episode_0229

I will no longer hide it.

I have always found satisfaction in obtaining things.

I realized this not so long ago. When I first felt this sensation, I didn’t fully comprehend it. The first time… yes, it was probably then.

When I first received a magical attack and became aware of mana. When I grasped the nature of my body and became able to freely manipulate mana.

At that time, I had lost status, power, wealth, trust, even the desire to live. All that remained was this body. After hitting rock bottom, the first thing I could control as I wished was mana.

That’s probably when I first felt it. A sensation of something stirring within me.

Since then, such moments have frequently appeared. Yuri’s loyalty and love, when I possessed even that maiden. When I entered the academy and seized power. When I successively obtained lovely women and made them mine.

When I took someone’s life and devoured their soul. When I displayed skills honed throughout my life with my own body.

And now.

The moment I completely dominated the essence of this world, the fundamental principle of all things, the certain amount of aether spread around me.

I realized.

This is the essence of my soul; the desire for conquest.

The moment I reveal my true nature, no being in this world can resist. All beings of lower standing bow before me.

I am the dominator and conqueror.

I stand above all beings.

Before me, the type of humans I detest most stood frozen, having lost ownership of their bodies and souls.

The eyes I utterly abhor. Smiling in front of you, yet stabbing others in the back for their own safety; traitors. The greedy serpent’s tongue, which tramples on the dignity of the soul without restraint.

They are unworthy of existence. I want to possess their bodies and souls entirely, then shatter them to pieces. I, in my current state, could do so without batting an eye.

In other circumstances… I would have, certainly.

But this is a class competition, a test being watched by everyone. Murder is disqualification.

Originally, it’s impossible. Within the dungeon, a damage detection and absorption system is deployed; if you receive a certain level of damage, you’re expelled from the dungeon.

However, even within the dungeon, my world remains intact. Barrier magic cannot violate my [Soul’s Domain]. Even if I take their lives now, the damage absorption magic won’t activate, and they will certainly die.

That is a clear reason for disqualification. Since I have no intention of giving up the test, I calmly walked forward.

My footsteps make no sound. I only tread upon my own, thus there is no change.

I severed the consciousness of every cadet trapped within the domain. I rendered them unconscious. I didn’t kill them, but inflicted near-fatal damage.

Thit- Tididik- Clang—

Immediately afterward, I released the domain. The cadets, permitted to be pulled by gravity, all fell to the ground. And each was enveloped in a pillar of light and sent out of the dungeon.

I quietly turned my head.

……

Yuri stood not far away. But the atmosphere was slightly different from usual. Was she surprised? Her face was filled with worry. I could even read that emotion.

Shuff- Shuff-

She quietly approached and placed her hand on my cheek. Her skin trembled. But it was warm, and also, it smelled so good…

It was incredibly comforting.

I took her hand and smiled. Yuri finally relaxed her expression and tears welled up in her eyes.

“You’re… back.”

“Yeah, sorry.”

This feeling… let’s forget it for a while.

***

Everyone remained silent.

Narias Philbrogue, who spent most of the test outside the battlefield. She moved her soldiers using her excellent wisdom. Each member of 1-A also showed excellent performance according to her will.

And when a threat they couldn’t handle appeared, the monarch appeared on the battlefield.

Narias used teleportation magic in the center of the training ground to re-enter the dungeon. She eliminated cadets with movements as light as breathing.

Elimination was merely the result; the reality was massacre.

A movement on a different level. In the blink of an eye, Narias moved dozens of steps and swung her fist dozens of times. Each attack was a critical hit.

Until then, the audience could only gasp. Metti, sitting at the broadcasting booth, had become much less talkative, but she could at least react.

However, Narias’ next movement was indescribable.

A pure white sphere suddenly appeared in the center of the dungeon. That sphere was a kind of barrier. That’s what everyone believed. It wasn’t an accurate judgment. When humans encounter something unseen, they tend to relate it to what they already know.

Their thoughts raced, but their bodies did not move. Unlike ordinary barriers, nothing could be seen inside that pure white sphere.

Is it even possible to create a new barrier within a barrier? Even through the broadcast screen, its interior could not be seen. It signifies a technique superior to the barrier magic that makes up the mock dungeon.

It wasn’t just them who noticed the anomaly. From one side of the broadcast screen, Yurias Philbrogue rushed out. She was quite exhausted from the previous battle. Nevertheless, she ran towards the pure white sphere with all her might.

Immediately afterward, the sphere shattered and returned to normal. Among the cadets caught inside, the only one unharmed was Narias Philbrogue. Everyone else immediately collapsed, and pillars of light enveloped them.

An almost empty gaze. So empty, a vast willpower seemed to constantly yearn for something. A boundless universe that, even when filled, remains unfulfilled.

Beyond Narias’ pupils, another world existed.

The broadcast crew, commentators, audience, and even the already eliminated cadets swallowed hard, gazing at the screen.

Only Yurias Philbrogue moved; with her touch, Narias Philbrogue’s gaze returned to normal.

The entity from beyond the universe had already vanished, and in its place stood a single, strikingly beautiful girl.

***

I had Yuri support Eve. I sent the two of them to a safe place, and I turned to look at the vast interior of the dungeon.

Now I stand above the heavens. The Muryongbo technique, where I stand on mana. It’s a technique that I now perform naturally.

Scattering the aether in my body, I activated [Omni-Sensing].

“…There are still a few cadets left. Their point totals are quite high. The only problem is—”

They’re all inside their respective safe zone barriers. Probably their intention is to maximize their score while hiding in a safe place. The test will end soon if they just stay put.

Pfft-

I suppressed my laughter and approached the nearest safe zone.

Thump-

When I placed my hand on the barrier, it repelled strongly, like touching a wall. A few cadets inside the barrier pointed their fingers at me.

“Ha, ha ha… Serves you right-! Others carelessly charged at you, but we’re different-!!”

“We’ll absolutely never come out… just watch us from there and suck your thumbs…!!”

They say they aren’t careless, yet they are being careless. Through my hand on the barrier, I let the aether flow.

[Dispel].

Following the source of the enchantment, I stopped the magic from activating. The barrier immediately cracked and completely collapsed.

Thud-

Some collapsed to the ground, and some started to run away.

“You used barrier-releasing magical tools, too? Why are you pretending you don’t know now?”

“No, don’t—”

Whack- Whack-

I gained points.

I then proceeded to the next safe zone. The ones inside trembled upon seeing other cadets fleeing from me.

“H-help—”

“I, I don’t know what’s going on, but this barrier can’t be—”

Crash- Whack- Whack-

I gained points.

As I headed towards the next safe zone, an old story came to mind. The Three Little Pigs. The story of a wolf trying to catch the pigs hiding in each of their houses. The wolf breaks through and chases down two, but is tricked by the youngest, smartest pig.

But what can I do? The title of this story is not ‘The Three Little Pigs’; it’s ‘The Lone Wolf’. The protagonist has changed. The pigs have only a bad ending waiting for them.

“Here’s Nari~”

“Aaaaaack—”

Thus, I hunted down every cadet. Roughly estimating, I gained close to 10,000 points. Since I got that much alone, I expect I’ve secured first place.

But since I’m going to do it, I want to do it thoroughly.

Once again, I turned my head and looked around the interior of the dungeon. Using [Omni-Sensing], I spread my perception, searching for all the monsters and bosses that were still alive. The magical tools hidden in various places are a bonus.

I hunted down everything and monopolized all the points.

. . .

I quietly closed my eyes. Numbers surfaced in my mind; 00:02:13. It represents the remaining test time. Soon the class competition will end.

Eve is on my left, and Yuri is on my right, standing side-by-side with me. I’ve sufficiently recovered my stamina over the past three hours; I have enough strength to move my body. I took their hands.

……

Eve silently turned her head sharply. Only her right ear was visible. A pointed ear with a faint reddish hue.

“Hehe…”

On the other hand, Yuri stuck to my right arm, clingingly. We were all sweating, so it was literally sticky, not just a metaphor. The feeling is strange. It’s not that I dislike it, of course.

‘When we get back, she won’t let me go for a while.’

Painting a happy future, I waited for the final moment.

00:00:02.

00:00:01.

00:00:00.

“The 2nd semester final exam, the class competition, is concluded. Calculating the scores… Congratulations! The overall first place goes to 1-A, which obtained 45,112 points!”

We left the dungeon, facing the cheers of countless people. Joy, cheers. Amidst the deafening applause, I also heard the sound of lukewarm sighs or gulps.

It was a very satisfactory feeling.