I slid across the dirt as I was hurled back by a demon I was currently fighting. It was huge—no bigger than the Demon Bear I faced earlier, but still plenty dangerous.
Screech!
The creature let out a blood-curdling screech, its monstrous wings flapping as it lunged toward me. It resembled a bat, but it had the viciousness of a hobgoblin—a grotesque combination of flying beast and savage warrior. Its gargantuan body and wings made it nearly impossible to face head-on. Even with my recently enhanced Flare magic, the speed of my spells wasn't enough to touch it.
Man, I should've allocated those points when I had the chance... I'll do it after this.
Dodging a massive swing from its weapon—a log twice my size—I landed on a branch of the trees surrounding us. The leaves rustled under my weight, and the demon's head snapped in my direction. Without hesitation, it threw the log straight at me.
"Oh shi—"
I barely managed to avoid it, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn't shake the feeling that if I didn't allocate those status points right now, I wouldn't be able to win this fight.
Well, fuck it! 20 onto Intelligence and the rest split through Strength, Defense, and Endurance!
I quickly made the adjustments in my mind.
[System]
Status:
Strength: 16^
Defense: 14^
Endurance: 14^
Intelligence: 30^
Charisma: 5
Available Status Points: 0
"Perfect!"
I grinned, not caring that the demon bat was now focused on me, its eyes narrowing as it assessed my change in demeanor.
[Appraisal]
Demon Bat [Lv.43]
Strength: 50
Defense: 40
Endurance: 60
Intelligence: 22
Charisma: 0
The grin on my face only grew as I saw the stats. I remembered a critical detail about Flare Magic from my training.
If the demon's defense is twice my intelligence, the advantage of Flare magic against demons is weakened unless I strike at a vital point in their body. For demons? Their faces.
But I don't need to worry about that anymore.
I aimed my hand toward the demon bat, and this time my voice was calm—calmer than before now that I knew Flare magic would be effective against it.
"Flare: Shot."
The magic circle appeared on my palm, and I fired off a blast of concentrated flare. The demon bat reacted quickly, deflecting the shot with a swing of another tree log. The log ignited on impact, but the demon tossed it away almost immediately.
This was my chance. I wasn't going to waste it.
"Flare: Burst!"
Magic circles exploded behind my back and thighs, and the shockwave sent me hurtling toward the demon bat. With its intelligence, the demon would've been able to react, but not against this level of speed. I was on it before it could blink.
I rammed directly into its stomach, the impact sending the demon reeling. It roared in pain and tried to lash out with its claws, but I wasn't done yet.
"Say hello to Satan for me, bitch. Flare: Explosion!"
I unleashed my new spell, unlocked through reaching 30 Intelligence. The demon exploded into a shower of flesh and bone, scattered around the area. The force of the explosion was enough to obliterate the bat, but it also sent a sharp pain through my chest.
I gasped for air, feeling like I'd broken a rib from the blast. My body ached from the aftereffects, the pain coursing through me in waves.
I collapsed onto the ground, trying to catch my breath, but the grin on my face never faltered.
One more... And I still have 30 minutes to pass... Hell yeah.
I sat up slowly, struggling with the pain in my body. When I looked in front of me, my eyes widened, and my mind went blank.
In front of me, there were hundreds—hundreds of Demonoids charging straight at me. Their eyes gleamed with predatory intent, as if they could smell the weakness on me.
All I could mutter to myself was, "Fuck."
If I was going to survive this, I had no choice but to fight. But I was running on empty. My mana was nearly depleted from the use of Explosion earlier, and that spell took a hell of a lot of energy to cast. Every time I use explosion, it compresses my mana and discharges it, it was like ripping out a piece of my soul and throwing it away.
I needed to make every move count. And I needed to make it fast.
I was cornered in every way possible. My body refused to move from exhaustion, and my depleted mana left me incapable of casting even the simplest spells. My mind raced, searching for any way to survive, but nothing came to me.
Then, by some stroke of luck—or perhaps a miracle—it happened.
The burning log the Demon Bat had discarded earlier had ignited a nearby tree. The flames consumed the lower trunk, and with a loud crack, the tree toppled over, crashing onto the swarm of Demonoids. The impact was catastrophic. Many were crushed, others ignited by the flames. Those ablaze stumbled into their comrades, spreading the fire like a plague. The hundreds of Demonoids burned to death—not one by one, but by the tens.
"... Excuse me, what?"
[Notice!]
Demonoid [Lv. 14-32] x294 slain!
Leveled up 14x!
Achieved Level 35!
Available Status Points: 56!
"... Okay, now that is surprising," I muttered, still in shock.
But it won't count toward the exam, I reminded myself bitterly.
With more than 25 minutes left on the clock, I decided to take the opportunity to recover. Lying on the ground, I kept my senses sharp, scanning for any lurking threats.
Ten minutes passed, and I felt somewhat refreshed. My mana had only regenerated to about half, but that was more than enough for now. As long as I avoided casting Explosion, I'd be fine.
"Alright, let's find the last one," I said, rising to my feet.
I ventured deeper into the forest, searching for the final demon. Any one would do—as long as it wasn't a swarm or something equally absurd. My pace slowed as I spotted a lone figure in the distance. My heart raced. Time was running out; I had less than ten minutes remaining.
But as I moved closer, the demon's head snapped in my direction. It grinned—a chilling, malevolent grin—and dread washed over me as the system chimed in.
[Notice!]
Enemy 40 levels above the host has been spotted!
Requesting host to immediately retreat!
Fucking hell.
[Appraisal]
Demonic Shaman [Lv. 90]
Strength: 20
Defense: 20
Endurance: 100
Intelligence: 220
Charisma: 0
My jaw dropped. What the fuck is with its Intelligence stat?!
Its stats were terrifying. While its defense was low enough for a single Flare: Shot to kill it, its overwhelming intelligence meant I'd never get the chance. It could obliterate me with magic faster than I could react.
Seven minutes left… I need to find another target, I thought, panic setting in.
Fighting it would be suicide. I turned and bolted, hoping to find another demon before the clock ran out. Behind me, the Demonic Shaman floated after me, its grin widening as it gave chase.
High Intelligence demons follow two paths: Intelligent Demons or Mage Demons, I thought, glancing back at its unrelenting grin. This one's definitely a Mage.
A magic circle formed near its shoulder, and a beam of darkness shot past me, obliterating a massive boulder like it was glass.
Oh, come on!
My legs burned as I pushed myself to run faster, weaving through the dense forest. Time was slipping away, and my desperation grew with every passing second.
Five minutes left!
The Demonic Shaman fired four more blasts of dark magic, each missing by mere inches. My heart pounded in my chest as I prayed for another demon to appear.
Then, finally, I spotted them. A small group of Demonoids—seven in total—stood ahead of me. Relief washed over me, but only briefly.
I don't care if it's seven or seventy; I'm taking them out.
Channeling the last of my strength, I charged toward them, magic circle glowing brightly on my palm. The spell was ready, my target clear.
One minute left.
Time seemed to slow as I closed the distance.
Thirty seconds.
I was nearly there.
Twenty seconds.
The Demonic Shaman loomed behind me, its grin twisted in anticipation.
Ten seconds.
The magic circle on my palm shone brighter than ever.
Five seconds.
The explosion erupted.
Four seconds.
The flames consumed the Demonoids.
Three seconds.
Their bodies burned to ash.
Two seconds.
The last remnants were obliterated.
One second.
A magic circle glowed beneath me, and I was transported back to the exam hall.
I collapsed onto the ground, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. That was, without a doubt, the closest call of my life.
"Oh? Someone finished at the last second," a voice said.
"Damn, that's rare," another replied.
"Not often you see… Oh shit, it's the Bloomlyn."
The murmurs grew louder, a mix of awe and judgment filling the room.
"Finishing in the final moments? That screams desperation."
"He probably wasted too much time on the demons."
"Yeah, typical."
I ignored the comments, unable to do much more than lie there. The murmurs were cut short as a booming voice echoed through the hall.
"Welcome, examinees!"
It was Professor Jun, his playful tone undercut by his commanding presence.
"Once again, I am Professor Jun, and I congratulate the 174 of you who passed the entrance exam. Out of 500 examinees, only you remain. Welcome to Pollus Academy!"
His words hit me hard, the reality of the situation sinking in. I had forgotten how brutal Pollus Academy was in Daedalus Eternus. This wasn't just a school; it was a crucible, a place that chose only the strongest and most resilient.
"Classes begin next week," Jun continued. "Don't be late. Remember, surviving the Entrance Exam was only the beginning. The true challenges are yet to come!"
As his words echoed in my mind, I couldn't help but chuckle bitterly, muttering under my breath:
"Heh… Fuckin' hell."