Chapter 32

1.

Past midnight.

In the late night when everyone was asleep, the Academy was still brightly lit. It was due to the news that three freshmen, who were on a tour of the Source of Magic, had gone missing.

Immediately after receiving this report.

The security team, responsible for maintaining order, promptly assembled personnel and formed a search party. The deputy commander of the security team, ‘Roen Philoud,’ was no exception.

However, Roen’s footsteps headed not to the scene but to the main building of the Magic Department. Soon, he arrived in front of the Dean’s Office.

Knock knock!

Right after knocking on the door of the Dean’s Office.

Suddenly, the door opened on its own.

As if it had a will of its own.

A moment later, what came into view was a faintly burning candle. Beyond it sat a youthful-looking girl.

As soon as their eyes met.

Roen bowed his head.

“I apologize for disturbing your rest.”

“Hoho, it’s fine, so relax your shoulders. As you get older, you tend to sleep less.”

The girl smiled faintly.

She was the Dean of the Magic Department, Diplyn Cernio.

In response to her consideration, Roen bowed his head once more. Then, he explained the disappearance incident that occurred at the Source of Magic.

“Hmm, so to summarize, an unexplained magical disaster occurred at the Source of Magic, resulting in the disappearance of three first-year students?”

“That’s correct.”

Roen nodded.

Diplyn asked again.

“Have you secured the witnesses’ statements?”

“Of course. They said an unidentified cave emerged at the boundary between Zone 1 and Zone 2.”

“A cave?”

“Yes, it’s hard to believe, but everyone present testified the same.”

A cave.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Anything else?”

“They said a fierce torrent and waves swept the students away. The last testimony was that they were pushed towards the cave.”

“······.”

“And one more thing. There was a rather special statement. According to it, the three students were likely swept into the interior of the cave.”

As soon as the report ended.

Diplyn’s eyebrows twitched. It was a habit she only had when something piqued her interest.

“Who made that statement?”

“A girl named Noa Darshen. She was the last person to be with the missing students.”

Noa. A name she remembered.

A name she had heard relatively recently.

From whom had she heard it? As Diplyn silently searched her memory, she soon recalled the source.

The Dean of the Military Department, Berge.

To be precise, it was part of the information about Ulan that he had handed over. He had mentioned that there was another barbarian who entered with Ulan.

‘That barbarian is······.’

The girl named Noa Darshen.

Immediately after recalling this.

Diplyn’s eyes sparkled for a moment.

“Can I see the list of the missing students?”

“Yes, of course.”

He had brought it anticipating such a situation.

Roen respectfully handed over the list. As she flipped through the list with an indifferent expression, she soon found a very familiar name.

【Ulan Bator, 17 years old】

I had a feeling it would be him.

Diplyn’s eyes narrowed like a crescent moon. Her lips twitched as she couldn’t take her eyes off Ulan’s name for a while.

“Um, Dean?”

“Ah, sorry. I got lost in thought for a moment.”

“Not at all. It’s only natural to be troubled.”

After regaining her composure.

Diplyn got to the main point.

“Anyway, you came to me because you need the Special Operations Division’s help, right?”

“That’s correct. Disappearance incidents within the Academy can be handled by the security team alone, but if the Source of Magic is involved······.”

Roen trailed off, as if feeling inadequate.

The security team he led had investigative authority over all incidents surrounding the Academy.

However, the Source of Magic was an exception.

To enter there, and to return without any casualties, the cooperation of mages was essential.

And not just any mages.

They needed to be not only skilled in magic but also excellent in improvisation to handle unexpected situations, and they had to be combat-capable.

And coincidentally, the Academy had a group of experts who met these conditions.

‘The Magic Department’s直属机构, the Special Operations Division.’

If the Military Department had the Inspection Team, the Magic Department had the Special Operations Division. Composed of intermediate mages and above, they were involved in all magic-related incidents and possessed independent investigative and adjudicative authority.

‘And······.’

They were famous for only taking orders from Diplyn. Even the Chancellor couldn’t mobilize the Special Operations Division without her cooperation.

That was why he had come to Diplyn late at night.

Fortunately, she readily agreed to the request.

“Here’s the dispatch order for one squad of the Special Operations Division. I hope it will be of help.”

“Yes, thank you for your cooperation, Dean.”

Roen bowed his head respectfully.

With this, his objective was achieved. He immediately turned to leave. To head to the scene with the Special Operations Division in tow.

Shortly after he left the Dean’s Office.

Diplyn, now alone, closed her eyes. Then, as if lost in thought, she tapped the desk.

“Source of Magic. Disappearance. Waves. Cave······.”

A soft murmur echoed in the room.

They were clues related to the disappearance incident. And Diplyn knew one crucial piece of information connected to all these clues.

“······Trial of the Hero.”

Her slightly open eyes glinted under the moonlight.

Once, she had been interested in the Source of Magic. While staying in the area, engrossed in research and investigation, she had discovered an intriguing record.

From a time long ago.

When the Arsen Academy had just been established.

At that time, several professors who had gained considerable fame had made arrangements for future generations.

‘An ancient relic named Trial.’

Preparations for when the Gate of the Abyss would open. The Trial of the Hero was one of them.

‘I wanted to enter too······.’

But she failed. She couldn’t even find the location of the cave, let alone enter the relic.

The reason was simple.

She hadn’t met the conditions.

‘When three or more individuals possessing the qualities of a hero gather, the hidden entrance to the trial opens.’

After recalling the conditions for opening the trial, which she had learned after finishing her research on the Source of Magic.

Diplyn looked at the documents again.

“Now I think I understand your purpose.”

Ulan was strong. Exceptionally strong, hiding his true power. For such a person to enroll in the Academy, there must be something he was aiming for.

Last time, she hadn’t figured it out, but who would have thought she’d learn Ulan’s purpose this way.

“Then the rest is simple.”

She was well aware of other trials besides the Trial of the Hero. So, she would offer to share this knowledge in exchange for Ulan’s cooperation in her research.

Diplyn’s lips curled up.

A smile filled with anticipation and satisfaction.

2.

Meanwhile, around that time.

Ulan’s group was busily moving towards the location of the final trial. As they walked endlessly through a long, seemingly endless passage.

Thud!

Suddenly, Ivella and Silfi stopped.

They both frowned and immediately covered their noses.

“Ugh!”

“Wh-what’s that smell······.”

An overwhelming stench suddenly hit them.

It was unbearable without covering their noses. In contrast, Ulan’s reaction was different. He sniffed the air, trying to identify the source of the smell.

“It smells like blood.”

But it wasn’t just the scent of blood.

There was an unidentified smell mixed in. That was likely the real cause of the stench.

Ulan silently moved forward.

Whatever it was, they wouldn’t know unless they moved ahead. Ivella and Silfi also followed him, frowning.

How long had they walked?

Finally, the group reached the end of the path.

What greeted their eyes was a massive room.

“Wow!”

Silfi let out a short exclamation.

Unlike the rooms they had passed through before, this one was incredibly luxurious. Just the high-end decorations on the walls were enough to make one’s eyes widen.

But the admiration didn’t last long.

The stench had grown stronger since they entered the room.

“Ugh, my head is pounding.”

The stench was so intense it caused a headache.

Ivella groaned. This was no exaggeration. Even Ulan couldn’t bear it anymore and covered his nose.

“Ah, there’s something written here.”

Then Silfi found something.

In the center of the room. Characters engraved on the floor.

“Observe and cooperate to achieve victory? Hmm, what does this mean?”

Silfi tilted her head, puzzled.

Just as Ulan was about to ponder with her.

Poke poke!

Suddenly, someone poked his back.

It was Ivella’s finger.

“Ulan, what do you think that is?”

She pointed to the far left corner of the room.

There was a massive lump about 5 meters tall. It somewhat resembled a humanoid figure. Ulan gave his honest impression.

“It looks like a golem.”

“I thought so too.”

Ivella seemed to think similarly.

And whether it was a misconception or not, the appearance seemed familiar. As Ulan searched his memory, he soon remembered where he had seen it.

‘The Trial of the Hero.’

At the end of the path after defeating numerous enemies.

There was a golem that looked similar to that. It was called the Guardian of the Ruins.

In fact, in terms of appearance, they were almost identical.

Except for one thing.

‘The material is different.’

Back then, the Guardian of the Ruins boasted a body as tough as steel. So much so that weapons would break after just a few uses.

But this one was different.

At a glance, it didn’t look sturdy. Instead, it seemed squishy and elastic, like jelly.

‘What exactly is that thing?’

A question arose in his narrowed eyes.

Then Ivella exclaimed as if she had realized something.

“Ah! Could it be the Guardian of the Spring?”

Professor Miel had said.

The Guardian of the Spring was a golem created by mages. In that sense, her speculation was plausible.

But Ulan shook his head.

“I don’t think so.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“Just a hunch. For some reason, I feel uneasy about it. The foul stench is also a factor.”

“Huh? The stench is coming from that?”

Ivella asked in surprise.

Ulan nodded. The closer they got to it, the stronger the smell became.

At that moment.

Suddenly, a scream-like shout was heard.

“B-Blood Golem?!”

It was Silfi. She looked at the golem with a terrified expression, as if she knew what it was.

“Do you know what that is?”

“······Yes, it’s my first time seeing one in person, but······.”

Her eyebrows trembled.

Silfi’s eyes wavered uneasily. Soon, she swallowed dryly and spoke.

“Blood Golems appear in the historical records of an ancient desert kingdom. They were called the kingdom’s secret weapon.”

Blood Golem.

As the name suggests, it was a golem created using human blood as a medium. The peculiar thing was that the method of creation was extremely intricate and cruel.

“Ordinary human blood couldn’t concentrate magical power, so they needed blood that flowed with magic. That’s why they usually used guilty mages or sorcerers as ‘materials.'”

Typically, creating one Blood Golem required the blood of 999 mages.

Meaning nearly a thousand mages were sacrificed to create one Blood Golem.

And that wasn’t all.

Creating a Blood Golem also required a powerful soul. A soul strong enough to remain uneroded even after being bound to the golem’s body for a long time.

“Just hearing the description makes it sound incredibly strong.”

“It was called the kingdom’s secret weapon for a reason. Intermediate-level magic and below don’t work on it, and it’s immune to sorcery and curses.”

A golem that magic doesn’t affect.

Her brow furrowed involuntarily. An intuition that this would be a troublesome enemy was already creeping up.

“Moreover, any metal that touches the Blood Golem quickly corrodes. So even if you coat a weapon with mana, it won’t last.”

“······!”

Ivella’s eyes widened.

It was only natural.

If neither magic nor swords work, how are you supposed to defeat it?

“So how do you defeat that thing?”

“There are two methods.”

Silfi held up two fingers.

“First, attack it with a weapon imbued with aura or spirit. Then, even a Blood Golem can’t corrode the weapon.”

“Huh? Aura?”

“That means you need a Master.”

As soon as Silfi finished speaking.

Ivella reflexively glanced at Ulan but then shook her head. No matter how strong he was, he probably wasn’t at the level of a Master yet.

‘Besides, if he were a Master, he wouldn’t have needed to enroll in the Academy in the first place.’

Even if he were a barbarian, being a Master would change his treatment. Just naturalizing into the Empire would grant him a title and territory immediately.

Meaning there was no reason to come to the Academy.

So she quickly dismissed the thought.

“Then what’s the second method?”

“That’s also difficult. You need a weapon made from a very special ore called Bloodstone.”

“Bloodstone?”

“Yes, it’s an ore that hardens the more it absorbs blood, but it’s so rare that it’s famously expensive.”

Silfi’s expression darkened.

“Meaning, obtaining enough to make a weapon is difficult. So······.”

“So that method is also useless.”

“Sigh, pretty much.”

Silfi let out a hopeless sigh.

Ivella’s expression also turned grim. Both methods were impossible in their current situation.

But Ulan’s reaction was different.

The reason was obvious.

‘I already have all of those.’

The level of a Master.

A weapon made of Bloodstone.

Coincidentally, Ulan had both. So he let out a bored laugh.

“Ulan.”

Ivella called out to him.

With a serious look in her eyes.

“Let’s go back to where we faced the trials.”

“Y-yeah! That’s a good idea.”

Silfi nodded in agreement.

She probably thought they had no chance. But Ulan shook his head.

“It’s fine.”

“Huh?”

“I can handle it.”

So there’s no need to worry.

Ulan meant to say that. But Ivella’s expression darkened even more.

“I know you’re strong. But if what Silfi said is true, then running away is the safest solution right now.”

“That’s right. That thing, the Blood Golem, isn’t a monster a student can handle. According to records, it once destroyed an entire city!”

Silfi shouted as if screaming.

But Ulan remained unfazed.

He had destroyed a city by himself before. Though it was a city of monsters.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s going to move yet, so if we go to a safe place and wait for rescue······.”

As Silfi quickly continued.

A violent tremor shook the room.

Rumble rumble!

As if signaling a disaster.

At the same time, the two girls’ eyes wavered.

Tension and fear.

Just as these emotions were about to spill out through their eyes. Ulan, who was looking at the source of the tremor, muttered briefly.

“It’s moving.”

“······!”

As soon as those words ended.

The monster that was the topic of conversation.

The Blood Golem slowly rose. Dripping sticky blood.

The moment they witnessed this scene.

Silfi’s face turned pale.

“Wh-what do we do?! Wh-what should we do?!”

Silfi stomped her feet in panic.

Ivella’s expression also hardened like stone. Then, Ulan stepped forward.

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”

“B-but that thing······!”

“Trust me.”

Ulan cut her off briefly.

A voice without hesitation. A look in his eyes that was certain of victory made Silfi close her mouth. For some reason, she felt like he really could do it.

Perhaps he had found another method she didn’t know about. Like when he faced the Immortal for the first time.

“······Alright. I’ll trust you.”

Ivella also nodded.

Just as Ulan had believed in her talent, she decided to believe in Ulan’s strength.

“If there’s anything I can do to help······.”

“Then take care of those things.”

“Huh? Those things?”

What is he talking about?

As she tilted her head in confusion, a familiar sound came from not far away.

Swish! Swish!

The sound of old clothes dragging on the floor.

Moments later, figures holding rusty swords emerged from all directions. Silfi looked horrified.

“Ugh, even Immortals······!”

“Ah, Immortals?”

But Ivella’s reaction was different.

She was already used to Immortals by now.

Using the fourth method Ulan had taught her, even Immortals could be subdued without much difficulty.

“Alright. Leave those guys to me.”

“Reliable.”

Ulan grinned.

With a satisfied smile.

The two immediately closed their mouths. Then, without waiting for the other, they stomped the ground and headed towards their respective battlefields.

Chapter 11. But That Really Happened

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