Chapter 437
While the arena burned with the heat of the preliminary matches…
The principal and the Sword Queen had entered the depths. In Dungeon No. 24.
The rest of the faculty were left waiting outside.
After all, with two S-rank heroes involved, they could handle any intruder and break through no matter how chaotic the dungeon had become.
In fact, involving A- or B-ranks might only hold them back unnecessarily.
So it was only the principal and the Sword Queen who passed through the teleportation portal.
The first thing they saw was the corpse of a soldier sprawled on the ground.
Like a carelessly discarded doll, its limbs pointed in all directions, and its head was nowhere to be seen. It was likely severed.
And the same sights stretched endlessly into the distance.
Dungeon No. 24 the Falsberry Great Plains.A vast battlefield where hundreds of thousands of troops fought scattered skirmishes across the region.
The countless corpses before them were just part of the aftermath.
“……”
“……”
Without a word, the principal and the Sword Queen walked across the field of bodies.
As they slowly turned their heads to scan their surroundings, they came to an abrupt stop.
Amid the fallen soldiers lay skeletons clad in armor.
The battle couldn’t have taken place long ago, yet in that short time, bodies had decayed into bare bones?
More likely, these were artificially made.
Perhaps raised by necromancy.
The principal frowned.
“……This doesn’t look like the Blood Cult’s work.”
“Why state the obvious?”
The Sword Queen replied nonchalantly.
They had already narrowed down the intruder’s identity to some extent.
A battlefield favors mages more than warriors.
So from the start, the chances were much higher that a witch was responsible rather than someone from the Blood Cult.
Now that the undead had appeared, there was no longer any doubt.
“Next, we just need to figure out which witch it is.”
“That part’s even easier.”
They then examined the soldiers’ corpses closely.
Their skin had shriveled up as if all moisture had been drained. It was wrinkled like that of the elderly.
Of course, the two of them already knew exactly what kind of magic had caused it.
“Drain.”
A spell that absorbs the target’s life force and mana.
It can be cast over a wide area or cast through summoned creatures or minions as intermediaries.
And if it’s a witch who uses this Drain spell like her trademark…
“So the Witch of Exhaustion that’s been wreaking havoc lately. Looks like she’s ended up here.”
“Maybe this was her goal from the start.”
It made enough sense that the principal nodded in agreement.
“Obviously, she’s here to make an undead.”
“Mhmm. A pretty strong one, too.”
Generally, powerful undead were created in one of two ways:
Using the corpse of someone extremely powerful, or by sheer numbers.
And this battlefield was perfectly suited for the latter.
If you gathered the life force and mana of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and poured it all into a single undead—
It would be impossible for that thing to be weak.
The undead created this way would likely be used as a prelude to wreak havoc on Dragon Slayer Academy.
With that conclusion, the principal spoke.
“It doesn’t look like we’re too late yet. But we’d better move quickly.”
“Do you know where to go?”
“Just a moment.”
He then pulled out a map, a small clock, and a sheet of paper from inside his coat.
The Sword Queen asked,
“What are those?”
“The map was made by the faculty.”
“And the clock?”
“It’s an item that tells the current time inside the dungeon.”
Dungeons often have different time flows inside and out, so for those arriving later, using something like this is the best way to gauge the current stage of the operation. Ŕ𝒶₦𝖔BЁŜ
The final sheet of paper was familiar even to the Sword Queen.
“That’s the one that kid wrote.”
That kid was referring to Kim Ho. He had hastily scribbled down a simple strategy guide.
Even for S-rank heroes like them, the great plains were far too vast to handle alone. Running around searching for the witch would be terribly inefficient.
There was also the risk that the witch might complete her goal and leave the dungeon before they ever found her.
Apparently, Kim Ho had taken that into account. His guide listed, by time slot, where battles were taking place, which commanders were leading which forces, what the army compositions were, and how previous battles could influence future developments.
The Sword Queen nodded in understanding, then asked again,
“So, where are we going?”
“Just a moment. I’m figuring that out now.”
Though he was an S-rank hero, a former Hero, and the principal of a prestigious academy, in front of the Sword Queen, he was still just a junior.
Grumbling that he should’ve been born a hundred years earlier, the principal compared the current time with the strategy guide.
Then he pointed to a spot on the map.
“According to the timing, the next battle should happen here. Given the variables, it may have already started.”
“Well, let’s go.”
If the Witch of Exhaustion was going to appear at battle sites, then hitting each one systematically would eventually lead them to her.
At the very least, it was better than wandering around aimlessly.
With that, the principal and the Sword Queen chose their direction and kicked off the ground at the same time.
Tap!
With physical abilities befitting S-rank heroes, they crossed a vast distance in an instant.
The scenery flashed by rapidly at their sides.
Mid-sprint, the Sword Queen asked another question.
“So how does that kid know all this stuff?”
“No idea.”
The principal shrugged.
Dragon Slayer Academy didn’t know much about Kim Ho.
He had just appeared one day, as if he had fallen from the sky, and started attending school.
The Sword Queen had heard the story before, but it still sounded suspicious.
“Are you sure we can trust him?”
“That’s how I judged it.”
“Based on what?”
“He’s just that remarkable.”
The Sword Queen’s expression twisted into something odd.
“You? Praising a student?”
“He’s not just any remarkable.”
At his age, he already had the qualities of a Monarch and as the semesters went by, his growth rate was monstrous.
Even the principal couldn’t see where his limits might be.
As for how much he knew. He was still making good use of the two strategy books they had previously exchanged.
The one in his hands right now was no exception.
He was far too valuable to discard just because he seemed suspicious.
“He’s also been very cooperative so far.”
During the midterm exams in the first semester, it was Kim Ho who had taken the lead in stopping the Blood Syringe incident.
He had also distinguished himself in the battle against the Witch of Corruption, and during summer break, he even clashed with the Witch of Death.
Hearing this much, the Sword Queen finally seemed somewhat convinced.
“At the very least, he’s made enemies of the Blood Cult and the Time Dragon.”
“That’s right. And for us, that’s nothing but good news.”
After all, it meant a powerful Monarch stood on their side.
Then the principal gave her a curious look.
“Still, this is unexpected. I didn’t think you’d take such an interest in him.”
“As you said, he’s an unusual one. Naturally, I was curious.”
The Sword Queen passed it off smoothly, but inside she felt a subtle sting of guilt.
Because she already carried secrets she could never bring herself to admit.
The secret that Kim Ho had toyed with her in the preliminaries and that he had seized upon that weakness to claim a wish from her.
“Let’s move quickly.”
Fearing the principal might press her further, the Sword Queen quickened her pace.
The two continued on in silence until at last, they reached their destination.
In truth, the distance was still considerable, but the eyes of two superhumans rivaled any telescope.
Surveying the battlefield, they each spoke.
“Looks like it’s already begun.”
“And there’s the witch. She found her way here quickly.”
Three armies were tangled together in chaos, each slaughtering the other.
Hovering above them was a witch. It was the Witch of Exhaustion.
She ceaselessly raised skeletal soldiers and, through them, absorbed energy.
The energy she drained was drawn into a human-shaped figure floating beside her.
As expected, she was creating the undead.
Their task was clear from the start.
The Sword Queen drew her beloved blade, and the principal gripped his golden holy sword.
Then they exchanged a brief glance.
“I’ll clear out the undead. You deal with the witch.”
“Very well.”
“On three, we go in. One, two—”
“—Three.”
Fwoosh!
The Sword Queen and the principal shot forward like twin streaks of light.
At terrifying speed, they closed in on the battlefield.
“Graaahhh—!”
“Skreeee!?”
The undead that the Witch of Exhaustion had hidden in ambush burst forth—
But by then, the two streaks of light had already sped past them.
No matter how thorough the preparations, they meant little against S-rank heroes.
Of course, the Witch of Exhaustion was herself an S-rank powerhouse.
Though her opponent’s strength had caught her off guard and delayed her response by half a beat, she still realized they were closing in.
She hastily began chanting a spell.
But then, something else struck her as wrong.
…Two!?
It wasn’t one powerhouse she faced, but two.
In that instant of hesitation, the principal and the Sword Queen dove straight into the heart of the battlefield.
Flash!
The principal’s holy sword shone with dazzling golden radiance.
He gripped it in reverse, as though to drive it into the earth.
And in the next moment, the sword vanished from his hand only to reappear in midair and magnified a hundredfold.
It manifested directly above the half-finished undead.
Then it descended. A golden pillar struck down from the heavens.
Kwoooom!
In an instant, the undead were obliterated, leaving not even dust behind.
“……!”
The Witch of Exhaustion’s face went blank, then filled with shock, then twisted into rage.
And then she shrieked with a chilling scream.
“Kyyaaaaa—!! My precious darlinggggs—!!”
So much effort, so much care….got wiped away in a moment. The devastation stunned her mind into paralysis.
She regained her senses quickly enough, but in a battle between superhumans, even a fleeting lapse was an eternity.
Naturally, it was more than enough time for the Sword Queen to unleash her ultimate technique.
Shhhrrrrrk!
Sword energy, cold and sharp like a winter storm, flooded the battlefield.
The Witch of Exhaustion instinctively triggered a teleportation spell—
But the sword energy engulfed even that range, surging in to strike her.
Slashhhhhh!
Her body was raked by countless blades and pain ripped through her as she screamed again.
“Kyyaaaaahhh—!”
“We haven’t finished her yet.”
“She’s tough.”
The principal and the Sword Queen kicked off the air once more, closing in for another assault.
But in the very next instant, the witch’s abdomen split grotesquely wide—
And from it, a torrent of undead erupted as if in an explosion.
Boooooom!
Not only was the sheer momentum overwhelming, but among the undead swarming in were several commander-level entities that couldn’t be taken lightly.
Charging in recklessly might take them down. But the damage on this side would be just as great.
So the two of them clicked their tongues and backed off.
The principal spoke as he held the golden-colored holy sword upside down once again.
“I’m using it. Get ready to block.”
“Got it.”
And with that, he drove the sword deep into the ground.
Baaaang!
A huge energy wave surged out from him, sweeping across the entire area.
When the wave settled, not a single undead remained.
The Witch of Exhaustion had also vanished without a trace.
The principal murmured to himself.
“…Did we get her?”
“Looks like that saved her life.”
Ting, ting, tang-clatter—
Sure enough, they heard the sound of something metallic bouncing across the ground.
They quickly turned to look….and there lay a single bracelet.
Cracked through and through, its gem was shattered and was on the verge of complete destruction.
Of course, the bracelet had done its job.
It had safely evacuated its owner in a life-threatening emergency.
As the principal examined the bracelet, he spoke.
“This is S-rank.”
“It’d have to be, to get her out of there.”
Even so, neither of the two looked entirely grim.
They may have let the Witch of Exhaustion escape, but the damage they’d dealt was massive.
Not only was she injured, but a significant portion of the undead she had stored in her subspace had been used up and an S-rank piece of equipment had been destroyed.
It could take years, maybe even decades, for her to recover to her former state.
That said, it wasn’t completely over.
They had no way of knowing whether the Witch had fled outside the dungeon island or was simply hiding somewhere within.
Still, it wasn’t something to worry about right this moment.
The principal spoke.
“Looks like things are wrapped up here. Good work.”
“Yeah. That Kim Ho really helped us out.”
The Sword Queen acknowledged it.
Running into the Witch of Exhaustion at their first destination had been sheer luck, but it was also true that the strategy guide had played a major role.
Whatever that “favor” Kim Ho planned to ask later turned out to be, she figured she could spare some extra consideration.
But instead of using a teleportation scroll right away, the principal pulled out Kim Ho’s guide again.
Then he read aloud a line from the bottom.
“‘If this was helpful, could you grab something for me while you’re in there?’…that’s what it says.”
The Sword Queen’s face immediately soured.
“…What a cheeky little brat.”