Chapter 96: But...
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 96: But...
"That book! Attack that book!"
As the monster’s flesh was torn asunder, the eerie Codex was revealed to the crowd. Wei’er immediately issued an excited command, as if she had discovered the key to victory.
For a monster created by the power of an Evil God, no matter how strong its regenerative abilities were, it would inevitably face destruction as long as its source of corruption was destroyed.
Now was the best opportunity.
The students, having regained their composure, did not disappoint her. Countless brilliant spells were triggered simultaneously, raining down upon the massive creature as if they cost nothing at all.
But after a brief moment of excitement, as the turbulent air and the glow of the magic dissipated, Wei’er felt her body gradually grow cold.
It was useless.
Even with over a hundred mages present, capable of firing a hundred spells at once...
Compared to the monster’s gargantuan body, that Codex was simply too small a target.
And it wasn't just small. If it were merely small, a saturation bombardment of magic would eventually land a hit.
However, the Codex seemed to possess a will of its own. It constantly shifted its position within the monster’s massive heap of flesh, dodging the magical attacks.
"Something’s wrong. Something is very wrong."
Despite the monster being backed into a corner—a seemingly perfect situation—Wei’er felt an unease that made her delicate frame tremble involuntarily.
It was her intuition.
And her intuition had always been remarkably accurate.
Something bad was definitely about to happen, or rather... it had already happened.
"We can't let this drag on!"
Wei’er slammed her hand against the railing of the high platform. Gritting her teeth, she turned to the warriors who had already retreated and asked, "Does anyone have enough strength left to rush in and destroy that Codex? I’ll arrange magical cover."
The moment the words left her mouth, Wei’er felt dozens of gazes looking at her as if she were an idiot.
Rush in?
Do you see how terrifying that monster is?
You want us to rush in?
To our deaths?
And even with magical cover, who knows what kind of side effects there are from diving into that pile of flesh?
What if we get corrupted by the Evil God and turn into muscular macho men who only like other men?
"This... sigh."
Wei’er clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white.
She understood their fears, of course, but some things simply had to be done. If she weren't a pure mage, she probably would have charged out herself by now.
Unfortunately, she was neither a martial artist nor did she have the right to force others to throw their lives away.
At a time like this, she felt utterly powerless.
If only the President were here.
If the President were here, he would have dealt with this monster long ago!
"Help me up! I can still feed!"
Just as Wei’er’s thoughts were about to drift away, she suddenly heard someone shouting. Hope blossomed in her eyes, like seeing a brilliant light in the deep darkness.
—Then she looked up and saw Ariel, wrapped in bandages like a mummy on a stretcher.
Ariel was struggling incessantly with a fierce expression. Even though her hands were so heavily bandaged she couldn't even hold a sword, she looked ready to get up and go another three hundred rounds with the monster.
"You can't, Ariel."
Liya was leaning over her, pinning her firmly to the stretcher with tears in her eyes. "You're already so badly injured. You can't go back out there."
"No!"
Ariel looked grief-stricken and indignant. "Meiren is gone! She might still be over there! I have to save her!"
"She probably just retreated with another squad, Ariel. Don't worry."
"Even so, I’m going to kill that bald bastard! I’m going to hack him into thousands of pieces! I’ll burn him to ash and then scatter those ashes to the wind! Dammit, he actually dared to call me flat-chested just now!"
Fury erupted in Ariel’s eyes. "Am I flat? Liya, tell me, am I flat? If I squeeze them together, isn't there something there? Rounding up, it’s not an exaggeration to say I’m a B-cup, right? How does he have the nerve to lie through his teeth like that?"
"..."
"Hey, Liya, say something!"
"..."
Wei’er silently looked away.
She obviously couldn't let Ariel Bugard go back out there now.
Not just because of her injuries, but because anyone with eyes could see that she was the primary hero of this hostage rescue operation.
She was the first to charge onto the roof, the first to engage the enemy leader, and the one who had pushed the enemy leader to the brink.
By the time the Student Council elites reached the roof, more than half of the muscular macho men had been cleared out, and the so-called High Priest was already heavily wounded.
She was so fierce she didn't seem like a second-year student at all.
If the High Priest hadn't suddenly pulled a "second phase" transformation, the incident would likely be over by now.
Though, the hostage had somehow vanished.
But now wasn't the time to think about that.
"Is my ability really not enough?"
That sense of impending doom grew more real by the second.
A malice from an unknown source seemed to lick at her skin, making Wei’er feel so nauseated she almost vomited.
"If only... a hero would descend."
In her current state of helplessness, Wei’er habitually fell into a daze of wishful thinking.
Just like the stories in the novels she read—at the moment of everyone's despair, a dashing hero would fall from the sky, and then...
"Everyone, look at me—!"
Yes, just like that handsome guy who seemed to have jumped off the dormitory roof.
Wait.
A handsome guy?
Where did a handsome guy come from?
Wei’er looked up in surprise.
Whoosh—
At that moment, the first-year students who were acting as "lighting technicians" at the back because they couldn't help with the fight professionally shifted their searchlights. Like a spotlight, the beams converged on the figure leaping downward.
"I'm about to flex!"
Accompanied by a shout that rang out clearly in the quiet night, the figure—now incredibly conspicuous in the spotlight—slammed down from the high building.
He plummeted straight toward the hideous monster.
Right at that moment, a spell pierced through the monster’s flesh, exposing the Codex that had just moved.
There was nowhere left to run!
Muen laughed loudly and drove the horse-slaying blade in his hand violently into the Codex.
The monster let out a frantic shriek, followed by a mournful wail. Its countless limbs writhed hideously, but it could not stop the approach of death.
In that instant...
The cold wind howled, blowing the man’s golden hair, which shone like the morning sun. His handsome face wore a smile, framed by a dazzling halo from the spotlights. His smooth yet explosive muscle lines brought to mind the masterpieces of famous sculptors kept in the Imperial Gallery. He was perfection itself.
"So handsome..."
Many young girls, their hearts fluttering for the first time, were captivated by the golden-haired man’s extraordinary charm and couldn't help but let out small gasps of admiration.
Even Wei’er was momentarily dazed, wondering if this was truly a hero descending from the heavens.
...
However, in the brief silence where everyone’s gaze was drawn to this man, a certain first-year girl suddenly voiced a question with childlike innocence.
In the dark night, it was perfectly clear.
"But—"
"Why isn't he wearing any clothes?"