Simon gave an awkward smile. "It's just that I was lucky it was similar to a technique I already knew." Buoyed by his success, Simon immediately began the second Circling. The process was much smoother than the first time. As Simon began to roll the Jet Black in his palm, it seemed to ask, 'Are you doing that thing again?' Simon maintained the strong rotation of the Jet Black as if answering. In less than half the time it took initially, he completed the Circling and inserted it into the magic circle. Wooooosh! With the second corner activated, several more runes came to life. "Only two left! Keep going, Simon!" "Yeah." Simon focused and resumed the Circling. The second was easier than the first, and the third was easier than the second. Wooooosh! Finally, as all four corners ignited, the entire magic circle lit up brightly. Clack. Clack-clack. The skull began to move. It made sounds by clashing its jaw and palate, and perhaps due to the difference in material, it produced a clearer sound than the Island Ratman Skeleton. Then the skull suddenly sprang up with a thud. "Ow!" It then bit Simon's arm. It had no teeth, but its jaw strength was so powerful that it brought tears to his eyes. "Ah, there's a warning here." Dick said, looking at the assembly diagram. "Saphiros has a strong habit of biting anything it sees. After activating the magic circle, step back and throw it a chew toy or a cushion." "Ah, you could've told me a little sooner!" Simon grumbled, struggling to pull the skull off. "I just found it myself. It says here that if you connect to its thoughts after a day or two and slowly tame it, this aggressive tendency will greatly diminish." "No time for that." Simon glared at the skull with wide eyes. "Get down." The skull, which had been gnawing on Simon's arm, flinched. As Simon stared intently, it finally let go of his arm and retreated. "Don't ever bite anyone again. That's an order." The skull drooped and quieted down, as if dejected. Seeing this, Dick let out a wry laugh. "It's not 'there are no bad skeletons in the world,' but they all listen to you." Now that the summoning magic was activated, it was time to assemble the bones directly. He pulled out the bones from the box and gently stroked the skull. "Just wait a bit. I'll make your body soon." Did it understand? The skull hopped excitedly around the table. Then it nudged Pier's Sub-Body, which was on the table, causing it to fall. [Who's that rascal!] Pier's voice echoed in Simon's mind. [This newcomer has no manners! When you come down to the Legion later, you're dead!] '......Haha.' Simon placed Pier's Sub-Body back on the table and began the serious work. Simon meticulously assembled the skeleton according to the diagram. 'This is definitely the most fun.' The bones of the skeleton had an attractive force, and the sensation of them clicking together like magnets with each connection felt good. However, the assembly difficulty was considerably higher compared to the Island Ratman Skeleton. 'Banding? How do I do this?' Some assembly steps required the user to directly use Jet Black techniques, and others involved using chemicals enclosed in the box. Assembling the arms was particularly difficult. Since skeletons are undead with weak muscle strength, various tasks had to be performed to form the strength needed to pull a bowstring. He passed Jet Black threads through holes in the arm bones and performed a Banding treatment with Jet Black, as if wrapping the arm with bandages. For the joints, he applied an adhesive chemical, waited for it to dry sufficiently, and then applied heat to finish. It was his first time doing this, so he fumbled a lot. Dick, who had been dozing for two hours, eventually returned to Room 409, and the occasional students who visited the common room also stopped coming. Simon alone was stubbornly engrossed in assembly, with his Summoning Studies and Jet Black Mechanics textbooks spread out. "Ah......." Simon, who had been so absorbed in assembly that he lost track of time, looked out the window. Dawn was breaking. 'This is the first time in my life that every minute and second felt so precious.' Still, he had to finish it. Simon connected the last two completed leg bones. "Done......!" A dignified skeleton with a pristine white body and horns on its skull was moving its limbs, testing them out. Clack! Clack-clack! Then, as if pleased with its body, it hopped around the common room. "Good. Let's go outside!" Clack! Simon and the Skeleton Archer went out of the dormitory together. The Kizen campus, spread out under a cloudless ultramarine dawn sky, was like a painting. Taking a deep breath of the fresh morning air, Simon shouted, "Catch!" He opened his Magical Inventory and threw a bow specifically for skeletons. He had originally intended to give it the 1-gold bow he used, but he decided to start with something easier, thinking it might be too difficult for the skeleton. Thud. The moment the Skeleton Archer received the bow, its body trembled as if anticipating something. It immediately took a disciplined shooting stance. It gripped the bow with its left hand and brought its right hand behind its back. There was nothing behind its back, but it was wildly sweeping the air like a broken machine. '......Could it be looking for arrows in a quiver on its back?' Skeletons are a type of undead that strongly retain the habits and customs of their former lives. That's why the bones of monsters that used bows in life are used as materials for Skeleton Archers. Saphiros is also a half-human, half-beast monster living in the forest that primarily uses a bow. "Here are the arrows." Simon took arrows out of his Magical Inventory and held them out. Seeing this, the Skeleton Archer approached him, walking backward with its back turned, its right hand still sweeping the air behind it. Simon chuckled softly and placed an arrow in its hand. Swish. It nocked the arrow with lightning speed. Thwack! It drew the bowstring with a practiced posture and finished aiming. Simon connected to its thoughts and designated the target. 'Shoot that tree.' He was nervous. It was finally the moment to see the result of his all-night work. Simon commanded with a pounding heart, 'Now!' Pwing! The arrow, cutting through the morning breeze, struck the tree with a thud! Simon clenched his fists and let out a cheer. It was Simon's first Skeleton Archer creation. *** At the same time, Rochester. An old building located a little away from the city center. Beneath its stairs was an unknown underground operating room. In this space, where blood-stained tools were scattered in disarray, a man lying on the operating table slowly rose. His lower body was in underwear, and his exposed upper body was covered in jet-black tattoos drawn with Jet Black. "Ugh." A severe headache immediately struck him upon waking, causing the man to frown and press his forehead. "Are you awake? Haren Koke." His gaze shifted. The operating room door opened, and a man with a tired face walked in. "Ah, Professor Bahil!" Bahil leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "The procedure was successful. How do you feel?" "......." Haren surveyed his body, covered in Jet Black tattoos. Then he clenched his right fist tightly. Jet Black flowed out like spring water, dripping onto the floor. "......I'm overflowing with power! I feel like I can do anything." "That's good to hear." Bahil smiled and continued. "Now, return to Kizen and attend classes as usual. Absolutely, do not show your body to anyone. And refrain from showering until the Duel Evaluation. Washing your hair or face should be fine." Bahil said this and threw Haren his uniform, which was hanging on a hanger. "The day after tomorrow, when the Duel Evaluation begins, those tattoos will naturally disappear from your body. They won't be caught in Kizen's doping tests either. Still, your power, enhanced by the curse, will easily last for about two months." Haren looked at Bahil with touched eyes. "Professor. Why would you help me like this......." "Does the reason matter? You just need to handle the task I asked of you." Haren's expression turned serious upon hearing that. "You mean defeating Simon Pollentia, the special case number one from Class A, in the Duel Evaluation." "That's right. Don't be too intimidated just because he's special case number one. You are far beyond his level now." Haren clenched and unclenched his fist, checking his body's condition. Then, from his back, he pulled out his specialty, 'Black Hand'. Shwaaaaaak! A black hand emerged from his back. Haren couldn't help but be amazed. Its size and power were on a completely different level than before. When he extended the Black Hand forward, it became large enough to cover his entire body. When he stretched it long and swung it like a whip, a terrifying whoosh! whoosh! sound of air being torn could be heard. With this, he was confident he could win against anyone. "Thank you, Professor Bahil! I will never forget this favor!" This insane exhilaration! Haren felt as if Bahil, who had bestowed such power upon him, was like the heavens. So he added a remark. "If Simon Pollentia is bothering you, should I disguise it as an accident and kill him during the Duel Evaluation?" At that moment. Bahil's smiling expression froze chillingly. Kiiiiiikikikikikikikikikik! A sound like a wailing ghost came from behind Bahil. Haren's entire body trembled with pure terror. "Do not do anything unnecessary. You are to handle only the task I assigned, and nothing more." Haren felt his breath increasingly constricting. He even clutched his own throat. "If something goes wrong and he dies." A terrifying light erupted from Bahil's eyes. "You and your family will not die peacefully. I will make you suffer eternally even after death." "Cough! Choke! I-I'll remember that!" As Bahil withdrew his aura, Haren gasped for breath again. '......How dare a mere sub-plan act so presumptuously.' Bahil turned his back and left the operating room. He put on his outer coat and hat. 'Simon Pollentia. I'm sorry to resort to such methods, but it's unavoidable.' It felt like carving bone and cutting flesh, but what Simon needed now was defeat. If he fell into a deep sense of defeat, he would reflect on himself and ponder what went wrong. And he would realize that the cause was Summoning Studies. 'I will apologize for this someday. But you, in the distant future.' Bahil's lips, which had curled up to his ears, twisted completely. 'Will be grateful for the decision I made. Without a doubt!'
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