Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Top Rank
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Boom! Crash!
Explosive blasts echoed one after another across the sparring ground.
Everyone gathered in the spectator stands watched the scene unfolding before them—the utter defiance of common sense—with bated breath.
Whenever Halibal's swift sword pierced into Senia's flesh, she channeled the recoil directly into her heavy sword, swinging back at him with devastating force.
Dozens of clashes in the blink of an eye.
Their blades locked, tangled, and twisted together.
But the strangest part was that neither of them even considered dodging or parrying the attacks.
No, even stranger was that despite their bodies becoming riddled with wounds, thick smiles lingered on both their lips.
From both of them emanated a madness that vowed never to sheathe their swords until one fell.
In any ordinary spar, they would have been cursed as fools.
Yet the vast majority watching the duel found themselves gripping their seats, palms slick with sweat, without realizing it.
The Halibal Style, until now known only by reputation.
They had glimpsed fragments of it during the entrance exam, but this was the first time witnessing it directly from the spectators' perspective.
The impact was even greater for the students training in the Halibal Style.
Most of them harbored ambitions to make a name as conquerors, viewing entry into the swordsmanship club in the second semester as their top priority.
Yet watching the two exchange blows, they suddenly caught themselves thinking.
‘...Can the swordsmanship club really teach something like that?’
They knew the answer all too well.
And so, within their hearts, the seed of a desire to learn the Halibal Style more professionally began to sprout bit by bit.
The duel dragged on for over ten minutes.
Time crawled despite the fierce exchanges.
Then, at some point.
The wound-covered Halibal dragged his broken leg toward Senia, who was vomiting blood.
Their distance closed to a single step.
“Now shall we end this?”
“Yeah.”
The two swung their final strikes almost simultaneously.
Halibal's Gale Roar.
Senia's Frostbind.
As their arts collided, a flash of light engulfed the entire sparring ground.
When the dust settled, the sight revealed was the arena's perimeter cratered everywhere except the center where they stood.
And at that center.
“You're incredible, as expected.”
“No, you're the incredible one.”
“Hehe. Do you really think so?”
As Senia spoke, the greatsword in her hand shattered into pieces.
“Yeah. I'm certain.”
In contrast, Halibal's sword was cracked in places but held firm without breaking.
“Even with the equipment disadvantage, you pushed it this far. Without my favor, the outcome would have been reversed.”
“......You're really something.”
Senia's ice wings lost their power and scattered, her body slowly toppling backward.
“Senia Ren, combat incapacitated! Winner, Halibal Belder!”
The instructor's declaration had barely ended when Halibal collapsed onto the spot as well.
The moment he raised his sword high in that state.
Everyone present was convinced.
The top rank for this semester's final evaluation was decided.
⁎⁎⁎
A few days later.
“We will now hold the summer vacation ceremony for the first semester of Ruidel Academy.”
With the semester-end evaluations concluded, all classes ended, and the academy buzzed with an electric sense of liberation.
The long journey of first-year first semester had finally reached its end, and the eagerly awaited break had arrived.
In the grand auditorium packed with students, Victor continued from the podium.
“Now, we will announce the final rankings for the first-year first-semester evaluations.”
This marked the start of the awards ceremony for the semester's top performers.
The rankings were determined by combining scores from all subjects taken during the semester with the evaluation scores.
Securing the top rank here brought various benefits for the next semester.
“Third place, Eugene Raygal.”
Eugene had near-perfect scores in most subjects, aside from his one loss to me in the evaluations.
Had he faced anyone but me, the top spot might have been his.
“Second place, Cecilia Ren.”
Cecilia went 3-for-3 in the evaluations.
Her subject scores were slightly below Eugene's, but the evaluations apparently carried more weight.
I spotted Aren below the podium.
She had also secured three wins like Cecilia, but the penalty for injuring her was substantial.
It was a penalty even the title of ‘Hero Who Conquered the Demon God's Dungeon’ couldn't fully offset.
Yet she beamed up at the students on stage, offering her congratulations. Good enough.
And the long-awaited top rank.
“The glorious first-semester top rank goes to... Halibal Belder!”
Thunderous applause erupted as my name was called.
Eugene and Cecilia, standing beside me on stage, added their congratulations.
‘Haa.’
I sighed inwardly.
So it ended up like this after all.
Starting with top rank in the entrance exam, now claiming the overall first-semester top spot.
Any lazy thoughts of coasting had long vanished from my mind.
‘Fine. Since it's come to this, let's keep holding the top rank.’
With that mindset, I straightened my shoulders and accepted the acclaim with pride.
Victor presented me with the top rank insignia.
“You're exceptional, as expected. There's a reason I had my eye on you.”
“Thank you.”
“I look forward to your continued success. Your feats will serve as an example not just to Ruidel, but to the entire Empire.”
Chills ran down my spine as he smiled and patted my shoulder.
“With that, the summer vacation ceremony is concluded. Have a fruitful break, everyone.”
“Woooaaah!”
The students' cheers filled the auditorium, and soon they streamed out like the tide.
Cecilia, Eugene, and I stepped down from the stage.
“Don't slack on training during the break. Otherwise, I'll catch up in no time.”
Eugene left after those words.
“Congrats on top rank, Halibal.”
“You too on second.”
“Hehe. Thanks. Truth be told, I was rooting for Sis a little? But looking back, it feels right that you took it.”
At that moment, familiar faces rushed toward us.
“Halibal! Congrats on top rank!”
“Tch. You swept the whole semester. ...Still, congrats.”
“Hm. I must train even harder during the break.”
“Hehe. So, how does it feel to surpass me and claim the top spot?”
“Congratulations! But please don't push your body too hard...”
Aren, Richard, Ran, Senia, and even Mine.
Everyone I'd built rapport with gathered—except Elia, who still kept her distance because of Alicia—to offer their congratulations.
Many other students passed by with words of praise, and in the distance, Adelin and Alicia waved.
Aren asked.
“So, what’s everyone doing for break?”
Right. That was the real point. Apocalypse Academy had even more content during vacations.
Classes no longer tied up mornings to afternoons, freeing up that time for other pursuits.
No curfew meant venturing farther into the city than during the semester.
The standard route was touring the Empire, clearing quests, farming dungeons, and solidifying foundations for the second-semester scenarios.
That was my plan too.
Just more efficiently.
‘First, time to find my ultimate weapon.’
The top one-handed sword supply weapon, [Strom Sword], only appeared in shops in the final chapter.
The ultimate dungeon weapon, [Cardinal Sword], dropped only in the final Demon God's Dungeon.
No way to get them now; they'd come when the time was right.
But no one in Apocalypse Academy used such generic weapons as their ultimates.
True endgame gear was character-specific.
Other characters' signature weapons had fixed acquisition methods and timings.
But me? Halibal Belder?
Did an extra like me even have a signature weapon in the original?
I needed to find out during this break.
Next, [Nebula].
[Nebula], from the hidden cave at the Starlight Mountain peak, was the definitive top mana shard.
I didn't need mana stats myself, but as a special shard, it unlocked special abilities.
Perfect to give to Cecilia too.
For Rene's upgrade, I'd hit the shipwreck dungeon for [Siren's Song].
Plus, some prime quests for permanent stat-boosting herbs—align them with my route and clear them.
But above all, the priority.
During this break, I planned to raid the cult branches whose locations I knew.
Alicia always had blind spots in critical moments.
She'd assigned Adelin—her strongest asset—to Climud, thinking it covered everything, even adding a mage as backup.
But she'd unluckily let Climud slip away. She'd stirred the hornet's nest for nothing.
The original had plenty of such snowballing mishaps. No wonder she got called incompetent.
Anyway, the fallout would land squarely on me.
To prevent that preemptively, I needed to weaken the cult's forces.
Conveniently, I knew several branch locations.
Raiding those would do.
If time remained, squeeze in some training.
Hm. A perfectly packed break schedule.
“I’ll head to the family estate first. Need to report on the semester’s end.”
“I’m going home to see my master.”
“Cecilia and I will probably head to our estate too, right?”
“I doubt I’ll leave Erandar this break.”
“Yeah... So everyone’s visiting home?”
Aren’s words made it click.
Huh? Everyone’s going home, so why can’t I?
Should I visit mine too?
That thought brought a question mark floating in my mind.
‘But where is my hometown?’
Not mine—original Halibal Belder’s.
I woke up in a cult branch in this body.
His memories as Halibal Belder started there.
What even was the ‘Belder’ surname?
Noble? Commoner?
Even if an orphan, someone gave me this name.
But the original lore had nothing on Halibal Belder’s past.
Just Extra #1, dying to Aren as a monster. That’s it.
And most bafflingly.
‘...Why haven’t I wondered about this until now?’
“Halibal?”
Just then, Aren tilted her head at me.
All eyes turned my way.
‘Hometown.’
I forced a calm expression and answered.
“I’ll be pretty busy during break.”
“What? Even during vacation, it’s training?”
But at my words about being busy, Aren rolled her eyes, then clapped as if remembering something.
“Right! Don’t we need to sync our schedules?”
“?”
Cecilia, Senia, and Mine reacted to her words.
‘Schedules? What was it?’
My earlier stray thoughts had my brain stuck.
Oblivious to my confusion, Aren beamed.
“We’re going to Baran together, remember? Gotta greet your parents.”
Hey.