LHAHS Chapter 349
Angel and Eclair flinched, their shoulders trembling as they watched the fallen monsters begin to rise.
Corpses moving again…
They had studied this phenomenon countless times in class.
The necromancers under the Death King, one of the legion commanders of Tartaros. Among the many dark arts of the wicked Tartaros, necromancy was considered the most vile.
Undead…!
The sudden appearance of the undead left the first-years frozen in shock. Fighting monsters was one thing, but undead showing up in the middle of their exam was something else entirely. None of them had ever faced such a thing before.
Even so, they quickly adapted. They were hero candidates, after all.
"Hah. Low-grade undead," a female student from the advanced class scoffed as she stepped forward. She flicked a sharp glare toward the lower-class students, gritting her teeth.
Like hell I'm going to lose to those lower-class rejects!
The students of Advanced Class 1 carried immense pride, but that pride had already been crushed once in this exam.
Despite their supposedly overwhelming superiority, they had failed to outshine their opponents. Their impressive score was entirely thanks to Lea. Not a single other advanced-class student had performed better than the lower-class students.
Determined not to be outdone, the other students steeled themselves. The pressure weighed heavily on them, especially under the scrutinizing gazes of their upperclassmen—figures they had once admired, now watching them with cold skepticism.
I have to prove it! That I deserve to be in Advanced Class 1!
Vwoom—!
A spell activated.
Boom—!
A powerful explosion rocked the field, tearing the undead apart and scattering their flesh in all directions.
The advanced-class students erupted into cheers.
"See? These low-grade undead are nothing!"
"Yeah!"
Their confidence soared as they exchanged triumphant shouts.
Lea, watching them, narrowed her eyes. "Conserve your mana. When dealing with undead, you need to prepare for a prolonged fight."
"Lea, this is just an exam, not a real battle. Besides, we're in the middle of Seiren," a male student replied, smirking. "There's no supply of dark mana here. There's no way the undead can keep reviving endlessly…"
Squirm— Squirm—
The scattered flesh twitched. Severed limbs wriggled back together, reassembling the undead in an instant.
The advanced-class students stiffened.
"Persistent little things," one muttered.
Even so, they scoffed and launched another wave of magic. But as the cycle repeated—undead rising again and again—their confidence began to waver.
"W-Why won't they stay down?!"
"If this keeps up, we're going to get overwhelmed!"
Distress spread across their faces.
"We have to request help. This is an unexpected situation!" one student shouted in panic.
He was right. This was an unforeseen crisis. But the first-years weren't too worried. They were in the heart of Seiren. There was no way the faculty would let students be placed in real danger.
Ki-ki-ki-kiik!
The undead let out their eerie cries as they charged at the first-years.
Regular monsters feared death. But the undead had no such fear. That was what made them so terrifying.
Crunch!
"Argh?!"
A goblin's crude weapon impaled the shoulder of an advanced-class student.
He collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.
"My—my arm!" His scream of pain tore through the air. The undead's unique necrotic poison amplified the pain tenfold.
"W-What the hell?!"
"Teacher! We have an injured student!"
The advanced-class students cried out desperately. But none of the Seiren instructors moved. Neither did the upperclassmen. They merely watched, observing with indifferent eyes.
The immortal horde continued its relentless advance.
"S-Save us!"
"Get us out of here!"
As the situation spiraled into a real battlefield, the students finally began to panic, their screams echoing across the training grounds.
The cries of panic among the first-years grew louder.
"Shouldn't we help them?"
"Teachers! Seniors! If this keeps up, it's going to be a disaster!"
Students outside the exam field watched in horror, their voices rising with urgency. Yet, not a single person moved.
Jeras' furious voice erupted over the clamor. "Pathetic! If they can't even handle a few undead, do they deserve to call themselves students of Seiren?!" Veins bulged on his neck as he shouted, his face twisting in rage. "Do not disgrace Seiren's honor!"
At his roar, the first-years flinched, their expressions darkening. The lower-class students turned to Laura in confusion.
"Miss Laura! We have to help them…"
"This is an exam for Seiren students," Laura said firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument.
The lower-class students stiffened at the unexpected severity in her tone.
"Yes, you're still inexperienced first-years. But more than that…you are hero candidates," she declared. "You are people who must stand tall against trials and claim the right to be heroes."
Her resolute words made the lower-class students clench their fists.
"You don't need to worry too much," Leo said, watching the battlefield. "If it were truly beyond their ability to handle, the teachers or the seniors would have stepped in already."
His gaze remained locked on the lower-class students battling the undead.
I can feel the mana of the Lich King…but he didn't do this himself. Leo's eyes narrowed. The magic is too crude.
If there was one thing he understood better than anyone, it was the dark magic of the Lich King. It had been an infuriating, never-ending nuisance.
This is nothing more than someone borrowing his dark mana. His expression darkened. Then why did the spell suddenly activate?
The monsters used for the exam were creatures Seiren had captured from the wild—most likely taken from elven territory.
If some kind of tampering had been done beforehand, there's no way Seiren wouldn't have noticed.
And it wasn't as if a demon had infiltrated Seiren. The academy's barriers were powerful. After the attack from the Queen of Beasts last year, the defenses had been reinforced significantly. No matter how powerful a demon was, breaking into Seiren undetected was nearly impossible.
Yet dark magic, infused with the mana of the Lich King, had been activated inside Seiren.
That means someone inside Seiren is working with the Lich King.
A cold glint flashed through Leo's eyes, his killing intent flickering dangerously.
During the Age of Calamity, he had buried countless traitors in the dark. Back then, Erebos had pushed the world to the brink of annihilation. Survival had been an instinct. Betrayal had been inevitable.
But now was different. This was an era of peace. There was no reason for treachery.
And yet…those who claim to be Luna's followers are the ones committing this treason!
The urge to hunt down the traitor and rip them apart surged through him.
But no fool would leave evidence behind. His mind raced. The real question is—why do this now?
Introducing undead into the exam at the last moment? Even though the undead horde before him consisted of low-tier creatures, they had still been revived by the Lich King's mana. The first-years could handle it, but it wouldn't be easy.
If Leo stepped in, he could clear them out in an instant.
But instead, he watched.
If you truly wish to follow Luna's path…if you claim to inherit Seiren's will…
His gaze turned cold.
Then prove to me that you are not sheltered flowers, but the seeds of heroes.
The undead horde surged forward like a relentless tide, and it wasn't only the advanced-class students who were overwhelmed.
"I can't hold on any longer!" A boy from Angel's group shouted desperately.
Angel, who had been casting spells, took a deep breath. "Let's use it," she said.
"Use what?"
"Aura."
The boy's eyes widened in alarm. "Are you crazy?! If we use any ability other than magic during the exam, we'll fail instantly!"
Angel met his frantic gaze and replied calmly, "So you're saying we should just keep casting spells and get wiped out? But that's not our real strength, is it?" She reached out, and a silver spear materialized from her subspace.
"Our family has been spear knights for generations, and I've always taken pride in that," Angel said with a smile. "I came to Seiren to become a hero, not a mage."
"Angel…"
"This is who I am. This is me as a hero candidate."
Vwoooom!
Aura erupted from her body.
"If Seiren won't acknowledge what I take pride in and the path I'm meant to follow…" Angel adjusted her grip on the spear and lowered her stance.
Fwoosh! Tap.
"Then I see no reason to stay here."
Her resolve was unwavering. The lower-class frontline students exchanged glances before laughing and drawing their weapons. Aura enveloped their blades.
"You know what? You're right!"
"Only using magic has been suffocating! I'm a knight, damn it!"
Their once hesitant eyes now gleamed sharply with newfound determination. Gone were the days of shrinking back and avoiding attention.
Kwa-gagagak!
Angel swung her spear, sending a frigid gust through the air. She didn't hesitate as she charged straight into the horde of undead.
Kwakakak!
Unleashed aura tore through the creatures, scattering them like rag dolls.
"She used aura!" a student from the advanced class shouted.
"That's against the rules! She's failing the exam for sure!"
As the advanced-class students cheered at what they believed to be Angel's downfall, Lea spoke in an icy tone. "And you really think now is the time to be saying that?"
The cheering stopped abruptly. The advanced-class students flinched, glancing at Lea in confusion.
Lea looked past them and into the heart of the undead swarm.
Squelch! Crack! Splat!
The scattered remains of the undead began to merge.
A revolting stench filled the air as the grotesque mass of flesh rose, radiating a suffocating aura.
"A corpse golem?"
The moment the high-tier undead appeared, the faces of the advanced-class students turned pale.
"Help us!"
"There's no way we can defeat something like that!"
Panic spread through their ranks.
These guys can't handle the front line, Lea thought, sighing. She stepped forward.
The others were too lost in their own terror to even notice her moving.
"Stella Via."
A luminous path, shimmering like stardust, formed before her. The undead caught within the glow melted away instantly.
This was the same magic that Comet Mage Seiren had used in the distant past to break through an army of tens of thousands of undead.
As everyone watched in awe, Lea's graceful steps carried her toward Angel.
"I need a reliable vanguard. Will you help me?" she asked, offering her hand.
The lower-class students stiffened, their expressions wary.
Lea Tingel—the symbol of the advanced class, the one who embodied everything they resented—was standing before them.
But Angel, having seen Lea's hand several times before, merely smiled and grasped it. "Yeah."
"Eclair, cover Angel," Lea instructed.
"O-Okay! Got it!"
Lea closed her eyes and began chanting.
Watching her, Angel warned, "A big spell is coming! Protect Lea Tingel!"
At her command, the lower-class students instantly formed a protective formation around Lea.
Eclair's eyes widened in surprise. They may not have received proper training, but they had spent every single day drilling together, pushing themselves however they could. Their hard-earned teamwork was now proving invaluable.
Without needing to speak, they moved in sync, holding back the relentless undead assault.
Angel met the corpse golem head-on, her aura-infused slashes intercepting its advance. The grotesque amalgamation of flesh swung its massive blade…
KWAANG! KWAGAGAGAK!
"Ugh!" Angel gritted her teeth as she blocked the massive greatsword infused with dark mana. "You think…I'll lose? Haaah!"
With a fierce cry, she unleashed her aura. A freezing gust surged forth, sending the corpse golem's weapon flying.
At that moment, Lea's eyes snapped open. "Lux Strike."
A brilliant flash of light burst from her staff.
Kwagagagak!
The corpse golem was obliterated without a trace. Lea let out a small sigh, while Angel, having exhausted her strength, collapsed onto the ground. The undead did not rise again.
Just as the first-years were beginning to relax…
KWAANG!
GUOOOOO—!
A massive skeleton erupted through the summoning circle. Far larger than the corpse golem, it radiated an overwhelming presence, thick malice, and an aura of dark mana so dense it felt as though it was siphoning the very life from those nearby.
At the unexpected arrival of such a high-tier undead, the first-years went pale.
"A…Skeleton King?!" Angel cried in shock.
GUOOOOO—! KWAANG!
The Skeleton King swung its sword straight at her. Angel instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for impact.
KAGAGAGAK! GAGAGAGAK!
The harsh sound of metal scraping against metal echoed.
Angel hesitantly opened her eyes—and locked gazes with a boy wreathed in crimson flames.
"L-Lyle…?"
Leo smiled. "You did well."
Kwagagagak!
A crimson inferno roared around him as he held back the Skeleton King's attack with one hand. Glancing toward the audience, who were staring at him in shock, he touched his neck as if making a decision.
"Well, I suppose anyone paying attention has already figured it out…No need to keep up the act any longer."
Fwoosh—!
His once-pointed ears rounded.
Angel's jaw dropped. "A…human?"
Leo flashed her a brief smile before tightening his grip.
KWAANG!
The Skeleton King's arm was wrenched skyward.
"I intended to just watch, but this undead is far too strong for you to handle," he said as he fixed his gaze on the glowing red eyes of his foe.
Then, he swung his sword.
Kwagagagagagak!
A massive wave of Zerdinger's fire erupted into the sky.
Kwak!
The Skeleton King's body was cleaved in two.
But…
Kwak!
In an instant, it regenerated and steadied its stance.
Leo narrowed his eyes before pushing off the ground.
Fwsh—!
In a blink, he was face-to-face with the Skeleton King. "You've seen enough, haven't you?" he said.
[Oh?] Beyond the Skeleton King's glowing eyes, a presence thick with malice let out an amused hum.
"Radius."
A radiant light flared from Leo's palm.
Flash—!
The starlight engulfed the Skeleton King.
Kugugugugung! KWAANG!
The massive undead crumbled.
Tap.
Leo landed lightly, stepping toward the fallen creature's severed eye.
[Leo Plov…What are you?]
From beyond, the voice of the Lich King, Hell Kaiser, rumbled with curiosity.
"Me?" Leo smirked, raising his foot.
Kwak—! Puh-uck!
He stomped down, shattering the Skeleton King's eye.
Then, in a voice cold as death itself, he replied, "The one who will annihilate you."