Chapter 8 - 8. The Entrance Ceremony, the Attack, and the Ancient Dragon (2)
The illusion beast attack was a coincidence born out of a slip of my tongue.
A butterfly effect that never would have happened in the original story. So, what exactly occurred during the original entrance ceremony? What dramatic event stirred up interest by putting the protagonist in danger?
The answer to that question stood right before my eyes.
"––!"
The Minotaur.
The ground trembled again as the mythical beast roared.
Hearing it at such close range, I felt like my eardrums might tear, but I didn't have the luxury to worry about that.
Despite its massive size, the creature fought with brutal cunning. Taking advantage of the brief distraction caused by its roar, it swung its massive axe down on me with terrifying force.
'…I'd hoped to save this for later.'
With students behind me, and no guarantee I could dodge in time, I had no choice but to use the empire's special gift again.
The Empire's prized engraving magic.
With a hasty extension of my right hand, I activated the single-use defensive spell engraved into my coat. Stacked layers of shields formed instantly, encasing both me and the students in a protective barrier.
The beast was no ordinary creature like an orc. With its monstrous strength, it smashed through the shields one by one, but at least I'd bought us some time.
I quickly scanned the area, trying to assess the situation.
'…Just my luck.'
It was no wonder the other professors hadn't come to help. One glance around the auditorium made the answer clear.
The place was an utter war zone.
It wasn't just one monster attacking the entrance ceremony.
This was a meticulously planned, coordinated assault. While they hadn't managed to muster more than one Minotaur, given the difficulty of preparing such a creature, the rest of the monsters, though weaker, were still more than enough to wreak havoc.
I would have preferred almost any other monster, but of course, the strongest one was here, right in front of me.
Each thud of its axe grew louder as the barrier weakened, and I knew it wouldn't hold much longer.
The Minotaur, clearly enraged by its persistent, evasive prey, had gone into a frenzy, pounding away at the shield with everything it had.
'How could I possibly take down that thing…?'
There was no way. If I had the power to handle a monster like this alone, I wouldn't have to go through all the trouble of trying to get out of the academy.
My only strengths lay in analyzing and modifying magic.
If my opponent were a mage, I could have maybe outmaneuvered them, but brute strength against brute strength? I didn't stand a chance.
'Relying on the students is also out of the question.'
I glanced back at the students clinging to me. They were in full panic mode, too terrified to even follow the basic command to stand back.
Calming them down, issuing orders, and taking down this monster in such a short time? That was beyond impossible.
Which left me with only one option.
If I couldn't defeat it, and I couldn't rely on the students, I'd have to get someone else's help.
I didn't hesitate. Taking a deep breath, I shouted as loudly as I could.
"Professor Scott, I need assistance!!"
I knew that my abilities had been overestimated after the entrance exam incident. Everyone probably assumed I could handle this monster on my own, which was why they were preoccupied with the other beasts.
In the middle of the battlefield, I couldn't be sure my voice would reach him.
And yet, I was certain he would come to me.
– "If you ever need help, just say the word. This old man's hand will always be ready to lend a hand."
The honorable veteran, the Iron-Blooded Duke of the Empire, would never break his word.
…I heard him coming.
The sound of the wind parting as an elderly figure cut through it.
With a single leap, the white-haired old man arrived at my side, raising his blood-stained sword toward the mythical beast.
"This young man is not someone a creature like you can lay a finger on."
His calm voice had an edge that was somehow chilling.
Sensing the threat, the beast let out another roar, attempting to swing its weapon at him.
But the giant axe split into two before it even got close.
Disarmed in an instant, the beast took a step back, instinctively recognizing the overwhelming difference in power.
"For daring to harm my benefactor, you'll repay with your life."
The old man's voice was steady as he delivered the creature's death sentence.
In a flash, countless slashes appeared on the Minotaur, too fast to even follow with the eyes.
The beast, sliced beyond recognition, didn't even manage a final scream before collapsing into a pool of blood.
The white-haired knight, having reduced the Minotaur to mere scraps, turned to me and asked with genuine concern.
"Professor Lian, are you unharmed? No injuries?"
Covered in blood and gore, yet looking at me with the kindest of eyes, Professor Scott's concern was touching. I nodded, doing my best to steady my racing heart.
I definitely couldn't let it slip that I'd lied about idolizing him to secure the position.
"Thanks to you, I'm safe. But where on earth is Headmaster Sion during all this?"
I directed the question to the elder, who was casually wiping off blood, but another voice answered from behind me.
"She should be in the Illusion Magic Department. Since she hasn't shown up, I'd wager they're under attack as well."
It was a man with dark hair who'd appeared behind us.
I remembered who he was.
Professor Karon, the illusion magic expert. It was because of him that I'd mistakenly assumed the entrance ceremony would involve an illusion beast mock assault.
"Given the situation, it may be best for us to handle these beasts ourselves. Could you lend me some of your mana?"
He proposed a large-scale spell to wipe out the enemies in one go.
My mana was so minimal it wouldn't make a difference anyway, but thankfully, Professor Scott stepped in for me.
"I'll handle it. Looks like Lian's mana is already depleted."
He must have assumed that I was out of mana because I called for help.
In reality, I'd asked for aid because I simply couldn't handle the beast alone, but I saw no reason to correct his generous misunderstanding.
"Thank you for your assistance. As a specialist in illusion magic, I need the extra mana to use other spells."
Feigning humility, Professor Karon prepared to cast a high-level spell—Blizzard, a seventh-circle spell.
An advanced magic that called forth an ice storm to obliterate enemies. Knowing he could wield such power while pretending to lack skill was irritating, but I held my tongue.
'As long as I make it out of this, that's what matters.'
Having skilled people handle the situation for me was fine by me.
Once this ordeal was over, I'd get out of the academy as fast as possible. As I watched Professor Karon raise his staff and begin his incantation, a peculiar unease crept over me.
'Now that I think about it…'
Why was I the only one who rushed at the Minotaur?
Even if the others thought it was an illusion beast, it was strange for Karon not to react at all.
An illusion magic professor should easily distinguish between real and fake creatures, right?
'And the academy's security isn't that lax.'
A large-scale assault like this would definitely need inside help.
If there was a collaborator among us, who could it be?
Why had Professor Karon approached just now to ask for the strongest member's mana?
And why was he so confident that the headmaster wouldn't show up because of another attack?
If Professor Karon was a hidden terrorist…
Would the spell he was casting target the monsters, or would it strike me and the students?
'…Just my luck.'
Scott's mana was already absorbed into Karon's spell. And since Scott knew Karon longer than me, persuading him to turn on his colleague wouldn't be easy.
Not to mention that if I voiced my suspicions, Karon would probably attack immediately.
The absurdity of the situation made me shiver. How much more suffering was I supposed to endure just because I'd chosen the wrong job?
But at this moment, I was the only one who could act.
So, I would have to do something.
…I closed my eyes.
I felt the mana flowing through the air.
I had no innate talent.
With my meager mana reserves and frail body, no amount of effort would allow me to reach the level of a true genius.
But I did have one honed skill.
If I couldn't accomplish something myself, I'd steal the power of others.
I was proficient at hijacking spells by dismantling, modifying, and manipulating them to suit my needs. It was my sole talent, my only weapon.
I fed my mana into Karon's partially constructed spell.
Carefully, I began to imprint my own energy into the critical elements of the spell.
Most mages focus on maximizing a spell's power and often neglect the part that designates the caster. Tweaking that part slightly allowed me to hijack the entire spell.
The look of panic on Karon's face betrayed that he'd realized what I was doing.
I'd taken great care to be subtle, but somehow, he'd sensed the change. The stark difference in talent was painfully clear.
"It's too late to notice now."
Blood began to trickle from my eyes.
Just hijacking someone else's spell was enough to make my mana circuits scream in agony.
But I couldn't stop. Gritting my teeth, I pushed the stolen magic to completion.
[Calling Blizzard]
This round was mine.
…Though I'd just taken another step further from getting fired.