Twenty minutes remaining.
Simon was also on the move. After defeating Pierre Buckler and seizing Team 1вЂTMs red relic, he had leisurely searched for more relics before returning to the starting area with twenty minutes left on the clock. A frontal approach would be too dangerous, so he circled around and observed the altar from a hilltop. A troubled smile touched his lips.
Just as I thought.
Having lost his own altar and been forced to retreat empty-handed, Hector had resorted to the only tactic he had left: blockading SimonвЂTMs altar and holding his ground.
The final score was calculated based on the relics on each teamвЂTMs altar at the very end of the test. No matter how many relics you collected, they were worthless if they werenвЂTMt in place at the last moment. Hector was trying to drag Simon down with him.
It looks like Hector is serious,? Toto panted, finally catching up.
Toto!
IвЂTMve been watching for an opening, but heвЂTMs barely moved from the altar.
It was a classic вЂTMif I go down, IвЂTMm taking you with meвЂTM strategy. At this rate, both Team 1 and Team 10 would end up with zero points.
Hi, President! And Death Knight boy!? Eshe called, joining them.
TotoвЂTMs face immediately flushed. ?I told you not to call me that!
Ahaha!вЂTM Sorry, sorry! But HectorвЂTMs guys are still at our altar! I guess we have no choice but to fight, right, President
Looks like it. What about the relics
Eshe smiled slyly and called her ghoul over. It spat out several relics onto the ground, including the red one from Team 13.
Good job! You got Team 13вЂTMs red relic, too.
Of course! Oh, but whereвЂTMs Lorraine
SheвЂTMs on standby in the rear. SheвЂTMs probably busy with Pierre Buckler right now, so weвЂTMll have to go in by ourselves.
Okay!
Simon stretched his arms wide. ?Well then, shall we get started—
SIMON POLENTIA!!
The booming shout startled them all, and they looked down from the hill.
AND YOU CALL YOURSELF NUMBER ONE?! ENOUGH WITH THE CHEAP TRICKS! FACE ME! TRY AND TAKE THIS ALTAR WITH YOUR OWN STRENGTH!
Whoa.? A bead of sweat trickled down EsheвЂTMs face. ?HeвЂTMs really out for blood.
I-If he catches us, weвЂTMre dead,? Toto stammered, his lips trembling.
Simon, however, just smiled calmly and started walking. ?LetвЂTMs go.
W-Wait up! Simon!
Simon descended the hill, revealing himself. At the sight of him, HectorвЂTMs eyes twisted with rage. ?You.
Hello, Hector.
At SimonвЂTMs appearance, the other two members of Team 1 tensed, dropping into combat stances.
WhereвЂTMs your ghoul You know as well as I do that weвЂTMre running out of time,? Hector demanded, his voice overbearing.
Simon simply met his challenge with a slight smile.
вЂTMT-thwump!вЂTM
It happened in an instant. SimonвЂTMs ghoul, powered by вЂTMDirgeвЂTM, burst through the fog from behind them. One of HectorвЂTMs teammates spotted it too late.
Hector! Behind—!
HectorвЂTMs gorilla-like ghoul shot forward and slammed SimonвЂTMs ghoul into the ground like a nail. Eshe and Toto turned deathly pale as they watched its head get crushed in a single, brutal blow.
вЂTM‘A ghoul enhanced with Dirge...!вЂTMвЂTM
вЂTM‘In a single blow?вЂTMвЂTM
I wonвЂTMt say it twice, Simon Polentia,? Hector snarled, an eerie jet-black aura erupting from his body. His three ghouls mirrored their master, seething with the same dark energy. ?Come at me for real.
Simon slowly raised his right arm. ?If you insist.
Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!? Pierre Buckler sprinted frantically toward Team 10вЂTMs altar, where Hector was already engaged in battle. ?No! Hector! You canвЂTMt fight them on their home turf! Dammit all!
He had to warn him. SimonвЂTMs ghouls possessed a weapon beyond imagination, a technique impossible to defend against without prior knowledge. Getting caught in it would send the situation spiraling out of control.
I have to tell him... вЂTMArghвЂTM!
With a sudden вЂTMswishвЂTM, a ghoul dropped from a tree, its claws slashing through the air. PierreвЂTMs ghoul barely managed to parry the attack with its forepaw. As his own creature was forced back, Pierre bellowed, ?WhoвЂTMs there?!
вЂTMRustle.вЂTM
A girl with hair as black as night emerged from behind a tree. PierreвЂTMs expression instantly soured.
вЂTMLorraine Archbold! Of all the times to run into her!вЂTM
My apologies,? she said, her red eyes gazing down at him with cold detachment. ?I canвЂTMt let you pass.
Get out of my way!? Pierre roared, sending a mental command to his ghoul, but Lorraine stood her ground. Their undead charged simultaneously, claws clashing in a shower of sparks that lit up the dim forest.
Simon raised his right arm.
Instantly, Hector tensed and dropped into a lower stance, while his two teammates exchanged confused glances.
WhatвЂTMs he doing now
HeвЂTMs not summoning a ghoul If an examiner is alone for a minute without one, itвЂTMs a violation of the rules...
Just then, SimonвЂTMs palm began to curl inward, as if slowly clenching an invisible object.
вЂTM?!вЂTM
HectorвЂTMs watchful expression contorted with alarm. ?Dammit! Get back!? he yelled urgently.
...Corpse—? Simon began.
вЂTMRumble!вЂTM
In that fleeting moment, three ghouls burst from the earth, their heads thrusting out of the ground around the altar. Simon snapped his hand into a tight fist.
—???????? ?????.
An earth-shattering boom ripped through the air as the ghoulsвЂTM bodies detonated in unison. A sickening green smoke, reminiscent of a large-scale alcheMikel attack, billowed out and completely blanketed the altar.
UghвЂTM, what is this?!
The ghouls exploded?!
It was SimonвЂTMs new secret technique: casting ‘OverloadвЂTM and ‘DirgeвЂTM on the ghouls, then detonating them with their own putrefaction gas to unleash every toxic substance in their bodies.
Hector quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, his teammates scrambling to do the same.
вЂTMDid he just use ‘????? ?????вЂTM?вЂTM
It was undeniably black magic, but this was a ghoul evaluation. As long as the technique was applied to a ghoul, like ‘DirgeвЂTM, it was permitted.
The green smoke filled a considerable area, but thankfully, it didnвЂTMt seem lethal. The team members were unharmed, as were their ghouls.
вЂTMThe ghouls?вЂTM
They had frozen in place, as if time itself had stopped. The mental link was still active and the summoning circles were intact, but their jet-black energy was failing to extend.
ItвЂTMs KabaraвЂTMs Poison, the natural enemy of summoned creatures,? Simon explained calmly. ?It drastically dulls their sensitivity to jet-black. ItвЂTMs normally a liquid, but I re-engineered it into a gaseous form.
Grrgh!? Hector strained, trying to force his ghouls out of the toxic cloud, but they wouldnвЂTMt budge.
You bastard!
With a great rush of movement, the ghoul controlled by Toto charged forward—a creature Simon had personally modified to be immune to the poison. It passed through the noxious smoke and dropped a pile of artifacts onto the altar, including one of HectorвЂTMs red ones.
Simon Polentia!!!? Hector roared, his eyes blazing with a fury that promised violence.
One of his teammates scrambled out of the poison cloud and summoned a new ghoul. ?Bring back the artifacts!
His ghoul charged into the smoke but didnвЂTMt get far before grinding to a halt in front of the altar. A moment later, TotoвЂTMs ghoul lunged, tore out its throat, and destroyed it.
UghвЂTM!? The student staggered as the mental link shattered.
His teammate clicked his tongue in frustration. ?Are you serious TheyвЂTMre right there, but we canвЂTMt get to them.
What happened How can a ghoul use ‘????? ?????вЂTM?!
Having finally secured victory, Simon turned to his rival. ?Give it up, Hector.
Hector remained silent.
There are only about fifteen minutes left,? Simon continued. ?This poison smoke will linger for another twenty, and I still have three more poison ghouls. Do you really want to continue
Hector bit his lip so hard it nearly bled.
Hector! DonвЂTMt fall for it!? one of his teammates urged.
If it comes to this, we can wait it out...
...ItвЂTMs over.? Hector squeezed his eyes shut, his trembling fist dripping blood onto the forest floor. He knew it, too. ?WeвЂTMre retreating.
The match was decided.
SimonвЂTMs strategy had worked to perfection.
With the help of Professor Byelya and Venya, he had developed a new technique, ‘Corpse-???????? ?????вЂTM, and devised a plan to maximize its effectiveness. He knew from the start that Hector would attack. He had also correctly predicted that giving the red artifact to Team 4 would trap Hector at their altar rather than letting him return empty-handed.
The detailed rules for the exam were key: an examiner could control up to three ghouls at once, and once summoned, they couldnвЂTMt be returned to the subspace. This meant that as long as they werenвЂTMt mentally linked, he could have other ghouls summoned in advance.
Toto had tested the rule, confirming it worked. Simon had then buried three ghouls near the altar.
After Hector took their altar, Simon waited until twenty minutes remained, then detonated the buried ghouls, blanketing the area in poison. Fortunately, the wind was calm, and he had plenty of explosive ghouls to spare. It was a flawless winning formula.
Hector conceded defeat and withdrew—a swift, pragmatic decision, just like him. If he had stubbornly clung to the artifacts, the situation would have only grown more complicated. Instead, he spent the remaining time securing what he could and returned to his own altar.
Meanwhile, Team 4 and Team 13 were still locked in a brutal fight, which ended with Team 4 successfully defending their artifact, though they hadnвЂTMt managed to secure many others in the process.
Finally, the timer ran out.
1st Place – Team 10 (40 points)
2nd Place – Team 4 (32 points)
3rd Place – Team 1 (9 points)
4th Place – Team 13 (5 points)
It was a decisive victory for Team 10.
We won!? Esh shrieked, jumping up and down and waving her arms wildly.
Toto and Lorraine were beaming, and Simon finally let out a sigh of relief. It was a victory earned by everyone sticking to the plan.
As they exited the arena, the students who had been watching on the screens erupted in applause.
Good work,? Aaron said, gathering the students for a debriefing. ?For Team 10, the key was that every single member fulfilled their role perfectly.
SimonвЂTMs new technique and strategy, LorraineвЂTMs disruption and defense, TotoвЂTMs artifact acquisition, and even EshвЂTMs deceptive empty-base raids had all played a part.
A ‘Corpse-???????? ?????вЂTM using a ghoul...? Aaron looked at Simon as if heвЂTMd just invented another monstrously bizarre creation.
Simon offered an awkward smile. вЂTMStill, this technique has considerable academic value. If I register it with the Pentamonium, itвЂTMll be worth a fortune.вЂTM
A typical ‘????? ?????вЂTM had a crippling drawback: the zombie bomb was agonizingly slow. SimonвЂTMs new technique overcame that risk by using a ghoul. It was a revolutionary secret art—a gas explosion triggered after the blindingly fast movement of a ghoul enhanced by ‘DirgeвЂTM. Furthermore, the poison could be modified, and it could even be detonated after burrowing underground. The applications were limitless.
ThereвЂTMs nothing more to say,? Aaron declared. ?A+. Well done.
Thank you!? the four of them cheered, high-fiving each other and bursting into laughter.
Team 4вЂTMs mood was nearly as celebratory. They hadnвЂTMt taken first place, but they were thrilled to have defeated their rivals, Team 13, and surpassed HectorвЂTMs team to claim second.
Thanks,? the leader of Team 4 said with a wide grin. ?Even if you were just using us, we wonвЂTMt forget this!
Finally, it was HectorвЂTMs turn for feedback.
Hector Moore, the ghoul you developed was in no way inferior to SimonвЂTMs exploding one. In fact, its versatility was even greater.? Aaron crossed his arms. ?But as for why you lost to him... I believe you know the answer to that better than anyone.
...Yes, sir,? Hector replied through gritted teeth, his head bowed.
If he hadnвЂTMt been consumed by rage upon finding Team 10вЂTMs altar empty, if he had instead calmly tracked down and crushed the team that took the artifact, the outcome might have been very different.
As the debriefing concluded, two other matches had already begun.
A great roar went up from the students watching the screens as someone made a spectacular play. Curious, Simon wandered over.
Oh.
The strongest team in the exam, Aseraz and WhiteвЂTMs Team 8, was on screen.
What is that?? Lorraine whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief.
The entire world visible on the screen was a blinding, uniform white.

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