Chapter 63: Chapter 63

If you think about it, I wasn’t given any ‘test preparation’ time.

The dessert effect might have been too strong, as the association people came to see me the very next day.

Well, not that I was worried about that. Preparing wouldn’t make a difference, and wouldn’t it be more embarrassing if I were given time to prepare but the results didn’t reflect that?

My past life was a series of variables. Although I lived in a stagnant space called a battlefield, what I faced on the battlefield were enemies that exceeded my expectations, a dire lack of supplies, and life-threatening situations.

“Answer my call.”

So, I wasn’t nervous. However, I was a little surprised.

“Kwaaaaaah!”

I was surprised that the special selection test was this large in scale.

I remembered seeing it in the Summoner’s Dictionary.

3rd-rank summons, Antares.

“Grrrrr…”

It was at least four meters tall and as wide as six people standing side by side. It had a lion-like mane and sharp teeth. It walked upright like a human and had strong claws that looked like they could slash your head off if you touched them.

It was a summons that had no special abilities but was classified as a 3rd-rank simply due to its size and strength.

Ah.

Now I understood. This was the reason my second sister was worried that I would get hurt in a fight between adults.

“You’re a ‘genius’, so you should be able to handle this much, right?” Elgard said. “By any means necessary, subdue Antares.”

He was asking me to do the impossible.

“This is the special selection test I am giving.”

I stared blankly at Antares. It snorted and grumbled, ready to rush in and tear me to pieces at the slightest command.

“Don’t worry, there won’t be any danger as we’ve put safety measures in place. Well, you’re a ‘talent’ that two professors praised so much that ink was overflowing from the page, so I’m sure there’s no need to worry.”

What he meant with his nonchalant words was so obvious that it was laughable.

I happened to see Professor Delphineso’s expression. Of course, it wasn’t good.

Well, this was a ridiculous situation.

Ordinarily, that was.

“Oh, of course, you can give up now if you want. Then you won’t be able to apply for the special selection in the future and will have to wait for the regular exam…”

“I’ll take the test.”

I was a little different.

“Good.”

My current talent was one reason, but… I also had my memories of my past life.

Cra一ack.

I opened my subspace and pulled out the short spear my father had given me as a present for my seventh birthday.

“Grrrr!”

Antares radiated a ferocious aura, as if responding to my spear.

“A spear? Oh, right. He is the son of Count Sogres.”

Elgard looked at me as if it didn’t matter.

Whoong!

As I gathered my magic power, his expression changed a little. Of course, he wouldn’t think that a little magic power would do anything to Antares, a 3rd-rank summons that was a match for most knights.

But I was different.

In my previous life, I spent over twenty years on the battlefield. Naturally, I’d also faced countless summons.

“Kwak!”

I dodged Antares by jumping to the side as he charged straight at me, and at the same time, I struck his shin with the blade of my spear. I quickly twisted my wrist, and the effect was immediate.

Crash!

He fell over at the same speed he was dashing at me and crashed to the ground.

I didn’t realize the assassin training would be this effective.

Concentrating magic power in a part of the body and instantaneously releasing it was something my mother taught me for quick ‘assassinations’. I never imagined that I would be able to avoid Antares’ attack with it.

Amidst the dust settling, everything was quiet.

“Oh my god.”

The voice that pierced through the silence was Professor Delphineso’s.

“Wh-what just happened?”

I could also see Professor Temeric, who seemed to have just arrived, with his mouth wide open.

Before I knew it, there were several people in the auditorium other than the examiners. Students who I presumed to be from the Summoning Department, and I wasn’t sure when he arrived… but Professor Kelthas was also there.

There seemed to be a lot of spectators.

“Grrrrrrrrr!”

Then Antares got up.

Anyone could tell that he was angry. Blood was flowing from his shin, but the wound did not appear deep. My wrists were a little numb, but I was protected by magic, so I wasn’t unable to fight or anything.

“Alright.”

I aimed my spear at him again. Then, Antares, as if excited, approached with brisk strides, and quickly kicked off the ground to close the distance between us.

And一

Plunk!

Just as his attack reached me, I too used my magic power to kick off the ground and narrowly avoided his claws.

Pshhhk!

I stabbed Antares in the side with my spear.

“Kuaaaah!”

A high-pitched scream echoed. At the same time, I let out a burst of magic power.

It was the technique that my father showed me, which involved concentrating mana on the tip of a spear and causing it to explode.

Boom!

Flesh burst open and a scream rang out.

“Kwaaak!”

At the same time, claws flew at me.

“Kyaaaa!”

“D-dodge!”

But I had already retreated. I gave up on my spear cleanly.

“Haha.”

I heard laughter from somewhere. Perhaps it was Professor Kelthas?

“Kwaaagh!”

Antares pulled out the spear stuck in his side and threw it far away. He was very tough. Even though his side was torn apart, he could still get up and walk.

Clank!

‘I’m sorry, Father, but sometimes you have to give up your weapons cleanly.’

Because that was how I fought on the battlefield.

Instead, I opened my subspace again and this time took out a sword that I had picked up when I left home.

“Huh, a sword?”

This time, it seemed to be the chairman who had summoned Antares. The voice seemed to be filled with a strange tension, different from before.

A sword, huh?

If someone asked me now whether I was more familiar with a sword or a spear, I couldn’t answer easily. But one thing was certain.

I had rolled around in that fierce battlefield for over twenty years with my talent for the sword.

“Kwaaaaaah!”

Antares rushed in.

This time, I didn’t dodge. I grabbed the sword and charged straight at him.

“Kyaaaah!”

A scream erupted among the students watching Dane’s special selection test.

That was a crazy stunt. After all, a human’s physical strength was different from a summons. No matter how much you strengthened your body with magical power, it was absurd to confront Antares head-on.

In fact, most high-level summons were physically much, if not incomparably, stronger than humans. No matter how many safety measures were in place, it was a crazy stunt. He was clearly out of his mind.

Professor Delphineso prepared for a forced re-summoning by gathering her mana. Even though it was a 3rd-rank summons summoned by the chairman, she should be able to block it to some extent.

Just as she was about to release her mana一

“Just watch.”

Professor Delphineso’s magic power wavered momentarily as she heard someone’s voice from beside her.

In the meantime一

Slash!

Blood sprayed into the air.

“Oh my god.”

But Dane was alive. He had passed Antares perfectly fine and was swinging his sword.

“As expected.”

Then the voice came from beside her again.

“Professor Kelthas?”

It was Professor Kelthas, who was said to be illusive. Professor Delphineso’s eyes widened.

Then Professor Kelthas pointed at Dane and said, “Maybe you should have summoned a stronger summons.”

His voice reached the ears of the person sitting right in front of him—Chairman Elgard, who wanted to deny what he had just seen.

‘Wh-what on earth…’

Cold sweat ran down his face.

It was too late for him to act. Dane had charged head-on with such confidence that Elgard watched, stunned, without even realizing it.

Fortunately, the attack seemed to have succeeded, but…

“Kwaaaaaah!”

If that student, Dane Sogres, had been torn apart by those claws… He might have been subjugated by Count Sogres for the rest of his life.

Also, he couldn’t believe Dane’s skills. Dane, who had just clashed head-on with Antares, ended up injuring him instead.

Fourteen years old.

No matter how much of a genius he was…

‘How… does that make sense?’

Naturally, Elgard came with the intent to fail Dane. The ridiculous test of subduing a 3rd-rank summons was proof of that. However, Dane far exceeded expectations.

“Kuuk… Kuuk…”

While Dane was fine, Antares was now bleeding from his shins, side, and chest.

“I never thought he would be able to mix mana with swordsmanship in that short period of time…” Professor Kelthas muttered blankly.

At those words, Elgard’s eyes lit up.

So that was it. He was said to have outstanding talent not only in summoning but also in other things.

‘We absolutely must… drag him into our department.’

‘Swordsmanship and magic, how interesting. It would be fun to teach him, wouldn’t it?’

The professors who were watching thought so.

“How does that make sense…?”

“Thank God he didn’t come to the Summoning Department…”

“How can he fight Antares like that?”

Students denied reality.

“This sword is quite sharp. Is it because of the mana?”

Dane, the cause of all this surprise, was calmly examining his blade. However, when Antares tried to rush at him again, he stretched out his hand.

And…

Whoooooong!

Three spears made of mana appeared in the air.

2-chain magic, «Magic Spear»

Not only was his casting speed excellent, but the size of the spell was also excellent.

Likewise, it was a level of skill that was absolutely unbelievable for a fourteen-year-old.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Kwaaagh!”

The spears of magic struck Antares’ body as he dashed toward Dane.

Bang!

Antares finally knelt.

“Ha…”

Exclamations rang out from all sides. It was an unbelievable sight.

Spearmanship.

Swordsmanship.

Magic.

Not only did he display talents greater than those geniuses in each field, but he also used them all to subdue a 3rd-rank summons.

“Fuu.”

But there was still one left.

Talent as a summoner.

Dane reached out to Antares, who was panting and down on one knee…

“Respond to my power.”

Finally, he created a link and connected it to himself. It was not for obedience like the one from his entrance exam but a forced link that prevented any more hostility.

This time with the thought of ‘subjugating’.

“…ridiculous.” Professor Delphineso suddenly thought as she saw Dane’s talents, which were far more tremendous than she had imagined.

Galderan.

The last summoner who could summon from Beyond the Horizon.

She wondered if Dane was his reincarnation.

In the midst of this…

Crash!

Finally, Antares completely knelt fully. It was evidence that he had been completely subdued by Dane.

Above all, it was a perfect performance, one that could not be faulted even a little.

In other words…

‘He… passed.’

Dane had passed the test.

“Do I need to suppress him more?”

Dane’s question rang out at that moment.

Elgard declared through gritted teeth as he looked at Dane, who spoke calmly, without a single scratch on him, “…You have passed the test.”

He tried to appear calm, but his voice was shaking against his will.

It was absolutely ridiculous. However, because he had set an unreasonable test without thinking about the consequences一

“Chairman, the exam is finally over.”

A test awaited him too.

“But it was a bit excessive.”