Chapter 151: Abyssal Sea Monster (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 151: Abyssal Sea Monster (1)
“What… is that…?”
The Eltra Coast—one of the designated destinations for the joint practical evaluation.
In the heart of the Eltra Sea, beneath a canopy of storm clouds and shrouded in a dismal fog, the calm ripples flowing from the horizon suddenly transformed into violent, crashing waves.
A malevolent, dark mana surged to the surface, spiraling upward toward the sky. Then, the sea itself surged upward, rising like a mountain. Brine cascaded down back into the ocean like a massive waterfall.
An unidentified figure slowly emerged, revealing a colossal silhouette. Evil mana saturated the air, riding the currents of the howling coastal winds.
The proctor broke into a cold sweat. It didn’t take long to realize that the entity before them was a demon.
They hurriedly raised their communication bracelet to contact the academy, but the device remained dead—likely suppressed by the demon’s unique power. Even their own mana felt wrong; while they could still tap into it, the flow was sluggish and distorted.
It was clear the demon was warping the mana in the vicinity.
“Damn it…!”
The proctor cursed under their breath, fear flooding their senses. The nightmares of Elt Island and the Floating Island resurfaced in their mind.
But duty took precedence over terror.
Soon, the entrances to Octovus Hall, where the joint practical evaluation was being held, would automatically close and be sealed by a powerful barrier. This protocol was designed to usher students who had reached their destination back into the safety of the hall during an emergency. Simultaneously, it would prevent students still inside from unknowingly wandering into a disaster zone.
The proctor quickly scanned the area. No one was nearby. Thankfully, no students had arrived at this specific location yet.
The proctor turned and sprinted toward the designated gathering point.
A massive tsunami loomed on the horizon. As it drew near, the countless magic tools positioned along the island’s outer perimeter triggered simultaneously.
A transparent barrier, shimmering with deep pink rose petal patterns, flickered into existence. It was vast enough to encompass the island’s entire coastline. Sustained by Headmistress Elena Woodline’s mana, the barrier was rated to last for twenty minutes.
However, the demon’s power, [Mana Drain], caused the rose-patterned shield to crack instantly. It would not hold as a true shield for long.
Nevertheless, the barrier served its purpose as a breakwater. The tsunami shattered against it, failing to sweep over the academy grounds.
Since the Floating Island incident, Märchen Academy had worked tirelessly to bolster its defenses against demons. They could not, after all, rely on the Nameless Hero forever.
Pop.
Out at sea, the terrifyingly massive creature’s gills pulsed rhythmically against its neck and cheeks. A circular mouth, which occupied half of its face, snapped open and closed.
The creature was a deep, bruised blue, with a gaunt, elongated frame that mimicked a human silhouette. Its resemblance to a person only made it more grotesque.
——-[Grwoaaaahhhhh——.]
Its cry echoed like a massive ship’s horn.
As if answering a summons, its minions breached the surface with a series of splashes. A legion of bizarre marine monstrosities emerged, each large enough to be seen clearly even from a distance.
One fish had its brain fully exposed to the elements. Another had its internal organs coiled around its body like a spiral. Yet another held a slimy net woven from human eyeballs in its maw.
Every single one was sickeningly deformed.
The army of deep-sea horrors surrounded the island. Imbued with shadowy, vapor-like dark mana, the creatures began to approach Märchen Academy—some swimming through the surf, others taking flight on wings shaped like severed human hands.
Their thick-lipped mouths split wide, emitting screeching, discordant laughter.
Behind them, the massive demon began its slow, inevitable advance.
*
On a hilltop on the northern side of the island, Merlin Astrea—the knight with the light-green ponytail—stood alongside her fellow Imperial Knights, gazing out at the northern sea.
She and her unit were tasked with holding this position.
The rest of the Imperial Knights, Märchen Academy’s combat staff, battle wizards from the Hegel Magic Tower, and a select group of high-ranking student volunteers had all taken up positions across the various defensive lines.
‘Look at that vast sea. Many lives must be conceived in its depths. Wouldn’t there be demons over there? Yes, of course!’
Suddenly, Merlin remembered Princess White’s nervous chatter in the carriage on the way to the entrance exam.
What a coincidence.
“You have extraordinary intuition, Princess White,” Merlin murmured, a playful smirk crossing her lips.
But the expression quickly vanished. Her golden eyes hardened as she turned back to the demonic army invading the academy’s waters.
Daughter of a Swordmaster. Vice-Commander of the 1st Zelver Imperial Knight Division, the Fenrir Knights. Merlin Astrea.
There was no complex reason for the Imperial Knights to be here.
No matter what danger manifested...
They would protect the Princess.
They would protect the people.
They would protect the Empire.
Investigating the Nameless Hero and volunteering as academy proctors were all means to that single end. That duty was the very essence of an Imperial Knight.
Taking a deep breath, Merlin’s voice rang out across the hilltop.
“Listen closely! We are the fortress! The enemy is the demon kin! We will hold the northern region of this island at all costs!”
The magic knights and archers prepared to rain death from afar, while the melee knights stood ready to cut down anything that reached the shore. This was the fundamental strategy of a defensive line.
“To battle, Knights of Zelver!” Merlin roared.
She unsheathed her sword in one fluid motion. Behind her, a chorus of steel echoed as her knights drew their weapons and prepared to meet the charge.
*
Meanwhile, on the roof of a building overlooking the Arkins Sea, a lone female student sat on the ledge, watching the fish-demon army approach.
She reached up to steady her witch hat against the stiff coastal breeze. She swung her legs leisurely, looking as though she were watching a boring play rather than an invasion.
“This is reeeeeally boring~.”
There were beings in this world who existed on an entirely different plane. Dorothy Heartnova was one of them.
Due to the frequent demon attacks the previous year, Märchen Academy had established a rigorous Anti-Demon Defense System. Dorothy had volunteered to assist.
At Isaac’s specific request, she had been stationed on the front line of the western defense. It was impossible to calculate how many regular wizards it would take to equal Dorothy’s raw power. Isaac had asked her to cooperate with the faculty to ensure the academy remained an impenetrable fortress.
Countless enemies were swarming toward the western coast, but the numbers meant nothing to her. She was confident she could erase them all.
“Well…”
Dorothy opened her right hand. A flurry of iridescent, colorful stars shimmered in her palm.
Starlight mana—a unique element granted only to those chosen by the fairy Stella.
“Let’s end this quickly,” she whispered.
*
The students who had reached their destinations during the evaluation were being led by proctors toward the underground evacuation facility, Octovus Hall. Once the evacuation was complete, the entrances were sealed, and a high-durability barrier developed by the Hegel Magic Tower was activated.
Faculty members scoured the campus to ensure no one was left behind.
Inside Octovus Hall, the evaluation had been officially suspended. Because of the demon’s presence, the testing bracelets were non-functional, making coordination difficult. Proctors followed the lead of Philip Meltron. Some were sent to sweep the tunnels for stragglers, while others guarded the main assembly areas.
Since the hall was sealed, no student should have been able to leave without physically destroying the barrier—a feat far beyond the capabilities of most.
However, Märchen Academy could not account for every variable.
“Is this the place?”
The Spade Paladin, a black-haired student with glasses, arrived at the Eltra Sea exit, following his compass. The area was dim, lit only by a few luminescent lamps. Above him was the sealed hatch.
He scowled at the reinforced barrier blocking his path. He raised his right hand, concentrating a massive amount of ice mana.
「Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ★5)」
Baaaang——!!!
The glacial blast shattered the barrier in a single strike. Though the demon’s [Mana Drain] interfered with his flow, his sheer mastery was enough to force the spell through.
The Spade Paladin climbed the ladder and emerged into the salt-tinged air.
The moment he stepped onto the surface, a crushing pressure descended.
Everyone in Märchen Academy felt it. Priestess Miya and Saintess Bianca, still navigating the depths of Octovus Hall, froze. The Spade Paladin, Dorothy, the Imperial Knights—everyone felt the same thing.
An instinctive, primal terror gripped their hearts. The density of the mana flooding the area was beyond human comprehension. It felt as though they were about to be swallowed whole by a primordial monster.
Stch-ch-ch-ch-chk—-!!!!
Suddenly, the eastern side of the Eltra Sea began to freeze at an impossible speed.
The 6-star ice spell: [Frost Wave].
The towering waves were flash-frozen mid-motion, turning the Eltra Sea into a jagged, desolate field of ice. The fish demons swimming toward the island were encased instantly, turned into macabre ice sculptures. The massive humanoid demon staggered, its movements locked by the sudden frost. The flying demons shrieked in agony as the unnatural cold sapped their strength.
Then, ice mana coalesced in the sky, taking the form of a gargantuan dragon.
——-[Graaaaahhhh—-!!!]
A white dragon unfurled its shimmering wings, releasing a blizzard of frost. The beast soared through the clouds, roaring its dominance at the hideous demon below.
A man stood upon the dragon’s back, a chilling, pale blue aura radiating from his frame.
He was a muscular giant, over two meters tall. His deep blue wizard robes strained against his physique, looking as though they might burst. Beneath his hood, his face was shadowed, save for two glowing red eyes that pierced the gloom.
The survivors on the surface watched in stunned silence, mesmerized by the sheer scale of his mana.
Everyone knew who he was.
The man who had single-handedly crushed the threat of the Floating Island. The mysterious archwizard whose legend had spread across the continent.
The Nameless Hero had arrived.
The Spade Paladin narrowed his eyes, adjusting his glasses. He remained crouched near the exit, glaring at the white dragon and the man standing atop it.
“…”
Only now, feeling that mana in person, did he truly understand.
He understood why the Queen had been unable to act. He understood why, even if all four Paladins fought together, they would likely fail.
The man’s mana exceeded every expectation. He felt like a transcendent being—something so far removed from humanity that it made the Paladin question if they were even the same species.
The Spade Paladin stood up, watching the grand spectacle. This was the man they had to kill.
“The Black Monster…”
Deep within Octovus Hall, Priestess Miya and Saintess Bianca continued their frantic search for a way out.
Above them, on the frozen eastern sea, the Nameless Hero and the demonic horde collided.