Chapter 233

Got it.

I knew it.

Because there was another message written on the floor in blood.

– Up. Cheering for you.

I chuckled.

She was secretly helping us while pretending not to, even leaving messages for us to see. She was quite cute in her own way.

Judging from the message, it seemed like she didn’t intend to directly intervene in the fight against the mad necromancer.

I didn’t know why, but it didn’t matter.

Her help so far had been more than enough.

We had managed to clear the zones filled with powerful and dangerous enemies without a single casualty.

Now only one thing remained.

The final showdown with the mad necromancer, the cause of all this chaos.

Defeating him was the only way to end this.

And to end my destined death.

“Wow, this place is spotless too.”

“Whoever cleaned this up deserves an award for their cleaning skills.”

Everyone seemed to have gotten used to it, as they weren’t even surprised anymore.

I chuckled and said,

“Everyone, get ready. I’m sure he’s right above us.”

“Seriously?”

“We finally caught him?”

“Ugh, I’m suddenly nervous.”

Tension filled their faces.

But their eyes burned with determination.

Justice? Duty? Revenge?

Each person probably had different motivations.

But one thing was clear.

They wouldn’t let the culprit who had turned their beloved academy into a horrifying undead playground get away with it.

“Then let’s share one last time before we go up.”

I took out all the remaining Holy Light scrolls I had.

They were originally meant for the high-ranking undead on the upper floors, but thanks to Riviera’s unexpected help, we had managed to save them.

This would definitely be a positive variable.

A trump card we didn’t have in the past.

“These might save your lives.”

* * *

“What floor are we on?”

– 84th floor, 84th floor!

“Ahaha, sorry, sorry. Our climbing speed is getting slower. Well, it’s not bad to take our time.”

– I don’t care!

“Thank you. You’re the only one I can rely on. To be honest, I was getting a bit tired, but seeing you gives me strength. Ahahaha.”

Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab!

Mesker chuckled, stabbing something frantically with his bone spear.

It was a Basilisk.

A large lizard monster with incredibly tough scales that could deflect even the sharpest blades.

Its formidable defense made it a fearsome high-ranking monster.

Before you could even break through its scales, you would most likely be torn to shreds by its sharp teeth and claws.

But Mesker had flipped the Basilisk onto its back, immobilizing it, and was relentlessly stabbing a single spot on its scales with his bone spear.

No matter how tough something was, it would eventually break if you kept hitting it.

Mesker was proving that point.

Stab!

Finally, the spear pierced through the scales, plunging deep into the Basilisk’s vital point.

Screeeeeech!

The Basilisk let out a deafening screech, its body convulsing in agony.

But then it went limp.

It was dead.

“Ahaha, good, it’s over. Those annoying things are finally dead.”

Mesker sighed in relief.

Even for him, the Basilisk’s incredibly tough scales had been a nuisance.

But he had managed to exterminate them all.

“Oh, come to think of it, these annoying lizards would be quite useful as undead.”

Undead already possessed incredible vitality.

And if you added the Basilisk’s steel-like scales to the mix?

It would create an impenetrable, moving fortress of an undead monster.

It was a new experiment, but he had a good feeling about it.

He could sense it, the feeling of an undead that would bring about a delightful amount of bloodshed.

Mesker grinned, his expression twisted.

“Now then.”

He was about to reanimate the Basilisk corpses as undead when…

“Huh?”

A group of humans rushed into the room.

Mesker recognized them as academy students from their uniforms.

He tilted his head in confusion.

“What? Where did you come from? That shouldn’t be possible. Is there another passage?”

Ha, he’s letting his guard down.

Alfred’s eyes gleamed with triumph, sensing a golden opportunity.

He charged towards Mesker with lightning speed.

His wounded pride?

It didn’t matter as long as he could defeat the culprit.

He could crush that annoying Max, the princess, and everyone else.

Because he would claim the greatest achievement.

He would become the hero who saved the academy.

That moment was right before him.

“Die!”

The Navorga Twin Sword Style.

Alfred unleashed the Blade Storm, the most aggressive technique of the style.

Swish, swish, swish, swish!

Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish!

It was a literal storm of blades.

His twin swords danced through the air, their sharp edges threatening to cleave everything in their path.

“G-Good!”

“D-Did we get him?”

The students watched with bated breath, their fists clenched.

For them, the best outcome was the swift elimination of the mad necromancer, regardless of who delivered the final blow.

But.

“You’re too hasty.”

Max shook his head, clicking his tongue.

Because he knew.

This wasn’t an enemy you could defeat by charging in blindly on your own.

“An attack? An attack? You dared to attack me?”

Mesker’s expression changed instantly.

His eyes gleamed with madness.

He lifted the corpse of a Basilisk, using it as a shield.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!

Alfred’s blades struck the Basilisk’s scales, but he soon realized.

They weren’t penetrating.

“You’re using dirty tricks! Damn you!”

Alfred was about to move, to find another opening to attack, when…

“I’m the one who attacks.”

Mesker said, his voice cold and devoid of madness.

And his words weren’t empty threats.

A barrage of bone spears erupted from the ground, engulfing Alfred in an instant.

“What?!”

Alfred jumped back in alarm, prioritizing evasion over confrontation.

It was the right decision.

But it was also half a step too late.

Stab!

“Ugh?!”

One of the spears pierced through his left shoulder.

“Ahahaha, I told you I’m the one who attacks! Did you hear me, you arrogant brat? Now die!”

Mesker laughed maniacally, grabbing a massive bone spear, far larger and more menacing than the ones on the ground, and thrust it forward.

“D-Damn it!”

Alfred’s face paled.

As his life flashed before his eyes, someone pulled him back with all their might.

His body flew backwards, narrowly avoiding the deadly spear.

Mesker’s spear tore through the empty air.

Alfred gasped for breath, his heart pounding in his chest.

“Huff, huff.”

“Think before you act, you idiot.”

Max’s voice.

It was him.

Max, one of the people he hated the most, had saved him.

But in this situation, even Alfred had to bow his head.

“Th-Thank you, senior…”

“Get out of here.”

“I-I can still fight…!”

“Another one’s coming. Get out of here, you idiot.”

Thwack!

“Ugh?”

Max shoved Alfred back with all his might, jumping back himself.

Whoosh!

Mesker’s spear tore through the spot where they had been standing.

Alfred, unable to withstand the force of the shove, stumbled and fell, but he had been pushed to safety.

Once again, Max had saved him from danger.

Alfred’s expression wavered.

Instead of performing as he had hoped, he had become a burden, a liability.

It was an unbearable humiliation.

“Ugh…”

He gritted his teeth, his fists clenching and trembling.

He must have aggravated his wound, as blood dripped from his pierced shoulder.

But he didn’t even let out a groan.

He would repay this.

He would definitely repay this.

This humiliation.

Alfred glared at Mesker, his eyes filled with venom.

Meanwhile,

Mesker also seemed to be quite enraged, but for a different reason.

“Ugh, this is so annoying. So fucking annoying. Right? Right? Right? It’s that bastard again. That bastard from before, right? Yeah, it’s him. I’m sure of it. He dared to interrupt my plans twice? This is infuriating. I should have killed him back then.”

– Ugh, I know, right? This is so frustrating. But it’s not too late! Kill him now!

The fairy flapped her wings angrily.

It was the response of his only goddess.

There was no need to hesitate.

He would act.

He would make it a reality.

Mesker’s madness exploded.

“Did you hear me clearly? I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you!”

“He’s insane.”

Diana said, stating the obvious.

If this guy wasn’t insane, then no one was.

“H-He’s scary.”

Annette trembled.

Pure evil was terrifying, but a madman was just as frightening.

Especially a madman who was both powerful and cruel.

“It’s okay. We have Senior Max and Leon here. And me and everyone else.”

Camian tried to reassure Annette, mentioning the names of the two people he trusted the most before his own.

It wasn’t that he underestimated himself.

It was that he held those two in high regard.

Especially Senior Max.

He felt like they could overcome any crisis as long as Max was with them.

Just like they had countless times before.

He would trust him.

And he would support him.

“Tsk, let’s treat him first.”

Amy approached Alfred.

It was a dangerous and nerve-wracking act for a healer to approach a dangerous enemy.

But Leon, the handsome junior, stood by her side, acting as her escort, giving her a sense of security.

“Hmph, I don’t need… Ow! Th-That hurts!”

Alfred, who had been acting tough and dismissing her help, cried out in pain as Amy mercilessly poked and prodded his wound.

“See, it hurts! Just shut up and let me treat you, mask.”

“Ugh, I told you to stop calling me mask!”

“What nonsense are you talking about? A mask is a mask.”

Amy forcefully treated his wound.

“Ha, look at these pathetic brats.”

Mesker chuckled, watching the scene unfold with an amused expression.

He, the necromancer, a being feared by all.

And these insignificant brats were acting like…

They were on a picnic, leisurely treating their wounded comrade.

Right before his eyes.

They must be delusional, still unable to grasp the gravity of the situation, even after he had turned the academy into an undead wasteland with his Red Moon.

Who were they relying on?

Who gave them the audacity to treat him like this?

That damn bastard?

Mesker’s gaze, filled with madness, shifted to Max.

Ah, right.

It didn’t matter.

He would make them understand.

It was perfect.

He had the perfect tools lying right before him.

Here, and here.

Thud!

He tossed the Basilisk corpse he had been holding onto the ground.

“Ahahaha, perfect. This is perfect. I’ll show you something interesting. These cute little things will devour you alive. How about that? Enjoy yourselves. Hahahaha.”

Mesker laughed, his mood seemingly improving.

His emotions were unstable, fluctuating wildly, another symptom of his madness.

The students glared at him, their bodies trembling with fear.

But they had already formed a defensive formation, ready to fight back.

And at the forefront,

Stood Max.

“Ah, you’re going to use those?”

Max said, his voice laced with amusement.

It was a mocking, provocative laugh.

He pointed at the Basilisk corpses.

“That’s right. Why? What’s wrong?”

Mesker grinned, his expression mirroring Max’s.

It looked like a friendly conversation, but it was a battle of wills, far more intense than any sword fight.

“Go ahead.”

Max smiled, his demeanor relaxed.

“Use them all.”