Chapter 154
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 154
“You! What in the world did you do to Lady Elena?!” Adler roared at me the moment the announcement of my victory rang out. He had been in the middle of fending off a pincer attack from Ciel and our allies.
I helped the fallen Elena up from the sandy beach and replied calmly, “It’s nothing harmful. She’s just asleep for a bit. Someone like Elena will be up in no time.”
It was a sleeping powder potent enough to drop an elephant. However, given Elena’s high resistance to status ailments, she would likely be wide awake within minutes.
“Don’t touch her!”
“…Alright.”
I handed the limp Elena over to Adler and deconstructed the hemispheric cube that had been partitioning the space.
Zzzt—.
As the cube that had shrouded our surroundings in darkness vanished, bright sunlight poured in, revealing the situation outside.
The forces of both factions were tangled together, but thanks to the announcements broadcast from their respective cubes, the fighting had come to a temporary halt.
“What happened?”
“They’re saying Roen won.”
“Lady Elena lost?”
I tilted my head as I looked around at the students, who were still blankly trying to grasp the situation.
“But… why hasn't the floating ship summoned us?”
Normally, once a test ended, we were supposed to be transported elsewhere by the ship’s magical light, just like the eliminated students who had vanished from the island instantly.
“Could it be because there are too many people?” Ciel asked.
I nodded in agreement. No matter how advanced the Magic Tower’s floating ship was, transporting this many people all at once would be a challenge. If we waited, our turn would surely come.
“Alright. Until we’re transported, I’ll deploy the cubes so the students can rest. The fight is over.”
*
By nightfall, most of the students were exhausted and fast asleep.
Even though the sky had grown dark, there was still no sign of transport—not even a single message from the floating ship.
Sensing something was wrong, the leadership—including myself and Elena—gathered in a refreshingly cool, air-conditioned meeting room to hold a conference.
“…”
Elena sat with her arms crossed, a sullen expression fixed on her face. She had clearly been looking forward to a proper duel, only to be taken down by the underhanded trick of sleeping powder. Her mood had soured significantly.
“Come on, cheer up. I’m sorry.”
“Hmm? I’m not upset at all.”
“…”
Elena tilted her head, pretending nothing was wrong. She was definitely sulking.
She pointedly ignored me and turned to Ciel, who was sitting next to me. “Ciel, do you think something might have happened outside the island?”
“That’s a possibility.”
“Oh my, I wasn’t asking you,” Elena snapped at me when I tried to chime in.
“I was talking to myself,” I muttered.
Ignoring Elena’s lingering grudge, I sank into thought.
Half a day had already passed since the test ended. It was hard to believe it was simply taking a long time to transport us, especially since not a single person remaining on this jungle island had been picked up. The Union couldn’t possibly be unaware that the test was over.
‘The announcement came from the cube, after all.’
One could assume the floating ship’s transport system was simply broken, but I couldn’t rule out the possibility of a much worse situation.
After a moment of silence, I spoke up.
“We can’t just wait indefinitely to be rescued. We don’t have much food left.”
While the cubes solved our housing situation, we were short on supplies. Even with hunting wild animals and gathering fruit, feeding fifteen hundred students was a massive undertaking.
“How much food do we have left?”
“Roughly a week’s worth.”
“A week…”
It wasn’t a lot, but it wasn’t a pittance either. It was insufficient if we stayed put, but a reasonable amount if we decided to escape on our own.
“What’s the distance from here to Full Moon Island?”
Ciel answered, “About five kilometers.”
“Too far to swim.”
At the mention of swimming, Chepesi frowned. “This isn’t a swimming pool. It’s impossible to swim across the open ocean. The current is strong, and we don’t know what other variables we might face.”
“What if we get help from the spirits?”
This time, Silphiette showed her reluctance. “That won’t be easy either. We have too few spirit users and not enough mana to move all the students.”
Even with the help of water spirits, transporting fifteen hundred people was unfeasible.
I let out a sigh. “Then there’s only one way.”
“Are you going to use the cubes?”
I nodded at Ciel’s question. “Yes. With my synthesis magic, I can reshape the cubes into a ship. We’ll sail that to Full Moon Island.”
The eliminated students would already be gathered on Full Moon Island. Since it was a resort area, we could solve the food supply problem there. It was the best option available, given the lack of response from the Union. Besides, we were scheduled to rest at the resort after the test anyway.
Elena, who had been listening intently, asked, “Ciel, how long would it take to synthesize a ship from the cubes?”
Why are you asking Ciel that?
I shrugged and answered for her. “Two days… no, it’ll probably take about three.”
The cube I used in the battle with Elena was a Level 7 cube. I had only synthesized a moderate amount of the material I possessed. If the volume is too large, it consumes a massive amount of mana and increases the difficulty of the synthesis exponentially.
To carry fifteen hundred students, I would need to use a Level 10 cube to synthesize a ship of sufficient size. Moreover, it would be a disaster if the vessel failed mid-voyage, so I couldn’t just make something that looked plausible on the outside. I would have to pour all my energy into meticulous construction. Since I needed to make at least two ships, it would take at least three days.
“Roen, will the ship need a power source to move?”
At Hildegard’s question, I looked at Silphiette. “Yes, we’ll need the help of wind or water spirits. As long as we move forward steadily, speed doesn’t matter.”
The distance was only five kilometers. As long as we maintained the right heading, we’d get there eventually.
I turned to Hildegard. “Is it possible to observe the other islands?”
I was curious if the situation elsewhere mirrored our own.
“No, a thick sea fog rolled in last night. It’s… strange.”
“…”
‘A thick sea fog.’
Feeling a growing sense of foreboding, I addressed the room. “For now, we should post a night watch and stand guard. It’s for our safety.”
Chepesi looked confused. “Are you seriously worried about monsters? At our scale, we’re practically an army. We could flatten an ogre if one showed up.”
I cut him off with a cold command. “Just do as you’re told. Don’t talk back.”
The situation could be more serious than we thought. Beyond the problem with the floating ship, there was the possibility that a hostile force had appeared. Caution was mandatory.
“You bastard. Am I your subordinate? The faction war is over. Who do you think you are, still acting like my master?”
“But you’re still wearing the bracelet.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Chepesi notice the restrictive bracelet still locked on his wrist.
“Take this off. Now.”
“No.”
I needed to keep him working while we were on this island, so I’d leave it on for now.
Ignoring Chepesi’s shouting, I quietly sank back into my thoughts.
‘…I need to find out more about the situation.’
A thick fog covering the sea. I had my suspicions, and I could only hope I was wrong.
*
The next day.
Despite the sun having risen, the morning was eerie. A dense, unnatural fog shrouded the entire jungle island.
Students gathered on the white sandy beach, murmuring anxiously. They were in a heated debate about why the floating ship’s transport system was down and why the Union remained silent.
In the midst of the growing unrest…
Clap, clap—.
Elena stepped onto a platform and clapped her hands to draw their attention.
“Everyone, listen up. Please, do not worry. We will be in contact with the floating ship soon. In the meantime, Roen is already working on an escape plan.”
When she mentioned I was working on a plan, the students looked at me with less-than-pleased expressions. The students who had been under my command for a long time looked expectant, but the newly absorbed students and those from Elena’s faction were skeptical. They clearly didn't trust me yet.
One student shouted a question to Elena. “Why is the transport system down? Why can’t we make contact?”
“We are still assessing the situation ourselves. Please be patient.”
Elena answered kindly, even though she was in the same predicament as everyone else.
Another student raised their hand. “How much food do we have?”
“We have enough for about a week. Depending on our efforts, we might be able to secure more. We don't know what the future holds, so let’s gather as much as possible.”
Elena began dividing the students into groups. “We’ll split up to explore the island and forage. It’s dangerous, so do not go too deep into the jungle, and please, stay away from the shoreline.”
“Why the beach?”
“As you can see, a thick sea fog has rolled in,” Elena explained. “In this environment, sea monsters might appear. Please, follow the safety rules for your own sake.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Despite being stranded, the students didn’t spiral into panic. Elena was standing firm as their spiritual pillar, and most likely, they still viewed this as an extension of the test—a temporary hurdle.
However, if several days passed without word from the Union, anxiety would take root. I needed to finish the cube synthesis before they became uncontrollable.
*
Night fell, and the sky turned pitch black.
I remained on the beach, relying on a torch as I refined the cube with my synthesis magic. Unlike simple shapes like rods or domes, synthesizing a ship required immense effort.
It wasn't just about the hull. The design had to account for buoyancy and stability so it wouldn't capsize in the currents. I had even consulted a student with knowledge of shipbuilding to ensure the design was sound.
The Level 10 cube was a different beast entirely. Unlike a Level 7 cube, which could be reshaped in an instant, this required several times the mana and focus. And I had to make two of them.
“Hoo.”
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and took a breather. The mana stones I’d brought were spent. From here on, I had to rely on my natural recovery rate.
As I was deep in my work, sweating profusely, I sensed someone behind me.
Two figures approached, their path lit by a torch.
“You should take a break.”
Ciel and Elena had brought some simple snacks—a drink chilled with ice magic and fruit gathered from the island’s interior. A melon-like fruit looked particularly appetizing.
“Thanks.”
I took the drink Ciel offered.
“How is the synthesis coming along?”
“More than halfway. The basic structure is complete.”
“Ooh.”
Elena’s eyes sparkled as she looked up at the massive vessel sitting on the sand.
“But the fine-tuning remains. I need to inspect the interior to ensure it’s watertight and stable.”
“Hmm. So, when will it be finished?”
“The day after tomorrow, hopefully. I’m out of mana, so it’s going to be a slow process.”
I took a sip of the drink and glanced at Elena. “By the way, are you over your tantrum yet?”
“I told you, I was never sulking!”
“…If you say so.”
I shrugged and ate the fruit Elena handed me. It was cool, sweet, and refreshing.
Elena sat down beside me. “Still, how could you throw something like that at a lady? It was fine because it was me, but for anyone else, that would have been a lethal dose.”
She was still complaining about the sleeping powder.
“I threw it because it was you,” I countered. “Anything less wouldn't have even made you blink.”
To be doused in a potion meant for an elephant and wake up in minutes… was she even human?
“That’s a compliment, right?”
“Depends on how you look at it.”
We sat there, sharing a quiet conversation while gazing out at the hazy night sea.
[Affinity is rising.]
A notification window suddenly flashed before my eyes.
I dropped my fork and stared intently into the dark fog.
“What’s wrong all of a sudden? Ah…”
Elena’s expression shifted instantly. She, too, had sensed the demonic energy drifting from the mist.
Ciel set down the tray and silently shifted into a combat stance.
As the three of us stared into the thick sea fog…
Splish—.
Something stepped onto the beach with a wet, squelching sound.
It had the head of a fish.
Massive, bulbous eyes swiveled in its sockets. Gills lined its hunched spine, and thick webbing stretched between its fingers and toes. At a glance, it looked like a grotesque, oversized fish, but there was one terrifying difference—the creature was walking upright on two legs.
Splish—.
The being, oozing a thick, foul slime, slowly approached us. It radiated a sense of wrongness—an eerie, unsettling aura far removed from that of a typical magical beast.
[Krrrr…….]
Elena frowned, her eyes wide with shock at the creature emerging from the fog.
“What in the world is that…?”
Even for the Princess of the Holy Kingdom, who had spent years repelling demonic beasts and served as the vice president of the Demonic Beast Purification Club, this was something entirely new.
I looked at the creature and spoke calmly. “They are the dwellers of the deep. Not your typical magical beasts or monsters… they are servants of the demonic.”
They were the Fish-folk, the slave race of Kral—one of the Twelve Honored Ones of the Demonic Path.
‘So that’s what this is.’
Watching the creature creep through the fog, I was now certain of what had caused the "incident" on the island.
Shing—.
I drew my Azoth Sword and stood up.
“Let’s take care of it first. Elena, Ciel.”