Eliza’s tracker began clicking violently.
A third monster pulled itself free from the opposite grave. And unlike the mage, it wore the rusted remains of a soldier’s armor and carried a broken spear.
"The soldier is 2-Star!" she shouted. "The mage is...probably 2-Star too!"
"Probably?" Rian repeated.
"I told you, it’s still a prototype!"
The Undead Mage raised its staff, causing sick green light to form above its skull and bathing the trees in necrotic energy.
Julius managed to react in time, extending his barrier outward and curving it around the four of them before the spell could be completed.
BOOOOOOOOOM—!
A blast of unholy energy struck the barrier. The force was so massive that it caused Julius to slide backward across the dirt, but his barrier managed to absorb the attack.
Colorless mana rushed from his fingertips, filling the fractures before they could spread any farther. However, it was clear that Julius was growing tired.
"Rian!" Julius called out. "What should we do?"
Rian evaluated the situation with a glance. The first soldier was trapped behind Julius’s barrier, the second was approaching their left, while the Undead Mage prepared another spell from the rear.
"Tch...we can’t let them get too close," he concluded quickly. "Julius, keep the first one contained. Eliza, I need you to locate us an escape route."
"What about me?" Marie asked.
She already had her one hand resting on the sword at her waist. With the other, she reached under her cloak and pulled out a deck of red-decorated cards.
"Can you deal with the mage by yourself?"
"I was already going to do that."
Marie drew her sword, allowing mana to flow through her arms and legs, strengthening her body through the most basic form of enhancement magic.
Though even if Rian wasn’t a Knight, he knew that wouldn’t be enough for her to approach the Undead Mage in time before he fired off another spell.
Then, in a surprising move, she looked down at the deck in her hand before pulling out a card.
"Please don’t be The Tower..."
’What the...why the hell does she have tarot cards?’
〈Fatum — Arcana Draw〉
The moment she turned it over, the image of an armored woman riding a golden chariot appeared across its surface.
[VII — THE CHARIOT]
Marie’s golden eyes lit up.
"Oh, I got a good one."
The card dissolved into countless particles before flowing into her body, and almost instantly, Rian could feel the surrounding mana around her change.
’That’s what the story meant...?’
In the novel, it was described that she was able to use "Fate Magic". That was why she was personally scouted by Headmaster Selene. Though, she had been expelled and sentenced to prison before anyone could witness her full potential.
As soon as Marie took a single step outside the barrier, Rian could instinctively feel the magic working.
She launched herself forward at breakneck speed, dodging a skeletal soldier that tried to intercept her. But with a single twist of her body, she dodged the attack completely and sent the soldier tumbling to the ground.
Marie then simply leaped over it, completely unbothered by the whole ordeal. It was almost like fate helping her out.
Once she chose a destination and began moving toward it, the surrounding possibilities would shift in her favor until she reached it.
However, the Undead Mage had already completed its spell. Three bolts of blue fire shot toward her from separate directions, leaving no visible space for her to avoid them.
Rian didn’t really want to reveal his cards too early, but if someone was going to die for no reason, then there was no point in holding back.
But just as he was about to call upon Sylpheed’s power, what happened next left Rian in shock.
One of the Dead Woods’ blackened branches snapped from above and fell in between Marie and the attack.
Two bolts collided with it and exploded, while the third passed through the smoke that had been created by the impact. However, that gave her enough space to dodge it and emerge on the other side without losing any momentum.
The Undead Mage attempted to retreat, but its heel caught against the edge of its own burial mound.
Marie reached her destination, driving her sword straight into the mage’s ribs and piercing the core instantly.
CRACK—!
The monster collapsed into a pile of lifeless bones while Marie landed behind it. The golden light surrounding her body faded.
"One down!"
Rian did not miss the chance. As the core started to leak mana, he summoned a small gust of wind discreetly, bringing the mana core toward his palm.
’Let’s see how much you’re worth...’
[Lifeforce Synthesis Lv. MAX — Activated]
[Estimated Lifespan: 2 days, 1 hour, 32 minutes.]
’An hour only? Well, I guess I can’t expect much from only a 2-Star core.’
’That means a 2-Star monster core is about equivalent to a regular-sized mana crystal."
The energy inside the core vanished as its mana entered Rian. What remained in his palm was nothing more than a dull piece of crystal.
’Not sure if I’m able to submit a depleted monster core...’
Rian had been optimistic about the fact. Maybe he could absorb a bit of the monster core and keep it shiny enough to submit them. Unfortunately, Lifeforce Synthesis seemed incapable of stopping halfway.
The more he examined the lifeless crystal, the less likely it seemed that the Academy would accept it.
’...Guess I’m going to have to do double time. If each core provided an hour, I’d want to have at least 48 cores just to be safe. Then another ten to pass and however many more was needed to get first-place.’
’Ugh...guess there’s no point in lying low now, is there...?’
"Lower the barrier."
Julius stared at him. "What?"
"Just lower it."
"But there are still two of them!"
"That’s why I need you to lower it."
Julius looked hesitant, but eventually closed his hand. The shield in front of them dissolved away, and the undead warrior that had been held back by it, started charging forth immediately.
With a single swipe of his hand, the currents around them started gathering. All three of them could feel the change instantly as Sylpheed’s power emerged.
Rian knew he couldn’t access the same power he had wielded against Leviathan, but from that experience, he managed to pick up a thing or two.
Mainly...
〈Fae Regalia〉
The winds compressed and formed into several swords that hung in the air, ready to follow his beck and call.
Rian stretched his arms before pointing two fingers forward to the charging warrior and muttering his single phrase.
"Go."
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