In a small villa far from the bustling Kizen campus, the professors in charge of the first-year classes were watching the situation over glasses of wine. All exams were controlled by the headquarters, and professors were strictly forbidden from interfering.
"Whoa! A breakthrough by Special Admission No. 1! Student Simon Polentia! That’s beyond indomitable will! What kind of magic did he use?"
At Simon’s performance, the professors nodded in satisfaction.
"As expected, he does well."
"At first, I wondered why he was Special Admission No. 1, but he keeps catching my eye. I’d like to teach him a bit myself."
"His growth rate is steep. The claim that he didn’t have any prior learning must be a lie, right?"
"It’s probably true," a spiky-haired professor said. "If you look at his written test scores, they’re a mess. He’s just talented."
He then turned to the side and laughed loudly.
"Haha, Professor Walter!"
Walter, who was sitting on the sofa drinking wine, smiled gently.
"Amazing! Absolutely amazing! How long has it been since he joined, and he’s already got his hands on Special Admission No. 1? He’s using what he learned right away! As a professor, times like these are so rewarding and feel great!"
Walter bowed his head politely.
"Not at all. It is all thanks to Professor Silage’s research."
"Hahaha! No need to be so formal! We’re not professor and student like in the old days. Aren’t you now an equal Kizen professor with us!"
"Thank you."
Walter held his glasses, his eyes quietly shining. He had taught Simon about Cloud, but he had never imagined he would use it to create a Blood Golem.
"Professor Aaron, you must be enjoying your work these days."
This time, the spiky-haired professor’s gaze turned to the back. Aaron, who was already receiving congratulations from two other professors, looked at him.
"How long has it been since we had a proper Summoning aspirant! There are already rumors that he’s a candidate for the next Kizen student council president. That turquoise Blood Golem with its sense of originality is your work too, right?"
"I..."
The sound of a glass breaking cut through the room.
"Ah."
Everyone’s gaze turned to where Bahil was smiling. The wine glass he had dropped was shattered and scattered, the red wine staining the floor crimson.
"I dropped it by mistake."
Anyone could see he had dropped it on purpose. Bahil strode forward with quick steps. Aaron sighed as he watched him.
"Are you crazy?"
"Professor Aaron, let’s talk for a moment."
"Bahil." Aaron’s eyes shot up coldly. "What kind of rudeness is this with the professors and the Vice-Principal present? Clean it up."
Bahil moved only his head to look at Aaron. Aaron didn’t avoid his gaze. In the silence, their eyes met.
Jane, who had been enjoying the match alone with her wine on the sofa, finally looked at the two of them.
"Simon has created a new Blood Golem."
Bahil gestured, and a magic circle was drawn on the wooden floor. The broken glass and wine began to float. The glass shards came together to form a new glass, and the spilled wine filled it. It was a task that required considerable delicate control, but Bahil did it with ease.
A new-looking wine glass was now in his hand.
"Isn’t it black magic created through interdisciplinary studies? Based on Summoning, with Hemomancy and Cursology added."
Bahil’s gaze, which had been on Aaron, slowly moved to Walter.
"I could have helped as a Cursology advisor."
The wine glass in his hand was crushed without a trace and melted into the wind.
"I’m not very pleased that the two of you excluded me."
"You misunderstand. I will explain, Professor Bahil," Walter said, standing up from his seat with a friendly smile. "What is currently enveloping that blue Blood Golem is called ‘Cloud.’ It’s a technique using his SM-1 blood..."
While Walter’s explanation continued, the other professors, having lost interest, started chatting among themselves about the next students to pass. Bahil, who was listening to the explanation, finally seemed to have his misunderstanding cleared, and his expression became much more stable.
"...And that’s how it happened. I also saw the Blood Golem here for the first time."
Bahil approached with a leisurely gait. Then he lightly placed a hand on Walter’s shoulder.
"The new Hemomancy professor is very capable. I look forward to working with you."
"I look forward to working with you as well."
As Walter answered, he felt a slight ache in his shoulder.
Bahil turned to look at Aaron and smiled faintly.
"And Professor Aaron. Shall we make a bet?"
Aaron touched his dark circles with a look of utter annoyance.
"What now?"
"Which side will Simon choose in the end. Aren’t you curious?" Bahil slowly turned his back and added, "I am confident."
"Ugh, Hah! Hah! Hah!" He panted.
When he pressed the red buzzer, all the traps finally stopped.
’I did it.’
His mind was hazy, and his whole body ached. Simon staggered and leaned against the wall. No, he tried to lean against the wall, but the weapon stuck in his back hurt, so he stood up straight again.
[Boy! Are you alright?]
’Ah, yes. I’m alive thanks to the Blood Golem.’
The most crucial ability of the Blood Golem is damage distribution with the caster through ‘Life Link.’ The golem takes eighty percent of the external damage the caster receives. Even if stabbed by a spear or a sword, the golem’s body receives a large wound, while the caster only gets a scratch.
For this, the Blood Golem must learn the high-level curse ‘Life Link,’ but Simon already possessed the ability called Cloud. Aaron had made it so that Cloud could produce an effect similar to Life Link, and thanks to that, even a first-year like Simon was able to learn the Blood Golem.
Just then, a clear broadcast sound came from somewhere on the ceiling.
—You will be teleported to the final fourth stage location in five minutes.
— All of the examinee’s equipment, dropped items, and summons will be teleported together.
— Students who have passed the third stage may now conclude the exam here. If you declare the end of the exam here, your rank will be determined by the time you passed the third stage.
’As expected, there’s one more.’
Of course, he had no intention of ending it here. Simon reached behind him, grabbed the spear stuck in his back, and pulled.
’Thanks, Golem.’
When Simon grabbed the spear and pulled, it came out smoothly without any other pain. It was completely different from when he struggled to pull out a single arrow earlier.
He dropped the spear and touched the wound. Even though it was a piercing wound, the size of the injury was very small. When he poured a potion on it, it healed as easily as if by magic.
’Amazing. So this is the effect of Life Link?’
A summon made from the caster’s blood that takes the caster’s damage instead. He had made it himself, but he found it truly amazing.
After removing all the weapons stuck in his body and healing with potions, Simon lightly jumped in place. He felt much lighter. But...
’I can’t move properly.’
He had lost too much blood making the Blood Golem, and he had used Internal Jet-Black Eruption in a fatigued state. In fact, he could barely stand. But he had no intention of quitting the exam. He had just barely passed the minimum line, and to get into the rankings, he had to pass the final stage.
—As there was no sign of forfeiting the exam, you will be moved to the fourth stage location. Please remain in place.
He felt his feet lift off the ground, and the location changed. In the blink of an eye, he was outside. He could see a sunset sky and a desolate wasteland with not a single blade of grass. The Blood Golem was also teleported next to Simon, its body tattered from taking the damage through Life Link.
Feeling grateful and sorry, Simon gently stroked its body with his palm. It had a squishy texture.
’But what am I supposed to do here?’
—Activating Memorize magic.
Suddenly, a map of the entire area entered his head. It was just a wasteland-like island, and one hundred Holy Grails were scattered across it.
—This is the Island of Kobolds.
— Currently, there are three hundred people and one hundred Holy Grails on the island. Destroying a Holy Grail means you pass. Students who fail to destroy a Holy Grail will only have their third stage completion time applied to their rank.
— The starving kobolds will welcome you.
When Simon looked around, he could see brown-skinned monsters that looked like cursed fairies loitering about.
[Bwhahaha! These Kizen bastards are out of their minds! They’re truly testing the limits!]
The final part of this exam was a competition to break through monsters and destroy the target. Simon steeled his mind once again. His speed in clearing the third stage was slower than average because he had made the Blood Golem. He couldn’t consider himself safe yet, and even at this moment, many students were heading for the Holy Grails.
’Alright. I’ll do my best until the end...’
A dull impact sound came from the side. When Simon turned his head, the Blood Golem had already beaten down a kobold. As the kobold fell, it placed its palm on its face.
The kobold’s blood was sucked into the Blood Golem.
Then, smoke rose from the scratches on Simon’s body that he hadn’t had time to treat, and the wounds slowly began to heal.
’So this is the Blood Golem’s healing effect!’
The Blood Golem can absorb the blood of other living creatures to recover its own health. And as the Blood Golem recovers, the caster, Simon’s, health also recovers in proportion. Not only taking damage but also healing was an effect of ‘Life Link.’
The Blood Golem was silently beating down kobolds. There was no way a kobold, one of the weaker among the Grade 3 monsters, could beat a golem. The wounds on Simon’s body healed, and his wavering mind began to return.
’Alright.’
The Blood Golem, having defeated all the kobolds, came in front of Simon with heavy steps. Simon closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He held both arms in front of the Blood Golem. He unfolded a series of magic circles above the golem’s head.
’Let’s see this through to the end!’
The Blood Golem’s body, which had been maintaining its form around the core, began to turn into a gas and be sucked into the magic circles. The golem’s body gradually shrank until the core in the center fell to the floor with a thud. All the Cloud that had been maintaining the golem entered the magic circles.
’Alright, next step.’
Simon opened a super-large Subspace and called out a horde of skeletons. Twenty regular skeletons armed with spears and shields, and three skeleton archers. A total of twenty-three undead. Currently, the number of undead Simon could control simultaneously was only six. This was nearly four times that number.
[Bwahahahaha! Don’t you think this number is reckless? Boy!]
’I will definitely succeed.’
Simon lowered his arms.
From the magic circles that had absorbed the Blood Golem, Cloud poured out and enveloped the skeletons’ bodies. There was no rule that said Cloud could only be used on golems. Through his training, he had already confirmed that it was possible to combine skeletons and Cloud.
’Focus!’
The Cloud, refined into a Blood Golem, was coated onto the bones of all twenty-three skeletons. As if putting on additional armor, the rough bone joints were dyed a turquoise color, and smoke flowed like a haze from the eye sockets of the skulls.
’Clack! Clack!’
’Clack-clack-clack!’
The reinforced skeletons, wrapped in Cloud, each struck a unique pose, raising their weapons to their shoulders, tilting their swords, and setting their bows.
A turquoise cape made of Cloud fluttered behind them. With the effect of Cloud, Simon could transcend his control limit and handle the twenty-three reinforced skeletons as if they were his own body. Moreover, the Blood Golem’s ‘vampirism’ and ‘Life Link’ effects were still maintained. Not a summoned undead, not a natural undead, not even a legion, but undead that only Simon could use and that only followed Simon.
<Simon Original – Royal Guard> The sound of kobolds could be heard.
Simon’s eyes moved in that direction.
The moment Simon’s gaze landed on them, ten skeletons used Dash and beheaded the Grade 3 monsters with a single stroke.
The skeleton archers nocked their arrows. The Cloud enveloped the arrows, enchanting them, and then flew off to pierce the kobolds’ foreheads.
Finally, a handful of Cloud transformed into the shape of a ‘crown’ and floated into Simon’s raised hand. As Simon pressed the crown onto his head, he could clearly feel the presence of all twenty-three skeletons. One of his eyes also turned a vivid emerald.
’Let’s go.’
’Thud!’
’Thud!’
The twenty-three members of the Royal Guard followed behind Simon, their shadowless capes fluttering.

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