31. Preliminary Platoon Power Evaluation (3)

A notification window popped up in my field of vision.

As you can see, it's an imperial sword enchanted with runes. Considering the item's base grade was 'Common,' this represents a massive performance boost—especially in damage.

The damage boost pairs perfectly with Lion Heart Sword.

Of course, if that were all, it wouldn't be rated Rare+ surpassing standard Rares. The key is the rune enchant.

Cecilia had engraved a rune meaning 'Will' onto the blade of the imperial sword.

This added special effects to it.

Increased damage from mana-infused sword strikes. And even more crucially, it generates a shield resisting Demon Aura.

This way, I won't waste mental energy converting divine power unnecessarily.

Pantheon's swordsmen generally follow a paladin style, blending knight and holy priest elements. That's why they have high survival rates even in dungeons thick with Demon Aura curses.

However, the class's trait of diverting some mana to divine power can sometimes be a drawback. It prevents fully concentrating all mana on offense.

But with this Will rune enchant, I can eliminate that divine power consumption.

That lets me devote my pure mana solely to Lion Heart Sword. And honestly, that suits the Reinhardt swordsmanship far better.

Before diving into serious dungeon conquest, I checked the rune 'Will' glowing on the blade once more.

Of all runes, it had to be 'Will.' Guess Cecilia thinks highly of me.

I haven't fully awakened my dragon blood yet, so I can't fully decipher the rune. But I can sense its intent clearly enough.

A rune imbued with the creator's pure aspiration.

Thanks to me, Cecilia got into her dream school, Pantheon, and secured top-tier sponsorship from the Aiterne Merchant Group.

So, in the heart of enemy territory that is the imperial capital, I must feel like a friendly face she met first. Plus, with demon blood in my veins, she's naturally drawn to me.

Subconsciously relying on me. That's probably ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠why she engraved the 'Will' rune.

In Demon King Slayer, it was a high-grade rune.

But that wasn't all. I read another layer of meaning hidden in the 'Will' rune. Affinity. Trust. Especially toward an older man...

Oraaboni.

A bit more archaic than 'oppa,' so closer to 'oraboni.' That emotion came through strongly in the rune, triggering the divine shield.

And thinking about it, Cecilia is of the noblest demon lineage, the Demon King Clan. My father, Demon King Lucifer, was naturally one too.

Of course, unlike human royalty, demon king clans aren't formed by blood ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠relations alone. 'Demon King Clan' refers to the lineage that produces demon kings. But they do have their own hierarchies.

Still, since my father was a demon king, my rank should be higher.

In any case, the feel of this imperial sword was perfect.

Right on cue, goblin cries echoed from moments ago. I dashed toward them, sending my pre-summoned low wind spirit, Sylph, ahead first.

Sylph soon whispered back to me via the wind.

Five of them?

One seemed like a beast. I used the wind direction Sylph indicated to approach without them noticing.

Monsters and beasts have keen senses of smell, so I moved carefully against the wind.

I momentarily concentrated the mana circulating my body into my Mana Heart. Then, I lightly infused the reinforced mana from my Mana Heart into the imperial sword.

With that, a Lion Heart Sword 1st Chapter, 2nd Form slash flew toward their backs.

Kaboom—!

Mana flashed, followed by a ferocious explosion. The ground shook with the massive roar.

What the hell is this power?

It was definitely my slash's doing. The sheer force caught me off guard for a moment.

I'd only meant to lightly stir my blood instincts against the monsters—like a warm-up. But before I could, all five vaporized without a trace.

There was even a 4th Form beast among them.

Just Lion Heart Sword 1st Chapter, 2nd Form. A casual swing producing this? I hadn't expected it. And it wasn't even the 1st Chapter ultimate art, White Night.

I checked my Mana Heart again. I'd fully unblocked my Mana Roads using the Snow Wyvern's essence.

The mana circulating those roads converges at the Mana Heart. Mine had now reached the 3rd Tier realm.

But my Mana Heart was on another level from a standard user's, as verified by the Medica Order. The Reinhardt bloodline's unique polyhedral structure.

Mine, with its net-like complexity in each facet, amplified instantaneous mana burst power.

3rd Tier means three mana rotations total. Weaker than the five for aura at 5th Tier. Yet this output...

Even with just three rotations, the intricate multi-layer structure seems to double the amplification.

I pondered as I hurried along. My body had advanced beyond expectations.

If it weren't for Cecilia's newly forged imperial sword, it probably couldn't have withstood that mana surge and would've shattered.

My eye for talent was spot on. No wonder Chloe covets her. Cecilia's the real deal.

And she'd adjusted the sword's balance for Lion Heart Sword, shifting the center of gravity closer to the hilt for that signature majestic weight.

All those factors combined.

Considering Chloe's help against similar monsters in the last mission, my growth in this short time was astounding.

But power like this came with a new problem.

The mana blade from Lion Heart Sword guzzles mana.

Quest reward mana ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠works for alchemy or spirit arts, but not mana blades.

So I absolutely need 1st place.

The platoon leader insignia from the power evaluation—with permanent mana increase for the top rank.

My base mana is currently 80 MP. Less than half a year since awakening, so not bad, but steady cultivation takes time I don't have.

No leisure for that. By nest conquest, I'll forge this body no matter what.

For now, focus on this evaluation.

I navigated the foul mist using the family tree data on Chloe I'd stored in the system—the dungeon's shortest path.

The dungeon's layout was filthy rotten.

Normal dungeons have monsters and beasts suited to their terrain.

But this was an artificial one conjured by illusion and hallucination magic. Monsters popped up haphazardly, ignoring the mountainous terrain.

No wonder clearing without a guide takes forever.

Water, fire, wind, earth elementals everywhere. Aerial, ground, aquatic packs anywhere.

Worsening the assault: this ominous Demon Aura-laced mist. The rune enchant nullifies its curse on me, but it still blinds annoyingly.

Even luckier for Chloe.

Rozette can't fly wildly on her staff either. The special mist blocks high altitudes too.

Plus aerial monsters and ranged attackers.

Leaping airborne just invites focused fire. The mist doesn't hinder monsters.

That's why even in Demon King Slayer, Rozette's clear time here wasn't overwhelmingly fast.

Still, I'd lose to her without the guide.

I recalled theory lectures from the past month since school started—especially dungeon conquest basics.

Dungeons vanish when you kill the boss beast near the core.

Low-tier ones? Skip minions, head straight to boss.

But higher difficulty changes that.

Leaving minions alive buffs the boss via loyalty. Essential to clear them first.

This test dungeon has filthy loads of them.

Ignore and hit boss? Face an absurdly powered-up one.

Pass.

Even a near-2nd Form from the gate shape gets trickier with full buffs.

I could take it now, but...

Problem: time attack. Soloing a full-buff boss takes too long.

So, must clear minions. That's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the platoon HQ's intent for this eval dungeon.

But wiping them all is inefficient.

Time sink, and I'd burn through mana. Need strategy.

Luckily, I have the guide. Optimal path plotted perfectly in the system.

I followed its navigation. Illusion magic would've scrambled directions otherwise.

Reinhardt blood heating from kills, plus the guide—zero wasted time, blazing through.

And I lopped off the facing beast's head.

"Kreeeeek—!"

"Shut up."

Undead this time. A flaming ghoul wreathed in fire.

Its heat dried my skin, so I summoned Undine to soak my clothes first, then dropped it.

One last minion left.

This ghoul was near-3rd Form high-grade. Five beasts total so far. Monsters included, nearly fifty.

System check: 60 MP left in Mana Heart. Conserved base mana max.

Alchemy and spirits for combat, Lion Heart Sword limited to low-cost 1st/2nd Forms.

One hour in. One more minion, then boss room.

Drop it, and I make a shortcut.

Cadets would bypass this risky beast. But I had to kill it.

It literally creates the shortcut. Core of Chloe's acquired guide.

I scanned the area from higher ground where it lurked.

Plain dirt patch, indistinguishable. No beasts or monsters nearby.

But diligent theory students know better. Dark-black soil setting it apart. No plants, animals, not even monsters near.

I summoned earth low spirit, Gnome, and sent it over. Beard-dwarf-looking Gnome hit the soil and screamed, melting.

"Gyyyaaak—!!"

Gnome force-returned to spirit realm.

Definite. Potent poison zone. Beneath: giant centipede beast, Poison Centipede.

Diligent cadets memorize prof's advice: avoid it at all costs.

Scoundrel instinct said ignore. I popped the system window to check skills.

Boss-tier Poison Centipede—tougher than standard 3rd Form. Perfect foe for my newly unlocked ultimate art, White Night.

I leaped into the dirt patch.