“Hoo.”Simon exhaled briefly and lifted the ball. The bones attached to the ball fell off with a clatter, then began to stick to Simon’s right foot like magnets.<Bone Armor - Boots Mode>Unlike regular Bone Armor, where bones attach with some spacing, this form completely and densely wrapped around his entire right foot. Being bone, it wasn't as heavy as expected, and the feeling of his leg and foot being firmly secured was good.With Boots Mode complete, Simon tossed the ball high using only a flick of his wrist.His gleaming eyes read the ball's trajectory and fall time. He paused for two seconds in his mind, then rotated his body, cutting through the wind.The moment he completed two full rotations, maximizing his rotational force, his leg, at the end of its diagonal arc, came directly in front of the falling ball, tracing a dazzling trajectory.Rotational force, leg strength, Internal Jet Black Differentiation, and even the Attraction of Bone Armor.Simon gritted his teeth and kicked the ball. With a thunderous roar like a cannonball firing from a muzzle, the ball shot straight forward.Lexio's pupils, desperately maintaining the glass barrier on the verge of collapse, trembled in despair.'Ah, damn it, I can't block this...!'CRASH!The precarious glass barrier shattered with a single blow, and the ball struck Lexio directly in the face.With a choked gasp, Lexio spurted a nosebleed and flew several meters, tumbling across the floor.Thud.The ball then dropped to the ground, bouncing a few times with a soft thud before coming to a stop. The students outside the court stood blankly, as if time had stopped.And then.“We!”“We won!”“Niiice!”A violent cheer erupted like fireworks.Bread, who had been craning his neck, trying to find fault, blew his whistle with a very displeased expression.“…Last round ended. The final winner is Class A.”“Whooaa!”Led by Mei-rin and Kamibarez, the Class A students rushed out, embracing Simon and sharing in the joy.And a short distance away, the Class C students, watching with envious eyes, trembled with a sense of defeat. Some had their lips pouting.“They’re putting on a show. A show. It’s not even reflected in our grades anyway.”“What’s the big deal about winning a friendly match?”“Anyone would think they won first place in the final evaluation.”Mei-rin, hearing some of the Class C students grumbling, slowly turned her head. Then she stuck out her tongue and high-fived the other Class A students. The Class C students’ faces flushed crimson.Whether it affected their grades or not didn't matter. For Kizen students, there was nothing more humiliating than losing in a competition.“It sounds like the game is over, judging by all the commotion?”“Professor Hongpeng!”Professor Hongpeng and her TAs, carrying large pots, appeared from the temporary teleportation magic circle.The TAs moved efficiently, laying down wood, starting a fire, and setting up the pots. Then, Professor Hongpeng, wearing gloves, opened a pot lid.“Whooaa!”White steam billowed upwards, revealing a simmering stew. The murderously delicious aroma made even the noble students forget their dignity, their mouths watering uncontrollably.“It’s stew made from Nuslakh meat, an environmental destructive species!”Simon smiled wryly at Professor Hongpeng’s words.'She cooked Nuslakh again this time.'While some students' expressions stiffened slightly at the mention of monster meat, none showed a negative reaction. The aroma emanating from that pot alone was simply enchanting.All they could think about was tasting it.“Don’t worry! I tried a bowl, and it’s truly a work of art!”Dick’s voice was heard. When one student asked how he knew, he said he had been invited to Professor Hongpeng’s cabin.Envious gazes from all directions fixed on him.“Ugh! That attention-seeker is at it again.”Mei-rin slapped her forehead and shook her head. Simon and Kamibarez also exchanged glances and quietly chuckled.“They’re bad monsters that harm the environment, so I hope students eat lots and lots of them in the future!”“Yes, Professor!”“Alright! Class A, come forward!”Students lined up, and the TAs handed out rustic-looking earthenware bowls.Professor Hongpeng herself stood before the pot, stirring the contents with a large ladle and personally serving each bowl. When she piled the meat generously, the students’ eyes widened.“Be careful, the bowls are hot!”Students received their food and found suitable spots in the shade of the trees. Then, they savored the taste of the food while enjoying the beautiful scenery.“…!”“It’s insane!”There were no overly exaggerated reactions. Every student who tasted it immediately took another spoonful.The Class C students swallowed hard, their eyes filled with envy. They had rarely felt such desperation for anything in their lives.“…She said that, but in the grand scheme of things, she’ll give us some too, right?”“Oh, of course! Wouldn’t that be a heartwarming ending?”Just then, a Class C student who had gone to scout came running.“There’s still some left! Looks like everyone can get half a bowl!”“Good, good!”Everyone was building happy scenarios in their heads, but Kizen had no such thing.The remaining stew was all for Professor Hongpeng and the TAs.The TAs scooped the stew into large basin-like containers, and Professor Hongpeng sat directly in front of the pot, scraping it clean. The Class C students’ faces fell.“Ah, Class C, don’t come here!”“TA-nim! These kids keep coming here begging!”“Step back, student. Rules are rules.”For Class C, it was the cruelest time in the world.Slurp.Meanwhile, Serene secretly snuck a Class A student away with her feather and tasted the stew.“It’s just okay. What’s so great about this?”She commanded the student back with her feather’s power.Sitting alone on a rock with a sullen expression, she saw Simon, Kamibarez, Dick, and Mei-rin laughing and chatting boisterously.“I told you, it’s because Simon beat the Nuslakh with a Golem that the meat is so tender!”“Hahaha! That’s ridiculous!”“But it’s true that the one we ate in the cabin was tastier, right?”“Ugh, that’s a classic case of past idealization.”Mei-rin said that, then turned her head and met Serene’s gaze.She gave a triumphant smile and then sharply turned her head away.'Ah, so this is what it felt like?'Serene smiled bitterly, took a spoonful of stew, and ate it.As she ate, it actually tasted pretty good after all.***That night.After finishing all his classes and personal training, Simon headed to the dormitory rooftop. A sign reading <Students Prohibited!> and a restricted access line were in place, but Simon silently apologized to the staff and slipped past the line.The door leading to the rooftop was firmly locked. Simon glanced around and found a window. A rope was dangling outside the window.'This must be it.'Simon didn't hesitate. He flung the window open, stepped onto the windowsill, firmly gripped the rope with both hands, and jumped. He then pulled himself up with his arm strength and successfully climbed onto the rooftop railing.'Ah.'On the moonlit rooftop sat a man with faded gray hair.He sat with the soles of his feet together, his head tilted back, gazing at the full moon, exuding a strange atmosphere. It was like looking at a solitary wolf.Whoosh.The wind ruffled his blade-like hair, revealing his ears and cheeks that had been covered. Old and new scars were visible.“You’re here.”The man’s voice was heard.Simon grinned, walked over, and sat beside him.“How long have you been here, Kazhan?”“For two hours.”“You should go to your room.”“I like looking at the moon. And once I close my eyes, I can’t get up.”Kazhan quietly opened his subspace. From within, he pulled out a bottle of wine and two glass cups.'Wine, suddenly?'He skillfully uncorked the wine bottle with his bare hands and poured the wine into the glasses.Trickle.The red liquid flowed into the glasses. The two raised their glasses, clinked them together, and brought them to their lips.“…Good.”“Indeed.”“I like drinking wine while looking at the moon.”'He’s more poetic than he looks,' Simon thought, savoring the wine.The flavors dancing in his mouth instantly sharpened his senses. This wasn't just some cheap wine bought in Rochester. It was top-grade.As Simon savored the wine, appreciating its aroma, Kazhan also showed a satisfied expression.“Thank you for lending me Erzebet.”“No problem at all.”There was a reason he hadn't brought Erzebet to Deathland. It was because of the ongoing search in the Forbidden Forest and the joint investigation with Kazhan.Erzebet was a spy-type Ancient Undead specialized in search, reconnaissance, and information gathering rather than combat. Simon had her cooperate with Kazhan to patrol suspicious areas at night.“She doesn’t seem to trust me much.”Simon chuckled at Kazhan’s words.“I don’t think it’s a matter of trust.”“Hmm?”Simon had once asked Erzebet why she was so prickly towards Kazhan.She had been grumbling in the ruins, pouting her lips and complaining about being hit in the face and such, rattling off a torrent of grievances. It seemed there had been some minor issue during a fight.“As long as she’s capable as a collaborator, it doesn’t matter. More importantly.”Kazhan rummaged in his pocket.“The investigation wasn’t without results.”He held out a photograph he had between his fingers. It was a picture taken with a magic recorder, and Simon’s eyes widened when he saw it.It was a picture of an altar.Sticky blood stained the surroundings crimson, and animal entrails hung from it. And in the center, a large cross.“S-surely…!”“Yes, a Priest appeared.”Kazhan brushed back his disheveled bangs and continued.“When we arrived at the scene, he had already finished the ritual and left. And when we approached the altar, we heard something click, and a bomb exploded.”Kazhan abruptly unbuttoned a few buttons on his shirt and pulled up his clothing.His well-developed abdominal muscles, like bricks, were visible, and the right side of his abdomen was tinged gray.It was a scar from healing with a potion.“It was all his trap.”“Ah…!”“I should have noticed when I didn’t see a goddess statue on the cross.”Kazhan pulled his shirt down.“For some reason, he seems to need to perform rituals periodically. And recently, the frequency of his rituals has increased.”Kazhan gazed at the full moon in the night sky, took a sip of wine, and continued.“Something might happen in Kizen soon. Stay alert.”“…Yes!”Simon nodded with a firm expression. The two clinked their wine glasses again.Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps it was because they were comrades with the same goal. Or perhaps it was the sense of camaraderie from living in Kizen while hiding their true identities. Their conversation flowed exceptionally well tonight.The two talked late into the night.“By the way, Kazhan.”Simon cautiously looked at him and spoke.“Why were you held back a year, Kazhan?”“…”He silently emptied a glass of wine.“It was because of a mission.”It was just last year.Kazhan, who was searching Locke Island at night as usual, discovered a Priest performing a ritual in the Forbidden Forest.Although he lost the Priest after a fierce chase, he managed to see the face inside the hood.“T-then!”Simon, who had been listening to the story, jumped up.“You’re saying you know what the Priest looks like?”“The story isn’t over yet.”The next day, Kazhan didn’t even attend class and wandered around the entire school, searching for the face he had seen last night.Then, during break time, he found a first-year male student chatting with friends in a classroom.It was exact.No matter how many times he checked, it matched the face in his memory.Kazhan entered the classroom, and as soon as the student saw Kazhan, he panicked and backed away, then turned and fled.Convinced, Kazhan knocked him to the ground and furiously punched him. The student bled all over his face and fainted.However.“He wasn’t the Priest.”Kazhan said, pouring wine into his glass.“To put it simply, it was all the Priest’s trap. He wore a biological mask made to look exactly like that student and deliberately exposed his face to me.”“Ah…!”A biological mask was a disguise tool Necromancers used to hide their faces. It was like a biological face.“Later, when I went to that student and asked why he avoided me, he revealed that a man who looked exactly like me had been stalking him. He testified that he sat by his fourth-floor dormitory room window every night, staring at him.”Simon felt a shiver run down his arm.“I received a severe disciplinary action, and with Neptis-nim’s help, I avoided expulsion. But it imposed many restrictions on my future activities.”Kazhan clenched his fist.“He is extremely meticulous and cunning. He’s the type to plan and move without any gaps.”“I think so too.”Simon nodded. It was like that during the performance evaluation. He never imagined the Priest would try to harm him by doing something bad to the Cyclops.“We conducted a precise investigation, even using mind-affecting dark magic on faculty and subordinates, but we couldn’t find any clues. Still, one thing is certain: that Priest truly exists on this Locke Island. We have no choice but to raid the scene.”“Indeed.”Thinking it wouldn't be easy, Simon raised his wine glass.“Now it’s your turn. Even if you’ve only encountered him once, do you have any information you can infer about the Priest?”“Hmm. It’s a bit ambiguous for me, but…”Simon continued, looking at a small rolling stone fragment.“I left a mark on the Priest that only I can recognize.”
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