Chapter 179: Chapter 178: A Group of Friends

Chapter 178: A Group of Friends

There was silence in the hotel room where the Hero Academy students were and someone played back the recording.

A young woman in a demon mask, after being blinded, closed her eyes and began to dodge enemy attacks with unparalleled dexterity.

Skillful and capable, her body contorted through the air, dodging with overwhelming agility.

She looked nothing like someone who was blinded and moved with her eyes closed.

Those actions alone proved that she was an expert... One of very high skills.

Alice had earlier exhibited that she could attack without looking at her opponents and Aurora, at this moment, exposed that she was someone moved and acted without seeing her opponents.

Most shocking was that she could hold her own against an S-Rank thanks to overwhelming agility.

Watching a young woman pass through the midst of two tentacles seeking to strike her was in itself impressive.

“Now I regret not insisting more to get her to join,” Jordan muttered with a pitiful expression.

He and Oliver got Alice to join and so far, they were still ‘paying’ that mercenary, but Aurora wasn’t one of those people who could easily accept things.

In a sense, it was easier to approach Alice than Aurora.

“She single-handedly stopped and distracted the entire Merlin Academy, A-Rank team. That’s too overpowering,” Alexey pointed out with an impressed sigh.

Merlin Academy’s A-Rank group was terrifying.

They alone reduced many ‘demons’ and made close combat advantageous for their group.

The training and teamwork were as excellent as it was unique and not to mention their own capabilities.

That group showed a prowess in every group battle and made it evident that they were frighteningly strong.

However, now a female fighter pressed them and pushed them to the limit with her moves, getting Laurence to reveal his powerful hidden card.

“Many students will be grateful. She made Laurence reveal his second summoning. If she had kept it hidden in a future confrontation, it would have caused a lot of trouble,” Frank muttered with a serious expression.

Rupert ‘demonic’ revealed that the colossal squid was weak to lightning and, while Edward could defeat those two creatures, others had greater difficulty.

If that creature suddenly entered the battlefield, the battle tables would turn immediately.

After all, Merlin Academy could be considered having two S-Ranks with those summonings.

“I still believe that Aurora limited herself. She didn’t use her lightning and only showed her dodging skill,” Nicole muttered and, seeing them looking at her, she explained. “She never performed more lethal attacks, even though she had the opportunity.”

Hearing that brief explanation, those present nodded in agreement.

Striking to kill could have raised her battle strength because of her opponents’ surprise at such attacks.

It was very difficult to react when someone attacked with such intentions.

In that sense, not only Aurora held back but also the S-Rank fighter and other individuals.

Even Rupert, when he was left alone in the final part, held back.

That he laughed throughout the battle was proof of that.

“Anyway, her information will be of great help to us tomorrow,” Leslie interjected solemnly.

They had already done the Sky Challenge and the Survival Challenge and in a few minutes would be starting the Spartan Challenge and the next day they would have the final showdown.

The Group Challenge, where everyone would undoubtedly be tested and pushed to the limit.

They had already planned a strategy with the Cernunnos Academy and had learned their skills to better prepare themselves.

“Taqiyya’s victory at noon managed to boost our points, but we need to win the Spartan Challenge,” Frank muttered, not hiding the seriousness.

Taqiyya won first place in the crafting tournament and they were awarded 5 points.

However, they were not to lose this challenge, and that was because Merlin Academy was behind them by a minor point difference.

Not having done the Spartan Challenge, the Hero Academy had 116 points, but with Merlin Academy’s victory in the Group Challenge, they were behind with 111 points, followed by Paladin Academy with 105 points.

“Losing? The A-Rank group is strong and besides, there’s Alice in them,” Dalia said, unconcerned.

“This challenge is not to be taken as a joke. The Russian Academy lost and the difficulty for us will increase by having an S-Rank,” Frank replied, and when his look became serious, he reported. “Also, I heard that Professor Cecile will be in charge of directing this event.”

The group’s expressions turned hard.

Cécile Leroux had the title ‘One Woman Army’ and was an S-Rank summoner focused on mass summonings.

“All that remains is to hope for the best,” Leslie announced in a simple tone.

She was someone who had seen Alice face ‘waves’, so she wasn’t too worried.

However, she was quite excited to see this challenge.

******

Emperor Victor chuckled, watching the replay of his combat against the paladin.

The paladin’s willpower in the Fear Challenge caught his attention, and that was the reason why he hid to join this event.

“That was fun,” Victor muttered with a smile.

He could have won, but he just pushed him hard enough and let him win.

“Though you didn’t have to reveal yourself in the end,” Ersin interjected, who was standing next to him.

Victor looked at her and gave a smile.

Falling in the direction of a young woman was easier than one might think.

“Yes, it was unnecessary, but it’s not like it matters,” Victor replied, and looking at the schedules of the last few challenges, he chuckled as he organized his little plan.

“Your Majesty, you trying to disguise yourself as a B-Rank is excessive. Your experience is too overwhelming to hide properly,” Ersin interjected with a serious look as she saw what he was planning.

Emperor Victor watched her and gave her a flirtatious smile, seeming to want to ‘seduce’ her, only his secretary didn’t flinch.

“Have I lost my charm?” Victor muttered in doubt, getting Ersin to smile subtly, then taking advantage of that, he commented. “Come on. I just want to push a single student.”

Seeing the look of a child wanting to go out and have fun, Ersin sighed.

“I’ll take care of arranging it for you, Your Majesty,” Ersin replied calmly.

“Oh, I also want you to help with something else...” Victor added, giving an amused smile.

Ersin was about to respond when her holographic watch informed her of the preparations.

“Cecile, along with the other mages, are ready for the ‘Spartan Challenge’ for the Hero Academy,” Ersin reported, returning to the role of secretary.

Emperor Victor nodded, and the two left the office.

They barely took a step forward and Ersin cast a space magic spell to move them into a wooded area.

In the surrounding area were the authorities in charge of the tournament and in the middle were the mages led by Cécile.

The Spartan Challenge represented enormous preparations.

Usually, they used summoning mages to bring in creatures that were usually monsters, but other times, they released numerous creatures that they had previously trapped.

This challenge represented a huge expense because of the time, manpower, and money invested to organize everything.

Adding that the challenges changed when B-Rank or A-Rank students took it, then the workload increased excessively.

Of course, it was not too much work for Emperor Victor, who could prepare all this with just one order.

In the case of the Hero Academy, it was a rather peculiar matter.

They had an S-Rank, and that was why they needed to be pressured, but using normal methods would be very difficult.

In the case of the Aetherium Academy, the A-Ranks performed the survival challenge, leaving a B-Rank group to perform this challenge on the last day.

However, using random creatures and releasing them as a wave wasn’t going to be that difficult, so in the end, they ended up calling on Cécile Leroux, known for summoning many creatures.

“So what’s up?” asked Victor to Cécile after saying hello.

His gaze was directed to the surrounding preparations, all arranged for Cécile.

They were gigantic magic circles that would help her summon a considerable number of creatures.

“It is splendid. I can’t help but praise the empire to see that they are ahead of the curve in summoning magic.” Cécile replied sincerely.

Many players could bring knowledge from Terra nova, but not all of them had advanced knowledge.

The empires and kingdoms of Terra nova controlled spells and magic in general very well, unlike Earth.

Each kingdom kept its best spells and its best knowledge to itself.

In the modern world, this was the same and not only extended to countries, but to guilds, academies, and mages.

No one liked to have their research taken and used by others.

These magic circles were a remarkable advancement in the way of summoning magic.

A very difficult branch to follow because of the difficulties it represented.

It was not as easy as casting a spell and summoning a creature, there were many methods and means to do so.

An example was Laurence, who made a contract with two S-Rank creatures, and while he can summon them freely, he cannot summon other creatures.

Cecile was not specialized with a single creature and took a massive summoning path, which was restricted by expense and prior preparations.

It was too expensive to mass summon creatures and could sometimes pose a danger if they were summoned randomly.

“These magic circles are specialized for summoning chaos-affected felines, but with the benefit of controlling them. It also includes some Rank-A creatures. There is no danger because of the magic circles themselves, putting them under your control,” Victor explained with a smile.

Cecile could perform the same feat if she prepared herself, but now the number of creatures she could put under her control was greater than she could before.

All thanks to the help of the magic circles that had an advantage or two compared to the ones she could create herself.

“Sure. We can always step up and overdo it a bit. Hero Academy students have an S-Rank.” Victor commented casually.

Cécile’s expression trembled for a moment, but in the end, she shook her head.

“I can’t summon an S-Rank creature,” Cécile answered truthfully.

The disadvantage of massive summoners was their deficiency in summoning high-rank creatures.

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Cécile could summon an army, but in the end, she had a limit, and that limit was an S-Rank creature.

If she could summon an army of S-Rank creatures, she would be unstoppable.

“The limits of magic are always defined by your own knowledge.” Victor pointed out solemnly.

Cecile frowned at that scolding-sounding phrase and either because she believed it or didn’t want to face it, she nodded.

Terra nova had in its history names of powerful archmages whose personal spells gave it enormous possibilities.

Some tore through the dimensional barrier and drew from the void countless creatures of pure chaos.

Others were able to generate portals to mysterious worlds where different creatures dwelled and bring swarms of them.

There were even individuals who could summon intelligent races and bring them under their control.

However, developing such spells took time and required an overwhelming knowledge of different subjects.

Creating such spells would be considered a ‘forbidden spell’.

Perhaps it did not have the explosive force of such spells, but its effect was just as amazing.

“In the history of mankind there was a player who could summon an army of ‘beings’ and among them were not only intelligent races but also calamities,” Victor said and looking at Cécile with a smile, he stated. “If you summon a huge army for me, I can give you some notes on that person.”

Only one person on Earth was known to be a terrifying archmage capable of summoning ‘calamities’... That was the Enemy of Mankind.

His notes, grimoires, or any matter that was related to that person, were highly coveted.

For someone who supposedly murdered gods, his secrets and knowledge represented unique opportunities for increased strength.

A mortal who, according to rumor, made a deal with a Primordial God known to be a ‘Devil’.

No doubt his secrets could be deeper than one could imagine.

“Of course, these notes are only a little help for massive summoners. I’m no connoisseur of magic, but it will surely make it easier for you to summon... And even if you manage to grasp the essential ideas, rise in rank,” Victor explained with a smile.

Since he had started speaking, the surroundings were silent, and only Cécile could hear his voice.

“Why do you want to give this to me?” Cécile asked, with extreme caution.

Instead of being attracted by the opportunity to ‘move up the ranks’ and become one of the few SS-Ranks, her doubt and caution rose.

If anything could help her move up the ranks, then those materials were not mere ‘notes’ and just as the saying went... There was no free food in this world.

“I like making friends. Especially if that friend is an undercover MI6 agent.” Victor replied sincerely.

MI6, also known as the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service.

Cécile was stunned for a moment, and wariness increased sharply as she realized that her secret was revealed.

Only very few knew about that second job, and everyone thought she was a teacher at Merlin Academy.

“I’m not really interested in your job recruiting students to join MI6, but my offer of friendship is sincere and won’t impede your work,” Victor commented, and looking as it was getting dark, he reported. “I also have other friends. You know, sometimes we get together and help each other. Simple things.”

Cécile’s expression trembled for a while.

A ‘group of friends’ helping each other... It wasn’t simple at all.

From religious sects, demonic cults to secret organizations, Cécile’s mind was filled with information and possibilities.

However, Victor knew the answer was simple.

“As long as it doesn’t get in the way of my work, then I would be happy to join Your Majesty.” Cécile replied solemnly.

Faced with such an attractive proposal, it was very difficult to refuse.

“Excellent. That reminds me, my friends and I like discretion and are also very picky about status,” Victor stated with a sigh, and pulling out a small space ring, he commented. “But I’m sure you will soon manage to meet that minuscule demand.”

Cécile received the ring and, noticing the grimoires stored inside, her expression became even more serious.

“I will endeavor to fulfill that ‘minuscule demand’,” Cécile replied, and noticing that it was slightly late, she commented. “I’m already too late. I will return to my work and try to summon the best army I can with my current skills.”

With those words, she walked away as her expression tried not to show the surprise and how stunned she was.

Victor’s smile remained from start to finish, looking at the back of that elegant woman.

“What do you think?” Victor asked to his secretary, who stood by his side from the beginning.

Ersin’s eyes shone with a white light as if they could pierce everything in its path and revealed a smile.

“You will soon have another friend of high status.”

The answer brought out made Victor give an even bigger smile.

******

“...”

Silence.

At a particular table inside a bar, students from Aetherium Academy were silent.

“Look at her! It’s a monster!”

“How can she pull out so many tentacles? She’s too dominant.”

“The ‘Glutton’ is strong, but look at that psionic! She’s using trees to defend herself!”

“And the fire mage? Her control over fire is impressive, even though she’s in a forest.”

“You guys don’t know anything. That assassin who’s tucked between his enemies and the swordsman he’s defending is a key part of the team.”

Shouts, criticisms, and analysis came from all parts of the bar as everyone watched the ‘Spartan Challenge.’

Due to some delays on the part of the authorities, the challenge was delayed and for the audience, such a delay made the challenge better.

All this was because it was taking place during the night.

In the middle of a forest in the Amazon jungles were five students resisting hundreds of felines affected by Chaos.

In the darkness, they seemed to be resisting the ‘Chaos’ by themselves.

The authorities were prepared for night challenges and all could watch as the students fought against this army of monsters.

Each had remarkable things, but Xu Long’s gaze was fixed on the young black-haired woman.

With a bag of chips in her hand and a bored look on her face, Alice stood in the midst of hundreds of monsters while under her feet was a shadow.

That shadow stretched for dozens of meters and from them came out countless tentacles that swung, catching and striking the felines.

In the night’s darkness, everyone could feel the terror of the ‘Glutton’ as she was being publicly called.

It was a title of endearment because that young woman always had a bag of chips and seemed to eat at all times.

However, that title meant nothing to that young lady whose shadow could stop so many creatures.

“It’s an S-Rank! It’s definitely an S-Rank!”

Those exclamations came as they saw a feline approaching from behind her back, trying to attack her, and before it succeeded, it was caught by dozens of hands that tore her body apart.

The strong were always striking and earned the admiration of the common people.

Now it was the same and Xu Long’s expression became horrible when he saw her.

Unlike that young lady, his companions were trying very hard.

Alice was reducing the pressure, but that didn’t mean it was easy.

The enemies had been coming for several minutes and some were tired reaching their limit.

The psionic was flying above Alice, waving her hands and moving large trees with her telekinesis.

Next to her was a fire mage who was casting various spells, knocking down the viciously attacking felines.

In the shadows, amidst the trees, a young man whose presence the monsters did not notice was moving swiftly, viciously slaying the worrying A-Rank individuals.

Surrounding the shadow was a swordsman whose sword was stained with blood, taking down as many enemies as possible.

Each of them looked tired, but not the ‘Glutton’ who just kept eating her chips.

“A true S-Rank...” Xu Long muttered as he saw Alice’s figure.

His companions beside him kept silent.

No one had believed him when he said Alice was an S-Rank and after his beating, he became a mockery to his teammates, his fans, and his father.

The challenges were coming to an end, but the closer the final day approached, the more tense it became.

Xu Long knew it.

With his current abilities, he could not win.

That beautiful young woman was not human; she was a monster.

The next day would be the final challenge, and the next day would be when the duel would take place.

A public duel in front of the entire world in the presence of the emperor himself.

He needed to win... He needed to regain the trust of his father and his family, he needed to overcome this challenge.

However, how was that possible?

Xu Long thought of that monster that almost killed him and shivered.

If that creature appeared again, how could he win?

He felt fear, and that fear turned into spite and hatred.

“I need to do whatever it takes to win. I need to win!” Xu Long declared in a cold tone.

He didn’t care about the gaze of his teammates or the other spectators in the bar.

He just needed to win... Just one chance to defeat her.

Thinking of ways, Xu Long didn’t notice that an old man with a white beard and a kind smile was looking at him as if he was a good target.

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