Chapter 307
Chapter 307
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 307
Chapter Title: Academy Team Competition -4
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A tense standoff. The air thick with suspense, cold sweat trickling down spines.
"A secret, huh... Fine. If it's valuable enough, I'll let you go."
Baekseol spoke with calm assurance, like a cat quietly cornering a mouse. Despite her side being vastly outnumbered, it was Gordius's detachment that felt the pressure.
Gordius tested the waters with a subtle show of force.
"That's not a negotiation."
"Right? No reason for me to negotiate. You think I couldn't uncover the secret you found on my own?"
"It'd be tough. It's the kind of gimmick you can't grasp without experiencing it firsthand. By the time you figure it out, it'll be too late."
"Races are relative, and even a napping rabbit beats a turtle. Evacuate the whole mansion, and we won't even need the secret."
In other words: Spill every detail of this so-called secret and entrust your fate to my mercy. You think you have any other options?
Baekseol made her stance crystal clear through her gaze and demeanor.
The desperate one was Gordius. For negotiations to work, he needed to offer clear benefits—something more enticing than simply eliminating the competition.
"The mansion's already been taken over by the Pale Princess's forces. There's a way to feed them all to the Great Labyrinth at once. If we can wipe them out without a fight, what could be better?"
"The Pale Princess's crew is a real pain, sure."
Baekseol's fable Ear That Doesn't Hear the Earth slowed foes more on the weak; she'd pick thirty ragtag fighters over ten elites any day.
She didn't think she'd lose to the Pale Princess's group, but if a weak turtle could sidestep a strong one...
"Your premise is off, Baekseol."
"Selbia?"
Selbia cut in then, flames flickering at her fingertips as she aimed at Gordius.
"The real threat here is Gordius."
She knew about the Session. Not the full details, but enough to know he'd returned from a trial that saved an entire world.
Stats said most who survived a Session awakened a fable. So this guy proposing a deal either had one or was close.
Negotiating? No point. Why spare the tough one to handle the easy prey first? That'd just be a loss.
Baekseol tilted her head thoughtfully, then nodded slightly.
"Got it. Let's take him out."
The talks collapsed.
"...Everyone, scatter! I'll buy time—stick to the plan! 『Gordius's Labyrinth』!"
Rumble rumble rumble—!
Gordius instantly raised massive three-meter earthen walls haphazardly across the area. It looked like a maze erupting from the ground in seconds.
The moment the walls blocked Baekseol's view, the 'slow' effect lifted. Speed returned.
The detachment students panicked, at a loss. But Gordius stayed steady.
"G-Gordius! Even you can't win this! It's Baekseol!"
"I'm prepared. I'll drop out here, but my team won't... Right? I saw Baekseol and Selbia smashing cabinets. I think that's tied to 'protected personnel.' Scatter and eliminate them."
"...Damn it, fine. Don't die!"
Even in crisis, the leader's unflappable orders sent the detachment scattering in all directions without looking back, single-minded on smashing cabinets.
Alone now, Gordius thought calmly. His elimination was all but certain. So how should he lose for his team's sake?
He recalled everything, pieced together the info, and realized.
"...Tiara."
A tiara had appeared on Baekseol's head—one he'd never seen before. Could dismiss it as jewelry, but debuting it today was suspicious.
That had to be the 『Crown』.
From beyond the walls came a quiet incantation.
"『Winter Blizzard』."
⟨ Winter Blizzard ⟩
Whoooosh—!!
Temperatures plummeted; breaths turned to mist. Drifting snowflakes stole body heat.
Planning to freeze him out?
First, offense. Panicking on defense would just give her openings.
"『Earth Spikes』!"
⟨ Earth Spikes ⟩
Boom, crunch—!
Gordius stomped, and thick, sharp rocks thrust up from distant ground. No hit feedback, though.
Walls hid Baekseol now; landing hits meant prediction and spam.
But he kept the walls. They blocked views both ways—she couldn't tag him easily either...
"You can't escape. 『Ice Axe』."
"『Ice Axe』."
⟨ Ice Axe ⟩
Crack—whoooosh—!
Condensed ice in midair formed a honed axe, arcing precisely at Gordius. He dove aside desperately.
Splat—shrrrr!
The ice axe shattered on impact, spraying shards. Sharp fragments tore holes in his clothes as they grazed past.
"Couldn't see me—how...?"
"I know where you are. Good eyes."
Such precision. Luck, or...?
Gordius looked up sharply. The Winter Blizzard still snowed. Odd for snow without rain clouds.
He got it. Not real snow—magic snow. It pinged his position to Baekseol on contact.
"How about this? 『Small Golem Forge』."
"『Small Golem Forge』."
⟨ Small Golem Forge ⟩
He spawned golems matching his height, sent them out as decoys. Mana drain, but better than eating spells.
It worked. Ice axes flew, but all smashed golems. At this rate, he could stall half a day.
But Baekseol shattered the optimism.
"You can give up now."
"...I've got plenty of mana left."
"A traditional mage's role is saturation. That's why I didn't dismantle the walls. Gonna blast you both at once."
"...?"
Crack. Crackle.
Ominous sounds—not from Baekseol's front, but his sides and rear. Ice axe impact sites.
Shattered axes had sprouted icy flower buds from the ground like plants. Sharp petals screamed claymore on bloom.
Confident victory claim meant she could pierce his toughest barriers.
Endgame?
As regret and what-ifs flashed through Gordius's mind on the brink, one line echoed.
'A traditional mage's role is sa—'
Role? Role?
The Moving Great Labyrinth's roles: 1) Lure players to the safe mansion. 2) Spark fights inside for survival.
So, to fulfill that, when should it move? When to eject dropouts from the mansion? Fixed schedule?
No. Too frequent or sparse causes issues. There had to be conditions.
Like... the 『Crown』 changing hands.
Inspiration struck.
"...!!"
Gordius bolted forward instinctively. Crumbled his walls, closing on Baekseol.
"『Ice Flowers in Full Bloom』."
⟨ Ice Flowers in Full Bloom ⟩
Boom boom boom—!!
Shrrrk. Shrrrr—!
Omnidirectional blasts with ice storms and petals. Flowers detonated, projecting lethal force everywhere. Gordius's safeguards flared red.
Just before teleport out, he spotted Baekseol. Reached for her.
Baekseol gazed at his final struggle and murmured.
"Forgot my power?"
Humm—
Slowed. His whole body crawled, run turning to walk. But Gordius grinned.
"Not me moving...!"
"...?!"
Thud.
A stealthy small golem—jump-only for evasion—popped up behind her.
Tap. Fist-sized rock golem nudged the 『Crown』 off. It rolled to him.
He snatched it, donned it, and sprawled. Checkmate. Gordius looked skyward, relieved.
Beeeep—.
Buzzer sounded. Death signal, elimination.
Baekseol crouched by him, reclaimed the 『Crown』, plopped it back on. Asked, baffled.
"...Wanted to try it before dropping?"
"Yes. Looked lovely."
"Doesn't suit guys."
"Eh, for that moment... it fit my crown perfectly."
Shimmer. Gordius dissolved into particles. Effect mimicked erasure, but he'd safed out fine.
Selbia crossed arms, stared at the spot.
"...Super sketchy."
"Ignore it. Turtles act weird sometimes. And my mana hasn't recovered."
"That's 'cause you keep using it! Refused my help again!"
"Keeps coming up. And taking your help dents my dignity."
"Hey!!"
Did his actions mean something? Lingering doubts aside, the two mages headed to the Mansion of Glory.
I munched popcorn, gazing up at the monitor, murmuring admiration.
"Damn..."
Gordius vs. Baekseol had just wrapped. Right hand editing footage live, left jotting feedback spots, I pondered.
Gordius packs a punch.
He'd nailed the Great Labyrinth's trigger at the end.
Goldie's hunch was spot on. 『Crown』 ownership transfer activates the Great Labyrinth. First grab from ownerless doesn't count.
Bennett snagged it first—no move. Baekseol stole it from Bennett—first activation.
Designed to counter everyone hot-potatoing the crown hourly for points.
Imagine: Your turn for the hour point! Pass it, and boom—Labyrinth crashes, slaughters all. Alliance crumbles, knives out.
Bennett grabbing it despite sitting out activated it faster than planned... but hey, works for me. Good for students too.
Academy Team Comp's for student job hunts, right?
TRPG GM duty: Shine the players' characters.
"Not sulking 'cause they skipped?"
"What do you take me for?"
Ignored Aisha's jab.
In my turf, I tailor perks-spotlights-content. Labyrinth captives were showcasing talents now.
"Gonna kill that psycho prof when I get out—!!"
They're struggling a bit, but killer scenes extracted. Win-win? Audiences loving it.
So... personally, want Selbia eliminated.
Bias aside, prepped an epic stage for her. One Labyrinth dip, and bam—real star treatment.
Gordius vs. Baekseol edit done. Multi-angles, light effects for cool factor. Shoved to Aisha for broadcast.
Now, tweak the 『Great Labyrinth』.
Mansion's protected slots dwindling.
Formula: Starts at 100. -20 per 『Crown』 owner change.
But not during active Labyrinth. Else two swaps four times vaporizes it.
Also -1 per temp safe zone used/broken. Floor 1.
Bennett → Baekseol: -20.
Then 19 temp safes used: 61 at first mansion raid.
Baekseol → Goldie → Baekseol: -20.
Selbia/Baekseol smashed safes: deduct those.
Mansion remnants: Gordius party 39, Pale Princess 9, prisoners 3, Selbia + Baekseol. Total 53.
If 3-floor strat holds—maybe they win it.
Move, O 『Mad Wizard's Great Labyrinth』!
"For those academy brats who swore off tasting my trials, attractions... This is service—my love on a platter!"
"...Totally sulking. Hey, Envers footage still MIA. Edit take long?"
"Huh? No... Footage itself missing. Dude dipped outside exam zone—cams don't cover. Bathroom?"
"Hmm."
In dim woods, hooded men huddled over sinister schemes.
"Time's come. Ruin the academy fest, broadcast student massacres... Shake the Empire, sow continental chaos. Ready?"
"Heh heh... Duh. Dropped by academy? Can't live till I burn it down."
"How's a superhuman society right? Damn geniuses—kill 'em all. Then us normals survive!"
Deep-seated academy hate drew them here. Sinister glints under hoods.
One newbie fidgeted awkwardly. Raid boss asked his name to ease him.
"...Newbie, fresh face. Name?"
"I... N-Nam... no, Heeyounghyun. Me, er, this lord hates the academy too. Yeah."
"Odd name... weirder speech."
Naturally, it was Namgoong Cheonghwi.