Chapter 8: Class Assignment Evaluation (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 8: Class Assignment Evaluation (3)
“You actually managed to survive this long, Grade E commoner? Oh, look at that. There’s a mana particle on your watchband… Only one? Ho-ho! Were you so desperate to stay in the game that you spent the whole time hiding?”
…His intuition is surprisingly sharp.
“And on top of that, your mana perception must be atrocious! How utterly pitiful!”
Isn’t it a bit low to hit me with the cold, hard truth?
Well, even if he acted like a total bastard, it was an objective fact that he was far superior to me in terms of raw skill. If I fought him head-to-head using magic, I would lose a hundred times out of a hundred.
But I had to get past him somehow.
I didn’t know what was happening with Ian right now; for all I knew, the worst-case scenario had already unfolded. I couldn’t let myself get dragged into a Bad Ending because of this guy.
I secretly slipped a finger into the magic pouch in my back pocket, hooking it around a magic tool shaped like a small glass bottle.
As I’d seen during the mana evaluation, Tristan Humphrey’s mana was powerful, but he was woefully inexperienced in self-defense. He focused entirely on offense, neglecting his guard. He despised combat styles that involved carefully deploying defensive magic while trading blows.
He was the type of man who mastered only attack magic, fueled by the reckless mindset that “the best defense is a good offense.”
It was a philosophy born from a total lack of practical experience. The servants of the Humphrey family had coddled him, raising him without ever letting him see real combat. In fact, this class assignment evaluation was likely his debut on a real stage.
“You aren’t even trying to run? I’m standing right in front of you! You’re just a Grade E commoner—where does such unfounded confidence come from? Or are you simply paralyzed by fear? Hahaha— cough, cough!”
Tristan laughed heartily before choking on his own spit, falling into a fit of coughing and gasping.
Maybe it was because I’d played ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ for so long, but even Tristan’s third-rate villain lines felt strangely familiar.
Regardless, I had to knock him down and move on.
It’s definitely possible. I know his weaknesses better than anyone.
I smashed the small glass bottle against the ground.
Clink—!
The glass shattered against a stone, instantly releasing the hazy mist condensed inside.
Suuuuuuuuuu──
[Processed Fog]
Rank: Tier 7
Effect: When the bottle is shattered, it instantly generates a dense fog of the water element. The effect lasts for 20 seconds.
“Fog?” Tristan barked.
The magic tool I’d used was a water-element item, “Processed Fog.” It created a thick shroud around the user, functioning much like a smoke bomb.
However, this alone wasn't enough. If we looked closely, Tristan and I could still track each other's movements.
I stretched out my right hand, releasing a wave of pure white, freezing air.
「Cold Divergence (Ice Element, ★1)」
The dense fog immediately turned colder and whiter. As the temperature plummeted, condensation triggered the formation of advection fog, making the shroud significantly denser and thicker.
Simultaneously, I channeled ice mana through my other hand.
Ian and Luce must have joined forces by now. They should be heading toward the clearing where they fight the demon.
Right then—
“…!”
Whooooosh!!
A sharp, light-green blade of wind sliced through the thick fog, grazing me by a matter of inches.
「Wind Sword (Wind Element, ★3)」
I froze in place. That was a close call…
“Ha! Is this the best you can do? Playing petty tricks?”
As Tristan approached, he conjured a magic circle in front of his palm, emitting a brilliant light-green glow.
Whoooosh.
A gust began to blow in all directions, forcibly clearing the fog. Tristan was the source.
「Wind Generation (Wind Element, ★1)」
The wind element was known for combos that continuously generated airflow, which in turn increased magic output. In other words, he was finally getting serious about hunting me down.
“I already knew it would end like this!” Tristan shouted.
However, as the fog cleared, I reached out toward him. I had been forming ice from the very moment the fog began to spread.
I clenched my fist, my palm glowing with a pale blue light.
I severed the flow of mana, causing the massive chunk of ice that had formed directly above Tristan’s head to plummet.
「Ice Generation (Ice Element, ★1)」
“…Huh?”
─ Crack!
A heavy, sickening thud echoed through the forest as the block of ice, accelerated by gravity, slammed directly onto Tristan’s head.
“Ugh!!”
With a single blood-curdling shriek, Tristan collapsed.
The block of ice was significantly larger than what I could usually produce, thanks to [Elemental Synergy] with the water element from the “Processed Fog.”
Soon, Tristan’s wind died down, and the remaining fog dissipated. I could see him clearly now, sprawled on the forest floor with blood dripping from his head.
Having suffered such a humiliating defeat at the hands of a Grade E commoner he’d looked down on, maybe he’d finally start practicing defensive magic from now on.
Time is running out…
I checked my watchband, reminding myself of the urgency. As much as I wanted Tristan’s watchband for the points, it wasn’t worth the time it would take to strip it off him.
I turned and sprinted toward my destination.
The trigger for this Bad Ending wasn’t actually Ian’s death. It was the moment Luce summoned her familiar to defeat the demon.
Her familiar was the 8-star magic beast, the Thunderbird, Galia.
In this world, the highest grade for familiars was 9-stars—entities capable of world destruction. Galia was an 8-star, a rank capable of toppling entire nations.
The problem was that Luce couldn't control Galia yet.
Normally, a magic beast bound as a familiar must obey its master’s every word. But Galia was uncontrollable; the beast ignored orders and was even willing to endure the magical penalties for disobedience just to act on its whims.
If Galia manifested here, every talented student who had survived the evaluation so far would perish. Currently, only first-year students from the Magic Department were in the forest. Galia’s lightning strikes would incinerate the entire area before the academy could even react.
Naturally, Ian—the protagonist trapped in the forest—would die as well. Galia was, after all, one of the greatest powers within Märchen Academy.
In the original game, the situation was only settled after Dorothy Heartnova, a second-year known as the Star Witch, managed to repel the Thunderbird. But by then, many people, including Ian, were already dead.
In other words: a total Bad Ending.
Please, don’t let me be too late…!
Even though my lungs were burning, I ran with everything I had.
*
“How dare you… wound this body…!”
Tristan reached out weakly in the direction Isaac had vanished. His entire body was covered in dirt, and blood poured from the wound on his head.
In front of his hand, a light-green magic circle manifested and began to rotate slowly. If he continued to pour mana into the circle and fired the long-range spell [Whirlwind], it might still reach Isaac.
“At the hands of a lowly Grade E commoner… an insignificant Grade E commoner!!”
Tristan fought the urge to lose consciousness, channeling his remaining mana toward the fleeing Isaac.
「Whirlwind (Wind Element, ★4)」
Wooooosh───!!
A light-green gale began to swirl with violent momentum.
But then—
─────Woooooooosh!!
The whirlwind, which was about to tear through the trees toward Isaac, was suddenly devoured by a far more powerful vortex coming from the side.
Tristan’s eyes widened.
A female student stepped out from the darkness of the forest, having completely neutralized his spell with a [Whirlwind] of her own. Her light-green twintails fluttered with every step, and her jade-colored eyes glowed vibrantly in the deepening twilight.
It was Kaya Astrea, the second-ranked student of the first-year Magic Department.
“Uh, why are you…?”
Kaya didn't even acknowledge Tristan’s question. She quietly closed her eyes.
“Haa.”
She took a deep breath, her mind racing.
He’s weak.
So weak he isn’t even worthy of Sir Isaac’s sincerity.
Isaac had sensed the mana contained within Yggdrasil’s seed. Even though she carried the seed herself, she hadn't been able to sense a thing…
The ability to sense mana that wasn't being actively emitted was a feat reserved for the realm of Archwizards. Isaac had proven once again that his skills were far beyond someone like her.
Sir Isaac is truly amazing.
‘Only that kind of power?’
It’s only natural he would say such a thing.
She must have seemed so insignificant to such a powerful person. If she wanted to stand beside Isaac and his natural talent, she had to at least meet a certain threshold of strength. Challenging him with her mediocre skills was practically a sign of disrespect.
It was like a child challenging an adult knight; of course the knight would tell them to “come back once you’ve grown up.”
“I’m going to become strong enough for Sir Isaac to recognize me.”
Kaya slowly opened her eyes, her resolve burning like quiet embers.
“Why… why did you cover for that Grade E commoner?” Tristan asked, his voice trembling with confusion.
“It’s only natural that I would,” Kaya replied, her voice laced with pity.
Whoooooooooosh─────
The wind generated by Kaya began to swirl violently around her. Her [Wind Generation] possessed a mana concentration far denser than Tristan’s.
Her twintails and the hem of her uniform whipped wildly in the gale. Her face was partially obscured by the shadows of the forest, her eyes looking down on him with cold displeasure.
Tristan stared at her, his heart filled with doubt and terror. He couldn't understand it.
Why is she protecting that commoner? Why is she fighting me?
“Even I have never touched Isaac,” Kaya whispered. “What makes someone like you think you have the right?”
It was a simple matter of pride.
The wind around Kaya surged, and a moment later, Tristan’s body was tossed into the air above the twilight forest. The evening sky was truly beautiful—and with that final thought, his consciousness faded into the distant horizon.
*
Meanwhile, dried dirt covered Luce Eltania’s rose-gold hair and her uniform.
She stood tense before a bizarre-looking demon. It looked like a man wearing loose, navy-blue clothes, standing perfectly still like a statue. He had gray skin and a lean, muscular build. His eyes were tightly shut, one hand resting under his chin and his head slightly bowed, as if he were lost in deep thought.
[Hmm—Hmm—Hmm—Hmm—Hhm—Hhm—Hhm—Hhm—Hhm—Hhm—Hmm—]
A constant, rhythmic buzzing resonated inside Luce’s head.
Ian Fairytale, who had been fighting this strange demon alongside her, had already lost consciousness.
“Please just die.”
Luce waved her arm, pouring out her mana. A blue magic circle formed beneath the demon’s feet, and a pillar of scalding water erupted toward the sky.
「Geyser (Water Element, ★4)」
────Pyuuuuuuuuu!!
The demon avoided the magic with a grace that defied his stiff appearance. Even as he evaded, he remained in that pose of deep contemplation. The hot fountain soared powerfully, as if trying to pierce the heavens.
Luce had predicted his movement and deliberately adjusted the angle. She forced the demon into an escape path and activated her next spell exactly where he would land.
「Seawater Prison (Water Element, ★4)」
Instantly, a dome of water materialized, imprisoning the demon. Luce immediately froze the sphere.
Cracking—————
[Hmm—hmm—hmm—hmm—hmm—hmm—hmm—]
The demon casually shattered the frozen [Seawater Prison] and stepped out, unscathed.
“My water magic isn’t enough…” Luce murmured, her voice as serene as moonlight.
The demon had used ice magic strong enough to instantly neutralize her prison. It was proof that his ice magic proficiency and [Elemental Synergy] were exceptionally high. He was too strong for her to handle with water magic alone.
[Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm!]
Suddenly, the demon’s humming grew loud and aggressive. A large, pale-blue magic circle formed behind him, surrounded by elegant, floating ice crystals.
Alarm bells rang in Luce’s head. This was dangerous.
The demon took a single step forward. The ground began to freeze instantly from his toes.
Charaaaaaaaaaaaa———!!
A blizzard of cold air rose, spreading across the ground in a massive fan shape. Everything the frost touched was instantly transformed into smooth, jagged sheets of ice.
「Frost Wave (Ice Element, ★6)」
Luce hurriedly deployed a defensive spell.
「Water Wall (Water Element, ★4)」
A circular barrier of water rose around her, shielding her from the freezing gale.
“Ugh!”
The intense cold tried to flash-freeze her barrier. Luce countered by forcing her mana to circulate faster, accelerating the flow of the water forming the wall. The frost rushed past her, turning the forest behind her into a frozen wasteland.
When the [Frost Wave] finally lost its momentum, Luce released her spell, her breath coming out in white puffs.
“…”
She scanned the demon with eyes that reflected the deep blue of the ocean. Her water magic wouldn't cut it. Her strongest element was “Lightning,” and she was certain she could win with it, even against these odds.
But… to use lightning magic properly, she would have no choice but to summon that. Half of her mana was constantly dedicated just to keeping “that guy” suppressed.
Luce rolled up her sleeve, looking down at the magic circle engraved on her left wrist.
If I summon him, I can definitely kill this gray-skinned demon.
But… he’s a double-edged sword. I’m not sure if I can control him yet.
However, she had grown stronger. She had entered the prestigious Märchen Academy as the top-ranked student. Her mana was rated A+.
Galia…
She felt that, perhaps, she could control him now.
“Haa.”
Her heart throbbed. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and made her decision.
The 8-star magic beast, Thunderbird - Galia. I’m summoning him.
Just as Luce began to chant the summoning spell, pointing her fingers at the mark on her wrist—
Thud.
The sound of a footstep echoed. It was subtle, but it felt intentional, as if someone wanted to be heard. Luce snapped her head toward the sound.
Standing on a low cliff nearby was a figure in a navy-blue hooded coat. He was massive, at least two meters tall, with a powerful, toned build. From beneath the tattered hood, fierce, blood-red eyes glared out. Below them was a grotesque, oversized mouth.
His gums were exposed, lined with rows of large, sharp teeth. The jutting canines and massive molars were terrifying to behold. It was hard to tell through the worn fabric, but his skin appeared pitch-black.
[Grrrrrrrr…]
It sounded like a beast. A monster.
Luce’s heart sank. She hadn't expected another dangerous entity to appear here. Now, she truly had no choice but to summon the Thunderbird.
“…?”
Wait, something is wrong.
The monster on the cliff wasn't looking at Luce. Its eyes were fixed entirely on the gray-skinned demon. The demon had also broken its contemplative pose, staring at the newcomer with narrowed eyes, clearly on guard.
For some reason… it felt like the two monsters were about to fight each other.
*
I think I bought the wrong clothes.
Well, it wasn't like I had a choice. I had to buy the only thing the secret shop owner had left, but it turned out to be the “Magic Cloak of Disguise – Berserker”…
I was currently dressed in a navy-blue hooded coat with the hood pulled low. My face was a mess of sharp teeth and massive fangs, all thanks to the magic camouflage. From my perspective, I felt normal, but I knew that to everyone else, I looked like a terrifying monster looming on the cliffside.
I glanced between Luce and the demon. Luce’s expression was… intense. Well, that was a fair reaction considering I looked like a nightmare.
And Ian is passed out again.
He was slumped against a tree, totally unconscious. This really drove home the fact that I couldn't rely on the "protagonist" in this version of the game.
More importantly, Luce looked like she was seconds away from summoning Galia. If I had been even a moment later, we would have been in serious trouble.
“That’s a relief…” I muttered.
[Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr]
I winced. When I spoke, all that came out was a guttural, animalistic growl. It seemed the Berserker disguise translated my voice into monster cries.
…I’m definitely going to be mistaken for a demon.
Regardless, I’d made it in time. What I had to do now was clear.
[Pernicus the Contemplative]
Lv: 105
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Ice
Danger: High