episode_0074

A test of courage.

It is the last of the three exams of Tri-Conflict, and is a difficult challenge that has often left no winner.

-Please prepare for the test of courage.

There are a total of 10 first-year students, including me and Elfin, who passed the Test of Strength and the Test of Wisdom.

What is in front of 10 students is,

“… … …gi, abstain… abstain…”

“Layla Violetstorm, the Marquis of the City, always with a tall, cocky smile and confidence, mutters in a crawling voice.

“Calm down.”

“Ji, calm down, Ain Youngshik. It’s ‘Goliath’. There’s no way you can win a fight.”

So what is Goliath?

In the northern part of the empire, the Liberator was last seen on the battlefield 150 years ago, fighting against monsters and Liberators every day.

It is similar in height to the ‘Hall of Knowledge’, the central and largest building of the Academy, and it holds an enormous club in both hands that can be considered to be holding the building in its hands.

Overwhelming size, desperate destructive power. Just that alone is enough to induce fear.

Even the ones who faced it were now adults, students who had only experienced half of the first year of the academy, and were still rookies in terms of skill and experience. It was only natural for them to be afraid.

“That’s true. Ain, it seems like the night’s prediction was right.”

Elfin mutters as he looks around at the other eight students, who all look on with a general sense of fear.

‘I think there is something invisible in the test of courage itself.’

I didn’t take her words seriously at the time because I was too fond of her, but after thinking about it again, I thought it was a pretty plausible idea.

So after brainstorming with Lulu and Professor Nir, the professor of magic (according to the regulations, the professors of the Academy are obligated to help students participating in the Tri-Conflict within a certain scope if they ask for help), they were able to create an artifact that would nullify the mental debuff. It would last for about an hour.

“I had hoped that the night’s prediction would be exactly right. And then he says he has no talent and is just average, which is ridiculous.”

“The bloodline of Night Sustain is ordinary? A dog passing by would laugh.”

Elfin grins and agrees with me… Three students just declared their abstention.

“Th, those two, aren’t you scared…? It’s Goliath. I’ve only seen it in fairy tales, huh…”

Although she is shaking, Ina Youngae bravely does not give up and sticks close to us.

“Don’t be afraid. It’s all just an illusion, after all.”

“Ha, but it’s scary…!”

Elfin and I were looking at Goliath and seeing that the club it was holding was more elaborately decorated than we had thought, but Ina had a hard time even looking up at Goliath.

“I, I have to do it too. If it’s not me, the family can’t be raised…”

People who want to protect or achieve something are said to be brave. Ina Youngae clenched her fists and held on somehow.

“The Goddess of the Storm protects meThe Goddess of the Storm protects meThe Goddess of the Storm protects meThe Goddess of the Storm…”

I heard a sound like a curse being chanted earlier, and now I see Youngae Layla, whose purple fur has turned pale, searching for her goddess as if she were performing some kind of spell.

“…I told you to calm down, Youngae Leila.”

“…The Goddess of the Storm is protecting me. I can’t calm down. How can the Goddess of the Storm be calm after seeing something like that…”

She pretended to listen to me with a face that was almost dead, and then cast another spell. It must have worked, because three more students abstained, and in the end only me, Elfin, Ina Yeongae, and Leila Yeongae remained.

“I guess he was aiming for this after he hesitated to start the test.”

“If it weren’t for the artifact you and Lulu made, we would be trembling like that too.”

“If you’re curious, take off your necklace for a moment.”

At my words, Elfin finds courage and takes off her necklace.

…and then her face turned pale and she immediately put the necklace back on her neck.

“…I think I know why you abstained. The pressure is not ordinary. ”

It seems that measures have been taken to inflict psychological pressure of a fear-based nature.

Of course, this measure was taken because it is difficult to directly hit with fantasy alone. If it weren’t for this, there wouldn’t have been so many years without a winner in Tri-Conflict.

“But it’s hard to break through. We don’t even know what to do against it.”

“…Wait a minute, look at that, Ain.”

Elfin points towards Goliath’s face. My eyesight isn’t particularly as good as others’, so no matter how much I squint, I can’t tell what Elfin is pointing at.

“I can’t see it…”

“Something is shining between Goliath’s collarbone…”

At her words, Layla and Ina also looked up at Goliath with difficulty. Ina, who had good eyesight, perhaps because she used a bow, recognized what the object was.

“Ugh… It looks like a trophy. I… I have to get that…”

Ina shudders and shivers throughout her body.

“It won’t be easy.”

“Oh my, climbing.”

As I sighed and shook my head, Elfin seemed lost in thought for a moment.

“Going up is one way, but… there might be another way…”

She looks around the arena. The arena is laid out like the rough terrain from the Test of Strength, but it is more rugged. At least there are plenty of places to hide against Goliath.

“Ain, I have an idea. Do you want to hear it?”

As Elfin speaks so softly, I raise my hooves and put my ear out to her.

“… …”

I nodded, because the plan she put forward seemed quite plausible.

“Are you okay with being in danger?”

“The artifacts given by Bandi and Marquis Jude are considerable, so it’ll work out somehow. I just finished figuring out how to use them.”

Sure, my group of females may seem a bit like outcasts to the males, but they are so capable that I’m amazed that they never disappoint without me having to rack my brain.

-Then, the test of courage begins!!

Dean Ivory, who judged that we were ready, announced the start of the final exam, and Elfin and I dispersed as we each had planned. And then…

“Ina Youngae? Layla Youngae? Why are you following me??”

“Ha, but I can’t think of a sharp number!!”

“Oh, ohhohoho, I, I hope you know it’s an honor to be acting together with a talent like me… Whoa, oh, that thing moves!!!”

Elfin uses one of his artifacts to use Haste on himself and strikes the shield with his sword to draw Goliath’s attention. In response, Goliath turns his back to us and aims for Elfin on the other side.

“It seems that Her Highness the Princess has given up on this world!!”

“Isn’t there a good saying called Yangdong Operation?!”

“I don’t know about that, but please try something!!”

No, what am I going to do by complaining? I gave them both a sorry look and grabbed two gems that temporarily gave me 3rd level spell slots. I walked around looking for a pillar that looked as sturdy as possible.

“That will do.”

Not far from Goliath, I discovered a number of large stone pillars standing, and I began to bind the stone pillars together using the power of the gems, endlessly creating ‘Vision Rope’, a level 2 spell that creates thick and strong ropes made of arcane power.

As I openly used my spell slots, showing off that I was using artifacts, no one looked at me with suspicion, and I kept wrapping the rope around the stone while keeping Elfin’s location in mind.

“Ain Youngsik, what are you going to do with the stones tied up!”

“Hey, be quiet!”

While Elfin is dangerously dodging Goliath’s club and stomping feet, I use up a lot of my spell slots to finish preparing.

“Elfin!”

“Let’s go!”

At my shout, Elfin dashes between Goliath’s legs and leaps between the stone pillars I have created with my vision ropes, almost resembling a spider’s web.

“Ain, now!”

“[Time and Dimension Settings Currently, the fantasy dimension, modify the movement path of all ‘Vision Ropes’ used, binding the designated part of the classification code LBRT:GLT-022.]”

In my lair, numerous vision ropes shoot out from the stone pillars and quickly begin to bind Goliath below the knees.

This is why the 2nd level spell Vision Rope was used in a higher level spell slot than the 3rd level spell slot. It has greater power when used in a higher slot.

The vision rope I used was not enough to tie the stone pillar and Goliath’s feet, but the vision rope that tied the feet began to become entangled with each other.

“Okay!!”

As soon as we see that Goliath has stopped moving, Ina shouts with a bright expression, but in that moment we feel the surroundings starting to darken.

“Mong…Dungiaaa …

The identity of the huge shadow that darkened our surroundings was the huge club that Goliath was holding, and before we could even react, more than half of the stone pillars tied with the vision rope were destroyed in one blow.

In the aftermath, Elfin, Ina, and Leyra are blown away in all directions by a massive shockwave, and all of the vision ropes I had were lost because my concentration was interrupted.

“Ugh, ahh… Isn’t this some kind of illusion magic? ”

I was flying at an incredible speed and was hit back-first into a stone pillar. The pain was so intense that I couldn’t even breathe properly. I struggled for a while, trying to catch my breath.

“[omit the syllable and use the word cure]…”

As soon as I could breathe again, I quickly healed my body and got up with difficulty. I wanted to check if Elfin was okay, but I felt like all the blood was draining from my body.

“Surroundings…”

It gets dark again. This time, without thinking about anything, I jump into a part of the floor where the shadows aren’t dark, and tear off one of the brooches on the right chest of my uniform and throw it.

With a “Paaaang!!” sound, my body shot up, and at the same time, Goliath’s huge club fell on the spot.