Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 261: Episode

The next day, in Indoor Arena 3, the Dueling Evaluations began. Unlike the BMAT, which was a public spectacle, this semester’s duels were all held privately. As such, the arena was quiet. The few people scattered in the stands were mostly students waiting for the afternoon matches, those scouting their opponents, and...

"Haaa," a short-haired second-year girl yawned, sitting in the very back row with her legs crossed, clearly watching out of boredom.

"Hello, there!" a male student suddenly called out to her.

"...A freshman?"

"Yep! My name is Dick Hayward." Dick bowed obsequiously, flashing a bright business smile. "Watching the duels is great, but isn’t it about time you got a little hungry?"

Next to him stood Kamibarez, laden with drinks and snacks. The sophomore frowned. "What’s this? I’m not buying this crap."

"Nah-uh! How could I take money from our revered senior? This is just a small token of support from a junior, cheering you on through Kizen’s notoriously difficult second-year curriculum!"

"Really?" At the word ’free’, she snatched a drink. "I guess you have the decency of looking after your seniors. I’ll pass on the snacks, I’m on a diet."

"Yes, ma’am! Please enjoy!"

As Dick and Kamibarez were about to turn away, she called out, "Hey. You didn’t put anything weird in this, did you?"

"Hahaha! Would I risk getting kicked out of school by doing something bad to a revered senior! It’s a brand new, unopened item from the campus cafe!"

"Alright. You can go." The second-year student waved them away as she stuck a straw in the drink.

And so, Dick and Kamibarez made their rounds, handing out drinks and snacks to a few more upperclassmen.

"Okay, all done!" Dick said with a proud expression as he sat down. "Thanks so much for helping, Kami! I’ll treat you to lunch and dinner today and tomorrow!"

She, looking quite awkward with this sort of thing, blushed and sat down next to him. "More importantly, Dick, why are you giving drinks and snacks to the seniors?"

"It’s all about connections—networking." Dick crossed his arms smugly. "If I talk to a hundred seniors like this, it’s a win even if I happen to click with one or two and become friends. The seniors who come to watch the duels are generally lenient with their juniors! And..."

He pointed to the drink Kamibarez was holding. A logo was attached to the cup like a sticker.

"Ah!" It was an advertisement for Dick’s proxy-shopping business. You just had to order from a catalog, and he would bring the items from Rochest the next day and deliver them straight to the dorms. The sticker logo was a pair of winged sandals, with the brand name ’Talaria’ written in small letters below it. "The second-years don’t really know about my business yet, so I’m advertising whenever I can."

At his words, Kamibarez let out a small gasp of admiration. "I think you work much harder than people think, Dick!"

"Hmm? Wait a minute! How do other people see me?"

"As lazy and someone who cuts corners!"

As Dick clutched his chest with an exaggeratedly hurt expression, Kamibarez laughed out loud. "It’s a shame Meirin couldn’t come with us."

"She has a match this morning. Oh, it’s about to start!"

"I can see Simon over there!"

Among the students slowly warming up, Simon was visible. The referee stepped forward and began explaining the rules.

"Starting from this Dueling Evaluation, we will be using a new protective suit."

The participating students, including Simon, were already wearing them. It was a neat, solid navy-blue outfit that gave off a faint glow, as if enchanted with powerful black magic.

"The previous protective suit would first detect an impact and deploy a barrier, and the ’Barrier Gauge’ on the screen would decrease according to the shock absorbed. This suit," the referee continued, picking up a dagger and slicing his own thigh. The students gasped. But as the dagger cut into him, purple magical energy flowed out instead of blood. His thigh was unharmed.

"Takes the opponent’s attack directly. Not only the pain, but also the effects of curses and poisons will all be felt as if they were real. In addition..." The referee took a few limping steps. "When attacked, the suit will even reproduce effects such as bleeding, fractures, and amputations, giving the wearer the sensation of a real battle."

’We don’t need that kind of realism!’ In that moment, every student was screaming the same thing internally.

"Of course, as long as the protective suit is not torn, the wearer’s body will be unharmed, so please rest assured. This suit was previously only available to second-years, but starting this year, first-years in the integrated second semester will also be wearing it."

The stands grew noisy at this news. Dick clicked his tongue and propped his head up with his hands. "Man, these Kizen bastards are harsh. They use any excuse, like the ’quasi-wartime curriculum’ or the ’integrated second semester,’ to raise the difficulty."

"Oh, that must hurt, right?" Kamibarez asked, her face pale.

Dick laughed nonchalantly. "It’s just fake pain anyway. They say it’s weaker than actually being cut or stabbed. Huh? Huh?"

"What is it?"

"Professor Bahil is here too!"

Kamibarez looked up. Sure enough, at the edge of the stands, she could see Bahil and his head teaching assistant, Chehekle, sitting side by side.

As the crowd’s attention fixed on the celebrated professor, Bahil slyly raised a finger to his lips and gave a small wave. Stifled screams rippled through the stands.

"Who do you think he’s here to see?"

"Me, obviously!" Dick bellowed, practically buzzing with excitement. "I even got invited to Professor Bahil’s lab! I had to clean it, but still!"

"...But your match is this afternoon, Dick."

Just then, the referee’s voice boomed across the arena. "We will now prepare for the first match. From Class A, Simon Polentia."

At the sound of his name, Simon strode to the center of the arena floor.

"And," the referee announced, turning to the opposite side, "from Class A, Claudia Mendes."

Claudia emerged from the other entrance. A troubled expression flickered across Simon’s face. ’Of all people, my opponent is Claudia.’ An awkward tension lingered between them from their recent clash.

Soon, the two stood facing each other.

"Hey," Simon greeted her, a hint of a friendly challenge in his tone. "Fancy meeting you here."

While his face was relaxed, Claudia’s eyes burned with a venomous hostility. "All day yesterday, and all day today..." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Simon tilted his head.

"I’ve been thinking about how to crush you," she hissed. "I watched your Duel Evaluation videos on the Memorial Crystal countless times. I stayed up all night studying your every move."

A flicker of genuine curiosity lit Simon’s eyes. "So, did you figure out a way to beat me?"

"Of course." As long as everything went according to plan, Claudia was certain her victory was guaranteed.

The referee leaned forward, extending his arms. "You two, shake hands."

Simon and Claudia stepped forward, their hands meeting in the middle.

"I’m looking forward to it," Simon said. "Let’s have a good match."

"Are you still..." Claudia’s voice was low and intense. "...unwavering in your faith in Professor Byulya?"

Simon released her hand and gave a firm nod. She gritted her teeth and spun away. After they had taken their positions, the referee shouted, "Now, let the Duel Evaluation between Class A’s Simon Polentia and Class A’s Claudia Mendes begin!"

A roar erupted from the stands.

"Simon! Get a clean win!"

"Go, Simon! You can do it!" He could hear Dick and Kamibarez’s enthusiastic cheers.

A small smile touched Simon’s lips as he spotted them. The referee, glancing between the two competitors, swept his raised arm down.

"Begin!"

The instant the match started, Claudia snatched two potion vials from her belt and shattered them at her feet. A thick, brown smoke billowed from the broken glass, instantly obscuring her from view. Poison gas, right from the start.

With the base of his Blood Golem magic circle already affixed to his back, Simon stared straight ahead. The poison didn’t spread far; it swirled around her before settling low to the ground. The acrid smell suggested it was quite potent.

’You’ll never get through this,’ Claudia thought, her eyes glinting from within the toxic cloud. ’I’ve perfectly analyzed how you fight and every spell you use.’ She had broken Simon’s combat style into three distinct phases.

In the early game, he relied on martial combat. The mid-game was dominated by his Overlord. And for the late game, he would bring out his Blood Golem, followed by his original skeleton techniques.

’Simon’s close-quarters combat is on another level. If I let him get close, I have no chance.’ To prevent that, she had surrounded herself with a moat of poison. It was a reckless move, and even with an antidote, she would take some damage. But she considered it a small price to pay to neutralize his martial skills. ’He’s also incredibly resilient in the late game. If he summons that Blood Golem, my chances are zero. He ends up controlling twenty-three skeletons at once. How could I possibly win against that?’

Close combat meant certain defeat. Dragging the fight out too long also meant certain defeat. Reviewing the strategy in her mind, she began weaving a new magic circle. ’His only real vulnerability is the mid-game. The ideal strategy is to watch for his Overlord and take him down before he can even think about summoning his Blood Golem.’

She placed a vial of virulent poison onto the completed magic circle and activated it.

‘Poison Fog.’

A green sphere rose from the magic circle that had consumed the potion, then burst, scattering a toxic mist in every direction. Unlike the brown gas clinging to her, this Poison Fog spread wide, instantly blanketing the entire arena. A mana barrier shimmered into existence, preventing the smoke from reaching the spectators.

’Good. Phase one is a success.’ Poison Fog was a core spell for every Venomology aspirant. The basic strategy was to lay down the fog, gradually chip away at an opponent’s stamina, and focus on defense and counterattacks. Time was always on the venomologist’s side, and the fog itself was a powerful psychological weapon.

Meanwhile, Simon was preparing a new spell of his own, his expression one of detached interest. ’Just as I thought. She’s starting with Poison Fog.’ He had faced a Venomology major during the first semester’s Duel Evaluation, so he was familiar with the tactic. He glanced at the mana screen.

[Simon Polentia: 98%]

[Claudia Mendes: 94%]

Their barrier gauges had already started to drop. His throat felt tight, and a tingling sensation spread across his skin as he stood in the fog. Claudia was already casting again, adding yellow and orange clouds to the mix—one to paralyze the nervous system, the other to distort vision. She was clearly well-prepared.

Simon was genuinely impressed. ’No wonder she’s the top Venomology student in Class A.’ Stacking three types of Poison Fog wasn’t as simple as tripling the effect. Poisons had compatibilities; used incorrectly, one could be nullified, or they could interfere with each other inside the opponent’s body. Claudia’s skill in combining them was clearly exceptional.

’[Bwahahaha! This is no time to be admiring your opponent’s skill, boy!]’

’I just finished it,’ Simon thought back. ’I’m not quite used to curses, so it took a while to prepare.’ He finally cast the completed curse on himself and stared forward.

[Simon Polentia: 92%]

[Claudia Mendes: 94%]

Her barrier gauge had already surpassed his. His suit flickered purple, a clear sign the poison was taking effect.

’You said you figured me out completely, right?’ A faint smile touched Simon’s lips as he started walking toward her. ’Then I’ll make sure to use that to my advantage.’