Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Warrior Meets the Prodigies
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Those chasing the golden spirits encountered Balak.
Most of the pursuers had never laid eyes on Balak before.
But among the group that had arrived here was a hero party from the early days who had crossed paths with him.
"B-Balak?!"
"What? What are you talking about..."
"The boss that should be in the main dungeon—why is he here?!"
The hero's shout instantly froze the air.
A notoriously infamous dungeon boss right in front of them—what kind of misfortune was this!
Soon, the pursuers were stiff with fear, sweat beading on their brows, as Balak drew one of his weapons, a greatsword, gripping it in one hand.
Right now, for him, killing all these pursuers wouldn't be a problem.
Nor would letting them live.
Suppose he just let these pursuers go.
Word would immediately spread that Balak was inside the mini-dungeon.
And the students inside the mini-dungeon could all evacuate.
So what if he killed them?
Since they would eventually resurrect, they'd end up in the same situation.
Balak, who wanted to test himself against the top students from each grade, made a very simple decision.
"Any kids who want to play with me like last time, come at me!!"
"""Raaaaah!!"""
Even if he quietly took them out here and they resurrected, it would take them some time to come back in.
In that time, he could track down the top students from each grade!
Afterward, as murderous intent exploded inside Sky Island and the situation turned dire, most of the pursuers scattered in every direction.
"Why is that thing here!!"
"Run!!"
"E-everyone, wait! If you all run like that, that boss will target—!!"
As expected, Balak targeted the fleeing ones first.
And he wasn't alone right now.
"Tag, you're it!!"
"Bet on who catches the most!!"
With the rampaging low-grade spirits on the move, the path to the Altar of Storms was blocked.
They were trapped on Sky Island.
Some were even golden low-grade spirits blessed by the great spirits, and a few pursuers dropped dead in an instant.
KABOOM!!
"Arghhh!"
"The low-grade spirits are that strong?!"
"Damn it... Everyone, get it together!! Fight back!"
"Get it together yourself, human!! That's a natural disaster!"
The hero, mixed in with the pursuers, squeezed his eyes shut.
There was no escaping that thing to begin with!
In the end, the hero party charged at Balak, grasping at even the slightest chance.
CLANG!!
"Cough?!"
The hero blocked Balak's swinging sword.
But it felt like an entire mountain had come crashing down.
He was already gravely wounded, blood surging from his mouth.
Yet thanks to his continuous growth so far.
And with his comrades helping, he tried to buy even a little time.
Whoosh!!
"Hup?!"
"You're still a ways off."
But growth hadn't only happened to the hero.
The sword, once swung like a club, now incorporated Balak's own unique swordsmanship.
A massive blade of sword energy surged along the hero's blade—
CRUNCH!
And just like that, the hero was defeated in an instant.
With the party's core gone, the rest collapsed in moments.
After quietly dealing with the remaining pursuers, leaving only a few, Balak walked toward one spot.
Soon, the only ones left on this Sky Island were students in academy uniforms.
They couldn't move due to the rampaging golden low-grade spirits.
Piiing! Pop!
"Albert! You okay!"
"I'm fine right now! What about you guys!"
"Barnes has one arm injured!"
The third-year top student Albert gritted his teeth.
These spirits could easily tear the students apart, yet they only kept them at bay from a certain distance, not being overly aggressive.
'Why...'
The student's question was quickly answered.
"Uncle Balak!! Over here!!"
The moment that name rang out, the air shifted.
The spirits' gazes all turned in one direction at once.
"N-No way, you're calling that boss?"
"Then all those people we were with are already wiped out?!"
"Oh god..."
The students had wanted to flee Sky Island before Balak arrived.
But defending against the golden spirits and other spirits' harassment had kept them pinned.
In the end, they faced the worst possible opponent right before their eyes.
"So you're the students from the Imperial Academy."
"""...!!!"""
Albert, as a third-year top student, was markedly stronger than the others.
Sensing this, Balak grinned and approached the prodigies.
***********
Albert's group encountered Balak.
It was a certain-death situation.
But this third-year top student saw it as an opportunity.
'That infamous being from the depths of the main dungeon, presumed to be the creator of all this—we're barely supposed to meet it at the end.'
Meeting a being no one in the academy had likely ever seen was no different.
Moreover, Balak was the strongest, hyped across the entire world.
This young youth wanted to test himself against that towering wall.
Seeing that it wasn't attacking immediately, Albert spoke up.
"Why has the master of the dungeon come here?"
"When something happens in your own front yard, is there an owner who wouldn't check it out?"
It was such a perfect response that Albert was at a loss for words.
According to this student's intel, this exam was hastily put together under the Empire's Sun.
The being before him had every reason to be curious.
One thing he was wondering...
"Why aren't you dealing with us right away?"
"Y-Yeah, good question?"
"I heard the early hero parties got wiped out the moment they encountered him..."
When Balak had first encountered them earlier, he'd just been playing with the low-grade spirits.
He also showed no sign of restraining the professors and students who had entered Sky Island.
But he'd immediately taken out the other pursuers, while sparing them?
The students, unaware of the mini-dungeon's true purpose, couldn't understand Balak's actions.
But his response gave them some clarity.
"To put it another way, why should I bother dealing with people who aren't even main dungeon entrants? This place was made for all challengers to roam freely to begin with."
"...So you did create this place. Then why did you take out those others just now..."
"Think about what happens if word spreads that I'm here."
A being who had just wiped out around a hundred people in seconds.
If that got out, total chaos was inevitable.
"Now it's my turn to ask questions."
"Yes?"
"You're not thinking of keeping all that info to yourself, are you?"
Chill—
"W-What is it?"
"Tell me how many grades the academy has in total, and give me your names and rankings."
It seemed like he'd ask something major.
But it was so simple that the students were surprised.
Afraid that hesitating would get them killed immediately, they answered quickly.
"The academy goes up to third year, and I'm Albert von Barche, second son of the Barche Ducal House and top third-year student."
"Ah, Albert's talking, so... I am..."
"Everyone's sharing?! Then me too..."
Balak confirmed that the students in front were high-ranking prodigies.
And the one who seemed to be their leader was the top student!
What luck!
He quickly turned his mind to it.
The top student before him was third-year.
If third year really was the end, as stated, he likely knew the other top and second-place students.
Moreover, this was happening right in the middle of the practical exam.
The third-year top student's exam was on the verge of derailing because of Balak.
Deciding to exploit that, Balak made a proposal.
"You're the top student... Must suck running into me. Especially during an exam like this."
"I do think it's quite unfortunate. If you could just let us go..."
"Denied."
"Urk..."
"But in exchange, I'll make a concession for you."
"A c-concession?"
What kind of concession could it be?
The students held a flicker of hope.
But what they heard was shocking.
"Tell me the identities of the current top 1 through 3 students in each academy grade."
"""What???"""
"Think about it carefully. Exams should be 'fair,' right?"
The quick-witted students instantly grasped Balak's intent.
He planned to hunt down the top 1-3 from each grade and crush them just like he would these guys!!
Albert seemed to ponder the devilish proposal briefly.
But academics were a ruthlessly cutthroat world above all.
Soon, the students exchanged quick glances and communicated.
And then—
"Third-year top is me, so second and third are..."
"Second year has no top since theirs dropped out, so it's basically vacant. Instead, they've all shifted up one..."
"First year doesn't have final rankings yet since scores aren't out, but based on midterm rumors—"
Thus, the third-years executed "I won't go down alone!"
**************
Deeply satisfied with the intel, Balak nodded.
He'd love to just let these students go.
But now that they'd spilled that info, for the exam to be fair, they had to die here once.
Fortunately, the students' faces were bright.
Probably thrilled that it wasn't just them failing, but everyone together?
'Sigh... It's the school, the school that's the problem.'
Even in his past life, he'd experienced firsthand how students suffered immense stress over grades.
And that top student was nobility among nobility.
A duke's heir, no less!
The moment his grades dipped even slightly, he'd face massive backlash from his family.
Alright, he'd extracted all the info.
Balak slung his greatsword over his shoulder.
"Normally... I'd deal with you right away, but aren't you prodigies? Killing you outright wouldn't be right."
"You mean..."
"Conveniently, you're students, so you're used to exams."
Thud!
"If you know about my dungeon, you know the 'final exam'? Try beating this one."
"""!!!"""
Balak's final exam.
Famous as the trial all challengers faced after overcoming every ordeal in the abyss and reaching the boss room.
Of course, very few had actually taken it.
But it was concluded to be a test confirming if one was truly worthy of fighting Balak.
Albert thought.
Could he and his friends draw out that being's true power?
The students steeled themselves for the unavoidable battle.