type to just crush the opponent with extreme offensive power. That type is less efficient, but it can still produce good results in this test."
Everyone was breaking through the third stage using their own specialties and individuality.
"However, the student who broke through the first and second stages faster than anyone else is not moving a single step in the third stage!"
As the announcer shouted, the main screen showed Simon.
"It seems he's preparing some black magic, but it's already been thirty minutes! Other students are surpassing his progress and moving on to the fourth stage!"
The spectators who had expected something from the Special Admission No. 1 student, or had bet money on him, booed. The announcer, flustered, looked at Byulya.
"Professor! What do you make of a move like that?"
Byulya, who had been watching Simon's preparations with a somewhat sullen expression, pouted and said, "He'll figure it out and do well. That kid."
"Pardon?"
"Move on to the next one!"
Simon panted. He knew that thirty minutes had already passed.
'Professor Aaron was right.'
Aaron had taught him the new 'Blood Golem,' but had recommended he seal it away until he became a second-year. The reasons he gave were that it took too long and consumed a significant amount of stamina. Aaron had warned that, as he was now, the caster might collapse upon its completion. But...
'Among all the black magic I have, there's no better skill than the Blood Golem for this situation.'
Simon decided to boldly use the Blood Golem he had learned on the fly in a real battle. As the blood drained from his body and he felt dizzy, he took out a 'Blood Potion,' which Hemomancy majors were said to live on, and put it to his mouth. It was already his fifth bottle.
Pier was quietly watching Simon.
'This kid has a tendency to overdo things.'
But while taking such risks, he had never failed once so far. He had succeeded in everything and sometimes even worked miracles. However, this time, which directly consumed his stamina, he had hit a realistic wall. Would Simon learn failure for the first time, or would he overcome even this? It all depended on what Simon did.
Simon's vision spun from being out of breath. There was a limit to drinking Blood Potions, and his body couldn't take it anymore.
'This won't work.'
Simon staggered and put a hand to his forehead.
'This isn't enough.'
Simon shattered Walter's magic circle that he was maintaining in his right hand. And he unfolded a new one.
'I know how dangerous it is to arbitrarily interfere with a magic circle. But if I'm afraid of the risk, I can't change anything.'
Just like when he created the Exhaust that veered off course in the last Cursology class. This time, too, he decided to fix the magic circle. The theory wasn't difficult. Walter's Cloud magic circle used a 4:6 ratio of Jet-Black to blood. He would change that ratio.
Jet-Black and blood to 6:4. If he was confident in his Cloud control, he didn't necessarily have to follow the ratio Walter had set.
'I've already formed the core and the frame! Just the outer part is left...!'
Simon's ecosystem developed in a new way.
'Lighter!'
The Cloud created this way was lighter in color, stickier, and damper. The golem's feet and legs were formed, but they looked so flimsy that it seemed it would have trouble walking. But this was enough.
'I'm not going to break through with the Blood Golem.'
Finally, a sufficient amount of Cloud covered the golem's core, and the black magic was activated. A magnificent golem, three meters tall, rose to its feet. It was a monster covered in snail-like spiral patterns, with a shimmering, turquoise liquid. An emerald-colored golem, slightly different from the image of the crimson Blood Golem people imagined.
Now for the finishing touches. Simon drew the same magic circle on his chest as the one on the golem's core.
The two magic circles began to synchronize. Simon took a long breath and looked at the challenge of the third stage.
[You've chosen to twist the original direction!] Pier's clone grinned. [The original plan was to have the Blood Golem take the attacks while you ran from the middle, wasn't it? What's your plan now?]
'From the beginning to the end.'
Simon uncapped the last Blood Potion, downed it in one gulp, and stared straight ahead.
'I'll run on my own two feet.'
'Bwahahahahahaha!' Pier's massive laughter erupted in Simon's head. [As expected! You are the most insane of all the humans I have ever met!]
"Ah, incredible! Special Admission No. 10, student Malcolm Randolph! His control in dispersing the weapons using a doppelganger was impressive!" The announcer shouted in a heated voice.
Byeolya, sitting next to him, also had a satisfied expression as she rested her chin on her hand.
"I heard that was originally a stationary magic circle, is that right? Oh, it is. But he modified it himself so he could run with it. He's got a bit of a genius streak, you know."
The announcer nodded and brought up a topic related to Malcolm.
"However, he recently became controversial for using a 'liquid bomb' in a duel evaluation against the Special Admission No. 1 student! It's said that all the unresolved explosion cases that the Randolph gang had been denying are now under reinvestigation! What are your thoughts, Professor?"
Byulya burst out laughing.
"For real? If that's true, he really screwed his dad over! After going this far, if he can't even graduate from Kizen, he's going to get the shit beaten out of him!"
"Ah, as I'm speaking! The Special Admission No. 1 student, who had been stopped for thirty minutes, has started to move!"
The main screen once again showed Simon. Having finally succeeded in creating the turquoise golem, he suddenly started running on his own two feet.
"What! After spending thirty minutes to make a golem, student Simon Polentia is just leaving it behind and heading into the third stage alone!" The announcer shot up from his seat with an excited face.
The audience also began to murmur.
"Did he fail the summoning and just go in with his bare body? After using Hemomancy and consuming a huge amount of stamina! If he just leaves it behind, what a huge waste of time, stamina, and Jet-Black! Professor! What do you make of this?"
Byeolya shook her head.
"I don't know much about Summoning. From what's been revealed, it looks like he failed to create the golem he wanted. In the end, he gave up and is breaking through with his bare body. That's how it looks."
"From what's been revealed, you said! Then could student Simon have another trick up his sleeve?"
"Yeah, he's a smart kid. I think he has something in mind."
Simon was running frantically, dodging the hundreds of weapons descending from the ceiling. As droplets of Jet-Black began to fall from Simon's body, the announcer shouted.
"Oh! It's Internal Jet-Black Eruption!! If he was capable of such an advanced Combat Magic technique, it's a shame he didn't just use Jet-Black Eruption from the start to break through!"
"You don't know shit." Byeolya's sharp remark made the announcer flinch. "Didn't you see what happened to the Combat Magic kids earlier? Those who tried to overwhelm with speed eventually got caught by the weapons and were taken down, while those who hardened their bodies or at least mimicked the Black Robe passed. You can't get through Stage Three with speed alone. The trap was designed that way."
Before Byeolya could finish her words, a dull impact sound came from the screen. The audience's gazes all turned to the main screen.
"Huh......!"
A spear had flown and lodged itself in Simon's shoulder. Screams of astonishment erupted from all over.
"It's over."
"Something felt off when he suddenly started making a golem."
"He was too ordinary for a Special Admission No. 1."
Nevertheless, Simon started running with the spear still in him, gritting his teeth. After running a few more steps, two arrows flew and lodged in his leg.
"Ouch, that must hurt."
"It's really over now."
"Stop it and fail him! Are you going to kill a kid during an exam?"
Amidst the chaotic shouts of the audience, Simon kept running. He was cut by a sword, pierced by an arrow, and hit on the head with a mace. Blood streamed down his forehead, but he didn't stop.
'It's over. It's over now. He really can't get up from this.'
Amidst the countless jeers, pessimism, and cynicism, Simon stood tall and ran. He betrayed the expectations of those who thought it would be over, again and again. The surroundings gradually grew quiet, and even the talkative announcer couldn't continue his commentary, his mouth agape.
"...Why?"
In the silence, someone's voice quietly spread.
"Why is that kid the only one not falling?"
The atmosphere around watching Simon was gradually changing.
"That's right, that's right," Byeolya said, now leaning forward with a very satisfied face. "There's no way a necromancer would come to a battlefield without any insurance."
'Thwack!'
It was a trap where you were inevitably going to get hit a few times, no matter how fast you were. It was only natural that the now clearly exhausted Simon was allowing attacks to land. But he didn't fall. He just wouldn't give up.
Simon took the attacks with his whole body and kept charging forward.
"Oh! Ooooh!"
"Go! Keep going!"
Simon was proving it with his actions. The jeers and cynicism disappeared, replaced by excitement.
"He's moving again!"
"Woooooah!"
"He's crazy! He really won't fall down!"
The audience was now identifying with Simon and cheering him on. Everyone held their breath and raised their voices. And finally...
'BEEEEEEEEEP!'
Covered in blood, Simon finally pressed the red buzzer that led to the fourth stage. He was still standing, with countless weapons stuck in his body. As the audience gaped at the unbelievable sight, the screen zoomed in on Simon's face.
He was smiling.
He clenched his fist and powerfully raised it above his head.
"WHOAAAAAAA!!!"
As if on cue, an explosive cheer erupted from all directions. It was a victory that was properly etched into people's minds.

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