Chased by the Swarm
The faces and voices of the thugs being chased by the bats looked familiar.
They were the punks who'd been loitering in front of that rundown noodle joint I'd become a regular at, only to get their asses handed to them and chased off.
...Should I just let 'em be?
I didn't have to help.
But every little thing like this could rack up points. Even if the professors who hated my guts refused to give me extra credit, the ones who actually liked me might dock points otherwise.
Hold up.
Just now, those bats had been swarming together. And from the growing noise and presence, it seemed like they were being led around like the pied piper's rats.
Perfect for a one-shot hunt, huh?
A few slashes should do it.
Problem was...
They'd spot my Divine Power.
Blood-red Divine Power. A shade deeper and more ominous than ordinary red—it was way too eye-catching.
Anyone with sharp senses and a knowledge of history would clock it as the War God's power in a heartbeat.
Guess I'll have to brute-force it with raw physicals.
I could manage. It was just inefficient, which was why I hadn't bothered before. Better than tipping my hand too early, though.
"Alright. Adria, you stay here. Ash, guard Adria. Eodukshini. Let's go."
"I wanna come too..."
"You said you wanna help me, right? Then follow my lead."
One person moving was enough. A crowd would just get in the way.
I knew Ash was skilled, but that was beside the point.
"...Fine. But you have to give me your autograph after!"
"Yeah, yeah, got it. Oh, and gimme your priest robes real quick?"
I slipped the robes back on, plopped Eodukshini on my shoulder, and headed out.
Hood pulled low, I spotted the bat swarm chasing after the students still freaking out and flailing wildly.
Eodukshini recoiled in horror.
"Eek. Gross. Almost as cute as when Master does his tsundere thing."
"You wanna die?"
The bats, clustered tightly as they moved, looked just like a mosquito cloud.
Made 'em easier to wipe out, at least. I slowly drew my sword.
Shing.
Perfect timing—the thugs being chased had hit a cliff wall and stopped dead. The bats halted too.
Let me sneak up without them noticing.
Good. Stay right there.
A minimal burst of Divine Power to sweep 'em all at once, and they wouldn't spot the blood-red hue...
"F-Fireball!"
Shit.
I cursed inwardly and dove aside as the wobbly fireball hurtled past.
The bats effortlessly flapped up and dodged it.
"Kee-kee-keek—kikik."
The bats let out eerie cackles as the fireball slammed harmlessly into a tree.
The mocking laughter turned the students' faces beet red.
"Y-You fucking bat bastards!"
"Calm down! You can't even hit 'em with your skill!"
"Shut up! I'm a 1 Circle Mage! Those bats are..."
The first rule in a fight: stay cool.
Get hyped or lose control, and you're no better than a wild animal with brute strength.
"Blow!"
Guy had talent, at least? Even in his frenzy, the spell fired off clean.
"Kee-ki-gee—kigik."
Just... in the wrong damn direction.
Boom!
The wind blade crashed into something, exploding on impact.
I froze mid-swing, sword half-raised, staring at the blast site.
Rumble...
Something massive stirred to life.
An earthen golem. Half its head was blown off—victim of that errant wind blade, no doubt.
I couldn't help but snort.
"...No shit, huh? Not just bats—there's a golem too? How'd you even wake that up?"
Wind blade? More like cancer blade.
Can I take it?
I eyed the golem. Made of dirt, mana faint and unfocused.
But you don't judge a golem by its cover.
Key traits: tough body, rapid regeneration. Even if it's dirt on the outside, tougher than steel inside.
Looks smashable.
I could rip steel barehanded anyway.
Let's do it.
I raised my sword. No need for Divine Power yet.
The golem lumbered toward me, heavy steps shaking the ground.
It brushed right past. Target wasn't me—the kid who'd fired the wind cutter.
"Kee-ki-gigik."
The bats cackled creepily, spreading their wings.
They advanced in neat formation, two lines straight for the students.
"S-Save us!"
"Ignite!"
"Bloom!"
Last-ditch smokescreen and flames. Pathetic heat—even the bats it hit shrugged it off.
Bats laughed louder now. But that blunder created an opening.
I surged forward, slashing the golem's back.
Slash.
It split in half. But the feel was off—no core hit.
Tch. I pulled back my sword. Shadow loomed overhead. I leaped back without looking.
Thud!
Fist cratered where I'd stood.
The golem twisted its dirt head, glaring. Bats flapped furiously, eyes on me.
I grinned, drawing my sword to my chest.
"Come at me, tin can and cottonball shits."
Flap flap flap!
Bats swarmed me in a blink, circling like a burial shroud.
They gaped wide—fangs glinting red off my Divine Power.
Hoo.
Deep breath. I spun wildly, sword out—ripping the encircling bats to shreds.
Slash! Splatter! Shred shred shred!
Through the flying guts, the golem thrust its fist. I met it with my own.
Bam!
Fist exploded. Golem didn't drop, though.
Its other hand whipped at me.
"That all you got?"
I didn't budge.
Grinning, I grabbed its arm.
Hngh!
Yanked it up. Crack! Joint straining, I hurled the whole golem into the bats.
Kaboom!
Bats caught in the blast turned to mush. Not all dead, though.
Golem still kicking.
Gripped my sword, channeled Divine Power into it.
Blood-red power flooded the blade, surging wildly out of control.
Flash!
Crimson slash obliterated the area. I clicked my tongue.
"Tch. Fucking power control's trash."
No clue how much to draw. Like I couldn't gauge it right.
This is why I came to learn.
Learn my ass—I was fending for myself.
Hope no one saw.
Glanced toward the students.
Lucky—they missed the Divine Power. Rain and dust probably hid it.
I walked over. They spotted me, yelling warily.
"Wh-Who're you?!"
"A professor?!"
"...You blind? Do I look like a prof?"
"W-Wait. Eugene?!"
The lead thug recognized me first.
I raised my fist. He flinched hard.
"What? You two know each other?"
Thug struck a pose even now. "O-Of course! Soul brothers!"
"Bullshit. I'm out."
I turned. The others clocked his lie, scrambling.
"W-We’ll pay properly!"
"Anything you want!"
Money?
I eyed them. All nobles. Flashy jewelry, noble faces...
Brain spinning. Can I shake 'em down? Worth it?
"...Fine! First come, first served!"
"S-Save us!"
"Me first! Move!"
Not planned, but hey—cash on top? Sweet.
Herded 'em, jotted names and notes on paper.
-Th-This cruel...
"Say 'thorough'?"
Good. Debts locked in.
"One hundred gold apiece, folks."
Grinning as I named the price.
"Urghhh..."
Something stirred. Senses pinged.
The downed golem—regenerating.
What the hell'd they build here?
Why won't it stay down?
Ridiculous, but clean it first. Gripped my sword.
Shit, they'll spot it again.
To erase it fully? Pulverize to dust. Needs Divine Power.
Pondering options... Ash yelled from afar.
"Relax your body!"
"?"
What?
"Golems don't die easy, right?! To kill one, control your power precisely—shatter it completely! Distribute it right!"
Distribute?
I knew the exact force to break it.
Anything more? Waste.
So hit it just hard enough...
Wait.
Same for Divine Power?
"Match the opponent's level exactly. Can't gauge how much to hold back? Tune to the 'enemy's' scale."
Scale, huh.
I dialed back the Divine Power, sensing the golem and bats' auras.
Lightened the hue for subtlety, wrapped the blade.
Tap, tap-tap!
The flickering power stabilized quick.
Two gems boosted Amplification, throwing off my gauge—but now it clicked. Under control.
"Got it."
Ash muttered in disbelief.
"No way... I barely said two words, and he grasped aura control...?"
"C'mere, you dirt lump."
Ignoring her, I charged the golem.
In the control room, countless 'eyes' monitored the exam grounds.
On the screens: while everyone else hunkered down seeking shelter, one boy single-handedly butchered a golem.
"...Who said that kid lacked talent?"
"......"
"......"
The professors who'd trashed Eugene—all talentless, total mess—went dead silent.
Honestly, he'd started off sloppy. But now?
Swing by swing, he evolved—step by step!